The Gap Between Expectation and Experience
You start something new with high hopes. A fresh season. A big move. A new chapter. You picture how it will unfold.
Then reality arrives. The workload exceeds what you imagined. Setbacks you never saw coming knock you sideways. The adjustment takes longer than anticipated.
This is where most people question everything. They look for exits. They wonder if they made the wrong choice. They assume something must be broken if things feel this hard.
What actually keeps you grounded through transition
The difference between spiraling and staying steady comes down to your foundation. When struggles hit, people without a solid anchor look everywhere for relief. They quit. They transfer. They search for validation in relationships or temporary escapes.
But when you understand that God sent his son to overcome sin on a cross, you gain hope to keep moving forward. Trials don’t become easier, but they become conquerable.
Having a daily reminder of where your strength comes from changes how you process difficulty. When the scale of everything feels overwhelming, you need something calling you back to center. A truth you can return to when circumstances shift faster than you can adjust.
Your foundation determines your response
God doesn’t promise happiness, but he promises peace. Without that anchor, life becomes chaotic. Depression, anger, fear, and disappointment run unchecked.
The truth is your spirit doesn’t grow at the top of the mountain. It grows in the soil at the bottom. Growth happens slowly. Day by day. Through the process of seeking first the kingdom of God even when everything feels unstable.
Scripture reminds us that after we suffer for a little while, God will restore, support, strengthen us, and place us on a firm foundation. That perspective matters when injuries happen. When opportunities don’t come the way you expected. When the path forward looks nothing like you pictured.
People carry brutal schedules. School, work, commitments, relationships. Limited time to decompress. The pressure builds. But when you’re building your faith compass while building everything else, you have something pointing you to true north.
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Episode Summary:
Get ready for one of the most honest family conversations you’ll hear this year. All 5 Earlewines connect from different locations across the country to discuss life transitions, unexpected setbacks, and the faith that keeps them grounded when everything changes at once. This is Part 1 of a special family reunion podcast where Cole (Junior at Ball State), Ty (Freshman at Grand Canyon University), and Knox (Freshman at Hamilton Southeastern High School) share raw, unfiltered updates on their lives since their individual podcast episodes. From football injuries to Arizona heat waves to freshman year overwhelm, nothing is off limits in this conversation.
Key Takeaways:
- How a broken hand became a catalyst for deeper faith
- The reality of moving 2,000 miles from home as a college freshman
- Why high school is harder than anyone prepared Knox for
- How phone calls and prayer sustain brotherhood across state lines
- What it really means to be yoked with Christ in daily life
- The power of 1 Peter 5:10 during seasons of suffering
Notable Quotes:
- “Your spirit doesn’t grow at the top of the mountain, it grows in the soil on the bottom in the garden.” – Cole
- “After you suffered for a little while, he will restore, support and strengthen you and place you on a firm foundation.” – Cole (1 Peter 5:10)
- “God promises trials, he promised tribulations, but he also promises peace and joy through those tribulations.” – Cole
- “It’s just a daily reminder like having it on my body just to come to me all who are weary and burdened and I’ll give you rest.” – Ty
- “I go to school at eight o’clock and I don’t get home till 6:45pm.” – Knox
- “What we think is negative is not always negative to God.” – Cole
- “God doesn’t promise happiness, but he promises peace.” – Cole
- “I have 20 football games left in my career, but I’m talking about a relationship with eternity.” – Cole
Episode Resources:
Connect with Daron on Social Media:
Links to the Daron Earlewine Podcast
YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Libsyn
EPISODE 184 TRANSCRIPT
Daron: Such a daily reminder, like having it on my body just to like, you know, come to me all weary and burdened and I’ll give you rest. And it’s just nice to have that small reminder where you’re in, where you know, no matter where you are, you can just think about that and give it to the Lord and have everything be processed and just take it off your shoulders and give it to him. Created on purpose and for purpose. All right, everybody. Welcome back to the Daron Earlewine Podcast. And now the Earlewine Podcast we have actually figured this out. I think we’re all on camera together. We’ve never done a podcast like this before. We’ll see how this goes. We may never do one again. We were all over the country and not in the same space. Julie and I and Knox are here in our house in Fishers, Indiana. Cole, where are you joining us from?
Cole: The beautiful city of Muncie, Indiana.
Daron: High quality establishment. Ty, where are you at?
Ty: I am in the beautiful city of Phoenix, Arizona.
Daron: That’s a big, that’s a huge change from Muncie. No hate on Muncie, Ty wins, Ty wins tonight for best location.
Ty: Yeah. So anyway, it is hot though. What was it today? It was 100 today. It’s 101 tomorrow, 103 the next day. And then our first day under 95 for the school year on Thursday, so it’s gonna be 91. I’m very excited.
Daron: I bet you are. I bet you are. Maybe some shorts and a hoodie.
Ty: Yeah. It’s been very warm here. I like it though. It’s nice.
Daron: If I have to keep looking behind me, it’s because I’m making sure our new dog Reggie is not chewing at my office. So he’s in the background back here. You should introduce them to everyone. Oh, Reggie.
Ty: Yeah, that’s interesting to me. Haven’t even met him yet, so that’s cool.
Daron: Yeah, that’s probably gonna be a part of the podcast. Hi, we traded you in for Reggie.
Knox: Hi, Reggie. Nice to see you guys.
Cole: Give us a Theo mention. Yeah, bro, where’s the OG dog? Where’s our real dog?
Julie: I don’t know where he is. I think he’s asleep in his chair.
Daron: Yeah, he’s in his old man chair. I have a fake tree in my office back here, and Reggie just ate all the dirt and moss out of it, so that’s why he’s… Anyway, all right, Reg. Hi everybody, I gotta go. Sit in this chair, play with the toy. All right, so guys, we released all the episodes of each one of your interviews and I just wanna say how awesome I think you guys all did. I loved the conversation, I know mom loved it and I thought maybe this would be a well-received podcast series. We’ve been blown away by the comments, the downloads, the calls and text messages mom and I have gotten. So just to encourage you guys, your humility, your vulnerability on the podcast was really encouraging to a lot of people. And so I can’t say thank you guys enough for being a part of that and being willing to do this. And I can’t say thanks enough for you guys making the time, because I know Cole, you got stuck in Connecticut on Saturday night, and now you’re way behind in all your homework and all the stuff for football. And Ty, you’re a three hour time difference from us. Knox should be going to bed here pretty soon. And mom and I have been chasing a puppy for two weeks. So we’re all kind of trying to catch up. But here’s how I want to start it. So no shame in the answer to this. But my question is, did any of the three of you watch any of each other’s episodes?
Ty: I watched my own.
Cole: I was supposed to get Cole’s this week and then I watched my own too, but neither of them recorded. I’m planning on watching them though, for sure.
Knox: I’m planning on them. I found myself in honesty, Dad, I think I’ve never watched one of your podcasts ever. I haven’t. Other than my own, I haven’t.
Ty: I didn’t even watch my own, I’m sorry.
Daron: Right on. Jules, you watch the boys’ podcast?
Julie: I’ve watched half of all of them.
Daron: Half of all?
Julie: I’ve watched half of each of them.
Daron: Okay. Does that make sense?
Julie: Yes. Because they’re in splits, parts. Yeah. Two parts, yes.
Daron: But I was there for them. I guess that’s a little bit…
Julie: I was present in all of them.
Daron: When they were alive. Okay, so then different question. Knox and Ty, since you watched your own, what was your take on watching it back?
Knox: I thought I did a pretty good job.
Julie: Did you? Shocker. Shocker. You did a good job. You should be proud.
Knox: Thanks, mom.
Daron: What was kind of the most encouraging thing, I guess, Knox, after you watched it? Or maybe have you gotten feedback from friends or anything?
Knox: Not really, but I mean, I just thought, I mean, I’ve heard stuff from you guys and other people saying that I did a pretty good job. Yeah, I was kind of glad how it turned out.
Daron: Ty, what was your take on watching yours?
Ty: I thought like, I just went back and looked or like watched it just because I didn’t fully remember all we talked about. I remember like the main things, but just came straight home from work that day. So I just kind of like sat down and got going. So I just wanted to go back and listen to it. And then I had a couple of my friends from back home that watched it and said that they really enjoyed it. And I had more people actually text me just about like the Instagram reels that were put out on your Instagram about like the certain clips of what I talked about and had some good conversations with people that I hadn’t talked to in a little while. Just thanking me and just getting to talk to them about how they’re doing with me being as far as I am from my community back home. But it was cool to have that opportunity to talk to everybody just even for like a little bit. So yeah, that’s kind of what I got out of it. Mostly just some texts of like, I listened to the podcast, it was super cool you were talking about. And then just some other people being like, why were you on the podcast? So very different. I had like four people texting me like, is this actually you? I was like, yes, it’s not AI, it’s me. People were like, what are you doing? I was like, my dad asked me to do it. It was a podcast. So yeah, it was pretty chill. It was cool to actually be a part of something your dad does. I mean, we did the radio show, but nothing like that really.
Daron: Cole, did you ever get, did anybody reach out to you like from the reels and stuff?
Cole: I actually got like a lot of people message me or people that have watched it. Shout out my guy, Joe Berglin. He texted me, he watched it from back in the day. So shout out Joe Berglin. He said some awesome stuff. So his words meant a lot. A lot of guys, lot of my friends back home, a lot of my closest friends watched just cause like they know us and they care about our family. My roommates here and then just other adults and people like that. So yeah, I got a good amount of messages. I’m just glad it can impact people wherever they’re at.
Daron: Yeah. One thing that I thought was really interesting, guys, watching it back was every one of you talked about things in the podcast that you’ve actually walked through since we talked, which I thought was interesting because I thought listening to yours, Cole, listening to yours, Ty and listening to yours, Knox, I thought it was a part where I thought you guys could actually almost listen to your own advice from some of the stuff you’re going through. Because we talked this summer, right, since that happened. Cole, you went back to college, you’re a couple of weeks into the football season, you’re a couple of weeks into your junior year, junior slash senior year at Ball State. Ty, we moved you all the way to freaking Arizona. I want to talk a little bit about the transition, kind of, you know, comparing what you were thinking and kind of how that has been. And Knox, you’ve turned 15 since we recorded. You started high school, you’re a couple of weeks in, you’re starting to get into the rhythm of it. So just give us a little update as compared to some of the stuff we talked about and how has the start of the year been ups, downs, positive, negatives, whatever, as we just kind of check in. So Cole, another year of football, staying healthy, another year of…
Cole: Sort of. Not really.
Daron: I know his hand has been broken. Well, I’m saying, you hadn’t broken your hand when we did the…
Cole: Air ball. Okay, that’s true. You hadn’t broken your hand yet.
Daron: I guess I’m thinking right now you’re back to almost being healthy. So give us an update, Cole. You had these expectations, thinking you’re going in. What’s it been like since we recorded the podcast?
Cole: I recorded the podcast before I went back to school. So that was before fall camp. If there’s any former collegiate football players watching, they know how horrible fall camp is. It’s probably the worst three weeks of my year every year. So it was really tough. My faith was definitely tested a lot during that. I think there’s just been a lot of difficulty of not necessarily getting what I wanted and not necessarily been given the opportunities I thought I maybe earned. But I also was coming off of a hamstring injury. So I had to fight back through that. So there’s a lot of kind of fear of getting injured again. And then about two weeks into camp, I was making a tackle and got my hand smashed in between some helmets and broke my hand. So that kind of created a lot of challenges in the football world. But I think the biggest thing is just finding a lot of peace in that struggle and just relying on Christ in that sense of my life. But yeah. I broke my hand, it was tough. I thought, you know, maybe I’d get a chance to compete a little bit to play some special teams against Purdue. And that was obviously a big goal being from Indiana. So when I, I still traveled, did the experience and I didn’t play. So that was disappointing. Played a single snap at Auburn, which was cool to say at least I could do it. I did what I wanted, but I think for me it’s just the process of staying the course. I mean, you know, week three, I got on one unit. This week at Connecticut, I played on two special teams units. I changed my position from safety to outside linebacker. So that transition was new. I had been praying for a sense of knowing where to go in my career. I didn’t know if that meant continue to play football or possibly looking at some other options and things of the nature. Obviously I’m not going to do those now and I’m happy here. But it’s just like that sense of having to make some changes and listen to what God placed you. So new position. I’m starting to play a little bit more. I finally got my hand cleared today. So that’s pretty awesome, the fact that my hand is no longer broken. So yeah, I mean, it definitely was tough. I guess it would have been now two months, basically right now. So two months were tough, but I think like for me, like, you know, your spirit doesn’t grow at the top of the mountain, it grows in the soil on the bottom in the garden. So I think that’s the big thing is you’re not just gonna rise at the top, but you’re gonna be kind of a slow incline to the top. So you know, I’ve just been trying to take it day by day and just kind of really find out where Christ has put me and really diving into the idea of the scripture of just seek first the kingdom of God and just putting him first and filling my weeks with Bible studies and time in the Word myself. And I’m hoping to get back to church sometime soon. I’ve been gone so much on the road we haven’t been able to. So trying to get back into that, but you know. All right. I mean, I think it’s just the thick of the season. But it goes quick. I mean, we’re already at week four heading into conference play, which I’m really excited about. Yeah, I mean, it’s the same old challenge as usual. I think it’s asking yourself what God is trying to teach you in those challenges that has been the biggest thing for me. Yeah, I mean, I’d say I’m definitely on the come up and just trying to do my part and play my role and just serve others the way that I can because that’s really the only true thing that brings joy, is serving of other people and just being about the team. So I’m hoping we can make a run in the conference and make this one-on-one something unforgettable.
Daron: Yeah, dude, I was listening to a podcast on Sunday when I was flying back and it’s actually Erwin’s, Erwin McManus, a sermon from two weeks ago about trials and temptations. And I think I was thinking about you because he makes the point kind of like what you were just saying is that sometimes we go through trials and it’s like, oh, God must not be with me or things are going bad. But he used that scripture from James that, you know what I mean? Consider it pure joy, you know, brothers, when you face trials, because the idea that these things are creating perseverance and confidence, character, hope, and that so often when we get into a trial, like God’s turned his back on me. His challenge was to turn that perspective of saying, what’s it actually inviting me into? How’s he helping me level up? You know what I mean? So I thought about you in that one. Might be a cool resource to take a look at.
Cole: Yeah, I think a big verse that I love, I was in the book of 1 Peter a couple weeks ago, and I love that book. Just I think it really relates in 1 Peter 5:10, and it talks about, after you suffered for a little while, he will restore, support and strengthen you and place you on a firm foundation. I think that’s just like, I wrote that down right before camp and just getting in that with our small group and just reminding us of that, you know, like, there’s gonna be, like, God promises trials, he promised tribulations, but he also promises peace and joy through those tribulations. So I think it’s just understanding that and when you understand the scripture, when these trials and tribulations approach you, they don’t make them any less difficult, but they do make them conquerable. And because you have the armor of God being placed on each and every day, like it says in Ephesians 6. So yeah, I think that’s a big thing and just you know you’re gonna overcome because like you serve a God that sent his son to overcome sin on a cross. So I think you just remind yourself that daily and it gives you hope to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Daron: Yeah. Anybody got a follow up question for Cole before we go to Ty?
Ty: I really, I’ve talked, I mean, Cole and I called the other day just for like the first time, kind of since I had fully moved in here. And just like, I don’t know, not really like a question, but just like a good conversation between me and him, like just having like the ability like we have right now, just to call when I am so far away from home and he just called me and we just kind of talked about how things were and everything. And he just like prayed for me before we ended the call. And it was just like super helpful just because like I am out here alone. I have a good set of friends out here that I’ve made and obviously Nate and living with him and then Jackson has just been great. But you know, just like sometimes you get in your own head about certain things and you don’t have like your immediate comfort near you. So it was good to hear from Cole and to talk to him. So I can definitely see just the way his emotions are trending up from even before I left of just like him not knowing if this was the right thing for him and what the next step was gonna be. But after that phone call I definitely could see like his kind of life turning around in a good way and just kind of back on his feet. And then I talked to him that day, he might remember, it’s a small thing, I just remember that he talked to me and he was like, so frustrated about not playing at Purdue. I told him he made one unit and then the next morning I wake up to him texting us he’s on another unit and just like really just keep pushing for him. And it’s just been good. It’s been fun to see that. And then like obviously tuning in on Saturdays to see some of the games to see if he’s in and just different stuff. So that’s just kind of my thought on it all. Not really a question, but just like a shout out for Cole for like reaching out and then just, you know, keeping his head down and working all the time.
Daron: Yeah, absolutely. Well, Ty, you made the transition. We had, you know, high hopes, but not knowing what it would be, not knowing what it’s going to look like. And so give us an update man. Brand new…
Julie: Knox, are you about to fall asleep, bro?
Daron: In his own world. Struggling. Somebody needs to… he’s yawning so much we’re gonna lose him in a minute.
Julie: Sorry I had to mute him because he keeps playing drums with his fingers and things.
Daron: I kept seeing his little like the ring pops up and start talking and I saw his ring keep popping up.
Julie: Yeah Knox is right.
Daron: Now he’s muted. Yeah, you’re not muted now Knox but just remember that all the sounds you make actually do come through this podcast. Anyway, so Ty back to you. So big transition. Been amazing, better than you ever could expected beyond your wildest dreams or like have there been some days you’re like, get me on an airplane and get me the freak out of here. I’m coming back to Indiana.
Ty: I remember talking about on the podcast that like you and mom had always asked like what I thought I was going to do when I got out here. Just with whatever, like what I planned on doing. And I got out here and I like went to all the welcome week stuff and I got done with welcome week and I was just really rattled, like really rattled up. Just, I don’t know, I didn’t know what I was doing. It’s a bigger school than you expect. Even if it’s like going to a big high school, like 22,000 people is way more than 3,800 at HSE. And just all that stuff kind of like, kind of got me in a loop. And then just like everything with the transition just got tough. Just got busy trying to meet people that I really like to be around and not just forcing friendships because I don’t have anybody out here. So I was just kind of in a weird spot. I went to a worship night in the first week and then kind of just set it aside for a bit here trying to figure out myself and that was just not the right thing to do. I went back, went to church with Brenna and Jackson two weeks ago and they didn’t go this week because Brenna was back in Indiana for the cousin’s wedding and all that stuff. But yeah, the transition, I don’t think the distance messes me up that much. I haven’t had a thought of like, I need to get on a plane and fly home right now. Not super like freaking out about the distance or anything. But yeah, just think like for anywhere, if I was anywhere, it would be the same thing. It’s just figuring out school, figuring out how to study, figuring out how to manage my schooling, my social life and my spiritual life. Still in the middle of it. I mean, it’s only, we’re going into week four here for school. So I’m starting to get my first exams, first quizzes. So just trying to figure out like what strategies from high school with studying worked and what I need to change. But that’s just all trial and error. I had a quiz last week, went well. Just taking growing up, taking advanced classes in high school, those are my friends in the living room that just came through the podcast. Monday Night Football is on, so that’s all my new buddies. But anyway, yeah, I was super like worried first couple of weeks. Just really like kind of freaked out by it all. But then I kind of got back on my feet and then started hanging out with the guys you just heard in the background. They’re always around. Then having Jackson in a bunch of my classes has been nice, just getting to be able to have somebody there to sit by and do homework with and everything. It’s been fun. And then there’s just stuff to do here. Last weekend we went to Lake Pleasant, which is like 40 minutes away, and just kind of hung out during the day. It was cool. They got a lot of mountains and lakes and stuff that Muncie doesn’t have.
Cole: I haven’t left my house besides getting on an airplane to go to a game in three years.
Daron: Is it 65% girls, 35% boys there too?
Ty: I’m not gonna speak on that. Yeah, that’s not even in my thought process right now. Gotta get adjusted here first before I find somebody. It’s also hard, like, you know, you find somebody and it’s like, hey, where are you from? You know, like California and you’re like…
Cole: That’s really far.
Ty: That’s really far. So yeah, just managing…
Julie: Very far.
Ty: Yeah, just managing like everything.
Cole: You’re just letting your mom get in your mind like that. You could marry somebody from Oregon.
Julie: Listen, let the Lord lead. Let the Lord lead.
Cole: Hey, you know what? Shut your mouth.
Julie: I know they go to you for a lot of advice, but if you found the woman of your dreams from Oregon, fine. You go be with her.
Cole: Just come visit.
Daron: All right, you’re done with our dating lives. Back on track. Ty continue away from the emptiness of that history.
Ty: There’s not much there. But yeah, I just think everything’s been, it’s been better these last couple of weeks or last like week or so.
Daron: Was there a time, Ty, is something that happened today or something where you kind of felt like okay, I think I’m turning a corner here?
Ty: Yeah, I’d say friends wise it was probably either the lake day or the weekend before that we had just all watched college football which is nice to have friends that like similar topics, you have a commonality with them. But the lake day was cool like actually getting off campus and getting to go somewhere and to see the area that you live in is cool. And then also like getting involved in flag football here. I played two games last week, a lot of fun, and I already said that I plan on getting involved with that. So I also have like my team that I play with that’s not my dorm friends and it’s good to see those guys and get a different picture every once in a while. That’s a lot of fun. And then just trying to figure out everything. Like I almost decided to do the whole intramural program and get involved and figure out a way to work that. But I felt like that would have just been a lot on my plate early in my transition, just how I was going through things. So I might revisit that with Garrett’s connection in the second semester, maybe my sophomore year. But just as of right now, I want to obviously grades come first and if I don’t have good grades I can’t do anything else. So just trying to figure out how schooling is and everything and then all the other transitions. I guess I don’t really know what else I got between my podcast and moving here other than like a tattoo maybe. But yeah, that was about it. That’s just been good. It’s just a daily reminder like having it on my body just to like you know come to me all who are weary and burdened and I’ll give you rest and it’s just nice to have that small reminder where even where you know, no matter where you are, you can just think about that and give it to the Lord and have everything be processed and just take it off your shoulders and give it to him. So it’s been, it’s been tough, but the tattoo’s healed up well.
Daron: Yeah, I don’t know. My camera sucks, but you can kind of see.
Ty: Yeah. It healed up well. The first weeks were tough though. Cause the sun here and then just being busy and just keeping all the aftercare stuff on it, but after those couple weeks it’s been good. Sometimes I forget I have it, I’m not gonna lie. I’ll have a hoodie on in my room and take it off to put a shirt on, it’s 110 degrees here, and I’m like, oh, that’s still there, and it’s gonna always be there. But it’s a good reminder and it’s been…
Daron: Backstory, if people don’t know, obviously I have a yoke above my head hanging here, I have that same tattoo that Ty has. That was a major metaphor for my life as far as being yoked with Jesus. It comes from Matthew chapter 11. Very meaningful thing as far as when I felt called to ministry. And so just an amazing moment for Ty. Went to college, like 48 hours, I think, before we took you to college. Took Ty and he got that tattoo. And maybe eventually we will all have a yoked tattoo. We’re working on those details. But it’s good stuff, Ty. Thanks for the update. Knox, you’re in high school. You’re 15 years old. You’re a Royal. You’re at a 4,000-person high school. How’s the transition gone?
Knox: It’s been a lot of fun. I kind of enjoy it. Like I said, I was going to. Football has been a blast. I’ve strengthened my friendships with all my friends and just kind of just grew my, obviously my talent as a football player, also my ability to be a leader. So it’s just been a lot of fun. Just being able to do the things that I’ve always dreamed of, but I have been, like, I’ve been super busy though too, which has been tough. I went to the Zach Bryan concert at Notre Dame and then two weeks later going back to Notre Dame to go to the Notre Dame game like that kind of… Anyways, like I’m… Didn’t even elaborate. He was like, yeah, it was cool. Trying to find a homecoming date. He’s got one he could ask, he won’t do it. Anyways, anyways, I was like, like starting high school and like just the work ethic in school has been a lot different. Like I’ve had to study a lot more than I’ve ever had to, because all my, a lot of my classes are difficult. So it’s just different from eighth grade, just showing up to a test, not studying and just doing whatever I want, but still getting A’s on it. It’s different than actually having to like take time out of my night and like study and like I just, I think it’s not been like easier with time because I still had, I’ve had moments where like I’m missing, but like I just don’t really have time to think about it because like I go to school at eight o’clock and I don’t get home till 7:45.
Daron: Were you ever going to do it? I thought you were going to say it, no?
Knox: Yeah. You gave yourself your own softball pitch.
Daron: I mean, you literally should have done it. It would have been forever on the podcast. Yeah, you say it 12 times a day.
Knox: I get home at like 6:45 and just have a good dinner, shower, take care of the dogs.
Ty: I heard you don’t take care of the dogs at all. You don’t do a thing with those dogs.
Knox: I’m home three hours of the day. How there’s not much I can do.
Cole: Yeah, and then he’s gonna have the dogs and he’s gonna have time to lay on the couch with his blanket. You know what I mean? And on his phone. It’s…
Knox: Watch a show for the eighth time.
Ty: Yeah, they’re really hard on you, Knox. Aren’t they?
Knox: Talking. Anyways, it’s just like been a lot to deal with. We went to Cole’s game and like my dad said, I went to Zach Bryan at Notre Dame and I went to a Notre Dame game. Like I do all that stuff during the week. I practice and do all that stuff. And then being in Blue Crew, I go to the games and get home at like nine o’clock, 10 o’clock. And then I go to bed, wake up, play my game. And then I just either gone to Ball State or gone to Notre Dame and just like, I’ve never really, I haven’t really had a Saturday to just like chill. And then which is like basically Sunday is my only day to just kind of relax. So like it’s kind of tough for my mind and body just to only have one day to decompress. So I’m kind of excited for this weekend to play my game and then just go home and watch college football and maybe hang out with some of my friends at the house. So yeah, so just kind of figure out study habits for high school and just kind of balance all my tough classes has just been difficult, but for the most part it’s been a lot of fun and I’m just excited for the future to come. But I mean it’s just kind of crazy that we’re already in week eight of school and week six of football, so like it’s just kind of it feels like it’s going by so fast.
Daron: So you would say overarching just it’s been busier and a little bit a bigger workload than you even anticipated it was going to be?
Knox: Yeah, for sure. Yeah, yeah.
Daron: Jules, you got a question for Knox from their updates?
Julie: I don’t think so.
Daron: Okay. So what’s interesting is I think for all of you guys, like we talked about this transition into the next year. I mean, for Knox high school, for you Cole, back to school and back to football. And I mean, there’s been some ups, but I mean, there’s definitely been some unexpected lows. I mean, the workload, I mean, for you, Ty, I mean, for you Knox, Ty, like just kind of wow, this is a massive adjustment. I’m really starting, not starting my life over, but I’m having to reestablish a ton of stuff that was like pretty locked in as far as home. And then Cole, for you, it’s like, man, I’ve got all these, I’ve been working my butt off and trying to do all this. Then it’s like hamstring and hand. And it’s like, so there’s been positives from all of you guys, but there has been some unexpected lows like right off the bat. So you guys have all talked about it a little bit as far as, you know, faith coming into that. Knox, I know you talked about in your podcast, you know, locking in and reading the word every day. If you’ve stayed, you know, you’ve been staying up on that, you know, locking that in. And I guess, Cole, you did talk about it a little bit, but I guess here’s the question is, what do you think, where do you think you’d be or what do you think things would look like right now in your life with what you’ve been processing through if you didn’t have faith as a compass? You didn’t have, you know, the Lord to guide you and to be a kind of true north on that. What do you think it would look like?
Cole: Trouble would find me, just as much as I’d find trouble. I think I’m a pretty straight and narrow guy, but I think that’s because I am pointed towards like the spirit of Christ and have been since I was eight years old. So I think that’s been a big part of it. Realistically, I think without Christ, I don’t think we would even be having this conversation about me playing football. I think I probably would have quit and been like, this sucks. Why am I not getting whatever I wanted? Quit or being like other people and be like, I’m transferring, I’m doing something else, I can’t do this. Or realistically, being truthful people, I probably would have turned to partying and trying to find validation from other people, whether it’s other friends or girls or whatever it is. I think when you really start to dive into the scripture, there is a discipline you have to have in being a follower of Christ. I think when you understand that there’s going to be trials and tribulations that are presented and that you’re supposed to be joyous in those times but also observant and obedient in those times, you then realize that the negative stuff is, what we think is negative is not always negative to God. You know what I’m saying? Like for me, like breaking my hand, like I think this is going to ruin part of my life. But like for God, like these six weeks is a nanosecond of time to him, but it could serve a purpose that is a million times bigger than what I can imagine. So I think you just like your thoughts become more in depth about who you are as a person. You know what I’m saying? And I think my struggles aren’t about my situations anymore. Like for me, one thing that really hurts is when I do find myself in a negative sin I know I shouldn’t have committed, or I find myself in a cycle of sin. Like last week, I remember being in my room, and my room gets real dark with the blackout curtains, and I was like, on my knees praying to God, please, I can’t do this anymore. I’m broken and I’m hurting, but it wasn’t about football. It wasn’t about like my struggles. It was about like my struggle against sin and my struggle with my own body and my own flesh. So I think it just like brings a lot of more spiritual and in-depth thoughts and it puts everything in perspective. Like, the apostle Paul talks about, Philippians 4:13 talks about, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. But the context of that is him talking about how he’s content in all things that Christ gives him. And when it talks about Philippians 4:14, 15, 16, like that’s the exact style of his contentment in Christ. And I think when you understand that, like your life becomes content all the time. Like one of my favorite sayings, I believe Tristan says is like, God doesn’t promise happiness, but he promises peace. And like, I think for me, like, I think my life, if I could describe it, it would just be chaotic. There would not be a lot of peace. There’d be a lot of chaos and searching for a way to fix problems that were addressed in front of me instead of just you know being like all right, I know where my anchor is. I know where my foundation is so I need to get back to focusing on that first because when you do start to focus on those things first everything else falls into line. You know what I’m saying? So I’m gonna talk about like, I think it’s in Matthew 7, it talks about like, humble yourself before the Lord and you’ll be exalted. So it’s like, I think the big thing to me is just humbling myself and realizing that I can’t keep living like this, I can’t keep doing this, I have to really lay my life down for God to have any sort of fulfillment and to not fall into the cycles of depression and anger and lust and disappointment and just like fear. Like I think that’s the thing. It’s like you battle through all those things, but when you understand like that your center is literally the center of you with the spirit being inside you, it just guides your life in a way that it’s almost like hard to describe because I was just in 2 Corinthians tonight talking about how like unbelievers don’t even know what they’re doing wrong. Like they have a veil that covers their eyes like back in the Old Testament with Moses. Like they don’t know they do wrong but because I have the spirit of God in me I know when I do wrong. I know when I struggle. I know when these things are not right because I’ve been given the spirit and the discernment and the ability to see the way that God wants me to live. So yeah I think it’s just like the more knowledge you gain and the more experience you have just the more you realize like man like this is the most important thing in my life and football’s gonna come and go. Like if I don’t take my fifth year option I got eight games left this season and 12 games left. I have 20 football games left in my career. You know what I’m saying? But like, for me, like I’m talking about a relationship with eternity. So I think it just puts everything in perspective and just makes you realize like it really is so important just to seek first the righteous kingdom of God because that is the only thing that’s gonna give you any direction and you know, stability in this crazy thing we call life.
Daron: Hey, I hope you’re enjoying this episode of the Earlewine Podcast. And as you can tell, as a family, we definitely like to talk. And so these episodes went a little bit longer than a regular episode. And so we’ve cut them in half. And so this will be the first half of this conversation. When we come back, we’ll close the conversation out. Hope you’re enjoying it. Would love to hear from you. You can always email me at daron@daronearlewine.com. And please subscribe to the channel, whatever you’re watching or you’re listening to. I would love to have you be a part of the growing community of the podcast. And until we talk next time, just remember God’s for you, not against you, is near you, not far away. And he’s created you on purpose and for purpose. See you on the second half of this episode.