{"id":305905,"date":"2020-04-06T07:00:04","date_gmt":"2020-04-06T11:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/in-partnership-with-god\/"},"modified":"2020-04-06T07:00:04","modified_gmt":"2020-04-06T11:00:04","slug":"in-partnership-with-god","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/in-partnership-with-god\/","title":{"rendered":"In Partnership With God"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Businessman Gary Ringger and his wife, Marla, reflect on how they took Gary&#8217;s dad&#8217;s business and, with God&#8217;s help, built a thriving food business. Hear how Gary realized that God was the real CEO, and how he carried out plans as God led.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/mp3.familylife.com\/fl2020-04-06.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:27:10","filesize":"24.88M","filesize_raw":"26089612","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2822,2821],"tags":[6859],"podcast_series":[8349],"cwp_profile":[9610],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-305905","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growing-in-your-faith","category-reaching-out","tag-business","podcast_series-radical-business","cwp_profile-gary-and-marla-ringger","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/305905\/in-partnership-with-god","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/305905\/in-partnership-with-god","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"xmIRPFmwuQ\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/in-partnership-with-god\/\">In Partnership With God<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/in-partnership-with-god\/embed\/#?secret=xmIRPFmwuQ\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;In Partnership With God&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"xmIRPFmwuQ\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Businessman Gary Ringger and his wife, Marla, reflect on how they took Gary's dad's business and, with God's help, built a thriving food business. Hear how Gary realized that God was the real CEO, and how he carried out plans as God led.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylife.com\/fl2020-04-06.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Gary Ringger was a successful Christian businessman who wanted to operate his business in a way that was honoring to the Lord. One area, though, where Gary says he had not yet fully surrendered himself to God was in how he thought about financial giving from the business. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Our giving was limited to a post-tax tithe, so that was our thought process. I do feel like the way we treated people\/the way we did business\u2014we wanted to be God-honoring\u2014but as far as our giving, it was our business; and we would, if you will, tip God as it increased. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Monday, April 6<sup>th<\/sup>. Our hosts are Dave and Ann Wilson; I\u2019m Bob Lepine. You\u2019ll find us online at FamilyLifeToday.com. We talk today to Gary and Marla Ringger about how God got a hold of their hearts, first, and then got a hold of their business and transformed <em>both<\/em>. Stay with us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us. I have to tell you\u2014when I came across what we\u2019re going to talk about today, I thought, \u201cDave is going to like this.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Really? Why? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Because I know how fired up you get when people start to get radical about their faith. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Oh, definitely. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> You\u2019re right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> You\u2019re right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> I think that\u2019s true about Dave. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> I\u2019m not here, talking about scooping up pig feed. [Laughter] I didn\u2019t know how that came into the thing\u2014like, \u201cWhy am I excited about that?!\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob:<\/strong> Well, some of our listeners are going, \u201cWhat\u2019s the relationship between pig feed and being radical about your faith?\u201d But that\u2019s what we\u2019re going to learn today. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> That\u2019s where it started. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> That\u2019s right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Gary Ringger and his wife Marla are joining us. Guys, welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Thank you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> Thank you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Good to be here. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Gary and Marla are from central Illinois. The story we\u2019re going to hear today is a story, Gary, that you actually\u2014you wrote down in a book called <em>Radical Business<\/em>. Most guys, who live through what you lived through\u2014and have got a great story to tell\u2014don\u2019t take time to write a book. What was the prompting that caused you to say, \u201cI\u2019m going to write a book about our story and about our life\u201d? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> What actually happened was Andy, who works with me, was wanting me to do it; and it just seemed overwhelming, so it wasn\u2019t getting done. Then, one night, Marla woke up in the middle of the night. If you look at the back cover, she wrote that word for word; she wrote it as if it was me. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe next morning, she showed it to me and I thought, \u201cOh, I like that.\u201d It became this, kind of, sweet journey. I would write a chapter very poorly, and then Marla would edit it; then my oldest daughter Megan would edit it. Then we\u2019d get together at Panera, and we\u2019d edit it together and read it together. It became this walk down memory lane that was a real great journey together. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> What it became for you guys was an opportunity to really celebrate the goodness of God in a long journey that is\u2014it\u2019s a pretty remarkable journey. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Marla, what prompted you? Did you wake up in the night and start writing? What was that? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> We\u2019d actually talked about writing the book. When we would share stories with some of our friends, they would say [with enthusiasm], \u201cYou need to write a book!\u201d Every time we\u2019d tell them another God story, they\u2019d say, \u201cYou need to write a book!\u201d; so\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Is that how they said it? I like that. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> Well, that\u2019s how one of my friends said it; she did! She would just\u2014yes; she did! [Laughter] So then, I just had it on my mind. A lot of times, that\u2019s how I process\u2014at night\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Your best thoughts come at night. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> \u2014when I go to sleep or I lay there, thinking about it. I just started thinking, \u201cHow should we introduce this book?\u201d Those words came, so I do think it was the Lord. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Well, let\u2019s go back to the beginning of the God-story. That really starts when you got into the family business. Tell us about the family business. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Yes; so the family business was a little feed business. We sold pig feed to local farmers. I have to say\u2014I was a lazy kid, wondered if I would ever make it in business. I went to work for Dad out of college because I didn\u2019t know what else to do. Dad sold\/bought and sold pig feed to area farmers. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob:<\/strong> You were a business major and then studied economics while you were in college. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Didn\u2019t know what you wanted to do. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Except you wanted to play piano; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> I wanted to play piano. I told Dad, right after I got out of college, that, \u201cI\u2019ll work for you, but let me take six months off to learn to play the piano a little better.\u201d He was a German worker; and he thought, \u201cWho have I raised?!\u201d [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Marla, when did you come into the journey? Where did you and Gary meet? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> We met at college, although our churches had some interaction together. We both are from the same denomination. I actually\u2014there is kind of a cute story of how we first met. We invited Gridley Sunday school to visit us for a Sunday. He came as a senior; I was a sophomore. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You were in the Gridley church. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> He was in the Gridley church. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> I was. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> They came to Cissna, and\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Boy! These are some names right here\u2014Gridley and Cissna; okay. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> He brought a girlfriend\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> \u2014both in the middle of cornfields. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> \u2014who wasn\u2019t, really, from our church; you know? We\u2019re like: \u201cThese cute guys\u2014they are bringing their girlfriends; that\u2019s no fair\u201d; you know? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI do remember the pastor had a special service, just for the Sunday school kids, who were visiting. He knew Gary\u2019s older brother\u2014lived with him in college\u2014so he pointed him out. He said, \u201cOh, I know Gary Ringger; because I roomed with his brother, Earl.\u201d Everybody was looking at Gary. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Well, wait. Were you looking at him,\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> I was looking at him. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u2014thinking he was pretty cute? [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> Absolutely, I did. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI babysat for this pastor\u2019s kids. When he asked a question, he said, \u201cI can pick on Marla, because she babysits for our kids.\u201d They all look back at <em>me<\/em>. He looked back at me, and our eyes <em>met<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Oh! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Oh! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You remember? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Yes, I remember. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> But he did have his arm around his girlfriend. So\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Wait; your eyes <em>locked<\/em>, but he still had his arm\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> That\u2019s right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u2014around his\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Yes, that\u2019s right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> But that was\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes; but\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> \u2014the first. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> You stole his heart in that moment. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> That was the first, and I remember that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Oh, yes; your heart went, \u201cThump, thump, thump.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And you remember it too? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> I remember it too. I have to say\u2014when I got married then to Marla, that was when Dad started having hope for me. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Is that right?! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> That\u2019s not true. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> It partially is. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> Partially\u2014but yes; he thought you were pretty great. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> In college or out of college, when you got married? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Out of college. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> I quit college my sophomore year, worked a year, then got married. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> By this time, you are fully immersed in the pig feed business. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Yes, I\u2019m going in the pig feed business. Dad really wanted me to learn it from ground up, so I went to work in the dusty feed mill that we had. I remember one of my friends saying, \u201cWhat are you doing?\u2014doing this?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI met a gentleman that was a nutritionist, and he taught me how to mix the feed from ground up. We, before, were buying like two ingredients and mixing them together. He taught me how to take 10\/15 ingredients and mix the feed. When that happened, our prices went down so much that we could sell the product at a lower price to our customers. It was a better value for them; but we made twice as much. When that happened, that was like\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> I bet your\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> \u2014\u201cThis is pretty cool.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> I bet your dad was pretty proud at that point. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> He was. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Again, you weren\u2019t sure what you wanted to do; so you were kind of in the pig feed business by default. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> That\u2019s right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Did you <em>like<\/em> what you were doing? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> I really got to know Dad and the business, and we got along good. It was a real blessing. I had\u2014Aunt Vi and Aunt Lil worked in the business; so it was a family deal, and I loved the people. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI started\u2014he had me going out selling, which he knew that I\u2019m kind of a timid guy; and if I have too much rejection, that I\u2019d be in trouble. What Dad did is\u2014he wouldn\u2019t let me go out too much, but he would help me get my feet wet a little bit in that; then he would pull me back in. Sometimes, I felt like he was too restrictive; but it was really good for me. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> He was <em>nudging<\/em> you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> He was nudging me and holding me back so I didn\u2019t burn out. He was a <em>great<\/em> mentor\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> \u2014my greatest mentor in life. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> When you came across this formula for twice the profits at a lower price for the customer, business took off. Did you start to see \u201cThis can be much bigger than our pig feed business has ever been\u201d? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Yes; because the margins were good, we started making money. Then we started hiring other salesmen, because we could afford to pay a salesman. Then, as time went on, I transformed from this scared kid to somebody that was really, \u201cBusiness is really great.\u201d I loved it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> If I\u2019m your dad\u2014I have just discovered an incredible gifted insight in my son. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> That\u2019s right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> I mean, is that\u2014I mean, you found something he had <em>never<\/em> found\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> That\u2019s right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> \u2014and brought a profitability to the company that was unheard of at the time; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> It was like a totally different business. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> So was it like, \u201cHey, lead this thing\u201d? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Well, yes; Dad was very involved in\u2014he was a lay pastor in our church, and he was like the lead pastor. At that point in time, I was wanting <em>more<\/em> of his input. He basically said, \u201cGary, you know, you may want more of me now; but a lot of your friends have a dad for their business partner. As time goes on, their dads hold on; and you\u2019re going to be glad that I\u2019m not holding on.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe was just handing it to me, and he was busy. He didn\u2019t have an office at work; he just would come in and make the circles. He was a real positive guy\u2014the most positive guy I\u2019ve ever met. He would come in\u2014we\u2019d be immersed in problems\u2014he would come in: \u201cIt\u2019s a great day to be alive!\u201d he would say. We were like, \u201cUh; okay, Dad.\u201d [Laughter]<br>\u00a0\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> And what were your spiritual lives like at that point? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> Christ has always been front and center, so we were raising our kids to know Him. It was a very important part of our lives. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Was that true in the business, Gary? Because I read in the book\u2014you said, \u201cMy goal was to be a millionaire by 40,\u201d\u2014or whatever\u2014\u201cto retire at 40.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> That\u2019s right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> It sounded to me like, early on, it was like, \u201cYes, I\u2019m following Jesus; but when it comes to business, I\u2019ve got other priorities here.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> We would say that our business belonged to the Lord. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> We would say that, but our giving was limited to a post-tax tithe; that was our thought process. I do feel like the way we treated people\/the way we did business\u2014we wanted to be God-honoring\u2014but as far as our giving, it was our business; and we would if you will, tip God as it increased. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Did you feel good about that?\u2014you were fine with that as a way of thinking. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Yes, that was just what I was taught. My mindset was: \u201cThat was the tithe,\u201d\u2014that was what it was about. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dave:<\/strong> So you get to a point, though\u2014it\u2019s pretty interesting in your story\/the book\u2014where you write out a contract\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> That\u2019s right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> \u2014to God. Something was going on; tell us what happened there. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> By the time I was in my early 30s, I\u2019m thinking, \u201cI\u2019m quite the business guy\u201d; and I visited a Kraft<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> food plant. I remember walking, room to room; and I saw all these processes and different foods being made. I thought, \u201cThis is a lot bigger than any feed business I\u2019ve ever seen.\u201d I told Marla, \u201cWe are going to get into the food business.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI didn\u2019t know what I was going to do; but I am fairly creative\u2014and sometimes, too creative\u2014so I start talking to people. Before long, I had met a lady who wanted to find somebody to blend donut sugar for her. I figured, \u201cWe knew how to blend feed; we can blend donut sugar\u201d; so we started Ringger Foods. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Alright. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> So then we start Ringger Foods. That\u2019s when I\u2019m telling Marla: \u201cHey, babe, we\u2019re going to get rich; and we\u2019re going retire at 40. We\u2019re going to live the American Dream.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI would be\/have thought, \u201cWe\u2019re going to tithe on this,\u201d\u2014like that\u2014but what happened is\u2014as I started that journey, thinking very highly of myself, we were losing money. That was hurting my pride\u2014had to kind of repent to Dad, because I felt like I had not put as much emphasis on the foundation he had given. I came in when there was a foundation. Starting a business\u2014Ringger Foods\u2014was a lot different. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe big thing was I never had thought about it too much except: \u201cNow, we are making food, what happens if you mess up some food?\u201d and \u201cWe\u2019re making this donut sugar that\u2019s not going to be cooked\u201d; so I just started freaking out. I got into this pattern: it was just over a three-to-five month period where, night after night, one\/two in the morning\u2014it was pretty much like clockwork\u2014I would wake up, and I was sweating; my heart beating in my head. I would just lay there, thinking all kinds of dark thoughts, like, \u201cGod forbid; we\u2019re going to kill somebody with bacteria-tainted foods.\u201d It just started freaking me out. Then, because it happened night after night, I got sleep deprived. You know what happens then\u2014then I got into depression and desperation; then I just wanted <em>out<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Was the company in financial risk? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Yes, that\u2019s\u2014you know, getting back to being sleep deprived\u2014and also, God was breaking me; so that was the good news. The Ringger Feeds was doing great; Ringger Foods was borrowing money from Ringger Feeds. It wasn\u2019t like we were in trouble. All we had to do was quit and focus on Ringger Feeds, and everything is cool. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat\u2019s frankly what I wanted to do. I\u2019m just getting to the point where I am tired of this; I just want my life back. I don\u2019t care about the American Dream, retiring at 40. This was my thought\u2014that I just wanted to quit; but I didn\u2019t have a peace about that, and God was not giving me a peace about that. Going to your question, that\u2019s what led to the contract. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So what was the contract? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> So the contract was written on a 8 \u00bd x 11 piece of paper with a pen and, basically, said that: \u201cGod, if You take this failing business\u201d\u2014which it was\u2014\u201cand if we ever make it successful and we ever sell, that we\u2019ll pay ourselves back what we invested plus eight percent interest. Anything over and above that, we\u2019ll use for ministry,\u201d\u2014not having any idea what that ministry might be\u2014but just saying, \u201cThis is Yours.\u201d Then, that gave me purpose. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I remember, as you tell that story\u2014because I know the rest of the story\/I know what happened in your case\u2014but I remember a guy who came to FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>. God had placed it on his heart that they should give to FamilyLife that particular year; he said, \u201cI set aside a month, and our profits from that month are what we\u2019re going to donate to FamilyLife.\u201d We thanked him. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe later told us that he picked what he knew had historically been the lowest month of the year for their sales, [Laughter] so he was hedging his bets a little bit; but he is giving a whole month\u2019s profit to FamilyLife; right? It\u2019s because he believed in the mission and what we were doing. That month turned out to be the biggest month in his company\u2019s history. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Wow. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> That\u2019s amazing. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> At the end of that October, when he\u2019s sitting looking at the books, he\u2019s going: \u201cIsn\u2019t it interesting how\u2014when you turn things over to the Lord and say, \u2018Okay, this belongs to You now,\u2019\u201d\u2014and as you said\u2014\u201cWe\u2019re going to pay off our debts, and we\u2019ll pay the interest back; but anything else becomes the Lord\u2019s.\u201d Somebody has said that the world has not seen what God will do through the man who doesn\u2019t allow money to stick to his fingers; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> The person who is focused on giving\u2014all of a sudden, God says, \u201cI can use this person, and I can advance kingdom purposes and <em>bring joy<\/em> to you in the process.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Yes; you\u2019ll notice that I didn\u2019t give Ringger Feeds. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> That\u2019s right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> I gave Ringger <em>Foods<\/em>\u2014[Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You gave the failing company. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> \u2014that had no value. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You\u2019re right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u2014which was the most intriguing part of this book to me, Gary\u2014is because you said: \u201cThe business no longer belonged to me. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u201cIt belonged to God.\u201d You started to having discussions with God about your business\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u2014like He was in it <em>with<\/em> you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> I love it. I want to hear you say to that, but you prayed where I pray; I pray in the hot tub. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Oh, really? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> I\u2019m like: \u201cSo do I! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> \u201cSomebody else does.\u201d [Laughter] I just sit out there, and I look at the heavens. It\u2019s a beautiful place to take some quiet time. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> I tell people: \u201cIf they really want to\/if they are serious about their spiritual life, they need to get a hot tub.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> I agree! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Ooh; Mary Ann, are you listening, sweetheart?\u2014[Laughter]\u2014okay?\u2014because I believe my prayer life would <em>really<\/em> get on fire. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Yes, that\u2019s right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes; but seriously, what Ann is asking\u2014in that moment, when you\u2019re getting alone now, probably, daily?\u2014because\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> That\u2019s right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> \u2014your anxiety was daily. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> That\u2019s right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> So now, it\u2019s a different spin? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> That\u2019s right. When I first wake up in the morning, things look overwhelming; that\u2019s just kind of my nature. At that point, I have a failing business; I\u2019m still in depression. You don\u2019t get into depression right away; you don\u2019t get <em>out<\/em> of it right away. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tRight outside our bedroom door is this hot tub; I stumble out to the hot tub. The other thing that was really cool, at that point, is\u2014as I\u2019m looking into prayer, I read these excerpts of some early Christians\u2014right after Christ\u2014they had been martyred for their faith. What I noticed about what they wrote was concerning the Lord\u2019s Prayer. I had memorized that as a kid, but what I took from these essays is that\u2019s what\/how they prayed. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI got into a pattern\u2014just the same way I pray today. I go out into the hot tub, and then I would think about who God is. Bill Bright is one of my heroes, and I read his [book, <em>God: 13 Steps to the Attributes of God<\/em>]. I memorized those, so I\u2019d go through those. You know: \u201cHe is all-powerful, all-knowing\u201d; \u201cWhy am I so shook?!\u201d Then, when I would get to \u201cThy Kingdom come, Thy will be done,\u201d I would think about\u2014to me, I don\u2019t know for sure that\u2019s what Christ meant; but to me, it was like submitting: \u201cWhatever Your will is; who cares about what I want.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThen, when I would get to \u201cGive us this day our daily bread,\u201d then I would start\/I\u2019d have this prayer list about: \u201cOkay, what about this?\u201d I would start asking Him questions about <em>business<\/em>, because I was in this tangible partnership. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBefore that, prayer was this discipline\u2014like five minutes a day of really focused time that I had to focus. If my mind would wonder, it would be like I would slap my hand: \u201cI can\u2019t.\u201d Now, this became up to an hour a day\u2014just out there, just relaxing, with my Father\u2014then I started experiencing Him in ways I never had. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> If you are doing that daily, it transforms your anxiety, I\u2019m guessing. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Again, not in one day; but what happened to that?\u2014the worry?\u2014the things waking you up at night?\u2014the stress? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> I have to say I\u2019m this strange mix of very optimistic and a worrier. Dad is the most optimistic person I\u2019ve ever known, and Mom would worry about anything; so I have that. Still today, there are things that will bother me in the morning. But this morning, I had to be down here; so I couldn\u2019t do that [extended prayer]; so I am a little more anxious. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob:<\/strong> Right. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> But in general, if I hit the hot tub and I spend that time, it is life-transforming for me. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You know, you can pray in other places. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> It\u2019s not as fun! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> I don\u2019t think he knows that. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> When you signed a contract and said, \u201cOkay, God, this business belongs to You\u201d\u2014and we\u2019re going to hear more this week about what God\u2019s done and about the ministry that has come out of that\u2014but God started to do a work in your business. The bigger work God started to do was in <em>you<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> That\u2019s right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And I\u2019m just wondering what you would say\u2014I don\u2019t know how many folks, who are listening, run their own business; a lot of folks work for other people\u2014how does this principle apply to folks, who are listening?\u2014this whole idea of surrender and stewardship and saying, \u2018Really, I\u2019m a steward of God\u2019s stuff; I\u2019m not an owner,\u201d\u2014how would that transform somebody\u2019s daily life? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> From a business perspective, I feel like the contract made it tangible. I feel like anybody can do that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tFor Gary Ringger\u2014before, when I had this tithe mentality\u2014it wouldn\u2019t have got there, because it was still <em>mine<\/em>. No matter how big it got, I planned to tithe. What I\u2019ve been taught by other people is the finish-line mentality, which means you say, \u201cHow much is enough?\u201d and then the rest you give away. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMy personal bias is\u2014if a business owner makes that type of commitment, where he says, \u201cHow much is enough?\u201d and then \u201cThe rest is Yours, Lord,\u201d\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> \u2014then, for me, at least, then He becomes more of a tangible partner; because no matter how big it gets, I\u2019m a steward. The <em>owner<\/em> gets the increase, not the steward. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Did it help to write it down? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dave:<\/strong> Because I\u2019m thinking a lot of us have made these foxhole prayers: \u201cHey, if You do this, I\u2019ll do that,\u201d\u2014then it just goes away\u2014but was there something to putting it down on paper, like it was <em>real<\/em>? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Yes; well, it was definitely that. We wouldn\u2019t be here if I hadn\u2019t. If you know my personality, I\u2019m very forgetful and very absent-minded. If we wouldn\u2019t have [written] it down, I would have thought, \u201cWell, what did we really do?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes, I would say\u2014you don\u2019t have to be a business owner\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Amen. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> \u2014to struggle with stress and anxiety and fear and worry about your life, and about finances, and about the future. I would say, \u201cToday is the day to write a contract,\u201d\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Gary:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> \u2014you know? Whoever you are\u2014just like, \u201cWhat would it be like to sit down and really mean this: \u2018God, my life is Yours. Whatever You bless me with\u2026\u2019?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Marla:<\/strong> It really gave him freedom. It really gave him freedom, too; because he <em>couldn\u2019t<\/em> pray, in good faith: \u201cGod, help me to get rich so that I can retire at 40\u201d; but now, he could say, \u201cLord, bless this business because it is Yours, and I\u2019m not going to benefit more than what we\u2019ve already decided.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I\u2019ve met people like you\u2014some amazing folks\u2014and just heard amazing stories of people, who have said, \u201cHere is what we\u2019re going to live with.\u201d They\u2019ve kind of capped what they\u2019re lifestyle is going to be; yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> They\u2019ve said, \u201cEverything else is going to God.\u201d Some of them never dreamed what God would do and find themselves tempted, on the other side, to go, \u201cMaybe, we should keep more of this for ourselves.\u201d Yet, they\u2019ve found such <em>joy<\/em> in being vessels\/being channels for what God is wanting to do all around the world. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019ve got copies of the book you\u2019ve written, Gary, in our <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> Resource Center. It\u2019s called <em>Radical Business: From Ownership to Stewardship<\/em>. Anyone who is in business\u2014this is a <em>great<\/em> book. This will <em>change<\/em> your perspective on what God has designed for you to do as a business owner. <br>\u00a0\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tGo to FamilyLifeToday.com to order a copy of Gary Ringger\u2019s book, <em>Radical Business: From Ownership to Stewardship<\/em>. You can order, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com; or you can call 1-800-FL-TODAY to order. Again, our website is FamilyLifeToday.com; or call 1-800-358-6329\u2014that\u2019s 1-800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY,\u201d to get a copy of Gary Ringger\u2019s book. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe want to say a special thank you today to those of you who have a burden on your heart for marriages and families\u2014those of you who align with our passion and our vision, here, at FamilyLife. Our goal is to effectively develop godly marriages and families who change the world one home at a time. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe know there are some of you who pray for us regularly; some of you who are involved in reaching out in your community to help strengthen marriages and families in your neighborhood\/in your church where you live. And there are some of you who make this radio program possible; you help us reach more people more regularly through your financial support of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thank you for partnering with us in this ministry because we believe that we can change the world one home at a time. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf you\u2019ve never donated to support <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>, you can do that easily online at FamilyLifeToday.com; or call 1-800-FL-TODAY to donate. We hope to hear from you. Thanks for your support of all that God is doing through this ministry. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe hope you can join us back again tomorrow. Gary and Marla Ringger will be here again to share with us the burden that God put on their heart\u2014the kingdom burden that has blossomed into a pretty significant ministry. We\u2019ll hear that story tomorrow. I hope you can be with us for that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our hosts, Dave and Ann Wilson, I\u2019m Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas; a Cru<sup>\u00ae <\/sup>Ministry. Help for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2020 FamilyLife. 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