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- [00:05]
A
Welcome to the Salt Strong podcast, disrupting fishing entertainment as you know it. Prepare to laugh, prepare to get to know fishing legends in a whole new and unfiltered way. And on occasion, you might even learn a thing or two about fishing. Here's your host, Joe Simons. Like diamonds.
- [00:26]
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I was busted drinking beer on tv and I'm not proud of it. Here's the story, everyone. Joe Simons, like diamonds. Back again, Salt Strong, unchurched, bright and early. Recording this. It's five o'. Clock. I woke up at four something. Just couldn't sleep for whatever reason. And sometimes that's just God telling me to get active, do something. Check something off the list if you will. And I've been thinking about this podcast and talking to you about what, what happened. And I'll kind of back up with the story. So I went to Georgia Tech as some of you, and my college roommate there, someone who's still one of my best friends, was in my wedding. And we still talk frequently, see him every once in a while and vice versa. He brings his family down to Florida. He lives up in Atlanta still. And his father passed away pretty recently and he was taking it tough and we talked about, hey, let's just get away and do something. I couldn't make it to the little funeral they had, and I was like, I want to. Let's take you somewhere. Let's go do a trip, get your mind off all this stuff. His mom's not doing well either right now. So lo and behold, Georgia Tech was having a phenomenal year in baseball for, for college baseball. They were number two in the country. You know, were supposed to go to the College World Series, and it looked like they were. They, they won the regionals and then the super regionals was looking good. So we went ahead and bought tickets to Omaha, the College World Series. We talked about going and like I said, we needed to go somewhere so like, you know, win, lose or draw, we're going to this thing. So if you don't know, Georgia Tech did lose to Oklahoma, who ended up just winning it as I'm recording this. And so Doug and I went and just had a blast either way. And it really was. I'd never been to Omaha. Actually, I've been to Omaha been a long time, never been to the College World Series. And it was a blast. You know, baseball can sometimes be boring. If you're going to like a professional game, there's nothing really on the line, but every game is on the line and you get. Got a pretty massive stadium there. For college. And every single person there has flown in. There's no team from Omaha, but yet everyone has to play in Omaha. So every single person there has flown in from somewhere else and is representing their college or rooting for their college. So it is amazing energy. There's just so much going on. It really, really was a fun experience. So one of the games, we got really, really, really good seats, like front row seats. And there was this VIP experience that was going on kind of below the stadium. You kind of go in right near where, like, the players go in, you know, underneath the tunnel. It's a really cool experience. You're in the tunnel. Pat McAfee went by and slapped me on the back. I mean, you're seeing, you know, celebrities and everyone in this kind of VIP experience. And as you can imagine, the VIP there was, you know, a bar there, and so we had some. Some beers and got some. Some. Some food, and they told us that, hey, once you leave here, you know, you, You. You can come back one time, but that's it. And it's essentially an hour into the game, and then your VIP experience ends, and they're turning that room for the. For the next game, for the next VIP experience. And they said, hey, you're allowed to take two beers. And, you know, the beers are $12 there, and I'm a frugal person. I was like, well, I'm going to maximize the heck out of this. So I'm double fisting my beers, meaning I have two of them, because once again, I'm allowed to take two. Paid for the VIP experience, justifying why I did this. But I had a good buzz going on and had my double fist and beers. And so I'm sitting there and we're front row, so cameras are on us. And a couple different friends had said they saw me on tv, and one was like, yeah, it looks like you're crushing beers. And at the time, I thought it was kind of funny. And then the following week, I go to my C12 group, you know, after I come home, and, you know, nothing, you know, bad happened, fortunately for. For all that. But it was wild how God just sends reminders to us. And so I hadn't really thought about it, had a fun time, you know, pounding some beers. Friends saw me on tv. Someone saw me basically double fisting a beer on TV in the front row there. And guess what the devotion was all about at C12 literally the following week, like, right when I got back, it was about a shining light, and it says, if your life was a sermon. What message are you communicating to the world? And the entire message was about how we, as Christians and as good people, we have a lot of people looking at us. We have a lot of people who are emulating us and looking to see how we lead our lives. And it hit me one, because it just happened, what, four days prior? I was like, man, there's always a light on us. That's why it's called the shining light. There's always a light, even in times we don't really think about it. Even when we're on vacation at a baseball game, when we don't really think. And the first sentence, there is leaders. And I consider myself a leader. Our lives are always on display to a watching world, whether we like it or not. Our speech and our conduct are under constant observation. In Matthew 5, Jesus challenges us to be mindful of this and consider the messages we project through everything we say and do. So you can imagine my feeling when I'm reading this. I was like, wow, here I am surrounded by awesome people talking about how God's doing great work in our lives and that we are always being looked at and looked upon by others and obviously looked down upon sometimes by God, probably shaking his head, saying, why is Joe sitting there double fisting beers on tv? Forget even the TV part. Let's just say it was at a bar or whatever. There's no cameras on me. Or maybe, maybe there was an iPhone. It doesn't really matter. It's still, what image are you projecting? And, you know, I got a salt strong hat on. There's a reason I do this podcast. One, I love sharing this stuff with you two. Kind of keeps me honest. I mean, stuff like this kind of makes me like, oh, man, I got to rethink some of the things that, that I do. And I'm not ashamed of it. I think, I think more than anything, it's. It's a reminder that we're all human. We make mistakes, we do some stuff that, you know, man, I wish I could have maybe done that, that. But end of the day, you got to own it and learn from it, which is what I did. So it's just a good reminder to, like, all right, people are always watching. Even sometimes we don't think it. Even we're on vacation. So I think that's my challenge to myself and to you is what message are we putting out there to the world, Regardless if we're on ESPN or if you're, you know, wherever you are, Even in times when you think no One's looking, there's always someone up there looking. So it's just a good reminder for me to, to make sure I am a shining light and that I don't give anyone a reason to, you know, throw daggers at me or so. Yeah, well, that, you know Simon's guy. Yeah, he's got this on church, but he's sitting there, you know, pounding two beers at a, at a time on, on tv, on baseball games. And I, I personally don't want that for me, I don't want that for my kids or anyone else. And not to say I'm perfect because I am far from it. But still, we always have a choice. We always have a choice how we're going to show up, how we are going to shine or not shine. And in the times that we don't, meaning in the times that we do stumble or do something, I'm not going to say inappropriate or dumb, but just something that maybe we're not completely proud of, that we're able to make a change the next time that we show up and to show up better and stronger and own the mistakes and, and, and be able to talk about it like I'm, like I'm doing now. Like I said, I, I, I kind of just dismissed it. It was, you know, at the time I thought it was even kind of funny right when I get the text from a friend saying, hey, I saw you pounded beers on, on tv. But man, it is wild how God brings it right back up four days later. Had no idea I was going to be sitting in front of that message. And I was able to open up with my C12 brothers and tell them what happened. I was like, yeah, it's kind of a little bit in embarrassing and, but you know what, that's part of a part of life. So just wanted to share it and just a reminder that someone's always watching what we're doing, whether it's one person, whether it's a million people on espn. It could be, you know, a neighbor, it could be a co worker, could be a family member. Someone's always watching. And whether it's your kids or grandkids or, you know, someone that, that you're trying to impress or someone that is an, you know, impressionable because of, of your stature or how you show up in their lives or if it's just God up above watching down on us, someone is always watching. So be the best version of yourself, do the right thing, have the self control and show up the way you want to. I love that sentence. I said and I'll end it with this one. It says, if your life is a sermon, what message are you communicating to the world? And that was the one that I highlighted. If your life is a sermon, what message are you communicating to the world? Boom. So I'll end with that. Love you guys. If you try to go find it on espn, I'm not going to tell you what game it was or what time it was, but I was on there, I think a couple different a couple different times. And I would highly recommend going to cottage World Series if you haven't, especially if you like baseball at all or if your team that you forever makes it. It really is a fantastic time with or without the beer. So I love you guys and I'll talk to you on the next episode. As always, if you have any questions, thoughts, prayer requests, funny stories, hit me up. Joe@saltstrong.com Joe@saltstrong.com Otherwise I will talk to you on the next episode.
- [11:29]
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Find us on the Water if there was a way. He wrote the book on catching big reds and 20 pound slug I wish I knew all the things he knew today for he's the reason why we are this way and he put fish in our souls to stay.