More to the Story with Dr. Andy Miller III is a podcast exploring theology in the orthodox Wesleyan tradition. Hear engaging interviews and musings from Dr. Miller each week.
Audio file
Thanksgiving 2023 Full Episode.mp3
Transcript
Andy III
Welcome to the more to the story podcast. I'm so glad that you have come along for this special Thanksgiving episode of the more this story podcast, in case you missed it, just this last. Week the most previous episode we just released at an important interview with NT Wright. What a privilege it was to talk to him and some of you have probably seen it by now, but if you haven't, I'd love for you to subscribe to this podcast on YouTube or Spotify, Apple Podcast or the like, and we'd love for you to check that out and and also on today's episode, there's going to be two things. 1st I'm going to have well actually this is going to be second. You can see my daughter coming along with us here. This is Georgia and she's advertising my book contender, which you can get at Amazon. And works. I'm going to be having my kids on again. Two years ago, they came on the podcast and just you get to know them a little bit and hear some of the things that they're thinking about and what they're doing and then. But the first thing is going to come is a conversation I had or not just a conversation. I had a conversation. I'd like to have maybe with some of you. Now this is interesting is what I'm saying. I had a friend, John Smith, who attends church with me, who came up to me and said I love your podcast. But you know one thing that's happened to me recently is that there I have a friend, a work colleague who wants it. No, Jesus. And he's just like we just said a prayer together, and we just started entering this journey. And he's saying, well, what do I do? Now what do I do? Well, what? A great question. So can you direct? Me to any podcast and as I thought about it through it, I thought well. I don't know if I have anything direct directly addressing that, so we'll have a few minutes where I address that here in just a second. It'll actually be from a Facebook live that I did previous to this that you can check out at my at my Facebook page, Andy Miller, the third dash author page or you can find out more about the podcast and all the things coming from this ministry at andymillerthethird.com. As Andy Miller II. I.com, I'm thankful to my sponsors who make this podcast possible WPL development, Bill Roberts and Wesley Biblical Seminary that have made it possible for me to have this podcast and hopefully bring helpful, encouraging content your way. So first, this conversation that I have coming your way about so, so you want to follow Jesus and that's going to be. Going to answer that question and kind of give some tips of what you might we might be able to say to people as they're coming into a relationship with Jesus. And then second, you'll have my conversations with three of my favorite people in the world, Andy Titus in Georgia. God bless you. Hey friends I am coming to you on a live Facebook feed because I want to answer a question that came in for this podcast and this will be a part of our regular podcast so will come out with our Thanksgiving edition and the question came to me on a Sunday morning. Somebody came my friend John Smith actually actually a great name for Thanksgiving. Came and said I have a friend who wants to follow Jesus and I believe that they even like led him to Christ. In a moment he had. A moment where he. Asked for forgiveness of his sins and committed his life to Jesus, but he was. Like, well, what now? And so John just asked me very simply so. What do I do now? Are there?
Speaker
Are there any?
Andy III
Resources that you could any podcast, he said. And I thought back to my 200 plus podcasts and I thought, you know what I don't have. I mean, I think there could be things that could benefit people. In that sense, like. I'm I'm I think that people could probably. Enjoy some of the conversations that I've had in the past, but at the same time I probably don't even think it. Addressing that exact question. Question so I thought, let's just do that now. So you want to follow Jesus. I'm assuming that if the person who asked that question to my friend John was was asked that question, maybe some of the intellectual hurdles of believing in God are something you already passed. And and I'll just say I. Root kind of even my. Own understanding of why I believe in two central facts. First, that God created the world out of nothing. I can't explain why there is something. I mean, rather than nothing except for the existence of God. Now we could talk about that philosophically. We could talk about the doctrine of creation out of nothing creatio ex nelio. But I just wanted to like that fact. Intellectually, I can't get beyond that. Then the second fact that I have that I think about empirically is and and deductively. Is Jesus's resurrection like I truly believe that the best way to explain the events surrounding Jesus's life, death, and resurrection is that Jesus and and and the advent of the church and the witnessing? The faith of the. Triples, even though they were willing to die for something that they knew was true. If they thought it was a lie, they wouldn't have believed it. They wouldn't have, like, risked their lives. The empty tomb. Jesus. Actual death. All of these things are reasons that I affirm the Christian faith. And then after that, I believe that God had inspired the scriptures as. The without as a truthful, without air testimony to what God has done in space and time, so those are some of the things that are the foundational piece for me. But maybe my friend, the friend. Of John Smith already has.
Speaker
Kind of like got to.
Andy III
That place. But now he's asked a question. Maybe I'm just assuming somebody who is listening to this. Has already decided. Maybe you've already maybe gone forward on a Sunday morning, or maybe you've said a prayer with a friend. So what now? Wow. What a great question.
Speaker
So the first thing I would.
Andy III
Say is, I would encourage. You to read your Bible to read if you have Bible to get a. Bible and we. Won't get into the specifics of which translation. Is absolute best. I would go with one of the standard. Like the NIV, the ESV, the new living translation, we have people on our faculty who contributed to that, that addition. I I'm at Wesley Biblical seminary. And that's a very readable translation in new living translation. So I would encourage you to get the Bible. Here's. Say read 10 minutes a day, give 10 minutes. Maybe if you do more than that, that's great. I would. I would start maybe somewhere in the New Testament. Not that you have to do that. I don't want to be too legalistic. The great thing we have the many resources available to us now via Google. If you go to Google and just type Bible reading plan, you'll get hundreds. Other examples of what to do, and maybe you'll be overwhelming, maybe just choose one of the first couple that comes up. You could go right from Genesis, the first book of the Bible, all the way to revelation at the end of the Bible, you could just go straight through. If you do 10 minutes a day, you could you'll probably, if your average reader probably get through the Bible in a year. Another way to. Think of it. Is if you do 3 chapters a day, Monday through Saturday, and five chapters on Sunday. Also, you'll get through the Bible year. It's not imperative that you get through the Bible in a year. But it's just a nice little goal to have. Maybe I know some people who do get through the Bible in three years type of process, some people who just do whatever kind of speaks to them that day and they go through, you know, cover to cover. Some people maybe like to look at parts of the New Testament first, maybe look at one of the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, and then they go to the Old Testament. Then they go back to the New Testament kind of bounce around. But whatever it is, I just encourage you to spend 10 minutes reading the Bible every. Day and then after. That if you could. Just take a few minutes and. If you if you have a notepad, a journal, just a piece of paper, maybe even a note on your phone, I try not to actually get on my phone first thing in the morning. It's just one of my own disciplines. I don't really. I want to be on the on the screen first thing, so I'm an. Old fashioned that. Way. But even if you write down well, what did I hear God saying? Is God speaking? And I believe throughout time God has spoken through Scripture. So that's the first thing that have you do. Make sure. Make sure that you're getting into Bible. Secondly, trying to find Christian fellowship. And try to get connected to a church and I'll say just a kind of a very general phrase, a Bible believing church, a church that affirms the authority and inspiration of Scripture. I think that that will become pretty clear as you're looking for a church. It wouldn't be a church that would try to explain away past. But a church that would affirm the truthfulness of scripture, so the tradition that I grew up in says that that they believe that the scriptures of the old New Testament are given by inspiration of God, and they only constitute the divine rule of Christian faith and practice. I know that's somewhat kind of like almost sounds like legal language if you first time you heard somebody talk about this type of stuff. But I encourage you. Just to get involved. Involved in a church and then do what you can to talk to the passer and likely that pastor if they find out that you're a new Christian or somebody who's wanting to become a Christian. Oh man. When I was a pastor, I love that, like, I'll just he can't. He can't. I would. I would make things up for somebody. So I just encourage you to try to see what that church does. In their own discipleship program, no. This like. When you become Christian. You're not just safe from something. You're safe to something. You're saved from your sins and ultimately from eternal punishment. And two. A holy life? Yeah, we like. When you become a Christian. Your sins are forgiven. You're freed from the guilt of sin, but also in that moment you have the power of the Holy Spirit that has regenerated you. Now some that language might not sound familiar at all. I totally get that. But you have this person that is actively engaged in your life wanting to help you. To get beyond the guilt. Of your sin. But also what happens when we accept Jesus into our life? When we move to a place where we like, allow ourselves to let his love flow into us? Some people don't like the word, except I get this. It's not like we're so I'll be cautious that well. Once we say we're a follower of Jesus, let's. Say then. We have this power not just to be freed from the guilt of. Sin, but we. Have power over sin by the power of the Holy Spirit. So we have opportunity to grow too. Do something grow in holiness and we're. We're like on. A direction that isn't the same as it was before, and also for this. Like if you listen to my podcast that came out last week with NT Wright and now if you're a new Christian this will sound like a lot of stuff might just fly by really fast. But he reminded me too in that podcast that. We're not just saved. From the world we're actually saved for the. World. Now let's see if I can explain. This we're actually from the world. Sometimes we think, OK, like heaven is just some distant non physical place out there. Well actually like when you think about where creation is headed towards a renewed creation, a new heavens and a new earth that we in our bodies and our renewed body will participate in a. Resurrected Planet, a resurrected reality. So we're. Safe for that world. And also we're safe for the opportunity to serve other people in the tradition I grew up in, we would say we are saved to serve or save, to save. So we have a responsibility to help other people come to know Jesus, but also an opportunity. We're saved with intentionality, like with a focus. OK, so that those are some things he might you want to get involved with the church. And they might then lead you towards some other things that they have a program that they offer. But I say if it doesn't involve you get involved with a small group, maybe somebody who's a more mature Christian who can disciple you. And when I say the word disciple, what I mean? Is you become a learn. You become a follower, somebody who wants to learn the essence of the Christian faith. So I really quickly grabbed a few books off of my bookshelf and I got some advice from other people as well there. There's a book here called the band meeting that might be this is by my friend Kevin Watson and Scott Kisker, who I know, but not quite as well. It's opportunity to get involved with a group of three to five other people. This is like a small group where you ask each other and I'm in one of these meetings. We meet every Thursday, we ask important questions. How is it with your soul? What is God saying to you? What are your successes and? Yours. Is there any sin that you need to confess and these are great ways to grow in your relationship with Jesus and learn from other people too. This irregular accountability and regular checking in and then I'm I'm going to give a lot of books. Just forgive me. You can probably YouTube these Google these and find the summaries or maybe even the authors. Talking about them, that might be. A good way to do it if you don't want to read a book. But celebration of discipline is a great book. We have folks go through this year westly biblical summary talking about important disciplines of the Christian life, like fasting, silence, service. One thing that emphasize too is that we want to put ourselves in a situation where one of the kind of the spiritual great, great grandfathers of mine. Is a man named John Wesley, and he talked about the importance of acts of mercy. Mercy and acts of piety, acts of mercy and acts of piety. So acts of piety are those type of things where we spend time in prayer, Bible reading of fasting. These disciplines that are mentioned in celebration of discipline and that they're discussed and they're like he lays out ways that you can do that. But then the Acts of mercy are things that we do for people who are in need, where we show God's love. We act that out by serving people who might be maybe they're in prison, maybe they're in a nursing home, but you find opportunities to serve people who are in need. So acts of mercy and acts of piety. So as your new Christian, you're following Jesus, make sure you find opportunity. To show acts of mercy and acts. These are things that you do, actions of piety. Alright, another thing that might maybe keep in mind is just kind of learning from the basis of the Christian faith now. Likely your church has. Something like this? So you might have a catechism, which is a learning document that starts with questions and answers. I recommend you go through that, find out what your church has there. Here are a couple of. Books my friend Jeff Bakus, who does a lot of the kind of producing of. My podcast so. Jay him, one of his teachers. He recommended this book called Common Ground by Keith Drury and it walks through the Apostles Creed, which is. The earliest kind. Of catechesis document that we have not, or creed statement and many churches. I'm not sure if the church that you would attend will do this, but I didn't grow up in a church, it said. The apostle. But I still affirm it. And my Churchill affirmed it. But I love saying it and reciting it. It would be great just to camp out on each of those words. These are the words. These are the things that Christians for thousands of years have believed, and it be important if if that's indeed the case and. If now you're following Jesus. You need to find out whether Christians. Have believed so this. Is a good book. Here's another one similar to that. This one's by my friend Tim tenant. It's called this, we believe and. There's, there's just. Short little meditations about each line of the apostles creed. So for instance, I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. It stops there and kind of walks through that. This is a great little. Book, so I recommend that you get something like that so you can learn the essentials of the Christian faith. Some other resources I'd recommend. Oh well. Back to the small group piece. There's another small group method that I recommend that is called the five Q method and this would be like getting together with a group and you can find if you just Google 5Q groups. Oh, there you go. See some people coming online. Just it it takes you through a passage of Scripture and when you read that passage, and then you. Listen and you see what God might be telling you. Share that with the group. Then you use that scripture passage to pray, and then you use that scripture passage as a way to offer a testimony to what God is doing. And then you also say, what am I going to do differently as a result of this passage? So the five. Five quick questions that yeah, just quick five questions you ask that's rooted in scripture that leads you to listen to the spirit, listen to other people think about what you can change. But also. Helps you know how to pray as well. So you use that Scripture to pray. You can find out my friend and colleague Matt Freedom has written a book called 5Q5 the letter Q. So you can check that out as well. Then, as you're wanting to go a little bit deeper, I I've mentioned this already, that we're saved from sin and to holiness. I recommend a couple of books on holiness. Here's another. Actually, it's funny. I think I did this. They're both by the same people as I think they both are thinking this. So Keith drew it and Tim tenant, I don't know Keith at all, but he has a great book and this is I I have a lot of old books that I love on holiness and I recommend reading John Wesley, Samuel Logan, Brengle. I could list a lot of people now some of some others. The 1800s, but this is a clear a very clear book called holiness. For every ordinary people. And I recommend this is kind of like thinking of some of the things that we do with the nature of how we think about God's, how God's Holy Spirit is at work in us, helping us to move beyond sin so that God's love, God the God who is love, who exists as father, son and holy. Hear it? That's who he is. He is self giving love and and and 1st John, we're told that God is love like his very essence. If that's the case, if God is love then love. Love wants to exclude sin in our life and sin is in the area of our life where we reject God's presence or kind of a classical kind of more technical definition is a willful transgression. To a known law of God, something we know we're doing that we shouldn't do that God has asked us not to do, and maybe even now as you're. A new Christian. You're learning that so you don't even know what. Those things are. That's why, of course, the first thing I ask you to. Do encourage you. To do is read the Bible just. Read Scripture and and. And you'll learn some of that and it will. Be challenging and it will be painful at times, but. Just just get into it, read the Bible. So, elder, listen to the Bible. You know the the Bible app's a great place to go as well. So that's a. Great book. Also the call to holiness. By 10:10 another I'm I'm trying to do short easy things, but if you want to go a little deeper, I think most people would say that this is a great book to read. Now it is a thinking book. It's not necessarily an academic book, but I would think that most Christians and English speaking world and probably beyond that would think that this book. Is has been one of the most helpful to their spiritual lives, their intellectual life, but also, and I I say that like a lot of people would put this in their top five. Maybe it's not #1, but this is mere Christianity. And I like old things, OK. I like old books and this is an older version of it. I've read it multiple times and I thank God for it every time and CS Lewis is is by CS Lewis is a great writer and you probably will read everything you can by CS Lewis if you can even chronicles and already maybe you've already maybe already know those type of stories. But I recommend that you get. Yet this book. Or here's another. Since I had NT right on the podcast last. Week this is. Like a perfect title. It's called after you believe after you believe. And why Christian character matters now. This is talking a little bit more about Christian ethics, like how we're how we should behave as Christians in light of. Who God is calling us to be and where we are appointed. Remember I said we're not just. Saved from the world, but for the. World. So in light of the fact of where God is taking us with the new heavens and a new Earth with renewed bodies on a new creation, that's that like how we behave now. That's what he highlight. Here. Alright, I'm sure some of the people are thinking Andy, you know. Oh, I have one more. I want to make sure I get to. Why? Why didn't you say this? Why? And. And I'm sure I'll be thinking the same thing too. That I I wish I would have thought of another book, but I'm just. I'm pretending like this that my friend John Smith came in and he brought his friend in with him and said, hey, I've just decided I want to follow Jesus. What I do? Now, so those are some things that. You do. I want you to read the Bible. I want you to read the Bible 10 minutes a day. I want you to maybe write something down that you've learned and that you feel God saying to you. Something you can. Apply your life, try and pray. Try try and just what? What the words? That come to your mind and and you'll learn to pray, particularly if you get in a small group and as you go to church and you are being discipled, they'll help you have learn and you'll become more familiar with God. Get get in a group, either a band meeting. Similar type of small Group A Sunday school class. Think about spiritual disciplines. And then I wanted to mention. Too, I couldn't find the actual the more contemporary. Version of the book. But it's it's called discipleship training. And if you go to, if you just Google Charles like discipleship, you'll go probably find a growth ministries page. And when I was serving in churches and I found that often working with new Christians. His resources? They're called, just discipleship. Training. They are the very kind of ground level, like how to have a quiet time, how to share your testimony, how to make an application, how to pray. I just love that book and it's it's not probably on the in New York Times bestsellers, but it it's a great book that might be helpful and and I'd encourage you ask a pastor ask the pastor. You know, as I said, is a Bible believing. Church that if you go in and you find them, they will probably help you along way. Honestly, I know they will and. If they're not willing to do. That then you need. To find in their church. Oh man that. Sounded like a a little. Rough. All right. Thank you, John Smith, for asking me this question. I love the opportunity to think about how people move along this process. Now that now. That you want to follow Jesus, these. Are a couple of things that you can do, and if you go to andymillerthird.com. And just the contact button I'm just. Saying I would be glad I would. Love to talk to anybody who's asking this question and if I didn't answer it well right now, I'm sorry, but I'd be glad to do anything I can to clean it up later. Thanks everybody for check out this podcast. Here comes another side. For those who are listening on audio or watching on YouTube. On Thanksgiving, I'll be releasing a podcast that will have an interview with my three children, and so that's going to be attached to this, but it's coming in live right now, and you might know that just the week on November 16th. My interview with NT Wright comes out and so if this if you're hearing this after go to my website andymillerthird.com and check out that great interview where he talks about Romans 8, he looks as if one chapter we talked about for 75 minutes. It's a real treat. God bless you. Well, here we are on the more to the story podcast again. Two years ago I did this at Thanksgiving, and today I'm bringing my children into the studio again, and this year they're much taller like this. By Titus Wesley Miller, my middle child who's 14. Right. Boy, a lot's happened for you in. The last two years? Yeah, a. Lot. Ohh glad to have you on the podcast. Here, so where's things? Happen in your life these days.
Titus
Titus, right. Well, of course school is a big part of what we do on a regular day basis. Yeah. Sports, various things through. Cross country just ended and basketball is just getting started and.
Andy III
You're in a home school, right? Yeah.
Titus
So I am a part of the Jackson victors, which is a home school organization that. Is for sports, so they have, I think fairly wide variety, but I do cross country and basketball, yeah.
Andy III
And you. Tell us about even your best 5K time this year. Yeah, your PR.
Titus
OK well I was able to beat beat my PR this year. I have a 18 minute 18 second 5K, so that's pretty good, not like. Incredible. Incredible. But I I consider it to.
Andy III
Be yeah, it was great. And like you pretty guys are freshmen looking forward to what's gonna happen. And of course, you've got a lot better and a lot taller. He's the same height, height as.
Titus
All right.
Andy III
Me so. What? What? What position are you playing? Yeah, he's not taller than me yet, folks. So what position do you end up playing in basketball?
Titus
So it's interesting because I don't end up actually playing point guard, but I that's kind of what I am and like I'll play that at practice every now and then. But just kind of A2 guard even though. Not as much of A shooting guard because I don't shoot that much anyway. It's just the overall guard or something.
Andy III
OK, so now we're kind of thinking like we're we're having basketball season. Thanks give this will come out around Thanksgiving, Christmas with some of the things that happens in this fall, christmasy type of season for you like what do.
Titus
Right.
Andy III
You thinking about?
Titus
So one of the big things that happens for us in the start of fall is what we like to. Call Hoosiers. Night, yeah. So this involves us usually happens in October. We end up going. And watching the movie Hoosiers, which is about a Indiana high school basketball team that wins yes and will drink apple cider and eat some fun little desserts that we make.
Andy III
My favorite movie of all time, yeah. And this year, Mommy.
Titus
Made ohh. Also apple. Yeah, pumpkin pumpkin.
Andy III
Pie. Pumpkin pie? Yeah, yeah.
Titus
Because we've been milling our own flour and trying to do all sorts and stuff. Yeah, that's been interesting.
Andy III
Ohh yeah, that's right. That's something to think that's happening in our. Family too, we. Truly Millers, because we have been milling our own. Wheat wheat. Berries, right.
Titus
Right now we're doing sourdough too.
Andy III
Yeah. So we have all kinds. So tired you mentioned being home schooled, right? What? What do you think some of the when you when you say that people look at you kind of funny with what? That is like, what are the misconceptions of home schooling? Well, it's easy to think that we.
Titus
Do literally. Everything at home and yeah, I mean. We do do probably a little bit more than the average person or average student at. What ends up happening though is we go to places around the metro area and take classes and various co-ops and such.
Andy III
They could do Latin, GHC and chemistry.
Titus
That's now we do have, I guess it's called ominous. It's it's a mixture of literature, history and theology that we do at home.
Andy III
With our mom and you've read some interesting books, probably the last year or so tell.
Titus
Us just list some of those books that you've read. So this year the ones we just finished. We just finished Plato's Republic. Yeah, and so that was pretty interesting. We read a Shakespeare play and. This the Iliad and so that that's been neat. Last year, though we did a lot of. Closer to modern books like Frankenstein was fun, even though it wasn't as informative even.
Andy III
Did things like Karl Marx? Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So.
Titus
Oh, that was interesting. So yeah, I I really love it. I mean, I think it's a great way of reading and.
Andy III
Yeah, of course. That's something that your mom and I are trying to emphasize in you like we of all of you and your siblings is we want to be able to put you in a place where we're able to set you up to learn all that right. And, you know, read. The best little. Primary resources like you're reading not just little excerpts here and there.
Titus
Yeah, I know.
Andy III
Alright, Tyus, here's maybe the last thing I'll cover. With you like to do a list, they did a list with. Your siblings too, but maybe. If you give the top three sports movies, maybe if it's if it comes to 5:00, that's fine as well, alright? And Hoosiers has already assumed, OK, cause you have Hoosiers night, but maybe you can throw that.
Titus
Right.
Andy III
In there if you want.
Titus
Right. So now it's interesting because we're we're a fairly big movie family, not like the biggest probably, but we just fairly recently we watched the Rocky films.
Andy III
Ohh right, right.
Titus
So it's.
Andy III
And that includes the creeds. Yeah, yeah.
Titus
Ohh, now it's hard to say which one is my favorite of those Rocky 4 is very goofy, but it's fun and I I probably say #1 is the best.
Andy III
OK.
Titus
But so I won't. I won't put that at 3. It's hard to say. It would be 3. OK, so number one is Hoosiers. Yes, #2 would be rocky and #3. We also watched Moneyball recently, and that was. A lot of fun so.
Andy III
Oh, yeah, yeah. Interesting.
Titus
I probably put that at three currently, but maybe I'll have a. Different answer tomorrow.
Andy III
So rocky ones, number one, what's the very last rocky of all seven? The worst 9?
Titus
Oh, that's not very hard. Rocky 5 is by far the. Worst. OK, gotcha. Don't watch it. Or if you do.
Andy III
Now, does the creeds move towards that closer to the top?
Titus
For you, yeah. The most recent creed movie was pretty good. They're not just the greatest, but they're still good movies and they have a, you know, kind of a. Hard to go against the early Rockies cause those are so good.
Andy III
Too, yeah, absolutely. What is it that?
Titus
You like about them? Yeah, well, the kind of comeback story is is pretty neat and.
Andy III
Well, underdog.
Titus
Right. And there's just there's good, good themes to that. And even just the training montages and stuff kind of went makes me want to go get out there and practice for cross country and.
Andy III
Working hard.
Titus
Stuff like that. That's awesome. Well, thanks.
Andy III
Guys for coming by, yeah. It's a pleasure. Well, here we are. I have another guest on with me. This is my oldest child, my namesake Andrew Stewart Miller. The 4th is here with us. Andy, welcome.
Titus
To the podcast. Again, thank you for having me. Thank yeah.
Andy III
So it's been a couple of years and since that time you are taller than me. Yes. Yeah. And so you can see that I've had a lot of growing to do in my own understanding of my psychological health, because my son so much taller than me. How does that feel to? Be taller than your.
Titus
Dad, it feels amazing.
Andy III
Now you're.
Titus
Waking up in the morning like, oh, hello down there. Hey, what's up?
Andy III
Your height has come into in handy here lately, cause you're pretty active on your home school basketball team, right? Tell us about what's happening to your basketball team and like what your role is on that team.
Titus
Yeah, that's right. Well, I'm one of the taller people. We're not like a short term. We're not too tall, but. I'm I'm I'm nearly about 6 foot and so that's not too tall for basketball, but among the people we're around, that's pretty tall and so yeah.
Andy III
The big man. You're essentially one of the big men.
Andy IV
Yeah. One of the bigger men. Boy, bigger boys, not men. Yeah.
Andy III
Yeah. So anyway, so tell us, what are you excited about with your basketball team this?
Titus
Year. Well, I'm excited. We're we're like a younger team, but we're we're kind of like have a bunch of challenges that we need to sort of get used to, but.
Andy III
Well, and you're like you're. 16 But you're also the oldest on the teams, and you're often playing again, or one of.
Titus
One of the oldest.
Andy III
Yeah. So it makes it a little bit of a challenge for you guys because you're playing against seniors and you're just a sophomore in high school. So those are. Those are some things, right? Right, right. Yeah. Alright. I'm curious. Andy, you we like talk about sports and I'd just like to get this this idea maybe some people be interested in this. If you had to say your top five starting five baskets. All team. Of current NBA players or all time you can choose which one. You want to do? Who would your top five? Your your you have to pick one team who would be. On that team. OK, so starting. Five starting five, starting five.
Titus
OK. I think I'll go current.
Andy III
OK, current we got.
Titus
That I would like really going specific because.
Andy III
We're gonna like, yeah. Yeah, that's not just top five, but like each position point guard shooting.
Titus
But are we doing like? Could you have Lebron's point guard or something? OK.
Andy III
Yeah, you can make the team how you want you. Can make the team. Yeah, let's.
Titus
OK. I won't. I won't cheat it. I'll. I'll go pure. Alright so. Point guard. I'll go wardale. Stephen Curry, one of the greatest point guards ever.
Speaker
There you go.
Andy III
What did you call with his first? Is. That's his first name.
Titus
Yeah, I'm just kind of, you know.
Andy III
OK, good.
Titus
Messing around anyway. Steph Curry, great shooter of all time. One of the best ball handlers of all time. Four time champion and yeah, that that will be my.
Andy III
Yeah, yeah.
Titus
Point guard shooting. Guard is a little more difficult because. There's not like. Like there's not as many like pure like top thirty of all time shooting guards that are like in the yeah, active Now you could say like Devin Booker or something.
Andy III
Now, yeah, yeah.
Titus
And I probably put Devin Booker. You could. You could, you could kind of like put Dame. Yeah. I mean, he's more a point guard, but anyway.
Andy III
All right, got Devin Booker. Ohh guys, sure. Alright. So we got Steph Curry. Dev Devin Booker. Who's your small forward?
Titus
LeBron James, one of the greatest of all time, probably the second greatest of all time behind Jordan, you know 4.
Speaker
OK.
Titus
Time NBA champion? Yeah. And just one of the greats, you know.
Andy III
Alright, power forward.
Titus
Yannis and intent the canoe. I'm not gonna drive anyway. You know, one of the best two way players in the game right now.
Andy III
OK.
Titus
Yeah. I mean, he's he's won. He's won a championship. He he's one of the best defensive players right now. One of the best offensive.
Andy III
Yeah, yeah.
Titus
Players, yeah.
Andy III
Alright, so you got Yannis and who is your center?
Titus
The current NBA champion, Nicola Yokich, he's not very athletic. He's not, he's he's big and but he is amazing offensively. He may not be the best defensive player, but.
Speaker
There you go.
Titus
It it all evens out.
Andy III
I feel like, OK, that's a pretty good team. I like that.
Titus
Yeah. Thanks.
Andy III
OK. But if you had to have an all time traditional point guard? Who would that be all time?
Titus
I'm traditional point guard.
Andy III
All time traditional point.
Titus
Guard. OK, so. I think for your sake. OK, Isaiah Thomas.
Andy III
There's only one answer there. It is. That's right. It's Isaiah Thomas.
Titus
OK, it's better to say John Stockton, but?
Speaker
Ohh no you break.
Andy III
Your father's heart. OK, so alright. Your all Time Team. Really quick, OK.
Titus
Steph Curry, one Jordan, two round three.
Speaker
Alright, power forward.
Titus
I'll put Larry Bird there. He's kind of.
Speaker
Larry Bird. OK. All right then.
Andy III
Small for, but now the big question which center? Are you going to go with? Kim Elijah. Unique pick. OK, that's pretty good. Alright, Andy, we're headed into this Thanksgiving, Christmas season. What's going to be happening for you here? And like, what? You what might you? Be able to share with our audience.
Titus
Well, I'm currently working at Chick-fil-A, so you know, holiday season gets a little busier.
Andy III
And you're like kind of like a switch hitter at Chick-fil-A. You do the front of house and. The back house tell us what's involved there.
Titus
Yeah. So I worked in the kitchen, but also in the front. I'm currently like, I'm still new up front but. Yeah, it's, it's. It's neat. Yeah, it's great.
Andy III
OK, that's good. So, like, work at Chick-fil-A is gonna fill up your time along with basketball and family times. That alright? Your sister is also just for her literature class and home school. She's just read Lord of the Rings. And then after she's gotten so far in the book, we watched the movies. And that's led to a certain line from Lord of the Rings being a part of our families experience pretty much every day. Maybe multiple times a day. Won't you tell us the significance of that line?
Titus
OK, so in the two towers? Though I'm like, what do you call it? Pack of Orks have captured Mary and Pippen. Now I really like Lord of the Rings. I'm not a freak about it. OK. Some people won't shut up about it, but I'm just. I I love it anyway. So the pack of works they're carrying Mary and Pippin. They're trying to get the eyes on. Guard and. They some of the orcs start complaining they wanna eat Mary and Pippen the hobbits and. And and the lead orc is telling them all to be quiet and he eventually like kills one of the other orcs and he's like, looks like meets back on the menu boys and everybody goes and eat that day eats the dead orc. So I feel like Lord of the Rings is kind of. Thought of to be somewhat prestigious. Yeah, like ridicule. Not like rocky. Four kind of, you know, having a montage of montages, you know, like when he's driving his car and he's thinking back to his past training montages. Not like there's some ridiculous movies. Lord of the Rings really isn't thought of that, but.
Speaker
It's it's.
Titus
This I feel like it's just, like, so weirdly hilarious because I don't think Orcs really know what a menu is, a menu. So he says, well, look, First off, eats. First off, they have cockney accents, acne accents. I don't really know why, but they do and.
Speaker
That's right.
Andy III
Like back on the menu boy.
Titus
And then there then he says looks, looks like meets back on the menu, which they don't. I don't think they know what menus are. I'm sure there's menus in Middle Earth, like in whatever little. Yeah. But it's not like a term. I feel like to throw around. I I just like. I don't know what they're really thinking with that line.
Andy III
Pubs that have.
Titus
I mean, people, it's fun.
Andy III
But nevertheless, in our House I'm kind of.
Titus
We never like, yeah. Glad it's there it is.
Andy III
As if any meat. 'S been put on the table, or anything's on the table. The line that has been shared is looks like chickens back on the menu, boys or whatever it.
Titus
Is. Yeah. Yeah, so.
Andy III
It's kind of fun. Well, Andy, thanks so much. Appreciate you. And I know you want to do one more thing here. On the podcast.
Titus
See this coffee mug has nothing in it.
Speaker
Ohh he.
Andy III
Just revealed behind the scenes. All right. Thanks Andy for coming by. Alright, thank you. Well, here I am with another guest, somebody who's very important to me. My Princess. My youngest, my daughter Georgia. Kay Miller. Georgia. Welcome back to the podcast.
Speaker 3
Thank you for having me.
Andy III
It's been 2 years since you're on here before and you have a. Now you're a 12 year.
Speaker
Old girl all.
Andy III
Sorts of things have happened in your life. So tell us. What's? Going on in Georgia.
Speaker 3
'S life? Well, not like a lot of stuff. Well, actually, a lot of stuff. I was thinking about it, like, well, I do have a lot of stuff going on. Yeah, I have ballet. I do ballet three times a week, which is not like some people, like, wow, you do that so much. And people are like, that's not enough.
Andy III
Yeah, there is, yeah.
Speaker 3
People do. I think it's a lot and. That is hard, so I mean.
Speaker
So that maybe that's.
Andy III
Something people understand like I honestly, I went and observed one of your classes a week ago and I was like, Oh my goodness, this is a little different than just when you were a little girl kind of just going and having a sweet time kind of a fluffy time, like, learn a few positions. I mean, this is. Hard work, isn't it, Georgia? Yeah, it is.
Speaker 3
This one teacher that just. Is does not stop until everything's perfect.
Andy III
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3
And so that has been pretty tough like.
Andy III
It's physically and mentally challenging, yeah.
Speaker 3
Yes, like and I have her two days in a row, so it's kind of it's like, I really think it's I'm going to grow a lot from this teacher, and I've already seen. I've grown a lot. But like still this like it's.
Andy III
Really tough, so also since we've been with you last, you have started a kind of a YouTube short channel, right? Isn't it like you do some videos tell us about that.
Speaker 3
It's called beetroot Georgia. It's Georgia, yeah.
Andy III
Be true with Miller, right?
Speaker 3
But yeah, it's kind of this fun thing I do. I don't take a lot of time into it. I kind of just do, like, little dances. Not like a ton of them, but I just make. Fun videos I enjoy doing it, yeah.
Andy III
Yeah, they're cute. They're fun. They're fun little videos, a little different. From more to the story, but. Yeah, but you've got some. You got some good ones there. Alright. So tell us a little bit to what what is the things you're working on? Even in school right now.
Speaker 3
So like they said, I'm reading Lord of the Rings right now and I'm in an English class and I really like it. So far I've enjoyed it and. That's mostly all we read. We read Animal Farm and we went. Yep. Very delightful book.
Andy III
Oh, that's interesting, isn't it? Yeah.
Georgia
Just to put you in a good mood, that's.
Speaker 3
What you mean?
Andy III
Right. Yeah, but now one thing you could maybe tell us about and I didn't prepare you for this, but since we were here last since the last time I had you on the podcast, there's been a new member of the Miller family, not a baby. But why don't you tell last Thanksgiving, who came into our family?
Speaker 3
We got a little dog. We I think you made a video about it, but he's like. Just, just like Yorkie, I love him a lot. He's my little baby. I say that a lot. But he's been a year old. He's over a little over than a year old. But he's really cute and I just really like him. He's like a really, like, he's just a little bundle of joy.
Andy III
Yeah. Yeah, so. That's fine, and of course is our family. We like to watch. Do you like to watch rocky movies? I know me and the boys like to watch it, but after Rocky Balboa, for sure.
Speaker 3
I enjoyed it. Right. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I like them, but they're not. My favorite but.
Andy III
Alright, so if you had, we're gonna talk about movies. Maybe here for a second. If you had to pick. Two or three movies that you are gonna watch this Christmas season this Christmas season, so people are watching this around Thanksgiving. So I'm gonna just give you a second to think about it. You don't have to rank them, but you get 3 movies that you watch this Christmas. Yeah, Christmas movies.
Speaker 3
OK, so movies. Like movies, OK. Home alone, elf and then.
Andy III
Home. OK.
Speaker 3
I I love Charlie Brown Christmas and how the Grinch store like the old Grinch, like how the Grinch stole Christmas like this. I love those watching those.
Andy III
Yeah, sure. That's good. Do you have a favorite part from ELF or you have a?
Speaker 3
All of it. There's not like a part I really like.
Andy III
OK, I got you. I I like world's world's greatest cup of coffee. I always think that's a nice line too. Anyhow. Well, George, any any, any advice you want to give to folks is they're kind of headed into this Thanksgiving, Christmas season.
Speaker 3
More than. Ohh yeah, that's. So yeah, #1 for Christmas. Like just think about gifts. OK, that you all you just want to think about how you getting gifts? Sorry, if you're if you're a pastor. Yeah, I'm joking.
Andy III
Just joking, right. You're just.
Speaker 3
All those kids who around this age, who grown up in a Christian like a household or just like grown up going to church, you've heard. Yeah, or.
Andy III
Or your pastors kid, I think.
Speaker 3
It's you've heard the story about a million times, like the the, I mean, like the sermon. Yeah. That every person, I mean, every adult or kid uses to talk to Christmas when you're little. It's not about getting the gifts. It's get about Jesus who came as a gift.
Andy III
Kind of the line.
Speaker 3
And so it's like after a little bit you're like. You say it with them because you know it so well, but it's true. It's kind of about that Thanksgiving. You want to be grateful. It's also about eating a lot of good food, I mean.
Andy III
Yeah, for sure. We're looking forward to that.
Speaker 3
Yeah, we're gonna have family over to our house this year. I mean, which is exciting because it's like the first. Time we've ever done that.
Andy III
Yeah, that's right to having to our house too. So we're looking forward to that. Well, Georgia, thanks. So, anything else you want to say before we close out here? Sorry, Georgia gives me good advice on things to do in the podcast and so thankful for her and for the woman that she is becoming in Christ. Alright, thanks so. Much for joining us.
Speaker 3
Georgia, thank you for watching this and thank you for. Having me.
Andy III
You're welcome.