Um, I don't know about you, but this has been the wildest year and it's not even February yet.

Like in 2020, we clearly went through something together as a globe.

But if memory serves me correctly, the year 2020 started off relatively quietly.

I mean, at least compared to the way 2025 has begun.

We got multiple terrorist attacks, a water crisis in Richmond, Virginia.

We've got L.A. wildfires that at the time of

this recording are still waging. Y'all, I just got an essential water use-only warning lifted in my

county in Maryland. I don't know what's going on. This might be a foretelling of things to come.

I really, really, really hope it's's not because I'm tired of being on

God's Strong and Soldiers List and frankly I know you probably are too. But here's the thing,

no matter what's coming, the only way forward is together. And I don't mean in that hokey way

where like we just ignore racist people and bigoted people and xenophobic people and we just all gather

together and sing kumbaya like it's the end of a campfire.

No, that's not what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about together in fortified, solidified solidarity and community with people who

not only share our values when they're talking on the

internet, but the people who show up when it's time to show up. I think that's what we're seeing

in Los Angeles, with people being massively creative and how they use their gifts, their talents,

their time, their treasure to make sure that their neighbors, whether they're across the street

or across the city or across the

country are well. And that's exactly the example we need right now. Man, shout out to Los Angeles,

because that spirit of production and creativity y'all have always had is serving you very,

...