CODE RED - Johnny Burbank

[00:00:07] Speaker A: Johnny Burbank. It's good to have you in the Code Red studio today. [00:00:11] Speaker B: I'm glad to be here. [00:00:12] Speaker A: Well, our. We came down almost eight years ago. Our family came down and I met you as a leader in the church that I was soon to be pastor of. And from all I knew, you just had the perfect background, perfect childhood. You'd always walk with Jesus and kind of assumed a role of leadership as a deacon in our church and all those things. But I've come to know because if anybody's met you, you know your story pretty quick. [00:00:41] Speaker B: Little did you know. [00:00:42] Speaker A: Little did I know it wasn't quite as rosy as I assumed it wasn't. [00:00:47] Speaker B: But I don't regret any of it. And it was quite a journey. Still ongoing. [00:00:53] Speaker A: Awesome story of redemption as we are all trophies of grace. [00:00:57] Speaker B: Amen. [00:00:58] Speaker A: But it's. It's really as I came to hear the old Johnny, I think. I think people kind of considered you a lovable drunk. [00:01:10] Speaker B: Right, Right. [00:01:11] Speaker A: Probably kind of an Otis. [00:01:12] Speaker B: Oh, we. Yeah, around here. Had many a good time, you know, and. Yeah. [00:01:17] Speaker A: How did you end up in that. In that situation? [00:01:21] Speaker B: Well, growing up at the docks, you know, in a netting and we was building shrimp nets, you know, our whole life. [00:01:30] Speaker A: Grew up a big industry. [00:01:32] Speaker B: A big industry. Yeah. I mean, at 8 years old, my grandfather was teaching me the business and later went in and worked with my brothers and my father, and we were the largest net makers in the world and built nets for Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, all the east Coast. And in that, though, it was also a lot of alcohol involved in that environment down at the docks. Hang on. [00:02:00] Speaker A: I'm sorry, is the phone not on? [00:02:13] Speaker B: Yeah, I did that with mine too. I got to thinking that thing, volumes off of it, it might go. [00:02:27] Speaker A: Let's start from. So the largest, largest net manufacturers in the world, international operation. And you grow up around those kind of guys, which alcohol is involved in that. [00:02:44] Speaker B: Yes, yes. You know, parties. And we'd have parties at the net shop and all the shrimpers would come and everything. And so alcohol was involved. And really and truly, my mother and father were both alcoholics. And I was raised. [00:03:01] Speaker A: Did they know that they were alcoholics? [00:03:03] Speaker B: We didn't even know what alcoholics was back then. It was just a normal way. It was a way of life. We thought everybody, you know, kind of growing up, we thought everybody was kind of like that, you know, and great people, don't get me wrong, they called my dad Captain Daddy and they called my mom Cap Mama. The locals and the young people were always welcome at our house. And you got thrown out of your house, you come live with us, that type thing. I was the youngest of four brothers, and our household was like that. But we, you know, it works. We grew up working hard, and we had like a keg of beer in the refrigerator with a tap on the side. So three o'clock every day. It was just a normal thing. We had to wait on Daddy to get one as soon as Daddy got him a cold one, then everybody could. It was free game then. [00:03:49] Speaker A: But what'd you say, about 3:00? [00:03:51] Speaker B: Yeah, about 3:00. [00:03:53] Speaker A: How old were you when you had your first drink? [00:03:56] Speaker B: Probably at one of those Sprint boat parties. Probably around, I don't know, nine or 10 years old. [00:04:03] Speaker A: And it started out with beer. Was it hard liquor? [00:04:06] Speaker B: Beer. We started drinking beer and then liquor and then just whatever down the road. [00:04:16] Speaker A: And did you sense at all the danger that could be connected with alcohol at an early age, or was it just culturally what you knew? [00:04:29] Speaker B: Just culturally what we knew. But I knew it was, you know, you knew it was dysfunctional, but it was something that you needed to work through. I mean, in our household, if, you know, somebody run into the house with the car, you know, they, oh, we got to get the brakes fixed, or somebody fall down the steps, coming down off the deck, or the next day they'd have you out of painting the steps, putting sand in it, the steps were slippery and things of that nature, you know what I mean? Never had nothing to do with alcohol, but. But there was. I knew there was something wrong with it. I mean, my mother and father at night, after all my other brothers had left at night, they would just about sometimes fight and about kill each other, you know. And then the next morning, we're sitting at the table and they're asking me about school, you know, and I'm like, school, you know, hey, we about killed each other last night. Now we're going to talk about, you know what I mean? It was dysfunctional, totally. [00:05:28] Speaker A: How was your dad able to. To grow that business and run that, operate that business? [00:05:33] Speaker B: Well, he had four boys that, I look back on it, you know, he had us there and kind of picked up the slack. And he worked hard. I mean, don't get me wrong. I mean, we all worked hard, and it was a great business to be in as far as fulfilling from, you know, we shrimpers from all the way down the east coast, that was their livelihood. And. And during the season and all, sometimes they'd go out and tear up all their nets I'd be going in the next day, had a game plan of all, everything I was going to do, you know, and I'd get there, there'd be some shrimper backed up there to the door, been there all night, maybe drove from South Carolina, North Carolina, Pamico Sound, you know, but he'd be sitting there and with all his nets in the back. And so, you know, it was on us. I'd get him all fixed, back up, get him going back to take care of his family, you know, and that's, that's how we got known as. And we made friends with all those frimpers all those years and our background. [00:06:35] Speaker A: You know, a little bit of my story. My dad's father was a severe alcoholic. And they had 12 children. And it was the kind of thing, you know, it affects different people, people different ways. But he was, he was mean, right? So when he would drink, he, you know, some people, life at the party, whatever. Yeah, he, he, it brought a violence out in him. [00:07:02] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:07:03] Speaker A: And growing up, as you said in that context, it's just normal to you. But you know, he. Dad said he never, never heard his father say I love you his entire life. [00:07:16] Speaker B: You know, I had an uncle, Uncle Frank, he was alcoholic too. And Uncle Frank wound up in Texas and he finally left Texas and he came back to live here and work with us. And he, he came in one day and, you know, and he called my dad dad. It was actually his brother. But he said, hey, dad. He said, I need help. And daddy said, what's the matter, you out of liquor? You know, they was buying him cases of gin at that time, you know, and Frank said, no, I gotta quit. And my dad, I remember that, would quit, you know, how do you do that? Nobody knew nothing about quit, so. But there was a gentleman in town that we knew. I'll just call him Nick. And he was like the town drunk, he was the oldest back then. And he got sober and then he went on and ran a whole fleet of boats for Solomon down in Key west and all. Just a real brilliant man. And after he got sober, after he got sober, and so daddy knew we knew him, knew that, so he called him up. So he came, got my uncle and took him to a charter by the sea place up on St. Simon's Island. And my uncle went in there, 28 day program. He came out and never drank again. So then we rock on. And then, so by this time, I'm about 27 years old, married, two children, and I've done, alcohol had done consumed my Life, you know, it's just in alcoholics, we call it, when you cross that line, there's no going back. And it doesn't happen for everybody. Everybody's not an alcoholic. Everybody's not an addict. They don't, you know, they never cross that line. And some people can drink and they might find a problem with it or whatever, and they can quit. But a true alcoholic or addict, whatever, once they cross that line, there's no going back, you know. [00:09:11] Speaker A: So were there periods of sobriety or was it just. [00:09:14] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, yeah. And actually, at age 27, and me and my wife Robin, we decided it was time for us to grow up. And Robin was raised in church. She was raised at First Baptist Church, and my family was Episcopalian. And when we went, you know, and my mother, though she was a Baptist from Waycross, Georgia, and she sang around the piano, sang gospel hymns with her mother, playing the organ with her brothers and all. But she came down and married my dad, and that's when she became an alcoholic. And she also had back injuries on her, but she had back problems. And she was on Valium, on prescription drugs, and they. They took her out at age 42. Alcohol and prescription drugs, kidney failure is what took her out at age I was 16. 16 years old, and it was a big blow of my life. But I remember my Zach. I remember Mama when she would try to. We didn't know anything about alcoholics or even addicts back then. It wasn't taught much, and it was ironic. We went by a AA building downtown behind the library, drove by it every day, going to work. Didn't even know what it was, and didn't know, you know, didn't know anything about alcohol that's anonymous or anything. But anyhow, when my mother would try to clean herself up or when she tried to quit on her own, I would, you know, I'd immediately notice it. And she'd ask me to go to church with her. And I was the youngest of the boys, and I was her baby. And here it was. We'd go to the Episcopal Church, and we'd go in there and she'd light that place up. I mean, sing like an angel. And everybody in there knew it. And they tried to get her to join the choir and everything else, too. And all I can remember then, Zach, was Jesus. The stained glass windows behind the altar in the Episcopal Church. It was Jesus. Peter on one side and Mary on the other. I think that's how it is, you know, there. And that's who I was praying to. And All I can remember praying, I was like, God, please keep my mama like this. You know, please keep my mama like this. [00:11:30] Speaker A: In her sober moments, you praying that. [00:11:32] Speaker B: The Lord would keep her, praying, keep her sober. But it didn't in the end, and she ended up. She ended up dying. [00:11:40] Speaker A: And, you know, you mentioned with your uncle and also with your mother that they had such talent, gifts, and ability when they were sober. But alcohol and, you know, any addiction, I don't want to make it all just alcohol. It could be so many things that people just give their life over to slowly. And one of the things I found with men is if they're not motivated to say, well, you know, hey, my family's fine. My wife tolerates it. My kids love me, they'll forgive me if I mess up, or whatever the motive may be. If a man can see how much potential is being robbed from him through alcoholism or pills or whatever it might be, that in itself can motivate a man. [00:12:36] Speaker B: If they see it. [00:12:38] Speaker A: If they see it. [00:12:38] Speaker B: If they see it. And some doctor. Some do, but a lot don't. [00:12:42] Speaker A: What is it they used to say of the Irish, if it hadn't been for alcohol, they would have ruled the world, really. [00:12:48] Speaker B: There's a lot of truth and, you know. Yeah. And you find out that a lot of people that I've helped and, you know, alcoholics and addicts, their personality, they're smart people. They're not saying that I am. I might be one of the few, but just not. But I'm just teasing. But you find out that they are productive. And what I say, the disease, alcoholism and drug addiction and all of it, and it could even be depression. It's a slow. It's a slow phase. You hear that song about it, and it just happens over time. Time gets worse and worse and worse. I mean, there's signs that start happening. It gets worse and worse and worse. And for me, that's when it was about 27 years old, they did an intervention on me and my wife and my oldest brothers, all my brothers and even my father. They were still drinking. They're alcoholics, but they knew that I needed help. Well, that's when I was telling you about my uncle. He went to Charter by the Sea. He got sober, come out. So naturally, they gonna load me up and take me to Charter by the Sea. And of course, so I go to charter by sea, 27 years old. [00:13:59] Speaker A: So they staged the intervention. How did it hit you? Was it offensive to you? Was it. [00:14:05] Speaker B: No, I knew you knew. I already knew. And I'd already tried to quit on my own and just wasn't able to do it, even at that age. And they did an intervention on me and I thought, okay. So I went and I went to Charter by the Sea, and I knew without a shadow of doubt I was an alcoholic. I mean, everything they said made sense. Everything. And I was introduced to Alcoholics Anonymous then, and everything knew. I knew, and I had all the good intentions, but I came back and I didn't stay sober long at all. You know what I mean? I got back out and I went back to drinking. [00:14:43] Speaker A: When you would go through that, did you think to yourself, just one drink. [00:14:47] Speaker B: And then I'll get back in there? Right. Well, well. And it's different stages, you know, that first you always think you can control it. And it. And for me, that was one of the biggest things, is I was. It was embarrassing that something like that could whoop me. Because I was raised up to be proud, work hard. Yeah. You know, and I always wanted to be the best net maker. I mean, competitive. I wanted to be better than my brothers. I wanted to be better, you know, I wanted to be as good as my grandfather. I wanted to be. We always, always wanted to be the best, and we wanted to have the best business, you know, and so it was. It was like that, and it was just a struggle. But, you know, that was my first rehab. And then from that age until I didn't get sober until I was 40. I mean, it was a battle. I mean, rehabs. And finally, I forget exactly when, but one day, Robin, my wife, she says, you know what? She knew I needed Jesus. That's what she knew. She drugged me to church. I mean, literally, the church was downtown. It was the old church on fifth street down there. And I remember walking up those steps, those big steps going. That was one of the hardest things I'd ever done. Because I told her, I said, rob, those people know me. I knew just enough about the Bible that I said they might take me out, backstone me, you know, but they didn't. They loved me. And I'm going to tell you, actually, I wore that church out. I wore out three pastors. James Dunham and Danny Morris and all that. They all tried to help me and help me. And it's just like. [00:16:30] Speaker A: So when you came into church, not being from that kind of background, right. Did you come in with the idea that, hey, I've got a. I've got a problem and I want you to know about it, I want to get right. Or did you Come in with. Trying to fool them or kind of what was just. [00:16:53] Speaker B: Yeah, you first come in lightning. You just kind of want to fit in. Sweeping under the rug, you know, back in them generate that back in those days. That's about what you did with everything anyhow, back in those days, everybody sweating everything under the rug. [00:17:05] Speaker A: Tell me this at that, like something. [00:17:07] Speaker B: Like this we would have never done back then. You wouldn't admit you what. Yeah. [00:17:12] Speaker A: Your weakness changed. Oh yeah, we're thankful for that. But. But at that time, what were you ashamed? [00:17:21] Speaker B: Yeah. Your problem or ashamed? Yeah, ashamed. And I was still at that point to where. Yeah, I was ashamed that I couldn't handle it on my own. Yeah. You know, I mean, I couldn't admit that I really needed help, but. But I wanted. I was always tried to do the best. I'd show up, I'd wear a three piece suit. I'd look like a church person. That's why I don't like to wear suits today to church. Because I did that. I was dying on the inside wearing a three piece suit to church. We started up the TV ministry. James Dunham did. I'd film him, go around town, film him, help him with the TV ministry. I was over. I was probably one of the best directors they ever had. Not bragging or nothing, but that's why they let me do it. And we had four cameras and we was filming live. We. Boom, it was over that day. There was no editing, no nothing. Boom, it went to the air. [00:18:19] Speaker A: I've heard some stories from back then. You weren't always on the wagon when you were behind those cameras, from what I understand. [00:18:28] Speaker B: Well, I'd be drunk on Saturday night and being there in church the next day, trying to. Trying to do. I wanted to do what's right. I always wanted to be a good husband. I wanted to be a good father. I wanted to do things right. But that hang up, that was in my way, you know. And Lord, I had great people. Steve Simmons, you know, he'd be slipping me a peppermint, shaking his head. Jimmy Rodifer was in there with me back then, you know, and Robin be wanting to kill me and all of them, you know, for putting up with me. She stayed with you. She did. [00:19:02] Speaker A: For that better or worse. [00:19:05] Speaker B: And Zach, it was her faith, you know, we get onto the story. So this rocks on and rocks on and it eventually just got worse and worse. And I mean, I went to gateway rehab and you know, just everything, detox and I mean. And I did quit for like, I think the longest I ever made. It was like six months. [00:19:29] Speaker A: Wow. [00:19:29] Speaker B: @ a time. And then, you know, did you feel better during that? Oh, yeah. Yeah. And, you know, and it's just like a roller coaster. Boom. I'd build my life back up. Everything going good now, and boom. It just. [00:19:42] Speaker A: Would it. Would it be a situation where stress comes into your life and you just wanted to have a drink or like something trigger it? Or did you get overconfident or what. [00:19:55] Speaker B: Would cause you overconfident and all? And. And really what I've learned now about alcoholism and with drug addiction all too, it's really a threefold disease. And when you get sober, the first thing is physical. There's physical, mental, and spiritual. First thing's physical, you've got to stay off of it long enough for the physical craving to go away because your body will actually physically crave. It gets used to alcohol. It wants alcohol. If it's drugs, it'd be drugs. You know, whatever your drug of choice is. Mine was alcohol, and your body craves it, but you stay off of it long enough, that craving will go away. Go. You have to detox yourself. But then it's mental. It's a mental game. Then you still got the mental obsession. You want to drink, but you know. But you know better, you know, but if I drink, Robin's going to throw me out the house again. You know, things is going to go down real quick. But then what you do in recovery, then you go spiritual. All right? If you go to AA to God of your understanding, you know, you start getting some spiritual, or you go to church, you get spiritually filled, and that helps you. That gives you strength to overcome. And then what'll happen is you're clipping along. If you quit going to church, quit reading your Bible or quit going to aa, quit calling your sponsor, quit going to quit fellowship with people in recovery, the next thing you know, you're back mental. And then that mental obsession kicks in. Then the next thing you know, you pick up. Once you pick up, boom, it's on again. And my Uncle Frank used to say is like a little bitty. Like right now, I haven't had a dream 24 years or February 1st was 20. I picked up my 24 year chip. But I know there's a flame in there. There's a little bitty flame. And if I was to douse it with alcohol, it would just. And you know, that sounds crazy, but I relapsed enough over those years. And you can talk to other people and alcohol and that AA and Stuff that's done it. No, that flame would ignite. It'd be the scariest thing in the world. But today, I mean, it doesn't bother me because the Lord took that away from me. He took me. [00:22:27] Speaker A: And I want to get to that part of the story because that's the. [00:22:30] Speaker B: Glory, that's the good part. [00:22:32] Speaker A: But I really do, because there's people watching this. Most guys who are alcoholics, they're the last ones to figure out that they have a problem, you know, and so I, I don't want to glorify that stage, but at the same time, just sharing the way you remember it, there will be somebody that go, man, I felt that way. Or you know, and. And it creates a cycle where something stressful comes into their life and they, they turn to a drink, then it escalates. [00:23:09] Speaker B: Right. [00:23:09] Speaker A: Then they have marriage problems and that's more stress which the drink relieves. So it creates this cycle that just puts them in the bed. [00:23:18] Speaker B: That's exactly right. It is a cycle. And you know, that's the one thing. That's why somebody that's been through it can help somebody, because I understand, I know how they feel, I know what they're up against and it's okay that they're there. But I had somebody in church actually, Sue Ellen told me one time, says, you know, it's not shame to be an alcoholic. You shouldn't be ashamed to be an alcoholic. The shame part is knowing you're an alcoholic and not doing something about it. That kind of stuck with me, you know, and just little things like that. God put so many people in my life to help me and he's got me on a mission. [00:24:02] Speaker A: And I think that's something special about our church is, you know, Baptists don't have the best track record of being non judgmental and that sort of thing. But it's a unique thing that nobody can take credit for it. But it's something about our church that they really do have empathy toward people. And if they see somebody who is in a pit of their own making, they'll try to toss him a lifeline. [00:24:32] Speaker B: Exactly. [00:24:32] Speaker A: And love him until he takes it. [00:24:35] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, no doubt. And you know, I think my situation in our church helped a lot of people that are not alcoholics or not to understand and to be more open. You know, we're an open door at our church. I mean, we, we not going to condemn anybody. No. All we gonna do is try to love them back. But at the same time, just like they were loving me, I Needed somebody to look me in the eye and say, hey, whoa, whoa. What you're doing is not right. We gotta do something about this. You know, don't just, you know, don't keep sweeping it under the rug. And, you know, that's one thing I say about alcohol, and that's love. Yes. [00:25:13] Speaker A: You know. [00:25:14] Speaker B: Yes. [00:25:15] Speaker A: Of a friend. [00:25:15] Speaker B: You learn that. You know, you learn that. And that's how it is. You learn that by the word powers in the word is what I learned and been learning. [00:25:28] Speaker A: So when. At what point did you go up to the mennonites? [00:25:35] Speaker B: Okay, I. 40 years old, and I don't know exactly how it happened or whatever, but about that time, Robin, I was, you know, wasn't doing good at all. [00:25:50] Speaker A: Had they got you out of the business at that point? [00:25:52] Speaker B: Yeah, at that point. Right. At that point, I was kicked out of the business, kind of. Or I just. I really just kind of walked out, to be honest with you. It ain't like they. I just. I just had to get out. And Robin threw me out the house for another. But I knew something. This tattoo. This last time, she threw me out, bless her heart. She tried. I mean, she tried to do. And that's the thing about an alcoholic or addict. They think they're only hurting herself, you know. [00:26:25] Speaker A: So you kind of hit. You kind of hit rock. [00:26:27] Speaker B: Hit bottom again. Hit rock bottom. [00:26:29] Speaker A: Your marriage was struggling. [00:26:31] Speaker B: Yeah. And she had to do what she's been told she had to do. She had to turn me loose. You know, that's why I say now that I help people. That's the hardest thing is helping the parents, helping the spouse. Not enable, not being able. It's so hard because Robin loved me. And, you know, it was her faith. Her faith that she finally had to turn me loose. And it about destroyed her to have to do that to me. [00:26:58] Speaker A: How did she come to that? Did somebody just counsel her or how did she come to that conclusion? [00:27:03] Speaker B: Yeah, you know, over that time. Yeah. She. I'm sure, you know, people invest in their life, and it was probably some of the people I'd come in, contacted with, you know, like, from my first rehab, I'd been to AA. I picked up 10,000 white chips in AA. That's the surrender chip. That's when you crawl back up the stairs, push the door open, crawl in there and say, I surrender again. So I surrender over and over and trying, you know, And I'm sure somebody's counseled her that you've got to let him hit bottom. That's the thing in recovery. They say, yeah, they gotta hit bottom. They gotta hit bottom. Everybody's bottom's different. But the promises that they tell you in there are true. Jails, institution and death. I mean, that's your three promises of alcoholism, drug addiction, and I would dare say depression, whatever. If you don't help, get help, it can take you out. [00:28:05] Speaker A: The when, when my grandfather was. Was on one of these, you know, they would. For him, it lasts about maybe two and a half weeks to where I'm talking 24 7. He was drinking something, you know, and I mean, he looked like a different person. He didn't shave, he, you know, he didn't bathe. I mean, he would really go through a bad spell. And I went to the pastor and he gave me that advice. He said, you know, he probably loves you. I was the only grandchild. And he said, he probably loves you more than anything in his life. And if there's anything he loves more than that bottle, it's you. And so you've got to be the person that says, I can't be around you when you're this way. [00:28:54] Speaker B: That's right. [00:28:55] Speaker A: And that will at least give him some motivation to say, that's right. [00:29:01] Speaker B: And it was a big factor that last. There was something about the last time that Robin threw me out and my daughter and Amelia and Lance, both my children, they turned me loose. [00:29:15] Speaker A: Who were they at that time? Johnny. [00:29:19] Speaker B: Mia was. They were in high school, Amelia was in high school and Lance right behind her. [00:29:24] Speaker A: And that gets to a stage where that can be embarrassing for them, just having a father that's not at the events or if he's there, he's not who he is. [00:29:32] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. Matter of fact, you know, they're funny stories and we skipping around and everything. But the funny story is when I was in rehab, or I call it some kids name call it summer camp. Dad's at summer camp, you know, just kidding around. But I was up there and they had the father daughter banquet and I guess little women father daughter banquet. And Bruce, Mr. Bruce in our church, he took her to the father daughter banquet. And at first I was mad. I was mad. I was like, dang, Bruce take. But I was so forever grateful for him. Just another part of church where somebody in there steps up and was being a dad role in my place not to bash me, but to help me, you know, to help my daughter. And what a blessing. You know, it was funny things like that, but, you know, so here I. So here I am. I say, they kicked me off the island, but I ended up, you know, And I said, you know what? I'm going to show them. I'm going to show my brother's in the net business or show everybody, I said, So I went. I got me a job in a plastic factory in Jacksonville. You know, that was a nightmare. But I'm living in the Pine Forest Motel. Everybody needs. Every alcohol and addict ought to live out there. That's one of those jokes. That's one of those jokes, you know, that. That's where you end up. But. So I'm driving over to Jacksonville, working and for peanuts, you know, Best part, not a whole lot of money and drinking and driving over there. I mean, it was just a struggle. The check you'd get, you would pay the rent there, like $165 a week. And by the time you bought a half gallon of vodka and some lima beans to survive off of, that's all you had. You was broke. And the gas to get back and forth to work, that's all you had, you know, so that's the type of life I was living. It was just. And I was. But I was bent that I was going to go out and show him. Show, you know, trying. And it was just like up against the wall and still drinking. And finally, Luke Daniels, that owns a bail bonds place out there in Ulee. What? A friend. A friend. The whole Daniels family was friend of mine, Mutt Daniels. Luke Daniels. And they were friends of mine back then, family friends that I knew all my life. But Luke let me stay in the bail bonds place for free. So, boy, I had a little more money then, you know. So I'm thinking, you know, see people. [00:32:15] Speaker A: Just trying to be good to you. [00:32:17] Speaker B: Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Mutt, Mutt, he gonna bring me a 12 pack. Thinking that's what I needed, you know. You know, blessed Mutt's heart. Yeah. And he good friend of mine. And I hope he watches this. [00:32:30] Speaker A: Yeah, they don't, you know. [00:32:32] Speaker B: Yeah. No, no, Mutt. And Mutt gave me a truck. He gave me his truck and a 12 pack, said, Come on, Johnny, you can do it. You know, you can go. Not understanding fully, you know, either I didn't fully understand alcoholism then either, other than it was. It had me and I knew it. And. And you know, Zach and the Alcoholics Anonymous, the 12 step program. See, right off the bat, you know, step one, admit it. I'm powerless over alcohol. You admit. I can admit that. Step two is came to believe. I look back on it all now. I wanted to believe that there was a power greater than myself. That could restore me to sanity. That's what it is. I look back on that and I thought, oh yeah, I believe. I believe in God. I remember we had a Bible under there that and my mama always said, Oral Roberts used to say, I believe in miracles. And the Bible under there with all the pictures with dust on it, you know, I mean, I always thought I believed, but I look back on it, I didn't know. After my mama died, remember I asked him to save my mama and he did. He didn't. Right. So I wasn't sure. And then step three is turn your life and your will over to care of God. You understand him? But that's commitment. That's a salvation step. If you do it, you know, then you work. So I skipped over all those. That's why in the 12 step program, that's why alcoholics anomalous never did work for me because I never surrendered. I never turned. So anyhow, I'm living in the bail bond's house out there. And I just at one point after it was over with, I kind of just gave up. And I remember Luke had these appliances in there. He had a reclining chair and it was a big screen TV in there without no cable hooked to it. It just had a fuzzy picture. But that's what I'm looking at. I'm looking at a big screen tv, fuzzy picture. I got a half gallon of vodka over here. I'm drinking and I'd drink a little bit and I'd cry and I'd cry out to God. I started crying out to God, God help me, you know, God help me. And I'd drink a little bit, cry. And that's what I was at. I was just doing that. I mean, I was just in that chair. I couldn't even hardly get out of the chair. I know. And just lo and behold, a man that I haven't seen. I'm going to call him Ed K. I hadn't seen him in a couple years, but I knew him from Alcoholics Anonymous, knew him from aa. He happened to go by, seen my little red truck and the place is lit up at night in there. He could see me sitting in there. But you know, his first thoughts was, oh, no, I don't want to get involved in that. You know what I mean? Because he knew, they all knew that I'd been trying to get sober a long time. But Ed's story was he turned the corner at Yulee and made it almost to Lofton Creek and God turned him around. He drove all the way back out there and come beat on that door. And it was all I could do to get up out of that chair. And I got over there to the door, unlocked it. And he opened the door and he just looked at me and he said, you need help? And I think I just nodded at him. I don't know, you know, but he didn't know what to do. But he called a lady named Ellen, Ellen S. That worked at Willingway. And she knew me. She says, oh, Johnny Will. Is that a Willie Wade's rehab? Yeah, yeah. And she says, Johnny, Johnny Burbank. He's been trying to get sober a long time. And she said, he needs long term help. So the only place she knew of was a place in Georgia called the Bridges of Hope and a man named George. Sermons that ran it started them. He was an alcoholic himself that started the Bridges of Hope. And that's another whole story, you know, what a man that God used to build the Bridges of Hope up there. And so they get on the phone with him and all, and first thing they ask you, does he have any money? And I said, no, I ain't got no money, you know, he don't have nothing, you know. And they said, well, we don't know if we got a bed or not, you know. They talked to the guy and they. Mr. George happened to be at that particular bridges. I hope it was the one in Chauncey. He happened to be there just, you know, all these. Quincy just happened to be there. And they said, Mr. George, we got a guy, he ain't got no money and all that. And they said, what is his name? His name is Johnny Burbank. Burbank. Ask him if he knows Billy Burbank. And he said, yeah, that's his daddy. And he says, send him on up, bring him on. And come to find out, Mr. George, before he got sober, he spent the last $30,000 he had on a shrimp bait. And I used to fix his nets when I was a little boy. They tear them all up. And we helped my daddy helped him out time after time, but he ended up. He ended up losing his house on Crooked River. Alcoholic. Lost his boat all. Lost $30,000. That's before he hit rock bottom. And so anyhow, what a coincidence. So here they go, they take me up there. [00:37:54] Speaker A: Let me. Let me pause you right, just for a second. [00:37:56] Speaker B: Just. [00:37:57] Speaker A: Just pointing out you. You're drunk, watching a fuzzy tv. What'd you say? Half gallon of vodka. [00:38:07] Speaker B: Half, yeah. [00:38:08] Speaker A: And you're probably praying, God help me, God help Me, somebody there said, the Lord, turn their car around. So even the prayer of a drunk. [00:38:19] Speaker B: Of a drunk, the Lord will hear it. [00:38:22] Speaker A: If it's a prayer of faith crying out to the Lord in a moment of despair and desperation. Sometimes I think as men especially, we can say, well, I'm not going to talk to him while I'm like this. He deserves better than that. Or I'm ashamed to talk to him, just like Adam running from God in the garden. But even in that moment of desperation, he wants you to call out to him. [00:38:46] Speaker B: Amen. Amen. [00:38:47] Speaker A: And he hears and he'll respond, he. [00:38:49] Speaker B: Heard me and he turned it around. It just so happened that he calls her Ellen. And Ellen hooks me up with Bridges of hoe. And there's Mr. George saying, Send that Burbank boy up here. I know that family, they helped me, you know. And so here I go and I get up there to the Bridges of Hope and start sobering up. [00:39:15] Speaker A: Now, is this the Mennonites? [00:39:17] Speaker B: No, this point? No, no, this not. This is just the Bridges of Hope in Chauncey, Georgia. There's one in Argyle, there's one in Chauncey and which is near like Eastman. And I'm. I didn't know where I was at. I just knew I was in the middle of Georgia up there. But I get there and I'm. I remember just trying to eat scrambled eggs. I got there. I'm so, I'm detoxing, you know, so I'm going through it. It took me two or three days. Just where I could even get it out of your system, get the shakes and going on. And they had me on. I was going around scooping up dog poop. That's your first job at the Bridges of Hope. You go right clean the yard up a little bit, use something to do. And I. But I'll never forget, after about three days, they finally said, they called me in, they said, Mr. George wants to see you. So I went in there and I'm sitting just across from like table like you sitting there. Mr. George says, all right, tell me about yourself, boy. And I said, I said, okay. I started. He said, I'll shut up. He said, let me tell you. And he says, you know, he just flat out told me, you know, I was drunk and I was, you know, self centered, egotistical, you know, and just like thousands of others, you know. And I mean, he busted my bow. He ripped me up and down. But then he says, all right, but now we gonna get sober now, you know, and go. And he sent Me on out. So I'd go out and I think my first job was on the garden crew. Yeah, I think it was in the garden, but I hadn't been there two weeks. But as I got sober, here's what started happening to me. As I sobered up, my mind started replaying over and over in my head the reality of what was happening. So here the reality was, here I am, 40 years old, all my dreams, everything I'd worked for my whole life, everything I've done, and all. All that I, you know, I went through to try to get sober, to quit, to try to do, you know, the TV ministry, just everything, you know, all that just playing through my mind. And I was about to go nuts. I mean, I was really about to read about me in the newspaper or something. I don't know. You know, I don't know. I wasn't suicidal, but, you know, I don't remember. [00:41:48] Speaker A: You felt like you were too far gone. [00:41:50] Speaker B: Too far gone. I thought physically. I thought physically, mentally, and at this point, really, I thought it was over. I mean, really, I'm sitting there and I hadn't slept in about three nights. And I just remember this one night, a couple weeks in, one night. Finally, about 3:00 in the morning, I got up off. I was on the top bunk. I climbed out of there and I went outside and I got. Went up under them trees and I'm looking up at them stars, and I called God out. I said, okay, what? You know, and I started blaming him. I was telling him, I says, I felt like Lieutenant Dan and Bubba Gump, but I didn't do all that cussing. He did, but that's how I felt. Me and God was having. And I was trying to tell God, I said, I was head of your TV ministry. You know, I joined the Kiwanis Club. That's what I told you. I said I had coach at All Stars, you know, after all the good things that I did, tried to do, you know, and I was telling him, and, and. And look at how you let it turn out, you know, I was blaming it all on him. I said, you know, that's how our mind works, you know, really, it really is. [00:42:55] Speaker A: We. We blame shift and we put it, you know, it's never our fault. [00:42:59] Speaker B: But Zach, I'm telling you, he let me get through. And I. And after I got through, I'm sitting there and it was kind of quiet, and I heard him, he said, johnny, you know, my name's John, but my friends call me Johnny. I said, what did God, call me Johnny. He said, johnny, you know what he said? I said, I don't care about all that. And I'm thinking, don't care about all that. You know, you supposed to love me or whatever, you know, I'm thinking, you don't care about that. I'm thinking in myself. And then he said it, I want you. And I said, you want me? He said it one more time, he said, I want you. And that was. That's all he said. And I. And I remember saying, well, you got me. And I surrendered and I meant it. And you know what? I surrendered everything. I surrendered my family. I surrendered the net business. I surrendered everything. I'm just. [00:43:58] Speaker A: Yeah, it's not that I want. I'm concerned about this one area. [00:44:03] Speaker B: I've already done all that. You know, he wants it everything. He wants it all. [00:44:07] Speaker A: Yeah. So when you say he spoke to you because you've said. I've heard you tell the story many times. I heard it the same way. Was it audible? [00:44:14] Speaker B: Yeah, but, you know, it ain't like you hear it, but you don't know if you really heard it in your ears. You hear it, though. Yeah, I mean, I heard it. I heard him say, I want you. I heard him call my name. Thought, yeah. [00:44:26] Speaker A: Knew this was the Creator. [00:44:28] Speaker B: Oh, no, no. When he said. When he said Johnny immediately knew. He. He caught my attention and. And I. So I knew when he talked and I knew when he. When he quit talking because it wasn't there, you know. [00:44:40] Speaker A: Wow. [00:44:41] Speaker B: And so. And I'm gonna take just. Hey, that piece. I mean, it fell on me. I went back in there and I ain't slept in three nights. I went back in there and got in that bunk and I slept. They come wake you up 7:00. I ain't slept long. But I'm telling you, when I got up that morning, I felt different. I felt. I mean, I just felt different. I got up and I went on out and there was a bunch of men sitting on the porch. They're out there smoking and like they do in the mornings, you know. But there was a dock down there on the lake. There's a little bitty lake down there. And I'd been down to that lake before in the morning. Didn't really know what to say, you know, to pray or anything. That's when you're supposed to do your devotional. Yeah, right. Yeah. But I went back down there this morning and I'm sitting there on that dock on a bench, and that water, there wasn't a Ripple in it. The sun's coming up over the trees. There's not. It's quiet. There's not. You know, what a bird. You couldn't hear anything. But I'm seeing that sun's kind of shining in that water. And kind of. Something about light, the sun, the light with God. Every time, a couple times in my life, when God's really moved in my life, the light's been there. And that light was in that water that morning. And I sat there and I said, lord, I don't even know what to say. I don't know what to pray. I said. But all I know is I meant what I said last night. And I said, jesus, I don't know where we're going. I'm following you. I said, I don't know where we're going from here, but I'm going with you. And that's all I know. And that was my prayer. I didn't know anything else, you know, and that's all I knew. I said. I meant what I said, and I'm going with you. And when I went to get up, a wild gobbler just bow, bow, bow, bow, gobble seven times. I remember, he double gobbled. He gobbled once and then double gobbled three times. I remember that. And it set me back down on the seat. The heron on the back of my neck stood up. Because I'm like, what in the world? And I'm looking at, it ain't no turkey. Where'd that come from? You know? And I'm telling you, I get. But I knew it was God. I knew God. He just answered my prayer through a gobbler, a turkey. And that's what I immediately got up. This is what I'm talking about, the belief, you know, come to believe. And you know, it says, what does it say in the Bible says when you believe? That's what salvation is, belief. That who he is, Let me say. [00:47:22] Speaker A: Because people watching, they don't know you. And I know that can probably sound to some people like, so you heard a turkey and you knew it was the Lord. And people who don't know you, I can say. I can vouch for your character and your sanity to say, no, this is legitimate. Like, Johnny, whatever happened that day that you sincerely believed that was somehow God was using that sound in that moment to convey his presence in your life. [00:47:56] Speaker B: Exactly. And, you know, I had doubts right then, you know, when I got up after that happened. So I started going up the hill. [00:48:05] Speaker A: And let me say, you're not the kind of Person that comes up with this stuff all the time. You don't walk around and go, oh, that's all Bluebird. [00:48:13] Speaker B: No, that's not you at all. No. [00:48:16] Speaker A: So, you know, I just want to give them the context. [00:48:20] Speaker B: And immediately as I'm walking up that hill, though, there's this voice telling me that that wasn't him. There's a. There's a voice telling me that wasn't him. And I'm going, you know, where is that coming from? You know, that wasn't him. There's this little doubt hanging by my ear, and I'm thinking, no, that was him. You know, But I just remember it was almost like Satan immediately was trying to. I think he knew. I think Satan knew. I'm fixing to lose this guy. This guy's fixing it. This guy's going the other way quick. And I went up that hill, and those guys sitting there smoking those cigarettes, I asked them, they said, oh, how you doing, Johnny? Or whatever. I said, fine. I said, boy, that turkey gobbled, didn't he? They looked at me like I was nuts. Like I had three eyes, you know. I said. They said, what turkey? What are you talking about? I said, y'all didn't hear that turkey? They didn't hear it. I was like, man. And I looked. There's two guys standing outside the kitchen over there. They had to have heard it. That turkey was loud. I took off over there, Same thing, ain't heard nothing. I went in there and I ate my breakfast. And I'm thinking about that. I'm processing this. I mean, it happened. And I'm thinking, where in the world, you know? So my last ditch effort to prove that it wasn't God. I was going to put my tray up, and the manager was sitting there, Mr. Perry. And Mr. Perry said, how you doing, Johnny? But you know, Zach, I said, I'm doing good. And he says. He looked at me. He says, you know, you look like you're doing better. He saw something in me immediately. I just surrendered to the king that night. You know, the next day, all this is going on. But he said, you look like you're doing better. He's seen it. But I said, let me ask something. He said, what's that? I said, how long have you been here? And he said, I've been here about five years. And I said, have you ever seen a. Have you ever heard any turkeys around here? And he looked at me, laughing. He said, no, there ain't no turkeys around. I said, you ain't seen a feather A track. Not a turkey around here anywhere. He says, no. He laughed and he said something about 20 miles down there, that horse farm we gonna lay some sod at and all that. They got turkeys down there, but I hadn't seen anything here. He said, why? I said, oh, no problem. I went on over there and I put my tray down and I walked outside, Zach. And I just looked up at the sky and I said, God, I heard you. And I look back. That was a covenant. God made a covenant with me through a wild turkey. And I always look back to that day, any of my baddest days. Now in 24 years, I walked. I can look back to that day that that was the moment that me and God and that he spoke back to me. But the proof in the pudding is I go out to work that day. I go up to work in the garden, and I'm hoeing cantaloupe. They called my name over the loudspeaker. Johnny Burbank to the office. Johnny Burbank come to the office. So now I ain't been there for what, two weeks, Right? So I go to the office, and the little guy up there at the office says, just want to let you know you're going to be going out to work in the morning. And I said, going out to work? Said, you're not. You can't go out to work till you've been here, like 90 days, three months, you know. And the bullet boy said, I don't. Mr. Burbank, I don't know. I'm just telling you what they told me to tell you. So immediately, the rules are getting broke in my favor somehow. So the next day, the way that. [00:51:59] Speaker A: You responded, I'm just reminded we're in Luke, studying through the Gospel of Luke right after Jesus has been raised from the dead, which is just as bizarre to them as God speaking through a turkey. And Jesus had been raised from the dead. Two of the people that they knew and trusted came back and said, we've seen him. He comes through the wall into the room that the disciples are sitting in, and he says, behold the scars. Even with him right in front of them, it says that they were bewildered and. And not sure exactly what was going, you know. [00:52:40] Speaker B: Right. [00:52:40] Speaker A: It's just. That's how our mind works. We're not accustomed to the supernatural. We're not accustomed to divine encounters. And what you. The struggle you were having is. Is typical when somebody has that kind of. Right, that kind of sign. [00:52:57] Speaker B: Yeah, but. [00:52:58] Speaker A: But you. You got confirmation. You're verifying it. Then this opportunity opens up. What then? [00:53:08] Speaker B: Immediately, I go out to work. First day on the job, you know, I meet C.L. tucker at Feed, the largest feed and seed in McCrae, Georgia, or the largest in the area, Seed store right there, Tucker Seed. And so he immediately, C.L. tucker tells me his story. He's a recovering alcoholic. He's on the board at the Bridges of Hope, and he's passed away now, and I go back to work. So I'm back there sweeping floors, stacking seed, checking rat traps. And who'd I meet? I meet his grandson happened to be there, and they called him Little Tuck. So here's Little Tuck. And it dawned on me that school was in session. And I asked Little Tuck, I said, how come you ain't in school? Well, turned out he was suspended. Alcohol and marijuana. So my first day on the job, when I say first day on the job, I ain't talking about Seed and Feed. I'm talking about my first day on the job with Jesus. He's got me witnessing to a teenager, and I told him a story. I said, well, you ain't going to believe this. I just surrendered to Jesus Christ last night. And then this morning, or it was two days, two days ago. And then he answered me through a wild gobbler. And now I'm. I'm walking with Jesus, you know. You know, the first day on the job, you know, here we go, my testimony. And here. And if things got good, God blessed me there. You know how you get. I tell Robin, get mad at me because I said I was exalted in rehab. You know, I got to where I could take. I had my own truck. I could take any of the guys with me that wanted to work. We doing all kind of stuff. We was working at Cl's house, doing that kind of stuff. I mean, I was just kind of exalted, rehab, making money, sending some money home. [00:55:02] Speaker A: You know, that's the nature of when God's favor is on you and you're fully surrendered to him. You know, we can see Joseph exalted as prime minister of Egypt, but also. [00:55:14] Speaker B: As a prisoner, right? And. [00:55:16] Speaker A: But God's favor, it expresses itself in different ways. [00:55:20] Speaker B: Exactly, exactly. And, you know, then one day I come in from work and they said, Mr. George wants to see you. And I said, oh, no, Mr. George won't see me. And I thought maybe he wanted me to do my fifth step in alcoholics. Anomalous four steps. You make a search in the fearless moral inventory of yourself, and the fifth step is you share it with another human being and God. Exactly. Exact nature of your wrongs. But I hadn't done my four step yet. And I know he's gonna get on me, but that's what it was. I came in, he sat down. He says. He said, boy, let me. Let me tell you something. He says, I know you're doing good, and sobriety comes first. I know you're doing good here. He said, but I'm building the new Bridges of Hope in Lewisville, Georgia. And he said, I'd like for you to go. And I said, okay. I said, But I said, Mr. George, I don't know nothing about. I said, I'm a net man. I said, I don't know nothing about building any buildings and all that. He said, I know, I know. He said, but I just feel you got some leadership qualities. I want you to go, but. He said, but you don't have to. He says, but make your mind up. I was leaving. I said, I'll think about it, you know. He said, well, think quick. I noticed they was loading the truck with bricks out there when I came in. He says, that's your ride out there. I said, oh. So I was walking back to the dorm, and I was thinking, wait, if I go there, I'm going to be working for the bridges, not making no money. God's blessing me here, you know, I'm being blessed. But that. I heard the voice. I heard it again, and he called me right out and he said, johnny called me on. He always called Johnny, Johnny. You said you would go and do something like that, you know, to that. I mean, I knew I stopped dealing with Traxxas. I said, oh, you're the one wanting me to go. I said, I understand. So I turned right around and went back in there. I didn't tell Mr. George that. I said, Mr. George, if you want me to go, I'll go. But I was going because I knew it was what I thought it was what the Lord wanted me to do. And so I went in there and packed my stuff up. Boom. I was in that truck. Ended up in Lewisville, Georgia. I get to Lewisville, Georgia, and it's hot. Oh, it's 110 degrees. We digging footers to fix the poor concrete to raise this big building up on. And I don't know, it was just. There was these other 12 guys there, and they was all, you know, I don't want to judge. I don't want to judge them, but they were all lost. They was worried about watching wrestling on tv, arguing over what tv, you know what I mean? But anyhow, I started questioning God again. I was like, it's almost like, you know. And I quit praying kind of. I don't know, I kind of got downhearted. I just was going through a season there and I just remember it. And I almost came to blows with a guy and he didn't want to be there no more than I wanted to be there. And we almost came blows. But through that, it made me realize how far I'd slip from God. You know, I was. I was in there walking with Jesus and everything's good. I get over there, run and get some opposition things on. And immediately I backslid, you know. But I realized it, the Holy Spirit, I realized it. And I went in there that night and got on my knees and I asked God to forgive me. I said, lord, forgive me for feeling like this. You've been so good to me, you know, what am I doing? And I'm going to tell you something. The grace fell back on me. That. I mean, immediately I felt that feeling again, you know what I mean? It's like he let me drift. But when I came back and when I repented, boom, that grace was back on me. So the next day I just went out with a new attitude. Let's dig, let's build this thing, you know. And the mud was coming. I had my boots on. We getting ready to pour some concrete. Well, about 10:00 that day, just how quick everything's happening. The manager comes by and said, johnny, you know something about nets? Somebody said, you knew you knew something about nets. I said, yeah, I know a little bit. Why? And he said, well, there's some Mennonites. I said, some what? He said, mennonites? What in the world's a Mennonite? He said, well, they got beards and the women wear long dresses and they got their own church, you know. And that's about all I really know. But they got these catfish ponds and they got a catfish thing and they caught a big stump in it. And I heard them talking at the hardware store and I thought you might could help them with it. And I said, yeah, I probably could, you know. So he said, okay. And that night he told me, said, the Mennonite's gonna come by and pick you up in the morning. So this little old bitty man with a beard come pick me up the next morning in his old truck. And we get back over there and here's seven or eight Mennonite men. They got the net spread out on the side of the Road, big rip in it. And they said, can you do anything with that? And I said, yeah. I said, y'all have any twine? A needle? Y'all got any twine to patch it with, you know? And they said, we got. Well, we got a patch kit they sent with the net, and it was a ball of twine with a needle stuck in it. So I got that, and I said, anybody got a knife? They all had knives. So I got a knife and I threaded that needle and I mended that rip in that net. And just a matter of time. And they're all, where'd you learn that? What'd you do? And I said, well, I've been doing this since I was 8 years old. You know, that's what I am. I'm a professional net maker. Been building nets my whole life. What are you doing here? I said, well, I'm an alcoholic, you know, and I'm trying to get my life straightened out. Well, here we go. Well, that particular saying belonged to one man, but there was a community, Mennonite community, saying that they had been praying about because it was about to fall out of the lines. It was old, and they didn't have the money for a new one to take it back, get it fixed in Mississippi, it was going to be about $6,000. They really didn't feel like they had that, so they'd been praying about this thing. And Allen was one of the pastor's sons, and he happened to be kicked out of the fold at that time. Now he's still singing Catfish. He still can go to church, but he's kind of out of the fold because he had fell off of one of those big sprinkler systems and hurt his back. He got hooked on pain pills and he flying around acting like a nut. And the elders, they called him in. They called him in and addressed the situation, and he didn't repent like they wanted him to. And so he kicked out of fold. That's the way the Mennonites do. So here we go. I meet Alan. He's out the fold with a drug problem. But the problem is they got this old. This net. He takes off and go, gets it, brings it back, spreads it out. Say, can you fix this? I looked at it. I said, well, yeah, it's gonna need a lot of mending. Probably gonna need some webbing. Needs to be rehung, you know, and we're talking 1600 foot long net now. It's gonna take a little while. So they said, will you do it? I said, well, Yeah, I mean, I got nothing else to do. I said, but I belong to the Bridges. I'm over here at the Bridges of Hope. You got to go ask them. So Allen, when he go, takes me back, he's asking, well, they have to call Mr. George. And they said, Mr. George, the Mennonites want Johnny to come fix their catfish thing and work with them, and would that be all right? And he's laughing on the other end. I can hear him. He's, yeah, yeah, let him go. I ended up. I had my own net shop and rehab, but I started going with those Mennonites every day. But then I started going to church with them. I'm in Sunday school with the Mennonites, and we're talking about whether it's sin or not to have air conditioning in a tractor or is it. Yeah. Is it increasing production? Yeah, yeah. Radio was definitely out. Young guys wanted radio, that kind of stuff for them. [01:03:35] Speaker A: Those are big, big. And what they do. One thing I really like that those communities do is if something new comes along like that, rather than everybody adopt it, they'll have one family and they'll let. Like, for example, when cell phones came out, they would let one family have a cell phone and they'd watch and see how did it affect their marriage, how did it affect them as parents, all this kind of stuff. And if it seemed like it was a positive spiritually, then they would spread it to more people. So I've always thought that's kind of a brilliant way to test something out. [01:04:15] Speaker B: Well, you know, the tv, they called it the one eyed devil, so that was not allowed. But they all had cell phones. They knew if the Atlanta Braves was winning, and they knew and all that kind of stuff. But it was just neat and going. You know, we go to church with them and they'd. They had three pastors, and every one of them was ready to preach every Sunday. But those three pastors would gather back there and they would pray. And the one that felt led, that was the one that gave the sermon that week, they was preaching the Word. I didn't know it at that time, but God showed me later on. I know we could talk for days, but God showed me later on that the power is in the Word. And I need to really tell that. But those Mennonites. So I built a relationship with them and we sang and I rebuilt that seine. I built them a new one. And, you know, I'll tell you something else that happened. It's really, really unique. While I was in there, I'm over There building a brand new seine in Allen's backyard. And this one particular day, I'm there by myself. Allen had to take Liz to the doctor. So I'm at their house by myself in the backyard. I got a tractor, got the same, pulled, tied to a oak tree over here and pulled tight. And I'm hanging. I'm putting floats on the top line, putting leads and then the bunt on the bottom line, you know, and all. And as I'm going, I hear this loud noise. I hear this truck. And I could. And I started smelling chicken manure. Here's this truck over there spreading this ammonia or chicken manure in a field. I could see him over there. But when he gets through with that fish, here he comes flying up in the yard in that big truck. And this big old huge man gets out with his overalls on and he walks over there and he says, whoa, what are you doing? I said, I'm building this catfish thing for Allen. And he said, hey. And he watching me and where'd you learn how to do that? I said, well, I've been building nets my whole life. And I told him a little bit about the nets. He said, well, what are you doing here? You ain't no Mennonite. I said, no. I said, I'm an alcoholic. Alcoholic? Yeah. I said, yeah. I'm over here at the Bridge of Hope trying to get my life straightened out. I mean, all, you know, we talked a little bit more and all that. But right before he left, he says, hang on. He says, you want to not never want to drink again. I said, well, do I? I said, yeah, that's what I'm up here for, you. And he said, hang on. So he goes back to his truck and he comes back with this little. One of them little flip pads and a little wore out pencil. Looked like a putt, putt pencil. And he said, write your name on there. I wrote John Burbank. And he folded it up, put it in his overalls and left. You know, didn't say nothing else and just said, I see you. And he left. That's all. He. And I go back to hanging on my net. I'm thinking the twilight, nee, nee, nee, nee, nee, nee, nee, nee. You know what I mean? And you know, I forgot about that. But it was about two weeks later. A couple weeks later happened to be the same situation. Allen and them had to go somewhere. I was by myself again in that backyard, hanging on that net. I smelled fertilizer. I looked over there, there he is on another field over There. I see him over there, you know, and I'm wondering if he's gonna come or not today, you know. And sure enough, he gets through. He comes up in that big old truck, and he gets out. He says, you in the same place? I said, yeah, but those big hydraulic reels. So as I'd hang the top. Whoop. Excuse me. As I'd hang the top. And I thought with my hands, I'd hang the top, and bottom line, you'd reel it up on that thing. So I'm in the same spot. But he was a kid with me. He knew. I said, there's a bunch of net up there. And so we talked a little bit and all that, and he said, oh, by the way. So he went back to his truck, and he come back with that little thing, and he opened it up and he tore it out and handed it to me. He said, the elders of my church prayed over your name, and they anointed it. And there was an oil print on my name. He says, you won't never want to drink again. I said, okay. And he messed around and then left. You know, left me holding that. Holding that thing. I'm thinking. So I folded it and I got my wallet out, and I had Amelia and Robin's picture in there as one of those. I had her picture on this side. Millions. I put it in between their picture. That's where I put it. And I put it and didn't think much more about it. But, you know, you look back on it, and I never did after that. That phenomenal. We call it in alcoholics anomus or in recovery. It's called a phenomenal craving. And it is phenomenal. That's the thing that gets you. That's the one that takes them to the grave. And drugs, alcohol, whatever. It's phenomenal craving of that. But God took that away from me. And that was just one thing happened. And I went on. [01:09:26] Speaker A: It's fascinating to see when. When you have these moments where you get back in sync with the Lord, you. You surrender to him. Life is ordinary, but it's beautiful. [01:09:43] Speaker B: It is beautiful. The last 24 years has been absolutely. [01:09:49] Speaker A: You just wake up wondering, what's he going to do? [01:09:51] Speaker B: You know, that's what he did. He kept just putting people. You know, before I ever went to Louisville, I forgot about it. They brought a Sunday school lesson. A blind Baptist deacon had lost his sight to diabetes, and his partner would walk him in, bring him in. He taught his Sunday school. You know, that was before then, just different people. God Puts in your life. And I'll never forget that. I'll never forget the day that I came in there and I was a little bit down and I didn't say anything. But that blind Baptist deacon, he said, johnny, what's wrong? I mean, he just sensed it. Just sensed my. And whatever, but that was just another person. But then I want to tell you about this. So I did all that with the Mennonites and. And going through all that time. [01:10:48] Speaker A: What time do you have to be done? I just want to make sure I don't. [01:10:51] Speaker B: 4:45. [01:10:53] Speaker A: All right, we got. We got about 30 minutes. [01:10:54] Speaker B: Okay. Get an idea. Yeah, yeah. No, I just got to take home. And. And so the deacon. Blind deacon. Yeah, blind. But. But, yeah. How God puts different people in your life the whole way. But. So this is. So I walk in with the Mennonites, and God's discipling me and going, you know, and I'm gaining his faith and his strength. You know, that was the one thing that I knew the Mennonites needed a net man. But I needed faith. You know what I mean? I needed some faith to get me through this. But it came about time for me to go home. Now. Robin started coming up, brought the kids. And when I was over with the Mennonites, we kind of broke the rules a little bit because your family ain't supposed to be able to come see you except on family days. But they came up and stayed with the Mennonites. And, you know, it's funny about the Mennonites and Robin. So here comes Robin. You know, I told Robin, I said, don't be wearing your leopard up there and your jewelry and all. I said, you got to come plain, you know, plain as Robin. [01:12:02] Speaker A: She's a Southern debutante. [01:12:05] Speaker B: Plain as Robin could be. We go. And of course, the women sit on one side of the church and men on the other. So Robin's sitting over there with them. But afterwards, we all went and had dinner at one of the midnight's house. And I could hear them in the kitchen, the women, they was grilling Robin, checking Robin out. Robin was telling them all at that time, she was director Jack and Jill minister, you know, and everything. Well, Robin excused herself to go to the restroom. And I could hear those Mennonite women in there. One of them said, oh, she's going to heaven. Oh, she's. She's. Yeah, you know, they was in there taking her inventory, you know, bless her heart. But anyhow, Robin and family got to come see me. So when I got out, I was Coming back home, I mean, God had done. Restored. [01:12:48] Speaker A: That was that scary, going back into real life. [01:12:51] Speaker B: Well, here's. Let me tell you as it came down to the wire, okay? I'm going home in two weeks, man, I started getting scared. Oh, buddy. I started. My mind, you know? And this is one thing Mr. George taught me, you know, your mind's a powerful thing. All of us, it's our own worst enemy. We're our worst enemy if we leave our mind. I guess God teaches us, you know, control your thoughts, you know, and because you're mine. So, my boy, the wheel started turning my mind, and I started crying out to God again. I started praying. I said, lord, I. I need something else. I don't know. I don't know what else you got for me, but I need some. I don't feel like I. And I was reminding God, I said, there's a liquor store on every corner, you know, in front of me. [01:13:42] Speaker A: And it's funny how so many people avoid rehab because of fear. Yeah, they're afraid to go into it, but. But once you've recovered to some degree, real life, boom. [01:13:55] Speaker B: Now. [01:13:56] Speaker A: Now that's what got you in the shape to begin with. [01:13:58] Speaker B: I'm like. I'm just. You know, I'm like. I'm telling God, I said, God, you know, I just. Soon, let's stay up here with the Mennonite. I'll be a farmer. I didn't learn how to drive a tractor and all, you know, But I knew. But where does God send me? He sent me right back, you know, And I told God, I said, lord, And I fell on my face time after time. They all know me there as the town drunk, you know, they all know to fail. I'm a failure, you know, the big loser. I used to do like that. I put a big loser on my head. But that was, you know. And I didn't hear nothing from him. Didn't hear nothing from him in a while. And then one Saturday on the weekends, I didn't work with the Mennonites just a week, but this one particular Saturday called me in and said, hey, the Mennonites here want to know if you'll work. Go help them in Augusta today. I said, oh, yeah, because I love being around them. I said, oh, yeah, I'll go. So we went to Augusta, me and Allen and his daddy. They had some rental properties in Augusta, Georgia. And they had this big gas tank up the hill, and they wanted to run a gas line down to the rental unit down below. And so we was just Digging a line, going to run a line underground down there. Doing that all day long. And I was too embarrassed to tell them that. I was embarrassed to tell them that I was scared about going home. Now here I was. I was supposed to be full of faith. I've been walking with them in the word, you know, supposed to be strong. And here I was, scared to death. Death about failing. And. And I didn't. I didn't want to tell him, but Allen. So we get in the truck to go home. Allen said, hey, before I take you back, I'm gonna feed you a steak. I said, that sounds good. So we went to the Western Sizzler in Augusta. And we're sitting there. Alan's sitting over there like you are. And we're looking, talking at each other. And Alan starts grinning and laughing. I didn't know what he's doing. And all of a sudden, this huge black man walks up, and he's just chiseled out of a piece of granite. Turns out that he's an ex St. Louis Cardinal football player. He owns half the Gold's Gym, and he owns that Western Sizzler. And he sits down, and Allen introduced him. We start talking. He was a guy, I was telling you. He's like a walking King James. He quoted scripture to everything we went to say. He had a scripture that related to what was going on. He just kept on and on. And I'm sitting there listening and listening, and there was another gentleman sitting over here eating a steak. He kind of got in on a conversation. Next thing I knew, this man led him to the Lord, and they was exchanging phone numbers. He was going to pick him up and take him to church Sunday. But he said to Christ, right in front of my eye and that. And I'll just never forget it. And as we were going home, Allen taking me back, it just dawned on me how powerful I was. Intrigued. The power of the Word. I just went to bed that night thinking, and Allen was just laughing about it. I said, allen, you ever heard. He says, no. That guy, he knew scripture, didn't he? I said, oh, yeah. I went to bed that night thinking about how powerful the word of God is. The next morning, Sunday, here come the Baptist deacons in with a Sunday school lesson. But this particular doodle wasn't with him this week. It was just Barry. But he had this skinny white boy with him with long blond hair, and he had on a Jesus freak T shirt. And he kind of reminded my brother during the surfing days, Tommy, you know? But guess what? He started interacting with those guys in there. He was quoting scripture just off the top of his head like it was nobody's business. And I was sitting there listening. And then I heard that voice again. That voice, that same voice. He said, johnny, he says, my word is going to keep you sober. My word is at your strength. And it was like, oh, that same feeling, same feeling as when I received salvation. Same feeling that night at 3:00 in the morning. Same one when I kneeled down and surrendered again and asked for forgiveness. That same feeling, just that warm feeling fell over me and boom, I was at peace. That was it. I knew. [01:18:20] Speaker A: Going back to. Going back to Fernandina, coming back into reality. Did the family and the business receive you back with open arms and say, now you're sober. Did good before, but you're going to do so much better? [01:18:34] Speaker B: No, not right off. Not right off the bat. When I first came back, I started working for a boy that I had trained in the shrimp net business that had his own business. And I went. So I started. I went back and I was working with him. We was building shrimp nets. And that's a whole nother long story, but that's where I was at. But the key to the thing about what happened was, though, as me and Robin's driving back from up there, I'm thinking about what God told me about the power of being His Word. I'm already kind of thinking, planning out what I'm going to be doing. And I really didn't know where I was going to work then. But I said, well, you know, I don't need to go back to AA because they're not teaching the Word over there. You know what I mean? The Word's being taught at church, is where we go. I need to get my Bible out. I need to go back to church. But that voice, Jesus says, oh, no, no, no, no. He stopped me dead in my tracks when I. About that thought. He said, no, you're going back over there because you're going to tell them about me. And I said, I said, lord, I'm going to tell them about you. I says, you know, they don't talk about Jesus over there. You know, not saying that. Some. That's not their higher power. Right. But it's not. [01:19:51] Speaker A: It's not pushed. [01:19:52] Speaker B: Yeah. And the Bible's not over there. Whatever. Jesus said, no, you're going back over there. Tell them about me. You know, I said, okay. And I did. And I remember I went over there and as time went on, it was just. But here's here's what. And this was the biggest, big one of the biggest things in my whole recovery and walk. My walk with God. Two weeks. I don't know what it is about two weeks. Well, it was about two weeks in. I'm going over there to the media room. That's what it's called. And I'm breaking all the anonymities. But, you know, I feel like one. One of the things wrong with alcohol is anonymous. It's a little too anonymous. [01:20:27] Speaker A: Yeah, that's. That's something I've noticed in this community especially, you know, cultures changed and the way that the taboo of alcoholism. But. But that's changed in this community in. In recent. [01:20:39] Speaker B: It has changed. [01:20:40] Speaker A: And you're probably a lot of the reason for that. You've got to. At some point, you recognize that we're all broken somehow. And. And it's not something to hide in shame, you know, it's the kind of thing that the light, bring it into the light, and there's a lot of hope there. I'm glad that there's anonymity to start. [01:21:03] Speaker B: With, because some lights would never go right. Exactly. And I think that's the reason. [01:21:08] Speaker A: But eventually there's not. [01:21:10] Speaker B: There's healing, and that's when you get healed. That's when you admit. And, you know, and there's a funny story about that, too. But. But this big thing, Zach. So I'm going about two weeks in, I'm going to the Million Room, and I'm sitting there and I'm looking over there and there's this chalkboard, and you could barely read it. But I think I'm looking at that thing, trying to figure out what it says. And finally I asked this old timer in there, I said, what does that chalkboard, what does that say up there? He said, oh, that's the jail ministry. I said, what, the jail minster? He said, yeah. He said they used to carry a meeting out to the Nassau County Jail on Tuesday nights at 7:00. And I said, they don't do it anymore. He says, ah, nobody's been in a couple years that I know of, you know. And he said, why? I said, oh, don't worry about it. And I heard the jail. I said, well, I'm trying to stay out of jail, but that thing called my. Every time I went in there, I'm going. And finally I said, I said, jesus, I said, lord, you want me to go to jail now? I didn't hear nothing this time. I didn't hear nothing. But I knew I Said I'll go to the jail. And as soon as I said that, that feeling, it just like that was my reaffirmation. It's just like fresh wind. I always think about Jim Simler. Fresh wind, fresh fire. That's what it remind me of. It's just boom, he just kicked me out. So I knew it was right. So what I do next Tuesday night, I grabbed the Alcoholics Novice, but grab the Big Book they call it. And I go out there and it's the old jail. And I knock on the door and the guy comes and I said, they used to have an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting out here at 7 o'clock on Tuesday nights. I was just wondering if I could have one. And the guy, you know, he kind of. I don't know, he said, but I'll check, see. Well, about 10 minutes later, he comes back. Come on in. I went in there, they didn't ask me for my driver's license, didn't even ask me my name, nothing. I go back there and there's a picnic table outside the pod in the old jail. You could see in the pod you could see all the guys in there. So I'm sitting down at the picnic table and the guard goes over there, opens the door and he hollers, aa. AA meeting, you know, and. And they all looking at it, you know, one guy comes out. So me and one guy have a meeting and we just talk and just had a AA meeting, you know, share just two of. So we had a long time talk. Then we got through. At the end of every AA meeting, we all hold hands and say the Lord's Prayer. Our Father, who art in heaven. So me and him held hands, said the Lord's Prayer. All those guys watching. So there we go. Next week I go back out there again. Well, this time there's about 12 guys came out. We had a meeting, went on. Next time about 17. Next time it was about 30. Next time it was getting big. So just there we go, having meetings at the jail, having meetings at the jail. And then we moved from the old jail to the new jail. Went out there in the new jail. You go out there and get buzzed in. And they got a sign up there walking the mile over the old pod. And so I did that for 16 years. [01:24:31] Speaker A: Wow. [01:24:31] Speaker B: And I'll never forget the first time the really big breakthrough is one, I took Tony Nolan in there and you know, he's an evangelist. Yeah. And Tony was coming to do a crusade or revival at our church. And I asked Tony if he'd Go to jail with me. He said, ah, sure. He put his leather jacket on, kind of kicked his hair up crazy. And we went in there that night and 27 got saved. [01:24:58] Speaker A: Wow. [01:24:58] Speaker B: I mean, he just, you know how he does, you know, he just. He's telling them how he grew up. His mother was a prostitute and he was a drug dealer. Sin City, that's where Tony grew up in Atlantic beach over there, what they call Sin City in Jacksonville. And he sucked them all in and then he just flipped the switch and who, what he is now, what he's doing now and how much God loves him and all that. And you could just see him, you know, just the guys just move. And so that's the way it went. And over time, I can't tell you how many got saved over there in 16 years. It was just at some point you're. [01:25:38] Speaker A: Clean, you're sober, you're serving Jesus and you're faithful in the word and church. At what point did you look at those shrimp nets and say they could be something more. [01:25:53] Speaker B: You know, well, before I ever got sober, you know, we had kind of switched from. Or we started filling in with baseball during the slow times of the shrimp net business. I mean, we were all about, you know, making money and surviving, doing what you need to do. So that was already kind of there, but it was in rehab. It was up there sitting on the porch, out there on those lines. I was thinking. And you know, at first when I was in rehab, Bridge of hope. I was thinking, I don't know if I'm gonna do nets. I might be a farmer. I don't know what I'm going to do. That's all I ever done. But I don't know if I'm going to do that. But then what? But then God hooks me up with the midnight. So I'm building catfish things. I say, okay, God, I'm going to be a net man. You know, I kind of. I kind of took that on. I'm going to be a net man till I die. So. But I got to thinking, I said, you know what, though? Those long days of building shrimp nets, 12 hour days, trying to make it ends meet. We done been in baseball long enough. I knew it was more profitable and I done. But I asked the Lord, I said, lord, if it's all right with you, I think I just want to go back and do baseball and sports. [01:27:11] Speaker A: And these are the nets, like at. [01:27:12] Speaker B: The backstop, backstops, the batting cages, all the screens and everything. And I'd already started installing. I actually Put my first backstop up when I was about 16, about when my mama died. And so I'd been doing it a long time. But it's hard, you know, it's hard to install backstops and do anything drunk. Yeah, yeah, it's hard to do it sober, I'm sure. Yeah, but it's a lot easier sober. And so when I came back, that was in my mind. That was the vision I had. But I didn't know how I was going to get there. I was just one day at a time, one step at a time. And actually, I tell everybody now, you know, it's like I surrendered. I tried to write the story of my life for 40 years, you know, and I did a terrible job of it. It got bad, you know what I mean? It was a mess, you know, I didn't want to read it and certainly nobody else would. So that night, 3:00 in the morning, I pretty much just turned a pen over to God and I said, okay, you write it. I'm going with you. I don't know where we're going. You write it. And that's the way it's been ever since. And he started writing this thing. And so I get back and I'm working with this other boy. And then at some point, my brother asked me to come back to work for him. I wasn't sure, wasn't sure about it, and I prayed about it. I actually took Robin and my kids. We all went out and met with him and all, but it was something, something there, the family. And I'm a family guy and family means a lot to me. And so. But I told him, I said, I'll come back. I said, but I'm not doing shrimp nets anymore. And nothing again. I love the shrimp and I miss that, you know, I said, but I want to go sports, baseball. I done made up my mind that, oh, yeah, yeah, that's fine. So let's do it. And so we did, and God just blessed us and we built a beautiful business. And he put, you know, people in my life. He put a son in law in my life. A great Christian man, as good as gold. You thought, one of the biggest blessings of my life has been him and just how this all turned out, I can tell. [01:29:29] Speaker A: And I can. I can see the way that you've influenced Eli and the impact that you've made in his life. And that's been beautiful to watch. [01:29:40] Speaker B: And that works both ways. What a great, what a blessing. [01:29:45] Speaker A: Tell me about netting professionals right now. Not to, you know, toot your horn or whatever. But just to show what God's done, you install for the Atlanta Braves. [01:29:57] Speaker B: Atlanta Braves. [01:29:58] Speaker A: Who are some of the pro teams? [01:30:00] Speaker B: Rockies. I did the Washington Nationals. New stadium when it was built. Fastest stadium ever built. We was in the middle of that. Me and one guy showed up. They want to know where the crew was. I said, you're looking at it. About four days later, we were waving by Division one. Division one? Just about. Oh, you know, all the acc, SEC schools and all over in Oklahoma and out in that area, Oregon. It's unbelievable. [01:30:29] Speaker A: I've seen. I've seen pictures of you with, you know, legendary coaches. [01:30:34] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:30:34] Speaker A: You've met so many people. [01:30:36] Speaker B: So many people just. [01:30:37] Speaker A: Just to watch, you know, just like we said earlier, if the Irish had been sober. [01:30:44] Speaker B: Yeah. What could he have done? Exactly. [01:30:47] Speaker A: You know, it's never too late. [01:30:49] Speaker B: No. [01:30:50] Speaker A: And how were you when you. [01:30:52] Speaker B: 40 years old, when it got sober? [01:30:53] Speaker A: 40 years old. [01:30:55] Speaker B: And we didn't start netting professionals until I was 50, so. [01:30:59] Speaker A: At 50. [01:31:01] Speaker B: 52, I think. 52. [01:31:03] Speaker A: This amazing business that you've been able to build at 52 years old. Our Lord can restore the years. [01:31:13] Speaker B: The locusts have eaten. He can. He can. [01:31:15] Speaker A: You know, and I see you and Robin and just. I don't know anybody who would look at y'all marriage and not envy what y'all have. Y'all are best friends. [01:31:27] Speaker B: Oh, we are. We've been through it, you know, and it was her faith. And, you know, before we even move there, I want to say Will, you know, God put Will in my life. Will Minor is. And Eli and Amelia, they're like, just best friends. And when we started that business, God put us together. You know, Will's a brilliant mind, but he's a great Christian, a good man. [01:31:51] Speaker A: He just talks too much. [01:31:53] Speaker B: Yeah. He don't say a whole lot, but he's like E.F. hutton, though, when he does say something, you listen. He is. He's a humble and brilliant guy and that you really got to know. You just love him. And, Eli, it's been a beautiful thing, looking at it. [01:32:12] Speaker A: I mean, from your children, your associates, the losing your building, and then God. [01:32:23] Speaker B: Giving you a new facility. A new facility. State of the art. [01:32:28] Speaker A: Just seeing all of those things from a man who's not a pastor. I don't know many people who've made the impact on a community and a lasting legacy. [01:32:43] Speaker B: Well, see, even like you see, you don't realize this, but you got your own ideas of how you ended up in Fernandina, but you don't realize I prayed you here. I'm certain, because it was a time when our last pastor left and went somewhere else. I'm saying, like, oh, wait a minute now, here's my. You know, because the whole time I was sober, I was under his tutelage, you know, and I'm like, okay, God, now what's this going on? You know, and you always have different seasons, you know, so got a new season. We had an intern. But the whole time I'm praying, I said, all right, Lord, I know the powers in the Word, and I need somebody to. I need that mainstay of my life still bringing me to worse. I started praying, praying, praying. And how you got here, you know, our team and Sue Ellen, it was a little miracle to work there. She ended up being chairman. Next thing you know, boom, here comes. Here comes Zach Terry, you know, and what a blessing you've been in my life. [01:33:44] Speaker A: Well, it's been. [01:33:45] Speaker B: I mean, I've hung on to every word you've said, and I've learned so much more. Every. Every. Every sermon is something to be learned, and it's in other things that you've taught, just like we talked about earlier about being intentional. Never think about it and all that. But when I, you know, in 24 years, that's what God's called me to do, help others. And in that, alcohol abuse and drug abuse, a lot of it is marriage. It's a lot of relational, you know, And I tell them all the time, I said, look, if you want your marriage to be worked, you know, surely you gotta put God first. You gotta be intentional. And your walk with God, you gotta be intentional. It ain't. You can't just sit back and say, okay, God, do it. No, you've got to seek the Word. You've gotta go. You gotta get up and go to church. You gotta go help others study the Word. You got to be intentional. And that's what anything in the business. As netting professionals, we were intentional about being the best and building a good business, a good Christian business. And we definitely succeeded in doing that. [01:34:48] Speaker A: It's been a joy to watch. And, you know, a lot of people have preconceived ideas about preachers, about First Baptist churches, whatever it might be. And so I hope. I hope a lot of people see this, but I hope that the right people see it, that see that you and I have a genuine friendship. [01:35:07] Speaker B: Amen. [01:35:08] Speaker A: That it's like family. I never knew you before we came here, but it's just like we grew up together. [01:35:14] Speaker B: I'll never forget too when you first came, you know how to quiz you or you came in to body to ask you questions and all that. Somebody asked, you said, what can we do for you? How can we help you? I remember, I never forget you just said, be my friend, right? Just be my friend. And that's what I've seen. I've watched you grow. I'm sitting back, you know, I'm 65, just turned 65. But I've seen you grow. I've seen your family grow, I've seen your kids grow. And it's been beautiful and it is. [01:35:46] Speaker A: It'S a ministry that's probably hopefully, you know what I've got here, I've got a awesome congregation that's yes, very much filled with friends. Not every pastor's got that. And I think, I think preachers just by nature can be peculiar and difficult to connect with. But, but you know, be a friend to your pastor. [01:36:08] Speaker B: Exactly. [01:36:09] Speaker A: Some lonely people out there, you know. [01:36:11] Speaker B: And give them some space and help them out when they need it, you know, I know they're a little weird way love them. [01:36:18] Speaker A: Anyway, you've, you've been good to me and brought me, brought me a bag of shrimp. [01:36:23] Speaker B: Hey, well that's, you know, I don't, that's like been a tradition of mine. I used to do it for brother Jeff and all and that's what the only one thing offer I still know the shrimpers. I know what a fresh shrimp is and it ain't some frozen store bought thing. You know, I like to get them fresh off the boat, caught that day and, and like to get them to you and that's just my way of loving on you. I don't know, it's svelte. I appreciate, you know, and, and your family and I tell you the church has been such a blessing to grow up so many people. I mean you see the mentors in there that I've, I've held on to, you know, and just growed over the years, you know, just, you know, you can hold on somebody else's faith so long, but there comes a time when you got to cross the Jordan alone. And that's when you grow as you grow. [01:37:10] Speaker A: And my prayer in doing this is that there's somebody watching that hopefully they get a little glimpse of what the future could be like. [01:37:22] Speaker B: Amen. And it can, it can. But you got, and you got to realize no matter how far down you've gone, no matter what stage of life you're in or what you're doing, no matter how wrecked your life is and everything. You're just. All it is is one surrender away. That's right. 1. [01:37:41] Speaker A: And if the gospel doesn't work, then it doesn't work at all. [01:37:44] Speaker B: It doesn't work at all. Exactly. [01:37:46] Speaker A: Thank you for being here today, Johnny. It's been a privilege to have you in the studio. [01:37:50] Speaker B: I enjoyed it. Thank you.