Speaker 1:
0:00
Is there a blessing that comes to your mind that maybe you overlook but are grateful for today?
Speaker 2:
0:07
I think there's so many different moments like that in all of our lives. I had a full ride out of high school to a university in Florida and I just really remember feeling God telling me like I actually want you to actually join up with this ministry group in Ohio.
Speaker 1:
0:24
It was so confusing for me. Welcome to the New Horizons podcast. I'm Brian Curie.
Speaker 3:
0:29
And I'm Shawna Curee, also known as Mr and Mrs KillerB, in virtual reality. So this podcast is recorded live from the metaverse at the Killer Bee studios where real life stories and experiences are shared in a way only the metaverse can offer.
Speaker 1:
0:43
With that, let's go ahead and dive into today's episode. So, okay, let me go ahead and start by asking all of you a wonderful question. My question is have any of you here ever heard the saying count your blessings? Yeah, okay, yeah, okay, awesome, awesome, okay. Is there a blessing that comes to your mind that maybe you overlooked? Is there a blessing that?
Speaker 3:
1:07
comes to your mind that maybe you overlooked but are grateful for today. Yeah, yeah, I mean, actually I could think of a lot, but probably my favorite is when I was in college. I was, you know, when I was in school. I was really into school. I mean, I loved it. I, you know, did well in school, and so college was my next logical step.
Speaker 3:
1:27
And so I got to college and then I did all right. I mean, I didn't do great, so I was interested in a lot of other things other than studying. And so, you know, after two years I found out that they were not going to offer me any more loans to stay in school. So because of that, I had to leave, like I couldn't come back the third year, and it felt devastating. It felt like what have I been doing all this time if I can't get a college education? And I was devastated. And when I came back, the very week that I came back from college, I met Brian. So that certainly did not look like a blessing at first until, you know, as our relationship progressed and we decided to get married and everything, and then I realized what a blessing it really was.
Speaker 1:
2:14
I think that this is going to be a great conversation about counting my blessings. So to give you guys all a heads up, Seph is like the meta age of like I don't know well. I guess 15 minutes now, maybe 30 minutes probably actually, since we've been here trying to debug problems.
Speaker 3:
2:29
Seems like he's very young.
Speaker 1:
2:31
He does seem like a pro. So what I want you guys to do, let's give him a warm Horizon Worlds welcome by raining him with some confetti. Let's go ahead and hit the guest intro arcane and welcome to the stage. Sweet, now I forgot. Welcome to the Killer Bee Studios Come on out. Yeah, look at me jumping all over the place, so let's go.
Speaker 2:
3:00
It's my meta birthday.
Speaker 3:
3:01
Let me just say none of this is your fault. I just hope you know that we have glitches upon glitches in Horizon Worlds.
Speaker 2:
3:08
Hey, you know, you can just blame me because I'm the new guy, so it's easy to blame me.
Speaker 3:
3:14
That would be a terrible welcome as our special guest. We're like this is all your fault, All your fault.
Speaker 1:
3:21
Sep. You know, some people here might not know you, so why don't you take about 30 seconds and just let everybody know who is Seth?
Speaker 2:
3:27
Yeah, y'all, my name is Sep Schleter. I know it's a weird name Seth is actually short for Joseph, fun fact.
Speaker 2:
3:33
So my real name is Joseph, but I go by Sep. I am an artist, I'm a musician, I'm a worship director at the ministry I work for I love Jesus and I love to sing about him and I love to just write songs that allow people just to go through life with more hope and with more joy in their lives, and so it's always fun to have the opportunity to meet people, always fun to have the opportunity to try new things and just you know, I also talk with my hands a lot, so this is great that I have these hands.
Speaker 3:
4:02
I'll probably end up throwing one.
Speaker 2:
4:09
Oh, my a lot so this is.
Speaker 3:
4:09
This is great that I have these. Probably end up throwing one, oh my gosh. Um no, but yeah, this is. This is super fun to be here, so thanks for having me guys. Yeah, um eth. So did you go by seth as a child, or was that something you did like later in your life?
Speaker 2:
4:16
it came later, so I never liked joe or joey, so I was always just like joseph and one. One day I read a book and one of the main characters names went by Seph.
Speaker 2:
4:25
I thought it was the coolest thing ever, so I went to my family you know, called a whole family meeting and I was like, all right, guys, you're going to call me Seph from now on. And they're like, no, we're not. So I was just. I was still Joseph for a long time. And then I ended up joining ministry right out of high school and I was like, all right, I'm Seph, but so many of them knew me when I was younger, it's like no, you're Joseph.
Speaker 1:
4:44
And I was like oh Lord, help me.
Speaker 2:
4:46
And then, when I started releasing music, I released it under Seph Schlueter, because you get the double. It's cooler than Joseph Schleider.
Speaker 3:
4:53
Yeah, super cool yeah.
Speaker 2:
4:55
And so gradually it began to pick up the Seph train, and then now most people call me Seph, so it.
Speaker 3:
5:01
My mom will still only call me Joseph.
Speaker 2:
5:04
My wife will still only call me Joseph, but most of the people call me that stuff.
Speaker 1:
5:09
So do you have any brothers or sisters?
Speaker 2:
5:11
I'm one of six.
Speaker 1:
5:13
Oh wow, I'm one of six.
Speaker 2:
5:14
Three boys, three girls I'm the second oldest and funny story this is how I always teach people to remember my name. When my mom was pregnant with baby number six, I begged her to name him Peter Because I thought Peter. When my mom was pregnant with baby number six, I begged her to name him peter because I thought peter schleter would be a really fun name. I was like perfect, like let's go later and uh saying I'm not going with peter and uh one with dominic instead.
Speaker 3:
5:36
So it's like oh, whatever, but um it's a cool name too, but it's a great way when people are like, how do you say your name.
Speaker 3:
5:43
I'm like schleter rhymes with peter heater, leader, meter feeder, like there's so many things that rhymes with, but that's the other one that people think it is schluter I wanted to mention that, um, the day we met you was at momentum, which I know you guys have heard us mention that before, but that's like the big um ccm contemporary christian music Conference in Orlando and we were like standing around with some people talking in like the lobby of the hotel and Seph just walks right up and introduces himself and started asking us questions about ourselves and I thought and I mean Seph, I hope you take this as the compliment that it is I mean, you look like you're probably 16, right? Do you get that? A?
Speaker 2:
6:26
lot. Not with the beard.
Speaker 3:
6:29
Not with the beard anymore, but uh, before the beard, yeah sure and I was just like this kid is so sweet and outgoing and well-spoken and friendly and have you been like that your whole life, like have you always been like a very outgoing person?
Speaker 2:
6:45
yeah, I mean. So I feel like it's interesting because I'm one of six. So obviously, you know, and all of us are very like stereotypes. Yes, yeah, I was just like I love talking. Like my whole life I've always been a talker. My dad like did ministry stuff and then also did like videography and like when he'd be like testing his like when he started getting into the videography we were the test subjects, you know. So he pulled the video camera and be like all right, you know, joseph, tell me about like what's going on here. And you know, so he pulled the video camera and be like all right, you know, joseph, tell me about like what's going on here. And you know, like, and so we would just like always be, you know, talking, sharing, doing all sorts of stuff, which is funny.
Speaker 1:
7:16
It was also really interesting when we first met you, because I think we were probably on our way. I mean, you probably had some, but they have those voodoo donuts all the way over in Universal. So we thought you know, if we go walk and do that, then it's, it's exercise.
Speaker 1:
7:28
We're really going above and beyond, you know, to make sure we're in shape, uh, and we ran into you on the way back, uh, which was really cool. And afterwards, uh, mrs killer reed came to me later because I was like, yeah, he's a really nice guy. He's like, yeah, I got his number, I'm gonna reach out to him and see if maybe he wants to be a guest on the show. Sometimes, like, his name sounds familiar to me. I just can't wrap my mind around where I've heard his name before yet. Uh, and you want to finish that story?
Speaker 3:
7:55
yeah. So I um googled and looked up some of your songs and I was like, oh yeah, counting my blessings, that's a really good song. And brian gasped. He said what I've been listening to that song and of course that's how I had heard it in the first place. I just didn't put it together. He had been listening to that song on repeat, I mean seriously, that's awesome he was so disappointed that he didn't put it together so he could say that to you in person.
Speaker 1:
8:23
But now, here you are. Now you're saying the metaverse on my birthday.
Speaker 2:
8:26
Let's go On your birthday.
Speaker 1:
8:27
It's the metaverse on my birthday.
Speaker 3:
8:28
Let's go On. Your birthday it's your metaverse birthday. I just want to say, oh my gosh, it's your birthday.
Speaker 2:
8:32
No, just my metaverse, you know.
Speaker 3:
8:34
Just my metaverse birthday, but if people want to remember me, that's cool too.
Speaker 2:
8:38
You know, yeah, yeah, no, it's funny because I was coming from a radio event, so we did like a. We did a rooftop radio event where it was just like the label that I'm at was me with a bunch of different like people who work at radio stations, and so I came down and I'm always like I actually get, I'm extroverted, in case you can't tell and so I get like it's, I get like a ton of life from just like talking to people and it's basically all you're doing the entire night is it's just like speed dating, but like with radio people you know, it's like you're just like, hey, how's it going nice to meet you, like, tell me about you, whatever.
Speaker 2:
9:09
And then all of a sudden they're like all right, I'm out, and another person comes like hey, I'm doing this whole thing and you meet, like so many people, in the span of whatever, and I love it.
Speaker 1:
9:17
I love meeting people, I love hearing stories, I love getting to know people do you mind just sharing with everybody a little bit about the meaning behind your song counting my blessings?
Speaker 2:
9:45
yeah, man, um, it's so cool because I feel like it's so like the meaning evolves so much as I live it out.
Speaker 2:
9:53
You know, which is just like a cool thing about music is that you know it means one thing in one season and then it can use to mean things as as you live life, you know, and so, um, yeah, I think for me, like when we were writing it, it was me and these two other guys and we were just kind of talking about life and where we were at and really kind of all of us were in a similar place where, you know, it's like years ago we had prayed for this to happen in our families and this to happen in our careers and this to happen in our, you know, relationships and all sorts of things.
Speaker 2:
10:20
And it's like, oh, we're living that now, but so often we're too busy, like we're chasing the next opportunity, that we forget to be like, well, I'm actually gonna pause and like thank God for what he's done. You know where, like you know, the Bible talks all about how give thanks in all circumstances. You know, don't be anxious, but give thanks, like all these different things about Thanksgiving, and we're seeing more and more studies now on the scientific realm talking about how gratitude actually can help you live longer. Gratitude helps, like your overall body health. Gratitude helps your mental health, like all sorts of different things that are just coming from the simple act of giving thanks, and so I think the song is just this reminder of like hey, we all like, your heart is going to, is going to elevate, your heart is going to be more at peace when you just give thanks to God and count the blessings that he's given you. You know.
Speaker 3:
11:06
So beautiful? Yeah, that's good. Have you, Seph? Have you released?
Speaker 2:
11:13
a whole album yet or just singles so far. Yeah, so I've released what's called an ep, which stands for extended play, which is kind of silly because it says extended but it's actually like a shortened album. So it's five like original songs and then there's like a couple like alternate versions on it. I think there's eight songs total. Um, so I have that and that's. That's the CD that will will be given out. I've been doing a bunch of events. I was on tour with Matt Marr back in like April into May, and then just a bunch of different random events kind of throughout the summer, and then in November I'm going on tour with Danny Gokey, mac Powell, tasha.
Speaker 1:
11:47
Layton and myself. That was awesome. That's huge Yay clap. Well, hey, you know, I asked Mrs Killer Bee at the beginning. I asked her a question and I would like to ask is there a blessing that comes to your mind that maybe you overlooked but are grateful for today?
Speaker 2:
12:05
Yeah, man, I think there's so many different moments, moments like that in in all of our lives probably. You know just like things that that we thought were, um, sometimes even like like setbacks and then, and then we like hindsight being 2020, we can look back and see like, oh, there's actually. That was like actually a huge blessing, I know for me. I had a right out of high school kind of similar, a little different story, but just speaking of like high school, college, whatever stuff, I had a full ride out of high school to a university in Florida and and I was like this is gonna be great, I'm going to go there, it's going to be perfect. And I just really remember feeling God telling me like I actually want you to actually join up with this. This ministry group in Ohio called Damascus instead and like be there as like a full-time missionary and all this different stuff.
Speaker 2:
12:54
And it was so confusing to me because I was like, really, are you sure? Like I have this full ride, I have a roommate picked out all this like different stuff and um, but just that, that call to surrender, that call to like, actually say like, okay, god, as a christian, I say that my life is yours and this is a chance where I could actually prove that. You know, like, yep, you want me to do this and I'm going to surrender my preference or my understanding and do it. So turn down the full ride. Told the roommate that I wasn't going to be his roommate anymore. Now he's actually married to my sister, which is wild, couldn't be my roommates. We had to be my sisters. You know, um and uh, and then uh, yeah, he probably likes that better.
Speaker 2:
13:32
I bet probably pretty cool roommate guys. Okay, um, and then um, and then, yeah, I ended up joining this ministry called damascus and I mean it really is one of the biggest blessings in my entire life that it just formed me so much. It gave me um, it formed my relationship with the lord, it formed my character, it formed so many things in me that I'm so grateful for. I think it's just one of the big thinking about blessings, especially blessings in disguise, you know, I think it was one of the big because everyone around me thought I was crazy.
Speaker 2:
13:58
I thought I was crazy, you know, and uh and but I'm like, I like look back I can totally see. I'm like that was so the lord and I'm so grateful for it wow oh, that's so cool, that's did you grow up in ohio. So I grew up in Pennsylvania for 13 years and then we moved to Ohio when I was 13.
Speaker 1:
14:15
Do you care if we talk a little bit about some of the lyrics of your song here, because I would love this to kind of touch us a little bit, awesome, okay, I'm going to start with the beginning part of the song yeah, and I'm curious if you guys I'm going to have you guys throw some confetti, if you guys can relate to this. But it says it's like it was yesterday I was praying for a miracle, scared to have a little hope. Now I want to ask everybody in the audience by throwing some confetti have you guys ever felt scared to have a little hope before? Have you guys ever felt like that, like you want something? Okay, yeah, thank you guys for being honest. I mean, it's so true like you don't expect, like something good's gonna happen, because just things continue to go wrong. What came to you when you decided to write that?
Speaker 2:
14:55
that line Cause just things continue to go wrong. What came to you when you decided to write that that line? Like again, like living in the answer to prayers? You know I was. I was praying that I would do this for my family, but it seems so impossible, you know, or I was praying that like well I'm, I could actually have a record deal, or I could release music, or you know that this girl that I like would be my wife, or like you know all these different things and it's like.
Speaker 2:
15:13
It's like I feel, like I feel like you're in that place, but sometimes I think it's scared, like you're scared to have that hope.
Speaker 2:
15:19
Because there are so many times, like looking back on our lives and all of us can relate to those times, and yeah, there've been times that you know we maybe we are disappointed and we don't understand why, and and maybe we won't ever like this out of heaven, but again it kind of we won't ever like this side of heaven, but again it kind of it's followed up on that.
Speaker 2:
15:35
That next line, like now, looking back today and seeing all the things you've done, like I can't even add them up Like even Jesus said that we were going to experience trials and persecutions in our lives, but we can look back on our lives and count a bajillion ways. You know where actually there was a re, like we hoped in something, or maybe we were scared to hope in something, but we're like, wow, like I actually look back and I can see all the things you've done. And it's so cool that even in the midst of my own imperfections, my own doubt, my own fear, like you still do so much and it's amazing sometimes it's you're scared to hope because of you think like maybe things, that things you have prayed for that haven't come to come to.
Speaker 1:
16:14
You know what is it?
Speaker 1:
16:14
fruition is that yeah fruition yeah, you're thinking, well, maybe I did something wrong, like something. Maybe god's mad at me and it's like that. That's another feeling that you can struggle with, because anybody ever everybody else here ever felt like that before, like I don't really, I don't feel like I deserve it, or you know why isn't god answering this prayer? You start thinking there's something wrong with you or that you're doing something wrong. When I was was listening to this song, the reason why I kept hitting repeat was because I was kind of going through a time where there's things I'm like I'm trying to process things go on in life and work and all that stuff, and I'm like trying to get answers but I'm not getting answers. It's just kind of silent and sometimes we think, well, if God's not giving me the answer, then, like I was sharing, maybe I did something wrong. But sometimes it's like the best answer is no answer because he has something greater for us.
Speaker 1:
16:59
When I came across your song again, I was just listening to Spotify, I was working, I was like whoa and I went back and I hit, I hit repeat and I said just hit, repeat and again it just kept repeating. I just kept taking it in because the verse that the chorus? I guess that's the chorus it says. It says one, two, three. Actually, once you say it, you say it better.
Speaker 2:
17:19
One, two, three up to infinity.
Speaker 3:
17:21
Up to infinity.
Speaker 1:
17:23
That statement right there. And it says you know, I run out of numbers. Took me back to the verse when we were going through hardships Philippians 4.6. Philippians 4.6 always has been a reminder to us. It says don't worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything. And what I love is the next part. It says tell God what you need and thank Him for all he's done and your song came on and reminded me.
Speaker 1:
17:49
At that moment you need to stop and thank God, because you're going through a season where things aren't clear. Press pause, like you said earlier. Press pause and start thanking Him and look at all the things God's done. But we don't remember those times or those moments until we are willing to press pause and go and thank Him for everything, Pray to Him, give it to Him and thank Him. And then it starts adding up, like you said one, two, three to infinity and it's like, like god, I know you have so many more blessings I can't even wrap my mind around right now. I can't wrap my mind around the blessings, I can't even count them yeah no, for real curious like this one, two, three to infinity.
Speaker 1:
18:24
Where did that come from?
Speaker 2:
18:25
yeah, I mean. So it was actually cool. We came. The first thing that was written in that song was the chorus. Actually, so, sometimes fun fact, when you write songs, you write them all out of order and um.
Speaker 2:
18:35
And so we were one of my friends, jonathan, came in and basically had almost the entire chorus, pretty much like right there, and he was like hi, this idea came to me and he just sings it and me and the other guy, jordan, are like yeah, that's, that's, that's it, that's what, that's what we're writing today, you know.
Speaker 2:
18:50
And and then we kind of went to the pre-chorus and then I, because I had this idea, I was like you know, like the whole thing is like counting, like what, if they actually just like count, like what, if we have like a pre-chorus where, like, we actually do like counting and like and it's like so I just kind of like one, two, three and I'm like oh, up to infinity. You know, it's like oh, it's like so cool, like that feels so special, like that. It's like literally, we, we can't, we can't count that high. You know, like we, literally there's, there's so many, so many things if we actually take a moment to look, and I think that's one of the biggest ways that the enemy distracts us is by again always having our minds focused on either the past or the future.
Speaker 2:
19:28
We're so rarely living in the present and I think that's one of the biggest things I'm learning in my life. There's just a simple phrase like be where your feet are.
Speaker 2:
19:36
You know and it's like like my feet are here, like my feet are right here in the metaverse you know like you guys, I'm like I'm not thinking about the bajillion things I have to do or the worries or cares of this day.
Speaker 2:
19:49
I'm trying to just be fully present.
Speaker 2:
19:50
And I feel like so often, especially in our world of, you know, social media, or just comparison or worry, or anxiety, like it's we're always looking either to like oh, that happened and I'm so anxious about it, or that's going to happen, I'm so anxious about it.
Speaker 2:
20:03
And when we just take a moment to pause and like be present to where we're at and then just like let your heart be moved to gratitude, like just pod that, wow God, thank you that there's breath in my lungs, thank you that I have family, thank you that I have friends, thank you that I have food, thank you that I have shelter, I think like, all of a sudden, the anxiety, the chaos, like the clouds that I feel like just are so easy to feel caught in, I feel like it just goes away when we can just be present, like where we're at in the moment, and I feel like that one, two, three up to infinity, it's like you can't get there until you like pause. You know, like you're never going to be able to actually look at the blessings if you're too busy. If you're too busy like driving past them, you know, but when you?
Speaker 2:
20:44
pause and you're like, here we are, this is the, this is, this is good. You know, this is God is good and I have blessings in my life. That's where things begin to actually like, the anxiety begins to leave, the chaos begins to leave and the peace and joy and hope begin to fill your heart.
Speaker 3:
20:59
Amen amen before you move on. Do you want to share with Seph the song that you wrote on our walk today?
Speaker 1:
21:07
oh, oh yeah, yeah, I will share, okay, so I was gonna get all serious, not really, I don't know.
Speaker 3:
21:16
That's what I do. I like laughing at that.
Speaker 2:
21:19
So I can't be serious. This guy's getting serious. Yeah, right, no, sean.
Speaker 1:
21:24
I was gonna say you know well, if any, if you guys like what Steph is saying, make sure you guys follow him on threads, because you post some really good posts on there and I just think it's inspirational and I think it's a good reminder, so, yeah, so I love seeing that and as I get ready to share my new song that I was writing as we were walking today, I do want to encourage everybody. I think that is one of the hardest things during our culture these days is to actually press pause. Culture these days is to actually press pause. If you guys are going through stuff and you guys know like you just feel like the world is pressuring around, you really be intentional about pressing pause. Find time to press pause. Uh, we need that, we really do, and that allows us to be able to count those blessings. And since you did add that to your, your report, you're the one that came up with the one, two, three, the counting, the counting thing. Yeah, did you add a? Did you add accountant to your LinkedIn profile? That's funny.
Speaker 2:
22:18
I like this guy joke.
Speaker 1:
22:19
Okay, Well, here let me go ahead and tell you about my song that I wrote then. So if you're going to do this version, you're going to feel like, you know, just give me a shout out. Yeah, but we, we walk around our, our complex here and they have, uh, three, three big ponds and we have these whistling ducks that came in and there's like sometimes there's like hundreds of them, isn't there. So we went walking yesterday I think we only saw four, is that right? Four whistling dogs.
Speaker 2:
22:48
I think it was only two, two, uh.
Speaker 1:
22:51
And then we started walking today and there was a bunch of more whistling ducks, wow. And as we were walking, we were saying something about counting my blessings. I was like, yeah, one, two, three Ducks to infinity, counting my ducklings, counting my ducklings. Oh, that's.
Speaker 2:
23:07
Christmas Counting the ducklings. Yes, I was counting my ducklings. Today I'm going to release a Christmas version called Counting my Presents.
Speaker 3:
23:18
Counting.
Speaker 2:
23:18
My Presents.
Speaker 3:
23:18
That might give the wrong you know idea of what Christmas is about. Maybe it should be something else.
Speaker 2:
23:23
No Counting my Presents.
Speaker 1:
23:25
You have to be dressed up as the Grinch when you do it. There you go. Dressed up as the Grinch, there you go. I'm going to be the. Grinch counting my presents one, two, three there you go man, I always just tell people that I can't.
Speaker 2:
23:37
I can't count past three and that's why I made that so you just say infinity it's really smart, I'm like four. What's that?
Speaker 3:
23:44
it sounds like really deep and spiritual and then you're like yeah, it's like, as far as I can go.
Speaker 1:
23:49
There's one thing that you hope that people here and our listeners would take away from our conversation today. What would that be?
Speaker 2:
23:57
I feel like for me, the biggest thing that I always get so convicted about is the gospel. You know, if anyone doesn't know the gospel, it means good news, and it's the good news that Jesus gave his life and he died so that we actually could have life and we can have eternal life that'll be forever and ever in heaven, but also that we get to live in, starting here and now, today. And I think the biggest thing in my life is just have a relationship with Jesus like begin to cultivate that relation, because he's going to bring you into freedom. He's going to break addiction in your life. He's going to bring you into peace and joy and hope like you've never known before. He's someone who accepts you for who you are and is going to help you become the best version of who you were made to be like there's, just there's there's some, like he says in john 10 10, I came that you would have life and have it in abundance.
Speaker 2:
24:46
And so if anyone out there is just like, yeah, my, my, like I actually need an, I want an abundant life. Like I, I need something more than what I'm living in, like Jesus is the answer. And if you know Jesus, praise God, like that's awesome. But also like like continue, like like you were saying, mr Killer B, like like being able to um, like daily commune with him, like take time to pause. Every day I'm showing up, and sometimes it's for 15 minutes, sometimes it's for two hours, you know, but I'm showing up and I'm letting the Lord work on my heart and I'm growing in communion with him and my whole life has changed because of that. And so I just encourage everyone out there If you don't know Jesus, just give him a shot, and if you do know Jesus, just continue growing deeper relationships with him.
Speaker 3:
25:26
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