#fcbcwalnut

[musicgoon]

Aaron, what did you learn while producing Unikoi Questions?

Hi everyone this is Aaron and I wanted to give some final commentary on what I learned producing Unikoi Questions.

First, Unikoi Questions taught me to embrace to technology. Unikoi Questions would not be possible without Skype and modern recording and publishing software programs. Editing answers was easy, and it allowed room for mistakes that we could fix. We are living in a world where anyone can produce a podcast and distribute it to the world -- and I am glad that I had the opportunity to create one with Mat.

Second, Unikoi Questions taught me the importance of communicating with those you serve with. Not only was I able to catch up with Mat on a personal level, but I believe that talking through tough questions helped us to be on the same page from a ministry perspective as well. The relationship with the pastor and the music leader is an important one -- I would even say a sacred one -- and it's something that I don't take for granted.

Finally, Unikoi Questions taught me to love your audience. When you do a Q and A, you'll get some pretty personal questions. I feel privileged to provide answers for some of them, and I hope they help out anyone who comes back to listen to any of our episodes. So for everyone listening, thank you for taking the time to listen, ask questions, leave comments, and share the podcast. It's been a fun learning experience and something I really enjoyed doing. We got one more episode left to go until the new podcast.

Thanks, see you soon.

[musicgoon]

Aaron, how did you make Unikoi Questions? 

I knew that most high school students didn't listen to podcasts, but they were into YouTube. So I found YouTube to be a great way to host the podcasts. I made a Tumblr site because I knew that questions could be submitted anonymously. Jess helped me make a logo.

Mat and I would Skype on the weekdays in the evening, normally Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays. I used to just record using my Apple Earpods, but I later switched to using my higher quality condenser microphone. Mat got better at answering questions on the fly, and I was really impressed at his ability to remember the Bible verses he needed to answer the question. 

We would normally record a couple questions at a time, and I would spread them out on a publishing schedule. We took breaks periodically and that helped me break the episodes up into different seasons. As Mat got closer to being married and starting his new position at his new church, I knew it was time for Unikoi Questions to come to a close. It's been a great run, but I'm excited to see what God has in store for both of us. 

View more Unikoi Questions here.

[musicgoon]

Aaron, how have you grown during Unikoi Questions?

Hi everyone this is Aaron, and today I want to answer the question of how I grew during the duration of Unikoi Questions.

Our first episode was published on Sept 10, 2013. I had just got married that year in July -- so I was in my first year of marriage. I was also starting nurse Anesthesia school at the time. Jess and I were living in Alhambra. 

At the time I'm recording this episode, it's January 2017. So let's just say it's been four years since our inaugural episode. Jess and I have been happily married for almost 4 years, and we're still living in Alhambra -- except now we're in a condo instead of an apartment. I am no longer pursuing anesthesia, but i have found a fulfilling career as an RN Clinical Analyst working in the field of Healthcare Informatics. 

There's been more growth in other areas -- I've recorded more music and produced more albums, my band Earth To Jupiter has released music, videos, and we even played a show for NPR, Jess and I are owners of a poke and boba shop and we're currently waiting for adoption. Mat is now a married man. 

But I think the biggest growth that is most significant for discussing on this podcast is how I really came to embrace the Internet as a tool for worshiping God. I've always loved creative works, and though I'm not good at it, I still continue to go at it. I've been tinkering away on my blog and finding a presence online with YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter -- it's crazy to think that the Internet and our methods of communicating online are still in its infancy. 

I think I've grown a passion to use every tool at my disposal to have joy. But I don't want it to be a joy rooted in the empty promises and entertainment that this world has to offer. I want to find it in the source of true joy -- Jesus Christ -- and his sovereignty. So for now, I plan to keep growing in my understanding and use of the world wide web and wield it as a tool for the glory of God. The word is the weapon, the rest are tools to support and strategize the use of the weapon. 

Mat's answer to that first question of Unkoi Questions -- how can a high schooler best worship God at school -- was to live a lifestyle worthy of the gospel. Be a witness in how we live, and be a witness in what we proclaim. A lot of our lives are online -- email, social media, work, and entertainment. I want to keep growing in my use of the Internet as an instrument for the glory of God.

View more Unikoi Questions here.