March 5, 2026

From Prison to Purpose

From Prison to Purpose

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. 382: A single question in a prison bunk rewired Cameron’s future: “Are you safe?” From there, everything changed. What began as a teenager’s slide into weed, cocaine, and quick money hardened into years of county time and a near-OD his own father—an EMS captain—responded to. But that stark wake-up call in a trustee camp reframed safety as responsibility: provide for your daughter, build trust, and walk a straighter...

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Season 4

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here.

382: A single question in a prison bunk rewired Cameron’s future: “Are you safe?” From there, everything changed. What began as a teenager’s slide into weed, cocaine, and quick money hardened into years of county time and a near-OD his own father—an EMS captain—responded to. But that stark wake-up call in a trustee camp reframed safety as responsibility: provide for your daughter, build trust, and walk a straighter road with God. The turnaround didn’t arrive with fanfare; it came with early mornings, blue-collar hustle, and thousands of small, boring, holy decisions.

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00:00 - Finding Church Through A Men’s Group

00:34 - Growing Up In Church And Drifting

02:00 - First Arrests And Teen Addiction

04:00 - Jail Time And Hardened Identity

05:12 - Deeper Into Dealing And Cocaine

07:00 - Fatherhood, Sobriety, And Relapse

09:20 - Eight Years In And Out Of Jail

11:20 - Overdose And Family Fallout

13:30 - Prison, Trustee Camp, And A Voice From God

16:10 - Choosing A New Path For His Daughter

17:20 - The Addictive Pull Of Money And Power

18:40 - Rebuilding Trust With Parents

20:40 - Work, Hustle, And Blue-Collar Realities

23:00 - Reentry, COVID Years, And Stable Work

25:00 - Reintegration With His Daughter

26:20 - Meeting Maria And Blending Families

28:00 - Eight People, Two Homes, One Compound

30:00 - Leading A Big Household In Faith

31:20 - From Landscaping To Peptides

33:00 - What Peptides Are And Why They Matter

35:00 - Family Healings And Word Of Mouth

37:00 - Affordable Wellness And Big Pharma Skepticism

39:00 - Friends’ Recoveries And Community Impact

41:00 - Evangelism, Work, And Everyday Mission

51:20 - Closing And Listener Text Line

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00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:07.200
Welcome back to Pastor Plex Podcast.

00:00:07.280 --> 00:00:13.919
I'm your host, Pastor Plek, and uh with me in studio today is none other than Cameron Costello.

00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:15.519
Welcome, Cameron, to the show.

00:00:15.759 --> 00:00:16.000
Welcome.

00:00:16.079 --> 00:00:16.960
Thank you, Pastor Plek.

00:00:17.280 --> 00:00:20.320
So let me just ask you this question like, what brings you here?

00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:22.719
How did you get to Wells Branch Community Church?

00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:24.000
Uh Kyle George.

00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:25.280
Kyle, where do you meet?

00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:34.079
So um I was working for a roofing company, went to uh I used to go to a men's group with them, and all the guys were much older.

00:00:34.240 --> 00:00:38.159
Kyle George came in with his dad one day and was like, hey, you need to come check out this men's group.

00:00:38.399 --> 00:00:54.240
Went to the at that time Tuesday morning men's group, now Wednesday morning men's group, found like the greatest community of men I've ever met in my life, and so ended up getting my wife to switch churches because we used to work we were going to different churches for a minute because I was coming here and she was going somewhere else.

00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:57.280
So finally got her to switch over and she fell in love with the community.

00:00:57.359 --> 00:00:58.799
So it's just been all right.

00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:01.600
So tell me then about like your talk.

00:01:01.759 --> 00:01:02.320
Did you grow up?

00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:03.840
Were you a church person growing up?

00:01:04.159 --> 00:01:05.680
Uh on and off.

00:01:05.920 --> 00:01:06.159
Okay.

00:01:06.319 --> 00:01:06.959
Well how said.

00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:11.840
So uh so when I was younger, I was we went to Church of the Hills.

00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:12.159
Yeah.

00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:14.480
Um Hill Country Bibles Church back in the day.

00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:16.560
Yeah, their Hill Country Bibles neighbor.

00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:16.799
Yeah.

00:01:16.959 --> 00:01:21.920
Before the Unity Church of the Hills stole their name and like went all like weird with it.

00:01:22.079 --> 00:01:30.560
But um, so I went there uh for a few years, was highly involved in everything, youth group.

00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:37.599
My mom was the kids past worship pastor, leader, director of all kinds of stuff, yeah.

00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:40.319
Um kind of their go-to woman.

00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:48.239
So definitely, you know, grew up around all that, but then kind of wanted to go my own way and do my own thing, wanted to go fit in with the popular crowd.

00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:55.920
Uh okay, so like tell me, was there like you did family did worship at church, but what was family worship like in your house?

00:01:56.319 --> 00:01:58.400
Uh practically non-existent.

00:01:58.640 --> 00:01:58.879
Okay.

00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:02.719
Just because my dad was kind of coming to the faith.

00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:03.359
Okay.

00:02:03.599 --> 00:02:07.200
And so it was like, so your mom was like all in.

00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:09.360
Yeah, my mom was all in trying to lead the charge.

00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:12.240
And then he your dad was like, I'll check it out.

00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:12.960
At some point.

00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:20.400
Slowly but surely he came and then uh okay, and so um talk to me about like was drugs the first thing?

00:02:20.560 --> 00:02:21.360
Was it alcohol?

00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:22.080
What was it?

00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:25.680
Um probably a mixture of the two.

00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:31.120
I mean, yeah, we we we drank when we were younger, and then it kind of turned into drugs after that.

00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:37.199
Really, I think it was weed up until got put on probation for the first time, and then all of a sudden you can't smoke weed anymore.

00:02:37.439 --> 00:02:39.520
How old were you when you were put uh put on probation?

00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:42.639
Uh probably like 16.

00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:43.360
Oh.

00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:46.319
Something like that, maybe 17, somewhere somewhere in there.

00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:50.159
So you you had experience at like what Travis County at some point?

00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:50.719
Or I guess.

00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:51.840
Mostly Wimpson County.

00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:55.360
Yeah, I've I have a good I have a running history in Wimpson County jail.

00:02:55.439 --> 00:02:57.439
It's kind of raised there on and off.

00:02:58.800 --> 00:02:59.120
Okay.

00:02:59.360 --> 00:02:59.759
Awesome.

00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:00.560
Well, that's awesome.

00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:07.759
So so tell me like when you went to um jail at that point, was there any like, hey, you should turn your life over to Jesus?

00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:10.800
Or you know, what was the response from mom and dad?

00:03:10.879 --> 00:03:12.479
Like, hey, yeah, you probably needed that.

00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:13.199
Oh, yeah.

00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:15.120
The first, yeah, definitely for sure.

00:03:15.280 --> 00:03:17.919
But for me, it was just like, cool, I went to jail.

00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:18.560
I'm cool now.

00:03:18.639 --> 00:03:20.000
Like, look at my street crib, bro.

00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:23.039
Like I've been to county jail, bro.

00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:23.919
I'm hard now.

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Like, oh, that is funny.

00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:27.759
I mean, so for me, it just really didn't matter.

00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:31.919
I just kind of shrugged it off, like, oh, it's just part of what's gonna go on if I want to be involved in this world.

00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:34.240
Like so you wanted to become a pharmaceutical entrepreneur?

00:03:34.479 --> 00:03:35.120
Yeah, absolutely.

00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:40.639
Okay, so so early on, you you get into the to drug running.

00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:42.080
What did what did that look like for you?

00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:49.520
How uh how old were you when you first started going down this road of uh probably started using cocaine at like 16?

00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:50.159
Nice.

00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:52.879
Smoking weed at like 13, 14.

00:03:53.439 --> 00:03:58.719
How did you I mean, so Churchill Hills is like, you know, it's not like in the hood.

00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:03.919
Uh like how did and this is just might be just me and my ignorance.

00:04:04.560 --> 00:04:07.919
How how is it accessible for a 13-year-old?

00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:21.600
Uh well, the actually the youth bass player was a meth user, and so we actually found out about meth through the bass player of the youth group at church.

00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:22.800
At church, yeah.

00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:24.399
That's and that's where it starts.

00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:26.079
Be careful where you put your kids, right?

00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:28.399
Wow, wow, okay, all right.

00:04:28.639 --> 00:04:39.199
Uh I mean, but we when we were we were already using cocaine at that point, so I mean it wasn't like he, but we had never been introduced to meth until that point, and he was like, Y'all should try this instead.

00:04:39.279 --> 00:04:43.600
And we're like, okay, you know, so wait, but 13 it was weed, right?

00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:44.959
Yeah, but where'd you get weed?

00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:46.240
Is that like ubiquitous?

00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:47.600
Like everywhere all the time?

00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:48.560
For sure.

00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:49.360
Absolutely.

00:04:49.680 --> 00:04:50.319
It's at seven.

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I mean, I we know where you know where to go.

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Where do you go?

00:04:55.279 --> 00:05:02.160
I mean, and this isn't I'm not trying to educate everyone in work, but like, but I mean, like, I just don't understand how the drug system works.

00:05:02.319 --> 00:05:03.439
There's like people on the corner.

00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:08.639
Friends' houses because I was my dad was still kind of an angry person.

00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:12.879
We really didn't get along very well, so I kind of avoided the whole home situation.

00:05:13.360 --> 00:05:16.000
So you went to other places to it.

00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:16.480
Got okay.

00:05:16.720 --> 00:05:18.560
Any anywhere I could be besides my own house, for sure.

00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:19.600
Okay, that makes sense.

00:05:19.759 --> 00:05:21.759
So, so you you're 13.

00:05:22.160 --> 00:05:24.319
Would you call it a drug addiction?

00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:25.519
No, I don't think so.

00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:33.360
I think at first it was just we were just interested in, you know, having fun, like whatever it was, we were just interested, wanted to try something different, right?

00:05:33.439 --> 00:05:40.160
I mean Okay, so but what at what so is and this is again part of my ignorance, is cocaine addictive?

00:05:40.319 --> 00:05:40.959
Oh, for sure.

00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:41.519
Okay.

00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:44.639
So so at 16 you're doing coke.

00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:45.600
How regular?

00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:48.480
Uh pretty much daily.

00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:50.560
Okay, so would you call that an addiction?

00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:51.279
Oh, for sure.

00:05:51.360 --> 00:05:52.000
At that point, yes.

00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:55.199
So so how all right, so you're you're doing coke.

00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:55.759
Yeah.

00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:57.839
You're you're in and out of jail?

00:05:58.160 --> 00:05:59.040
Uh yeah.

00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:01.519
And then But not not ever for Coke.

00:06:01.680 --> 00:06:04.959
It was always for like the first like 10 times were weed.

00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:05.519
Okay.

00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:10.879
So but eventually, so how many how what was your like what for a week, for a month, for a year?

00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:11.279
What was it?

00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:11.759
How long were you?

00:06:12.240 --> 00:06:17.600
I think I have eight years of cons of time, like total, done in Williamson County jail.

00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:18.000
Okay.

00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:25.279
Over all of like some of the weed charges were like nine months, some of them were, you know, 15, 30 days.

00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:26.399
So it just depended.

00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:28.079
It kind of it had a range.

00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:30.399
It just depends on how the judge feels, kind of, you know.

00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:30.879
Okay.

00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:31.920
So all right.

00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:36.160
So then talk to me then about um at some point you have a daughter.

00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:37.360
Yes.

00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:39.120
So how did that happen?

00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:43.839
Uh me and a woman got together and like how old were you?

00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:45.839
Uh I was 25, I believe.

00:06:46.160 --> 00:06:46.399
Okay.

00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:48.800
So you're you're in and out of jail at this point still.

00:06:49.040 --> 00:06:49.279
Yeah.

00:06:49.519 --> 00:06:53.040
You are do you have like a job other than selling drugs.

00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:53.600
Okay.

00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:56.800
Like, so there's no cover.

00:06:56.879 --> 00:06:59.360
You're just like, nah, come to my house, get your drugs.

00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:06.879
Yeah, I mean, if I did, it was for you know a week or two and I would just sell drugs out of wherever that was at until until it was no longer cool anymore, right?

00:07:07.040 --> 00:07:07.120
Right.

00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:07.439
All right.

00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:09.040
So, like, what were your friends?

00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:14.399
I mean, like, tell me about the friend group that you had that that because usually I think of people selling drugs.

00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:24.160
I think of like I think of like kids in high school, how it's fun, and then all of a sudden you're 25, like you're an adult, and you're having to do adult things and people aren't very reliable.

00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:25.040
Yeah, for sure.

00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:25.680
Is that true?

00:07:25.920 --> 00:07:26.800
I mean, yeah, for sure.

00:07:26.959 --> 00:07:29.519
No, I mean, all the people were trash pretty much.

00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:30.879
Okay.

00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:32.639
It was pretty much a bunch of trash human beings.

00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:33.279
Right.

00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:35.199
So you have a daughter though at 25.

00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:35.600
Yeah.

00:07:35.759 --> 00:07:37.439
Do you does she live with you?

00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:39.199
Uh, yes, she did.

00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:59.040
And I because I had gotten I gotten sober for a little while, whenever and up to about to when we had me and her biological mother until we had her, and then me and her split up, and then I kind of went like off the track, I guess, after that, because I was just like, uh, I don't know, screw everything, kind of thing.

00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:02.319
Like, but so we split up, she she left.

00:08:02.480 --> 00:08:06.079
I told her, just don't come around, like, I won't ever ask you for child support or anything.

00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:07.199
Just, you know, just leave us alone.

00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:08.160
Let me just raise my daughter.

00:08:08.560 --> 00:08:08.879
Your daughter.

00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:09.839
Yeah, for sure.

00:08:10.079 --> 00:08:10.800
And the girl left.

00:08:11.120 --> 00:08:12.720
She tried to abort my daughter, actually.

00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:21.839
She she called my aunt behind my back and then asked for money for an abortion after we'd already decided we were gonna have the baby and everything, way into it.

00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:25.439
And then my aunt calls me and is like, Hey, did you know that this is gonna happen?

00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:28.879
I was like, uh no, it's not, you know, type of thing.

00:08:29.040 --> 00:08:34.080
And so, yeah, so I ended up right after she had her, I took Kylie, she left.

00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:37.279
So And and she just disappeared.

00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:40.159
I mean, she, yeah, I mean, not really.

00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:44.720
I mean, I I could find her if I wanted to, but yeah, I mean, and we she I think she lives back in Round Rock now.

00:08:44.799 --> 00:09:01.120
But yeah, she went back and moved back in with her ex-husband that she had already had two kids with that we had that we went through a$40,000 custody battle with him to get her her rights back with her kids, and then she ended up going to back to live with them afterwards, and they're back together now and happily married.

00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:02.000
I'm assuming, I guess.

00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:06.000
I mean, I don't know, I don't follow them or anything, but you know, crazy, hold on.

00:09:07.919 --> 00:09:16.799
I need like you can't just throw that bomb out there and just be like, nah, and then you know, so like were you with her when she was with her husband?

00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:19.120
No, so I met her in Dallas.

00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:20.639
I was living in Dallas at the time.

00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:29.200
Yeah, and I met her, she was the manager of Journey's, like the adult store for Journey's shoes, and I was the manager for Journey's kids.

00:09:29.360 --> 00:09:31.600
Okay, and so we met, started dating, whatever.

00:09:31.679 --> 00:09:40.879
We were doing coke together and dating, and then ended up she got pregnant, we both got sober, and she's a horrible person, not on cocaine.

00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:44.320
She was cool while she was on cocaine, but other than that, I just yeah, it was horrible.

00:09:44.559 --> 00:09:45.840
So the goal was to keep her high.

00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:47.840
I wish, but not while she had the baby.

00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:48.559
So yeah.

00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:49.759
Yeah, so we were both sober.

00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:50.399
We went through that.

00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:52.720
Like, I threw away both of our cigarettes, we both quit smoking.

00:09:52.960 --> 00:09:53.519
Wait, wait, wait.

00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:55.440
You were able to stop doing coke.

00:09:55.679 --> 00:09:56.399
Oh, for sure.

00:09:56.639 --> 00:09:58.320
So that's the part I don't understand.

00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:03.679
Like, I thought an addiction was like you would like have like your blood would curdle or something if you stopped.

00:10:03.919 --> 00:10:05.039
I mean, yes and no.

00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:05.600
Okay.

00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:08.960
I mean, I I went back to it after that, so I mean it didn't just quit there.

00:10:09.039 --> 00:10:10.639
So I mean So you stopped doing drugs?

00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:13.039
I'd I paused momentarily, yes.

00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:17.279
Until until your daughter was born, until yeah, a while after she was born, yeah.

00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:30.000
And then I kind of went back out and my parents stepped up and with as long as well as my little sister and kind of raised Kylie while I was out there doing your thing, doing my thing, yeah.

00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:37.279
Okay, so all right, so you have Kylie, you're doing your thing, uh, and you're selling drugs.

00:10:37.440 --> 00:10:39.600
Did what stops you?

00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:43.600
Um prison?

00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:44.159
Okay.

00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:51.519
All right, so how did you get uh arrested?

00:10:52.399 --> 00:11:01.519
Um well, the first time I went to prison, I got arrested and then I guess I really didn't learn enough because I got out and then started making the same decisions again.

00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:10.720
And then the second time I went, um, I was on a trustee camp and I was the only person doing under like a 15-year sentence.

00:11:10.799 --> 00:11:13.039
Everybody else there was doing 15 to life.

00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:15.919
So like they everybody was like, bro, you shouldn't be here.

00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:26.879
Like, so it was kind of weird that like nobody there had ever seen somebody with uh, you know, three I had a three-year sentence and nobody there had ever seen anybody with such a small sentence, and so they were all like, Bro, you shouldn't be here.

00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:35.200
Like, this is weird, like and so with that like piece of information in the back of my mind, one night I'm laying there in my bunk and I just heard an audible voice say, Are you safe?

00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:38.240
And so like a voice in your head out loud.

00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:40.399
I mean I yes.

00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:40.960
Okay.

00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:42.960
Louder than audible, perhaps.

00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:46.879
Yeah, I mean, I don't know, it was either in my head or audible, but I mean, like, it was loud.

00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:50.879
Like, I mean, it was it was definitely audible, like whether it was audible in my head or both.

00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:51.840
But I mean, I don't know.

00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:53.120
I heard, are you safe?

00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:58.879
Like loud enough that I like popped up out of my bunk and I'm like looking around, like, oh, I hope I'm actually safe.

00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:03.039
Like, you know, I am in prison, like, and look around, there's nobody anywhere.

00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:09.200
And so I'm kind of like perplexed by the whole thing, and I'm just like, okay, like, yeah, I'm safe.

00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:10.240
Like, what's up?

00:12:10.399 --> 00:12:15.120
Like, you know, because I'm like, obviously it's gotta be, there's nobody there, like it had to be God, you know.

00:12:15.200 --> 00:12:16.960
So I'm like, Yes, what's up?

00:12:17.120 --> 00:12:20.960
Like, and he was like, you know, you're my child, right?

00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:22.639
And I was like, Yeah.

00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:25.039
And he was like, you know, that means you'll never be taken from me.

00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:26.000
And I was like, right.

00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:32.960
And he's like, so I'll take care of you and look after you and bless you no matter where you take yourself, no matter what path you choose.

00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:36.000
And then I was like, well, okay, yeah, that makes sense.

00:12:36.080 --> 00:12:41.200
And then, you know, and then he was like, Is this where you want me to keep you safe?

00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:53.759
And then I start thinking, like, wow, like I really should have been sentenced to more time than I was, because I really just never got caught with, you know, any real drugs or any real like just never worked out for him.

00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:58.720
I got kicked doored multiple times by the SWAT team, uh, Cedar Park and Round Rock.

00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:01.200
Um so maybe a police career is not in your future.

00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:02.159
I wish, dude.

00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:04.159
Maybe Grayson could get me hooked up.

00:13:04.799 --> 00:13:06.879
I mean, I know the game, I know the ins and outs.

00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:09.039
I know who the I know the CI.

00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:09.440
Yeah, dude.

00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:10.000
Yeah, yeah, all right.

00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:11.120
Yeah, for for payment though.

00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:11.759
Yeah, right, absolutely.

00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:13.039
I need somebody to pay my bills first.

00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:14.799
Yeah, but all right.

00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:17.519
So you're in jail, you kind of have this conversation with God.

00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:18.799
Yeah, it's kind of wild.

00:13:19.039 --> 00:13:22.639
And then how from that point forward, like changes.

00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:27.039
So when I heard when when he told me that and he was like, Do you is this where you want me to keep you safe?

00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:30.000
Like, it just hit me like a you know a brick wall.

00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:33.120
It was just like, uh no, like that that's horrible.

00:13:33.200 --> 00:13:47.440
Like, and I'm thinking about all these people that I hang out with on the daily that are doing 25-year-plus sentences that will be there for the rest of their life, you know, and that's the only option they have for their relationship with God is you know, he can only look out for them so much, but it's always going to be there, you know.

00:13:47.519 --> 00:13:52.240
He can't put them in a different situation now because of the choices that they've made, you know.

00:13:52.320 --> 00:14:01.200
And so I was like, look, if if if I get out and I can provide a roof over my daughter's head and keep food on the table for my kids, I won't have anything to do with it anymore.

00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:06.639
I won't sell dope, I won't do dope, I won't, you know, I'll be completely uninvolved with that whole game.

00:14:06.960 --> 00:14:13.279
And ever since I got out, it's been, I mean, I've I've had a job, I've had, you know, everything that I needed.

00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:19.120
You know, it makes it tell me like I I know this sounds like, again, I I just don't know enough to know enough.

00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:22.240
But what's the drug dealer's life like?

00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:28.639
I mean, for me, I was addicted to the money and the like the false power.

00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:35.279
Like, because when you're the one with the drugs, everybody's like, you know, they they want to, hey, what are you doing?

00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:36.639
Hey, what can I help you with?

00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:39.200
You know, like everybody wants to like do stuff for you.

00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:46.080
They want to be your friend, they want, you know, they want to be like in your good graces, but but it's all completely fake, right?

00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:51.679
So it's like, I guess for me, I kind of knew it was pretty much all fake, but I didn't care.

00:14:51.759 --> 00:14:53.600
I just got addicted to going out and making the money.

00:14:53.679 --> 00:14:55.039
Like, I just wanted to go out and sell drugs.

00:14:55.120 --> 00:15:05.759
Like, I didn't it was almost better than the drug was being up going out and just you know, so there was like a a sense of power, respect.

00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:06.879
Yeah, for sure.

00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:10.159
Um talk to me about like your relationship with your parents.

00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:12.080
How did that shift over time?

00:15:13.279 --> 00:15:19.279
I mean, were how are how are they feeling about you, you know, at 13, at 16, at 19, at 25?

00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:26.320
Like what was like how was that how was that relationship strain and and how did that I mean how'd that affect you?

00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:33.120
I mean, I know for sure it was breaking my mom's heart for a long time, and I know it was really hard on my dad as well.

00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:39.039
But I mean, uh, I guess it it definitely made it harder.

00:15:39.120 --> 00:15:43.120
Like I'm I it put a lot of stress on all of it and definitely tore us apart.

00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:52.720
But I mean, now coming through the backside of it, like, you know, like we have a really strong connection now, like we have a communication that we we're super honest with each other, you know what I mean?

00:15:52.799 --> 00:16:04.720
Like, and there's just a level of like respect there, like in communication that like Yeah, because I think like when I when I think about your story, it's like usually pe and this is probably I don't know if you could attest this.

00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:15.039
The demographic that that ends up in and out of prison over and over and over again from 16 to 25, usually it comes from a single mom household, right?

00:16:15.279 --> 00:16:17.600
Not not lower middle class white people, right?

00:16:17.679 --> 00:16:18.799
Yeah, like yeah.

00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:24.639
Like for what I understand, I think your mom like runs like an incredible office of doctors or something.

00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:28.320
Yeah, like and here you are not living up to that.

00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:36.399
Like what what you know, like well, I mean, okay, so as we're talking about, you know, like let's talk about you know, like damaging relationships with your parents.

00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:39.759
Um so my dad was captain of Williams County EMS.

00:16:39.919 --> 00:16:42.240
Okay, and uh he's kind of a big deal, yeah.

00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:43.840
Well, yeah, and EMS.

00:16:43.919 --> 00:16:45.600
I mean, like that, they're kind of close with cops and stuff.

00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:49.039
Oh, yeah, they're right there with all the cops and the firefighters, they're all tied in very closely.

00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:49.519
Yeah.

00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:59.679
So um I'm at a friend's house in Round Rock, I end up ODing on cocaine, and then my dad shows up as the paramedic on call.

00:16:59.840 --> 00:17:05.759
So my dad comes in and finds out and finds me ODing as the medic on like literally the worst thing I could have ever imagined, right?

00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:09.440
Like, I mean, like you what could be worse for a parent, right?

00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:15.839
And so he comes in with his partner, finds out that it's me, and then you know, ha has to deal with all that.

00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:17.599
You know, they ended up making him go out.

00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:26.880
So I think he got pretty crunk with the the dude that was there because he wanted information on what was going on, and the dude tried to lie to him, is like, no, he doesn't have a drug problem, he wasn't doing drugs.

00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:28.559
And my dad was like, Look here, help me.

00:17:28.640 --> 00:17:29.519
I know he's doing drugs.

00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:30.799
Like, tell me what's going on.

00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:34.160
But so, you know, I mean, we want to talk about damaging relationships.

00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:38.640
Like so, like when you're like did your dad like did they save your life when you OD'd?

00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:39.200
Oh yeah.

00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:44.960
Uh I was I think I was coming back to like as they were kind of coming.

00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:48.799
Cause I remember seeing my dad come in the door and I was just like, Oh crap.

00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:54.559
Just I didn't use the crap word, but I mean, you know, yeah, I was just like, oh no, like this is the worst thing that could ever happen.

00:17:54.640 --> 00:17:55.519
Like, what is he doing here?

00:17:55.839 --> 00:18:01.200
Like, so how do you I forgive my again, ODing when you OD over Dells?

00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:07.519
So that's just most of the time when people OD on stuff, they will well, at least I think you die.

00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:08.960
So is that not all the time.

00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:11.359
So Cs out so I fell out and had a seizure.

00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:13.200
So you're having it like Right, yeah.

00:18:13.279 --> 00:18:17.599
So I fell out and had a seizure, and so seizure OD, not death OD.

00:18:17.839 --> 00:18:18.160
Of course.

00:18:18.319 --> 00:18:18.480
Right.

00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:19.599
Okay, yeah, completely different.

00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:24.880
But you know, so um All right, and so they call the Yeah, so the dude's house that we're in.

00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:28.079
Exactly.

00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:28.640
Uh okay.

00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:32.799
So they get my dad finds it comes out, it ends up being my dad is the paramedic on call.

00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:35.200
He knows that I have a drug problem.

00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:38.960
He knows that I've been using cocaine, and then knows the dude's lying to him.

00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:40.880
So I mean, yeah.

00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:45.039
Okay, so so how'd that go over that night?

00:18:45.279 --> 00:18:46.960
Were you living at home at that point or no?

00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:50.400
Um, dude, I honestly have no clue what went on after that.

00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:54.000
But I mean, like at that time, were you like on that OD where your dad comes?

00:18:54.400 --> 00:18:58.880
I think I was living at home just out of just gone all the time or gone as much as possible.

00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:00.960
So it was like bring your dad to work day, I guess.

00:19:01.039 --> 00:19:01.680
I don't know, you know.

00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:03.680
Bring your kid to work day.

00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:06.799
I mean, like it's what a wild deal.

00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:10.799
I mean, your dad's I mean, I'm definitely putting my family through the ringer for sure.

00:19:10.880 --> 00:19:16.559
Like, I mean, from two uh Church of Christ raised, very straight edge, you know.

00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:17.200
Okay.

00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:19.519
So all right.

00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:22.400
So you're you're at that point, was your dad following Jesus?

00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:24.160
Or what like where was he?

00:19:24.640 --> 00:19:27.519
I mean, I imagine when he first found out he wasn't following nobody.

00:19:27.680 --> 00:19:27.839
Right.

00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:28.559
You know what I mean?

00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:30.240
He was probably super mad.

00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:33.519
I don't think he was following Jesus when he showed up and found out it was me.

00:19:33.599 --> 00:19:36.960
But I mean it's like Yes, I believe he was he was yes, he was.

00:19:37.119 --> 00:19:40.880
All right, so he's he's doing he he's following Jesus to to an extent.

00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:43.279
And do you think that that upped his prayer life?

00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:55.279
I mean, like what I mean, I have honestly I have no idea what was going on with him during because I I kind of me and him beefed real hard in the beginning, so we kind of just I completely tried to stay away from and not be involved with it as much as possible.

00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:56.400
Okay, all right.

00:19:56.559 --> 00:19:57.440
So wow.

00:19:57.680 --> 00:20:02.319
All right, so you know, your mom is like when you OD'd that night, what was your mom's response?

00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:03.200
Ah, I have no clue.

00:20:03.359 --> 00:20:05.680
You just like was she different like the next week?

00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:07.119
I mean, I have no clue.

00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:08.400
It's all one big blur.

00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:09.119
Yeah, yeah.

00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:10.000
One big blur.

00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:14.799
I was probably right back to getting high, didn't give a crap about you know how they felt, you know, unfortunately.

00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:16.240
That's just the reality of how it is.

00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:20.640
Okay, so how long ago now did you get out of jail?

00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:27.039
Uh October 2019, I'm so like seven years.

00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:28.160
Yeah, I'm seven years.

00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:28.720
Seven years clean.

00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:31.359
Nine years, nine years clean, seven years out of jail.

00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:32.480
That's that's incredible.

00:20:32.640 --> 00:20:36.960
All right, so when you were in were you in prison or jail?

00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:37.519
Both.

00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:38.079
Um yeah.

00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:44.079
Okay, so when you when you were a trustee camp, what did you like because you got to kind of work out in the community or stuff?

00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:45.359
Oh yeah, I was super lit.

00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:49.680
So I I actually took care of a thousand head of cattle for the state of Texas.

00:20:49.839 --> 00:20:57.200
So the prison system grows all of their own food, they grow their own vegetables, they grow their own cattle, they grow their own pigs, chickens, everything.

00:20:57.519 --> 00:20:58.160
That's impressive.

00:20:58.319 --> 00:20:58.799
Yeah.

00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:00.799
So I guess when you have free labor.

00:21:01.039 --> 00:21:01.599
Yeah, right?

00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:03.279
All right.

00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:06.400
So so you're out, so you you learned skills.

00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:10.319
I mean, had you ever dealt with cows before?

00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:14.880
I mean, sort of, but I we I mean, we were they didn't really, I mean, it wasn't much teaching going on.

00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:19.200
Like, I mean, we learned stuff from, you know, like, oh, that was a dumb idea.

00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:20.799
Like, don't stand behind the cow.

00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:24.079
I mean Oh, well, yeah, or well, we had this one big dude came come in.

00:21:24.160 --> 00:21:38.079
He was a big country fed boy, and he like, and the first night he came in, he was like, bro, I could, we were sitting in there in the we're in prison, we're sitting in there in the workout area, and this new dude comes in, he's a huge country fed white boy, like he's just massive.

00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:46.799
And I'm like, oh my gosh, bro, and he's like, We were talking about something, and somehow we get onto the fact and he's like, Yeah, I could bench everything you could put on that bar with you standing on top of it.

00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:48.400
And I was like, No, you couldn't.

00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:50.160
And he's like, Oh yes, I can.

00:21:50.319 --> 00:21:59.759
So we loaded up the bar with about 300 pounds, and then I stood on top of it another 250, give or take, and he did like 10 reps with me on with me standing on the bar, almost put me.

00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.200
Through the ceiling the first time.

00:22:01.519 --> 00:22:07.279
So me and this guy, you can tell how he was built, that just little like you know, back to around the dude.

00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:08.480
So you can see, you know, five.

00:22:08.559 --> 00:22:10.079
That's 550 pounds he could bench.

00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:10.720
Yeah, yeah.

00:22:10.799 --> 00:22:11.920
He was he was insane.

00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:12.799
He he was massive.

00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:14.880
Like, literally threw me up when he went up with it.

00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:15.680
It was nuts.

00:22:15.759 --> 00:22:17.519
Like it blew everybody's mind.

00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:22.240
He so me and him are out there, we're feeding and seeding the cattle, and then he gets a great idea.

00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:24.640
He's like, hey, we got to play a game.

00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:25.759
Like, what's this game, bro?

00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:30.799
And he's like, We're gonna put the cat, we're gonna see who can put a cow in the headlock for the longest, bro.

00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:43.759
So we we get the great idea that so we get up to the one of the feeding, you know, troughs and we fill it all up with the feed and seed, and they come in to get it, and me and him just go for it, get in there and just reach over, grab it, and lock on.

00:22:43.839 --> 00:22:46.240
And Bro, I didn't realize how much muscle those things are.

00:22:46.480 --> 00:22:47.440
It's like they're all motherfuckers.

00:22:47.680 --> 00:22:49.359
It was the stup one of the stupidest things I've ever had.

00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:52.799
I mean, it just it literally flicked me off like I was nothing.

00:22:52.880 --> 00:23:03.279
But I mean, it threw me into another cow, and I like I mean, they were all packed in feeding, so it starts moving around, you know, and by the time it actually moves hard enough to move you, you you move.

00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:04.960
How long did he last?

00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:06.400
Oh, he lasted a second.

00:23:06.720 --> 00:23:08.160
Yeah, he was it was pretty cool.

00:23:08.240 --> 00:23:10.240
I was like, dude, you're you're pretty gangster, bro.

00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:11.279
Like that was awesome, dude.

00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:14.079
Like that's super redneck to the max, dude.

00:23:14.400 --> 00:23:15.920
Did you ever do cow tipping?

00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:16.559
No.

00:23:16.799 --> 00:23:17.039
Huh?

00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:17.440
No.

00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:20.000
Okay, so you're wow.

00:23:20.160 --> 00:23:22.559
All right, did you ever have spiritual conversations with anybody?

00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:26.480
Like, like you had that one conversation with God, but was did you ever talk about God beyond that in prison?

00:23:26.640 --> 00:23:29.440
Oh, I mean, I went to like church every every week.

00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:36.960
I went to because I mean I've been highly involved with like I mean, I don't want to say highly involved with God, but like even when I was doing drugs, like I knew that God was out there.

00:23:37.119 --> 00:23:40.720
I knew what I was doing was wrong, and like I knew that at some point I was gonna have to change.

00:23:40.880 --> 00:23:47.599
Like, so I mean, I tried to stay involved on the, you know, as I was doing other stuff.

00:23:49.119 --> 00:23:51.680
But it apparently like the two or two don't go together.

00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:52.079
I don't know.

00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:55.440
I didn't know if anybody else knew that, but you can't like sell drugs and love Jesus.

00:23:55.599 --> 00:23:58.000
All right, so how old was your daughter when you got out of prison?

00:23:58.480 --> 00:24:09.039
Uh the second time, I think she was it would have been 2019, so she would have been five, four?

00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:09.759
Okay.

00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:10.319
Something like that.

00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:11.599
So she's like four years old.

00:24:11.920 --> 00:24:13.039
Three or four, I think.

00:24:13.759 --> 00:24:15.440
And wait.

00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:17.920
That would make her like a eleven.

00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:21.200
No, yeah, she's fourteen, so she would have been seven.

00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:21.839
Yeah, seven.

00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:22.720
Okay, so perfect.

00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:30.960
So so how did you reintegrate an establish relationship with your daughter after she really I mean, from four to seven, those are some big years.

00:24:31.200 --> 00:24:32.240
Oh yeah, for sure.

00:24:32.480 --> 00:24:37.039
And then so uh really, I mean Did she come and visit you and stuff?

00:24:37.279 --> 00:24:37.839
Oh yeah, yeah.

00:24:37.920 --> 00:24:40.400
My parents took her all the day, she always came to visit me.

00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:42.319
She'd bring a bag of quarters, we'd hang out.

00:24:42.400 --> 00:24:54.240
When I was in Travis County jail, they had like a father's program where if like you didn't get in any trouble and didn't do anything dumb, like they would, you know, they would provide and let the kids come hang out with you for like an hour and a half on like a Saturday and stuff.

00:24:54.400 --> 00:24:55.599
So Okay.

00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:56.559
Yeah.

00:24:56.799 --> 00:24:59.440
All right, so you're having Bible studies or something?

00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:06.400
You've got Well me, I mean, yeah, there's they they definitely they had church services and you know on Sundays and then did all kinds of stuff.

00:25:06.480 --> 00:25:08.559
I mean, you get involved with whatever you can at that point, right?

00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:09.200
Yeah, okay.

00:25:09.279 --> 00:25:10.880
So you're you're like all in on whatever.

00:25:10.960 --> 00:25:20.640
Okay, so then you get out 2019, and then soon after that, like you've you've been married for like six, or how long have you been married now?

00:25:20.799 --> 00:25:21.680
Three years?

00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:23.920
Uh six three, twenty-three.

00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:26.720
No trying to get me in trouble, bro.

00:25:27.039 --> 00:25:27.680
Not today.

00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:28.559
Almost three years.

00:25:28.640 --> 00:25:30.160
All right, let me say good, good.

00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:34.160
So so you you you you meet a girl shortly after you get out.

00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:37.839
Uh we met in 21, so like two years after I got out.

00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:41.920
So so for from 19 to 21, what was oh, that was COVID era.

00:25:42.079 --> 00:25:42.400
Yeah.

00:25:42.559 --> 00:25:43.920
So you're just like existing.

00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:45.920
How did you get how did you did you live at home?

00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:50.640
Oh, so when I first got out, my parents were like, Well, you I don't know where you're going because you ain't coming here.

00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:50.960
Right.

00:25:51.519 --> 00:25:52.640
It's like, oh, okay.

00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:53.279
All right, cool.

00:25:53.440 --> 00:25:53.759
Cool.

00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:57.680
And then uh so my aunt that lives in Dallas, she was like, You can come stay with me.

00:25:57.759 --> 00:26:03.119
And my uncle owns a custom car and tent shop up there that they've been doing for like 40 something years.

00:26:03.279 --> 00:26:05.200
He's been in the same building in the same place.

00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:08.480
So went and worked for him for the first little while after I got out.

00:26:08.559 --> 00:26:17.920
Then after I don't know how many w months it was, six, eight months, maybe give or take, but my parents were fine, like, okay, you're actually trying to do right, you know, blah, blah, blah.

00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:25.039
And then they kind of worked me into letting me come back home so I could integrate back with my daughter and try to get everything, you know.

00:26:25.440 --> 00:26:26.160
Oh gosh.

00:26:26.319 --> 00:26:28.160
So you were in Dallas for two years.

00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:30.480
Uh, not for the two years, not for the whole two years.

00:26:30.559 --> 00:26:33.039
I was probably there for like six months, eight months, something like that.

00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:34.079
Less than a year.

00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:34.640
All right.

00:26:34.720 --> 00:26:37.920
So then you you kind of do you then move in with your parents?

00:26:38.160 --> 00:26:38.400
Yeah.

00:26:38.640 --> 00:26:40.640
Uh and then your daughter is living there the whole time.

00:26:40.880 --> 00:26:41.200
Right.

00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:41.759
All right.

00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:47.359
So you've got your daughter, it's you and her, and then what happens?

00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:52.160
Um So we're talking about COVID.

00:26:52.640 --> 00:26:56.480
Yeah, I mean, I was I was running working landscaping, trying to integrate back into society.

00:26:56.799 --> 00:26:58.480
Okay, yeah, you're you're just doing landscaping gigs.

00:26:58.559 --> 00:26:58.640
Yeah.

00:26:58.799 --> 00:27:00.400
Do you ever go like go to the oil fields or anything?

00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:03.920
Uh so I went out and did a bunch of directional drilling for fiber networks and stuff.

00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:05.519
So I was Oh, yeah, drilling, yeah.

00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:08.960
Yeah, no, yeah, sideways drilling instead of up and down drilling, right?

00:27:09.200 --> 00:27:09.440
Wow.

00:27:09.599 --> 00:27:09.839
Yeah.

00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:10.319
Okay.

00:27:10.400 --> 00:27:12.960
So you okay, so how where do you do that?

00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:14.960
Uh we did it everywhere.

00:27:15.119 --> 00:27:22.559
No, uh, ATT has a bunch of new fiber contacts uh contracts because of all of the like the 5G and the fiber and all this stuff that's all going in.

00:27:22.640 --> 00:27:24.480
It all has to have new wires put in everywhere.

00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:33.039
So So we're we're with the the crowd that j generally does directional drilling, is that like clean, upstanding people?

00:27:33.279 --> 00:27:38.079
Or is that shout out my blue collar boys, always always clean and happy people, bro.

00:27:38.400 --> 00:27:41.119
Ever do anything wrong when they follow Jesus and go to bed early at night.

00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:41.839
What are you talking about?

00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:42.400
All right, good.

00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:42.720
Yeah.

00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:46.079
So so you're kind of an environment that's sort of challenging to stay.

00:27:46.559 --> 00:27:46.799
For sure.

00:27:46.880 --> 00:27:52.880
They were wild, they were wild and out, but at the same time, like I was, you know, a little bit older than everybody else there.

00:27:52.960 --> 00:27:56.240
And you know, I I go to bed at 8 30, so I didn't really have to worry about it at that point.

00:27:56.480 --> 00:27:57.039
Okay, got all right.

00:27:57.119 --> 00:27:59.599
So I really I really had no interest in it like anymore.

00:27:59.680 --> 00:28:02.319
Like it just doesn't like it didn't appeal to you now.

00:28:02.400 --> 00:28:06.480
When God really like that night in prison, like God literally took away my desire to use.

00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:12.079
Like I've I still go check on people that I know that are still out there in the game, that are still doing dumb stuff.

00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:13.440
Like, I still go check on them.

00:28:13.519 --> 00:28:14.400
They're my friends, right?

00:28:14.480 --> 00:28:16.960
Like, I mean, we spent a lot of years together, you know.

00:28:17.039 --> 00:28:18.319
So I go out and check on them.

00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:19.279
Hey man, how are you doing?

00:28:19.359 --> 00:28:20.000
How's your family?

00:28:20.079 --> 00:28:20.960
Do y'all need anything?

00:28:21.039 --> 00:28:22.240
You know, is everything okay?

00:28:22.400 --> 00:28:22.720
You know?

00:28:23.039 --> 00:28:23.359
Trying.

00:28:23.680 --> 00:28:24.480
So yeah, okay, good.

00:28:24.559 --> 00:28:26.480
So tell me about the relationship with you and your your daughter.

00:28:26.559 --> 00:28:27.599
Like, how did that progress?

00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:42.799
Like, was that challenge, like like discipline or like like that seems like that would be so hard to be kind of absent and to reintegrate, and then you've got your parents and they're they probably have a different view of how things should be ordered, and then you're like, ah, she's my daughter.

00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:45.039
Like, how did that how'd you guys deal with that?

00:28:45.680 --> 00:28:46.960
Uh, one day at a time.

00:28:47.119 --> 00:28:47.359
Okay.

00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:47.920
Yeah.

00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:50.880
I mean, uh man.

00:28:51.440 --> 00:28:53.200
I mean, really, it just took time.

00:28:53.359 --> 00:29:00.319
Like, I mean, it took time for her to for you know, for her to get used to me telling her what to do and for you know, actually, you're kind of an intense person.

00:29:00.480 --> 00:29:01.119
Yeah, for sure.

00:29:01.279 --> 00:29:02.400
And she's kind of shy.

00:29:02.559 --> 00:29:03.359
Yeah, yeah.

00:29:03.519 --> 00:29:04.079
Sometimes.

00:29:04.319 --> 00:29:04.480
Okay.

00:29:04.640 --> 00:29:07.519
So like at home, she's not quite as shy as like no.

00:29:07.839 --> 00:29:08.960
No, not at all.

00:29:10.079 --> 00:29:10.480
All right.

00:29:10.559 --> 00:29:12.640
So you guys connected.

00:29:12.880 --> 00:29:17.119
Uh tell me about like a time where like it was just real sweet.

00:29:17.200 --> 00:29:20.319
Like it, like you, you finally are like, hey, we can we can do this.

00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:23.119
Uh probably after I met Maria.

00:29:23.359 --> 00:29:23.519
Okay.

00:29:23.599 --> 00:29:23.759
Yeah.

00:29:24.079 --> 00:29:24.559
What do you mean?

00:29:24.640 --> 00:29:25.119
So tell me that.

00:29:25.359 --> 00:29:29.200
I mean, after I met my wife, everything just kind of like God's just had everything just fall into place.

00:29:29.279 --> 00:29:33.839
Like we have a mixed family, you know, so we've all come together and it's just so.

00:29:33.920 --> 00:29:38.000
This is the one thing I think that people navigate all the time in our culture is blended family.

00:29:38.160 --> 00:29:42.000
So talk about the blendedness of the crazy family lifestyle you have now.

00:29:42.240 --> 00:29:43.119
The blendedness.

00:29:43.680 --> 00:29:45.200
So, like you've got your daughter.

00:29:45.440 --> 00:29:46.720
So, yeah, we've got my daughter.

00:29:46.880 --> 00:29:47.599
You've got your wife.

00:29:47.839 --> 00:29:59.440
We've got my wife, got my my wife's daughter, Daisy, that's also um mine, and then got Violet, our other daughter, and then we've got my wife's younger siblings.

00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:05.279
Uh we've got her younger brother, we've got her two younger sisters.

00:30:05.599 --> 00:30:08.720
So And biologically, there's like two in there that are yours.

00:30:08.960 --> 00:30:09.440
Yeah.

00:30:09.680 --> 00:30:15.680
And then there's a slew of others, of children slash with all with different names.

00:30:16.000 --> 00:30:16.480
Siblings.

00:30:16.960 --> 00:30:20.559
And okay, and so how many people live at your house right now?

00:30:20.880 --> 00:30:22.480
Uh eight?

00:30:23.039 --> 00:30:25.119
And how big of a house do you have?

00:30:25.519 --> 00:30:33.519
Uh well, we have three bedrooms, but the garage is converted into another three bedroom.

00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:37.200
So it I mean, it's it's big enough.

00:30:37.519 --> 00:30:38.079
Yeah, okay.

00:30:38.160 --> 00:30:45.200
So so you've got eight people living in a in which is kind of like uh you like a three-bedroom house with eight people.

00:30:45.359 --> 00:30:47.759
So you took the garage, you made that into a three-bedroom garage.

00:30:47.920 --> 00:30:48.079
Yeah.

00:30:48.240 --> 00:30:48.640
Pretty much.

00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:49.039
Okay.

00:30:49.200 --> 00:30:50.559
How many bathrooms are there?

00:30:50.799 --> 00:30:51.200
Two.

00:30:51.920 --> 00:30:52.400
Awesome.

00:30:52.720 --> 00:30:53.039
All right.

00:30:53.119 --> 00:30:55.440
So And they're all uh they're they're all girls.

00:30:55.839 --> 00:30:58.559
Yeah, so so you're the only man in the house.

00:30:58.799 --> 00:31:00.240
I don't see the bathroom very often.

00:31:00.480 --> 00:31:02.000
Wow, do you just go pee outside?

00:31:02.880 --> 00:31:04.640
My wife will yell at me for it, but yeah.

00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:06.160
Why are you doing that?

00:31:06.240 --> 00:31:07.440
Like you should come to our house.

00:31:07.519 --> 00:31:08.000
Anyway, yes.

00:31:09.920 --> 00:31:12.640
I need a house full of boys for just just a weekend.

00:31:12.960 --> 00:31:16.559
Okay, so tell me about like the dynamics then.

00:31:16.640 --> 00:31:18.480
Like, because that can be a challenge.

00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:19.359
Like Yeah, for sure.

00:31:19.680 --> 00:31:31.359
Usually like whenever I do counseling um with blended families, okay, I've got like the the usually the biggest place of conflict is a non-biological parent with a non-biological kid.

00:31:31.759 --> 00:31:33.599
Do you ever experience any of that with no?

00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:44.000
That's for us, it's more the older sister becoming the mom figure, you know, to to her, because they live with us, they're like our kids.

00:31:44.079 --> 00:31:47.039
Like if we get we have to deal with all this, we deal with all the school stuff and everything.

00:31:47.119 --> 00:31:53.200
Like her mom lives with us now and helps, you know, and helps tremendously, pays most of the bill, does all kinds of stuff.

00:31:53.279 --> 00:31:54.160
She's freaking amazing.

00:31:54.400 --> 00:31:55.359
Do you have a mom in there?

00:31:55.599 --> 00:31:58.240
Yeah, my wife's mom now lives with us as well, too.

00:31:58.559 --> 00:31:59.200
That's awesome.

00:31:59.359 --> 00:31:59.920
So she had to go.

00:32:00.240 --> 00:32:01.279
Wait, I know your mom's okay.

00:32:01.359 --> 00:32:02.000
Yeah, sorry.

00:32:02.079 --> 00:32:05.440
I was I was piecing that all together through all the all right, got it.

00:32:05.599 --> 00:32:06.559
All right, yeah, I know her.

00:32:06.640 --> 00:32:08.960
Okay, so all right, that's awesome.

00:32:09.039 --> 00:32:17.200
So you've got eight people, you've got like three generations, uh, and you're the only man there.

00:32:17.519 --> 00:32:19.039
Yeah, well, and the two dogs.

00:32:19.200 --> 00:32:20.559
And and the two dogs.

00:32:20.720 --> 00:32:21.599
I got my two homeboys.

00:32:21.839 --> 00:32:30.559
All right, and so um how did you like what when you guys got married, what were you doing to financially provide?

00:32:30.720 --> 00:32:31.920
How was that working out?

00:32:32.160 --> 00:32:35.519
Um, I was landscaping, my wife was landscaping with me.

00:32:35.680 --> 00:32:36.160
Oh wow.

00:32:36.400 --> 00:32:53.440
Uh we kind of had like a sober home slash second place, second chance like start kind of like on our couch at our house that we would let people, you know, that were trying to get out of prison or get clean, have a place where they could come work with us, do landscaping, you know, and have a place to sleep and all that stuff.

00:32:53.599 --> 00:32:56.480
And so we landscaped to pay the bills.

00:32:56.640 --> 00:32:58.000
We actually did really well for a while.

00:32:58.559 --> 00:33:06.559
Okay, and then then once you was there a point where you graduated from landscaping or sold the business, or how'd that no, just got tired of it.

00:33:10.319 --> 00:33:16.880
I got tired of being the dude running the wheelbarrow with kids that were half my age working with us that and I'm doing double the work they are.

00:33:16.960 --> 00:33:18.559
Like, bro, you should be smoking me, bro.

00:33:18.640 --> 00:33:19.359
I'm old, bro.

00:33:19.440 --> 00:33:22.720
Like, and you should take pride in the fact that you could run circles around me.

00:33:23.039 --> 00:33:27.359
Okay, so so so then what did like you said, hey, I'm not not doing that anymore.

00:33:27.519 --> 00:33:29.920
I'm going to figure it out.

00:33:30.079 --> 00:33:31.200
Right directional drilling?

00:33:31.279 --> 00:33:34.480
Was that like where you uh Yeah, kind of, yeah, and went there too.

00:33:34.559 --> 00:33:35.680
I did some GC work.

00:33:35.759 --> 00:33:37.680
I've done a ton of G C work over the years too.

00:33:37.759 --> 00:33:47.519
I'll do a bunch of general contracting stuff, so Okay, so you're just kind of like wherever you find like to me, and this is this might be just um ignorance.

00:33:47.599 --> 00:33:54.000
No, because I I kind of went high school, army, seminary, church.

00:33:54.160 --> 00:33:55.759
That's been my entire job experience.

00:33:55.839 --> 00:33:56.000
Yeah.

00:33:56.160 --> 00:33:57.279
Uh before that McDonald's.

00:33:57.440 --> 00:33:57.680
Okay.

00:33:58.160 --> 00:34:06.880
So in my like, I'm thinking like to go get a job, you have to go get like you have to go apply and get you just like find work all the all over the place.

00:34:06.960 --> 00:34:10.000
Yeah, well, I mean I as if work is like growing on trees around here.

00:34:10.320 --> 00:34:11.360
It's not hard to find work.

00:34:11.519 --> 00:34:13.760
If you're the hardest worker there, it's not hard to find work.

00:34:13.920 --> 00:34:21.599
But I mean, I I learned construction from my dad from a very, very young age from doing roofs, you know, framing, everything.

00:34:21.679 --> 00:34:24.480
Like we've built all kinds of stuff together my entire life.

00:34:24.639 --> 00:34:33.599
So I could walk on a job site and go pick up a tool belt, I can go be somebody's cut man, or I can go, I mean, it doesn't matter what you want me to do, I can go pick up, I go run a job site.

00:34:33.760 --> 00:34:37.599
And so it's just like whenever I need to work, I'll just go get some work, you know?

00:34:37.840 --> 00:34:38.719
Whatever.

00:34:38.960 --> 00:34:41.360
I mean, that's that's encouraging.

00:34:41.599 --> 00:34:45.519
Do you think that um man, I don't want to say this the wrong way.

00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:51.519
Do you think people when it comes to work just don't want to work?

00:34:52.320 --> 00:34:52.960
Yeah, for sure.

00:34:53.280 --> 00:35:02.159
So because I mean there's people without jobs for like 12 months, 18 months, and like when you hear that, what what do you think in your head?

00:35:02.480 --> 00:35:10.320
I mean, I feel like most people could go if you go pull up on a construction site and go work harder than anybody else there, even if you're just carrying stuff.

00:35:10.400 --> 00:35:12.159
If you go make yourself available.

00:35:12.400 --> 00:35:14.639
Yeah, make yourself available, exactly.

00:35:14.960 --> 00:35:22.960
Because I feel like um, and maybe this is there's a South Park episode where like the handyman is like the richest guy in town, and like lawyers are like, What do you need?

00:35:23.039 --> 00:35:24.800
I will pay you anything to fix my fan.

00:35:24.960 --> 00:35:36.800
You know, like uh have you seen that as a reality of like the blue-collar world has like overtaken white-collar world, and white-collar world is like they're they're a dime a dozen because nobody knows how to use their hands.

00:35:37.119 --> 00:35:40.320
I mean, I think it goes, well, yeah, but I think it goes both ways too.

00:35:40.400 --> 00:35:48.000
Cause I mean, there's if at some point the blue collar industry runs out of people that are willing to actually get out and use a shovel, right?

00:35:48.159 --> 00:35:50.239
Like they're gonna they're not gonna have anybody there.

00:35:50.320 --> 00:35:53.760
Like, I mean, they've gotta, you know, it's just I don't know, it's crazy.

00:35:54.480 --> 00:35:56.159
So talk back to like the blended family.

00:35:56.239 --> 00:36:00.480
So how have how are you guys interacting with eight people in the family?

00:36:00.639 --> 00:36:03.679
How are you leading that home in a way that honors God?

00:36:03.840 --> 00:36:14.239
And I mean, because you show up to church, you got everybody there, it looks like a circus, uh, and you know, people are loving Jesus and you're telling people about Jesus.

00:36:14.400 --> 00:36:17.679
Like, how like how are you managing that?

00:36:18.400 --> 00:36:20.400
Uh, by the seat of my pants.

00:36:21.920 --> 00:36:24.000
Like, I mean, sure.

00:36:24.320 --> 00:36:25.519
I mean, there's lots of struggles.

00:36:25.599 --> 00:36:29.360
I mean, especially, I mean, with so with like what's the biggest fight you guys have?

00:36:30.880 --> 00:36:40.880
Uh at this point, probably just that uh Violet does whatever she wants because she's the baby and she's spoiled and you know, she just runs the house.

00:36:41.119 --> 00:36:42.000
Like, how old is she?

00:36:42.239 --> 00:36:43.039
17 months.

00:36:43.199 --> 00:36:43.840
Yeah.

00:36:45.840 --> 00:36:46.159
Okay.

00:36:46.639 --> 00:36:49.840
So um, but is it is it nice with built-in babysitters?

00:36:49.920 --> 00:36:51.039
Are you guys able to Oh dude?

00:36:51.119 --> 00:36:51.599
It's amazing.

00:36:51.679 --> 00:36:58.079
So not not only does so not only does her mom live with us, but my parents live in the house next door to us.

00:36:58.400 --> 00:37:00.239
Oh, wait, you live next door to your parents?

00:37:00.320 --> 00:37:00.719
Yeah, yeah.

00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:05.199
We bought we ended up bu getting the house right next door to my parents, which was a whole blessing and miracle in and of itself.

00:37:05.280 --> 00:37:06.239
So, I mean.

00:37:06.559 --> 00:37:07.440
Oh, that's crazy.

00:37:07.519 --> 00:37:07.760
Yeah.

00:37:07.920 --> 00:37:08.719
It's like a compound.

00:37:08.880 --> 00:37:12.079
Yeah, my wife had been looking for a house in that neighborhood for like a year and a half.

00:37:12.480 --> 00:37:19.199
And then the lady, the old lady that lived next door that my dad had done a bunch of help taking care of, that my Kylie had done a bunch of help taking care of.

00:37:19.360 --> 00:37:22.159
Her kids called us, like, hey, her dementia's gotten too bad.

00:37:22.239 --> 00:37:23.920
Do y'all want the house before it goes on the market?

00:37:24.000 --> 00:37:26.000
And we were like, uh yeah, for sure.

00:37:26.320 --> 00:37:26.719
Okay, wow.

00:37:26.800 --> 00:37:30.159
That's that's so the fact that it's kind of like having two houses in one.

00:37:31.599 --> 00:37:40.320
We literally tore down a bunch of I I literally ripped a bunch of fence pickets off and then cut out the two by fours so that there's literally a pathway from my back door to their back door.

00:37:40.559 --> 00:37:45.039
So the kids just I'm going to Papa's and take off out the back door and go over to Oh, that's wild.

00:37:45.199 --> 00:37:46.320
Yeah, it's awesome.

00:37:46.719 --> 00:37:49.360
So I okay.

00:37:49.679 --> 00:37:52.079
So wow, what a what a crazy deal.

00:37:52.239 --> 00:37:55.519
So you've got like the ultimate compound.

00:37:55.599 --> 00:37:59.599
You've got we're starting to peep the there's some more old people that live on the other side of us.

00:37:59.760 --> 00:38:01.920
We're starting to like make friends now, you know.

00:38:02.079 --> 00:38:04.159
And like, yeah, so that we can prep to get the next one.

00:38:04.320 --> 00:38:09.360
I don't know if we're gonna move in yet, but we're not we're just saying we're trying to get the whole street, right?

00:38:09.519 --> 00:38:10.239
Okay, got all right.

00:38:10.320 --> 00:38:15.760
So talk to me then about like what that's like having your mom and dad, having your wife.

00:38:15.840 --> 00:38:29.679
I mean, when I when I hear that, I think most um families would just like cringe at the amount of involvement of parents and in-laws and all that, but it seems like you're managing that in a way that's really positive.

00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:32.880
I'm not managing it, God's doing it because I would do a horrible job.

00:38:33.199 --> 00:38:40.559
Okay, so so now tell me what you do like, okay, you've it feels like you just go like you go outside and work comes to you.

00:38:41.840 --> 00:38:43.360
I mean, give or take, yeah.

00:38:43.440 --> 00:38:44.000
God provides it.

00:38:44.320 --> 00:38:47.280
So what are you doing now for peptip peptides?

00:38:47.519 --> 00:38:48.079
Peptides.

00:38:48.159 --> 00:38:48.880
Talk to me about peptides.

00:38:49.039 --> 00:38:50.239
Seems like everybody's on peptides these days.

00:38:50.400 --> 00:38:52.639
I mean, peptides I think are the future of medicine.

00:38:52.719 --> 00:38:55.280
But yeah, okay.

00:38:55.360 --> 00:38:56.960
So, like, how did you get into that?

00:38:57.119 --> 00:39:01.440
How did and and talk to me about like how you even got started with that?

00:39:02.159 --> 00:39:06.559
Um, so after using all the drugs in my hat past that I had.

00:39:06.880 --> 00:39:08.639
You were pretty much a pharmaceutical entrepreneur before.

00:39:09.199 --> 00:39:11.360
That's yes, different, yeah, exactly.

00:39:11.599 --> 00:39:11.840
Right.

00:39:12.159 --> 00:39:14.880
Natural healing now versus pharmaceutical before.

00:39:14.960 --> 00:39:16.239
Now we're now we're on to natural stuff.

00:39:16.480 --> 00:39:16.800
Got it.

00:39:16.880 --> 00:39:17.039
Okay.

00:39:17.119 --> 00:39:18.559
So like so what's a peptide?

00:39:18.639 --> 00:39:18.960
What does it do?

00:39:19.119 --> 00:39:21.199
Uh so a peptide is just an amino acid chain.

00:39:21.280 --> 00:39:21.440
Okay.

00:39:21.599 --> 00:39:25.519
So you have, I think they're say about 300,000 of them in your body.

00:39:25.760 --> 00:39:33.440
They have have identified seven they 7,000 of them, and then they know what about 50 of them do completely.

00:39:33.679 --> 00:39:34.000
Huh.

00:39:34.159 --> 00:39:34.400
Yeah.

00:39:34.719 --> 00:39:34.880
All right.

00:39:34.960 --> 00:39:40.960
So it's it's very new, very well, not as new, but I mean it's newer than some of the other stuff.

00:39:41.280 --> 00:39:41.440
All right.

00:39:41.599 --> 00:39:49.039
So as a person who just magically finds work, and you've just now just transitioned to this, and it it seems like you've gotten your family involved, like your dad.

00:39:49.280 --> 00:39:49.760
Oh, for sure.

00:39:50.000 --> 00:39:50.880
So how is that working?

00:39:51.119 --> 00:39:52.239
Uh amazing.

00:39:52.480 --> 00:40:01.360
I mean, he he had problems with his his lower back for a long time, like years, and I finally got him on some peptides and literally felt the difference the next day.

00:40:01.440 --> 00:40:06.559
And then since then, it's just a after he noticed how much difference he made, he finally made my mom try it.

00:40:06.639 --> 00:40:11.760
My mom was born breach, and she's had problems with her hips her entire life because of it.

00:40:12.000 --> 00:40:13.599
And so he made her try it.

00:40:13.679 --> 00:40:14.880
Her hips stopped hurting.

00:40:15.039 --> 00:40:16.559
So both of her hips have gotten better.

00:40:16.639 --> 00:40:22.239
Like, I mean, and so it's just been like a cascade of people like our family and friends, is just I mean, it's ridiculous.

00:40:22.320 --> 00:40:25.360
Everybody I think you remember you tell me someone had Hashimoto's in your family.

00:40:25.599 --> 00:40:25.840
Yeah, yeah.

00:40:26.159 --> 00:40:26.960
What is Hashimoto's?

00:40:27.039 --> 00:40:28.719
And then my best friend has Hashimoto's.

00:40:28.880 --> 00:40:36.639
Well, they say it's a thyroid issue, but then if you really look into it, it's really not a thyroid issue, it's a bunch of other issues that are uh that they affect the thyroid.

00:40:36.800 --> 00:40:36.960
Right.

00:40:37.119 --> 00:40:37.360
Exactly.

00:40:37.519 --> 00:40:39.519
So the thyroid's a symptom of the other issues.

00:40:39.760 --> 00:40:40.000
All right.

00:40:40.079 --> 00:40:41.519
So how what happened?

00:40:41.840 --> 00:40:45.119
Uh I mean, sh she's uh taking peptides now.

00:40:45.199 --> 00:40:45.760
She's noticed it.

00:40:45.840 --> 00:40:49.280
I mean, she's noticed a difference in her her knees and all this other stuff.

00:40:49.440 --> 00:40:53.440
I mean, we're watching people, I mean, build back stuff that they didn't think would build back.

00:40:53.519 --> 00:40:54.559
I mean, it's crazy.

00:40:54.800 --> 00:41:01.519
So you're able to like provide for your family off off all this and and and all like is that what's happening?

00:41:01.599 --> 00:41:03.360
Like I mean, it will be soon, hopefully.

00:41:03.519 --> 00:41:03.920
But yeah, yeah.

00:41:04.079 --> 00:41:10.559
I mean, right now I'm still doing side jobs, you know, uh on different days and different with different people doing different stuff.

00:41:10.800 --> 00:41:11.840
Just you know, whatever comes up.

00:41:11.920 --> 00:41:13.280
You just whatever comes up.

00:41:13.519 --> 00:41:14.079
God provides.

00:41:14.159 --> 00:41:17.119
There's always random stuff here and there, and I just that's what pays my bills.

00:41:17.199 --> 00:41:21.039
And then so it seems like um you're also doing a lot of evangelism.

00:41:21.119 --> 00:41:22.639
I see you bring a lot of people to church.

00:41:22.880 --> 00:41:24.079
A lot of people try to.

00:41:24.239 --> 00:41:26.079
So how does that happen?

00:41:28.159 --> 00:41:29.360
God brings people around me.

00:41:29.679 --> 00:41:32.719
I'm like, would you like to learn about peptides or Jesus today, buddy?

00:41:33.119 --> 00:41:33.679
You know?

00:41:34.000 --> 00:41:35.440
You just don't give them an option, bro.

00:41:35.519 --> 00:41:36.320
It makes it really easy.

00:41:36.559 --> 00:41:36.800
Okay.

00:41:37.119 --> 00:41:40.239
So, like, so tell me about like what would did you have a technique?

00:41:40.320 --> 00:41:41.679
And maybe this is the part that I don't get.

00:41:41.760 --> 00:41:51.840
Like, when you were an entrepreneur, uh pharmaceutical rep with illegal drugs, uh, did you have to have like a sales marketing strategy or did just don't get caught?

00:41:55.840 --> 00:41:56.320
Got it.

00:41:56.400 --> 00:42:01.039
So it's like drugs and people and have honest, honest scales, you know, and that was honest scales.

00:42:01.119 --> 00:42:06.000
Yeah, so you were like you had Proverbs uh and you're like, we need to make sure we have honest scales, or Proverbs 11.

00:42:06.079 --> 00:42:06.320
There we go.

00:42:06.800 --> 00:42:09.599
Probably should like written it on my scale, you know, so that while they were, you know.

00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:10.800
You could tell them about geez.

00:42:10.960 --> 00:42:13.280
Okay, so now with peptides, it's sort of the same thing.

00:42:13.440 --> 00:42:16.400
It's like you just say, I have, hey, you have a wh what's your technique?

00:42:16.559 --> 00:42:19.039
You go to the gym and be like, hey, something hurt, I got a peptide for that?

00:42:19.199 --> 00:42:24.000
Well, the I mean, well, the problem is is that legally you can't tell anybody that a peptide will heal anything, right?

00:42:24.079 --> 00:42:26.400
I can't tell you what it'll do for the human consumption.

00:42:26.639 --> 00:42:26.719
Right.

00:42:26.800 --> 00:42:30.639
They're not for human consumption, you know, and this is not medical advice or anything else like that.

00:42:30.719 --> 00:42:49.599
I'm not a doctor, so but yes, I mean it's crazy that it it's it's this gray market, so it's like I can't tell you, hey, this will heal your knee, but I can tell you that it fixed my mom's knee, fixed my dad's back, you know, and and all these other people that we know that are going through the same thing, our friends group and and our family, you know.

00:42:50.159 --> 00:42:52.320
Because like six months ago, I don't know if you remember this.

00:42:52.480 --> 00:42:56.400
You were like, hey, I really want to get a job that will provide for my family, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

00:42:56.800 --> 00:42:57.280
Let me stay in town.

00:42:57.519 --> 00:42:58.239
And let me stay in town.

00:42:58.400 --> 00:42:59.840
We were you were talking about going to oil fields or something.

00:43:00.079 --> 00:43:00.400
Yeah, I was good.

00:43:00.480 --> 00:43:01.679
Well, I was gonna go back to directional drilling.

00:43:02.480 --> 00:43:02.719
Dang it.

00:43:02.800 --> 00:43:03.199
I keep saying that.

00:43:03.440 --> 00:43:04.559
Yeah, whatever it's tough enough.

00:43:04.880 --> 00:43:05.280
Same difference.

00:43:05.679 --> 00:43:06.239
Directional drilling.

00:43:06.400 --> 00:43:08.159
You're going back to directional drilling.

00:43:08.400 --> 00:43:10.800
And I'm sorry, I keep saying I feel bad.

00:43:10.880 --> 00:43:11.360
I keep doing that.

00:43:11.440 --> 00:43:12.719
In my head, it was all oil fields.

00:43:12.880 --> 00:43:13.440
So that's ridiculous.

00:43:13.760 --> 00:43:14.320
It's blue color.

00:43:14.480 --> 00:43:14.639
Yeah.

00:43:14.719 --> 00:43:17.280
So so directional drilling, and you're gonna go back to that.

00:43:17.440 --> 00:43:27.840
And you were praying, like, God, I need something to bring into my life that will allow me to provide for my family and stay involved in church and be a a father to my children and all of that.

00:43:28.159 --> 00:43:28.239
Right.

00:43:28.320 --> 00:43:30.239
And even more so, something that I'm passionate about, right?

00:43:30.480 --> 00:43:32.719
Because who who wants to do something that they're not passionate about?

00:43:33.119 --> 00:43:33.360
Exactly.

00:43:33.599 --> 00:43:34.159
That sucks.

00:43:34.480 --> 00:43:38.239
Okay, so then how did the god how did God bring that about?

00:43:39.679 --> 00:43:42.239
Um The peptides?

00:43:42.639 --> 00:43:46.480
Or yeah, I mean, how are you were just sitting there one day and like, I guess I'll try.

00:43:46.639 --> 00:43:50.400
I mean, how like this is why I always wonder like, how do people get into this kind of stuff?

00:43:50.800 --> 00:43:51.039
Right.

00:43:51.199 --> 00:43:59.360
Um, so I mean, I'd been to a male health clinic first and I was on TRT and had heard about some of the other healing peptides and stuff like that.

00:43:59.440 --> 00:43:59.599
Obviously.

00:44:00.639 --> 00:44:02.239
Uh testosterone replacement therapy.

00:44:02.320 --> 00:44:02.559
Oh, yeah.

00:44:02.800 --> 00:44:07.599
So not not a peptide, but the men's health clinics also are now starting to sell peptides as well.

00:44:07.760 --> 00:44:13.760
So um so I kind of first heard about it there and then kind of got interested.

00:44:13.920 --> 00:44:22.400
And then uh Sal from group started was on peptides, and then we started talking about those, and then uh my other friend Sam.

00:44:22.639 --> 00:44:25.760
Uh and Sam is a guy that you've been sharing Jesus with.

00:44:25.920 --> 00:44:28.239
Yeah, Sam's my best friend since like ninth grade.

00:44:28.480 --> 00:44:30.000
Did you guys ever do time together?

00:44:30.239 --> 00:44:33.599
No, we actually did time in completely different states at the same time.

00:44:35.440 --> 00:44:36.079
That's great.

00:44:36.239 --> 00:44:37.440
That's how close of friends we were.

00:44:37.599 --> 00:44:38.000
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:44:38.159 --> 00:44:42.320
I'll go to prison here and you go to prison in Indiana, bro, and I'll see you in seven years, right?

00:44:42.559 --> 00:44:42.800
Wow.

00:44:42.960 --> 00:44:50.800
But no, so yeah, he ended up uh we kind of he ended up going up there to like, I think to get away from everything here, and then ended up doing the exact same stuff.

00:44:50.960 --> 00:44:54.159
And then, you know, I I went to prison here, he went to prison up there.

00:44:54.320 --> 00:45:02.239
But so he he had been at through the hospital with he had fallen off, full fell off a roof, smashed his heel bone.

00:45:02.320 --> 00:45:06.960
Cause apparently the inside of your heel bone is soft, so it's kind of like a tomato, your heel bone is more like a tomato.

00:45:07.039 --> 00:45:22.079
So he imploded his heel bone, went through uh over two years, went through eight surgeries, uh, and I think two different IV pick lines for the MRSA and staff that they put in his bones when they put the plates in there before they had to remove the plates.

00:45:22.159 --> 00:45:27.119
And so after going through all this stuff and they're finally like, hey, we're running out of options, we might have to take your foot.

00:45:27.199 --> 00:45:29.360
And he was like, uh no.

00:45:30.000 --> 00:45:34.719
And so he's quit taking all the antibiotics and all the stuff that the doctors were giving him.

00:45:34.800 --> 00:45:36.960
He switched over to straight peptides.

00:45:37.920 --> 00:45:40.239
Fast forward 30 days, he goes into the doctor.

00:45:40.400 --> 00:45:43.679
The doctor's like, I don't know what you're doing, but don't stop doing it.

00:45:43.760 --> 00:45:46.320
He's like, I mean, he looks like a normal dude with a normal foot.

00:45:46.559 --> 00:45:48.719
No, yeah, he looks like a peptide poster child now, dude.

00:45:48.960 --> 00:45:51.679
I mean, he literally was in the hospital, like looking like gone.

00:45:52.000 --> 00:45:52.960
Yeah, horrible.

00:45:53.199 --> 00:46:01.679
Huge bags and circles under his eyes, sucked up, all the muscle gone, like, and now the dude's jacked walking around, you know, looking like, you know, Captain America.

00:46:02.000 --> 00:46:02.480
Yeah, he does.

00:46:02.639 --> 00:46:03.199
It's ridiculous.

00:46:03.360 --> 00:46:04.000
It is ridiculous.

00:46:04.239 --> 00:46:04.800
Yeah.

00:46:05.440 --> 00:46:06.880
So, man, all right.

00:46:06.960 --> 00:46:15.280
So, talking about how how you now are following Jesus, like your do your life seems it's on this incredible trajectory.

00:46:15.599 --> 00:46:25.760
Yes, I mean me and Sam and Sal, we we were looking at all the peptide stuff, and it's like all these companies out here charging, you know, 15 times markup.

00:46:26.000 --> 00:46:27.440
We're like, for what reason, bro?

00:46:27.519 --> 00:46:28.880
Like, this this is not affordable.

00:46:28.960 --> 00:46:40.000
Like, yes, it's this is like the alternative to all of the crappy big pharma meds, but it's like they're they're pricing it so high that nobody in their, you know, nobody could actually afford to do enough to heal.

00:46:40.079 --> 00:46:40.880
Like, it's ridiculous.

00:46:40.960 --> 00:46:48.639
Like, so our whole goal was like, hey, we want to start a peptide company for the average person can afford to get their family healthy.

00:46:48.880 --> 00:46:50.320
Okay, can I go conspiracy theory?

00:46:50.559 --> 00:46:51.199
Oh, come on, let's go.

00:46:52.000 --> 00:46:55.119
Because I just I have a hard like I know big pharma's evil.

00:46:55.199 --> 00:46:57.199
I like everyone understands that got it.

00:46:57.360 --> 00:47:13.280
Yeah, but I have a hard time believing that their whole like they are on such a money train, ridiculous, we've got to keep people sick perpetually, or at least well enough to keep taking the drugs, but sick enough to keep manage manage decline.

00:47:13.519 --> 00:47:17.360
Yeah, like it I just have a hard time believing that.

00:47:17.519 --> 00:47:19.039
But you would say Oh, 100%.

00:47:19.360 --> 00:47:19.679
It's true.

00:47:20.320 --> 00:47:33.840
And not only that, it's crazy that 80% of our customers are nurses or nurse practitioners or so so it and not and not not young, new nurse practitioners and RNs.

00:47:33.920 --> 00:47:37.519
I'm talking about RNs that have been in the game 40 plus, yeah, 40 plus 50 years.

00:47:37.599 --> 00:47:42.159
So I mean, they understand and they will be the first ones to tell you that our medical system is trash.

00:47:42.400 --> 00:47:49.360
So I just have the hardest time believing that it's like how is that possible that the system is that set up against you?

00:47:49.519 --> 00:47:56.639
And now, granted, if I were to look at I could say that from the education system, the education system is built to keep people dumb because they, you know, right.

00:47:56.800 --> 00:48:02.159
The Rothschild said when they took it over, they want a bunch of generation of workers, they don't want thinkers.

00:48:02.400 --> 00:48:03.840
Yeah, so so I can see that.

00:48:04.000 --> 00:48:04.320
Yeah.

00:48:04.639 --> 00:48:11.360
But man, to say that people are trying to keep people intentionally sick, managed to cli I like the way you put that managed to client.

00:48:11.440 --> 00:48:12.480
That that's wild to me.

00:48:12.559 --> 00:48:12.880
Yeah.

00:48:13.039 --> 00:48:15.440
Um now, granted, I don't go to the hospital that much.

00:48:15.519 --> 00:48:16.480
I don't go to the doctor that much.

00:48:16.719 --> 00:48:20.480
In fact, but I also won't take a you know, advil Tylenol, right?

00:48:20.719 --> 00:48:21.119
I wouldn't take it.

00:48:21.199 --> 00:48:21.840
I don't take anything.

00:48:22.320 --> 00:48:27.119
My my wife would get mad at me, like, you're it's annoying that you're sick, take ibuprofen.

00:48:27.280 --> 00:48:28.000
I'd be like, same.

00:48:28.079 --> 00:48:28.239
Okay.

00:48:29.039 --> 00:48:30.000
Will you just take some advent?

00:48:30.320 --> 00:48:30.880
Right, all right, right.

00:48:31.119 --> 00:48:32.239
I'm like, all right, fine.

00:48:32.480 --> 00:48:35.920
So I guess I haven't I haven't needed it, I guess.

00:48:36.079 --> 00:48:36.320
Right.

00:48:36.480 --> 00:48:39.280
So I don't know of the chronic insanity.

00:48:39.440 --> 00:48:39.760
Right.

00:48:39.920 --> 00:48:52.800
Um but watching Sal, who we've had on the podcast, watching that guy that we've had on the podcast, uh share about his healing of cancer.

00:48:52.880 --> 00:48:53.440
That's crazy.

00:48:53.599 --> 00:48:54.320
Yeah, absolutely.

00:48:54.400 --> 00:49:03.199
And I and I was and I was right there, first person walking through it with him, like literally getting the phone calls on you know, uh one morning, and he was like, Hey, bro, I'm throwing up blood.

00:49:03.280 --> 00:49:04.400
I don't know if I'm gonna make it, you know.

00:49:04.480 --> 00:49:05.760
Like we thought he was gonna die.

00:49:05.920 --> 00:49:07.199
Yeah, we we all thought he was gonna die.

00:49:07.280 --> 00:49:08.719
Like, I mean, that's practically what the doctors told him.

00:49:08.800 --> 00:49:11.280
Like, and now he's like, In fact, we probably should check on him.

00:49:11.360 --> 00:49:12.239
I think he's having a surgery or something.

00:49:12.480 --> 00:49:13.039
He did have a surgery.

00:49:13.119 --> 00:49:15.360
I saw him at Lifetime just a few minutes ago before I came up here.

00:49:15.519 --> 00:49:16.320
He already had a surgery?

00:49:16.480 --> 00:49:18.320
Yeah, he already had his surgery, everything went well.

00:49:18.480 --> 00:49:20.880
He's got no more stomach stuff.

00:49:20.960 --> 00:49:24.079
And they removed the the the node.

00:49:24.239 --> 00:49:24.480
Yeah.

00:49:24.639 --> 00:49:25.360
The cancer node.

00:49:26.079 --> 00:49:26.400
Boom.

00:49:26.480 --> 00:49:26.719
Yeah.

00:49:26.880 --> 00:49:27.280
He's good.

00:49:27.360 --> 00:49:31.360
He's at lifetime right now doing some recovering because he was so amped after everything went so well.

00:49:32.320 --> 00:49:35.039
So but he had like stomach surgery.

00:49:35.280 --> 00:49:35.599
Yeah.

00:49:35.760 --> 00:49:38.880
Apparently they went in on his side and went in and did their little things.

00:49:38.960 --> 00:49:39.199
I don't know.

00:49:41.119 --> 00:49:42.480
I mean, I uh okay.

00:49:42.639 --> 00:49:44.320
I'm not a I'm not a cancer surgeon, I have no idea.

00:49:44.559 --> 00:49:45.360
All right, wow, that's wild.

00:49:45.599 --> 00:49:45.920
That's incredible.

00:49:46.000 --> 00:49:46.719
That's an incredible thing.

00:49:46.880 --> 00:49:47.119
Okay.

00:49:47.599 --> 00:49:52.880
I guess there's more to come with this, but I I just the big thing I want to know is like your journey in following Jesus.

00:49:53.039 --> 00:49:53.360
Yeah.

00:49:53.599 --> 00:50:01.039
Like to somebody that like, you know, like even the friends that you have that aren't believers, yeah, they they see the change in you.

00:50:01.280 --> 00:50:02.159
Oh, for sure.

00:50:02.480 --> 00:50:09.760
They see like you're managing eight, a family of eight on a compound in the middle of the suburbs.

00:50:10.159 --> 00:50:12.960
Uh yeah, suburban comp.

00:50:13.199 --> 00:50:17.519
How are you like what would you say to somebody that is checking out Jesus?

00:50:19.440 --> 00:50:20.559
I mean, check him out.

00:50:20.639 --> 00:50:21.760
He's pretty cool, man.

00:50:22.159 --> 00:50:24.239
I mean, he changed my life, right?

00:50:24.559 --> 00:50:38.400
I mean, that's the biggest thing for me is I mean, being from where I still live now, you know, 39 years later, like, there's lots of people that knew the old me that know the new me now, you know, and I mean it's you know, they can see the difference.

00:50:38.480 --> 00:50:44.400
So, I mean it's Are you able to bring people to Christ that knew you when you were not living for Jesus?

00:50:44.800 --> 00:50:45.599
Yeah, for sure.

00:50:45.679 --> 00:50:49.199
Most of the people that I think show up are people that knew me from those times.

00:50:49.440 --> 00:50:56.719
Yeah, and and what do you like, what's the like you see do you see them like you're just you know around you're at the store, you're like, oh my gosh, you're so-and-so from high school.

00:50:56.800 --> 00:50:57.280
Can you believe?

00:50:57.360 --> 00:50:58.159
Oh, what are you doing now?

00:50:58.239 --> 00:50:59.199
Oh, I love Jesus.

00:50:59.360 --> 00:51:00.800
Like, is that how that goes?

00:51:01.119 --> 00:51:02.480
Um, I don't know.

00:51:02.559 --> 00:51:04.719
I think most of the time I just love the people, bro.

00:51:04.800 --> 00:51:09.119
Like, I don't, I'm not a big like, I don't want to say like, I don't know.

00:51:09.199 --> 00:51:12.400
I I just show up and love them, bro.

00:51:12.480 --> 00:51:15.920
Like, I mean, as far as But like how do they like do they see you from afar and go, like, oh, what's going on?

00:51:16.000 --> 00:51:16.480
Like, how does it be?

00:51:16.559 --> 00:51:20.639
Well, I mean, as soon as they ask me about what's going on, I'm like, oh yeah, I'm I mean, nine times out of ten, I'm at church.

00:51:20.800 --> 00:51:22.320
Like, well, what are you doing on Wednesday morning?

00:51:22.400 --> 00:51:22.960
I'll be at church.

00:51:23.039 --> 00:51:23.920
What are you doing Tuesday night?

00:51:24.000 --> 00:51:24.719
Oh, I'll be at the church.

00:51:24.880 --> 00:51:25.119
What are you?

00:51:25.199 --> 00:51:26.320
What are you doing Wednesday at four?

00:51:26.400 --> 00:51:27.280
I'll be at the church, you know.

00:51:27.440 --> 00:51:32.079
So I mean, so for me, I mean, it's just I don't know, I just hung out with all those people.

00:51:32.159 --> 00:51:33.599
I just like I said, I kept hanging out.

00:51:33.679 --> 00:51:37.039
We're going to go see most, like a lot of the same people that I did before.

00:51:37.199 --> 00:51:40.320
It's just, I just treat, you know, I just went to go love on them, bro.

00:51:40.400 --> 00:51:45.039
Like listen to them, talk to them, find out what's going on in their situation, ask them if I could pray for them, you know, stuff like that.

00:51:45.360 --> 00:51:46.239
I love it.

00:51:46.559 --> 00:51:46.960
All right.

00:51:47.039 --> 00:51:48.880
So, hey, thanks so much for joining us.

00:51:49.119 --> 00:52:00.400
And uh can't wait to find out what becomes of this blended family situation that's a compound in the suburbs that is someone who's been to prison, who's had an encounter with Jesus, who is now living for the Lord.

00:52:00.480 --> 00:52:01.599
It's a wild experience.

00:52:01.840 --> 00:52:02.880
Thanks so much for sharing.

00:52:03.039 --> 00:52:04.800
Hey, thanks so much for you watching.

00:52:04.880 --> 00:52:08.239
If you got any questions, text us at 737 231 0605.

00:52:08.320 --> 00:52:08.960
We'd love to hear from you.

00:52:09.039 --> 00:52:12.639
We talk faith, culture, everything in between, from our house to yours.

00:52:12.800 --> 00:52:15.039
Have an awesome week abortion.