What a 14-Year-Old Taught Me About Faith and Not Giving Up

You listening to hear about Mac.

I'm 14. I have C.P. is my God given gift. That's one way that I can bring a lot of people to Christ. And that's all I'm here to do on this planet. I enjoyed bringing people to the truth. I lost my faith. I lost my faith. That is when you especially don't quit.

Today's guest is one of the most inspiring young men I know. At just 14 years old, Mac has already faced challenges that would break most people. Yet he walks through life with a smile, with strength, and with unshakable faith. He has cerebral palsy, but if you meet him, you'll quickly realize that that's the least interesting thing about him. He's a speaker, an influencer, and a true light for God. Help me welcome the one and only my nephew whom I love, admire, and I'm so excited to share him with you today. Mack Daddy. I call him Mac Daddy, but that's just me. He's Mack for you. Okay. Welcome, Mac.

Thank you. Thank you. Tibeti. According to Tibeti, she's my aunt. So I'm very happy to be here.

And I am so happy to be to have you here. You are my superstar guest. You're the one that I've been most excited about and the reason I actually planned this second season. So thank you.

Of course. I mean, you motivated better with Christ. You motivated everything. You're the reason why.

What is better with Christ? 2010. What is that?

It's a platform that.

Speaks about Christ, kind of what you do, but it's. I open the Bible, I read certain scriptures, and that's one way that I can bring a lot of people to Christ. And that's all I'm here to do on this planet.

So that's you at 14 years old. You know that your purpose is to bring people closer to God. That is so special, Mac. Okay, Max, so I want to know. Well, I know a lot about you because I've known you since you were in your mommy's tummy. But I want you listening to hear about Mac. So tell us about you. Who's Mac? What are some of the experiences that have formed you? Tell me about you.

I am 14. I have CP. But that's something that has, you know, made me me. I don't let that, you know, define me or like take control as me or limit you. Right. And I just think that that's what makes me me. My disability is what is my God given gift. So. So because I, I have the ability to speak and Speaking is extremely important. My opinion, Verbal communication. Because if you speak, but if you don't speak with meaning, what's the point of it?

So you have the gift of words, just like Titi Betsy. That's my gift too. So when you were little, you were diagnosed with cp, and we didn't know if you were going to be able to walk or not. And as a result of the diagnosis, you went through a lot of treatments. You had surgeries, you. You experienced pain. You had to go to a lot of therapies. What was that like?

I have done therapy my entire life. I don't remember doing therapy as. As you know, I can remember doing therapy as long as I can remember, but I've done it for, like, my whole life. It was annoying. It was bothering me because I was constantly doing it. I wanted to do something else. I. I wish I didn't have to go through all that, of course, but I realized that that made me. It made me stronger. It made me become who I am today.

You are a strong boy, for sure.

Thank you.

And what, like, during those times that you felt, like, annoyed, and it was like, oh, my gosh, like, I have to do therapy again. I'd rather be playing video games. During that time, did you, like, did you ever question it? Did you ever feel like, why me? What was, like. What were some thoughts that went through your mind that maybe other people can relate to?

I was like, God, why did. Why did. Like, why did you have to put me through this? I didn't know that I had a disability. I just thought I had an injury at one point. But once I found out that I had a disability, I felt even more upset.

Because I thought that was something that could, you know, I could work off or just shake it off. But when I realized that I was gonna have CP for the rest of my life, I was like, wait, what? Like, come on. Right?

So it's not something that you can heal and get past and just move forward, but, you know.

I know you. You and I have a very special connection. You are exactly Fofi's age. You were born just a couple weeks before her, and you were in NICU because you were a preemie. And when. When I had Fofi, you were so in NICU and your mom would sleep over. We had sleepovers during. During the time that I was in the hospital with Fofi because she was going every day to see you and be with you. And so I've. You know, I've had a very special connection with you. From the beginning, because I was there when you were born. I was able to be in the hospital inside the NICU with you and. And go through it with your mom, who's my best friend. And you and Fofi also had a very special connection since birth, literally. And I remember you were really young. Maybe. Maybe you and Fofi were about two years old or one and a half. Two years old. I know that she already walked at the time. And.

Our friends would come over with their kids, including you, and all the kids would go running around the backyard and go into the swing set, and we had a zip line and the trampoline, and we would always put a blanket for you on the floor so that you could sit there comfortably and play with. We would put toys for you. And I remember that Fofi would sit with you on that blanket and play with you when everybody else was just being a kid, running around. And I. I just. I know that from the beginning, there was this special bond, special connection. And you, Even after her passing, you would pray to her, talk to her, think about her, keep her memory alive, which obviously means a lot to a mom who has lost a child. Do you wanna. Do you wanna share anything about that experience with your cousin?

I just, you know, I don't remember much about Fofi, but I do remember that one time where, you know, I've seen a lot of memories. For example, I'm scrolling through my mom's Instagram and I just see this video and all the memories of Fofi. Maybe. I remember that one time that we went to the Keys. I remember what she looked like, and I remember some of the things that we have done. Puffy is just incredibly special to me. She's my cousin. She's my perimita. And, you know, I didn't realize at the time that she had passed, but once I realized how special she was, once I got to real, once I, you know, had matured and, you know, come to realize how important Fofi was, I just realized she was with me. She was with me.

She still is.

She's in here.

Absolutely. So I want to hear more about your life and your journey. So you said, like, before you thought it was an injury, not a disability, to. Do you remember when you found out and what that was like?

I was just. I was just curious. I'm like, mom, do I have a disability? Because I was wearing the braces on my shoes every single day of my life. And I'm like, mommy, por que me tengo que poned and that means, why do I need to put that on? Like, why do I need to wear this? And then she's like, for you to get stronger, walk better. I'm like, why couldn't I just, you know, just walk like a normal human being? And then I don't remember exactly what she said, but I had found out. I'm like, mom, what do I have? What do I have a disability? She said, yeah. I'm like, what do I have? She's like, you have cp and that CP is a disability that affects certain muscles inside the body. I'm like, that's not something. Like, is that something I could get rid of? And she's like, no, that's something you were born with.

And I'm like, can I, you know, try to get rid of it? She goes, no, I think you might have to go through CP for the rest of your life. And I have to. And I've learned to accept that. Honestly, I was a little bit annoying, but I had to accept that because at the end of the day, that's who made Mack Daddy Mack Daddy. So.

So, Mac.

Does CP limit you?

CP limits me, yes, in some ways. Physically it limits me, but I don't. I. I've learned to, you know, ignore that. I mean, sure, it comes up from time to time, but that's not the thing that I'm really focused on.

What are you focused on?

I'm focused on just, you know, the concentration of, like, I focus on what I'm able to do.

I like that. So what are you able to do?

Speak. Talk about God, which is, I think, my greatest gift. I'm able to swim. I'm able to, you know, do physical abilities. But I just wish, you know, my legs didn't have to go specifically through that.

I love that you said my legs go through that instead of I go through that. I didn't wish I had to go through that. Because if there's something that I know about you is that you don't identify or define yourself by cp. The other day, your mom was telling me a story about how a 6 foot 5 friend of yours at school challenged you to a race. And you were like, let me show you what I've got. I'm going to beat you. And you told the professor, the teacher, you're like, hey, move the chairs. I'm going to beat this guy here in a race. And you actually raised him. You raised the six foot five guy.

That's my friend Gabe.

Shout out for Gabe. So I think it's really beautiful that. And I've seen your parents do this for you, too. So I think you get it from that. You tell me. You correct me if I'm wrong, but. But I've seen your parents not be limited. Like, we're going on a trip.

Okay, let's go on a trip.

And they just figure it out, and they'll carry you, and they'll carry the wheelchair, and they'll go through all the things, and it's just. They're unfazed by limits. Like, there's no limits for Mack Daddy. They take you everywhere you went skiing, for crying out loud. Like, you're the man.

It's so much fun.

Yeah, right? So. So I feel like your parents have not limited themselves with the things that they can or can't do with you, and maybe they've transferred that onto you. Would you say so?

I'm just. I'm so happy about it. I feel like my future got brighter because of it. Because I found out that I'm able to do a lot more things that I thought I could never do.

Like what?

Ski, for example. I tried skiing. I'm like, isn't that going to be hard for me? Because my legs and the boots are just going to be hard to lift up, like, the metal boots and stuff. And then all of a sudden, I just start going on the skis and then just pushing it forward, and I start skiing. I'm like.

Thank you, God.

That is beautiful. That's so exciting. Tell me something else that you've done that you didn't think you could do.

Swim without floaties.

Oh, my goodness. Yes.

It took me a while because I tried to. I tried to, you know, swim without floaties, and that took me a while. I thought it was, you know, gonna unsucceed.

And Papi was so patient to, you know, let me do this. Papi was so patient to teach me how to swim. And at first, I was a little bit scared. I was about 5, 6 years old, and I didn't know how it was gonna go. I didn't know how it was gonna go. But over the time, over time, I had, you know, learned I had gotten the concept of it. And I went to a swimming class, and I won a competition a few months later, fortunately, so. Wow.

So not only do you do it, you do it greatly.

Thank you.

TD, let's go. That's MacDaddy for you. He doesn't settle for just doing it. He excels. Okay, so your entire life, you've had a dream school. You knew that when it Was time to go to high school. You knew where you were gonna go, and you were, like, a big fan of this school, and it was, like, a big deal. It was like, you know, like, people get excited about college. You were just. This was your dream high school. Which one is that?

The big C. Christopher Columbus High School. By the way, if anybody's watching this.

I hope this will. This will inspire you, especially Dr. Villa.

Okay, tell me. Tell me about, like. Tell me about the whole experience with going to high school. Were you accepted at Christopher Columbus?

January 17th? I'll never forget. I'm going because I had done Christmas practice at my school. I was in the Christmas show, and I was begging my dad that morning. I'm like, poppy, can I. It was acceptance day, and I'm like, poppy, can I get picked up early? Can I get picked up early? Can I get picked up early from the church? I hear Mac is going home. I run to the car. I don't do anything. I stay quiet. My heart is pounding, pounding, pounding, pounding. Like this was one of the biggest moments in Mack Daddy's life. I'm waiting, and I'm waiting, and I'm waiting, and I was just. It's. It was at 4 o'. Clock. I'll never forget. So I'm there, waiting, playing video games every five minutes. Is it four yet? Is it four yet? Is it 4 yet? Is it 4 yet? It finally reaches 4. I get dressed with the jacket on, the hat. The swimmer.

Yeah, right.

And.

I'm opening my laptop. We start logging in the whole thing, and it says, decision. The mouse is on the button. I'm like.

Please, please, please make this happen. Please, Jesus, make this happen. You're so good. You're so good. Please, please. You're good. Always. Whatever happens is your plan. And that's always gonna make me better. I click on the thing.

Just waiting and. Just waiting and waiting. And all of a sudden, it says a giant check mark, and it says, congratulations, you've been accepted. And I'm there.

I couldn't speak. I was frozen. I was frozen.

Come with emotion, huh?

And then I start watching the video, and I go, I'm going to Christopher Columbus High School. I'm going to Christopher Columbus High School. I thought my future had been everything that I had wanted. Like, I thought I was, you know, Superman defeating Lex Luthor, which was, let's go. Winning over the test. And I'm there. I had the best time of my life that night. Few days go by, and I get to start summer school at Christopher Columbus. And I was extremely excited. And.

I excel. I excel in reading, but math was not my subject. And I got really, really bad results, not the results that I had hoped of four. And.

I kept, you know, on 16. And I'm like, okay, okay, can we do this better? Can we do this better?

And then I heard you took. You got a lot of tutoring. You worked really hard.

I got maybe, what, three sessions of tutoring a week?

And all that hard work, I thought, Mac, you. You. You've. You've made your dream like you got this. And math wasn't going as well as I had hoped. And June 18th, I'll never forget.

I had actually just started my. My account, and I kind of made a connection.

So the Instagram account.

Yeah, I said that today was. Today's message was about life challenges, and I was speaking about how God puts you in a challenge.

That, you know, may break you or, you know.

Not go as well as you had hoped. And I said that you can break through that wall because you have the Holy Spirit by you, and you have God's shield, because at the end of the day with God, you can do absolutely anything.

And you recorded this message the morning of that June day, the afternoon that happened?

Yes. And I'll never forget, I get down from the car after shooting the video, and I start playing my game. I go down, I start playing video games. I start the console, and. And I play for a little bit. And then Mommy and Papi walk into the room with, like, this sad, sad face. And I'm like, mom, dad.

Everything good? They're like, yeah, Papa, can we talk? And I paused the game, and they're like, no, no, no. Turn off the game. This is. This is bad. So I turn off the game, and I put my controller down, and I'm sitting, you know, properly and ready, and I'm like, is this news good? Is this bad? And they're like, it's not what you want. I'm like, mom, dad, what is it? I'm like, okay, okay, okay. If it's not something that I want.

It'S fine. It's fine. And I'm like, but what's so, so bad about it? Why do you guys have, like, such, like, sad, sad faces? And they're like, this is something that, you know, what you won't want at all. And I'm like. They were like, kind of, like, telling me stuff. And I was like, mommy, Papi, just tell me. They said.

I remember this day crystal clear. They said, we can't do freshman year.

In Columbus Quick interruption. Do you feel like you're called for more? Do you also want to fulfill your purpose and glorify God in the process? If you're wanting to serve by helping other people like Mac is, you have a purpose. I invite you to check out the faith based coaching academy@faithandgrowth.com Back to the conversation.

That right there.

Broke me.

I was broken. I want you to analyze this. I had left my own soul for a day.

That afternoon, the Mack daddy, everybody, like Mac, the Mac that everybody loves, was gone.

I was just a 14 year old boy with glasses and a shattered dream.

Literally. And I'm like, wait, wait, hold on. This is, this is a dream. Like, I'm like, wait, what? This is, this is, you know, a dream. But I can do math. But I can also succeed though. Like, I can. Like, can they give me another chance?

And.

They tried to comfort me. And I said, this is a nightmare. This is a nightmare.

So I'm there, closing my eyes. I'm closing my eyes. I'm closing my eyes. They're still there. I open it, I'm like, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. Closing my eyes, closing my eyes, closing my eyes. They're still there. One more time. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. It's real. That's exactly what I said. I said, it's like, this is real. This is what's really happening in my life right now.

And.

I, I was broken. I started to cry. I didn't, I didn't stop crying that day. And I just remember I was just there on my phone, scrolling. And then my dad walks in. He, you know, orders the food. We order food and stuff. And I remember that night where I went to sleep and I had the. I have a big magnetic sea on my, on my wall. I'm trying to look for it as motivation.

A big magnetic what?

The sea? The logo.

Oh, of Christopher Columbus.

Yeah. I had a big magnetic thing of it. And I'm trying to look at it as motivation. You know, I'm gonna have hope. God, give me another chance. I got tears flowing from my eyes from that. I remember that night, I couldn't. I couldn't sleep. And I see Poppy watching tv. I'm like, dad, I can't sleep. He's like, pray. I'm like, I can't. And he said, just pray. Give it another shot. I'm like, dad, I don't even know who I am anymore.

All the hard work, all the tutoring sessions, all the stuff that I've gone through was complete waste. And that moment on January 17th was a complete waste of my time.

Was a complete waste of my time.

And.

I said, dad, I'm just a 14 year old boy absolutely broken, and this is the end of the world. This is the end for Mac. Like, this is Mack Daddy's done. Mack Daddy's done. And I just. I just remember, like I wasn't myself or like the. I didn't talk to anybody. Like I couldn't even talk to anybody. But the thing is, they tried to comfort me and I didn't see the point of that. I lost my faith. I lost my faith.

I began to question if God was even real. I began to even ask him, like, whoever, you know, if God is there, if God is real, why is he putting me through this? I thought at the moment was like, God was like, Mac, no, you're doing this on your own.

I thought that he had, you know, left. I thought God had disappeared.

I was miserable. For the past two weeks, I was miserable. I was bad. And a few more weeks.

I decided to give prayer and communication with the Lord another shot.

Why?

Why? Because I. I tried to regain consciousness of who I was.

It didn't feel good to be in hopelessness, did it?

I. I was lost. I. I couldn't.

I couldn't, you know, real. I had realized what had happened, but.

I couldn't take it. I couldn't take it.

I hear you. I hear you. Sometimes reality is hard.

It sucks.

And it's hard to come back to your happy, go lucky, jolly way when you feel like it's all been in vain. So I imagine that.

It was upsetting. It was dark to be in that. So then you were seeking the light and you gave it a shot. What happened next?

I was thinking that what was the point of anything if I didn't succeed? Like, I had poured my heart out into succeeding, into going into Christopher Columbus High School. And.

I had a meeting with Dr. Vila and Mr. Pugh. And guys, if you're watching this, I'm about to say something very serious. Dr. Vilas saw something that I couldn't. He said that they prepare young men for college. And I'm like, yeah, that's the point of high school. And I had done an interview with my, with my new school, school that I was going to. And I remember just pulling back, just closing the door on the car. I'm like, no, this isn't, this isn't who I am. I'm not going anywhere else. Like, why? Why you guys? I began to question my parents and tell them, like, why Are you guys putting me here? My dad's like, Dr. Vila sent you here because this is a good school. This is a school that'll bring up your grades for you to go back to Columbus. And.

I said.

Wait.

They'Re giving me another chance.

They're giving me another chance. And that is when my light became brighter. Yeah, I was frustrated, and I was angry that I was at that new school that I didn't want to go to. But.

I had a meeting with Dr. Vila and Mr. Pugh, the principal and the dean of admissions, and apparently they told my dad they want me here.

Who wouldn't?

And I'm like, hold on, hold on. My world's coming to an end. My heart shattered. Like.

What'S the point of, you know, what's the point of success?

Like, what is success? I began to say that success is absolutely nothing. And when they said that they want me here, and I had a meeting with them and it went very well, I was like, God gave me another chance. God gave me another chance. God gave me another chance.

And that's when the light grew brighter. That's when Mack Daddy came back.

And I'm now stronger because of it.

I'm stronger because of it. And it made a new version of me, stronger version of me.

You know, Mac, sometimes things go smoothly in life. Like, you know, that if you talk to someone, you can just put them in your pocket in a second. That's really easy for you. That's your gift. And some things are a little harder, a little rockier, and. And I. I know you've had rocky experiences from the difficulty walking like other people, although you do walk.

You know, not being able to make it to the. To the school you loved and dreamt of being in from the first year, from the beginning. But you. Like, there's. There's a scripture in the Bible that says all things work for the good of those who love him. And every adversity you've ever gone through, you've said today, has worked for your resilience, for your strength, for your betterment. And because you've gone through all of that, now you have experiences that will allow you to relate to other kids and other people. Forget just kids. I think adults are listening to this, and they thinking, like, yes, I went through something hard, too, and I thought my life had shattered and I was hopeless. And then by just shifting my perspective, like you said, you just shifted perspective because reality didn't change. You still had to go to this school that you didn't want to go to. Like you still couldn't go back to Columbus for your freshman year.

But by shifting your perspective, by shifting, shifting your gaze, your eyes to God again and trusting in him, trusting that this thing that was happening was going to be for your good. He was going to use it for your good, you shifted the way you felt. Your light came back. You felt hopeful again. You realized that it wasn't that you were wanted. Everybody's going to want you in their life when they meet you. You're irresistible. You're like the coolest guy, wisest guy ever. You're fun to be around. You're you. You care about people. And, you know, I have a conversation with you and I love myself because you make everybody feel so special, and everybody experiences that with you. So that comes easy to you. Whereas it's really hard for the majority of kids your. Your age, I should say. You know, those that are running track and that are succeeding in sports, they may have a hard time doing this, speaking in front of others, sharing their story, being vulnerable, and just putting anybody you talk to in your pocket. So that really shows that sometimes we have certain strengths and we have some life experiences that don't feel very good, but ultimately they all lead to joy and strength and a better version of ourselves. Do you agree?

Very much so. I'm saying this to any teenager. Anything about, you know, any, you know, people who are going to enter Christopher Columbus or taking the entrance exam or just anybody who's going through a challenge, don't quit. Don't quit because God's never given up on you, so why shall you give it? Why should you give up on him? If you're at rock bottom right now.

Find the shovel and to kick the dirt out and just, you know, dive back up. Because God's always there. God's always there. So you don't quit at all. You don't quit even if stuff gets hard. That's when you never. Like that is when you especially don't quit.

Amen. Amen. And Mac, you have this faith. Like, where did that come from?

I had, you know, I've always been raised Catholic and I've seen the Bible and I first learned about God through the Our Father.

To me, that is one of, probably the best prayer.

Because it explains about our Creator. I'm reading the Bible, you know, Easter, Good Friday.

Those days, because we used to pray. And we still do pray. You know, we open the Bible and I start reading into it and I'm like, this is the truth. I'm gonna say something that my dad said I wasn't convinced it's the truth. Like, is it. It's not like, oh, you should choose this religion. No, no, it's truth.

How do you know it's true?

Jesus even said himself, I'm the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father before me.

Does that feel true in your heart?

Yes.

You know, some people say that they're a certain religion or have a certain faith because they were brought up in the faith, but it's not theirs. Like, when did you make it yours? Like, when did it stop being the thing that your parents instilled in you and a truth that you felt in your. In your spirit?

I just felt a lot of peace. And it was not before me. It was before, but through me. So no one comes to the Father, to the Father, but through me, I learned more about Jesus and I learned. I started watching his movies. Like, the movies that they.

That they made about him. The kid friendly ones. Recently, I saw the Passion.

Wow.

For the first time. It.

I was like, why do the date. Why do they have to do this to the most perfect. Like, the perfect person? What is. I consider Jesus as a dad. Jesus is God, but I can. But. And God is our dad. So I'm like, why do they have to do this to Poppy? Why do they have to do this to dad? He. He literally didn't do anything wrong. He even said that one of Judas shall betray him. And Judas is like, no, Lord, I love you. And.

It happened. But I just realized that the crucifixion, the whipping, the beating, the beat, like the bad stuff, it happened for a purpose. And now we're saved. We're saved.

And that is like the great. That's the greatest act of love humanity has done.

The greatest act of love, indeed, anybody's done for humanity.

So you. You have connected with that truth. It's. It's. It's felt real to you. How has your faith inspired your purpose? And what is your purpose?

I'm a guy who likes to talk a lot.

That's why you and I get along.

And I just realized. Wait, wait, hold on. I like to make friends. I like to do conversations with people. And I remember God even told me, go spread my word. Go spread my word. And I'm like, okay, okay. I shall do what the Lord asked me to and nothing else.

How did he tell you that?

How did you hear it in prayer?

I was focused.

And then he said, go spread my word. Go spread my word. I love you. I'm like, okay. I Love you too. I shall do what you ask and nothing else.

So your mission is to spread the word and bring people closer to Christ. How are you putting that into practice now? Because you, you know, most people wait until they're adults to build their careers and fulfill their. Their ministry, their purpose. You don't mess around, my daddy. You're like, no time to waste. So how did that journey start and what does it look like?

I enjoyed doing it. I enjoyed bringing people to the truth.

That's it. I enjoyed bringing people to the truth.

So how do you plan on doing that for the rest of your life?

I mean, the way that I can. I mean, you inspired me so much. So I really appreciate, you know, you entering my life because you have, you know, inspired me. So, like, beyond that, you can think, Titi Betsy. And just seeing how you hit worse, worse than rock bottom, and you went way back up made. We made me want to, like, you know, pursue my career. I knew I wanted to be a speaker some way. I'm like, I love God. I love speaking. Let me do the concept of what Titi Betsy's doing. You know, I mean, she's inspiring me. So let's go.

And then I took you to the National Speakers association youth program, and you had your first speech. There was a talent show, and you just stood up on that stage, and it's not a faith based conference, and you didn't care. You stood up there and spoke about Christ and you had a whole lot of clapping, like a standing ovation on your first talk. Yeah. Because that's what happens when you do. You fulfill your purpose and you glorify God in the process. And then you went to another conference the next year, and I don't want to stop going. And God willing, December 2026. I'm saying it out loud. Oh, my gosh, I can't believe I'm saying this. Because that's it. That makes you real to December 2026. You are going to be on the first big stage at the Faith and Growth Conference in Miami, Florida, sharing your message with people.

I can't wait.

Is that exciting or what?

I can't wait. This is a teaser trailer for the big event, guys. Like, yes. I can't wait.

Put it in your calendar. If you're loving this interview, put it in your calendar. December 3, 2026. Oh, yes.

Oh, yeah. He's gonna be with me the whole time.

Yes. So that's how we're gonna honor Fofi that day on her 16th birthday. And we are going to Showcase you. And I feel so.

16.

Not yet. Not yet.

I feel so old.

You will be 16.

So, Mac, what message do you have for anybody listening to you today?

Hey, you on the other side of that screen. Yeah, you watching? You're succeeding. You're succeeding. It's tough now.

But like I said earlier in this interview.

Don'T quit. Don't quit because your creator, God, your dad, God, Mary and Jesus, like everybody, everybody who loves you, has never backed down on you. Never back down on you. Because as long as God has never backed down on you and he never, never, ever will. God is love. That's what I've learned. Because I thought the story of, you know, Adam and Eve and that's temptation. And I thought, I'm like, didn't God punish, like, people? Or like Moses or something like that? Or I thought God had punished. And Papi's like, no, God is love. Because all God has given us is love. So God doesn't punish. God doesn't punish. So you don't quit on anything. And look at me. You're succeeding. You're on the right path. You're on the right path. Look, Jesus loves you. God loves you. You on the other side of that screen. I love you, too. You're succeeding. You're on the same path as I am. Don't give up. Don't give up.

Thank you. Mac, before we go, there are two people in your life. I would say three people. They may actually live in your house.

Is there something you would like to say to Mommy? Papi and Zoe?

I love you guys so much.

I love you guys so much. The comfort of when we're one. So that day that the Columbus thing happened, we all hit rock bottom. We're one. So thank you guys for going down that path with me and Zoe. Let's not, you know, fight anymore over silly things, please, because don't steal the Spotify while I'm in the shower, please.

You guys went down rock bottom with.

Me.

And you guys helped me get back up. Like.

I have the best parents, the best family in the world, the best family in the entire world, and you're part of it.

So thank you. You do have a special family.

One of my last names is Gara, so.

But, yeah, things. If you find the right people in life.

Friends are going to come and go, but find the right family. God always pairs you up with good people.

You find the right family, God given. You know, God raised family. Catholic, Christian, just raised on God.

You're good.

You're good.

You're good.

You're always good. Even when you're not, you're good. All right. Thank you, Matt.

Of course.

Thank you for sharing your stories. Thank you for sharing your struggles. Thank you for inspiring me to. To want to be better, to live my faith, to bring people closer to their faith so that they can get excited about God and feel that support and that peace that comes with being one with him and one another. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Of course.

You're a very wise man. I love you like crazy also, and I'm always going to be here for you.

Thank you.

Well, Mac is a walking miracle and reminder of what faith looks like in action. Thank you for sharing again. I know your message is going to touch many people, and it's going to inspire them to ignite their faith, to open their hearts so that they may receive the love and guidance of the Holy Spirit. And if you. If you want to make your life better, please go right now to Instagram, look for Better with Christ 2010 and start following Mac and so you may listen to his daily messages. He will inspire you and uplift you whenever you're having a hard day. I love you like crazy, too. Have a beautiful day. Send Mac a message. See you soon.