Foxhole Symphony
Foxhole Symphony
Grand Finale In The Foxhole
The mics are back in the foxhole one last time, and the energy is raw, grateful, and unmasked. We trace the arc from two friends brainstorming on a small-town sidewalk to a nearly 100-episode run built on honesty, Scripture, and brotherhood. Distance changed the rhythm, but it clarified the mission: men don’t heal alone. We talk candidly about a cross-country move, loss and betrayal, and the surprising ways God kept His promises in the wilderness of transition.
We revisit the early days when scripts gave way to Spirit-led conversations, the pivotal “no masks” moments that made space for real repentance and growth, and the guests whose stories sharpened our own. There’s a heartfelt tribute to the Maestro, the unseen craftsman who turned two voices and a vision into a reliable signal for men searching for community. And there’s a forward look at marketplace discipleship: how modeling vulnerability with CEOs and leaders created environments where head knowledge becomes heart change.
This is a charge as much as a sendoff. Start small: invite one man to coffee, open God’s word, and tell the truth about what’s really going on. If the first try falters, try again. Authentic community isn’t a formula; it’s obedience, presence, and persistence. If you’ve been listening from the sidelines, now’s the time to step in. Subscribe, share this finale with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more men can find their way into a foxhole of their own. We love and appreciate every one of you who has listened, prayed, encouraged and supported the Foxhole Symphony Podcast! Bless you and Praise God!
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Welcome to Foxhole Symphony, a podcast about the transformational value of men and authentic community. In our Foxhole, men are equipped to build relationships that foster belonging, accountability, and growth. Stop believing the lie that you can thrive in isolation and instead join us on the journey from broken to whole.
SPEAKER_00:Hello, everyone. They call me the Maestro, and we are back in the Foxhole where we actively pursue belonging, accountability, and growth through authentic relationships. No masks, no agendas, just iron sharpening iron. Mark and Steve are in the foxhole today for their final episode. I know there is so much to say, but not right now. Because you know what time it is. Get comfortable, open your notes app, and let's get this symphony started.
SPEAKER_01:Hey, welcome back to Foxhole Symphony Podcast. I'm Sarge here with my good friend Mark. Back again for one final episode of the Foxhole Symphony Podcast. This is it. And it's literally and physically in the Foxhole, which is so exciting to me. So, brother, it's good to be here, man. The flight was well worth it.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, just not not doing this digitally with you was um, I guess, timely and appropriate and necessary. Should have said that first. Uh, but but so many of our episodes we sat five feet apart. Yeah, you know, and that's better.
SPEAKER_01:So much better. So much better. And so, listeners, thank you for your patience. I mean, we took a a six plus month sabbatical, right? Took a bit of a break here, and uh one that was also necessary and also took time to to pray and ask God, you know, do you want us to continue to do this? Uh or has it's has it run its course?
SPEAKER_04:Right. And and here we are to tell you that this is the final Foxhole Symphony podcast episode. Yes. You weren't kidding. That's that's right. So it's bittersweet, right? Uh actually, my my son Jack asked me about that yesterday. He's like, So how are you feeling about this? And I said, Bittersweet was the word, first word uh that came to mind, but uh appropriate and uh timely too. And I think people will be excited to hear some of the fun things you're doing. Yeah, but we'll take a little walk down memory lane and then we'll also talk about what God is doing in our lives. Yeah, you know, since we started this November of 2021.
SPEAKER_01:That's right.
SPEAKER_04:And for me, I mean, come on, that's that's the end of the second real year post-fake pandemic. Exactly. Right? Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So yeah, exactly. And, you know, think about uh where we were then, and we should we'll talk a little bit about where we were then and where we are now. But, you know, for me, you know, not being able to sit across from you and do this, um, and you know, doing it digitally, doing it through a screen for for a number of months, right? However many that was, almost almost a year. August of 24 to May 10 10 months was was definitely for me, you know, we we launched this having no idea what God was gonna do, right? Um, but believing he would do something. But more than that, it was part of our journey together, right? I mean, g having the opportunity to to record, you know, every other week for you know, three and a half years, right? And much of that for two and a half, almost almost three years, you know, sitting across the the table from you here in the foxhole, you know, was so special and was such a part of as we unpacked, you know, what God was, what we were hearing from God, what God was doing in our lives, what he was showing us individually and collectively, you know, was such a big part of this. And, you know, and and so I want to talk more about that later as we kind of challenge our listeners, but um not being able to do that, you know, physically in the same space, yeah, you know, has has it's not been the same. Not at all. Right. We tried. We tried, we gave them a good effort. We did, we did. And listen, technology is great, there's tons of technology, there's lots of podcasts that are, you know, people are are in different places and virtual, and it's you know, the vast majority of them, and that and it works fine. But for us, for the content and the purpose and and what we're doing together as we walk together, I mean, that's that's what this this this podcast was all about, right? And being in community, and you know, uh it that's been tough to do. You know, when I moved away almost a year and a half ago, right? Um, it's been tough to stay connected. Yeah, you you have to make an effort. Absolutely, right?
SPEAKER_04:And and and we've learned, we you and I both know, because of our personal and and commercial business lives, if you don't make an effort to stay connected with the people, whether they are next door or they're from New Jersey to Florida, you're done. Yeah. And you can make excuses. Uh, it's too far, too late, too much, too little, but I mean, I'm not letting you get away. I don't, I mean, I'd I'd love to see you whenever I want. I lazily, I'm not like I was over your house every day when you lived here, but you were here. I we when we record, I knew every two weeks, and you get in a rhythm and a confidence builds from that. And I think it comes out in your faith walk.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:I was I was more confident in myself and just being on the podcast, talking about my heart and sharing my soul about what was happening in my world, what God was up to, what the enemy was up to. Yeah. I mean, I I grew tremendously in that time and had no idea that's what I was getting into back in August of 21 when we were walking in Main Street in Clinton, going, what do you want to do? Write a book. Exactly. Sing a song?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Oh, let's have a podcast.
SPEAKER_01:And listen, we, I mean, for such a time as this, right? This season of life, I mean, you know, we both dug pretty deep into some some deep waters. I mean, we we waded into some deep waters and um, you know, tackled some tough topics that, you know, were were both timely for one or both of us.
SPEAKER_02:Yep.
SPEAKER_01:Um, you know, or or again, from from our past that maybe God was was bringing back up and using to impact, you know, impact others.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, modeling, right? We we've been taught about modeling and and good things come from that. And that's what this called for. Now, we've both had a lot of practice, not only at Mark Men, you know, modeling, but with Banda Brothers and other groups that we've been with, we've been modeling for 20 years. Right. But doing on the podcast, uh, I don't know, seemed seemed to be exposing just another layer to me, because of the unknown quantity, the anonymity of speaking this, but it being available to the world. Right. I I I just quick tangent on that. I just uh, you know how we always prayed that we'd reach one man, and I have fantasized more than once about that man being in New Zealand or Zimbabwe or Bora Bora or Tuscany. I'll do that one. Uh but just where where in the world people may have stopped and said, Oh, I'm gonna listen to these two two guys, you know, talk for 37 minutes about something they care about.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:And we said then, in the beginning, in the middle, in the end, not trained. Yeah, you're more trained now, but we're not theologians or or psychiatrists or counselors, and we just came to do this with our hearts. Yeah. And I would like to give us an A plus on being honest.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And I I say, like, I I mean, the foundations of, you know, the Foxhole symphony and, you know, sort of the the roots that God gave us for it, you know, the the idea of uh embracing discomfort, you know, um you know, longing for belonging, you know, authentic community. Um, you know, I my move to Florida, I mean, it was like, oh yeah, I'm just gonna plug. I mean, even though we talked about that every two weeks and how rare it is and how hard it is, in my naivete, I moved to Florida and I'm going, oh, I'll just plug right into the authentic community that exists down here. And now, what in the world was I think and I'm going, oh gosh, no, no, no, no, Lord. Are you asking me to you asking me to create that here? Um yeah. Yes, exactly. And and you know, and it does exist to some extent, but not like you and I know it. I haven't I haven't found it like that. And so I I now get to foster that day in and day out, and it it's amazing. It's just amazing.
SPEAKER_04:How beautiful is that story? Because that that's an important part of my my backstory is with 18 years of Band of Brothers here, a full year, year and a half into that, I was longing, missing the guys. Yeah. I knew it was the right move. I knew that Victoria's Together, and that a small men's group, I knew that the podcast, I knew there were other things going to fill that gap. But God has shown me so much coming out of that. The the moments I have with some of the more loyal attenders of Banda Brothers at the end. Think about the hundreds of men that came through over the years, but at the end, what it's just gold. It's it's a treasure to have, still have some relationship there. Very different, you know, where you're not sitting in the basement, you know, with a candle, you know, bearing your heart and soul every two weeks, but still those meetings birthed relationships all over our community that people have kept. And that's such that is the model that I have tried to follow because it's the one that worked. Yeah. And I haven't had the the disassociation for me, for you was moving. Yeah. For me, it was stopping a thriving men's group call it driving after 18 years. Yeah. And trusting God with something new, with strangers. Right? Knowing Chris this much, knowing Richard not at all. Yeah. Hanging on to you for dear life, and then you moved.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Right. I had to shake you off my pant leg like a terrier. And he's shaking his leg here. It's great.
SPEAKER_04:What's the matter? You can't see that? Yeah, so so I um each of us, um, some of this story is worthwhile. We said we were gonna go back a little bit. If you don't mind, I'll I'll go back to I very clearly remember walking with you in the late summer, early fall of 2021 in in Clinton. We had coffee, or probably a matcha, right?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Um, and I knew for a year, I knew that God was calling me or us to something else. And you were the person I brainstormed with mostly about my faith. And I remember saying to you, what what's possible? What might God be calling us to? And I what why the good news is I knew it wasn't like a small group at cell at church, you know, it wasn't men's ministry with the church, but it was something that you and I could could grow and build. And I was wide open to whether it was a book, whether it was a podcast as it turned out to be, or some other way um that you and I could serve together. I felt that was that was the call. Um I don't know if I would have ever done this on my own, by the way. I don't know if I've had the guts or the common sense to do it. And you know, without the maestro, we wouldn't have any of the magic here on the board. We'll talk about him soon enough. But uh so I I I recalled that and it didn't take us, I don't know, about 31 seconds to agree on a podcast, start talking about the name, Foxholes, right? Right? It's true. Unfinished Symphony.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04:So that it I hadn't thought about this before talking to you about it. Um so we're walking down the street and we say, like, I think the conversation was, what do you do next? First, what's the first stop? Right, you know, and talking to someone who had a clue about how this works, but it came together, I I don't recall it being tough to put together. And and Chris, right? Chris Saklasky, aka the maestro, recommended this, and I think for like 50 cents and a smile, we got us all together. Next thing you know, uh, we're changing my office downstairs here into the foxhole. We put the white thing on the the magnetic sign on the door with our own logo, and we're rocking. Um and and I, as you know, uh I came prepared with scripts for those first few months. I did not. You did not, um, which made for the pre-conversations to be really interesting. So what are we gonna talk about? Um, and it didn't take me long to realize that that wasn't God's plan. It wasn't for Mark to show how prepared Mark was um in in this topic we were talking about, but more importantly, it was about us being prepared for what God put on our hearts, and he quickly, the Holy Spirit hijacked those conversations in the best way possible. And I don't know, six months, maybe four to six months in, you and I would you'd come here Saturday morning mostly. Yep, and we'd have a cup of peppermint tea in your case. That's right. And just sit down and say, Yeah, this is where God had led me this week. These are some of the devotionals. Here's some Bible reading, here's a song. What do you think God? Yes, that was the topic. Then we, you know, the third episode is talking about caves, right? And men's propensity to hide in the dark, if humanly possible. Yeah, me included.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:And and the yeah, the the passion that we did it with. And I I want to use the words reckless abandon, because every time I would take the headphones off when we were done, I remember looking over it, you're like, wow, where the heck did that come from? Right, right. It was a sense of wonder. Right. Like, okay, Lord, I guess that's what we're supposed to talk about. Then I then, if you recall, I'd be the first one listening to it to edit it. It's like, oh, ugh. So crit hypercritical of myself. You know, that's what I sound like. But we agreed, like it didn't matter. We were we were gonna talk about men in authentic community, we're gonna talk about our experience, we were gonna speak to what God had shown us about leading men in that environment and participating as well. Because we we were player coaches in just about everything we did. So I I walk through a time in my life. So I'm 66 today, so let's say this is 62 to now, and everything in my life in my 60s has been kind of looking to finish something and moving on to something else. I know I'm not retiring, but I'm transitioning to something. I want to accelerate into whatever God has planned for me next. We've got a small group, you know, Victoria's together, um, which has also been, you know, Richard moved to Atlanta, you moved to Florida, there's three of us here. I haven't spent 10 minutes going, hmm. Like, what do you do with that next? Right. But I know it's it's lifeblood, the experience in God study that we're doing. Um, I have not changed a lot in my life in terms of job or interests around the house or family orientation. My my life is absolutely still focused on faith, family, friends, and fitness. Those four F's are what I am focused on every day. That has not changed for me at all. At the same time, my walk with the Lord is changing pretty dramatically because of that study.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Experiencing God and the Black Abyss. Just the call to arms in there, the call to honesty, the call to action is so attractive and magnetic to me. Yeah, yet it is tremendously challenging. The truth hurts is the only best way I can describe it. It's uh just did a chapter about the body and and what I'm doing at my church, what do I expect from my church, and what am I giving to my church? And what are the groups that I'm with doing in the community and so on and so forth. There's no place to hide. If you want to be honest in that study environment, you've got to show up and make a decision that you're going to not only put your heart to work for God, but probably your hands and your wallet and some other things. So that's a a little trip for me in terms of what's what's happened over time, kind of what's changed and what's not. Um it's it's wholly appropriate to think about what's next. I've you know I've gave notice at work at the beginning of this year for three years. So I've got a few more years to go. When I say work is like the job I'm at now working for somebody else. Yeah. But I I do pray regularly about what God wants of me, from me, for me. So that's exciting. I'm I feel like a kid on Christmas morning, which is timely right now. Um and I don't, you know, I'm really interested for what's next for Rhea and I. I think there are good things to look forward to. I try to spend each day, I read my mission statement every morning. Uh, and it's not so just in case somebody asks me, I'll know it at a P1. But it's also because living with a sense of joy and wonder and shining my light in the darkness by providing a spark of confidence hope for people and experiencing God through being in his word is what I want. I want to be known for that and known of it. That is that that is me. Yeah, like if if you don't see me living that out, call me on it. Yeah, and I've I've asked you and a few other really close friends, yeah, my brothers, to call me on that because that's what I want to be. That's who I who I need to be and what I feel called to right now. If God changes that, then great. Yeah. That's my story. I'm sticking with it.
SPEAKER_01:It's awesome. It's great. How about all that in three and a half minutes? Unbelievable. How about you, bro? Well, so for me, I mean, I, you know, obviously I'm I'm on the um a little bit on the other side of that. I mean, I, you know, launching the podcast four years ago, right? I mean, since that time, you know, Christina and I became empty nesters, um, you know, major, major transitions, um, even just experiencing, you know, trauma in our own lives and you know, um tons of loss and betrayal and all kinds of things. Um, and God used it all. God used it all. And and, you know, literally we podcasted through that, you know. Right. Um, and so, you know, uh now on the other side of that, saying, like, wow, God, like, you look what you did. Like you he did everything he said he was gonna do and more. And so for me, you know, like I mean, you know, just thinking about his promises and you know, his word. I mean, so yeah, I mean, I could go on and on, but um massive life change. Um obviously moved to another part of the country, and so in many respects, giant leaps forward in you know, uh ministry, career, um, you know, um settling, you know, settling down to where we're We're where we're planted, right? And likely going to remain planted. Um, you know, things that for us were way out in the future, you know, way out, like, oh yeah, oh, someday, you know. Yeah, and and so, and then, you know, watching our kids and seeing how God is, you know, um planting them, you know, in Florida as well, and doing incredible things in their lives. And, you know, watching Hannah, you know, graduate from grad school and and you know, step out into the world of counseling as a therapist. And like, I mean, it's wild, wild, right? Um uh, you know, Nick. Very cool. I mean, you know, same, same thing. So um, and yet in I in many respects, I've taken I won't say giant leaps back, but starting over, right? Starting over in uh building relationships, you know, biblical community, um, discipleship, in creating environments for authentic community with dozens and dozens of people who have not really experienced that. And um, you know, to do that quote unquote alone, what I mean is disconnected from that depth of authentic community that I, you know, enjoyed here. Yeah um is much harder. Much harder.
SPEAKER_04:You didn't even mention finding a church, finding a church home.
SPEAKER_01:Right, right. Yeah, yeah. Well, which we which we have and love and but but again, it's the it's the it's the authentic community. It's this, it's the it's what we've experienced for many years in the various foxholes that you referenced, right? Um, that I'm now just beginning to introduce to the dozens of people that God has has brought to our doorstep. And it's incredible how quickly he did that, right? I mean, literally in eight months. And, you know, and it's happening, but it's a heck of a story. It's slow and steady. It's at least the the the discipleship, you know, piece, um, and you know, uh introducing what it looks like to go from our head to our heart, you know, and particularly in the marketplace, you know, with CEOs and key key executives, uh, you know, organizations, um, and you know, giving them a space to get real and authentic and vulnerable. And um, you know, there's not a lot of uh um outward resistance, but there's absolutely inward, sort of hidden resistance, right? There's like there's an openness and there's a wanting to do that, but like to actually do it is a whole nother, is a whole nother thing, right? It's a whole nother short. So that's what we're doing, that's what we're experiencing, and that's what, you know, this month, next month. I mean, we've got big, big plans, and God's just doing amazing things. He's opening incredible doors and um, you know, really moving in and through the marketplace and through these marketplace connections with CEOs and executives. And I and I get a front row seat, and it's just it's an honor and a privilege to, you know, walk along with and disciple these these men and women, but mostly men.
SPEAKER_04:I think you're more on stage than you are in the front row. You're a you're a you're doing it, man. Yeah, yeah. I mean you're in front of it.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, yes, but I I need to, you know, as Richard Blackaby teaches us, you know, it's like, yes, I'm right in front of it, but it's also, you know, it's a three-way conversation. Absolutely. Right with the person across from me, myself, and the Holy Spirit. And, you know, that's where, again, somewhat in isolation, not that I'm in isolation. You you had asked me a while ago about like, you know, about community. And I'm like, man, I've never been so surrounded by people, right? Absolutely, you know, just drenched in in you know, relationship and yet still still very alone, right, in with respect to the work that I'm doing. And so I don't have a counterpart, I don't have somebody I'm leaning on to do that work yet, praying, asking God to raise those people up this year and to to come alongside and come along for for the ride now that the the ground has been plowed and tilled and seeded and planted and even harvested to some respect, but there is so much more work to be done.
SPEAKER_04:Wow, how exciting! Well, let's go back a little bit. Uh, how do you they're a year and a half now? How do you look back at your time here from a men's community perspective? And and so I just walked into my life, came to that front door. That's right, right?
SPEAKER_01:Crazy. Okay, it's crazy.
SPEAKER_04:So, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Dude, can you go there? I mean, come on, like I mean, your life changed a lot then. Dude, listen, that that was another life. I mean, you know, I mean, I had I had like I think a toddler, you know, and an infant, a couple of toddlers at home. Yeah, right. Um, you know, newly married, you know, married for a few years, handful of years, um, you know, juggling three different careers, man, trying to figure out life, you know, and um and faith and you know, all of it. I mean, that that's a that's a man, that's a different, that's a different life. And then go back another, you know, 10 before that, forget it. I mean, that's even another life. So like, yeah, I mean, we've we've told the stories, but I mean, from that doorstep right there to in this room here now, that's pretty wild. I mean 20 years, you know, it's it was 30. Yeah, well, you just you just uh earlier commented on how gray my eyebrows are, which I didn't really appreciate, but I'm but I'm but I'm proud of. I'm proud to say that these these gray eyebrows have seen a few things, you know. And uh and here we are. There's a good gray. There's a little bit of windows. Thanks. Thanks. It matches this the the climate, this New Jersey climate in December. Gray. You come up here dated as 25. I miss the sunshine and turquoise water. Oh um, anyway, you know, yeah, listen, it's it's amazing, but that's our God. I mean, that is our God. God is in the business of life transformation, right? Of heart transformation, and he never, he never gives up. He he never never stops pursuing us. And um, you know, it's amazing, right? And so this this you look back at the mile markers of your life and take take a an inventory and just man, it's like whoa, yep. So that that doorstep was a major mile marker that again the what led me to that that doorstep was an absolute starvation for authentic community. And I had absolutely none. None, zero. And so that's what brought me there, and here we are, right?
SPEAKER_04:And here we are, and so um you have trusted every step of the way. You trusted right from that night because somebody told you go over to Vesper's house. Yeah, you trusted, yeah. Worthy of note is what I might want to speak for you, that I I take for granted that if I call your phone, you'll probably answer. If I text you, you'll probably reply. Maybe these days, as busy as you are, not immediately. Forgive me, but I I will not take for granted that you're there. You'll always be there. I've told you, right? I don't know how this is gonna go. If I get the old whole bedside, you get to climb up and put your hand on me and say, Well done, good and faithful. So I'm not sure how that's gonna go, but uh, you're one of the men I want there. Yeah, you know, whenever that whatever the end looks like for me. Um and we have traveled far, highs and lows. Oh my gosh. I mean, mountaintop moments. Just I have witnessed miracles with you standing by my side.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:I can't say that about too many people. Right. I don't know if I can say about anybody else.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_04:I'm not saying that God doesn't do miracles every day that I'm just moving too fast to catch, but you and I have decided to to tell the truth, the whole truth, right? And not only do this for our benefit, because there are benefits to doing it, but living this life and and being willing to share it with other men and tell them what we've seen and heard and smelled and tasted in the journey, yeah. How hard it is, you know, to continue to do it. It's it's not easy to come tell your truth, you know, yeah, show up and throw up. Yeah. But I I have no regrets and I don't know at all now that you've moved, what God has planned for us. But this is our relationship. I mean, here you are, you're you're back in the foxhole for a minute. Yeah, but I love seeing you, and uh the nostalgic part of this is great. I'm twice as excited about watching what God is doing in your life right now with C12, yeah, as well as what else is happening.
SPEAKER_01:You know, obviously what we've always talked about, right? The the the one common thread through all of this is is is authentic relationship, right? Is authentic and you know, when I moved down and you know believed that God was calling me to this new endeavor, um, and I didn't know anybody, and I I thought, God, like who, you know, where are the Christian CEOs? I don't know a single one. How are you gonna do this? And he said, I know them all. Um just be you. And you know, we've had extraordinary success. C12's been around almost 35 years, you know. We've we've we've we're we're we're breaking records, God's breaking records, God is doing it. Um, and it's it's insane. It's insane to watch, it's insane to experience, and and incredibly blessed to participate in that. But people are like, well, what did you do? How did you do that? And of course I'm like, and they're like, we know God did it, we know God did it. But like, what did you do? Like, what was your part? And I had to really think about that. And it became very clear to me exactly what I did. I modeled authentic relationship right out of the gate. Like, with reckless abandon, I went into every environment I could find, every men's Bible study, every discipleship group, every wherever, knowing nobody walked in and told my story. I was unashamedly me. You know, here's here's my story, here's what you get, you know. Yeah, and take it or leave it. I've seen that story. And people, not everybody, a lot of people were repelled because it was way too uncomfortable, way too uncomfortable. I'm not ready to do that, but like this, you know, that's this guy's nuts. You're gonna be that honest. We don't do that, not in the not in Palm Beach. I mean, of all places, right? Of all places, like, you know, it's who's got the nicer looking mask. I mean, that's that's the name of the game. But then you had all these other people that are in that environment starving, just starving like I was when I showed up on your doorstep. For someone to just be transparent and honest and authentic, and and that's who was drawn in, and that's who we're doing life with now. What a great foundation. And so I guess my point is I'm just I'm just highlighting how much everything we've done here, we've talked about in the last almost hundred episodes, is just that. And you know, so so everything that I'm doing now and everything that God is doing in and through me and C12 South Florida has been born out of this, this discussion, this life, this, you know, what we've been doing here with you know with communities of men for the last almost 20 years. And I and I believe it or not, when I was getting going, I couldn't put the two together. I'm like, God, how how do these two fit together? My love and passion for building communities of men and this business thing. I couldn't even see it. And I think God kind of laughed and was like, What is wrong with you? It's right here. Are you that blind? Like what? And it and then it just clicked, it just happened naturally. So, anyway.
SPEAKER_04:I was just looking at this list. Uh, if you don't mind, I'll take a second. Just uh um the Foxhole Symphony podcast, uh, so often was you and I yakking it up, or we have the common sense to bring in a guest, and often wondering, wow, I wonder, I wonder where this is gonna go. And our hit record, our track record was awesome. 97% of the guests that we recorded with wound up live on the air. People like John Mazwera. Wow, man. Maz did. Oh my god. Maz had the number one listen to Foxhole Symphony podcast. More listens and downloads than anyone else. Chris Bruno, Sage, right? I mean, Sage.
SPEAKER_01:Do you know how many times I've shared that book recommendation? Pretty much every C12 meeting. I'm like, have you guys read Sage? If you haven't, what are you waiting for?
SPEAKER_04:Give it out at Christmas, dude. Silph.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Way to go, Chris. Yep. Love you.
SPEAKER_04:Um, who else? Haynes Maxwell, H Max Bravo.
SPEAKER_01:Oh man.
SPEAKER_04:Still get an email every now and Dan Arthur, Pete Gotto twice. Pete was one of the three Rob Chifacoyo, Maz, and Pete were the three people I remember having on twice.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Like we had so much to talk about.
SPEAKER_01:I think Michael Kusick, we had two parts, but I think it was one recording, but we had to break it into two parts.
SPEAKER_04:So long. Right, Michael Cusick. April of 2022. Rob Chi Jason Romano from the sports.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:What's the name of the book?
SPEAKER_01:From ESPN. And and uh yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Schroth, Dan Bove. We had Veronica Cologne, the only woman.
SPEAKER_01:That's right.
SPEAKER_04:She did a Christmas, uh, Christmas of 22.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Wow. That's a good one. Rob Kruover.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. That was deeply impactful for him and us.
SPEAKER_04:Wow. And so many.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:So many people. Rob did Rob brought it. Rob did a great job. Yeah. Jason Lloyd.
SPEAKER_01:Yep.
SPEAKER_04:Brett Snodgrass, Jarrett Sands.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, we had some guys in other parts of the country, in you know, Idaho and the the um the Midwest, and I mean just some incredible, incredible people.
SPEAKER_04:Joshu Galdi, remember the wrestler? What a story he had. And this guy, Michael Feynman, who I think you know.
SPEAKER_01:Mike, Eric Butcher. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Those are those are towards the end. So so we say thank you to everyone who has uh decided to invest, what, an hour with us? Yeah. Between the emails, the prep, the episode, and and saying yes to edits. We asked people to invest an hour with us. And who the heck are we? Right. Like, come talk to us about your experience. Yeah. And they just did.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And the other person Maybe we should keep going. Maybe we should just keep going. Stop talking about it. Let's keep going. You have to do it. Christina, I'm going to be taking a flight every other week.
SPEAKER_04:But Jet Blue is doing 79. You had to flap your arms hard enough. The other person I want to talk about before we're done, and we're getting close, um, in case you're keeping track, is the maestro.
SPEAKER_01:Yes.
SPEAKER_04:Christopher Saklaski.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:The guy who put us on the trail of all the electronica that we needed, all the digital toys that we had to do this from these little styrofoam pads on the microphone so you didn't vibrate, right?
SPEAKER_01:Yep.
SPEAKER_04:To all the connections to the the soundboard that we use. And and uh all the time. It's quite possible he may have invested more time in this than you and I did. Probably we do the talking and hand him the ball, yeah, or I should say the SD card. Right. And and Chris would just run. Um, and what a great job. Yeah. And how brilliant was it of us, the two smart entrepreneurs that we are, to say, Chris, we want you to do intros and outros now. Because you and I were trying to figure that out as well after talking to people. And Chris summarized those so well. Yeah. You know, and used different technology, the song that we use for intro is Chris. So, Maestro, uh, know from the bottom of our hearts that we love you and appreciate you so much and see you. I I see you and and feel and understand uh your value in this. And I know you could have been out in front of it and certainly have your own podcast, but you chose to support us and and I love that about you always.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. Thank you, Chris. This I mean, we this couldn't have been done without him.
SPEAKER_02:No.
SPEAKER_01:And um, you know, such a that that's who Chris is. He's a behind the scenes, you know, um, you know, work hard, uh not for the accolades, but but you know, just again, like the the you know, again, the body, right? You talk talking about the body earlier. I mean, he he is a he is a ligament, he's a muscle, he's a you know, he's he's quite a few important spine, right? Holds us up, man. Sergeant Holka? He's a big toe. Exactly. And um, yeah, I mean, it's just he his fingerprints are all over this podcast and and always will be. It just it just occurred to me as we were talking about him. Probably my favorite episode was the V2G, the Victorious Together group. I mean, our little men's group coming coming together. We're we're like, we need more mics. What are we gonna do? How are we gonna do this? You share. Richard and Bo, you share. It was so good. It was so awesome to do, and um really enjoyed that conversation and it was fun.
SPEAKER_04:I one of the things I remember about that episode is asking Chris to pray us in. Yeah, and I I have to say this if you are in need of a lesson in prayer, or you would like someone to pray for you in a way that will not only warm your heart, but you'll have confidence that God hears it, is the maestro. This guy prays like I I love when he hits us on text or through our devotional series when he's praying for me and my family, yeah, and you and yours. Um, so get in touch with me, uh m59vespergmail.com, and I'll connect you to Chris and uh make sure that that uh you have an opportunity also um to have someone pray for you and with you that just has a heart for prayer with the Holy Spirit. Yeah, he's so good at that. Amen.
SPEAKER_01:Amen.
SPEAKER_04:Last chance, bud, what do you got?
SPEAKER_01:Anything else? I just want to encourage our listeners if If you haven't yet, and you've been listening to us all this time, but still haven't have yet to get in authentic community, I I get with one other man. Talk about, share the, share the things, share the things of your heart, share what's going on in your life, lean into one another, open up God's word together, pray together, and see what God might do. You know, maybe it's a podcast, maybe it's a book, maybe it's just a cup of coffee every other week, but God will use it. Don't do life alone. Don't isolate. If there's if there's one message we could leave you with, it's it's you know, look, look at what God has done. Our our desire here was to talk about all that God has done over the years through authentic community and just locking arms together. And so, um, so do that. Invite another man into that, get a group together, invite four or five men, call it victorious together, and uh see what God might do.
SPEAKER_04:Absolutely. And by the way, be prepared that it doesn't work out. That's right. I'm I'm I'm here to let you know that that one man that you pick may not be the one. It just it just might, for a variety of good or bad reasons, it just might not be perfect timing or whatever it is. It's okay. Yeah, find another one.
SPEAKER_01:That's right.
SPEAKER_04:And another one. God will lead you appropriately. But to say that it's we have a formula for this, it's not formulaic at all.
SPEAKER_01:That's right.
SPEAKER_04:This is not scientific, this is the Holy Spirit at work. And he'll use whatever art that he needs to to get you connected to the right people.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And so stay tuned for what's next for us. You know, you might just look for Foxhole Symphony in the Italian language. Coming from the hills of Toscany. Uh-oh.
SPEAKER_04:I might listen to that. Actually, I might record it too. Yes. Uh, whether you're in Palm Beach or in Hunterden County, New Palm Beach, Florida, or Hunter County, New Jersey, it doesn't matter. Uh, this this type of community can last because it's it's timeless. Yeah. Miles don't matter. You know how much I love you and love doing this with you, and we'll see what happens next. Amen. God's got it.
SPEAKER_01:Peace.
SPEAKER_04:Peace.
SPEAKER_00:For nearly a hundred episodes, Steve and Mark sat side by side with a single-minded mission to define what it means for men to live in authentic community. They didn't just talk about it, they modeled it. By weaving together God's word, the vulnerability of their own lives, and the stories of their guests, they built a lighthouse for men who were wandering aimlessly through this world, blinded by their masks and the generational lies and brokenness that was pawned off as truth. And ultimately, they led their listeners to the only place where true restoration is found, at the foot of the cross. They did the Lord's work and they had fun doing it, which made every episode a gift to those of us who listened in. Being invited to join these two men in their God-centered mission has been a blessing for me. I am deeply grateful that they trusted me with their intros, outros, and edits. It was an honor to play a role in something so central to their friendship, their mission, and their walk with Christ. While there were certainly some late nights and a few frustrating technical glitches, I wouldn't trade a single moment of it. This work brought me closer to the Lord as I prepared for the task at hand, and it built my confidence in God's desire to be in the middle of all things in my life. Through this process, I learned invaluable lessons from two men that I admire, and I witness firsthand what it looks like when men faithfully live on mission. Thank you, Steve and Mark. It has been an honor to join you on this journey, and as you both already know, I love you guys. Lord, please continue to use this podcast to impact the lives of all who listen. I ask that you would bring hope and healing to each and every one of them. Meet them right where they are and reveal yourself to them like only you can do. In Jesus' name. Amen.
SPEAKER_01:If you enjoyed today's episode, please share it and invite others to the Foxhole. You can find us wherever you download your favorite podcast. Be sure to subscribe so you know when new episodes drop, and please rate us and comment there too, as it'll help us get found by others who could benefit. Find, follow, and like us on your go to social media networks by searching Foxhole Symphony or visit foxhole symphony.com to make it super easy to find us. Drop us a line with feedback, questions, topic requests, who knows? Maybe you'll be a guest on our future episode. In the meantime, prepare to move, embrace discomfort, and just be you.
