Proverbs 10 - Bob Souer

Show intro: 0:03

Welcome to the affirming words podcast, where you're encouraged to speak the word renew your mind and transform your life.

Rick Tarrant: 0:11

Here's your host Rick Tarrant. Well, good morning and welcome to the AWS studio, or the affirming words of abundance studio in Memphis, Tennessee. I am Rick and like Danny, Danny girl in Australia said, we encourage you to speak the word renew your mind, and transform your life. So, Father, we just ask that today that you would help us to continue on this path of speaking your truth, in face of the lie, confronting voice with voice of participating with you in the process of having our hearts healed, our minds renewed, and our lives put back on the path that you created us for from the foundations of the world. We just commit our time together with you with my friend Bob Sauer today in Jesus name, Amen. So we are recording the podcast today and in front of a live Zoom Room audience with guests who may or may not chime in from time to time. So if you'd like to join us on this journey, and you're listening to the podcast, or in Facebook or on YouTube, just go to dub dub dub affirming wisdom.com That's affirming wisdom.com. And, you know, we'll make sure to you know, that, who our next guest is like, you would have gotten an email yesterday about my guest today who is a full time professional storyteller. How would you like to do that for a living just just tell stories all day? He's the narrator. He's narrated numerous audio books, broadcast non broadcast projects for corporations and ministries all across North America. I know you've heard Bob's voice on CBS and PBS and the History Channel and audible.com and iTunes and and just all around the world. Bob is married to Cinda they have four children live in this in the burbs of Pittsburgh, would you please welcome to affirming words, a gentleman I've known for Well, long, long ago and far away.

Bob Souer: 2:00

It's 1986 is when we met Rick

Rick Tarrant: 2:03

1986. Oh, my goodness gracious. Okay, you have a better memory than I as I

Bob Souer: 2:09

know, when I started doing the show that led to Oh, that's right. That's right.

Rick Tarrant: 2:13

Meeting. Like I didn't ladies and gentlemen, Bob Sauer. Rick, I should pull up the sound a little cheap to talk to you today. It has been while 1986 Bob was producing and hosting a ccm countdown. I was owner and producer of a competing contemporary Christian music countdown, I guess we were competing. Although I never felt like a competitor with Bob. And every time I would run into you, all I ever felt was kindness and gentleness and love and the Holy Spirit. And can I just say, maybe I was a little intimidated or maybe a little aggravated. Because Bob and I would go to this convention in Nashville called Gospel Music Association week. And it was the day where all the Christian broadcasters and Christian artists came together and record companies and it was a big brouhaha. And in its day, it was pretty spectacular, huge event. And I would do most of my interviews for the countdown there during for the whole year, we would all gather, I mean, we'd have every 15 or 20 minutes artists coming through. And I cannot tell you how many times an artist would come in to our interview, having just left your suite where you're interviewing them. And they were in tears. They had hankies. Oh, I just left talk with bots hour. And I'm like, it was such a spiritual meaning Converse meaningful commerce. And I'm like, Well, what's your favorite ice cream? Maybe I exaggerate a little well,

Bob Souer: 3:51

thank you, Rick, you've told me that story a couple of times. And all I can say is it was God not need it was doing whatever was moving there. So you know what I remember those years very, very fondly. I remember our many interactions going back then. And in the years since then. And I'm very grateful to be your friend. And thank you for inviting me to come along on this journey through Proverbs in February 2022. And I'm looking forward to reading the Word of God with

Rick Tarrant: 4:23

you. Well, let's jump in right into that because what I've wanted to do is to make a priority, maybe we'll I mean, 10 is kind of long, but let's see if we can persevere and get through through the whole thing. And then if we want to talk about it afterwards, or something entirely different, that's, hey, this, this isn't brought in network radio so we can do whatever we want to do. So you want to start and you're reading from what version?

Bob Souer: 4:47

This is the Berean Study Bible, which is a very new translation, but one that is very faithful to the text of the scriptures in the original languages Nivelle

Rick Tarrant: 5:00

I'll jump over it with a message from Eugene Peterson and, and I'll try to stay in sync with you. But

Bob Souer: 5:06

okay. Proverbs chapter 10. The Proverbs of Solomon. A wise son brings joy to his father but a foolish son grief to his mother. Ill gotten treasures profit nothing but righteousness brings deliverance from death. The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he denies the craving of the wicked. Idle hands make one poor but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but He who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful sun. Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence

Rick Tarrant: 5:50

and switching over to the message. A good and honest life is a blessed Memorial. A wicked life leaves a rotten stench. A wise heart takes orders, an empty head will come unglued. Honesty lives confident and carefree, but shifty is sure to be exposed, and evasive AI is a sign of trouble ahead. But an open face to face meeting results in peace. The mouth of a good person is a deep life giving well, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse. Hatred starts fights. But love pulls a quilt over the bickering.

Bob Souer: 6:34

Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment, the wise store of knowledge but the mouth of the fool invites destruction. The wealth of the rich man is his fortified city. But poverty is the ruin of the poor. The labor of the righteous leads to life, but the gain of the wicked brings punishment. Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life. But he who ignores reproof goes astray. The one who conceals hatred is the one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

Rick Tarrant: 7:20

The more talk the less truth, the wise measure their words, the speech of a good person is worth waiting for the blabber of the wicked is worthless. The talk of a good person is rich fair for many, but chatterboxes die of an empty heart. God's blessing makes life rich. Nothing we do can improve on God. An empty head thinks mischievous fun, but a mindful person relishes wisdom, the nightmares of the wicked come true. What the good people desire they get

Bob Souer: 8:01

when the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more. But the righteous are secure forever. Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes. So is the slacker to those who sent him. The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be cut short. The hope of the righteous is joy, but the expectations of the wicked will perish.

Rick Tarrant: 8:30

God is solid backing to a well lived life. But he calls into question a shabby performance. Good people last they can't be moved. The wicked are here today. Gone Tomorrow. A good person's mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom. A foul mouth is a stagnant swamp. The speech of a good person clears the air, the words of the wicked, polluted, I should have let you finish that out. But it looks like we got got to the end. So let me hear that in the Berean just that last segment from the good people last and they can't be moved.

Bob Souer: 9:09

The righteous will never be shaken but the wicked will not inhabit the land. The mouth of the righteous will bring forth the mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom but a perverse tongue will be cut out. The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.

Rick Tarrant: 9:29

I think that last one is so appropriate for our group affirming words. And the importance of what comes out of our mouth was out of out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. And you know, Bob and I know a voice coach named named Maurice Tobias and she used to have a saying she's she said that your voice would be trade. That's what she said your voice she said Your voice will always betray you. So if you're Feeling one thing and reading another. She said, You know, you may be saying the right words, but your voice will actually betray you. And I think also that, but also our words betray us when there are negative, stinking thinking kicks in, and we start speaking the way we're feeling in the lies and such as that. So thank you for doing that with me, Bob. Well, you're

Bob Souer: 10:20

welcome. Mentioning Maurice Tobias reminds me of a workshop in, I believe it was in Chicago that I did with her one weekend. And she comes around with a bunch of commercial copy to use in the booth when you're studying with her. And I had selected a particular piece of coffee and I took it in and I thought I did a fabulous job reading this commercial. And Maurice comes on the line. As soon as I finished reading and said, You don't like doing it was a commercial for a lawnmower? She said, You don't like doing lawn work, do you? And I said, No, I don't. And she said, your voice will always betray you. So even though I thought I was masking my dislike of yard work, and when I was reading this commercial, I was not. Yeah. And it came through loud and clear to her. So that you know, illustrates the point you were just making and is a quick story about Maurice and her insightful views on people in their performance abilities.

Rick Tarrant: 11:30

Well, and that kind of lines up with something we talked about sometimes here and affirming words, there can be an increased income, I can get my teeth wrapped around my tongue, in an incongruence of sometimes of like, just quoting a scripture or just you know, trying to be positive or affirming without without it having gone deeper. So I think there is a starting point. Yes, I can speak the words I know the plans I have for you plans to prosper you not to harm you plans to give you a hope and a future. I've said it 1000 times, Lord ones are gonna happen, you know, but, but when you get to that point of realizing, Oh, God does love me. He is for me, all of his promises are yes and amen. He doesn't withhold from his children. If he's called them to do something, he's going to provide the means for them to go do the thing he's called them to do then I can honestly say, Lord, I know you know the plan. I may not understand but you know, the plans you have for me make plans to prosper any good for me plans to give me a hope and a future. I'm still here, you ain't done with me. And getting in alignment and actually believing it then when the winds blow, I can speak that out and maybe get me through that momentary panic that I might be feeling in that moment. You know, I'm saying the, the congruent T, which in your, in your realm? How many? How many audio books do you think you've read?

Bob Souer: 12:51

somewhere a little over 300? Because I know sometime in the second half of 2021, I passed the 300 mark

Rick Tarrant: 13:00

300 audio books. Oh, and can I just can I play a clip that I did, too? Well, I do. I do. I'd like to play this clip for the audio and the the video audience of something I found on YouTube a moment ago. It's shiny, it's blue, and it's beautiful.

Unknown: 13:23

Blue sky from American Express. It's a rare but effective setup, underground beneath a normal residential garage, a professional voiceover studio, almost as rare and effective as the voice who occupies it.

Bob Souer: 13:40

Forklift theory and classroom training are an important part of understanding the fundamentals of forklifts. This session is a theory overview on forklifts, and must be followed by specific practical and hands on training. Practical Training, supervised evaluation and testing must be implemented for each class of forklift to be operated. This session will run approximately 30 minutes, there will be a 15 question quiz at the end, a certificate of completion will be generated after successfully completing the quiz.

Unknown: 14:11

Bob Sauer has been a professional voiceover artist for nearly 30 years, product commercials, audio books, documentaries, corporate videos, all on the resume of one very talented storytelling man and voice.

Bob Souer: 14:25

I love telling stories and I love to focus on the story. When I'm doing a voiceover I don't worry too much about what my voice sounds like. I don't think a lot about you know the pitch or tone or those kinds of things. And when somebody directs me they say Could you do a deeper Could you do it higher or whatever. But otherwise, I just try to focus on the story. What is the story? What is it about? What are we trying to say? What are we trying to sell? If it's a commercial to hear

Unknown: 14:53

more about Bob's work or contact him, visit Bob sauer.com reporting for tonight Total media. I'm Justin levar.

Rick Tarrant: 15:02

I don't know Justin, the barber, thank you very much for that report, Justin, our remote reporter all the way in, in Pittsburgh, PA. So, here's my question, Bob. This feels like you're obviously your life calling your vocation after being in Christian radio and doing the countdown and then going to direct radio for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for a season. This is where you've settled in this season of your life. Did you know in your knower that this is what you were called to do? And if so, how did you transition to find Well, path.

Bob Souer: 15:35

I started working in, voiceovers professionally in 1983. Briefly, the story was I was working at a radio station on a Christian station, the general manager in a fit of generosity took the entire staff of the radio station out for a free lunch. Except me, I was doing middays at the station, it was an easy listening station back in the 70s. And so I had because I was doing mid days, I had to stay at the station, it was live. So everybody else, even the receptionist was out enjoying a free lunch on the generosity of the General Manager. But I was sitting back at the station, having a pity party for myself, because they were all getting a free lunch and I was eating my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And feeling really sorry for myself. But like I said, the receptionist left. So I had to answer the phone as well as being on the air. There was usually, you know, six or seven minutes of music between commercial breaks. So there was always time to answer the phone. And the phone rings. And it's this fellow who introduces himself and says he and his brother have started this video production company and they listened to the station and does anybody there want to audition for a voiceover job? And I said, What about me? And he said, Do you have a demo tape and I said kumbaya at three o'clock. You know where we are. And I explained where the station was located. He said, Oh, yeah, I know right where it is. And so when my my friend Todd Beasley still one of my good friends. He lives in Virginia now, but we stay in touch. Todd was a production manager, he came back from his free lunch. And I said, Todd, this is what happened. And he helped me put together a quick little demo tape based on some of the things I had done at the station. And the guy came by at three o'clock I handed him the cassette tape that we had put together for my demo. And nine months later, he calls me back to say, well, it was for a government job. And so it's taken us this long to get all the paperwork lined up. Would you like to do with this job? And I said, Yes. So that was my first job. That company those two brothers, and eventually their employees went from being wedding videographers just starting to do commercial voice, commercial video production to a$7 million a year company in four years Wowzers. And I did all of their voiceovers during those four years. So that was how God got me into voiceovers. And it was literally on the job training. Now, I've always loved to read. I mean, my grandmother, my mom's mom was the librarian in the little town in Minnesota where I grew up. She actually told my mom, I think Bob is reading too much. Our librarian says you're reading too much, you know, you're reading a lot. That was I think I was in ninth grade at the time. And I had just gone home with a huge stack of books from the library. And she was concerned that I was just spending all my time reading. Well, I love to read. And so being able to read, in particular, reading audio books is like, this is what God made me to do. Because now I get to not only read all kinds of interesting things I get paid to do. So I provide for my family while doing something I absolutely love. I had more than 10 years of private voice lessons studying to be an opera singer. And when I was finishing up college and realized what it would take to be successful as an opera singer living in Europe for probably 20 years on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. But then I learned peanut butter is an American invention. So it would be Nutella and jelly sandwiches. I wasn't willing to do it. So I abandon that career. But all of those years of training, of learning to phrase learning to shape the voice learning to support the voice all of those things. Not God didn't waste a single bit of that. Because I use those that training every single day. And so, you know, that was I look back and I see these things that God used to sort of move me slowly For the experiences that I needed to have, you mentioned, when we were first starting up, you know, we met in at the GMA Gospel Music Association convention in 1986. And it was a big deal, it took up a whole hotel and Convention Center. But there was a perspective that I got a couple years later, my first wife died of cancer, just two and a half months before the GMA in 88. And one evening, because it was important to be there for our countdown shows, and, and just, you know, meeting people and so forth. So I couldn't sleep one night, and I got up and I walked around downtown Nashville, because the GMA was always held in Nashville, Tennessee. And I'm walking around, praying, weeping. And as I'm walking, because, you know, Nashville is a little bit hilly. So I'm walking back toward the hotel where the convention is being held, and walking down the street coming downhill, and the hotel is straight in front of me, you know that the buildings are another side of the street, but directly in front of me is the tall tower of the hotel. And I was walking along, and it was like, this was what God said, this world of gospel music of Christian music fits inside this one hotel. That's how big it is. So it was a real perspective shift to realize, you know, what things that I think are a big deal, sometimes really aren't that big of a deal. Wow. And sometimes it's just God, you know, using that same convention, musician, a guy that I'm still somewhat friends with all these years later, Jeff Moore, he came in to do an interview with me. And when his publicist left to the room, so that we could sit and record without any distractions. And he turned to me and he said, Well, how are you doing, Bob, he knew that my wife had died. And I literally burst into tears, uncontrollable sobbing for the entire half hour that we had scheduled. For that interview, I could not stop crying. What Jeff did is he reached across the table in between us, took hold of my hand, didn't say a word, and just held my hand. For half an hour, I kept trying to say something, to thank him for being comforting and to, you know, say something encouraging or recover myself, but I could not stop crying. And then the publicist came back and opened the door to walk into the room. And all of a sudden, I got back in control of myself. But that was a perfect example, again, of God, meeting me in the exact moment with exactly what I needed. Giving me the comfort that I needed at that time. Man, that was well, obviously it stuck in my mind all these years later.

Rick Tarrant: 23:22

I remember interacting we I remember you and I staying up late one night, in either your room or my room talking about such things. And it was it must not have been that year must have been the following year, because I don't think it was still quite as fresh. But still, yeah, but still fresh. And I'm just did that. Going through that? And hearing? What here's a question, Bob. When I went through hard times, I heard from God, I didn't like what I heard. And then I kind of crawled under a rock. You went through this devastating time, and your relationship with the Lord. You were hearing clearly and he brought comfort. And I'm just wondering, how did you transition that or was it well, you consciously thought or did it just happened naturally for you?

Bob Souer: 24:13

It was not me. It was God being I think, gracious to realize. If he left me to muddle my way through I was going to make a complete mess. And if he didn't hold me carefully, and provide me with what I needed at every step of the way, I was going to just go right off the deep end.

Rick Tarrant: 24:35

Was there other community, not me,

Bob Souer: 24:38

was there Oh, we had around you at a church that that we were very involved with. And there were my daughter to this day, and she's going to be 40 later this year. So that puts in she was five when her mom died, so that was 35 years ago. To this day, she hates black olives because so many people made so many lasagna is another Italian dishes for us that had black olives in them. She so sick of black olives, she's would say when people would drop food off of the house, does it have black olives? Dad? Yes. I don't want any. As a five year old, she learned to hate black olives because of you know, but it was the generosity of so many people taking care of is caring for us. And all these years later, I still love black olives because I liked them since I was a kid, but my daughter can't stand them. She doesn't like green olives either. So I guess there's something about olives that this doesn't go go over with

Rick Tarrant: 25:34

her. So for you, as far as finding your wisdom and your life calling in your vocation, it was just it sounds like it was just going through the doors that the Lord opened for you. Yeah, yeah,

Bob Souer: 25:46

it literally was, I think God knew, because he asked to beat me upside the head with a two by four occasionally that if he didn't carefully Shepherd me along the way, again, I was probably going to go right off the rails. And so I'm incredibly grateful. I mean, God has been very, very kind and open doors and close all the other ones. See, I didn't, I mean, I've made lots and lots of mistakes, I remain, you know, a competitor with the Apostle Paul is chief of sinners. But at the same time, God has so often closed everything else off and just lift that one door open. In 2006, when I got cast to do my very first audiobook, which was for Thomas Nelson, the New King James Version of the Bible, I had no idea that was the start of my, you know, my journey as an audiobook narrator I thought it was just going to be another job. But God, you know, pushed me through that door. And then other opportunities began to appear. And, you know, again, it was, I mean, I suppose if I had been, you know, overtly rebellious, I could have derailed my life. Sure, in fact, I can look back and I can see all those places along the way where I could have sailed off in various directions, and yet God's protecting hand was holding me. So I can see those. And I can also see all the places where God protected me from those things. So many stories of of God's kind in sovereign Providence to to keep my footsteps. Well, in

Rick Tarrant: 27:27

addition to reading the word professionally, how has the word weaved in in through your spiritual life?

Bob Souer: 27:35

Well, yours before we started, I was thinking we were just reading in Proverbs chapter 10. Right. So this is from a few chapters later, but you're familiar with as iron sharpens iron, so one brother sharpens another, right? Yes. And when I was in high school, the A young man moved to town was roughly my same age, we were juniors in high school. And we met, just a couple of days after school started, we ended up in one of the classes, and we became best friends. And in the years since then, because the interesting thing was, he was immediately popular with everyone. I was very shy, very introverted, wasn't outgoing at all, and so didn't really have a lot of friends. And Rick was his name Rick Olson. So Rick, and I become best friends. And God begins to use us because Rick is a little reticent about sharing his faith. I am walking around the school building, bopping people over the head with my Bible. Not that I was some great evangelist, I don't mean that. But I just wasn't afraid to share my faith. Rick was a little more reticent. But Rick was able to make friends like nothing. I mean, it was just so easy for him. And I couldn't do that

Rick Tarrant: 28:57

maybe because he was a lump in people on the head with a bio major. But the point

Bob Souer: 29:01

is, God used us to sharpen one another. Rick helped me to figure out that maybe if I was a little less aggressive in the way I approached people, that it would be easier to be friends with him. And at the same time, I helped him see that you know what, you can just open your mouth and talk about Jesus. And you know, if people are offended, well, they're offended. But at the same time, things work out remarkably well, especially if God's hand is in it an awful lot of the time as well. So I you know, I think about those, those interactions back then, and how God has continued to use, you know, you and I, we were rivals, in a sense, because we had two different programs that did roughly the same thing, at roughly the same time. But at the same time, you know, God put us in the same place and we grew to love one another as friends, and to share our faith with one another and to encourage one another. So God has used you in that same way in my life, to sharpen me to deepen my appreciation for the way God is at work. It's not necessarily any specific conversation I can point to and say, Well, I remember when Rick told me that, Rick Tarrant, I mean, now, it's surprising how many friends you have over the years named Rick. But in any case, you know, God consistently puts these people, you know, put me in the life of other people and them in my life, to help me grow in my understanding of how to be a good friend how to be a good Christian, how to be a good husband. I still fail at it woefully an awful lot of the time. But you know, God is good. God is faithful. Well, more can you say,

Rick Tarrant: 30:47

you know, I, as you say that I really do wish I had reached out to you more through the years. And, and the affirming words of group firming words of group, the firming words of abundance group knows my story. All too well. There's like, Rick, could you just tell another story, hey, it's the only one I got guys. It's my story. But when I crashed and burned, I isolated myself, and didn't reach out to people like you, who maybe could have put an arm around the shoulder and said, Hey, come on, Rick, let's go this way. Here's some wisdom, you know, that, you know, just an encouraging word to get you through that moment. But instead, my mistake was I, I, I went dark, and stayed dark, you know, for a long time. And you know, as you we our paths crossed at this voiceover convention. Some was it 12 years ago, I believe. You know, and I remember, I remember talking to you about, you know, different voice coaches. And, and such as that, and you said something to me like, well, well, you could, you could sign up with her. And you could get coaching because I think you were saying you coached under this person, then your career took a big jump, and was one of those kinds of conversations, and I didn't I don't think I would not have said this to you. But I remember thinking, yeah, it's good for Bob. But now that won't work. For me. It was just that was where I was at it was the thoughts were so dark. And I was not speaking the truth. I was just speaking the dark thought. And I think that's why this whole process of what we're talking about is so important to me now is because I still can go there. I mean, it's still an easy, you know, I grew up in a very negative household, atheist for Father and that sort of thing. So I didn't have the, the warm, nurturing, you know, the, as some of our friends raised in Christian homes, you know, they had the word in there, even when they went through a hard time it wasn't leaving, you know, so that this is just important to me to continue to speak the word to find the truth to talk to brothers, like you and to, and I encourage all of us just not to, not to isolate, you know, and and then you start there. Well, you know, Bob's busy on and I hate to bother him, that kind of thing. It's just so easy to talk ourselves out of friendship. When Well,

Bob Souer: 32:58

let me know reiterate, Rick, you have my explicit permission to call any time of day or night, whenever you need to talk? Well, I remember that.

Rick Tarrant: 33:07

I do remember that. And I will, I will. And I was I was just saying, I was doing a session last night with our friend Mark Cashman who's my voiceover coach right now. And he was just he was saying, you know, he was he was saying he'd like to do a zoom call with all three of us. He'd like to visit visit with you as well. So there's somebody else whose life we can speak into. But in the interim, I interrupted you. No, no,

Bob Souer: 33:32

no, I, I was just thinking, it's very difficult sometimes, to look back at our life and see, why did I have to go through that? Right? I mean, you've got this time of real darkness in your life. And it may already be that you've had some of this experience, but there's no doubt in my mind, that you are going to be able to come alongside someone else who is in a time of real darkness. And you are going to be the light that they need to God is going to use in their life. I have absolute confidence that part of it's because having had some experiences of my own. I can't count the number of times. I was working at CBN quite a number of years ago. And as I walked out of the studio building to into the parking lot to walk over to where my car was parked. There was a gentleman who had been standing there talking to the security guard at the door. And he turned and walked out the door at the same time as me. We're walking through the parking lot not you know, just idly chatting, nothing important. And I stopped walking because we came to the spot where I needed to turn and go down a different aisle to go to where my car was parked. And as I opened my mouth to say, well, I need to go over there my cars that way. Before I could speak, he said I buried my wife last week. Just out of the blue. Somehow God laid it on his heart that I was somebody that he could share that news with. And I said, Well, it was a little more than a week ago. But I've been through that exact same experience. And we stood there in the parking lot for several minutes, we talked, he asked a bunch of questions, I did the best I could to answer him. I can't remember, I think we prayed together. And then he was ready to go. And I walked over to my car and left. And the interesting thing is, I never saw him again. But that was just one of those God moments, right? I had no idea when this guy walked out, you know, leaving his conversation with his security guard. At the same time, I walked out the door, that this is what he needed, he needed to talk to somebody who had been through that path, and could offer some words of encouragement, especially knowing that God was holding him in his hand. There is going to come a time when and it may not be while you're working at CBN, walking out the door of the studio building to the parking lot. But there will be an opportunity or more than one, where God's going to use that time of darkness in your life. Even though you look at it obviously the way you've described it with some regrets over the choices that you made with God doesn't waste anything. That's right. No, you know, all those years, I spent studying to be an opera singer, and I still sing in choir at church. But, you know, I did not become a professional musician. And I don't really regret that in the slightest, because God hasn't wasted a single moment of any of it.

Rick Tarrant: 36:48

Well, that would have been a totally different lifestyle. But I hear what you're saying, you know, Paul said, We comfort others with the comfort we've received. And obviously you haven't walked through that path. Had you not? And had you not received comfort in that during that season of your life, then you wouldn't have even been in a position? Correct. Had one man even addressed you, you might have been just sort of, hey, well, tough. Um, you know, I don't know, you're kinder than that you would, but you actually had been through it. And there's, you know, it's like, Jeff Moore, holding your hand. I had a brother tell me once his brother was killed, and I was very young man, but his brother was killed in an automobile accident. And I didn't like funerals. And they made me uncomfortable. And I didn't know what to say. And so I didn't go to the funeral. And sometime later, I said, Man, I'm really sorry, I didn't go to your brother's funeral. As I said, I really didn't know what to say. And I'll always remember what he said to me. He said, You didn't have to say anything. Just being there enough. That's always kind of stuck with me, you know, and you're in a situation like that, and you really want to dial it back. Just go ahead and just just show up.

Bob Souer: 37:57

Yeah, indeed, I think we, it's so tempting to want to offer a word of Scripture, offer a word of advice, offer a word of comfort, and most of the time, and that was exactly what the Jeff Moore story was illustrating is you don't have to say a word. Just be there with somebody hold on to them when they're suffering great loss. It could be because they lost a job because of a death in the family because of, you know, any number of things, some kind of financial reversal, whatever it is, whatever is causing the grief, it doesn't need you to say anything. In fact, it's better if you don't. I heard that from multiple people that I've talked to over the years, who have also experienced the death of a loved one. The people who are most helpful to them were the ones who said nothing at all. And just spent time wow. So I'm sorry that you got a somebody interrupting me, I need to

Rick Tarrant: 39:12

they need to take that call. Nope. No, I was just pausing because I didn't want to as former broadcasters, we tend to be afraid of dead air and I was just I just wanted to let that sit for a minute and just and actually see if it resonated with anyone in our, in our firming words, family this morning. And just give them an opportunity to if they wanted to raise their hand or interject or ask a question. Don't rush past that. You know. That's one thing I always appreciated about you is you're even during those busy weeks, your ability to sit down and and take time and have a conversation I think I think that's what all the artists experienced with you as well. And speaking of art, Just this young man sings gospel music sings Jesus music, but he could sing any genre of music. And that's my friend, Danny Cosby, who also has a prison ministry. In fact, Danny knows something real. He's real intimate with the prison life, aren't you? Haven't you been? Not right now currently, but anyway, I see. Danny, I see your hand raised. So you have a question or comment for Bob?

Danny Cosby: 40:26

Yeah, thankfully, I'm not in prison right now. I got my camera off, because I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off. But I'll be very brief. Rick and Bob, both y'all. Man. I'm glad I don't have my camera on. Because this, this session is hit me like a ton of bricks man and I just been weeping. This whole time, especially Bob, when you talked about so transparently your situation of you, crying, not being able to stop that just really touched my heart because I've been there and, and Rick, I know your darkness, that you've gone through that still trust to nip at your ankles and how the Lord just keeps carrying us From Glory to Glory, from faith to faith and long story short. I was like, I'm gonna shut up not say nothing. I just want to listen, these two guys and the best voices I've ever heard. I just want to sit and listen. It's like I'm getting a free, calming session with your voices. But I had to just share a good friend of mine. That's a Stephen minister, who basically those guys and gals walk with people through terrible times. Y'all probably know what I'm talking about. I remember Jim. Oh, wow. They I knew it. I just knew it. And he said, Danny, he said, I've walked with countless people through deaths, divorce, loss of child stillborn births, etc. And he said, the one thing they all say consistently and you know, Stephen Minister can't share what they're going through in another person. So he said consistently, they've all said, I don't remember anything you said. But I remember you being there. And my wife and this picture y'all are looking at she lost her first, her daughter wasn't quite a year old, drowned in the bathtub. While she was at work, her husband was giving her a bath and left for that proverbial moment came back thought everything would be okay. And she said, the people that walked in, and she still is able to raise her hands and praise the Lord at church. And people wonder how can you do that? She said, Oh, I've got a relationship with God. We've fought and wrestled, and I've punched him, and he's held me while I punched him. And once I get tired of punching him, he holds me and I lean into his chest. And she said, the people that stood with me and didn't say a word were the most help. And I just want to share that with you, man. You're so right on point. And I'm gonna shut up now that just this has been a blessing to me. I'm crying my eyes out. Thank you, Danny.

Rick Tarrant: 42:58

Thank you, Danny. Thank you, Danny. As you were saying that, Danny, about Johanna, I was thinking earlier this morning, in my quiet time, that and even talking to Bob about quoting scriptures in the incongruency. Sometimes we can go through the motions. And it might be it's almost I was thinking of it this way. It's almost like we join you can join the church club, or you can join the Jesus club. But you don't really know the founder. But you've got the badges and you've got the you know, you got the clothes and you look right, and you smell right, and you go into the motions and you like the songs. But there's just there's something else missing. And for Johanna, she's got it. It's the relationship with the Lord and when he breathes into you, and that breath of life and that breath of spirit and speaks into your life. It's like even when you go through the the hard crap of life, it's like, it's like Peter said, where else am I gonna go, Lord? I'm in a bad place from it. I don't know where else to go again, hopefully since the turn. And you know, he he walks us through like my grandmother, you say, he takes me by the hand and says, Come on Lorraine. Walk with me. Bob, we have another hand. We have two hands in London. So Jackie, how are you today?

Jackie Raymond: 44:16

I'm really well. Thank you, Mick. The question I wanted to ask either you or Bob actually kind of it kind of cuts across what's going on at the moment. So I wonder if I can wait until later. Please, because it's a more practice more of a practical question. Rather than a ministry one.

Rick Tarrant: 44:38

Oh, well, Anything's fine. And we're just having a conversation here. So Bob will be gone in about 10 minutes. So you have the stage. So

Jackie Raymond: 44:49

in that case, I'm, I'm quite, I'm really interested in going into audio book recording. And I was wanting to ask what would use it recommend is the best way to prepare for that. As Administrator,

Bob Souer: 45:04

there is a website. It's not mine, it's run by a friend of mine called narrators roadmap.com. All is one word. I think it's narrator's. Or maybe it's Narrator roadmap, if the extra is in the middle throws you off, and then drop it. But you will find all kinds of resources there that will help you figure out how to get started. The website is based here in the US, but the principles that are there applied to anywhere in the world.

Jackie Raymond: 45:38

That's great, thank you very much.

Bob Souer: 45:40

You're most welcome.

Rick Tarrant: 45:41

narrator's roadmap.com.

Bob Souer: 45:44

And I believe that it is possible. As a UK resident to work with him, there's another place where you can begin the journey as it were, and start finding potential clients. It's called ac x.com. You can, once you have a demo, you can set up a profile there and start auditioning for and booking work. Some of it is available on what's called a royalty share basis where you do the book. And then based on how many sell you get paid each month. So you know, it's not automatic, and it's not huge money, necessarily. But if the book sells well, you can actually make more money doing it that way than you could not that you should ever do something artistic for the money. But you can, you know, sustain yourself by if you have enough books that are selling to, you know, a good friend of mine pays his mortgage every month from the money he gets from his books that he's published on sex. So

Rick Tarrant: 46:52

it's a nice shot in the arm.

Bob Souer: 46:54

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Rick Tarrant: 46:56

Thank you, Jackie. We have another hand from London over Riri. Can you hear me? I hear you loud and clear. And by the way, good job going and singing earlier today in another Facebook group. We won't go off on that right here right now. But good on good on your mate.

Oberhiri Atori: 47:17

Thank you. Thank you. I was going to ask, you know how you got into voice? The voice over work. But Rick already asked that question and thank you for answering it the way you did. I know it's been 35 years now. Re your wife. But as you were just sharing it, my heart was so moved. And I just I was just saying bless you. But it was it was it was it wasn't a casual blessing. It was really God bless you. And just God bless you. So so much my heart just really went out there to you. And yeah, I can understand what you mean about sobbing your eyes out for half an hour. I mean, I lost a lost a child wasn't for unexpected. But it wasn't. In my case, for some reason, I locked it all in and didn't say anything. And probably four or five years later, and one day during a women's ministry, we're just talking about something and a word must have been said but it triggered but I sucked my eyes out and couldn't speak for so long. So I understand and and Rick, Ricky, just just thank you because Sorry, I had a call is trying to come through. And Rick tea just thank you. Well, both of you, thank you for you know, just sharing about your time. Just sharing about your times of darkness. And, and not allowing yourself to go down to that place where you're all by yourself. Because I look back at my life. And that's pretty much what I've done isolated myself so many times. But thank God for our community and just really thank God for AWA and like you said, you can wear all the clothes and everything and and God has been saying, Oberhiri enough of the Christianese. Enough of I know the words, I can say that. But you don't know the power of the word yet you don't know me intimately. And so I just thank God for both of you because I understand what it means to have meant of man not to think that I know it all and I don't. I don't just thank you so much. Just thank you so much.

Bob Souer: 49:48

Well, you're in second Corinthians Paul speaks about the thorn in the flesh. And immediately following that he talks about how what God taught through that is that when he is weak, that is Paul, then he is strong. And I think that it is extremely tempting to want to do things on our own to say, That's okay God, I got this one, which is usually the place where we begin to fall on our faces, because we need God. As I saw on Instagram the other day, you know, you need Jesus to go to Walmart. And it's just a reminder that we, you know, we can't take a breath, we can't take a step without the grace of God in our lives, and we desperately need that. So you know, cling to him.

Rick Tarrant: 50:49

years ago, a gentleman came into my life and he said, Rick, I speak the word speak the word speak the word I kept saying, how do you walk in the Spirit speak the word. And that's when I recorded recorded those words of encouragement albums years and years ago, what I didn't learn in the process was also renew your mind. Let those words permeate, meditate, speak it, have a relationship, let it become not just a mantra or something that you say. And that's not bad. But there was another level that I missed. And I think that's why when the rug got pulled out, that's why I went down so hard, because even though I'd been a believer, I mean, I, I had a real encounter with Christ when I was young, and walked it out, and it transformed my career and all that. But at the same time, I still kind of got into that I got this, Lord, I'll let you know when I need you. And then, you know, just kind of going my own way instead of that whole, the idea that Paul says, it is no longer I they live, but Christ in me. And surrendering that old man taking off the old man that died in baptism, and somehow keep reaching down and pulling that old coat back on right. And, and learning how to walk with, as Paul said, Put on Jesus, right. And so I think a lot and that's one thing I appreciate about you, Bob, even when I listened to you, whether it's a book about World War Two, or you're reading the I, and you have read me to sleep many, many, many, many nights during seasons of my life, or the last 12 years, with the New King James Version of the Bible and audible.com. But I've always had that sense, whether you're reading a history book, that you it's, it's no longer Bob that lives but Christ in you, I just I sense His presence. And you always have and I just want to say how much I appreciate, you know, you surrendering a long, long time ago,

Bob Souer: 52:41

again, it's not needs, it's gone. It's Jesus. Look, humility is one of those things. I mean, this is, to me, this is the joke. I'm very humble. And I'm really proud of it, how humble I am. Right? it all blows up. When you seek it, it's like happiness, you can't go directly for happiness, you will go off the road every single time, right? Happiness is the result of pursuing the things that are truly important. And happiness results, the joy that comes from the Lord as results because you're pursuing those things that God wants you to do, instead of your own selfish things. And humility is very similar. You can't really pursue humility, because as soon as you turn your attention on yourself, I want to be more humble. Your humility blows up, and disappears and runs out the door. The only way to be humble, is to not think about yourself and think about other people. So, I mean, that's just one of the things that God has taught me over the years. And I think it's so critically important that we realize it's not us, it's gone. And the more that we can hold on to that and live that, I think, you know, the more effectively our lives will go. So I don't claim any wisdom at all. And I'm not saying that to be falsely humble. I mean, whatever good there is, it's all God. It's good or bad. There is. That's me.

Rick Tarrant: 54:13

I do believe God has gifted us and the Word says that our gift makes room for ourselves, if we'll be willing to share it. And I think that comes now I realized at the time I used to think it was so that I could feel better about myself if I did a good job and enough people patted me on the back or said you know, good things about me. And now realize no, it's all about serving. And if you're coming from a point of service, that there's where you find your fulfillment and find your joy and find your life calling. So be it be about serving and I sense that that's what you do every every day is you sit down in front of your Sennheiser microphone there and and you and you service and you do it well, and I just want to I want to be mindful of your time. got one eye on you and one eye on the clock. I want to thank you for joining us today for affirming words of abundance in our affirming words podcast, helping me launch this thing. So thank you, sir. You're welcome. My pleasure. Would you pray us out? Sure.

Bob Souer: 55:17

Heavenly Father, we are so grateful for the way you work in our lives, often. without our even knowing that it's you who's doing it, but we see it afterwards, we see your hand, guiding us, step by step, some steps small and some big, but you're at work, to will and to work to Your good pleasure and to our improvement. I pray, Lord, that You would continue to work in both Rick and me and to everyone who's participated in the podcast today. Continue to work out your grace and Your love and Your mercy in our lives, day by day, in your precious name, or Jesus we pray. Amen.

Rick Tarrant: 56:05

Thank you, Bob Sauer. Thank you for joining us and I like to leave everyone each day with speak the word, renew your mind, transform your life.