Pastor Ashley's road to ministry didn't run in a straight line. It ran through a music conservatory, a vocal performance program, a switch to musical theater, two-plus years auditioning in New York City, and a season of getting genuinely lost — before the call she had been hearing since childhood finally caught up with her.

In Episode 6, Dave and Pastor Ashley sit down for one of the most layered conversations the show has had. They cover what it was like to grow up as the child of divorce in a strict church tradition, what happened when a teenage Ashley decided to test whether she'd actually catch on fire for breaking the rules, and the people who refused to give up on her in her lostness.

They also talk about the trip to Memphis that quietly reshaped how she understands neighbor love — including the woman who saved her paychecks for years and bought a house in an underserved neighborhood just to open her doors once a week, and the doctor who moved his family of eight into the same neighborhood to run a free clinic out of his living room.

Plus: the Northern Virginia restaurant that nailed birthday hospitality with a 30-second card, why "shut up and love your neighbor" is really just "stop and pay attention," and a hopeful read on what unifies people on the other side of all our division.

This is Pastor Ashley's story — and it's a good one.

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CHAPTERS

(00:00) Intro and Pastor Ashley's gift
(02:00) The Oak & Ember birthday card story
(06:30) Why being seen and known matters
(07:30) Pastor Ashley — 13 years in ministry
(09:30) Growing up in the church and getting lost
(13:00) "I thought we'd catch on fire"
(17:00) From musical theater dreams to seminary
(21:00) The pivot back to a calling
(23:30) What Memphis taught her about loving your neighbor
(26:00) Hope on the other side of division
(30:00) Comedians worth listening to
(33:00) Why "Shut Up and Love Your Neighbor" works
(35:00) Be kind — everyone is fighting a hard battle
(37:00) Closing thoughts

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LINKS
🌐 https://shutupandloveyourneighbor.com
📷 Instagram: @its_the_dave
✉️ the.dave@shutupandloveyourneighbor.com

If something here lands, do the simplest possible thing: text someone, wave at a neighbor, or just stop and notice the person in front of you.

#shutupandloveyourneighbor

Shut Up & Love Your Neighbor is a weekly conversation about listening better, slowing down, and loving the people right in front of us. In a world that rewards volume and certainty, this podcast explores presence over performance, curiosity over commentary, and connection over division.

Each episode features honest reflections on real-life moments — the things seen, heard, and experienced in everyday life — followed by unscripted conversations with rotating guest hosts who come ready with real questions. Sometimes we laugh. Sometimes we sit in tension. Occasionally there’s a little brown water involved. But always, the goal is the same: to practice being more human with one another.

This isn’t a show about having all the answers. It’s about asking better questions. It’s about listening longer than feels comfortable. It’s about choosing kindness in small moments that often go unnoticed.

If you’re looking for perfection, this isn’t it. If you’re looking for thoughtful conversation about relationships, empathy, faith, leadership, and community — welcome.

Shut up a little more than usual.

Love your neighbor — the one right in front of you.