2018 Episode 6.5

Opening check-in and listener-nickname brainstorm

• What should the show call its podcast listeners?

The host opens a solo check-in and playfully tries out names for the show's podcast listeners ('path casters', 'path pods') before dismissing the idea.

The show's fading consistency

The host notes that the show used to broadcast nearly every week of the year, but over the past year or two its consistency has faded and it has not been going out weekly.

Reason one: time, travel, and Monday-night scheduling

The main reason for the inconsistency is time: the host's job has him traveling on Mondays, the night the show records from ten to midnight, and the other crew members are busy with church, family, work, and school; he names Dan's busy Mondays, Boof being out of pocket, and Mike traveling more than in prior years.

Why the show still matters to him

The host says the show is personally valuable to him: he does it to talk through the things of the day through a biblical lens with fellow believers, and he would probably keep doing it even with the small podcast and YouTube audience.

Reason two: technical difficulties and the end of live Monday shows

The less frequent reason is technical trouble: aging four-camera setup, a dead soundboard with a temporary fix, flaky media-playback computer, and dicey internet. The show is no longer broadcast live on Monday nights; the host records in higher quality and posts it the next day.

Post-show workflow and the no-advertiser reality

The host describes his workflow of cleaning up audio around midnight to 1 AM and posting for podcast and YouTube, notes the show has no advertisers and no terrestrial-radio income so repairs cost scarce time or money, and applies the lesson to listeners: things you commit to doing need dedicated time or money.

Bump against the boundary: is this the right use of time?

• Is the show the right commitment of time given everything else going on?
• Are your reasons for being busy the right reasons for busyness?

The host urges listeners to check that their reasons for being busy are the right ones and not stealing from better uses of time, admits he is asking himself the same about his travel and about whether the show is still the right commitment, and says the recent inconsistency will likely continue in the near future.

Deciding to keep the show going

While he was praying about whether to continue the show, three unexpected people in one week brought the show up and expressed that it had value to them, so he fully intends to keep doing it even with the inconsistent schedule.

'Good news changes the world' and interview hopes

The host wants to revive a dropped theme he was excited about: stories of good news changing the world, fulfilled by people sharing it and pointing others to Jesus. Interview booking is hard, since he fears having to cancel on guests and a 10 PM-to-midnight Monday slot is a big ask; a planned interview with Egypt Ali fell through over the show's technical difficulties.

Traveling for work, prayer request, and contact info

The host says he is on the road traveling for work, asks listeners to pray for the show, and invites reactions by email at info@lifefromthepath.org.

April 9 return, prayer for the crew, and sign-off

The host expects the show back on April 9 for the next few weeks, asks for prayer and wisdom for himself, Mike, and Dan about boundaries, and closes with the line 'be faithful in the means, God will handle the ends.'