Finding Your Purpose Skinwalkers, Shapeshifters & Skinwalker Ranch

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Wolves & Wisemen Reignited — Episode 37

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About This Episode

What are you actually supposed to be doing with your life?

That's the question behind Episode 37.

Not:

What do you do for work?

Not:

How much money do you make?

Not:

What kind of car do you drive?

But:

Why are you here?

Then things get weird.

Rebel Report hits current events, Folks on Fire takes us back to the insanity of 1970s baseball, Sacked delivers exactly what you'd expect, Today in History gets into Operation Valkyrie and Wild Bill Hickok, and Fringe Files dives into shapeshifters, reptilians, strange creatures in the woods, Skinwalker Ranch and one potentially terrible idea:

Should Wolves & Wisemen spend the night at Skinwalker Ranch?

Welcome to Episode 37.

THE CHECK IN: FINDING YOUR PURPOSE

Episode 37 begins with one of the hardest questions we've tackled:

What is my purpose?

The first verse is Jeremiah 29:11:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

That sounds comforting.

Until you're sitting there thinking:

Okay, God...what's the plan?

Because sometimes you don't feel like you're moving toward anything.

Sometimes it feels like Groundhog Day.

Sometimes you're spinning your tires.

Sometimes you're praying, trying to follow God and doing everything you think you're supposed to do...

And you still feel completely lost.

Have You Ever Felt Lost?

The guys ask several questions during the discussion:

Have you ever felt lost?

Have you ever questioned why you're going through a certain season?

Have you ever wondered whether God really has a plan for your life?

And maybe the hardest one:

Have you ever felt like you're not the person you're supposed to be?

That's where this Check In becomes less of a Bible lesson and more of an actual conversation between guys who don't have the answer.

Because none of us completely do.

Your Career Isn't Your Identity

One of the biggest ideas to come out of the discussion is that modern life teaches us to connect purpose with career.

Meet somebody new and one of the first questions is:

“What do you do?”

Electrician.

Plumber.

Designer.

Photographer.

Marine.

Business owner.

Whatever.

But that's what you do.

Is that who you are?

And is your career actually your purpose?

Maybe not.

Your purpose might have absolutely nothing to do with the title printed on your paycheck.

Changing Identities

The guys talk about trying different paths throughout life.

Sports.

Art.

Restaurants.

Cars.

Photography.

The military.

Business.

The podcast.

And every time you become deeply involved in something, part of it becomes your identity.

Then something changes.

The career ends.

You leave the military.

The relationship ends.

The opportunity disappears.

The kids grow up.

Someone dies.

Suddenly you're standing there asking:

Who am I now?

That's one of the hardest parts of finding purpose.

Sometimes you're not finding it for the first time.

You're trying to find it again.

What If You Lost Your Purpose?

One of the strongest moments comes from the discussion about leaving the Marine Corps.

In the military, the mission was clear.

You knew why you were there.

You knew what you were supposed to do.

You knew what tomorrow looked like—even when tomorrow threw a curveball.

Then that life ends.

And the question becomes:

Now what?

The episode also connects that feeling with losing someone you've spent years caring for.

When something has consumed your time, identity and responsibility for years, its disappearance can leave an enormous hole.

Your obligations can disappear overnight.

But that doesn't mean your purpose disappeared with them.

Maybe Purpose Isn't One Big Thing

What if we're looking for purpose the wrong way?

Maybe there isn't going to be a giant flashing sign.

Maybe God isn't going to yell:

“THIS IS IT. DO THIS FOR THE NEXT 40 YEARS.”

Maybe purpose changes.

Maybe there are different purposes for different seasons.

Maybe your purpose today is simply being where you're supposed to be today.

Being a father.

Being a friend.

Helping somebody.

Creating something.

Coaching a kid.

Showing up.

Encouraging somebody who needed it.

Maybe you fulfilled part of your purpose without ever realizing you were doing it.

The Wilderness

One of the most interesting connections in this Check In is the wilderness.

Moses spent years tending sheep.

Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness before beginning His ministry.

David was a shepherd before becoming king.

Joseph experienced isolation through imprisonment.

Again and again, periods of preparation can look like isolation.

And that's especially meaningful when you're sitting alone in the mountains wondering:

What the hell am I doing with my life?

Maybe isolation isn't always abandonment.

Sometimes it may be preparation.

Finding Peace in the Mountains

There's also an important distinction made between isolation in the city and isolation in nature.

Sit alone inside staring at four walls...

And your mind can destroy you.

Sit alone in the mountains...

And somehow it feels different.

You're still alone.

You're still thinking.

You still don't have all the answers.

But you're surrounded by God's creation.

Sometimes that silence feels less like loneliness and more like peace.

Maybe the Struggle Got You Here

One of the biggest realizations of the entire conversation:

Maybe all the wrong turns weren't wasted.

Maybe the failed careers weren't wasted.

Maybe the relationships weren't wasted.

Maybe the pain wasn't wasted.

Maybe all those different things you've tried gave you skills that you'll eventually need.

And even if you still don't know exactly where you're going...

Look at where the struggle brought you spiritually.

If everything you've gone through ultimately brought you closer to God, maybe the path wasn't as pointless as it felt while you were walking it.

Gus & Purpose

Then a dog unexpectedly explains the entire segment.

Gus.

The guys talk about Gus's health, family photos and the relationship he's built with everyone around him.

And the conversation turns toward something incredibly simple.

Maybe Gus already knows his purpose.

Love his people.

Make them happy.

Be there when they need him.

That's it.

Maybe human beings overcomplicate purpose.

Sometimes your purpose may simply be the positive impact you have on somebody else's life.

You may not even know you're doing it.

A conversation.

A photograph.

A phone call.

Helping somebody.

Waving at your neighbor.

Being kind to the person making your sandwich.

Little things matter.

EPHESIANS 2:10

The second verse is Ephesians 2:10:

“For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

The takeaway:

You weren't created accidentally.

Your gifts matter.

Your talents matter.

Your experiences matter.

Even your past mistakes can become something God uses later.

And maybe you haven't found your purpose yet because you're still being prepared for it.

Your Pain May Become Part of Your Purpose

Sometimes the thing you survived becomes the exact thing that allows you to help someone else survive.

You know what that darkness feels like.

You know what losing somebody feels like.

You know what starting over feels like.

You know what failure feels like.

You know what wondering whether you're enough feels like.

Maybe those experiences eventually become tools.

Not because suffering is automatically good.

But because something useful can still come out of it.

Maybe You Haven't Found It Yet

And that's okay.

The guys point out that plenty of people didn't discover what defined the next stage of their lives until later.

The pressure to have everything figured out by 25, 30 or 40 isn't necessarily realistic.

Maybe you're still learning.

Maybe you're still being prepared.

Maybe you're already doing something important and haven't recognized it yet.

The important thing is to keep looking.

Keep moving.

Keep praying.

Keep paying attention.

And keep your eyes on God.

REBEL REPORT

Then it's time for the news.

The conversation covers international conflict involving Iran and Israel, U.S. involvement and foreign aid, severe Utah weather and flash flooding, entertainers talking politics, celebrity divorces, baseball injuries and Anthony Fauci.

As usual, Rebel Report quickly becomes less “reading headlines” and more arguing about what those headlines mean.

Iran, Israel & American Involvement

The guys discuss reports at the time surrounding escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, potential attacks against Iranian nuclear facilities, movement of Americans and personnel in the region and continued U.S. aid to Israel.

The larger question they debate is:

How involved should the United States be in conflicts between other nations?

The hosts express strong opinions against continued U.S. funding and involvement and argue that America shouldn't automatically finance or police foreign conflicts.

Utah Weather Gets Wild

Meanwhile, Utah is getting hammered.

The guys talk about monsoon conditions, flash flooding, road damage, I-15 problems near Beaver and a tragic incident involving a family swept away near the Mirror Lake area.

And while they're talking about it...

A storm is hitting during the show.

Nothing like discussing flash floods while wondering whether the studio power is about to go out.

Should Entertainers Tell You How to Vote?

The episode also discusses comments attributed to Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain criticizing entertainers such as Bruce Springsteen and Robert De Niro for using their platforms to tell audiences how to vote.

That turns into a broader conversation about celebrity political advocacy, hypocrisy and whether entertainers actually understand the everyday lives of the audiences they're lecturing.

The hosts' position in the episode is clear:

Have your opinion.

Explain why you believe it.

But celebrity status doesn't automatically make somebody an authority on politics.

The Baseball Injury Nobody Wants

Then Rebel Report delivers a story perfectly designed for another segment of this show.

A professional baseball player fouls a ball directly into himself.

The reported result?

A ruptured testicle.

Which immediately leads to the obvious question:

Why aren't more baseball players wearing cups?

And conveniently...

Wolves & Wisemen has an entire segment dedicated to this exact category of human suffering.

FOLKS ON FIRE: STAND UP

The first Folks on Fire comes from a baseball game and centers on respect during the National Anthem.

An older man sees somebody remaining seated and decides to personally address the situation.

Very personally.

The guys use the clip to talk about what the anthem represents to them, military service and the importance of teaching younger generations why certain traditions matter rather than assuming they understand them.

FOLKS ON FIRE: THE 1970s

Then we travel back to a time when apparently nobody had lawyers.

Or good judgment.

Or reasonable alcohol policies.

1974.

Cleveland.

10-Cent Beer Night.

More than 25,000 fans reportedly show up.

Fans can purchase six beers...

per trip to the concession stand.

Firecrackers.

Cherry bombs.

Streakers.

People running onto the field.

Fans stealing bases.

Players grabbing bats.

Eventually the situation deteriorates so badly that players from both teams end up on the field dealing with the crowd.

Reported final statistics discussed on the show:

Approximately 60,000 beers.

19 streakers.

Seven emergency-room-worthy injuries.

Nine arrests.

And a forfeited baseball game.

So who's Folks on Fire?

Basically...

The 1970s.

BONERS

Boners delivers exactly what the segment promises:

People doing things that make everybody else ask:

Why?

One of the week's entries comes directly from youth baseball.

At an end-of-season awards event, the coaches unexpectedly get told to say something personal about every player.

Problem:

Not every coach actually knows every kid that well.

So what follows is forced public speaking, improvisation and a ceremony that takes considerably longer than anybody anticipated.

Good intention.

Terrible preparation.

Boner of the Week.

SACKED: FRIENDS HELPING FRIENDS

Episode 37 also brings back an old Wolves & Wisemen classic.

A bet involving Michael Summers.

A document that needed signing.

A wager Al apparently didn't realize he was participating in.

And the punishment:

Make your own Sacked video.

Which results in exactly the sort of footage you'd expect from this group.

Sometimes friendship means supporting your buddies.

Sometimes friendship means recording them getting hit in the nuts because they lost a bet.

Both are valid.

TODAY IN HISTORY

Before Fringe Files, Episode 37 makes a stop in history.

And July 21 has some good ones.

The guys discuss the aftermath of Operation Valkyrie and the failed assassination attempt against Adolf Hitler.

One of the fascinating details discussed is how the positioning of the bomb near a heavy oak table affected the blast and contributed to Hitler surviving.

Then:

The final Harry Potter book was released in 2007.

Wild Bill Hickok participated in what became famous as an early quick-draw gunfight in 1865.

John Scopes was found guilty in the famous Scopes “Monkey Trial” in 1925.

And the episode recognizes the birthdays of:

Robin Williams

and

Ernest Hemingway.

FRINGE FILES: SHAPESHIFTERS

And now...

Things get weird.

The episode dives into videos and stories involving apparent shapeshifters, strange human-like creatures and beings that seem to move in ways humans shouldn't.

One video involves a woman who says she witnessed somebody walking upright...

Then suddenly dropping onto all fours.

Could it be a shapeshifter?

Could it be somebody screwing around?

Could it be something else entirely?

Nobody knows.

But if you start crawling toward the Wolves & Wisemen crew on all fours in the middle of the night...

You're probably going to have a bad evening.

Reptilians Under Utah?

Then the conversation comes home to Utah.

A story is discussed involving workers near the Kennecott area decades ago who allegedly moved a massive rock or obstruction and discovered large doors leading into tunnels.

According to the story repeated on the show, workers claimed they encountered reptilian beings inside.

They reportedly fled.

The area was supposedly covered or destroyed afterward.

Is it true?

The episode doesn't establish evidence proving the story.

But it's exactly the kind of Utah legend Fringe Files was built for.

And considering how much of that mountain has been moved over the decades...

It makes for one hell of a story.

Demons, Shapeshifters or Something Else?

The guys then start connecting these stories to something they've discussed before.

Maybe not every strange creature is an alien.

Maybe some of these stories have spiritual explanations.

Demons.

Fallen entities.

Shapeshifters.

Or simply things human beings don't understand.

The episode also discusses online videos allegedly showing celebrities behaving strangely and theories connecting fame, wealth, occult symbolism and demonic influence.

These are presented as speculation during the Fringe Files discussion—not established evidence.

And that's an important distinction.

Fringe Files is about asking:

What if?

Not pretending every viral video proves the theory.

Something Is Behind You

One of the creepiest ideas in the episode involves hikers using rear-facing cameras.

The hiker sees nothing.

Hears nothing.

Keeps walking.

Then later reviews the footage...

And supposedly discovers strange things happening behind him.

Bigfoot-type figures.

Movement.

Unexplained shapes.

Things he never knew were there.

Which produces an absolutely terrible idea:

Should we start wearing rear-facing cameras in the mountains?

Because there are two possible outcomes.

You record nothing.

Great.

Or...

You discover you've been camping next to something for the last three years.

Maybe ignorance really is bliss.

Bigfoot Is Back

That leads naturally into Sasquatch.

The guys discuss several recent claims and videos they've encountered online involving supposed Bigfoot remains, photographs and people claiming long-term encounters with the creatures.

Again, none of those claims are independently established during the episode.

But they create an obvious future Fringe Files topic:

We need another Bigfoot episode.

Especially if we're going to start putting cameras on the back of people hiking through Utah.

SHOULD WOLVES & WISEMEN SPEND THE NIGHT AT SKINWALKER RANCH?

And then somebody has an idea that is either brilliant...

Or unbelievably stupid.

Spend the night at Skinwalker Ranch.

Not visit.

Not tour it.

Spend the night.

Bring the trailer.

Bring cameras.

Bring Starlink.

Livestream the entire thing.

And see what happens.

The reactions range from:

“Fuck no.”

to:

“Actually...I'd do it.”

And eventually:

Park the trailer near the triangle and let's go.

Is Skinwalker Ranch Real?

The guys disagree somewhat about how much of what happens at Skinwalker Ranch is legitimate.

One side argues that the television format inevitably exaggerates things.

Another points toward the ranch's history, previous ownership, government-connected research and investigations as reasons not to dismiss the location completely.

The conclusion isn't:

Everything on Skinwalker Ranch is real.

It's:

There's enough weird history there that we'd like to find out for ourselves.

Preferably from inside a trailer.

With four walls.

And cameras running.

Lots of cameras.

EPISODE 37

Purpose.

Identity.

Faith.

Feeling lost.

The wilderness.

Family.

Gus.

Jeremiah 29:11.

Ephesians 2:10.

Iran and Israel.

Utah floods.

Celebrity politics.

10-Cent Beer Night.

Ruptured testicles.

Boners.

Operation Valkyrie.

Wild Bill Hickok.

Shapeshifters.

Reptilians.

Bigfoot.

Skinwalker Ranch.

Somehow...

It all fits.

Episode 37 starts with:

“What is my purpose?”

And maybe the answer isn't one job.

Maybe it's not money.

Maybe it's not fame.

Maybe you don't get one purpose for your entire life.

Maybe God puts you where you're needed, gives you experiences you'll need later, and asks you to keep moving even when you can't see where the road ends.

You might still be looking.

So are we.

And maybe that's part of the point.

Join the Pack

Wolves & Wisemen Reignited is about faith, family, grit, growth, current events, history, brotherhood and going way too far down rabbit holes.

New episodes every Tuesday night.

Join us live.

Become part of the conversation.

And if anybody at Skinwalker Ranch wants to let us spend the night...

We know a guy with a trailer.