As Carmen prepared for the week yesterday, she heard a quote during a sermon from Charles Spurgeon with a nod to being well equipped in your faith through prayer and reading the Bible. 

We are praying that folks along the Gulf Coast of Texas are well-equpped to handle the historic Hurricane Beryl. 

Dave, it seems, was not prepared for the exercise routine that was cutting his lawn. 

Bill's backyard is well-equipped once again for bird watching now that his bird feeder has been re-activated. 

Carmen had a question about home security systems and which one would help her have the sense of being well-equipped in case of emergency. 

If you want to be ahead of the game for a dinner reservation, you might want to get an early bird time, as those are filling up fast! 

We were a little distracted but we did set up a poll on our Instagram Story feed to see when you eat dinner.

Having 2 different preferences for the temperature in bed can be a hassle, but you would be well-equipped to have the Bed Jet. 

00:32 Spurgeon Quote 

02:44 Hurricane Beryl 

05:59 Dave's lawn "leg day"

08:59 Brain benefits of exercise 

12:28 Officer gets formula for baby

15:28 Martin bird feeder has been re-activated 

18:28 Carmen's question on home security systems

24:05 text responses

25:57 Early bird dinners becoming norm

29:40 slightly distracted but poll is on InstaStory 

32:32 Bed Jet 

37:02 caller 

39:15 Bill's BIG Word 

Dave and his wife ventured out yesterday for the first time in awhile as Emilie continues to recover from chemo and shingles. Not only did they grab a bite to eat but they also made a trip to meet one of their newest grandchildren. They found her siblings hiding when they got there! 

If you go to Bill's house, you might find his wife talking to her plants. 

If you got one of our 4th of July shirts, we want to see your pictures! 

Normally for the 4th, you'll find Carmen's house with lots of patriotic decor. Some last minute change of plans this year as changed that approach. 

When it comes to the Founding Fathers of our nation, Bill tells us about George Whitefield, who might be referred to as "America's spiritual founding father". 

If you find Dave at his house tomorrow, you might find him mowing the yard early in the morning. But the question remains... will he find it relaxing or back-breaking? 

Carmen plans to do a lot of sightseeing in Banff. But will she find her way up the mountains by gondola? 

A lot of folks have their eyes on Beryl and are finding it hard to concentrate on their holiday plans. 

If you took a roadtrip for the length of time it takes the average American family, what would you find? 

00:32 Dave and Emilie meet Nora

05:55 Talking to plants 

07:56 Post your 4th merch pics 

10:50 Patriotic house decorating 

13:44 G.Whitefield - Founding Father 

18:35 Faith and Founding 

23:10 Dave - mowing: relaxing or back-breaking? 

26:41 texts from the listening family 

28:13 Carmen worried about gondola ride 

32:54 8 minutes for gondola 

34:24 latest on Beryl 

36:13 23 hours for average American family roadtrip

39:17 Bill's BIG Word 

With so many choices of luggage out there, trends have started to emerge with certain brands. Carmen gave us a breakdown of the options, but Dave is sticking with his 3 duffel bags. 

With 4th of July coming up, Bill was asked to provide some thoughts for our JOYNews email newsletter. He shared some of what he had to say on independence and freedom. And while we have the freedom of choice, we also must remember that God is in control. 

Dave chose to watch the season 4 finale of The Chosen last night and learned some things about the plot of the story of Lazarus. For Carmen, she recalled an episode from an earlier season when she learned about the Sons of Thunder. 

Priscilla Shirer chose to watch Inside Out 2 and gleaned a spiritual thought that she shared on Instagram. 

Would you chose to wear a condiment couture collab between Kate Spade and Heinz? Carmen would not! 

Bill gave us some 4th of July trivia and it might have helped if the questions were multiple choice. 

If you choose to open suspicious emails, be aware that they might be part of an online scam. 

00:32 Luggage Trends 

04:48 Dave's 3 Duffels 

08:47 Independence and Freedom 

13:19 God Is In Control 

15:28 The Chosen - Lazarus Plot 

23:15 The Chosen - God Is In Control 

25:31 Priscilla Shirer on Inside Out 2 

28:54 Kate Spade x Heinz condiment couture collab 

32:59 4th of July Trivia

38:06 text responses

41:28 McAfee and Chase Online Scams 

46:51 text responses and other online scams 

49:15 Bill's BIG Word 

Ahead of the Independence Day holiday later this week, certain items at the grocery store are seeing some price surging. 

After his wife came home from a cruise with some other family members, Bill started looking into river cruises, but the price has him thinking twice. 

Over the weekend, a video showing the difference in inflation on a purchase from 3 years ago has gone viral for the incredible amount difference. 

The price that athletes pay to devote their life to becoming an Olympian is well documented. But the price for one grandma to put aside her Olympic dream and raise her family was a topic of discussion as that woman has now qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games in racewalking. It reminded us of the story of Dara Torres in swimming. 

For some, the idea of relaxation can put a toll on their stress levels. Bill discussed how he relates to stresslaxing and wondered what the ideal relaxation spot is for Dave and Carmen. 

Fancy foods can be pricey but the trending foods this summer may have you reaching for your wallet. 

The abundance of cicadas this year has brought some interesting discussions up as some consider adding the insect to all sorts of dishes, like the one Bill found for a Cicada Caramel Chocolate Popcorn recipe. 

On the sweeter side, he did share a recipe for Watermelon Salad with Grilled Halloumi. 

The box office success of Inside Out 2 and hearing about the film from her daughter prompted Carmen and her husband to watch the original movie from 2015 on Saturday night.

00:32 July 4th Grocery Prices Surging

04:12 Cost of a River Cruise 

07:38 Viral video on inflation 

12:18 Text responses

15:33 Racewalking Olympian Grandma 

21:02 Dara Torres 

23:58 Stresslaxing 

30:38 Ideal Relaxing Spot 

33:34 Summer Fancy Food Trends 

40:07 Cicada Caramel Chocolate Popcorn 

43:12 Watermelon Salad with Grilled Halloumi

46:07 Inside Out 

50:12 Bill's BIG Word 

Is it right that to be late to work is okay? Carmen tells us about the different generational takes on the question and Bill offers up some ways to help others not be late. 

CeCe Winans has all the right stuff! Carmen took the opportunity to celebrate her with a couple of songs and the chance to hear our chat with her again to hear the origin story of the Winans family and their musical career. 

To be considered to have all the right stuff, soft skills are an important skill to have. Preston Perry discusses that in his new book, How To Tell The Truth. 

Just over a year ago, the Covenant School in Nashville was the site of an unthinkable tragedy. In the wake of that tragedy, the completely renovated the buildings and made all the right moves to get the kids back in the building before the end of the school year. Bill shared some of the details on the steps they took to renovate and Carmen shared her view of the renovations on a recent visit to Music City when they sat down with CeCe Winans. 

Do you have all the right stuff in your fridge to celebrate July 4th next week? Dave gave us the top 10 items that see a surge in sales at the grocery store for the Independence Day holiday. And you might be surprised to learn the top condiment as well. 

We've all mistakenly texted the wrong number. Jules even did it with a co-worker recently when trying to share her coffee order. 

Bill's got a study about listening that will have you asking, "Did I hear that...right...?" 

00:32 Late to Work is Okay? 

04:11 How To Not Be Late 

06:51 Happy Anniversary CeCe Winans 

10:06 Revisiting CeCe Winans conversation and That's My King

15:06 Soft Skills 

18:21 How To Tell The Truth 

22:48 Covenant School Renovations 

26:32 Carmen's view of Covenant School renovations 

30:18 Top 10 grocery surges for July 4th 

34:07 Ranch Dressing is top condiment

36:17 Jules - mistaken text recipients 

39:42 Right Ear Advantage 

43:16 Bill's BIG Word 

If you won a July 4th- themed shirt from us, you are not far off from receiving them! 

BIll told us about some of the new tech from Apple coming soon. But will we use it? Dave certainly won't be using the new emojis. 

The first presidential debate is not far off as it will be on TVs across the country tonight. Carmen won't be far from her TV. On the other hand, Dave would prefer to be far away from it. 

Kanye bought a house in California and it is now worth far less than when he bought it. 

The time between Matthew and Emily West meeting and getting married wasn't that far apart. You can find out why in the latest episode of The Matthew West podcast where Emily interviews Matthew. 

Taylor Swift may be far away at the moment but her fashion choices are much easier to find out with the help of Google Lens. 

Bill's wife is on a cruise. But she found a way to FaceTime with him, only to learn quickly that even though the technology was right there in her hand, the captain asked for her and all others on board to put it far away. 

Carmen ordered some new pants after seeing her daughter's new pair. They are a touch to long, but Carmen's measurements may be far off! 

With grandkids in Texas, it can take awhile to send gifts that far away. After sending a shirt for one granddaughter, Dave's wife, has to send a similar gift for her sister. But now the younger sister has to wait. 

Greed is not that far off these days with how quickly we can get things. But there is something to be said for delayed gratification. BIll shared some thoughts from Tim Keller. 

00:32 Shirts in the mail 

02:26 New Apple Tech 

05:12 Tech and Emojis 

07:20 Watching the debate 

10:42 responses

11:16 Kanye's gutted house 

14:49 Matthew and Emily West podcast episode 

16:46 Google Lens 

20:35 No electronics for Kimberly on cruise 

23:37 July 4th merch and getting packages 

26:00 Carmen orders pants 

30:01 Sending packages to Texas 

32:24 Delayed gratification and greed 

36:10 Bill's BIG Word 

Before we got too far away from Monday night, we had to take the opportunity to congratulate the Tennessee Volunteers and Florida Panthers for their respective championship wins in college baseball and NHL hockey. 

Carmen enjoys playing certain word games on a daily basis, but one word on Connections really threw her. 

Bill has started re-learning the game of chess online but that may end once he has to pay for lessons. 

Ted Talks have been a game-changer for many. Dave wanted to know what your Ted Talk would be about if you were suddenly asked to give one with no time to prepare. 

Carmen also shared a game-changer on Instagram with more than 5 million followers. Jefferson Fisher uses the platform to give all sorts of life advice, like "How To Stop Saying "Like" So Much". 

One of the biggest topics on the show recently was the discussion on where you keep your thermostat set. Carmen took it to an Instagram poll and shared the results this morning. She is also looking forward to the temps when she visits Banff, even though that is a month away. 

Bill shared a game-changer of a blog post from the Biblical Counseling Coalition that suggest many of us are "Afraid of the Wrong Thing". 

And Dave would like it if guys like Mac Powell and Steven Curtis Chapman wouldn't work so hard at setting the bar so high as examples of husbands to their wives. 

00:32 Congrats to Volunteers and Panthers! 

02:27 Connections 

07:21 Chess.com 

10:37 What would your Ted Talk be? Carmen and Bill's take 

17:01 What would your Ted Talk be? texts and Dave's take 

19:59 Jefferson Fisher on Instagram 

22:31 How To Stop Saying Like So Much 

24:41 A/C Temperature Poll Results 

29:47 Temps in Banff, Canada

32:21 Afraid of the Wrong Thing 

37:57 Freedom from sin because of community 

42:09 Mac Powell and Steven Curtis Chapman setting the bar high 

47:00 Pete's Response 

49:20 Bill's BIG Word 

A trip to Europe can be costly and time consuming. BIll has some travel tips for those headed across the pond. If you are traveling on vacation but want to bring us with you, you can do that by downloading The JOY FM app for free. 

Jules joined the show to share how she tried to get the wrong friend to buy her a coffee. 

Speaking of coffee, you may have noticed lower prices at Starbucks. Carmen shares the reason behind that and we looked at some other discounts and home coffee options. 

The Chosen is a free show and in the latest episode, Dave shared the valuable lessons we can learn from the interactions of Jesus and Lazarus. And many around the globe are getting a similar education as the show is now available in many different languages. 

Carmen has been loving Preston Perry's book, How To Tell The Truth. The book encourages you to share and defend the faith at any cost. 

Looking for things to do with your kids this summer? Bill has a few cheap suggestions for you and other "free play" options as well. 

00:32 European Travel Tips 

04:48 Take our app on vacation 

05:25 Jules - mistaken text recipients

08:41 more mistaken texts 

11:15 Starbucks feeling the economy 

15:47 Discounts and home coffee

17:43 The Chosen - Lazarus 

24:23 The Chosen in other languages 

26:26 Preston Perry, Gary and John 

32:53 Introduction of How To Tell The Truth 

35:44 Things to do with kids this summer 

38:52 Free Play 

42:18 Bill's BIG Word 

You might have heard the phrase, "If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen". We started today's show with a visit in the kitchen as Bill took the opportunity to show how blueberry filling reminded him of our relationship with Jesus. And Dave's wife has been craving cobblers lately. 

Carmen had some fun with today's Wordle puzzle. But Bill caught some heat for his word choice to figure out the puzzle. 

Carmen shared a viral meme over the weekend that recommended keeping your A/C at 82 during the night. She had a hard time with that possibility and we heard from many of you as to where you keep the thermostat at night. 

US Olympians plan to beat the heat in Paris this summer by bringing their own A/C units. 

Olympic officials and French politicians are catching heat for the conditions of the Seine River which is the site of several events for the games. 

Bill had some interrupted prayer time yesterday, but he was reminded to not get hot and bothered by the interruptions. 

The beach is one place to beat the heat but with news stories of dangerous beach conditions we turned to Bill who grew up on the beach for some thoughts on rip currents and sharks. 

Many Americans are looking at European travel this summer as their annual escape. But the crowds may mean long lines and having to book your sightseeing opportunities well in advance. 

Carmen is looking forward to a cooler summer trip to Banff and has made some reservations ahead of time. 

00:32 Blueberry filling and Jesus 

03:54 Simple Cobblers 

07:07 Wordle fun for today 

09:11 Bill's word logic 

11:20 viral meme - 82 degrees at night? 

15:38 text responses

18:21 more responses 

19:22 A/C and Paris Olympics 

23:52 Concerns on the Seine 

26:04 Prayer with interruptions 

30:08 Heart for God's House 

34:18 Remarkable Alexa 

37:53 Dangerous Beach Conditions 

42:22 European travel tips 

46:38 response and Banff trip 

49:24 Steven Curtis Chapman's 400 mile yard sale and Bill's BIG Word

As we begin summer, the days are long and Carmen's bedtime is early enough that the sun still shines through her window. 

Willie Mays was a shining example of a baseball player for many. Bill shared a little known story of his early days when he was ready to quit. 

Bill was inspired by Carmen's issue of sleeping while the sun is still out that he shared an original poem and one by Robert Louis Stevenson. 

A shining trophy will soon be in the hands of Texas A&M or The University of Tennessee baseball teams as they are set to play for the College World Series Final. 

Carmen's daughter, Abbey, took a trip down memory lane and shared some old pictures from the early days of The Morning Cruise. 

Steven Curtis Chapman has a shiny brand new song that he shared with us. We had so much fun hearing, "Do It Again" that we did just that! 

Bill shared how putting his faith in some possibly expired blueberry filling was a shining example of taking the word of a manufacturer as gospel truth and how it can apply to our own spiritual life. 

Carmen and Dave were a little surprised to learn that Bill was okay with the possibility of eating expired foods when he shies away from it usually. Dave asked him what he would have done with expired hot dogs. 

00:32 Longest Day and Carmen's bedtime

03:13 Sunset and Daylight

05:55 Willie Mays - Pull Up Your Pants 

09:24 Summer Solstice Correction 

11:12 Poetry Friday - Bill's Poem 

14:44 Poetry Friday - Bed In Summer 

17:20 College World Series 

20:16 Abbey finds old pics of The Morning Cruise 

23:55 Steven Curtis Chapman's new song, Do It Again (2x) 

28:04 Blueberry Filling and Jesus 

32:10 Expired Hot Dogs 

35:59 Bill's BIG Word