0:00:00 - (Colin Johnson): It is a frigid winter day here in Johnson City is January, and I feel like we are actually in North Dakota. It's like a high, I think is 20 degrees today. It's actually. My watch says 22, but with the wind chill, it feels like 15. But there was a guy who said, I want to get out in the cold, and I want to do a podcast, and I want to come see you. And his name is Josh Cook. So welcome to the podcast, Josh. How are you?
0:00:29 - (Josh Cook): Thanks, Colin. I'm happy to be here.
0:00:31 - (Colin Johnson): I am glad you're here. I'm glad it's warm in here. I'm glad you made it. It was a little snowy yesterday, but it looks good today. So tell me. It's John City Living podcast. So what do you love most about Johnson City?
0:00:45 - (Josh Cook): The people.
0:00:46 - (Colin Johnson): We.
0:00:47 - (Josh Cook): We moved from. From Maryland. From the East Coast?
0:00:50 - (Colin Johnson): No.
0:00:50 - (Josh Cook): About three and a half years ago.
0:00:51 - (Colin Johnson): Okay.
0:00:52 - (Josh Cook): So I was actually listening to this podcast about four years ago as we're prepping to do our move.
0:00:56 - (Colin Johnson): Nice.
0:00:57 - (Josh Cook): Which was great as we were gathering information. But as we started to do our visits down here and we started to meet people, everybody was nicer. And at first, my wife and I were like, is this, like, a ruse or is this. Is this for real? Like, are people really this nice or.
0:01:11 - (Colin Johnson): They can't all be faking.
0:01:12 - (Josh Cook): Is it just a culture thing? You know? And once we actually moved down here, we realized, like, wow, the people actually genuinely care about one another. Community is strong out here. And so that's an easy answer for me as we've just fallen in love with the. The community and the people here.
0:01:26 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah. So I think you guys have been good additions. I've enjoyed having you in our area. And every time I talk to anybody who's in, you know, been involved with you in any shape or form, they've said great things. So I think you're. You fit right in.
0:01:41 - (Josh Cook): So thank you.
0:01:42 - (Colin Johnson): We have a jerk clause. If you're a jerk, you get to keep moving. Like, don't stop here. Just keep going somewhere else. There you go. Yeah. Well, so there's like, 50 states. There's probably, what, a thousand different cities you could have picked. How did you choose Johnson City from Maryland?
0:01:59 - (Josh Cook): That's a great question. And it's a. A long story, but to summarize it, my wife and I, when we were living in Annapolis area in Maryland, I mean, we. We woke up one day just feeling like we weren't home anymore, which was strange because we were both very secure in our careers, loved what we were doing had no aspirations to really leave or to move. But we both woke up and we're just like. I feel like the Lord is stirring something, that we're not home. And it was just weird to even begin to think that.
0:02:27 - (Josh Cook): And so we began to give it to the Lord. And it took almost exactly a year from that morning we woke up to when we were walking in our new home in Jonesboro. But it was just this process of the Lord would ask us to be obedient and just submit to him, and then he would reveal kind of the next piece. So I would say after about six months of praying, you know, we were like. We felt like it was Tennessee.
0:02:49 - (Josh Cook): We had no idea why he was the Tennessee. And then we discovered Johnson City. And because we were like, Tennessee is such a long state. I don't think either of us had been there, which I know sounds crazy, but we heard about a church in Johnson City, and we came and visited and felt like that was where the Lord was calling us. And so he said, all right, we'll come down here. And the Lord has blessed us more than we could have imagined with. With people, with community, with just all sorts of things. We've really just have loved being here. Our kids have loved growing up here in the past three and a half years, and it's been a wonderful move.
0:03:28 - (Colin Johnson): Good, good, good, good. Talk to us a little bit. Talk to our listeners about hearing the Lord. And like, for you, what that process kind of materially look like a little bit, like, what are the daily. Cause you were saying, he's telling me to be patient. He's given you some, you know, but you woke up one, and you're just incon. Non content anymore. You're like, I just don't like her. You know, I just don't feel a peace in my spirit. Right. And.
0:03:52 - (Colin Johnson): And then you're walking through that with Emily and how did that practically look like day on the daily.
0:03:58 - (Josh Cook): Yeah. So, you know, I. I think for us, we wanted to be very careful the whole time that we weren't hearing our emotions rather than the Holy Spirit. And I think there's times where God speaks and it's so abundantly clear that there's no denying. And I know we're going to talk about into the line shortly, but we'll have people come out to our retreats, people who aren't believers, aren't men of faith, and they'll go out and they'll come back. They said, like, God spoke to me. And they're like, they're just blown away.
0:04:26 - (Josh Cook): So I think there are those times where it's like, this is undeniable. I think there's other times where you start to feel like the Holy Spirit is stirring, and you're like, okay, well, is that you, or am I just excited about something? Am I in. Am I ill, content about something? And so for us, as we began to pray about it, there was a couple of things that we were counsel as one is that anything that the Holy Spirit is going to speak to you is going to be in alignment with His Word.
0:04:49 - (Josh Cook): And so we have the Scripture, we have the Bible, and if you think you hear something and it's not in alignment with Scripture, well, then we can recognize that that wasn't the Holy Spirit, right? There are other times where you feel like the Holy Spirit speaking to you, and there's not a chapter and verse to necessarily back it up. And that's where it can become kind of like, okay, Lord, at you. I think in those times, it's, you know, it's. It's patience. It's submitting it to him and saying, lord, you made me. You know how to communicate with me. And so I'm going to trust you. It's not a mystery. It's not a puzzle piece.
0:05:17 - (Josh Cook): And so for us, it looked like a couple of different things. It looked like there were some pretty wild prophetic words that were given to us. And I know that may sound crazy for. For some of the audience, but we didn't tell anybody for quite some time that we were praying about this. And we had three separate people from across the country call us without being spoken to or given any notice, and just say, hey, the Lord is calling you into something, and you need to be bold and to go.
0:05:46 - (Josh Cook): And we just kept getting this, and we were just like, oh, my gosh. Like, this wasn't a normal occurrence. Like, those phone calls didn't happen right. Ever. And so we were like, wow. And then the Lord would just open doors, and then there was just weird things that would happen. Like, we just kept seeing Tennessee, Tennessee, Tennessee, Tennessee. And there's times where it's like, is this confirmation bias? Am I just looking for it?
0:06:09 - (Josh Cook): But I remember one time my wife and I were praying together, and a car backed into our driveway in Maryland with a Tennessee license plate and then just left. And we were just like, is it a coincidence? You know, But I've heard someone say, you know, you know, sometimes, you know, when I pray, coincidences happen. And when coincidences just keep happening, I'm okay.
0:06:27 - (Colin Johnson): Maybe they're not coincidence.
0:06:28 - (Josh Cook): So, yeah. So I would say for us, it was, you know, first and foremost, isn't in alignment with his word. And then after that, we had, you know, confirmation just from others who had been not even praying about it, but coming and speaking into our lives. And then, you know, somebody said to me recently, you know, when it's the Lord, he opens the doors. He goes before us and behind us. And we just felt that the whole way every prayer was. Was answered with just home and job and all these things that we couldn't figure out that we submitted into his hands.
0:06:57 - (Josh Cook): He opened the door for us. So that was kind of how we went about that journey. And it took a process. Like I said, it took about a year. But after going through that process, we could look back and say it wasn't our emotions. It wasn't just that we were tired of Maryland or that we wanted to change. But no, God called us here, and we put that to the test, and he answered that. And so we stand confidently on that.
0:07:17 - (Colin Johnson): Was it hard leaving your family behind? Like, they're like, really?
0:07:21 - (Josh Cook): Yeah, that was the hardest thing for sure. And that still is the hardest thing.
0:07:26 - (Colin Johnson): But I know a dad can sell my house here. Just move them all down.
0:07:30 - (Josh Cook): I'll send them your email.
0:07:31 - (Colin Johnson): I love. Let's go. That'd be great. That'd be great. We'd love to have them. Okay, so you moved down, and what have you been doing? Like, I mean, because you said you didn't feel content in your jobs. Jobs, both of y'all. So the Lord provide jobs for you when you got here, too?
0:07:48 - (Josh Cook): Yeah.
0:07:48 - (Colin Johnson): So we.
0:07:49 - (Josh Cook): We were actually very content in our careers. My. I may have misspoken. My wife was a nurse at the University of Maryland Trauma Center.
0:07:56 - (Colin Johnson): Oh, cool.
0:07:56 - (Josh Cook): And she was rising the ranks up in the trauma center there. And I was a police officer and was loving where I was assigned. And so when we moved here, I initially got hired by Johnson City P.D.
0:08:10 - (Colin Johnson): Okay.
0:08:11 - (Josh Cook): And they're a wonderful organization. Great police department. Um, but as we began praying about it, throughout the whole process, I was kind of wrestling with, like, lord, do you want me to go back into law enforcement? I'd done seven years to that point and was, you know, kind of just thinking, well, I guess I'll just continue being a police officer, because that's really all I know how to do. And.
0:08:31 - (Josh Cook): And I loved it. But at the year prior, a couple years prior, 2019, we started a ministry in a nonprofit for first responders, and I had been running that Ministry, along with some other fantastic men. And, you know, I had about five to six hours a week with my police schedule. So when we moved down here, I felt like the Lord had made it clear that that first year we were here was to. To decline the position with JCPD and to focus on the nonprofit for that first year and to really kind of build out what the Lord was doing. So we got here, My wife continued the nursing career, and I transitioned into just starting to. To build the ministry that the Lord had laid before us.
0:09:13 - (Colin Johnson): That's super cool. All right, so let's talk about Enter the Lion. Where'd this idea come from?
0:09:18 - (Josh Cook): Well, if we were to go back, I think the idea for the ministry came from my own struggles as a police officer. We officially launched the ministry in 2019, but it goes back further than that. I think, you know, when I first graduated the police academy, you then go into a process called field training, which is kind of like an apprenticeship. And then after you finish your field training, you're on your own. And so I was working in Baltimore City.
0:09:45 - (Josh Cook): I was on foot patrol, and I had an incident that just shook me to my core. And as the incident, kind of as we moved on from it, I continued to struggle. Anxiety, depression, night terrors, and. And I began to wrestle with just how. How do I apply my faith to the things that I'm feeling and the things that I'm experiencing? And so I struggled for. For quite a while. And for a while, I tried to kind of push past it with my own strength. Just like, okay, you know, like, be strong.
0:10:21 - (Josh Cook): Just be strong and courageous. Be strong and courageous. Just push forward.
0:10:24 - (Colin Johnson): Push it down. It'll be fine.
0:10:26 - (Josh Cook): And it got to a point where I just. I couldn't. And so I remember there were. We were visiting a church because we hadn't, you know, committed or weren't members at a church at a time. And so it did one of those, if anyone needs prayer, come down. And. And I just, like, word vomited over the past. And I was like, this is everything I'm going through. And it wasn't fair to him. He wasn't prepared for it. And he was just like, I'll be praying for you.
0:10:49 - (Josh Cook): And. And I was like, okay, you know, thank you. But I feel like I need more than prayer, and I know that God can heal with. With a prayer, and there's power in prayer, but there's times where, you know, there's action that comes alongside prayer. And I needed some help at that time. And so I. I began to look for, like, community that could help me walk through this, that maybe would be understanding for things that I was going through.
0:11:16 - (Josh Cook): And the Lord took me through a long process because I didn't find, you know, the answer at the time of just an organization or program that I could go through. And at that time, I think that was like 2014, where we are right now as a nation when it comes to law enforcement, mental health, first responders. A lot of the big cities and a lot of the big police departments are very big on mental health. And we're understanding the effects that the stress and the trauma that officers and firefighters and DMT see every day. We're understanding the effect that that has on them.
0:11:49 - (Josh Cook): And so now we're coming up with solutions to that. But back then there wasn't as much, at least where I was.
0:11:55 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah, this is a little over 10 years ago.
0:11:56 - (Josh Cook): Right. And so what had wasn't quite as popular as it is now. And so the Lord began to heal me in his own way. And so we got plugged into a church and I got surrounded by a group of strong men who began to hold me accountable, who began to love me, who began to lead me into the Word, who began to pray for me daily. And, you know, these are guys that I would call at like 11:00 at night, be like, hey man, I'm struggling right now, can you pray for me?
0:12:22 - (Josh Cook): And they would. And so over this time, the Lord healed me of my anxiety and began to set me free from these things that I was in bondage to. But as we moved on and I was, you know, continued in my career as a police officer, I was still looking for some sort of mentorship from another law enforcement officer to help me kind of process some of the things that I was going through. And so I think it was early 2019 when I felt like the Lord said, look, I'm calling you to do it.
0:12:49 - (Josh Cook): And it was like this moment where I was like, it could not be me. I. I am not qualified. I don't have enough time on as a police officer. You know, I could give you a hundred reasons as to why I was the wrong guy to do that, but I think that's consistent with our God, is that he likes to choose the weak and the helpless and those who are unqualified so that his glory can be seen through those. And so that's how it started. It started with just the needs and the struggles that I experienced on the job recognize that those needs weren't just.
0:13:25 - (Josh Cook): I wasn't the only one Experiencing those. And as we began to kind of step out and start the ministry, and I began to kind of talk about what we were doing, people would just start to kind of come out of the wood. We're like, hey, I'm. I'm struggling in this too, or hey. And so it was just kind of like this snowball effect of the. The Lord used my weakness. He used my brokenness, but he redeemed it, and now he's using it to.
0:13:48 - (Josh Cook): To help others in their healing journey as well.
0:13:50 - (Colin Johnson): What percentage of first responders or military do you feel like have some sort of trauma that they're dealing with? You know, like, if they've seen or had occurred to them on the job or, you know, I mean, it's gotta be a high number. Yeah.
0:14:07 - (Josh Cook): There's different studies that have different numbers and, and I don't know what the exact consensus would be, but I know, just personally speaking from doing this for five years and, and speaking with first responders from across the country, I don't know. I don't know if I know a single police officer or EMT who, Who, you know, if they've been on the job for more than six months to a year, who. Who hasn't gone through something that's extremely traumatic or who hasn't had a call that's really kind of shaken them. So, you know, the official statistic, I don't know, but it's something that. That will happen, you know, if it hasn't happened, if you're working in that field. So, I mean, it's kind of a huge statistic, but I would say 100% you're going to encounter those types of.
0:14:49 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah.
0:14:50 - (Josh Cook): Those types of situations.
0:14:51 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah. And I, you know, I think, I think it's dear that we are starting to recognize that more as a, you know, a country and providing resources. But I'm with you. I think the Lord has to come in and really do some work in your heart to let go of that stuff. Yeah. And so you're. You're pursuing a counseling degree as well, right?
0:15:11 - (Josh Cook): Correct.
0:15:12 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah. So that's exciting.
0:15:13 - (Josh Cook): Yeah.
0:15:15 - (Colin Johnson): Are you learning lots of tangible ways to help through that?
0:15:19 - (Josh Cook): Yeah. And that's the hope to be able to continue to serve in that capacity. You know, as we've continued in the ministry, God has continued to bring us men who've gone through deeper and deeper levels of trauma. And, you know, I think like you said, it's Christ who sets us free. Psalm 23 says that he restores our soul. I absolutely believe that he can Renew our mind, as it says in Romans. And we've seen that time and time again.
0:15:47 - (Josh Cook): But I also believe that he gives us tools to kind of practically equip ourselves as leaders or as clinicians, to be able to help individuals who've been through some very serious things. And so, as we've grown, we have sought to kind of expand our offerings by bringing in mental health clinicians to be able to do warm handoffs as people leave our retreat, to be able to continue their care with clinicians.
0:16:13 - (Josh Cook): And so that was kind of the heart behind me. Wanting to go back to school is okay, Lord, this is what I'm passionate about. And I want to be a better steward of those that you're bringing to us. And so if this would help me learn, then I'm all for it. So.
0:16:26 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah. Where did the name End of the line come from?
0:16:29 - (Josh Cook): That's a good question. So, you know, I don't remember how it just came. And I'll say, I think it must have been the Lord for sure. And a lot of people were like, well, you shouldn't really name your organization that because nobody knows what it is. You know, if you just read that and. And they're right, but causes people to ask a question. And so what it means is that our mission is to equip and embolden those who've been called into a life of service to enter their calling with the courage and boldness of a lion.
0:16:58 - (Josh Cook): So the way we. We look at it is, you know, because Christ died on the cross and was resurrected, he defeated our greatest enemy, which is death. And so if death has been defeated, then what do I need to fear, right? And so as a police officer, I can run to a hot call for service. I can run to shots fired or a hostage situation, and I can be bold and courageous because of what Jesus has done for me.
0:17:18 - (Josh Cook): Or I could, you know, go into an interview room where I know that I'm about to hear, you know, a disgusting testimony or something that I just. I don't even want to begin to allow my mind to go into. But I can do this with fullest encourage because of what Jesus has called me to do. And so that's kind of the mantra of ETL is we want to equip you to enter. You're calling with the boldness and courage of a lion.
0:17:41 - (Colin Johnson): I love it. Yeah. I don't think Jesus, he. He was meek and sometimes, but I think he was always calling his disciples to be bold and get out there. And there are a lot of Times where just. I could see him just shaking his head like, come on, guys, you know, you can do this. And. And we, we as men, man, continue to just doubt ourselves here.
0:18:04 - (Josh Cook): Madeline. Yeah, he was, he was. He was perfectly humble and he was perfectly bold. And there's a verse, I think it's Luke 8, and you can double check me on it, but it's a short verse that says, and he set his face towards Jerusalem. And this was like three months prior to the cross. But you have this picture of a man who set his face to walk towards death. Yeah, he knew what he was doing. And, you know, I know a lot of first responders and those who've been in the military.
0:18:28 - (Colin Johnson): You.
0:18:28 - (Josh Cook): You get a call where you think you may be going toward death, and it's scary. It's really scary. And so to think about what. Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what he was going to endure.
0:18:39 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah.
0:18:40 - (Josh Cook): But yet he still walked towards that. That's. That's incredible boldness.
0:18:43 - (Colin Johnson): Ham Fuller, man. I mean, there, you know, there was a point where it was like, father, if any other way, take this cut from me, you know, and. And he said, nope, I'm gonna do it. You know, and then he just, he resolved himself to just move forward. And I think that's what you guys do a lot. And I just am blown away by, you know, story after story of how, you know, first responders, our military just.
0:19:04 - (Colin Johnson): They put their lives second for. For the good of our city or our state or our country. And it's just. It's really beautiful. So thank you for dad for doing all that you do. Thank you for supporting the men and women that just take care of us and make Comerica great. A place where we can love Jesus and celebrate him and worship him and. And I think that's what is really driving our area too. I think we have a strong group of Christians here, you know, who just love people the way Jesus did and.
0:19:40 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah, and I think that's why the Lord is calling people here so they can feel that like you, you know, and. And be a part of it and then start awesome ministries like this. This is cool. So tell me about Enter the Line. What's the ministry look like on the day to day? How do you guys operate? And then what are some of the retreats slash, you know, sessions you all offer?
0:20:02 - (Josh Cook): Yeah, so the, the main thing that we offer are weekend retreats. Everything that we do is completely 100% free. We never want cost to be an inhibitor to somebody meeting Jesus or to start their Healing Journey. Uh, and so last year we ran six retreats. We split it up between Jonesboro and Texas and then we did five here. And we partner with an incredible organization called Back to Basics who's in Jonesboro.
0:20:28 - (Josh Cook): They're an amazing organization. Michael and Pamela Battenberg head it and the most incredible hosts and take such good care of us. This year we're going to do Lord Rolling another six. We'll have New Mexico, Texas, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. That's cool. So we're kind of trying to expand that reach to be able to meet officers in different locations. But our retreats have different styles and flavors. So our retreat down in Texas, it's kind of for the go getters who want to build community and just work out.
0:21:01 - (Josh Cook): Hog hunts, Texas barbecue, all that kind of stuff. It's high speed, it's a lot of fun. The one that we do in Tennessee is more focused on rest. And so kind of modeling Jesus. As you know, he was in his ministry. He would take times to specifically withdraw and abide with his father. He would go up into the mountains or to the wilderness to pray and then he would come back and continue his ministry.
0:21:24 - (Josh Cook): And so we'll invite officers out. And last year we had officers from Alaska to New Jersey come out and join us, you know, all over the place coming into the Tri Cities to, to get away and to abide. And so we teach them to, to be still, to be silent, to. To allow the Holy Spirit to pursue them. And so it's, it's really a time where we, we learn about what does it mean to find rest in Christ, which is a difficult conversation when you work in a field that's very go, go, go. I mean, real estate and businesses like that, law enforcement is like that where rest is not really something that you do before you retire.
0:22:05 - (Josh Cook): And so we invite them into that. And so we run the retreats. We've seen God do some incredible things at these retreats where we love, we serve these men. We get to do a lot of fun activities like e biking and archery and things like that. And then after the retreats, we seek to continue to care for them. So we'll do online Bible studies so they can continue to engage with those who they went to the retreat yet with. If they want to continue to kind of push into the material, we'll work on kind of the aftercare, getting them plugged into local churches, getting them plugged into mental health clinicians if they need that, things like that.
0:22:45 - (Josh Cook): And then we also have a leadership development program where we are seeking to build leaders to not really expand the ministry necessarily, but expand God's kingdom. So whether they want to start their own law enforcement ministry or military ministry or whether they want to do a retreat through etl, they can come through kind of us, work with us for about six months. And so that's how we are doing one in New Mexico and Pennsylvania is by men feeling like, you know what? I feel like God's calling me to do this and us saying, okay, let's equip you to now do this.
0:23:15 - (Josh Cook): So some of those, they're just doing closed retreats specifically for their own police department. Some of them, they're opening up regionally. But that's really kind of what we offer is we offer our retreats and then online community to help kind of be a stepping stone between, you know, officers when they leave or soldiers when they leave till they can get plugged into a foundational community like a local church.
0:23:38 - (Colin Johnson): How do people find out about it?
0:23:40 - (Josh Cook): You know, it's a great question. A lot of it is word of mouth, and a lot of times, I don't know. And we got a call after there's a show up.
0:23:49 - (Colin Johnson): The Lord's bringing.
0:23:49 - (Josh Cook): Yeah. I mean, after the. The horrible incident in New Orleans on New Year's Day, and we are getting phone calls from officers down there like, hey, we were told to reach out to you. Like, I don't know how you heard about us.
0:24:00 - (Colin Johnson): That's.
0:24:00 - (Josh Cook): But it seems like the Lord will. He has a way of spreading the word. And so we don't advertise. I mean, we do have social media, but we don't do anything to really kind of push it. But it just continues to grow. I think that's, you know, when you love people well and you care for them, then they'll. They'll share it.
0:24:17 - (Colin Johnson): So that's cool. Well, I hope it continues to grow and flourish. Yeah. Five years out. What do you. What do you think? Where do you see it. Do you see it going? I mean, you said maybe they just start their own, but I'm. I'm of the multiplier kind of thought, you know, where you already have the processes and systems put together. It's like a franchise. Right. And you just, hey, we've already done the hard lifting for you.
0:24:40 - (Colin Johnson): Let's just replicate all over the country and. And then if you can tie into the local law enforcement offices and military bases and that kind of thing, then maybe, who knows, it could. It could explode. It would be really cool to see the Lord work through that. Yeah. What percentage of people coming are believers, do you think? Do you get a lot of non believers or are they all.
0:25:02 - (Josh Cook): I would say about 80% are believers. I would say within that number, you know, there's maybe 10% who are just very open. Like, I'm not a believer, but I'm still going to come. And that's wonderful, you know, and we've had non believers come and they say, like, you know, I still don't believe this, but I had a wonderful time. I felt loved and I'm glad I came. Right. And that's wonderful. And then we'll have a lot of people come who.
0:25:25 - (Josh Cook): I think we have a lot of people come who might identify as a Christian or would say maybe they grew up Christian so they would be okay using that title. But once they get there, they realize that they've never actually met Jesus and so they, they begin to meet him for the first time at a weekend. And so it's pretty incredible to see the transformation that can occur. But a lot of people that come are really, they feel like they're kind of on their, their last ditch effort, like they've hit rock bottom because of something they experienced or something that has transpired because of experience.
0:26:00 - (Josh Cook): And so, you know, they're just kind of like, if you're willing to have me and you're willing to try, like, let's just. I'm, I'm here to give it a shot, you know. And so it's amazing to see what, what God does with that.
0:26:10 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah. When people are open and just at the end of the rope, he's, you know.
0:26:15 - (Josh Cook): Yeah.
0:26:15 - (Colin Johnson): He's there to take care of you. Yeah. It's got to be heavy for you too, you know, like to deal with that on the regular. So you almost look at. Okay. I think the counseling is a good plan for you, I think. And again, I'll just be. Yeah, I think, praying that the Lord will continue to relieve you of a lot of that trauma that you can hear. I mean, you're not picking up. People aren't coming because of the good stories.
0:26:41 - (Josh Cook): Right.
0:26:42 - (Colin Johnson): They're coming because they're struggling with stuff. And that's a heavy weight.
0:26:46 - (Josh Cook): Yeah. And it can be. And you know, secondhand traumas is a real thing that people can, can experience. You know, as you're listening to those things, I think that's why there is a blessing to. You know, I remember like the first time that I experienced or had to respond to a fatal accident. I remember we had a Bible study that night and I Just felt, I felt numb. And I, I wanted to talk about it because I wanted to get it off my chest. But at the same time, I didn't want to, to burden anybody else with that story. And I didn't want anybody else to carry the heaviness of what I was feeling.
0:27:17 - (Josh Cook): But there's a difference, you know, at these retreats, it's all first responder or military led.
0:27:23 - (Colin Johnson): Right?
0:27:23 - (Josh Cook): And so you, you know that the guy sitting across from you has already experienced that. And so there's a freedom in just saying, man, I know that. You know what I' feeling like. So there is a freedom in that. And I think the burdens are outweighed by the blessings that we see and the freedom that we see, you know, and we've seen men come in and just say, like, like they physically have these burdens.
0:27:43 - (Colin Johnson): Oh, yeah.
0:27:43 - (Josh Cook): And at the end say, you know, you know, can I take this joy home with me? Like, is this possible? You know, people saying, and I haven't seen my friend smile in six months. I haven't heard him laugh in eight months because of what we went through together. But I've seen the joy return to him. My, the, the most amazing compliments we get are when wives will reach out to us and say, my husband's come home a different man.
0:28:07 - (Josh Cook): He's come home a different dad.
0:28:09 - (Colin Johnson): There you go.
0:28:09 - (Josh Cook): And like, that will bring me to tears almost every time.
0:28:14 - (Colin Johnson): How could it not?
0:28:15 - (Josh Cook): Any, any small burden that we bear is like, oh, it's just minimal in comparison to getting to rejoice in the freedom that we're witnessing as Christ impacts these men. So, you know, it's amazing. We had one retreat where it was an individual. He came down and he told us that when he left, he told his wife he wasn't coming back. And he left his wedding ring up in the east coast. And halfway through the retreat, he left and went to Walmart and bought a wedding ring. So he committed recommit himself to his wife.
0:28:47 - (Josh Cook): And that was three years ago. And he's still with his wife and you know, they're still working through things, but like, that marriage is growing and that marriage is on a healing process. And so those kind of things are, these are the testimonies that we get to hear. Men who were suicidal or men who felt like they had nothing left, now full of life, full of joy. And now, you know, taking the joy and the excitement and freedom and they're sharing it with their departments and those that they work with. And so, yeah, like you said, there is a burden, but it's so minimal compared to the joy we get to experience.
0:29:20 - (Colin Johnson): That's awesome. Now, I think. I don't know. I've turned off a lot of news lately, you know, in the past, probably a few years, I've just really tried to protect my brain from a lot of stuff. And so I'm sure there are a lot of people out there, too. But what I do see is a common thread, and it may be shifting is this whole defund the police. The police are terrible. We don't need them, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
0:29:45 - (Colin Johnson): And I. I mean, I hear these stories, and I just know that that's not the case. We need to police. It's like when. Yeah. And then what you guys provide is just invaluable, and what you put yourself through is just heartbreaking at times and selfless and just loving. And so I don't know how we communicate that as a. I don't know how we can shift the narrative maybe, and it'll be good if everybody was more compassionate towards the police and thought about, you know, loving Mr. Officer dad because he's trying to protect and take care of us, you know, do you have any words you can share to maybe help kind of change the narrative a little bit?
0:30:29 - (Colin Johnson): I don't know how it even got started the other way. I always grew up respecting police officer, you know, and I just thought it was just an admirable position for someone to. To take and for us to treat them poorly. Just. I don't. I can't fathom that. But that's where we're at.
0:30:47 - (Josh Cook): That's a good question. I mean, if I had the exact solution, I'm sure, you know, I'd probably be getting paid a lot more money into, you know, running programs and, you know, solving big problems. Yeah. But I think you're right. I think a lot of steps have been taken. You know, this whole idea of humanizing the badge, which is kind of like exposing the individual who's behind the badge. And, you know, you. We see someone who's in a. In a uniform, and they're representing an office, and it can be intimidating. I got pulled over a couple of days ago, and I still get nervous, you know, because it's just like there's something about it.
0:31:20 - (Josh Cook): But the officer was very, very kind. And, you know, and so I think, you know, the process of humanizing badges, just like taking the time to get to know the men and women who are behind the badge. Their moms, their dads, their students, their brothers, their Sisters. They're involved in the community. Some work as real estate agents on the side. You know, like, they're among us, and they're just like us, really, but they have a heart to serve. And so I think that's a big part of it, is just taking the time to develop relationships. I think, you know, the closer that you get to somebody, the harder it is to dislike them.
0:31:50 - (Josh Cook): And I don't think that's an original quote, but I don't remember where I heard it. But, you know, if you take the time to really get to know someone, you see their heart and recognize, you know, who they are and what they stand for. And so I think there's been a lot of efforts to do that across the country, and there's been a lot of the pendulum has swung back in a lot of ways. Not to say that there's not really tough areas to work in, but I know areas like this, you know, the community loves and respects the police, and they're grateful. And so I think we're on a, like, trending in the right direction, hopefully.
0:32:17 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah, I agree 100%. What do you and Emily like to do for fun in Johnson City? We'll shift a little bit.
0:32:26 - (Josh Cook): Sure. My wife loves pickleball, and so she's a big time at the pickleball courts, and so sometimes she'll let me come with her, but I can't quite hang.
0:32:38 - (Colin Johnson): She's better than me.
0:32:39 - (Josh Cook): She is better than me.
0:32:40 - (Colin Johnson): Nice.
0:32:40 - (Josh Cook): She's beat me the last couple times we've played, so she loves pickleball. We love coming out downtown, walking around. Love going to Founders park and walking around. That was like, the first place we came and walked around together. I think just being together, being with friends, we don't do anything crazy, but just, you know, love checking out different restaurants and things like that.
0:33:02 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah, yeah. We've got a great restaurant. Restaurant scene here. Who are some people that have been in your life that you're like, can look back on and go, huh? Thank you for mentoring me, leading me, investing in me to kind of get and get you where you are today?
0:33:20 - (Josh Cook): That's a great question. I think I could look back at. God's been very generous to provide different men at different seasons in my life. And, you know, so I could look back and just see, like, his hand and bringing me the right individuals. And so I. I think there would be a lot of men that I could name and just kind of go through that. I've been so grateful for that process. Most recently, we had a chairman of our board.
0:33:48 - (Josh Cook): He. He would meet with me weekly, every Friday morning for. For an hour or two. He was a retired commander from the Navy and would just draw me out, ask me about my marriage, ask me about the ministry, and he would ask me hard questions. And he wasn't afraid to call a spade a spade. He wasn't afraid to call me out and call me higher. And so, you know, he was probably the most recently, the most recent individual to really be every single week, just very faithful to pour into me and my family. And so, you know, those kind of relationships are so crucial.
0:34:19 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah, I think maybe some of our listeners have had some of those. I think you have to be in turn to give those on your own too. Right. You have to be that person for someone else. And so I love that you're doing that on a higher level. It seems like we're more of a mass level, so that's kind of cool. I think finding a way to really pour into people consistently is probably going to be the tough part about it, because you just get in for a weekend and then.
0:34:45 - (Josh Cook): Yeah, yeah.
0:34:45 - (Colin Johnson): And that's why we're staying in touch over time. That's hard.
0:34:48 - (Josh Cook): Building leaders. And we love, you know, you know, if you're listening and you're a law enforcement officer or a first responder, you're in the military and you have a heart to. To do that. Well, we love having mentors come in alongside us and so that, you know, we can say somebody reaches out to us from certain locations, hey, yeah, we got somebody to pair you with. And, you know, they would love to hop on a phone call with you. And so, you know, I think that's Jesus's model for discipleship. You know, he discipled 12 and then sent out 72. And there was even just three that he, you know, the three that he really, really poured into. And so I think we kind of try to model that. And it's like, it's not my job to reach the nation, and I never will. I wouldn't do a good job at it. But I can reach a few people for sure, and they can reach people, so on and so forth.
0:35:25 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah, no, I think that's. That's really cool. All right, let's talk about town management. Maybe you can give some people a little tip or two, because you're a husband, a dad of four, you're running a ministry, you've got another business on the side, and. And then you've got this on the weekends. How do you do it all? And do you feel like, you're doing it well right now, and then I think it's hard.
0:35:51 - (Josh Cook): Google Calendars helps.
0:35:53 - (Colin Johnson): You can't see him on the. On the podcast. He's got a good smile. Google Calendars helps.
0:35:57 - (Josh Cook): I don't know if my wife would say I'm doing a good job. I would say, you know, it is tough. Yeah. You know, I. It's something I've asked Lord, like, lord, I want to steward what you've given me. Well. And I do have to be very, I think, proactive in protecting time, you know, protecting family time, protecting time with my wife, some of my mentors said, you know, never sacrifice your family on the altar of ministry. Same thing with business. Never sacrifice your family on the altar of business.
0:36:28 - (Josh Cook): And that was something. In some ways, we had to learn the hard way where, you know, as something starts to grow, you get excited about it, you know, and as a. As. As a man, I'm very, like, singular focus at a time. I can't multitask. I have to do, like, this task and then this task and then that task. And so if something's growing and things are happening, like, I'm just zeroed in on it.
0:36:47 - (Colin Johnson): Right.
0:36:47 - (Josh Cook): And it's very easy for me to then neglect. Other things sure are more important around me, like my family. And so, you know, like, we've had to have tough discussions where my wife is like, hey, like, we need to set boundaries for these things. And those are tough conversations, but they've been. They've been very beneficial. We've seen the fruit come from those. And so, you know, I. You could probably learn from my mistakes more than you could learn from my example.
0:37:08 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah.
0:37:08 - (Josh Cook): But I think, you know, just having those candid conversations and kind of setting priorities of what really is most important, because every time you say yes to something, you say no to something else. And kind of recognize you hear that a lot.
0:37:19 - (Colin Johnson): But it's.
0:37:20 - (Josh Cook): It's.
0:37:20 - (Colin Johnson): It's true. Right. I mean, it's. You can't do it all.
0:37:23 - (Josh Cook): Yeah. Yeah.
0:37:24 - (Colin Johnson): And so what. What's most important?
0:37:26 - (Josh Cook): Yeah.
0:37:27 - (Colin Johnson): And you could say something's most important, but if your time's not showing that it is, and it's not, you know, and.
0:37:32 - (Josh Cook): Yeah.
0:37:33 - (Colin Johnson): So that's tough. Let's say there's somebody else listening, and they're like, I would like. I think I'm called to start some sort of ministry. What. What kind of advice would you give them?
0:37:44 - (Josh Cook): That's a good question. I would say the first thing is, is don't immediately disqualify yourself. Because you don't feel like you are the right person. Right. And I think you could go all throughout scripture that. And you just look at the disciples. Those aren't the men that I would have chosen or the women that would have followed. You know what I mean?
0:38:01 - (Colin Johnson): So I think that's what makes the story even cooler, you know, like, it is.
0:38:04 - (Josh Cook): And so I, I see that with a lot of people, and that's one of the barriers that we face, is people will say, I, I want to start something in my department, I want to start something in my state. And they just don't have the confidence to do it. And it's like, hey, man, like, it's not your confidence. You have to trust that God is bigger than that. If he's calling you to do this, then, then he's going to walk you through it.
0:38:28 - (Josh Cook): And so I would say, you know, if you feel like God is calling you to do it, I would say then surround yourself with those who are wiser, who are in a different season of life, maybe who've walked it. Make sure that you're plugged into a local church, that you have community that's keeping you accountable, brothers or sisters who are going to speak truth into your life and kind of walk alongside you through that.
0:38:46 - (Josh Cook): But I would say if you feel like God is calling you into that, just start taking steps. Because if it's not him, he knows how to shut the door. And there's no harm in just kind of taking those steps forward to see and just saying, lord, do you have my yes. If you're calling me, then, then use me.
0:39:00 - (Colin Johnson): Right? Yeah, I love it. And if you were hosting the podcast, what would be something that you would want me to ask you?
0:39:09 - (Josh Cook): That I didn't, I suppose how people could get involved with the. The Ministry 100.
0:39:14 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah, that was my next one, but.
0:39:16 - (Josh Cook): I didn't mean to steal your.
0:39:17 - (Colin Johnson): No, you're dead here again. Yeah. Let's talk about getting involved. How can people get involved?
0:39:21 - (Josh Cook): Sure. So if you are a first responder or a service member or veteran, you know, we would love to invite you out to any of our retreats. We've opened up registration for our first spring retreat in Tennessee. We have six spots left right now, and it usually goes fairly quickly.
0:39:36 - (Colin Johnson): How many people are on the retreat weekend?
0:39:38 - (Josh Cook): We cap it at 10, so we keep it very small. So this will be the first of, like I said, I think six retreats this year. And the retreat prior that has already filled up. So reach out to us. We can get you plugged in if you, you know, need assistance or, you know, a retreat wouldn't work for you, we would be happy to just kind of sit down with you, listen to you, speak with you, encourage you, and then work with you to help you get plugged into an immediate resource, whether it be another organization's retreat, a local church, a mental health clinician to kind of help you on that process of healing.
0:40:11 - (Josh Cook): If we can't get you out to Tennessee immediately and then, you know, we. We love and we can't do this without the support of the community. Are for those who. Who want to see this mission move forward. Like I said, we don't make our guests pay for a single thing. We'll oftentimes we'll fly them out, we'll pay for their lodging, all of that, their food. It's all covered. And so, you know, it's always a weird thing talking about money, but for those who want to help us out, you know, 100% of proceeds go back into funding these retreats and benefiting the first responders and service members who come.
0:40:45 - (Josh Cook): And even just alongside supporting financially. We love your prayers and we love just people who reach out and say, here's what I do. I'm a pastor of a local church. How could we get involved? And was like, oh, great, now we know a pastor in Johnson City. We could help connect you with people who need discipleship or people who are looking for a church. Or if you're like, oh, my sister is a therapist and she loves working with first responders or whatever it may be, we love just kind of building that network and saying, how can we kind of pull the resources from the community to then, you know, help equip those who come to seek us for help? So we recognize our limitations and we recognize our expertise is limited.
0:41:29 - (Josh Cook): So we do rely on local churches. We do rely on the community to say like, hey, how can we step in support? How can we carry the burden? So that's what I would say. Help us spread the word so that first responders and service members can hear about it.
0:41:41 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah.
0:41:41 - (Josh Cook): Pray for us. And if you need anything to reach out to us, and we would love to just walk alongside you.
0:41:46 - (Colin Johnson): What's your website or how do they get a hold of y'all?
0:41:49 - (Josh Cook): Our website is Enterthe Lion Co.
0:41:53 - (Colin Johnson): Okay. And then are you on social media at all?
0:41:55 - (Josh Cook): Yep. Can search for enter the line on social media and hopefully you can find us.
0:41:59 - (Colin Johnson): There's probably not too other too many others. Well, while you were talking a little while ago, I was just like, man, this is probably going to be a first, but I feel like the Lord is stirring us to pray and do it on the podcast, and this will be a first for us in the podcast. So if you're good or that I'll. I would love to just pray with you a little bit and then we'll wrap it up. But, yeah, I think it'll be fun that. Father, I thank you for Josh, I just.
0:42:26 - (Colin Johnson): I thank you for Enter the Lion. I thank you for all the first responders out there and military service people out there that are taking good care of us, but the ones that are hurting, Lord, I pray that you will comfort them and encourage them, but get them plugged into someone.
0:42:42 - (Josh Cook): They can love them the way you.
0:42:44 - (Colin Johnson): Will to lead them to you, Lord. And so I pray over the ministry that the. You've created through Josh and his friends, Lord, I pray that you just abundantly bless it and allow it to flourish and grow. I pray for people listening to spread the word as well. I'm sure there's not a person listening that doesn't know some sort of first responder and that they can just maybe share. Share this podcast, your Josh's information with them and just allow them to get healed and help through you and your holy spirit, Lord. And so I just thank you for my friend and I just lift him up.
0:43:20 - (Colin Johnson): We just thank you, Lord. You were just an amazing guide and you do amazing things and amazing ways, and it's just cool to watch you work. And it's just cool to hear people when they listen and turn their hearts over to you and their lives over to you, what you can do with them. And so I pray that we do that. I pray for myself and Carly that we turn our hearts and lives over to you all the time, and you will just work through us. And for the listeners, same. I pray that they submit to you and your authority and to your dreams and your goals and your just abundant life that you can provide for them, Lord. And so, yeah, thank you for that.
0:43:57 - (Colin Johnson): Thank you for Josh. We just ask this in your holy name. Amen.
0:44:00 - (Josh Cook): Amen.
0:44:02 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah. All right, lastly. And I'm already fired up, but what gets you fired up? Like, whoa, let's go. I'm gonna just.
0:44:10 - (Josh Cook): Scott. I guess it could be a wide range of things.
0:44:16 - (Colin Johnson): First thing in the. Yeah. First thing that pops in your brain.
0:44:18 - (Josh Cook): Just with the topic and the discussion we're talking about, it's really seeing men get set free.
0:44:24 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah.
0:44:25 - (Josh Cook): Seeing them step into the freedom that Christ has won for us on the cross. Discovering their identity in Christ and stepping into being a new creation. I mean, that just, you know, other than my family. If, like, that's what I live to see, there's nothing better.
0:44:38 - (Colin Johnson): Nothing better than sharing the. The good news.
0:44:41 - (Josh Cook): For sure.
0:44:42 - (Colin Johnson): For sure. All right, speed round. You and Emma are going to get a cup of coffee. Where are you going?
0:44:47 - (Josh Cook): Emily doesn't drink coffee. But if we're coming down to Johnson City, I will say. I know it hasn't quite opened yet, but Fearless Coffee with some friends who are starting that.
0:44:54 - (Colin Johnson): So I think.
0:44:55 - (Josh Cook): What's it called? Fearless Coffee. Fearless. Okay. They had a coffee truck and then opening their. Brick and Morri are just around the corner here soon. Yeah.
0:45:02 - (Colin Johnson): Awesome. Man. We are like in a coffee like island right here. There's all kinds of options. It's really cool. All right. Do you guys eat pizza? Since you don't drink coffee much, where would you go for pizza?
0:45:12 - (Josh Cook): I'll go mellow. Mushroom melon? Sure.
0:45:14 - (Colin Johnson): Oh, Going a little establishment. Yeah, I mean, we.
0:45:18 - (Josh Cook): My kids have allergies and they have a good. Gluten free. Dairy free.
0:45:21 - (Colin Johnson): Okay.
0:45:21 - (Josh Cook): So that limits us again. So how about barbecue? Ooh, that's a good one. We love Southern craft.
0:45:27 - (Colin Johnson): Oh, so good. They're fried okra. And their. Their wings are so good. And it's like the last thing on the list that you think about, but everything there is just tip top. Going on date night with her. Where are you going to go?
0:45:40 - (Josh Cook): Good question. Hmm. Where would we go? I would say we like to go to Yurimaru again. Barnes and Noble. Walk around and just. Yeah, simple. But we like sushi.
0:45:55 - (Colin Johnson): Or walking hibachi.
0:45:57 - (Josh Cook): My wife loves the sushi.
0:45:58 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah. Carly loves sushi too. And yeah, we like it. And they're great. That guy. They're awesome.
0:46:03 - (Josh Cook): They are.
0:46:03 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah. Okay, I think that's probably got it. Yeah. Anything else that you want to share before we sign off?
0:46:12 - (Josh Cook): No, I'm just grateful to be here and just share what God's doing. And I love that he's using a little town that most people never heard of. Like, what. What airport do we fly into? Where's John C. Sliggily?
0:46:23 - (Colin Johnson): I get people asking me, like, hey, we're going to come in and look for houses. Do we have to? Like, is Nashville the closest airport? And I'm like, no, we have an airport. It's really close. It's like 20 minutes away. And it's really nice. And it's kind of cool because you can just throw your own bag on the plane. Yeah, I thought of the pilot when you're getting in and exactly.
0:46:39 - (Josh Cook): It's awesome. So I love that God is using somewhere off the beaten path, somewhere no one's ever really heard of. And he's doing, he's doing big things. And then, you know, people are asking to come back and we can't even, we can't even keep up with the amount of people that we're asking to come back and continue to just spend time here and people from all over the place falling in love with this area. So it's really cool.
0:47:00 - (Colin Johnson): Yeah. Well, thank you for coming on. Thanks for sharing about Enter the Line. I'll pray that it continues to grow and just prosper. And who knows, there might be one in every city at some point. Amen. Yeah. Taking good care of people is the goal there. So, yeah. Thank you so much again for coming along.
0:47:17 - (Josh Cook): Thanks for having me.
0:47:18 - (Colin Johnson): Till next time, I'm Colin Johnson of the Colin and Carly Group in Keller Williams Realty. If you want to move here and hang out with Josh, I would love to connect you with him when you get here. I'd love to help you buy a house and make Johnson City your home. If you want to invest in real estate, we do a ton of helping people build wealth through real estate as well. We can manage your property and do it all from afar if you just want to stay where you are, which is cool too, and just come visit your house here and there.
0:47:40 - (Colin Johnson): But yeah, thank you so much for being supporters of our podcast or listening and for sharing it. And so thank you for subscribing until next time. We'll talk to you soon. And stay warm and spoozen out there.