Cheer UP! Podcast
Cheer UP! Podcast
Journeying With Mark
Unravel Mark's biblical path with Kara & Cheri as they explore early church stories & faith-fueled relationships. How can disagreements lead to gospel spread? Find out! 🙏✨ #PodcastEpisode #FaithJourney #CheerUpPodcast #Faith&Coffee
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Hi and welcome to the Cheer Up Podcast. I am your host, Kara Hunt, and with me is the beautiful and charming Sherry Swalwell. How are you doing today, Sherry?
Speaker 2:I am doing great, and I think my new name should be Coffee Sherry, because I always start our podcast talking about coffee, which I think is way more fun than talking about the weather.
Speaker 2:But I have another news to tell you about today. So it's probably not me. So email us if this is something that you've been doing for a long time. I'm usually kind of slow on the draw because I don't like pay attention to all the latest, greatest trends. But I was reading on Facebook a couple of weeks ago and it was talking about adding cinnamon to your coffee.
Speaker 2:Now, when a couple of years ago, I'd gone to some conference or something with my husband and we had gone to, there was a Starbucks in the hotel and so they had cinnamon as one of their choices of condiments or whatever you want to call it, additions to coffee, and so I tried that in my hot coffee. It wasn't something I kept up. When I got home. Well, I was reading on Facebook and it was saying how you should add cinnamon to your coffee, and I'm like, well, it's summertime, I'm not going to be drinking hot coffee right now, but I will try it, maybe kind of sort of in my cold coffee. So I have this like little. I don don't know. My husband bought me this fancy machine coffee machine and so it has like this little worry thing, like worry, like w-i-r-r word, like you know, a worrying thing, whiskey thing, whatever you want to call it and so I used that to, because I know that cinnamon like I used to put cinnamon in milk all the time and it doesn't dissolve.
Speaker 2:So I'm like, well, if I use this whiskey thing then maybe it will dissolve a little bit better. So anyway, long story short, I did that this morning. I used the whiskey thing and it is really good in cold coffee too, and I'm somebody who doesn't put like sugar and stuff in her coffee. I do put half and half creamer.
Speaker 2:I don't put the flavored one just because I don't need the extra calories. So I had cinnamon half and half coffee this morning, like plain regular coffee. It was so good. So there's something else for you to try if you feel like it.
Speaker 1:Well, actually, cinnamon is like a staple in my house. It is. I use it in hot cocoa, I, because I make my own hot cocoa, and um, I love it in coffee. Um, and I, I love cinnamon. Anyway, I've just always liked anything that had that cinnamon kick to it or twist.
Speaker 2:I love cinnamon. You're right, it's good.
Speaker 1:I've just always whether it's a food, a pastry or anything like that I've just always liked a pinch of cinnamon wouldn't hurt. But not only that, it's very good for your digestive system and I learned that years ago when you know I was having issues with that and yeah, it's really good for your digestive system and so it's like been a staple in my house. And I don't know if people I went to church with at the time know this, but years ago, so we're talking maybe 15 years ago at a church I was at, we would take turns doing coffee for the congregation. You know you show up early and then you make a big urn of coffee or two urns or whatever, and I always wanted my coffee to taste different than the other hostesses that did the coffee.
Speaker 1:I know right, I'm just that person. If I'm going to do coffee, I just want to do urns and everything and things like that. Because, one, I'm a cinnamon fan and, two, I just wanted to just for them to have that little bit of difference right between the regular coffee that was being made on every other Sunday and then, like on my Sundays when I had it, when I was scheduled for it, that they would know it would be different, you know, and so I would just add cinnamon to it. I'm not sure how many of them knew I was doing that, though.
Speaker 2:You know, I bet they probably tasted that it was different, but they didn't know why. So now, if they're listening, now you know what the secret ingredient was.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the secret ingredient was cinnamon sticks. Yum, you know and you know and everything so, but yes, but yes, cinnamon, love it.
Speaker 2:It's a matter of fact it's so good yes.
Speaker 1:And, as a matter of fact, I don't know if this is in one of my published manuscripts. I thought I had a character named Cinnamon. Oh no, now I'm going to have to go through all my manuscripts and see if I did. If not, she's on my list. The name is on my list. So anyway, if any of you guys see any of my future works and you come across a character named Cinnamon, just remember this conversation.
Speaker 2:I love it.
Speaker 1:She's like oh, I remember in that one podcast that she said you know that's if I haven't used it already in the past. It may be in an unwritten excuse me, an unpublished manuscript or something, but I just keep thinking she was a character in one of my books. If not, she may surface sooner or later. But anyway, thank you everyone who have joined us this morning and who have continued to join us every week throughout different times of the day, because we know that some people listen to podcasts at night, some people listen to them on the way to work, some people listen to them while they're on the treadmill, you know, or getting the kids ready for school, whenever you're listening. Thank you so much for tuning in. We appreciate you, we know you're there, we see you, we see the city and the states and the countries that you guys are coming from, and we so appreciate it. Thank you, thank you. Thank you for continuing to join in and for being a part of Cheered Nation, for being a cheerer. We just appreciate it so much.
Speaker 1:Well, last week we covered Matthew, because we have now kind of stepped into the New Testament. I think this is our third week into the New Testament, as everyone knows, we have been talking about biblical figures, mostly Old Testament biblical figures, for the past couple of months and the past couple of weeks we have kind of dipped into the New Testament. And why are we doing that you ask? So for those of you who are new, just because those stories were written or those particular biblical figures went through those situations years ago does not mean that we're not going through them again today. Same old, same old. You know, as you know, the old saying goes it's the same thing, just the characters are different. And the question is that's how Abraham handled it, that's how David, king David, handled it, that's how Job handled it. But the question really comes down to how do we, as believers in modern society, handle the same situations that come to us? The people are different, the players are different, but the stories and the situations and the circumstances that they encounter are the same.
Speaker 1:Situations and circumstances that they encounter are the same and so today we're going to be talking about Mark and the New Testament. It's going to be a little bit. It's going to be about Mark and a little bit about the book of Mark, you know, and everything else. So, regarding the book of Mark, I want to make sure I get this correct. It says, excuse me, I was in Matthew. So let me get to Mark. It says that it is not stated who traditionally attributed excuse me wrote the book of Mark, the gospel of Mark. In the Bible it's attributed to John Mark, a missionary and companion of Paul and Barnabas and an associate of the apostle Peter. But it is not definitive that he was actually the one who wrote it, but a lot of evidence points to it that it was him, you know. So I just wanted to share that. And it was probably written around 60s AD, during the Roman persecution of Christians, and it's.
Speaker 1:I just want to highly, highly, highly, and I can't say this enough encourage you that if you haven't read the Gospel of Mark, or you're thinking about reading the Gospel of Mark, if you haven't read it in a long time, but mostly if you just haven't read it, oh my gosh. Sherry and I are both avid readers, right? We read novels, we read um biographies, we read all sorts of stuff, non-fiction stuff, you name it. We, we, we are readers. We have been avid readers since childhood, so we've read a lot of books and the one thing that I always love about books is when they start off with a bang okay. And if you haven haven't started or haven't read the Book of Mark, the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament, let me tell you it starts off with a bang okay. There is no preliminary. There is not this setting of oh, it was a nice cool day and the sun was shining, or it was a warm day in the desert. There is none of that, you know. It just kind of starts off with what's happening. So I love Mark's writing style. Like I said, it's been attributed to him, lots of evidence points to that, but I love his writing style.
Speaker 1:He gets into it and he gets into it quick and he gets into it fast. I mean in the first chapter, and I love the first sentence and it says the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Like you can't go wrong with starting a chapter off like that, but that sounds kind of boring, right? You're like Carol, I thought you said there was action in it. Well, there is. So it starts off there. Then it immediately goes into the voice of one crying in the wilderness. So it immediately goes from the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God, to the boys crying out in the wilderness, and it's talking about the ministry of John the Baptist, and when he baptizes Jesus and all of that, that goes, everything that goes through it, you know. So it's the baptism of Jesus. Then, right after that, it goes into the temptations of Jesus, you know, and it goes into that, where he was in the wilderness for 40 days and tempted by Satan himself.
Speaker 1:In this first chapter, satan and his minions are mentioned quite a bit. Okay, so then you go from him being so, you know, first he's talking about Jesus Christ the son of God. Then he immediately goes into the voice crying out in the wilderness with John and a baptism of Jesus. Then it goes straight into the temptation of Jesus by Satan for 40 days. And then, how, you know, um and the angels minister, um, to, to to an angel's minister to Jesus. And then he goes into the call of Jesus. You know, excuse me, not the call of Jesus, but the call of him to the apostles. Because he goes into, he finds Andrew and Simon, you know, and all of that.
Speaker 1:And then, oh my gosh, by the 21st verse he's taking authority over demonic spirits, telling them to shut up and be quiet and come out of this man, you know. So I mean that was just in all of that stuff I just mentioned just happened, like 20 verses. Then by the 21st verse he's already casting out demonic spirits, you know, and everything else. And so when he enters, like the synagogue and you know, and everything else, it's like even the demons knew who he was. It was like they knew. And they, they even say that in there, like you know, have you come? Like let us alone, what have we done with you, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Or you come to destroy us? I know who you are, you're the Holy One of God. So this is just. We're just now in like the 20, like if this starts, he comes in contact with him, I think in the 21st verse.
Speaker 1:And now we're in the 24th verse and the demons are already like let us alone, leave us alone. Have you come here to destroy us? You know, and pretty much he rebukes the lead demon, because this particular man had several and he's just like, you know, hold your peace and come out of him. So now he's casting demons out, okay, so, and he, you know, hold your peace and come out of him. So basically he's telling them to shut up and get out.
Speaker 1:That's the care translation, you know. And it says and when the unclean's? The care translation, you know. And it says and when the unclean spirit had torn, him torn, when I think of torn, I think of a piece of paper, right, and you rip it to shreds, and that's what it's talking about. After that unclean spirit tore that man, yeah, and he cried out with a loud voice, you know, before coming out. And then, you know, then we keep going, and then by the 29th verse he's healing people, then he casts out more demons, then he starts his preaching tour, right, so again we're all in just the first chapter, and then he heals the leper, and I mean it just goes on and on. I mean through there.
Speaker 1:So if you guys have not read the book of Mark, you know, I just wanted to throw that little tidbit in there, that you're not, you're not going to be disappointed. It's only a think about 16 chapters, you know. So it's not a very long gospel, but and it also also I was just talking about the first chapter, but it is a very fast-paced. The book of Mark, the gospel of Mark, is a very fast-paced, action-oriented account of things that Jesus done, of his ministry him talking about his identity as the Son of God and the Messiah who came to give his life for the salvation of humanity, and identity as a son of God and the Messiah who came to give his life for the salvation of humanity, and there's a lot of action and everything that goes on through that. So if you haven't read the book of Mark, you know yet I just highly encourage you to just, you know, start it, because you're not going to be bored. There's so much that goes on through there. In that particular book. I wanted to, I want to go a little bit deeper and say some more things that happened in some later chapters, but I don't want to spoil it, you know. So I just want you guys to go and just pick it up and just read it, so, okay.
Speaker 1:So now we're talking about Mark and actually in the book of Mark, in the gospel of Mark, not much is said about Mark. I and I and I I'm going to give you like a few seconds to grab some pen and paper, because Mark is actually talked about in other, because Mark is actually talked about in other parts of the New Testament. He's not talked about, you know, in the Gospel of Mark. So, and it looks like the first place if you just want to know more about Mark the man. The first mention of Mark is in Acts 12, 12. You know, to find out more about his family because he is, you can go to Colossians 4, 10. That's Colossians 4, 10, because there he's identified as a cousin of Barnabas.
Speaker 1:Now when you research a little bit more into that, you'll see that some scholars are like, yeah, we know, the scriptures say he was a cousin of Barnabas, but actually he was technically the nephew, you know and everything else. But when you go to the scripture, at least in KJV, it says his cousin, he was a cousin of Barnabas. It doesn't say his nephew. But I know some scholars say he was his nephew. But either way, they were related and I'd rather go with the word of what the scriptures actually say than you know trying to retrace his family steps, you know and everything else. And it could be. Maybe he was nephew and cousin, you know back then, but the scripture I believe Colossians 14 makes it clear that him and Barnabas was cousins.
Speaker 1:And Mark is also mentioned in 1 Peter 5.13. He's oh. And something else I should mention is in Mark, chapter 14, 51 through 52, there is the incident where Jesus is being arrested and then it talks about this young man that was there who was kind of witnessing the whole thing and they, I think they were about to grab this young man. It doesn't say his name, but he manages to escape, but he leaves his sheep behind. You know, he was just, you know, had something to kind of like cover him and everything, but then he's just like he leaves it behind because he's trying to avoid being arrested. So okay, yeah. So I'm in Mark 14, 51. And it says a young man wearing nothing but a linen garment was following Jesus. And it says a young man wearing nothing but a linen garment was following Jesus. When they seized him he fled, the young man naked, leaving his garment behind. So the reason I mention that is because a lot of scholars are saying well, that was Mark, because he writes with such detail throughout the Gospel of Mark, everything that's going on, all those demons and unclean spirits that were talking to him and Jesus was casting out. He witnessed them, or at least the writer of the book of Mark witnessed them, you know, and he saw all of this and so, and when people reading that, they're like, oh my gosh, that was Mark. He was the one, you know, when everyone else had fled, he had hung around, but when they were about to seize him, he fled and he ran, but he ended up leaving his garment behind. So now, whether it's true that that was actually Mark or not, I guess we may never really officially know, but if that's something you want to research and just kind of get more into, that's Mark, chapter 14, verses 51 and 52. Verses 51 and 52.
Speaker 1:Some other scriptures about Mark is. One of them is Acts 12, 25, and Acts 13, 5, and Acts 13, 13, and, excuse me, in Acts 1536 through 41. Acts 1536 through 41. That's the very last scripture in the book of Acts, which in the book of Acts is pretty much the Acts of the Apostles. So, and that's like the last time we hear a mark in the book of Acts Acts 12, 25, acts 13, 5, acts 13, 13, and Acts 15, 36 through 41,.
Speaker 1:You kind of see he has. He kind of makes Paul mad, he kind of makes he kind of makes the you know the Apostle Paul met and I'm trying to see which one that is real quick because Paul felt like that he deserted him in Barnabas when they needed him. Yeah, excuse me, I am trying my best to, I'm trying to come up with the one where he. Anyway, when you go through the book, the scriptures on Acts, you'll see how it talks about how Paul was kind of disappointed in Mark because they were I can't remember where they were going. Because they were. I can't remember where they were going but Mark had decided not to go with him and Paul and Barnabas at the time, and so he kind of made Paul a little bit angry about it.
Speaker 1:And then as you read further into those scripts, into the book of Acts, you see what Barnabas kind of has a little argument with Paul about. He wanted to grab Mark to go on this other mission trip with them. But Paul was kind of adamant like no, he deserted us when we needed him. I can't trust him to go on this trip with us. And then Barnabas and Paul kind of had a little, you know, a little tiff, you know, and they were arguing about that Because, again, remember, barnabas and Mark are related, you know, they're cousins or at least they're related, and so Barnabas and Paul kind of get into it a little bit that way, and then Barnabas ends up leaving Paul and he goes and get Mark, and then Paul actually grabbed Silas to go where he wanted to go, so something that I think it was that when Mark had deserted them it didn't really sit well with Paul and so he didn't want him to go on like the second one. I don't think he trusted him necessarily to go on a second one, or he was just going to desert them mid-mission or something.
Speaker 1:But the good news is, and this is where I want to get to, with Mark, when Paul was imprisoned they obviously Paul and Mark obviously put their differences aside, because Paul talks about later, I believe, in Colossians and in other parts, I think, in the book of Acts that how he, mark, has been a great comfort to him while he's been in prison and how he's, you know. So they obviously made up, they obviously put whatever their differences were aside and when Paul needed him the most, mark was there. He may not have been there and deserted them at mission whenever going on that particular mission trip. But when Mark, when Paul needed Mark, mark was there and he talks about how Mark was just such a great help to him while he was in prison. And I mention that because we have here in our modern day I'm just switching the lens right now from biblical to modern A lot of us have come across people we love and we care about.
Speaker 1:We're close to them, they're mentors to us or they're just really close people to us. We've learned so much from them, christian-wise and everything else. But then you have like a little tiff, right, they may want you to go somewhere. You don't really want to go or you don't think you should go, and you kind of step out. Then that person gets their feelings hurt, because it does sound like Paul got his feelings hurt a little bit.
Speaker 1:You know, there when Mark decided not to go with him and Barnabas at that particular time. But Barnabas, being Mark's cousin on the second or third or another missionary trip, was like hey, yeah, we're getting ready to go, but we're going to need more people. What about Mark? What about my cousin? I'm looking out for him, I think he can come and Paul's like yeah, no, I don't know, can we like really trust him, you know, to do that, because you know, last time he just, you know, didn't show up, you know, or he deserted us, and I think the scripture uses the word deserted, so that kind of takes on the connotation that he was there and then just what disappeared. And I think that just made Paul lose faith and trust in Mark and everything.
Speaker 1:But it all worked out.
Speaker 1:Barnabas was like, okay, paul, you go your way, but I'm going to get my cousin and I'm going to grab him and we're going to go do our thing.
Speaker 1:And then Paul just grabbed Silas, and not a much as sad, much after that until Paul is imprisoned. And then you're like, wow, him and Mark have like made up, and so and I say all that to say because there are people in our lives that for a season we may disagree, we may even get mad at each other, we may even have an argument. I said a little tip because to me that sounds like a little tip, but I don't know, I don't think it's ever made clear, is it? Sherry Weidmark deserted them at that particular time, and when someone deserts you, that can leave you feeling kind of hurt and you do wonder if you can trust them in the future. Right, because to me deserted means you didn't let them know ahead of time. Right, you didn't say, oh, by the way, I have to leave tomorrow or I'm leaving in the middle of the night, you know, or something like that. Is that what deserted means to you, sherry?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's kind of how I think about it too, and it was enough of a tip that they that, yeah, because I think he started to go with them and then he changed his mind or he deserted them and there was no, no changing his mind back. But I think it was quite, quite enough that it caused a problem between Barnabas and Paul. It caused a problem between Paul and Mark. It caused, you know, a lot of problems.
Speaker 2:But God uses all of that, or he can use even our mistakes for good, like in Romans 8,. 28 says, for God works all things for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose. I've been told so many times that, even though that was a bad thing, like nobody's saying that Mark should have deserted them. But God took that desertion and he made it so that twice as many people were able to hear the gospel. Because Paul took Silas and Barnabas took Mark, they were able to go to two different places and they were able to double the witness.
Speaker 1:Right, and so look how that worked out. So God can use anything right. I could just see him now like oh my goodness, they're squabbling.
Speaker 1:You know, but we're human, right, we tend to do things like that and he's like they're squabbling. But that's okay, I can redeem this. Okay, I'm going to have Silas go with Paul and then with Mark and then, like you say, then all of a sudden, twice as many people hear it, and not only that, who ends up writing one of the most famous book in the one of the famous gospels? Mark? Right, you know, or at least it's been attributed to him, right? And so it just goes to show you that even when you have to step away from a person, even when you get into like Sherry said because I used the word tiff, but I think it was more than a tiff, right, right, it was more serious than that Even when you have that type of disagreement with a friend or a family member or someone who you're close to and you have to walk away from them different, you're still on the same job Because, remember, they still did the same thing. They just did it separately, right, yeah, they still stayed on point, they still stayed on the master's business. They just did it in separate ways. Right, he did it with his cousin, paul did it with his friend, you know, with Silas and everything else, but it all ended up working out.
Speaker 1:And I think the reason it ended up working out so well is because, even though they were mad at each other, they never took their eyes off God and what their mission was Amen. And I think that's why it just because it seems like the whole thing ended up being blessed. And I think that's why it just because it seems like the whole thing ended up being blessed. And I think that's because they didn't let that distract his. He didn't let his distraction Barnabas didn't let his distraction Right Stop him for doing what he was supposed to do. Mark didn't allow it to stop. Paul didn't allow it to stop. Silas didn't say I'm not getting in this mess, right? Yeah, I got some stuff going on, I don't want to be bothered, I'm just going to step out. You know, I don't want no one being mad at me when this is all said and done. No, they all stayed about the master's business, they just handled it in different ways and because they never lost focus. I think that's why it ended up being so blessed and all of them right, because, like you said it, that whatever was Mark's desertion even even caused friction between Barnabas and Paul, and Right, you know, and it calls friction between them, it calls friction between Mark and Paul, creative friction.
Speaker 1:You know, and I'm pretty sure Barnabas it doesn't say it in the scripture, but I could just see Barnabas, even you know, chastising his cousin. You know, like man, what are you doing? Why did you do that? Do you not know what you just done? Like you know, I ended up getting into a heated argument with Paul over this. But you're my cousin, right? So you know, I had, you know I wanted to say something and I had to say something. But you know you could have handled this better.
Speaker 1:So it just sounds like a couple of friends that got into a squabble that turned into a much bigger deal. But look at God, right, look at God, look how he redeemed that. So if you have a friend, or like a family member or someone, and you're just like, oh Kara, I don't know if I'll ever be able to talk with them again, I don't know if we ever communicate again, you know well, leave that up to the Lord whether or not that's going to happen or not. But just don't lose focus, don't lose sight of what God has called you to do. That is so important and you know, pray that your relative or your friend does not lose purpose of what God has called them to do, because when we keep God, our focus, we can't go wrong. We're human, we bleed red. We are going to argue, sometimes disagree whether it's a little tiff or whether it's something bigger and gets other family members involved, because it got Barnabas involved, right, and it could be something bigger than that.
Speaker 1:But if you don't lose focus on God, if you keep the mission in the forefront and your love for God there, god can mend that relationship. And just like you know when Paul was in prison, guess who was there by his side? It doesn't say Barnabas, you know it was Mark. It was Mark who was there. And so you just never know what role or how God can just put you in the places where you need to be at the right time. And so never lose hope. Don't ever say never, never, never. Just keep your focus on God, stay true to your calling, that God has called you to Stay true to your calling that God has called you to Continue to pray, that you won't get distracted and that you know there'll be peace between you and that loved one and your friend, and let God work out the rest. Just do not lose focus. Keep God and what he's called you to do in the forefront. Is there anything else?
Speaker 2:you'd like to add to that, sherry? I just wanted to give people encouragement because I think sometimes, as believers, we sit there and we have this idea that we're not allowed to get angry. We're not allowed to have real feelings.
Speaker 2:We're not allowed to hold a grudge, which we're not supposed to, but I mean, we're not allowed to feel anything except for good things, because, you know, God only wants us to forgive people and God only wants us to show forgiveness and love and peace and all that. And yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. But God also knows that we're human and I believe that God gives us these examples in the Bible so that we can see how people in real time and real people reacted. So do you think? Well, go back and read the story, because the answer is no. But God did not have this pith that Paul and Barnabas and John were all a part of, and who knows where Silas fit into it If he got an earful from Paul as they were out, Paul was like forget it, I don't even want to talk about it.
Speaker 2:This is between you know God, who knows it doesn't say. But the point is is that it went on for a little while. It wasn't an instantaneous fix. God had to work in their hearts, god had to mature them.
Speaker 2:God had to help heal the brokenness and heal the hurt that they all got. God had to grow them in such a way that they were able to get over the misunderstandings. And I know in my own life that when we give God access to all of the hurting parts of us and when we don't try to hide behind the Christianese and the, I love everybody and I don't have a problem with anybody and my life is fantastic and everybody is perfect. And oh, of course, I love you and you can walk all over me and do whatever it is that you want to do it. No, no, the fact that you told me that you were going to bake 12 dozen cookies and then you call me up the night before and say, oh, I'm sorry, I forgot, you're stuck on your own. Oh, no, that didn't bother me at all. I love staying up until three o'clock in the morning and having 5,000 business meetings the next day, and not having to worry at all that I didn't get any sleep.
Speaker 2:No, I love that. Jesus loves you too. No, god doesn't want us to do that. God doesn't want us to be a fake, god doesn't want us to push our feelings down, because that causes resentment, that causes bitterness, that causes unforgiveness and those things are sin. So, paul, barnabas and John, regardless of whether John Mark.
Speaker 1:John Mark, that's his full name. I should have mentioned that Right Go ahead.
Speaker 2:So, regardless of the fact that it probably would have been better had they not had that, regardless of the fact that it probably would have been better had they not had that.
Speaker 2:God gave us that example for a reason Because he showed us how humans are going to be humans and how to lovingly, biblically, get over conflict. As long as we live here in this world, we're going to have conflict. We will never not have conflict with people. How we handle that conflict will change person to person maturity, relationship level, personality, traits, all of that stuff. I kind of get the impression that Paul was a difficult person to deal with because he was very passive. He had a lot of deal.
Speaker 2:And I kind of get the impression that he was like one of those. This is the way it's going to be and if I have to, I'll bulldoze you, because God's mission is my mission and nothing's going to stand in the way. But I do think also that God worked on him and worked, humbled him and worked in his life and softened him throughout the process as well, got him to the point where it wasn't it's my way or the highway always, but I just I just wanted to point that part out that God is not expecting perfection from us. God does not expect us to get everything right. God does not expect us. In fact, one of the things that's so wonderful again, like I said before, is that we have this example. We're able to see how to resolve conflict in a biblical way through these examples. These people weren't perfect. We're not perfect, but yet God uses all of it and he used it for His good. So as long as, like Kent said, we stay focused on what the true mission is, we stay focused on God's purpose, on God's mission, making sure that that becomes our mission, then it will succeed, as long as we don't get to the point where we turn selfish and turn. It's got to be my way, and I don't care what God wants anymore. This is what I want. As long as we stay open and soft to God's leading, then he can use all of it.
Speaker 2:And Mark sorry, john, mark ended up being a Mark. Yeah, I, sorry, I didn't want to get his name wrong. Um ended up being a humongous blessing to Paul in the end, and that's not a mistake either. That's not a coincidence either. That's all a part of God's plan. Because they stayed open, they stayed soft and they were able to fulfill the mission that God wanted them to fulfill, and they were able to do it in such a way that more people were able to hear about the gospel in a shorter amount of time than they would have been able to otherwise. Is there anything else that you wanted to add, Kara?
Speaker 1:No, well, just a little bit. I remember when you said don't think that we can't get angry as Christians. But I'm not mistaken and I was reading in the KJV version in the book of Mark excuse me, in the book of Mark, and I can't remember chapter and verse right now but it talks about the man with the withered hand. I believe that was in the synagogue and the Pharisees was giving Jesus a hard time about getting ready to heal this man, because I believe it's on the Sabbath and it talks about how Jesus got angry. He wasn't angry, you know, at them like just mad, mad, mad. He was angry because he was saying so you guys are telling me that this is a sin, that I you know you something, you know he was talking about the law versus, you know, good versus evil, and you know, and everything else. He got angry because they were misinterpreting what you know what was most important, like leave this man sick, right, and everything else, or do this. But you know cause of the man with the with her hand, and I think it said he got angry, you know, um, but there's a difference between angry and not sinning, cause you're angry at the people and what they're doing and the lies that they're, you know, telling people, um, that you can't get healed on Sabbath, you know, and things like that. But he was more of like angry because, oh my gosh, what are you guys doing? Like, no, that is, that is not what this is about. That is not what you know what's about. And, yes, I'm going to heal him. You're going to be mad, but you know, deal with it.
Speaker 1:That again, that's the carry translation. But I think, yeah, and I think I'm pretty sure they use the word he got angry with them. So, again, it's angry and sin. Not, you know, we're human. That is an emotion that God has given us and so, with the example that she used with the cupcakes, you may not talk to that person about it then, because you're like, oh my goodness, now I got to go make these 12 dozen cupcakes. I'm going to be up all night, you know.
Speaker 1:But that, so that bitterness does not take root, like she was talking about how that becomes a sin. That is so important to have that conversation with that person and be, you know, and be open about it, and you know, I'll be like, oh my gosh, you know, you kind of really left me in a lurch. I just didn't know how I was going to. You know, get that done it was for the grand opening, it was for this and everything else and have that conversation. They may be sorry, they may not be sorry, but you can't let that fester, because that is when sin can take in and then all sorts of stuff happen. Did any of that make sense, sherry?
Speaker 2:Absolutely. That's where that whole they have to stay soft, we have to stay soft.
Speaker 1:We have to stay.
Speaker 2:You know like. So, for instance, with the whole cupcake thing, we can be sitting there making 12 dozen cupcakes at midnight going okay, god, I know that you knew that this was going to happen. When I asked Deidre to make me 12 dozen cupcakes, you knew I'd be here at midnight making these cupcakes. God, I don't understand the purpose of this. I don't know why you're allowing me to have no sleep tomorrow when you know, I've got a zillion meetings or I've got the opening or what have you?
Speaker 2:God, I'm going to trust you and I'm asking you to keep that bitterness away from me and you need to give me the right words and the right timing so that when I talk to Deidre about this, I talk to her and I don't lecture her or I don't accuse her or I don't make things worse for her.
Speaker 1:Or scream at her.
Speaker 2:Right, Because I want to say to you I want to make sure that our relationship is good, and you'll deal with Deidre, I know you will. So, holy Spirit, I'm going to wait for your timing. I'm going to wait for you to let me know when it is that I have to say, what it is that I need to say, and until then, god, help me find some extra caffeine, because I am hurting Right.
Speaker 1:And it's so awesome for us.
Speaker 2:Go on some. I don't know an audio book paper dog from care, uh-huh, yeah, so much faster.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. That is a great perspective, Sherry. It's praying about it before you yell about it.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Right Before you start rumbling about it and grumbling about it, because as soon as your daughter or your husband or your wife comes into the kitchen, you're like you won't believe what they just said to me, right, you know? So before you call your best friend, your BFF, talk to God about it, because if you don't and you start doing that other stuff first, it can come back to haunt you. And so I love Sherry's perspective Absolutely. Pray about it. First, ask for God to give you the words. And so I love Sherry's perspective Absolutely. Pray about it. First, ask for God to give you the words.
Speaker 2:And you know what, sometimes, like, I think and I say this probably because I'm a little bit more rested right now than I usually am, because we just had a nice little fun short getaway but sometimes I think we need mountains out of molehills that don't need to be mountains, like, god can give us some of the best memories, some of the craziest moments, but we won't have those great memories if we have a crappy attitude, if we don't have the right mindset of okay, god, what do you want to teach me? Or okay, god, how can I look back on this in three years and laugh? Or, okay, god, what is it that you want me to do with this? Like, if we sometimes we need to take ourselves a little bit too seriously and we don't allow for God to give us fun.
Speaker 2:I know for myself, life is so busy and so many things end up passing me by and I look back on it and I have all these regrets and I don't want to live with regrets. And I look back on it and I have all these regrets and I don't want to live with regrets. If I'm going to be stuck making 12 dozen cupcakes, then I want to look back on those 12 dozen cupcakes and be like that was so much fun. Like I was able to invite Kara over, we hit the jams and we just blasted them out. We had so much fun. She made her best cinnamon coffee and it was amazing, and you know what. I kind of feel sorry for Deidre because she didn't get to have the fun that we had. I don't know what she was doing.
Speaker 1:I bet she wasn't having fun like we were Absolutely yeah, and you're always going to have that friend that will join you at midnight to make cupcakes.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and so I think we just need to take a chill pill sometimes and not take life so seriously. And trust me, I'm preaching to myself here because, like I said, there are so many times that I do so much and I don't have time to do what I really want to do. I don't want to live that way. I want to live that way.
Speaker 2:I want to live in such a way that I have no regrets that I have that time or that ability to be spontaneous, even if it means I'm going to be super tired for two still use that and he can use that to bless me and everybody else around me.
Speaker 2:But he's not going to be able to bless people very well if I'm sitting there picking a fit or I'm sitting there complaining about Deidre. What kind of a testimony, what kind of an attitude do I have about Deidre? What kind of a testimony and what kind of an attitude do I have? And how do I know that Deidre just didn't have a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day and she just was at the end of her rope and couldn't do it. But she couldn't admit that to me either, because then she would feel like an even bigger failure. How do I know that? Do I want to really sit there and talk bad about Deidre when I'll find out in three months or whatever, or when I go to talk to her that Deidre really just needed a friend and she needed somebody to be understanding? I don't want to be that person.
Speaker 1:I don't either, and you're right. When you look back on that stuff and then you see it, you're just like what I didn't know. And then you were playing all those conversations you had when you were just ranting and venting against her to anybody and everybody who would listen and you're like I didn't have all the information. Well, that's the point. Talk to God Right Before you pick up that phone, before you call anybody else. Talk to God because you have no idea she could have just experienced the worst day of her life, you know, and things like that.
Speaker 2:Or it could be.
Speaker 1:She's just flaky and she never comes through on anything. She says, okay, but then what is that? That's a life lesson for you, yeah, for her and for us. You know never to call on Deidre again if your back is up against the wall, and no matter how good her cupcakes are. You know not to rely on her, or at least have a plan B, so nothing is ever wasted. God can redeem it all.
Speaker 2:Amen, and she just won't get invited to the cool party and get to listen to Paper Doll Right, see, see. I hope you guys had as much fun with Mark as I did today. And I hope you all had fun too. So in this world we will have trouble, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. That is Jesus talking, and you know what. He might not have dealt with 12 dozen cupcakes, but he dealt with a whole lot more.
Speaker 1:I'll take 12. He had to deal with Paul and Barnabas and John, mark and demon possession.
Speaker 2:Let's not forget about that at the beginning of the book of Mark so yeah there's so much more.
Speaker 2:I'll deal with 12 cupcakes any day, any day, but I hope that you guys had fun. I hope that you enjoyed it. If you want to talk to us personally, privately, you can email us at cheeruppodcasts at gmailcom. If you want to start a conversation in the Facebook group, please do. You can go over to Cheer Up Podcast on Facebook. Cheer Up podcast on Facebook.
Speaker 2:If you want to check out those Audible books or those yeah, the audio books on Audible, there we go I knew I was not saying that correct Of Paper Dolls, head on over to Audible and you can download those and let us know what you think of them. Let us know what you think of the narrator, let us know what you think of them. Let us know what you think of the narrator. Let us know what you think of the whole experience. If you want to check out anything that I'm doing, head over to my website, cherrieswalwellcom.
Speaker 2:If you want to check out the other things that Kara is working on, you can head over to karahuntcom. And we're just so grateful that you're here, we're grateful for the conversations that we have with all of you, we're grateful for just the feedback that you give us and we're going to be in the New Testament for a while, so let us know how you're enjoying it, what you think of it and if you have any other insights that we failed to mention. So, having said that, have a great rest of your day, and next week we're going to be talking about Luke. So have a great day, have a great rest of your time, and we will talk to you next week.
