1 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to Christian Parent Crazy World, the podcast that tackles 2 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,119 Speaker 1: tough topics to help you be a godly parent in 3 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: an ungodly world. I am your host, Catherine Seegers, and 4 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: in today's episode, we will tackle this super practical question, 5 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: what are the three most important life lessons every parent 6 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: must teach their kids. Life has some powerful lessons to 7 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: teach all of us. That is because God has designed 8 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:37,159 Speaker 1: life to work that way so clever, and it is 9 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 1: really important that we view these lessons through the eyes 10 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 1: of biblical truth. That is the only way to really 11 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 1: learn how to thrive in the midst of these tough lessons. Now, 12 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: today we are going to do something really fun. I'm 13 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 1: going to dive into my personal history a bit. I'm 14 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: going to tell you about my acting days, how I 15 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: became an actor actually kind of a hilarious story, slightly 16 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: inappropriate given the context, but true. And I'm going to 17 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: share with you the three most powerful life lessons I've 18 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: learned and how I came to identify them through one 19 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: of my great passions in life, which is performing comedy 20 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:19,759 Speaker 1: and prav Super fun. That's the plan for this episode 21 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: of Christian Parent Crazy World. So let's get started. Hey, everybody, 22 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: would you please hit that subscribe button on whatever app 23 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: you happen to be listening on. Doing that is really 24 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:45,040 Speaker 1: going to help the show out. I have another incredible 25 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 1: archive episode for you today because we are knee deep 26 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: in our preparations to sell our house and move back 27 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: to Music City. Yeah, the Protestant Vatican, Nashville, Tennessee, home 28 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 1: of country music, Christian Publishing, Nashville Hot Chicken, love that stuff, 29 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: and the Predators for all of you NHL fans out there, 30 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: go Breads. You know, I have all kinds of reconstruction 31 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: going on in my house right now. It's very loud, 32 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: and this is in many ways the steepest part of 33 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: our journey to relocate. So yeah, I have been doing 34 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: more best of episodes of late and thankfully I have 35 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: an incredible body of work over the past five years 36 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: of doing CPCW to draw from. So this summer and 37 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 1: even into the fall, I'm going to be pulling those 38 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: out more frequently as we are moving back to Tennessee 39 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 1: for this next season of Life. But I do have 40 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: some incredible new episodes coming up as well, and I 41 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 1: was thinking, you know, it's important to reintroduce who I 42 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: am from time to time to those listeners who have 43 00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 1: come along somewhere in this five year journey. And that's 44 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: exactly what I did about one hundred episodes ago in 45 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: this solo venture. So that's what I'm gonna be airing 46 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:10,799 Speaker 1: for you today. So this is gonna be a bit 47 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: of a get to know me episode, and along the way, 48 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: I'm going to share with you the three most important 49 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 1: life lessons that we need to teach our kids. And 50 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do that by sharing with you one of 51 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:31,359 Speaker 1: my great passions in life, comedy improv. Yeah, for those 52 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:34,639 Speaker 1: of you who don't know, my background was in theater. 53 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 1: I got a bachelor's degree in communications, and then I 54 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: went on to get a master's degree in communications with 55 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: an emphasis in performing arts, and after graduating, I spent 56 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: a dozen years on the stage doing everything from musicals 57 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 1: to Shakespeare and finally comedy improv. And then I went 58 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: into a very deep and intense season of mothering for 59 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: about twelve years, where that's like all almost all I did, 60 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: aside from leading some women's Bible studies and some homeschooling, 61 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: which certainly falls under that motherhood umbrella. And then God 62 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: opened doors for me to study apologetics and start writing 63 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: and then doing podcasting, which is what I'm doing now. 64 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:18,599 Speaker 1: And so a year ago though, I started dipping my 65 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 1: toe back into the theatrical world, albeit in a homeschool setting, 66 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: and it has been so fun to perform again. I've 67 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: been teaching comedy improv to high schoolers and it has 68 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: been such a blast. And I was reminded of these 69 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: incredible life lessons that I learned when I was doing 70 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:41,919 Speaker 1: what I considered to be like the hardest thing to 71 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: do on a stage, that is, to entertain people for 72 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: hours without a script. Now, for those of you who 73 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: don't know what comedy improv is or may not be 74 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: terribly familiar with it, it is the exact opposite of Shakespeare, 75 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: which was my other favorite thing to do in the 76 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:04,719 Speaker 1: performance world. Shakespeare is as scripted as you can get. 77 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:08,040 Speaker 1: If you get off script, there there is no getting 78 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: back on because nobody is fluent these days. And Elizabethan English. 79 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:16,839 Speaker 1: I loved the Bard. I could have spent my whole 80 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: life doing Shakespeare. I never gotten tired of it. But 81 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:24,039 Speaker 1: my other love was comedy improv. It still is getting 82 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:28,480 Speaker 1: on a stage with that a script and entertaining people 83 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: for a couple hours with some other hilarious actors is 84 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 1: such a thrill, such a high. To this day, I 85 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: maintain that comedy improv is the extreme sport of the 86 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:44,279 Speaker 1: performance world. Only the bravest performers would ever do such 87 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,840 Speaker 1: a crazy thing. As a matter of fact, I had 88 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: been acting for nearly a decade before I ever tried 89 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 1: comedy improv. I had done a lot of comedic work 90 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:58,359 Speaker 1: in theater, and that's where I seem to thrive. But 91 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: I had never gotten on a stage without a script, 92 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: because that was just crazy. But I had some friends 93 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:09,160 Speaker 1: who were starting a comedy improv true, and they kept 94 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: bugging me and begging me to come perform with them. 95 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 1: And I resisted for a very long time because I 96 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:20,039 Speaker 1: was not theatrically suicidal like all of these crazy people 97 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 1: who get on a stage without a script. But finally 98 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: I agreed to go to a rehearsal just to appease them. 99 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: And I think it was about five minutes into this 100 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:36,479 Speaker 1: rehearsal and I was hooked, like completely hooked. But truth 101 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 1: be told, I started out my career as an actor 102 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 1: by improvising. Actually, I just have to tell you the story, 103 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:47,479 Speaker 1: but because it's pretty hilarious and telling. I transferred to 104 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 1: Lee College, which is now Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, 105 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 1: as a sophomore, and they put me on a freshman hall, 106 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 1: and as God would have it, this was so so 107 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:03,039 Speaker 1: God ordained. I was randomly assigned to room with Beth 108 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 1: crabin Stutter. She was from good German Stock and like 109 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: within five minutes of meeting Beth, we both realized that 110 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: we were die hard Bonnie Python fans, and we started 111 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: quoting all of our favorite lines. And I came up 112 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 1: with this preposterous idea, what if we pretend to be 113 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: British exchange students with their brilliant money Python accents. We 114 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: can tell everyone we're from London because that was pretty 115 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: much the only city that we knew about in the UK. 116 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: Mind you, this was before Google or Facebook. The Internet 117 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 1: wasn't the thing yet because you know, of course al 118 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 1: Gore hadn't invented it yet, so nobody could check up 119 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: on us. And oh, in case you didn't know, this 120 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 1: is the PASDA easy stamps. Lee is a Christian college 121 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 1: like Church of God affiliated a place where Christ is king. 122 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 1: That was their slogan. But you know this was a 123 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: practical joke, so it was okay, right, we weren't like 124 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 1: really lying to everyone, or were we? But you know, 125 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: I thought for sure that this practical joke would last 126 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: like maybe twenty four to forty eight hours. I kid 127 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: you not. 128 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 2: Two full weeks later, we were still going strong, lying 129 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 2: to everyone on my Christian campus, telling them we were 130 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 2: British Exchange students. 131 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 1: Like we were so deep into this thing I did 132 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 1: not know how to get out. 133 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 3: I was. 134 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 1: I was really starting to weigh on my conscience. I mean, 135 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 1: we were lying to everyone, my r our Bible professors, 136 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:41,719 Speaker 1: and somehow they were buying it. So but then one 137 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 1: day we're sitting around this outdoor common area and everyone 138 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 1: was peppering us, the exchange students, with all these questions 139 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:52,440 Speaker 1: about what was happening in the UK. And someone says, so, 140 00:08:52,520 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 1: what is the Holy Spirit doing in England right now? Oh, 141 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 1: dear me, I'm pretty sure that lying about the Holy 142 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:06,320 Speaker 1: Spirit is the kind of thing that causes the ground 143 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 1: to open up and swallow you all. So yeah, at 144 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:13,559 Speaker 1: this point, I'm like, okay, finally we came clean, and 145 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:18,680 Speaker 1: I was like, you guys, we're from Georgia, y'all, we 146 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:22,080 Speaker 1: don't really speak the King's English. And everyone was like, what, 147 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: You're crazy, I can't believe you what you be in 148 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:27,920 Speaker 1: line to this? And we were like They were all 149 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: kind of miffed at first, but then one guy pipes up. 150 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:32,720 Speaker 1: I'll never forget this. It was like one of those 151 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 1: old Technicolor movies where somebody says, hey, we got to 152 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:37,520 Speaker 1: barn out back, let's do a play. This one guy 153 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: pipes up and he says, hey, you guys are really good. 154 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:43,560 Speaker 1: You should try out for the play. And I was like, 155 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:48,440 Speaker 1: why have I never thought of this before? Like, seriously, clearly, 156 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 1: clearly I am an actor. How did I not know that? 157 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 1: So both me and my best friend Beth tried out 158 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: for the plane we got in and the rest is 159 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 1: pretty much history. I went on to perform all kinds 160 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:02,199 Speaker 1: of world in college and then graduate school, and then 161 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 1: regionally in Virginia after that, and it became the greatest 162 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 1: passion of my life for well over a decade. So that, 163 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: ladies and gentlemen, is how I became a performer. It 164 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 1: all started with improvisation. Improvisation is the act of spontaneous creativity, 165 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:25,560 Speaker 1: and honestly, we're all improvising every day of our lives, 166 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 1: because we don't walk around with rehearsed scripts about what 167 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: we're gonna say. But I officially started doing comedy and 168 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 1: prov about like twenty five years ago, and I was 169 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 1: struck so hard by some of the life lessons I 170 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 1: learned by doing this form of entertainment. There are lessons 171 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:48,679 Speaker 1: that you and your kids absolutely need to know. So 172 00:10:48,760 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 1: what are they? Well, the first lesson is lesson number one. 173 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:06,040 Speaker 1: You can't choose what happens to you in life, but 174 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:11,439 Speaker 1: you can choose how you respond. Okay, So when you 175 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:15,560 Speaker 1: are a novice improviser and you interest scene, you often 176 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:19,160 Speaker 1: have all of these brilliant ideas about what you are 177 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:21,439 Speaker 1: going to do when you walk out on that stage. 178 00:11:21,679 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: I'm going to be the President of the United States, 179 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:26,680 Speaker 1: or an astronaut or the first female to play in 180 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:30,319 Speaker 1: Major League Baseball. This guy's limit an improv You can 181 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:36,640 Speaker 1: be anyone or anything. You can be a planet or 182 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:40,440 Speaker 1: one of the carved faces on Mount Rushmore, or a toothbrush. 183 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:42,560 Speaker 1: You know, I've been a toothbrush and a scene before. 184 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 1: I had a riveting scene with a soap dish. It 185 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:49,800 Speaker 1: was brilliant. So you have this grand idea when you 186 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:52,760 Speaker 1: walk out onto the stage in a scene of who 187 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:56,000 Speaker 1: you are Gonna be. But there's there's a big problem 188 00:11:56,040 --> 00:12:00,560 Speaker 1: with your idea because you aren't out there alone and 189 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 1: you aren't in control. Your fellow actor can't read your mind. 190 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 1: So he goes out there and you're thinking you're the 191 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:13,200 Speaker 1: president of the United States, and he says, comeier spot, 192 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 1: Come here, boy, I got a treat for you. And 193 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:19,960 Speaker 1: suddenly your grand idea to be the leader of the 194 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:23,520 Speaker 1: free world just got flushed down the toilet. And you're 195 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 1: a dog. What do you do? 196 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:26,679 Speaker 3: Huh? 197 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:31,240 Speaker 1: Because let's face it, moms and dads and kiddos, that's life, 198 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:34,440 Speaker 1: isn't it. There's a kid in town where I live 199 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 1: who had a full ride scholarship to play baseball at 200 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 1: the University of Tennessee. And one day he's out playing 201 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:45,320 Speaker 1: golf with his buddies and is in this freak accident. 202 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 1: A tree on the course falls on his golf cart 203 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:52,120 Speaker 1: with him in it and crushes his skull. Next thing 204 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:55,720 Speaker 1: you know, he's in the ICU fighting for his life. Brainswell, 205 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:59,839 Speaker 1: serious complications. May not make it, but praise God, he 206 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 1: did make it. But you know what, baseball isn't in 207 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:07,680 Speaker 1: the cards for him right now. Yeah, life is perfect, 208 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 1: all plan out and then you get hit with a curveball. 209 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 1: I talked to him on the other day whose second 210 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:21,720 Speaker 1: child has Williams syndrome, which is very similar to Down syndrome. 211 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 1: They didn't plan for that. Of course, they love this 212 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: child more than life itself, but she mentioned in our 213 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:31,240 Speaker 1: conversation that she and her husband are going to have 214 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:34,440 Speaker 1: to provide for their daughter's care for the rest of 215 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:37,400 Speaker 1: their lives. They didn't see that one comming. 216 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 3: Hmm. 217 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:44,319 Speaker 1: In big ways and in small ways, life will throw 218 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:48,200 Speaker 1: us curveballs. The thing we wanted more than anything in life, 219 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 1: the road we planned to take didn't materialize. We can't 220 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:59,240 Speaker 1: choose what happens to us in life, but we can 221 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:04,440 Speaker 1: choose use our response, and what should that response be? Well, 222 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:08,920 Speaker 1: that brings us to life. Lesson number two. We need 223 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 1: to accept what happens and build. Now, let me explain 224 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: the very first axiom or foundational principle of improvisational acting 225 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:24,080 Speaker 1: is that you agree with whatever anybody gives you in 226 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 1: a scene and you build on it. Let's go back 227 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 1: to that example I gave in the first lesson. I 228 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:30,720 Speaker 1: may go into a scene thinking that I am an 229 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 1: Olympic ice skater, or a Nobel Peace Prize winner or 230 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 1: the president of the United States. But if the other 231 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 1: actor comes on stage and says, come here, spot, come here, board, 232 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 1: got a treat for you, then guess what. I'm a 233 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 1: dog Because according to the primary building block of improv, 234 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:53,480 Speaker 1: I have to accept what I'm given and then I 235 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 1: have to build on it. How should I build? Well, 236 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 1: this is where it gets really cool, really fun. I 237 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 1: may be a dog, But who says I can't be 238 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 1: a dog who just won an Olympic gold medal? Or 239 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 1: who says I can't be a dog who solved the 240 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 1: Middle East crisis? Or maybe I'm a dog who is 241 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:15,360 Speaker 1: running to become the president of the United States, which 242 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:19,720 Speaker 1: might not be a bad idea these days. I can 243 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: be a dog who walks on my hind legs and 244 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:24,720 Speaker 1: talks and becomes the leader of the free world. It's 245 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:29,400 Speaker 1: improv anything goes right, And you know what, the best 246 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 1: stories in life, the ones we love the most are 247 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:36,600 Speaker 1: the crazy ones, aren't they the unlikely ones? Look at 248 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 1: the Bible. God loves these stories and old God builds 249 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:44,080 Speaker 1: an arc and saves humanity. An old lady has a 250 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 1: baby who becomes a powerful nation, A young boy slays 251 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:53,080 Speaker 1: a giant, A baby born in a stable saves the world. 252 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: So how does this look in real life? Well, okay, 253 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:00,600 Speaker 1: let me make this clear. It does not mean that 254 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:04,240 Speaker 1: you have to agree with a bad prognosis from a doctor. 255 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 1: You don't have to accept that outcome. But you also 256 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 1: shouldn't live in denial either. Bad stuff happens in life. 257 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: Unexpected things happen in life, things we didn't plan for 258 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:21,440 Speaker 1: or want or anticipate. But we do have to accept it, and, 259 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 1: if at all possible, look at it as a gift. 260 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:29,440 Speaker 1: Accept it and build from there. James Chapter one, verses 261 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: two through four. She says, consider it pure joy, my 262 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 1: brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 263 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:41,880 Speaker 1: because you know that testing of your faith produces perseverance. 264 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:46,800 Speaker 1: Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be 265 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 1: mature and complete, not lacking anything. That's an awesome scripture passage. 266 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:59,520 Speaker 1: So often those things in life that, for lack of 267 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 1: a better world, suck, turn out so much better than 268 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 1: you thought they would. For example, last year, my husband's 269 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 1: employer restructured the business and eliminated his position. This was 270 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:20,119 Speaker 1: after working crazy long hours for like eighteen months. Every 271 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:23,360 Speaker 1: single day he went in trying to keep that ship afloat, 272 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: working fourteen fifteen sixteen hour days, and in response to 273 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,720 Speaker 1: all the blood, sweat and tears he poured into that place, 274 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: he got a pink slip. Yeah. Now, we could have 275 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 1: gotten angry and bitter about it, but we chose not to. 276 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:42,720 Speaker 1: We chose to accept this as God's plan for something 277 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:46,560 Speaker 1: better in our lives because really, honestly, that position had 278 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:51,480 Speaker 1: become untenable. It was a miserable situation. So we accepted 279 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:54,359 Speaker 1: the situation and we asked God what next, and we 280 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:58,040 Speaker 1: began to look. We began to build, and a new 281 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:01,720 Speaker 1: position that honestly at first didn't look promising appeared, and 282 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,959 Speaker 1: so we pursued it and it has become the most 283 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 1: wonderful position for my husband to work. He applied for 284 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:13,280 Speaker 1: the job, he got it, and seriously, the quality of life, 285 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:16,879 Speaker 1: the appreciation, the winning day after day at work, the 286 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: compensation for what he does in every single way, it's 287 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:23,520 Speaker 1: just it's better than what we had, and we never 288 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: would have looked for it if we hadn't gotten that 289 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:31,679 Speaker 1: pink slip. Sometimes life gives us a sucker punch to 290 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:36,640 Speaker 1: the gut. That pink slip certainly was. But with God, 291 00:18:37,119 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: we know that all things work together for the good 292 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 1: of them who love Him and are called according to 293 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: His purpose. That's Romans eight twenty eight. So when we 294 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:51,639 Speaker 1: got that pink slip, we knew that God had a 295 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 1: better plan. So we said yes to the pink slip. 296 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 1: And then we said, Okay, what are you going to 297 00:18:57,040 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 1: do now, God, because we know you must have something 298 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:03,159 Speaker 1: better for him. Yes, and you know what he did, 299 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:05,960 Speaker 1: He really did. So we need to teach our kids 300 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: to accept whatever comes our way and build on it, 301 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:14,680 Speaker 1: expecting God to do something amazing, even if we're in 302 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:17,840 Speaker 1: the doghouse for a bit. Okay, all right, so life 303 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: lesson number three. I love this one. Hey friends, it's 304 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 1: Catherine here. If you're trying to be a godly parent 305 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:33,840 Speaker 1: in this wild and wacky world, you need all the 306 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:37,000 Speaker 1: help you can get, and I've got you covered. When 307 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 1: you subscribe to my website, you'll get instant access to 308 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:44,480 Speaker 1: tons of free resources made just for Christian parents. You'll 309 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:47,800 Speaker 1: get my Prodigal Bundle, which is packed with every podcast, 310 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 1: article and scripture list I've created for parents walking that 311 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:55,000 Speaker 1: tough prodigal road. You'll also get my free eat book 312 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 1: Beyond the Lies and covering five myths the culture spreads 313 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:02,439 Speaker 1: to mothers. Plus powerful scripture list pray over your kids, 314 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:05,399 Speaker 1: and even scripture songs to help your family. Hi, God's 315 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:08,879 Speaker 1: word in your hearts without even trying. And of course 316 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:12,520 Speaker 1: I'll keep you encouraged with my weekly newsletter full of 317 00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 1: faith filled pep talks and outlines of what we're tackling 318 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:18,360 Speaker 1: each week on the show. So don't miss out. Head 319 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:21,640 Speaker 1: over to Catherine Scers dot com. That's Catherine Secres dot 320 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 1: com and subscribe today. Because Christian parenting may be crazy, 321 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:31,080 Speaker 1: but you don't have to do it alone, all right, 322 00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:35,720 Speaker 1: So life lesson number three. I love this one. It's 323 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:39,720 Speaker 1: often the mistake. This one gives me tears. It's often 324 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:45,440 Speaker 1: the mistake that turns into the masterpiece. Yeah, let me 325 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 1: let me give you a prime example of this from 326 00:20:48,359 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 1: my comedy improv days now. When you're doing comedy improfits, 327 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:55,240 Speaker 1: vitally important that you pay attention to what your partner 328 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,399 Speaker 1: is doing on stage. The first person in a scene 329 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:01,640 Speaker 1: is responsible for a establishing where you are and what's 330 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:05,000 Speaker 1: going on. So there was this one scene where my 331 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:09,479 Speaker 1: friend Paul had established this elaborate mechanics garage. He was 332 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:13,560 Speaker 1: like up under the hood of this make believe car 333 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:15,919 Speaker 1: and he was testing out the ignition and he was 334 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:19,639 Speaker 1: polishing the windshield. You knew exactly where he was. He 335 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:22,159 Speaker 1: was in a garage and exactly where this car was. 336 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:22,480 Speaker 3: Right. 337 00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 1: But unfortunately his scene partner, Derek, who also happened to 338 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 1: be our director, he wasn't paying attention and he blanked 339 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:33,359 Speaker 1: out or something. I don't know, but when he walked 340 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:38,119 Speaker 1: into the scene, he just walked right through the middle 341 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 1: of the car that Paul had clearly established the center 342 00:21:42,119 --> 00:21:46,439 Speaker 1: of the stage. You could hear the collective gasp of 343 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:49,439 Speaker 1: every audience member. What was he thinking? I mean, was 344 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:51,879 Speaker 1: he not paying attention? How can he have missed the 345 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 1: car that Paul had painstakingly created in the center of 346 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:59,359 Speaker 1: the stage. It was a colossal a colossal mistake the 347 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:02,399 Speaker 1: kind that come completely ruins a scene and all of 348 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:09,119 Speaker 1: your credibility is improvisational actors, or it could have. But 349 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: you know what, Paul was a pro. He wasn't rattled, 350 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:16,520 Speaker 1: he didn't freak out or panic. He just looked at 351 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:20,720 Speaker 1: Derek and he very calmly said, dude, you just walk 352 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:22,679 Speaker 1: through the middle of my car. How'd you do that? 353 00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:28,280 Speaker 1: And the audience reward. The entire rest of the scene 354 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:33,920 Speaker 1: became about Paul miming elaborate inanimate objects, plain strains, skyscrapers 355 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 1: and everything he created. Derek would just walk right through 356 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:40,200 Speaker 1: the middle of it. He was a guy who could 357 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 1: walk through inanimate objects. Now, you know what, I don't 358 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 1: remember many specific scenes that I did and my comedy 359 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 1: improv days that was like over two decades ago, so 360 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:56,760 Speaker 1: most of those scenes are a very distant blur. But 361 00:22:56,840 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 1: I remember that scene. It was one of the biggest 362 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 1: mistakes I've ever seen on stage, and it turned into 363 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:09,159 Speaker 1: one of the most hilarious scenes I've ever seen on stage, 364 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 1: one of the most successful, because Paul had the presence 365 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 1: of mind to take that mistake and turn it into 366 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:23,320 Speaker 1: something masterful. That's how life is with God. He takes 367 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:27,680 Speaker 1: our mistakes, our screw ups, our flaws, our epic fails, 368 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:32,920 Speaker 1: and he turns them into a masterpiece. If and this 369 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:37,399 Speaker 1: is a big if, if we'll let him. You know. 370 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 1: My next episode is with Josh and Katie Walters talk 371 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:46,440 Speaker 1: about an epic fail. Their marriage was falling apart. Katie 372 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:49,800 Speaker 1: had an affair with the husband of a couple they 373 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:53,400 Speaker 1: were mentoring in church. Josh was on staff at that church. 374 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:58,680 Speaker 1: Their marriage was dead due to infidelity. And by the way, 375 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:02,200 Speaker 1: that's like the Seventh Come. They busted it wide open. 376 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:07,000 Speaker 1: And God has taken that epic fail and turned it 377 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:11,720 Speaker 1: into a powerful ministry to save marriages. He turned it 378 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: into a masterpiece. Be sure to tune in that episode. 379 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:16,800 Speaker 1: By the way, they are going to share four steps 380 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:21,239 Speaker 1: that will improve any marriage. Okay, here's one other story though. 381 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:25,240 Speaker 1: I want to share with you one other epic. I 382 00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:28,199 Speaker 1: won't call it a fail, but something that happened to 383 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:33,000 Speaker 1: me that was just tragic. I had a miscarriage at 384 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,840 Speaker 1: the age of forty four. This was a child. I 385 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 1: believe the Lord had promised us a promised fifth child, 386 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:43,440 Speaker 1: a daughter, and I miscarried that child on Thanksgiving Day. 387 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:47,560 Speaker 1: It looked hopeless, it looked dark, But God used that 388 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:51,200 Speaker 1: miscarriage to teach me and my husband how to intercede 389 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:54,439 Speaker 1: in prayer for the promise that God had given me 390 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:59,320 Speaker 1: of a fifth child in the natural. It seemed so 391 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:02,960 Speaker 1: un likely, but we believed and we insisted on that 392 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:07,000 Speaker 1: promise in prayer, and our family has been blessed with 393 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:11,399 Speaker 1: Evangeline faith, a child that I had weeks shy of 394 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:15,360 Speaker 1: forty six without fertility treatments. By the way, my doctors 395 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:18,359 Speaker 1: were amazed. And you know what, I've gone on to 396 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: share those same principles here on this show to help 397 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:25,720 Speaker 1: people find redemption from loss in their life and learn 398 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 1: how to intercede in prayer for promises. Look what God 399 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:34,040 Speaker 1: has done. God has turned that miscarriage into a masterpiece. 400 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:39,760 Speaker 1: Moms and dads, that excruciating loss in your life, That 401 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:45,199 Speaker 1: that big mistake, that epic failed, that horrific accident, in 402 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 1: the hands of God, can become something triumphant. It can 403 00:25:50,359 --> 00:25:54,640 Speaker 1: become the greatest victory. It can become a new ministry 404 00:25:54,760 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: that leads other people to victory. So yeah, yeah, God 405 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:06,119 Speaker 1: is in the business of turning mistakes into masterpieces. So 406 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:10,119 Speaker 1: let them all righty, let's wrap this thing up. What 407 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:13,399 Speaker 1: are those life lessons? One more time? Lesson number one, 408 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:16,160 Speaker 1: You can't choose what happens to you in life, but 409 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:20,480 Speaker 1: you can choose how you will respond. Lesson number two. 410 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 1: Accept what happens to you and build on it. And 411 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:31,360 Speaker 1: lesson number three, Allow God to turn that mistake into 412 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:37,080 Speaker 1: a masterpiece, because that's what he's best at and does. 413 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:43,000 Speaker 1: Always remember God gave you your kids, your specific kids for 414 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:47,159 Speaker 1: a reason. That's because you hold the key to unlocking 415 00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:51,480 Speaker 1: God created them to be. We'll see you next time. 416 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:00,720 Speaker 3: Christian parent. Crazy World is a pretty direction of Life 417 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:03,960 Speaker 3: Audio and Salem Media. If you liked what you heard today, 418 00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 3: please take a second to rate and review this podcast 419 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:10,119 Speaker 3: in your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like 420 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 3: you can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, 421 00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:25,159 Speaker 3: visit us at lifeaudio dot com.