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Join host, Tuck Choate, and executive pastor, Bennett Holloway, as they discuss Temple Church's Sunday sermons in more detail, explore everyday application of biblical truths, and answer listener questions - all to help you strengthen you in your spiritual walk. Expect meaningful conversations that will encourage you in your faith journey.
Tuck Choate 0:08
Welcome temple family and friends, we're so glad to have you joining us for another episode of Temple talk. This podcast aims to engage our faith community through thoughtful biblical discussions centered on God's word. Our goal is to explore Scripture together to discover the wisdom that has for our lives. In this podcast, we'll be diving deep into God's truths and discussing how they impact our daily living. We're eager to unpack the riches of the Bible with you all our extended church family. And now here's the welcome temple family and friends to a special episode of Temple talk. Tonight, we have the privilege of diving into the testimonies of two incredible individuals, Dan and Amy Martin. Welcome, guys. Hey, hello, thank you so much for having us in your home. Welcome.
Aimee Martin 0:51
Yes, welcome.
Tuck Choate 0:53
So we invite the third chair as well, to join us as we explore the your stories and the profound impact of Christ in your lives. So we've had a little bit of a preview, just kind of in our conversations, talking. And we're excited for an episode that that resonates with the ultimate authenticity. That's a big word of personal encounters with Jesus. So I kind of want to let you guys have the floor. But I would love to know, just kind of to start off, you know, obviously, your members at Temple, and I would love to know, kind of how that came about how long you've been here, and some of your stories about about temple.
Dan Martin 1:38
Okay, well, I started coming to Temple Church in about 2005, mid 2005. And was at the Henderson AV site. And, of course, you know, then we were at the Grover C, middle school, then for a while. And then back to the church. And then in the new building. So was there on the first day, we met the new building site in our current site, and and was, well, I am still a member. But when when Amy and I were married, in 2009, was about the same time her father, who is a retired Chaplain from the Navy, he retired also, and took a church and Havelock and Amy and I decided that we would go support him in that ministry. So we transferred our membership to the church and half Hawk Cherry Point Baptist Church. And we're there for about 12 years. Think so? Yeah. And then when her father retired from there, we decided to come back to temple. So that's kind of the short version of, of, you know, when I first started coming to Temple,
Tuck Choate 3:07
yeah. For those of us who have only been here, you know, a few years, it's hard to imagine temple other than what it is right now. So I hadn't even heard about the other buildings.
Dan Martin 3:19
Well, you know, in Amy, Amy's was there a little bit longer than me, she was going there. Probably a year or two longer. Oh, four, I started getting about
Aimee Martin 3:29
2000 for it when I came to temple.
Dan Martin 3:32
And I fully well, I know it was Jesus in my life and the Holy Spirit drawing me because it was just such a great group. I mean, one of the first people I remember meeting, Jaime Wetherington, and I'm sure some people here in this may know him may not. But Wayne Bell, Angela Bell. I mean, those those two were very active in that ministry that was before they were married. Before they were dating, I'm sure that I'm not sure, of course, Wayne and Angela would tell me but that they met there, but I remember, you know, very vividly their involvement and all of that. So, you know, there are some folks from that, obviously, that still come to church, but but it was a big group, you know, and it just really blossomed. And, and it was just really awesome. Just for me, you know, just a really Spirit lead time in my in my walk with Christ.
Tuck Choate 4:26
And you to mention that, that you found each other at Temple. So kind of walk me through that, as far as you know, how did that in the same small group.
Aimee Martin 4:36
So I started coming to Temple about 2004 because I moved from DC because I was a military brat. And so my dad got stationed here at Cherry Point. And so, anyway, so I came to temple for I would say probably about two years where I was really active and helping out with the youth ministry. I would pop in and out with the single's ministry, but I didn't really I'm wasn't as active then. So then I kind of about a year I actually started going and visiting my family and Molson. So I wasn't, I wasn't a temple active for like about a year. Then when I came back, I would say it was about 2007 is when I started getting active in into the single's ministry, and that's when we were at Kingdom way. And so I was in the younger singles group, and then we had kind of like a leadership group. So that's kind of where I met Dan, along with some other people and actually ended up switching to dance. Sunday school class was some other singles, and really just cultivated this great friendship, where we just kind of he and I were probably some of the more active ones. So we we hung out with each other a lot with all the other singles. And yeah, God just knew what he was doing. Because he just created a solid foundation for me and Dan, and then a couple of years into the friendship, we actually had a singles conference at our church where we had singles from North Carolina come in and do that. And Dan was the drummer. And then, you know, we have some other female people who kind of came in, and were singing and for whatever reason life happened, right? So they kind of dropped out. And so they're like, we're desperate. Hey, Amy. I jokingly say that I was the backup to the backup to the backup. And so in that time, I think that's when kind of the Lord kind of knit our hearts together a little bit differently. And so we just kind of talked about it. And then it was kind of like a, I don't know if we should or shouldn't. And then when we did, we just kind of knew that if we dated, we'd probably get married because God just knit our hearts and our friendships so closely together for those years. And so, yeah, it's to everybody else. It was a no brainer, but I was the last one to clue in on that. So dated for about. Gosh, we started dating in June of 2000. Yep. You're better at this than I am. June. Oh, five. That's right. Yeah. And then, June. We got engaged the next the following April. And then we got married October 3 2009. So it was kind of Yeah, I kind of told him I wanted to shorter gauge. But so. Yeah, so yeah, so we kind of he proposed to me in the Jespersen during the cherry blossom festival. So that was kind of special to me, because when I lived in DC, that's where I get a lot of my quiet time. So that was very special to me. So yeah, it was a neat time. Yeah. That's
Tuck Choate 7:54
awesome. Now, besides just being members, y'all are, you know, part of Temple as well. Dan, I know that you're a deacon as well as serving on the staff. Talk to me a little bit about that.
Dan Martin 8:05
Yeah. Yeah. That. Yeah. Wow. God, yourself. You know, because I, you know, I retrospect back to my life, and I think I'm on staff at a church, you know, I'm working at the church, I'm a deacon at the church. It's just amazing what God does in a person's life. You know, we're talking about this single's ministry, and Amy and I meeting, you know, I had come out of a divorce, and it was an it was just a really tough time in my life. And, and when I went, Well, I'd say I, the Holy Spirit got me to the point of just total surrender. It was, it was, you know, as we say, kind of one of those mountaintop experiences in your Christian walk, you know, where you just, you always remember that, like, a spiritual marker. And and, you know, I mean, I got to marry my best friend. I mean, we were great friends for two years. And, and, you know, I know I'm kind of fast forward to, to now. I am on staff at the church. I'm the facilities manager work with Tim lackey. And he's the director of the facilities at the church and, and a deacon and a, I've been a small group leader and working with the production team, you know, started out kind of running cameras and, and the switchboard up in the, the audio video booth upstairs and, and now I've gotten the opportunity to play drums, which is just, you know, just a passion of mine. But it's just great how God kind of opens these doors for us. You know, that sometimes we didn't even know we really wanted to go through them. Because I don't necessarily want to be in front of everybody playing drums. I mean, I like playing drums, I like playing the guitar, you know, as, as I know you do as well. But, you know, God kind of pushes us through things like that. So, so yeah, so So I'm very, very much enjoying it. I love my church family. I'm just really excited where God is, is in our church and how he's kind of moving us forward and growing us in this time.
Tuck Choate 10:34
You mentioned the kind of that mountaintop moment, I want to talk to both of you guys about your testimonies and kind of hear a little bit about that and kind of answer the question. You know, a lot of times there's that mountaintop moment that you mentioned that that changing point in our life, and sometimes it's more gradual that all of a sudden, you just kind of realize you're in a place that that you weren't before, so kind of talk me through each of your stories.
Aimee Martin 11:05
Okay, so um, so I was raised in a Christian home, my dad was a Navy chaplain. And, and my mom, she was a homemaker extraordinaire, we were kind of the house that everybody wanted to come to, and, and so my parents did a great job of showing and cultivating what a relationship with the Lord really was like, what I mean, I remember, just tangible like, little ways of like praying for different things. And she was a point of even where we laid hands on people. And my mom would anoint people with oil. And so like, I just had these practical, tangible ways. And so for me, and I had a great home church, my my church, I mean, I remember, I was torn down the other day, when we were talking about this. Like in third grade, I had Sunday school teachers going over the past over and do an actual Seder meal for us. And so I just was blessed with people who just really were intentional about disciple me. And so I probably will not probably, but I came to sixth up Christ in fifth grade. And so I was kind of the last one of my friends to kind of get saved in Sunday school. And so, but for me, I would say, probably more towards my, like high school years and college years, where really, that personal relationship kind of catapulted, I had some several things that kind of happened. Through those times, I had some friends that got killed in car accidents I had, I went through a spout of where I was had anorexic tendencies where I was not really. And so all through those moments, God just really used Ecclesiastes, to really minister to my heart about the realities of this world, and just how tragic things happen. And just sucky things happen, and just how all of it is not. It just says, it says meaningless if we don't have the hope of Christ. And so through all those things, God has us, especially Ecclesiastes three to help me kind of, because I'm an emotional person, I wear my heart on my sleeve. And so just kind of helped me to cultivate that it's normal to have those feelings and that things will happen. But if you keep the hope of Christ, He will get you through it. And so, so, so just some of the moments that I had is my dad, as I mentioned before, was he was the head Chaplain over DC during 911. And so I lived in DC during that time. And I was in college, and my mom and I shared my car. And so she had just, we had just moved into DC. We had we live in Northern Virginia. And so anyways, she had, she dropped me off at school. And on the way before school, we heard about New York City. And so I went to class, had class, like normal, came out, and it was utter chaos. And so I didn't know what happened. And so I had some classmates that I had befriended, and they took me over to their apartment, but I didn't know where my dad was. It was often that he was in the Pentagon. I knew my mom was driving back home on the bridge. And so, in front of the Pentagon, I went from not knowing where my family was, if I was going to survive, or they survived or what, or even loved ones. And so it just, I just was, I don't know, I was just overcome with grace and just pause and just trying to figure out what what to do. And so that really put me in a moment of moments, months, because after that, we had all these prayer vigils. We had PIP survivors. My best friend's father was the full survivor of his office. So like, all these moments and moments of going through it, my Dad Poor thing, had to go to the loved ones, the ones who didn't make it. My mom has flashbacks of seeing people run from the Pentagon. So all these things, it was just, you know, I was thought to be an orphan. I didn't know. And so, thankfully, my parents were okay, I found out hours later. But that really rocked me. And so I really started thinking, Gosh, I've had this like, blessed life, very easy life is a realm of things. And to be without parents like, so it really shifted me to go, I really need to get my relationship with the Lord, right, I really need to make him my priority. And so through all that, really, kind of put that in there, I really started practicing spiritual disciplines, like meditating and prayer and all that stuff that just really honed in that personal relationship with God. And so I saw the, the practicality and importance of consistency of being in the Word, and being intentional with him. And so that would probably, I would say, I've had several milestones, I would say, for my spiritual life, but that really rocked me, because, yeah, just seeing it and driving by it for months and months. Yeah, that would probably be the big thing for me.
Dan Martin 16:11
Well, when you talk about spiritual kind of markers like that, those mountaintop experiences I, I think of, of, of some more than one like in my life, like when I was raised in a church family, we went to church. I wouldn't say Christianity was huge, but you know, my mother made sure we went to church. He was a Sunday school teacher. And. And I, as I grew up, new church, I knew the Lord. I hadn't accepted him until is interesting. I was about 14 years old. And my dad would only let my oldest sister when she was about four years older than me, she would only use what's put her about 17 would only let her go if I went with her. Right. So she took me with her. And this was a Bible study called the upper room. And I'm gonna date myself here because recently, you know, this, this Jesus movement, that movie we saw with Lonnie frisbee, right? Jesus revolution. That's what, that's what yeah. So so, you know, out in California, well, as that kind of moved east, it really kind of in the early 70s, that kind of was the same kind of time that there was this Bible study we went to, and I mean, it was just spirit led, just really, and it was the first time that I remember really having an encounter with the Holy Spirit. And I was just a little 14 year old kid sitting back in the corner, you know, this is the attic of a of a veterinaries actually office, and we were upstairs in this up, you know, there's probably 20 or so kids out there, and great preaching. And I mean, it was just and I remember sitting there to myself, now I didn't get up, I didn't walk down the aisle or you know, admit, but to myself, I prayed that prayer of salvation. And I didn't know what I was doing or saying, but I knew that something was going on. So from that point forward in my life, the Holy Spirit. You know, we just had this conversation last week in class talking about, you know, once saved, always saved, can you lose your salvation, all this, which, you know, is often a conversation. But for me in my testimony, I could not run away, I could not not have the Holy Spirit, right. I mean, there was plenty of times in my life that I was doing things far from church, far from anything Christ like, but I always came back to that, just that, that, that kind of yearning, I could feel that Holy Spirit pulling them, you know, I'd get into things I should and I could feel that morning, you know, so. So as I progress through life, I always came back to the Lord, I would come to church on a Saturday or, you know, I was kind of always talking about having one foot in the world and one foot in the church, you know, kind of that fence rider kind of situation, but and it was about 2006 I was at work. And this was just for me, just the most powerful moment. And it was after a time that I had rededicated my life. It was probably I don't know three or four, maybe six months later. Um, through a friend had invited me to his church and I went to his church and it was great spirit drew me and I rededicate my life to Christ. But I still was just struggling with, you know, had been through divorce and just all these things and, and I was sitting out in retire for the Wildlife Commission and I used to do a bunch of work on equipment and whatnot, and I'm out in the field working on a piece of equipment. It's like 95 degrees, soaking wet. I mean, I'm grease up to my elbows by myself, been out there all day. And just just, I just felt broken. I mean, I just just missed was missing something, thinking to myself praying to myself, why can't I have you know, you hear people say, Oh, what is what is it about that person? There's something about that person that, you know, that's different, or, you know, that, that I just wish I had that, you know, and I, and I remember praying to myself, I was like, Lord, why can't I? What am I not doing? Right? Why can't I have that? And it wasn't audible, but in my heart in my mind, and my spirit said, you can you know, and oddly enough, it's the Nike slogan, just do it. You know, was it literally something that kept going over and over in my mind, just do it? And from that, and I mean, in that moment, I was, it was like an epiphany. I was like, you know, it seems really simple. Right? It is, it is there for all of us, right for everyone. But for whatever reason, I thought that I just couldn't grasp it. And when that came over me, I mean, I can remember, Oh, my goodness, it was a Wednesday too. And I came to Wednesday night service at Temple and trade chase down, one of my good friends have grabbed me by the arm and told him about this moment that I had that day. I mean, I had chills 100 degrees, 98 degrees outside hot as I was, I had absolute chill come over me, when I felt that, that, that it is for me, I can do that. And, and from them from there forward. You know, certainly not perfect, but have been sold out from Christ. I mean, so. So for me, that is just a huge moment that that, that I thought something that I could not access became accessible to me. Right. So that was probably one of my, one of my most memorable moments in my Christian walk. Because from them forward, I knew that the salvation we talked about this, this saving, right of our lives, of our souls, is for me, it's for all of us. But but it's just you know, and I mean,
Tuck Choate 23:03
it's different when it makes it personal. To me versus for everyone. Yeah,
Dan Martin 23:08
even just verbalizing that right now. It's just, it's very, it's powerful. It's very encouraging me even in this moment, you know, that the struggles we go through today, you know, that he, he is he it is for us.
Tuck Choate 23:22
One of the most powerful things that that sticks with me that I remember is when one of my preachers read, John, but he said, I'm going to change the words a little bit because I want to, I want it to be real. And he says, For God so loved. You mean that he sent God sent His Son, and it was it was hearing that like what you were saying of? Yeah, he did love the world that kind of washes over us. But he loved me so much that He sent His Son for me, like, oh, that hit differently. To hear that. Yeah, it
Dan Martin 23:57
was here. When you hear someone say, when you hear someone say that Christ would die on that cross, just for me, if it was only me if I was the only person here that is that would have been just for me, as well. As for everyone. And that's, that's yeah, that's, that's powerful.
Tuck Choate 24:18
So I want to talk through, you know, you have such powerful stories I want to get get some wisdom while after. So I would love to hear from each of you an idea or something that you would encourage someone with, of you know, the struggles that you've gone through the challenges that you've gone through. What What advice would you give somebody of hey, I've been through this. This is what I came out of it with.
Dan Martin 24:43
Oh, well, okay, sure. Go way down. You don't want to think Oh, of course. I'm a I'm a squirrel brain. Right. My, my small group would tell you that I know. Like the squirrels Yeah, the Pathfinders were like the squirrel brains. cuz I think of several things that would be helpful for someone and and I would say one is coming through divorce going through divorce was very hard for me my and I still call them my boys my two sons were my stepchildren?
Unknown Speaker 26:12
Oh, yeah
Dan Martin 26:30
through it
Tuck Choate 26:33
Yeah, it's wild, it's one of those things, it's so difficult to say you can't say it in the moment for sure of God can use this for good because in the moment, I don't think people are ready to hear that, right? Whatever that struggle is of God's going to be able to use this for good. But when we look back so often that's the case, right is that all of these terrible things that we've gone through? God does use that for good if we let him. And, you know, I've been through that divorce as well and was able to help somebody else through it, but going through it, one of the worst experiences of your life, you know, and it's hard to have that perspective. But yeah, that's awesome to hear, you know, on on the tail side of that, you know, to be able to hear that, yeah,
Dan Martin 27:18
yep.
Aimee Martin 27:19
I think for me, like I was joking with some of our, with some of the people from our small group that we kind of had like a home Bible study that we were doing, we started off with experiencing God and then we went into did something else. And then we ended up doing what was the one the cure the cure, and then we ended up doing was one of my favorite preachers, Louis Giggs, Leo's, don't give the enemy a seat at your table. And it's about Psalm 93. And 23, excuse me. And just about you know, that that famous Psalm, you know, and I kept joking, like, I was going through with our small group that I went through with teenagers, and I went through with another friend, I was like, Okay, Lord, you're really pounding this on me, like, what are you trying to teach me through this? I mean, I know. And I was like, a year, year and a half. And so. And I think the thing for me is that part of the song where it says that he will walk through it. So I have to remind myself because I'm going through a hard time now with my best friend and other things. And so I have to remind myself that it's a daily thing, that I have to remind myself that I have to keep going to the Lord and that he is with me, and he will walk me through it doesn't say run, doesn't say we're gonna sprint through it, it says he's gonna walk, but he will. And I just, I have to be mindful of that. But it's a two way street. Like, if I want God to get me through this, I've got to go to him, I've got to seek him, I've got to put it down, I've got to give it to him. I am guilty of picking it back up and, and taking it but daily, sometimes, all throughout the day, you know, and so I just have to remind myself that it's important to be in the word should be spending time with, with the Lord. I love that we can sit out back here with our life, because sometimes just being alone and that solitude, and just kind of sitting there with him and just feeling his presence is a comfort to me, you know, and then also to, you know, being a part of a church and being being in a small group. You know, I have many Christian friends who aren't going to church right now. And I get it. There's things that are not fun about church, sometimes you get hurt, often church hurt, but it's so important and pivotal to be around fellow believers who can come alongside of you and pray for you. So I definitely would say, you know, get with fellow believers, get people who can support you when you don't feel like you can and remind you how important it is to really seek that time with the Lord so that when things are chaotic around here, that you still feel as peace because that's the thing I think with my walk is that when things have rocked me, like I've been rocked recently with my best friend's diagnosis. And so that piece, you know, and I'm still able to have joy because that comes from the Lord. It doesn't come from the circumstances, it comes from being consistent with that walk in the Lord so that when you are in those hot moments and these valleys, that's what gets you through. You might be crawling, you know, but he'll get you through it. For sure.
Tuck Choate 30:28
Yeah, we've said multiple times on the podcast that if you are if you're in a small group that you're not really connected with, find a new small group. And if you're not in a small group, get in a small group, and it sounds like you guys have experienced that. Yeah. You agree with that?
Dan Martin 30:44
Absolutely. Absolutely. You know, and one thing too, I'm thinking, you know, listening to Amy talk, and I just the song comes to mind, Tony sitting over there. song comes to mind. Oh, I'm trying to thank you even who sings and I want to say it's elevation worship. The Restless love of God. How's that? Go? Cory has very Yeah, no mountain, he won't climb up? No Valley? He won't. Right. Yep. Hey, Tony. And the encouragement that I would say I would, well, another encouragement, I would want to say that anybody that hears this is that, that Christ died for you. That that salvation is available for every one of us. And it doesn't matter what you've done, or where you've been, he is after you, that restless love of God. Right? Because, you know, I'm not I've never had any kind of musical training, or, you know, I wasn't in band in high school, you know, I can't read music. But I love music. And I love to play music, I love to play the guitar. My brother's the musician, was a very well educated trumpet player, and he plays drums now and has his whole life. And I always grew up around music and drums, and just just I love the messages that you hear in the songs that we get to sing on Sunday, about, about things like that, about the restless love of God. And it's just, it blows me away to think of where I've been, and where God has brought me. I mean, I'm getting to play drums with a praise and worship group on stage, you know, at my church, it just, it just absolutely blows me away.
Tuck Choate 32:35
I really think that that music is a language that God uses, really specifically for some people. Like, I didn't know that that was, that was a kind of a key part from my heart. But I am a very logical person. Things don't really get to my emotions very hard, man, I'll hear a song or two or something, it'll just break me down. Like it breaks down all the walls sometimes. Yeah,
Dan Martin 33:01
yeah, absolutely. I was it was interesting this afternoon, or really, when Tony got here that it really hit me about, about why we're, why are we why are we doing this? You know, what, what's the point do a podcast or listening to some guy's name his wife sit here and talk about a bunch of stuff, other than somebody here in it, that that may have done something similar or, you know, be able to relate and then that Holy Spirit comes through that that moment, you know, to them so. So, you know, there's just, you know, I am 62 years old, when I say that, I'm like, what? away? You know, because I think I'm really like 24 In my mind, now, physically, I'm 61 and a half. But, um, you know, and having experienced all those years, and all those times, you know, I think about, about how, how things that I look back on in my life, and I think, Oh, my goodness, I wish that wouldn't have happened. I wish I wouldn't have done this. I wish it wouldn't if I had it to do over or whatnot, you know, however you may put it how intricate, intricately God has kind of woven all that together to lead up to today. Because I don't deserve who where I am, or what I have heard this or this, you know, salvation or this, you know, this, just this joy that that Christ gives us that the Holy Spirit gives us but yeah, to have it. So I just I would just I would encourage anyone out there that is struggling, that doesn't think they're worth it or worthy or whatever they It is I just I just want you to know that you're wrong, that you are worth it. We all are, you know, there is no one, that this salvation we talk about isn't for no one. And that is powerful to me. You know,
Tuck Choate 35:17
you're talking about the tapestry. It's it's funny my wife and I talk about a lot. The the idea of I think that based on you know, our timelines, my wife and I matching up that 1015 years ago, we were in the same town, and obviously didn't know each other at that point we only met about five years ago. But we think through our lives at that point, and we're both we both think, never, absolutely never would have worked out, we needed those other years, the pain that we went through, to become the people that we needed to be for each other, that all the mess that we went through that at the time, just hate it. But we realized that through that God was developing in ourselves, to be able to get us to the point where we could meet. And to get us to here and to temple. And it's like you said this tapestry. That doesn't make sense. When you're in it. My wife will say it's when you're one of the cross stitching or something like that. If you look at the back, it's it's a mess, and you can't see it. And then you flip it over and you're like, Oh, it's beautiful. I had no idea because I was on the wrong side of things. And it feels like that when we're in the middle of it looks like a mess. Can't tell what's going on. That when you're finally able to look back at it. You're like, Oh, I see.
Dan Martin 36:42
I see what God was working. Yeah, absolutely.
Aimee Martin 36:45
For sure. You know, I was just thinking back to the question you asked earlier, you know about people who are struggling, just a practical thing, and it's not for everybody, but it might help somebody. But for me, like, my parents cultivated this, like, be thankful be be your blessings. And so, you know, if you do that, let's say you're having, you're not even having like a ballet or a peak, you're just kind of, you know, there's one of my favorite podcasts, all the glorious and the mundane. And, and I love that because it cultivates this attitude in the spirit of like, let me find God and the simple, mundane things. And so, my parents did a great job of doing that. But even in hardships, like I remember being on the side of the road, about a car and we just praying, laying hands on the car. And, and but also they said, Okay, what can we be thankful for? We don't have. And so I think if you can find that, and you can see where you can find God in no small, mundane. You know, I don't have any children. But I'm sure there's parents out there that just run ragged because you know, there are a lot of energy. And so, you know, just in those mundane things, finding God in that moment, it'll help you when you cultivate that, that spirit of that, that when you're struggling with things, God will still give you those glimpse of hope. And they'll still give you those people that you can kind of say, Oh, let me pray for them. And if you take that focus off that struggle, sometimes it helps carry, lighten that load a little bit. And I know that sounds kind of cliche, but it's so true. And it's so rich in that when you can find God in those moments. It really helps to kind of see the light and the hope that okay, he is going to walk me through this, he is going to get me through this. I just have to be patient. And patience is not my strong suit. But the Lord definitely tries to teach me that more and more sometimes I'm like, Lord, don't love me so much that you're trying to teach me that much. But But yeah, just definitely find him in those small moments. Because he's there, you just got to, you got to sit still enough, which is also not one of my strong suits. But to do that, and he'll show up, he will.
Tuck Choate 38:55
So Chelsea sent me something on Instagram a little while ago that's been stuck in my brain that says to you, it's, it's just a regular day, but to your children, it's their whole childhood. And it's a lot like what you were saying like to be able to find in those days. You know, it doesn't seem like it at the time, we are running ragged. But what we're building in them is hopefully a consistent message of Hey, God is here. This is how we do life. And it's, you know, I look back at my childhood, and I don't remember everything, but I remember the feeling. And I remember, you know, going to church, and I remember different pieces and aspects of it that you know, hopefully we're building in, you know, like you're saying like an everyday consistent kind of a thing.
Dan Martin 39:46
There was a story, and I want you to tell this, I'm not going to tell it. But she we were kind of going over this yesterday, and there was a story that she told me that I thought was really powerful about how you don't you don't know necessarily how your walk affects others. Right? So there was this time you want to tell her you want me to tell it? Okay.
Aimee Martin 40:16
So as I mentioned before, my dad was a Navy chaplain. And with that, for those who are not military savvy or whatnot, but because he was a Navy chaplain, he could work with several branches of the military, not just the Navy. And so because of that, I really didn't move that much. From first to 10th grade. I moved a lot before first grade. I moved a little bit after 10th grade, but anyways, so I grew up in Northern Virginia, and, and so my dad got orders to Parris Island, South Carolina. We were entrusted me before my ninth grade year, however, Rozell will get a brat, and I didn't want to move. And because this is my wife, this is where I grew up. How dare you remove me from my, my social life. And so anyways, so he actually went down a year before and my mom and I stayed. And so I just think that I wouldn't normally do, because I wanted to spend time with those friends that I unnecessarily wouldn't had to if I did my usual things. And so I joined marching band. I was in the color guard, I would have never thought to do that. I did track which is really Davenport knows I am not a runner. So that was not choke. So anyways, short girl tried hurdles, this girl cannot jump. And so I just ended up being on the sidelines. And I would just hang out and be social butterfly that I am. And anyways, I I guess I would talk to people as the bleachers and I'm saying full Sass forward, right. So I moved south carolina, moved back from South Carolina, up to Northern Virginia, in the DC area, and I was a live in nanny for one of our pastors at our church while I was going to college. And I got mono. And it was a blizzard. Right. And so I'm getting all these crazy calls from all these random numbers of like high school friends of mine, that are saying, hey, so and so is really trying to get a hold of you. There's a hospital, they really want you and um, and it's one of those things like you grow up in this town and you know, people but it wasn't like someone I would say like we were great friends with or, but yeah, definitely knew the name. And so I was like, What in the world. And so finally I got a call from one legged friends. And she was like in tears. And she's like, Amy, you really need to go. And so she was about 45 minutes in Madras in a snowstorm. And my dad's like, probably like, but anyway, so I went down there, and I can't you not, I don't really remember talking to this person during that time as a truck, you know, cuz it was just so many years ago. And so anyways, the moms coming to get me and he's in tears. And I'm like, Oh my gosh, like, Lord, help me, like, Give me wisdom, discernment, something I don't know, I don't know what's going on here. And so I go into the room, and the girls dying. And she says, I'm so glad you made it. And, and I'm there, Dan will tell you I'm terrible with Emory. Especially medical stuff. Because, yeah, I'm a wimp. And so I just kind of blocked that out. But I forgot what what was going on with her. But she said, Amy, I just want to thank you. Because of all those talks that we had on the track field. When you moved, I kept asking people, I'm like, why is with her? What was that girl? What's different about her? And so some of my friends were like, well, you know, like, probably listen all the quirks and they're like, well, she's a Christian, you know, and, and so it just kind of spurred on this, like curiosity. And so she ended up going to church, and then her whole family was saved. And so through that, by her coming into the Lord, she ended up witnessing, and then she helped that was dBs, and then got, you know, siblings involved. And so she wanted to thank me because she knew that she was going to have the hope of living Savior, and that she would see them. And so it just was one of those like, moments where I'm like, Lord, like, What in the world like, and so he showed me like, again, back to that consistency of when you're in that walk with the Lord, you know, and people see you, whether it's in the peaks, the mundane days or whatever, that consistency with the Lord is the overflow of what you're doing. And so he used me when I didn't even I mean, I was just being Chatty Cathy, you know, and so, so yeah, Dan, you know, reminds me that sometimes I get kind of discouraged sometimes when things are happening, but when you're when you're faithful to the Lord, you know, he'll use you and sometimes you don't need to be the Hey, knocking on the door. Do you know you have a personal relationship with the Lord you know, and sometimes it'll just happen, you know, and so, yeah, it's just very humbling to know that, that God would use me in a way like that, you know, so
Dan Martin 45:10
it's just a really powerful story to me to hear him tell that because that young lady passed away. And that mother thing was thanking Amy, you know, because through through just just her knowing that Amy was a Christian, and then you know, the Lord, you know, work through her whole family. Yeah. And it's just powerful to me to see, to see God at work. And, and even when we don't know it, yeah.
Tuck Choate 45:37
Yeah, we were talking about before, one of my favorite illustrations is, we're kind of called to be mirrors. And the the point of a mirror is not to be seen, but to reflect. And if you can reflect the glory of God, and let me kind of get out of the way, as long as I am, you know, polished and shiny, and there's, there's nothing on it, that kind of Mars, that reflection, like, that's my whole job is just to hopefully, just show people Christ instead of myself. And it sounds like that's, they saw, they saw Christ through you. That's awesome.
Dan Martin 46:11
You know, God is God is good. I just, I just love the fact that here I am, you know, and I say that. And here we are in our living room, doing a podcast, you know, and it's just, I just, I love the Lord, you know, even like today, here you go, here's today, today was not a great day for Dan, I'm sorry. I just just, I don't know, I was getting the Scrooge, you know, the Christmas, you know, because I was out trying to do stuff. And everything I tried to do just was a brick wall. You know, I wanted to get this one item, and they were out and I wanted to get this other thing and couldn't do it and just really got grumpy, and it really hit me on the way back home, that is the enemy trying to get in this moment, right here. Because because of the possibility that someone may hear something in what I hope what I've said, or what Amy said, or you talk, you know, just that that the Holy Spirit, you know, reaches someone or many someone's and it just, it's, it was just a just a testament to me just in this day, that you know, as long as we acknowledge him and and seek the Lord and put him up first and, and let all this other day to day stuff kind of fluff off to the side. Powerful things can happen.
Tuck Choate 47:38
And then, well. Before we wrap up tonight's special episode, I just want to thank you guys, Dan, and Amy, for sharing your journeys, talking through this for opening your home. I think your stories are powerful reminder of how God works, even when we're not conscious of it. So, to all of our temple, family and friends listening, we wish you a Merry Christmas, and all of the joy that comes from from Christ in this time. If you'd like to connect with our church, learn more about what we do. You can visit us at Temple dot church, you can call the office, you can email at Temple talk at Temple dot church. And I think as tonight has has said, your stories matter. You are worthy, and we look forward to hearing from you. And until next time, May the grace and peace of Christ be with you all. Thank you for joining us for another episode of Temple talk. We hope that Digging into God's Word together has enriched your perspective and broad encouragement. If you have any questions or topics you'd like to hear discussed on the podcast, feel free to email them at Temple talk at Temple dot church. You can also visit our website at Temple dot church for more resources. We pray God will continue to bless you and your loved ones as you seek Him in Scripture. We'll see you next time on Temple Talk.