2 Dads, 1 Mind

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and the guys at 2 Dads, 1 Mind decided to bring a friend along to talk about Thanksgiving memories and traditions. Caleb Boone joins in on the discussion about Thanksgiving and shares a funny story of one of his most memorable Thanksgiving moments while living in Nigeria for a few years as a kid. How does this year look with the ongoing pandemic? What are their plans and are they that different? One thing the three seem to agree on is that, as the years have gone by, so have the bigger family get togethers. Is this a cultural or societal change over the past ten to twenty years? One thing is certain, life is short so getting together with family is important, but so is everyone's safety during these crazy days. This episode wouldn't be complete with a few good laughs and it was a joy to talk with Mr. Caleb Boone.

Have you wondered how it is that you're supposed to balance your work and family life? Well, maybe it's not supposed to be a balance at all. Brandon and Jordan, at 2 Dads, 1 Mind, talk with guest, Elijah Stiner about finding your rhythm in family and business. Elijah is the owner of Fence OKC https://fenceokc.com and Oklahoma Lumber https://www.oklahomalumber.com. Elijah talks with the guys about how he has been able to start up a couple successful businesses while trying his best to make sure he has quality time with his family. Sacrifices are needed to be made at times, especially when pouring yourself into creating a business. There's an ebb and flow with the amount of time it requires.

Elijah shares some insight on this topic and shares how he views it more like a rhythm, rather than a balance. After hearing a message from his pastor about finding your rhythm, he thought it made really good sense. It's almost impossible to really balance the two, so maybe it's not really meant to be a balance but something that changes almost with the seasons. Some seasons require more focus at work and other seasons require more dedicated quality time at home. It may look different for all of us, but one thing the three guys agree on is family is more important. After all, that work is to provide for your family. So, if you're always working and never there for your family is it really worth it?

The guys at 2 Dads, 1 Mind dial it back a bit for this episode in anticipation for the launching of the new Xbox Series X/S consoles on November 10, 2020. There are a lot of dads out there who play games, whether on PC or console, and Brandon and Jordan are a couple dads who enjoy console gaming specifically on the Xbox. They decided to bring in a local expert, if you will, Josh Hutton. Josh has run a podcast entitled, What's in Da Box, for about two years before they took a hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. His podcast show focuses on all that is Xbox. The three guys talk about the new Xbox and why they are excited about playing on the latest generation. One thing they haven't been excited about, however, is the confusing naming convention Xbox has used and they hope this improves after this upcoming generation of consoles.

So, a question you may be asking yourself as a listener is why is 2 Dads, 1 Mind taking time to talk about a new gaming console? Quite simply, dads have hobbies. One of the hobbies Brandon and Jordan share just so happens to be gaming. After a day's work and spending time with family, they enjoy hopping online to play a game and chat with others. For them, it's also about getting time to relax and blow off steam while chatting with friends. If you enjoy gaming it's okay. However, just like with anything don't let it consume you or become something that hinders your most important relationships.

Wes Henson, youth pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Kerrville, TX, joins 2 Dads, 1 Mind to talk about the importance of leadership. In this episode, Wes focuses primarily on nurturing leadership within his student ministry. He discusses his idea of the three questions leaders ask. He even has a blog titled, Three Question Leadership and it can be found at https://threequestionleadership.com. Do you find yourself asking these questions? If so, you might be more of a leader than you thought. Jordan reflects on how these three questions helped him realize the leader within himself. Brandon shares a story from his days as a former youth pastor and affirms the importance of leadership at those younger ages. Leadership isn't just a business term and most likely there's some place in our lives where we can find an opportunity to grow as a leader.  

Life can be hard on us at times and pastors aren't exempt from bad days either. On today's episode Brandon and Jordan talk with Pastor Matt Wheeler of Oak Hills Church in Edmond, Oklahoma, about leading your family through challenges. Pastor Matt gives us a look into the life of a pastor, especially focusing what it's like to pastor while trying to lead his family well. He shares his struggles and heart breaks while also giving sound advice on seeking help from God and a counselor. He shows us as men that it is okay to seek a counseling relationship and be vulnerable and transparent. We are all human and make mistakes, or just need someone to help us make better plans and goals for our lives. 

Pastor Matt explains how dominating at work, but not thriving at home is, in the end, failing. We need to give our bests as dads, employees, or even pastors. Our families are our next most important relationship after God. It is vital to get poured into and not feel like you are only pouring out to others. Matt shares how starting his day in God's word is key in having a good day and making sure he is centered on what matters the most.

-- If you would like to check out Pastor Matt Wheeler's church online, or in person, visit Oak Hills Church: https://www.ohcedmond.com/

Brandon and Jason reminisce about their mom and talk through the hardships of losing their mom on October 15th 2005 due to a battle with cancer. They share some of the difficulties and the hard timing of her death, but also reflect on some of the positive that can come from such a tragedy. Jordan helps to remind us that it's not ever easy and when losing someone even a smell can remind of us and bring us both painful and happy memories of those who have passed. In this emotional, but real, episode we are reminded to not take the family we have for granted. We have to push forward to be the best we can be and help others who may need a shoulder to lean on..

You've got a friend in me. Just how important are good friendships? Brandon and Jordan discuss the importance and value of having good friends. It's hard work maintaining multiple friendships and Brandon thinks you really only have the energy for 2-3 close friends. Jordan discusses an tiered view of different level of friendships. Some friends come in seasons and some are life-long friends. Another important the guys talk about is how their children our developing friends and what that looks like now as compared to a little later in life. Are their friends dragging them down or pulling them up. Some difficult conversations may need to be had when it comes to friends who only take. If you have a valuable friendship with someone make sure to let them know how appreciative you are of that relationship. Life is short, so make sure the friends you have are good friends. 

Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer. During this pandemic this summer hasn't quite felt the same. Brandon and Jordan discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly about this summer. There were some good things like spending more time with the family. However, it's hard to not notice and reflect on some major bummers like missed birthday parties and the annual beach trip for the summer. There was still some fun had with being able to do some camping, swimming and other sorts of activities. What did you like or dislike about this summer. Do you feel Labor Day marks the end of summer? Also, is not wearing white after Labor Day still a thing?

What routines do you have with your family? Routines seem to help especially with kids. Brandon and Jordan discuss some of their weekly routines and share personal stories and insight about how their different families do things. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Do you split up some of the routines? What about giving your kids weekly chores? Routines are great and all, but don't forget to have a little fun and break out of the structure to keep things interesting.