Life App Podcast

Episode 65: The Hidden Treasure and Pearl (Parable #12), Mark 13:44-46A pearl is precious--a fine one can cost a fortune. But do you know where pearls come from? A tiny grain of sand or other material can find its way into an oyster shell and, by annoying the oyster, cause the oyster to secrete a film that protects itself and becomes a pearl! Word of the Day: pearl (n.) a round, hard mass prized as a gem.Question of the Day: Is there anything in life that is annoying or maybe hurting you? Is there any way it can become a “pearl” or something of value for yourself or others? Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Episode 64: The Mustard Seed (Parable #11), Matthew 13:31-32In today’s world, are most people impressed with a big or a small start? In early 2020, California billionaire Tom Steyer made a BIG start when he spent an amazing quarter of a BILLION US dollars on only four state primaries. In those four state elections, he gathered some 83,000 votes. But when you calculate the money he spent, that comes to an eye-popping US$3,373 per vote! And Steyer won NO delegates at all! After the February 29, 2020 South Carolina primary, he promptly withdrew from the race for president. His big start ended in a small (but expensive) whimper. Read more here:https://californiaglobe.com/fl/was-tom-steyers-campaign-the-worst-in-presidential-history/In contrast, Jesus spoke of a small start by speaking of the humble mustard seed, the smallest seed of all. Sometimes, the smallest start has the best result!Word of the Day: mustard (n.) a kind of spice. Mustard and catsup are often put on hotdogs and hamburgers.Question of the Day: Do you ever feel called to try or start something new, but hold yourself back because you think the start will be too small and insignificant?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Episode 63 The Parable of the Growing Seeds (Parable 10), Mark 4:26-29Have you heard the English saying, “Man proposed, but God disposes”? It deals with the mystery that probably most of us struggle with from time to time: what in life can people actually make happen, and what are the limits that people face, beyond which only God or the supernatural can do? In this short tale, Jesus tells of a farmer who planted some seeds in the dirt, and even though he did not understand how, the seeds grew on their own and eventually produced a crop. This story deals with hard work, rest, trust, and patience.Word of the Day: dispose (v.) to make willing or open to something.Aunt Barbara is more disposed to read than to watch TV. Question of the Day: Is there anything in life that you would like to do or see accomplished, but you believe it is humanly impossible? How might this parable relate to your situation? Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Episode 62Do you garden? If so, how do you handle weeds? This parable (story) from Jesus, “The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares,” is found in Matthew 13 in the Bible. It tells about a farmer who found out an enemy had planted weed seeds among his wheat, and what he told his workers to do about it. At first, no one could tell the good from the bad, but after a time, the difference was apparent.Word of the Day: tares (n.) a kind of weed. In this story, the wheat and tares looked alike at first; it was only as they reached maturity was it clear that some plants were good and some were bad.Question of the Day: What does it mean when Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear”?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Episode 61: Parables (Part VIII-The Four Soils)This episode is a short story, found in the Bible about a farmer who went out to sow (scatter/plant) seeds. His seeds fell on four different kinds of soils. Depending on what the soil was like, the seeds responded in very different ways. Is this just a story about gardening, or is there a deeper meaning about life? This story is unusual in that it appears three times in the Bible: Matthew 13:1-10, 18-23; Mark 4:3-8, 14-20; and Luke 8:5-8, 11-15.Word of the Day: soil (n. v.) dirt (n); to make something dirty or unclean (v.)My wife likes to buy rich potting soil so she has beautiful plants in her garden each summer. Question of the Day: After you listen to this episode, which kind of “soil” is your heart? How do you answer this question: “Four men in a pew; which one are you?”Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Episode #: 60 Parables (Part 7: The Fruitless Fig Tree)This episode is continues our series from earlier, some parables of Jesus. A parable is a short story that has two meanings: a physical, literal level, and a deeper, spiritual one. This story, from the Bible account in Luke 13:6-9, tells about a landowner who waited three years for a fig tree to bear fruit and what he saw and decided. Take a listen!Word of the Day: fig (n.) a kind of fruit that grows on trees; very popular in Mediterranean countries like IsraelQuestion of the Day: What does “bearing fruit” in life mean to you? What “fruits” did you produce in 2019? What do you hope to produce in 2020?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Episode #: 58 Parables (Part 6: Watch!) This episode, from Luke 12:35-48 in the Bible, examines the issue of watchfulness. It starts with the tragic story of unbelievable carelessness that led to one of America’s greatest tragedies: the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor that plunged the US into WW II. In the Bible story, Jesus contrasts servants who are watchful and obedient, versus those who are careless and rebellious. It closes with some key life principles, that the more we know and have, the more responsible we are to use those blessings wisely. Word of the Day: watchfulness (n.) the state of actively watching and observing one’s surroundings, to be aware of what is going on and what could be a potential threat or opportunityQuestion of the Day: What is one relationship or area of your life where you would benefit from more watchfulness? Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Episode #: 57 Parables (Part 5: The man whom God called “fool.”) This episode, from Luke 12:16-21 in the Bible, tells the story of a man who seemingly had it all: money, possessions, status. However, he had some key flaws, and they were his undoing. He had Greed, but no Gratitude. Thanksgiving is a time to “count our blessings,” but it seems his blessings caused him fear and anxiety. Listen to hear Scott’s Thanksgiving greeting and learn how “anxiety replaces joy, or joy replaced anxiety, but they cannot co-exist.”Word of the Day: greed (n.) a selfish state of always craving more and more, with no thought for sharing or of the needs of othersThe story of the “Rich Fool” is the story of a man filled with greed but no thought of others or eternity.Question of the Day: What is the difference between “saving” and “hoarding”?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Episode #: 56 Parables (Part 4: Unequal Debts) Have you ever been in debt? Has the person you borrowed from ever forgiven your debt? This story, from Luke 7:36-50 in the Bible tells a brief story about the beauty of forgiveness.Word of the Day: Pharisee (noun) 1. A religious leader from Jesus’ day; this group was known for their rigid law-keeping and opposition to Jesus 2. An arrogant, critical person who looks down on others and sees himself as perfectQuestion of the Day: Have you ever been forgiven? How does it feel? Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Episode #: 55 Purple Wave (2018 Midterm Elections Explained)Blue Wave. Red Wave. Blue Tsunami. Flip this seat. Flip the House. Nancy Pelosi. Trump-Haters. Build the Wall. Red State Democrats. “Fake News.” It can all be so CONFUSING! In this episode, Scott uses “plain talk” to explain some key terms, issues, and results from the November 2018 Midterm elections. The conversation gives a brief historical reference, plus discussions of races for the House of Representatives, Senate, governorships, with a closing focus on the political view from Southwest Virginia. Check out this voter resource, ivoterguide.com. Word of the Day: Midterm: (noun) a test at the middle of a semester, or the elections in the middle of a presidential term.Question of the Day: Is voting important? Is being an informed voter important? Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Foundations. Whether you are talking about a house, business, family, education, country, or business plan, a foundation is crucially important. Years ago my wife and I were looking at houses. We found a large, spacious, beautiful home nestled in a peaceful forest setting, with gorgeous mountain views nearby. However, we did not buy it. Why? It had had foundation problems. The house had been built on the side of a steep hill, and had developed cracks in the basement walls. We were told the problems had been fixed and saw where the cracks had been patched, but we were reluctant. We did not buy that house. In this story, one of the most famous parables, Jesus compares two different kinds of builders. They were alike in some ways, but different in others, with vastly different outcomes. This story can be found in the Bible in Matthew 7:24-27 and Luke 6:47-49. Foundations matter! Word of the Day: wadi (noun, from Arabic) a valley or creekbed that is usually dry, except after a large rain, when it can quickly fill with a flash flood that carries everything in its path away.Question of the Day: Have you had a recent “storm” in your life? Are you facing one now? If so, where do you turn for comfort and strength?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

This episode takes one more step into our series on some parables of Jesus from the Bible. A parable is a short, simple story with a deeper, secondary meaning. This is one of the more famous parables, where Jesus called His followers “salt and light.” It is found in the Bible in several places: Matthew 5:13-15, Mark 4:21-25, Luke 8:16, and Luke 11:33. The English sayings “let your light shine” and “don’t put your light under a bushel” come from this parable, which show the profound, enduring impact of the Bible on the English language and American culture. John Winthrop, a Puritan leader who was the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (which later became Boston, Massachusetts), gave his famous “City on a Hill” sermon in 1630 where he implored his fellow colonists to make New England the light of the world and a good example to all. You can read his message in its 1630 English here:https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/winthrop.htmWord of the Day: stand (noun) a small table-like structure designed to hold something up high.Mom put flower pots on two plant stands right by the front door, where everyone could see them.Food stands lined the road, selling all kinds of snacks and goodies.Question of the Day: Which do you find easier to do in life: stand out from the crowd, or blend in so you look a lot like everyone else? Why is that? Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Stories. They are powerful. Aesop and Jesus told stories thousands of years ago that remain popular today. Presidents such as Lincoln and Reagan employed them to motivate millions to action. People had divergent views of Jesus 2,000 years ago, as they still do today. But regardless of one’s views, most can agree on this: Jesus told some moving, enduring stories, all the more remarkable in that most were short and dealt with mundane topics such as sons, coins, lamps, seeds, weeds, sheep, or soil!This episode examines the first-recorded parable told by Jesus, as written in Matthew 9:16-17, Mark 2:21-22, and Luke 5:36-38 in the Bible. See a list of parables here:http://www.swapmeetdave.com/Bible/Parables/List-In-Order.pdfWord of the Day: parable (noun) a simple story used to teach a deeper moral or spiritual lessonJesus’ main teaching style was using parables that the common folk could understand.The reporter called some people “Good Samaritans” because they went out of their way to help people in trouble; that phrase comes from Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan. This is one more example of how the Bible has impacted the English language and Western civilization. Question of the Day: Is there any significant change or improvement you hope to make in your thinking, lifestyle, or direction? If so, are there any old thinking patterns, habits, priorities or relationships holding you back? Can you “fine tune” any of that old “baggage” or do you have to get rid of it completely and start anew?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Have you ever looked forward to something for weeks or months--maybe years--just to see it vanish before your eyes? As a college student in Germany, I had spent over three months looking forward to and planning for a month-long visit to then-communist Poland, behind the Iron Curtain, with a friend. Then -- poof!-- it was gone. In a moment the trip--as my friend and I had planned it--was cancelled. Paralyzed by self-pity and disappointment, and with heavy doses homesickness, culture shock and Germany “winter blues” to top it off, I sat around wondering what to do. Until it hit me: I can go anywhere I want to! The FIRST change was in my mind: my thoughts shifted from hopelessness to thrill. The SECOND change was in my behavior: I hopped on my bike and rode to the nearest travel agent. The THIRD change was in my circumstances: next thing you know, I was flying from East Berlin to Athens, Greece! And the whole shift began in my MIND.Word of the Day: Greece (noun) Ancient country, birthplace of Western civilization, in Southeast EuropeThe month backpacking around Greece during my spring break was a time I’ll never forget.Looking for a travel destination with rich history, delicious food, stunning scenery, and friendly people? Consider a trip to Greece!Question of the Day: Do you think it’s easier to change your behavior first then your thoughts later, or vice versa? Can you think of any areas of your life where you could alter your thoughts now, and THEN see your behavior and circumstances change?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Harvard University. The name says it all. This episode features an interview with Richard Qiu, a recent graduate of William Byrd High School in Roanoke County, VA, who entered Harvard as a freshman in August 2018. Harvard’s acceptance rate this year is a mere 4.59%, so that puts Richard in an outstanding cohort and also distinguishes him as the only Roanoke Valley resident moving to the 1636 campus this fall. Qiu summarizes some of his childhood and school-year traits that helped him prepare for this impressive feat. Examples include travel, summer programs, active thinking, friendships with successful people, and many childhood hours at science museums and libraries! At this “back-to-school” time of year, take a listen and get inspired! Be all you can be! Read the newspaper article: https://www.vintonmessenger.com/local-news/william-byrd-grad-richard-qiu-to-attend-harvard/Word of the Day: prestigious (adj.) That which is marked by great prestige, honor, fame, and a high reputationEstablished in 1636 to educate clergy in the New World, Harvard is one of the most prestigious universities in the world today.Many do not know this nowadays, but most of the oldest, most prestigious universities in the US--including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and William and Mary--were begun as Christian schools to teach the Bible and train ministers in the American colonies.Question of the Day: Do you have some high goal or prestigious achievement you hope to reach? What practical steps could you take today to help you move toward making it a reality?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

This episode gives you a look into the end of our 25-day, 13-flight trip: Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia, and Beijing, the capital of China. You will learn more about the people, places, history, and lifestyles of China...plus you MIGHT learn a tip to help you make $700 next trip!Word of the Day: pagoda (noun) an ornamental, many-tiered tower, usually seen in India or East AsiaThe White Pagoda is an historical site just east of Hohhot, Inner Mongolia.Begun in the 1970’s, The Pagoda was the first Chinese restaurant in Roanoke, Virginia.Question of the Day: What are some steps you take to stay healthy when traveling?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Episode #48: Trip to East Asia 2018 (Part 4--Nanjing, China)This episode tells you about Days 13-17 of Scott and Deborah’s 25-day trip to East Asia. Join them for a tour of the ancient city of culture and learning, Nanjing. Located at a strategic spot on the mighty Yangtze River in Southeast China, Nanjing has been the capital of China several times during different dynasties, and more recently, it was the capital during the early days of WW II. Learn about “the Father of the Country“ San Yat-sen, his mausoleum, Madame Chiang Kai-shek, the “Flying Tigers,” and the horrific “Rape of Nanking.” Learn more about the amazing and mystifying country of China!Word of the Day: Gate (noun) A hinged barrier to close an opening in a wall or fence.You can pass through the famous City Walls of Nanjing by way of some huge, impressive gates.Question of the Day: Is there any place you have tried to visit before, but were unable to? What is holding you back from trying again?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Episode #47: Trip to East Asia 2018 (Part 3--Shenzhen, China)Word of the Day: downpour (noun) a heavy rainEx. We left Guilin, China in a downpour.Question of the Day: Has your hometown changed greatly since you grew up there, or does it still look pretty much like it did as you remember it?This episode tells you about Days 11-13 on Scott and Deborah’s recent trip to China. Join them as they fly from Guilin in SW China to Xiamen in SE China on the Taiwan Strait, then to Shenzhen, in SE China next to Hong Kong. In 1980 Shenzhen was a fishing village with only 30,000 residents-- today it has over 12 MILLION people; that’s 50% MORE than New York City! In China, the phrase “Shenzhen Speed” means to do something at breakneck speed. How did Shenzhen have the fastest growth of any city in the world since 1980? Why are so many “Made in China” goods produced in that area? Why did Scott and Deborah go there? Listen to find out this and more! Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Word of the Day: mesmerized (adj.) fascinated; spellbound; mentally captivatedMany English words come from people’s names, and this is an example. It comes from Franz Anton Mesmer, a German doctor in the 1700s who had controversial ideas about magnetism, hypnosis, and the physical body.Ex. When is the last time you were mesmerized by a book?Question of the Day: When you have a dream or goal, do you tend to wait till you know all there is to know about it, or do you start sooner and hope you’ll learn the details along the way?Join us for our 1st anniversary show as we celebrate one year since posting our first podcast episode on July 26, 2017: “Look for the Seaweed.” Scott tells how the idea of the Life App podcast was birthed and some of the highlights from our first year! Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Episode 45: Trip to East Asia 2018 (Part 2--Reflections on Taiwan & visiting Guilin, China) From May 21-June 15, 2018, Scott and Deborah Dreyer took a business trip for DreyerCoaching.com across 8,000 miles and 12 time zones from the US state of Virginia to East Asia. They visited Taiwan and five cities in Mainland China; they took 13 flights, went through 15 different airports, and stayed in 10 different places on their 26-day journey. Their primary purpose was to visit with their current online ESL students and their families, plus reach out to find new students to help. Along with the work, they had numerous adventures as well...listen along and join the adventure!Listen to this episode to hear a few overall reflections Scott makes about visiting Taiwan this time, in light of his having lived there from 1989-1999. Most of this episode lets you in on their visit to Guilin, the iconic and magical place in Southwest China with the almost-mythical karst peaks that jut out of the earth like huge dragon teeth. Word of the Day: iconic (adj.) That which refers to an icon; that which is famous, symbolic, or representative; widely-recognized as famousEx. The karst topography and peaks around Guilin and the Li River make some of China’s most iconic scenery. Check out the images below:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_RiverQuestion of the Day: Is there some place you’ve dreamed about visiting for years? Or decades? Instead of telling yourself, “I could never go there,” instead ask yourself: “What could I do, or stop doing, to make it possible to visit that place?” Be creative and think big!Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Episode 44: Trip to East Asia 2018 (Part 1--Taiwan) From May 21-June 15, 2018, Scott and Deborah Dreyer took a business trip for DreyerCoaching.com across 8,000 miles and 12 time zones from the US state of Virginia to East Asia. They visited Taiwan and five cities in Mainland China; they took 13 flights, went through 15 different airports, and stayed in 10 different places on their 26-day journey. Their primary purpose was to visit with their current online ESL students and their families, plus reach out to find new students to help. Along with the work, they had numerous adventures as well...listen along and join the adventure!Listen to this episode to find out more about why and when they went, plus more details about their time in Taiwan, Deborah’s native home.Word of the Day: jet lag (noun) the odd feeling of disorientation one often feels by flying east or west across several time zones, where one’s “body clock” is out of sync with the surrounding time.Ex. During the ten years I lived in Taiwan, I always had jet lag when I flew to or from my home in Virginia USA, because Taiwan is 12 time zones ahead of Virginia.Question of the Day: Have you ever experienced jet lag before? If so, how did you cope with it?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.Stay connected!https://www.facebook.com/DreyerCoaching/http://dreyercoaching.com/en/wechathttp://dreyercoaching.com/en/linehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdreyer/

Episode 43: The 4 Quadrants of Time Usage (II) As a follow-up to Episode 41, we review the 4 Quadrants of Time Usage:1. Important and Urgent (Crisis); 2. Important but not Urgent (Focus here); 3. Urgent but not important (Time Wasters); and4. Not Urgent and not Important (Time Wasters)To help make these principles clear, useful, and applicable to your daily life, Scott reviews the 4 Quadrants and gives you about 18 real-life scenarios. You can decide for yourself which of the 4 Quadrants each scenario belongs to. (There may be more than one answer for several.) Then Scott reviews each scenario, explaining which Quadrant it belongs to, and why. The goal: help YOU get in the habit of using the “mental grid” each time you make decisions and schedule your time. As our producer Todd Holloway summed it up: If people can get in the habit of thinking this way and focusing on Quadrant 2, they will have fewer Quadrant 1 crises which always keep them busy and stressed-out.Word of the Day: focus (noun, verb) the act of directing visual or mental attention on one item or issue.Question of the Day: Have you begun using this “mental filter” to help you use your time, energy and focus more effectively? Can you focus more on Quadrant 2 issues and reduce more Quadrant Crises and Quadrant 3 and 4 Time Wasters in your life?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

Episode 42: The U.S Supreme CourtIn our first episode related directly to politics and government, you’ll find an easily-digestible introduction to the U.S. Supreme Court. Using “plain-talk” English, Scott gives you a Happy July 4th greeting, and introduces Virginian Thomas Jefferson as author of the Declaration of Independence, the phrase “separation of Church and State,” and founder of the University of Virginia (UVA). However, most of the episode examines the U.S. Supreme Court: why we have it, who founded it, a brief overview of its history, and how it’s had a roughly 4-4 Conservative/Liberal split, with one “swing” justice, for several decades now. Just as the U.S. has been politically divided for decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has been equally divided, with MANY 5-4 decisions over the past years. You will learn who these nine powerful judges are and which presidents appointed them. We wrap up with a “plain-talk” explanation of some key court decisions from June 2018, and discuss how Justice Anthony Kennedy’s bombshell June 27, 2018 announcement to retire this summer has set off a firestorm of controversy, and how its effects could be felt for decades, even generations. To show you how relevant and important this issue is, this headline was published on the day we recorded this Episode. “Trump says Court pick to come July 9.”Be an informed citizen! Give it a listen! Word of the Day: supreme (adj.) highest, bestQuestion of the Day: Whom do you think President Trump might name to replace retiring Justice Kennedy? Will the GOP-controlled Senate agree?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

Episode 41: The 4 Quadrants of Time Usage“Time waits for no man,” is an old English saying. And frankly, we probably keep saying old sayings because they are true! As Zig Ziglar said, “We all get the same amount of time as the average billionaire.” But the difference is, some of use our time better than others. This episode builds on Episode 39, where we discussed the difference between “urgent” and “important.” Once we grasp this crucial distinction, we can take the next step to understand the Four Quadrants of Time Usage: 1. Important and Urgent, 2. Important but not Urgent, 3. Urgent but not Important, and 4. Not Urgent and not Important. Understanding this can help you plan and use your time more effectively, avoid wasting time, and take your effectiveness to the next level. Plus, learn which SINGLE WORD can help you most boost your effectiveness!Word of the Day: Quadrant: (n.) each of 4 parts of a circle or space (Note: the stem “quad” means 4, as in squad, quadricep, and quadruplets.Question of the Day: After you have heard this episode, which quadrant do you think occupies most of your time? Moving forward, which quadrant do you want to focus on?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

Episode 40: Money Talk II: Guest--Mrs. Denise MannIt’s another 10th episode! So we enjoy a conversation with a guest speaker, Mrs. Denise Mann, who also joined us for Episode 20. In this chat we build on our earlier conversation about money and discuss more about debt, budgeting, and just being wise with our finances. We are not giving professional accounting or financial advice; for that, see your personal adviser. However, we are giving some time-tested principles that will help you get a better grip on your money, and when you get a better grip on your finances, you can get a better grip on your life and future!Question of the Day: Why do you think it is hard for most people to save for the future, but so easy to spend money on trivial things now? What can we do to change that habit?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

Ep. 39: Urgent v. Important?This episode starts with an Addendum to Episode 38, abou Decluttering. (“Addendum” is a Latin word, which is a fancy way to say “this is some stuff I forgot to tell you last time but I want to tell you now.”) In addition to PHYSICAL clutter (papers, piles, stuff), ELECTRONIC clutter (old emails, too many apps, etc.), and MENTAL clutter (bad attitudes, envy, anger, etc.) there is also SCHEDULE clutter. This comes from taking on too much and thus having too much to do. It is an easy trap to fall into. We will discuss some ways to declutter your schedule clutter, using what speaker Chuck Swindoll calls “pencil surgery.” This issue also relates to Episode 8, “Create Margin.”Many people think that “urgent” and “important” are the same: big items that require your attention right now. But that is now true. There is a HUGE difference between the two, which we will discuss. Plus, by being able to tell the difference, you may see your effectiveness go WAY up. Stay tuned for Episode 41, where we will discuss the difference between “urgent” and “important” further, and put it into the useful “4 Quadrants of Time.”Word of the Day: urgent: (adj) a situation requiring immediate attention or actionQuestion of the Day: Why do people often delay dealing with situations when they have plenty of time to do so, and instead wait till the last minute when it is urgent?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

Episodes 10 and 11 were an interview with Mr. Terry Racher, who traveled around the world with another friend and me in 1991, and in this episode, I interview Eden Pan, who also traveled around the globe. Like Terry’s trip, Eden’s voyage began and ended in Taiwan; however, unlike Terry’s trip, Eden did most of the traveling solo, and she spent over one year on the road! This episode is based on an interview I conducted with her in Chinese on Sept. 22, 2017, when she was living with our family in Roanoke, Virginia USA, and as she prepared to leave for Europe. The episode begins with my giving a summary in English about her trip. Why she left Taiwan, what her original plan was, and why she decided half-way through her trip, to make it a round-the-world voyage! You can hear the actual Chinese interview at the end of the episode, for our Chinese-speaking friends.Word of the Day: circumnavigate (verb) to travel around the worldQuestion of the Day: Would you like to go on a round-the-world trip? If so, what are 6-8 places you would like to visit along the way? Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

When I sat down to write an outline that later became my book, Write Like a Champion, one step was “Cut the Clutter.” That is, cut needless words to say the most with the fewest words possible. But writing is not the only place we can “cut the clutter.” We can cut physical clutter: messy desks, cluttered tables, crowded closets. We can cut electronic clutter: delete old emails and apps or store our photos to safe back-ups. We can cut mental clutter: cut the envy, regret, and resentment, so our brains have open space for positive thoughts. ANY time is a good time to declutter, but in this season of “spring cleaning,” a great time is NOW.Word of the Day: clutter (n, v.) needless trash or things we allow to build up and take precious space; the act of letting needless trash take up valuable space, time, or attentionQuestion of the Day: If you could spend just 15 minutes TODAY decluttering one area of your life--physical, electron, or mental--what would it be? How could it help you?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

When people think of Civil War generals, names like Grant, Lee, Jackson, Meade and others often spring to mind. However, not many think of “Jubal Early,” but we should, because he actually fought in more Civil War battles than any other Confederate general, including Lee! What’s more, his homeplace in Franklin County, Virginia is a mere thirty-minutes’ drive from our home office of DreyerCoaching.com. Take a listen to learn more about “Old Jube” and how this irascible general, with a tiny army, came breathtakingly close to seizing Washington D.C. and winning the war for the South. And as we wrap-up this ten-episode Civil War mini-series, learn how Union General Sherman probably saved Lincoln’s presidency--and thus the USA--by taking Atlanta in the fall of 1864, and how an unknown Senator from Kansas later saved the presidency of Andrew Johnson...by a single vote!Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

One of the key habits in Stephen Covey’s bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is “Practice Synergy.” That is, true greatness occurs when people work together and the sum is greater than the individual parts. One of the finest examples of synergy in the Civil War that I know of was that of Lee and Jackson. Both were brilliant generals and strategists on their own, but when they worked together in 1862-1863, they created a string of brilliant victories for the South including Second Manassas, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. Their victories are all the more remarkable when one realizes they faced Union forces two to four times their size, not to mention the preponderance of Union weapons, resources, and practically everything else. In two of the greatest “What If’s?” of the Civil War, what if Jackson had been given the 10,000 men he asked for right after the Battle of First Manassas. Might he have taken Washington and won the war--and independence--for the South in the first months of the war? And in 1863, had he been alive to work with Lee at Gettysburg, might the South have won there too? It’s mind-boggling to ponder! Take a listen and judge for yourself Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

On April 9, 1865, Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Gen. U.S. Grant and his Army of the Potomac, at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, effectively ending the Civil War. So, it is appropriate that this podcast episode is posting on April 9, the 153rd anniversary of Lee’s surrender.While the North was blessed with more successful political leadership in the Civil War, the South was endowed with more successful military leadership, and probably no one was more successful than the wily Robert E. Lee. When the Civil War began in 1861, the South was vastly outnumbered by the North in almost every category except for tobacco and cotton, neither of which a person can eat. So, in retrospect it is almost unbelievable that the South could stand for four years against the Northern onslaughts, and Lee was a huge factor in this. Take a listen to find out more about this man who was the son of a famous Revolutionary War general, who married a great-granddaughter of George Washington’s wife, who is the only person in world history to have been offered a generalship on OPPOSING sides of the same conflict, and who how has a university named after him: Robert E. Lee. Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

Abraham Lincoln. The name is an icon; the man, a legend. As our podcast pivots to positive leadership examples from the Civil War, Lincoln ranks among the greatest. Frankly, in many ways, the Union’s survival is arguably due more to him than any other single person. Despite the Union’s overwhelming superiority in terms of men, material, and overall resources in 1861, the North was plagued by poor--sometimes terrible--military leadership, especially in the early years. In many ways, Lincoln held the country together. Take a listen to find out more of what made Lincoln successful, especially his humor, religious faith, powerful communication skills, sense of mercy. This episode closes with some famous Lincoln quotations.Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

After hearing about five examples of failed leadership in previous episodes, now we get to pivot to some SUCCESSFUL leadership from the US Civil War, and a chief name is General Grant. Grant was responsible for the turning point campaign in the Western theater of War, at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on July 4, 1863, and in 1864 Lincoln promoted him to fight in Virginia where he took on the masterful General Robert E. Lee. Though brilliant, Lee could not replace his fallen men, but Grant could, so Grant used the “terrible math” to basically bleed the South white and win the war at Appomattox, Virginia, on April 9, 1865. Grant later became a two-term US president and now appears on the $50 bill. Take a listen to see what lessons we can learn from his life and example!Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

This episode continues our Civil War series of what NOT to do. Our goal is not to share dry stories from long-ago history, but to make it real and teach valuable life lessons that can help us today. Episodes 26-29 were about a specific person who failed as a leader; in this episode, we look at a particular battle in the Civil War, one of the most bizarre stories of that conflict. In this story, a bunch of Pennsylvania soldiers who had been coal miners hatched a plot to dig a tunnel and blow up a huge part of the Southern defenses around Petersburg, Virginia. It almost succeeded, and may have ended the war a year early! However, poor leadership and a lack of FOLLOW-THROUGH helped the North snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Take a listen and find out more! Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

For our 10th episodes, we like to switch up our topics a bit and invite a guest speaker to join us. In our 30th episode, Pastor Chad Forte shares three remarkable stories from his early life, where he believes he was visited by someone from “the other side.” This is a Life App Podcast “first,” to talk about supernatural tales and visitations, but stories like these should encourage us all to ponder, “is there more to this life than meets the eye, at the surface? Take a listen and be challenged and encouraged! Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

In Episode 27 we learned there is an old English saying from the Bible (Proverbs 16:18), “Pride goeth before a fall.” That was certainly the case with Union General George McClellan, but also with General Joseph Hooker. Many times in 1862, the Northern armies greatly outnumbered their Southern foes, but the Rebel armies under the brilliant leadership of Lee, Jackson, and others, continually beat back the Yankee armies. When Lincoln named Hooker lead general of the Northern Army of the Potomac, Hooker boasted: “My plans are perfect, and when I start to carry them out may God have mercy on General Lee, for I will have none.”That boast reminds me of another old English saying: Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched. In Hooker’s case, he should have had more humility and less conceit when taking on the wily Lee, even though Hooker’s men outnumbered Lee’s by about two to one! Despite those lopsided odds, Hooker managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, and led the Northern army to another horrific loss at the Battle of Chancellorsville.Lee’s stunning victory at Chancellorsville in May 1863 then gave him the confidence to invade the North, which led to the titanic struggle at Gettysburg in July. Had things at Gettysburg gone differently, Lee’s army might have invaded Washington, taken Lincoln prisoner, won the Civil War, and been independent! Truly an amazing “what if?” to think about. Word of the Day: conceited (adj.) overly prideful; arrogantQuestion of the Day: Where is the “fine line” between healthy self-confidence and conceit? Can one be confident, yet still humble? If so, how?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

An old English saying that comes from Proverbs 16:18 in the Bible says, “Pride goeth before a fall.” And that was certainly true in the case of Union General George McClellan. McClellan was brilliant and successful in some ways, which probably led to his huge arrogance. However, that conceit--coupled with his overcaution--caused him to get fired by Lincoln, not just once, but twice! Listen to this episode to find out why the men in his army loved him, Lincoln was furious with him, TWICE he could have won the war for the North three years early, and he ALMOST became president and would have let the South remain independent! Word of the Day: cautious (adj.) marked by extreme carefulnessQuestion of the Day: What is the “fine line” between healthy caution and paralyzing fear? Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

Have you ever been in a class where the teacher really does remind you of Charlie Brown’s teacher?Like this?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss2hULhXf04&feature=youtu.beI have been a licensed history teacher since 1987, and I cannot remember how many times someone has told me, basically, “I used to hate history when I was in school, but now that I’m an adult, it fascinates me and I can’t get enough of it.”In my opinion, this may be because a lot of our history is taught badly, or we teachers just try to get our students to memorize dry facts and dates, but history has a STORY in it! The longer I live, the more I try to teach story and attach LIFE LESSONS to the examples, so our lives today can be richer and more successful. So that leads us to this episode. At the 2017 Dreyer Academy LLC Christmas Party, our podcast producer Todd Holloway told me he remembered a project I assigned his honors US history class when he had been in 11th grade and said it had taught him valuable life lessons. I assigned the class certain US Civil War leaders, both from the North and South, and the students were to research them and identify if they are seen as successful or failed leaders, and what made them successful or not. I was grateful Todd recalled that project and found it helpful, and the fact that he had remembered it six or seven years later, I found remarkable. So, he and I decided we needed to revisit some of those “life lessons” in our podcasts, so here is the first one! In this episode, we look at the life of Union (Northern) General Ambrose Burnside. He was the classic “middle manager” who generally succeeded as a general under a higher command, but he failed utterly when Lincoln put him in charge of the Army of the Potomac. Burnside outnumbered Lee’s army by 120,000 to 80,000 men, but at the bloody Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia, he lost an unbelievable 13,000 men in ONE DAY while the South lost less than 5,000. This episode will examine some of Burnside’s flaws and seek to help us avoid those errors today, in particular, “tunnel vision.”Learn more about General Burnside and the Battle of Fredericksburg below:http://www.history.com/news/remembering-the-battle-of-fredericksburg-150-years-later Factoid: After the Civil War, Burnside became the first president of the National Rifle Association (NRA):https://home.nra.org/about-the-nra/Word of the Day: sideburns (noun). A strip of hair grown by men down the side of their face in front of their earsQuestion of the Day: What is the “fine line” between FOCUS and TUNNEL VISION? How are they different? How can a person retain focus, yet be open to new ways of thinking and seeing matters?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

Author and podcaster Gretchen Rubin encourages her readers to select a one-word theme for the year, like “upgrade,” “free,” or “simplify.” You can read more here:https://gretchenrubin.com/2015/01/a-fun-way-to-shape-the-new-year-pick-a-one-word-theme/Picking up on her theme, I remember times I have chosen a Bible verse and claimed it as a focus verse for either a new calendar year or a new year after my birthday. For Bible-reading people, you too might want to identify one verse or passage, and “claim” it for your new year. For people who don’t read the Bible? For them, or anyone else, you can also choose a theme-- one-word or longer--to make an organizing principle for your new year. Last year my slogan was “Focus.” Take a listen to hear Scott’s theme slogan for 2018, and pick one yourself! And this doesn’t just work for an individual. A couple, family, church, business, club..anyone can claim a key verse or slogan. Give it a try!Word of the Day: claim (noun, verb) to state that something is yours; a statement or assertion that something is trueQuestion of the Day: Have you claimed a Bible verse or slogan for 2018? If not, what’s holding you back?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

Ep. 24: Annual New Year’s message and a word about S.M.A.R.T. goalsIf a year is like a book, then the first, blank page we can call “New Year’s Day.” Scott tells a funny story about New Years Day, 2017, that began with a spectacular fireworks show, was quickly followed by a shock surprise, and ended some 36 hours later, in Virginia.Also, what is the difference between a GOAL, a WISH, and a DAY DREAM? Learn about S.M.A.R.T. goals and some ways to help you make your commitments stick and get more done in the new year!Word of the Day: specific (adj.) very clear and focused; not vagueQuestion of the Day: What is your SINGLE BIGGEST goal for 2018? Do you have specific steps to get there?Free resource: Goal tracker from the Dave Ramsey team:https://cdn.ramseysolutions.net/media/email/entreleadership/entre_lm/goal-tracker/el_goal_tracker_2016.pdf?inf_contact_key=17eabeea777ad7b6d993d164c3c421803d16adae6c7ed3dcfa2bbda220472e44Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

Ep. 23: Annual Christmas MessageOn behalf of all the team at DreyerCoaching.com, Scott gives his annual Christmas message. Christmas can be a wonderful time for many people (hear Ep. 19), but it can also be sad and painful for many others (hear Ep. 21). In this episode, Scott reads an opinion piece about Christmas 1942, during one of the most horrific and dangerous phases of WW II. From the past, we can learn to take hope.The article:http://www.roanoke.com/opinion/commentary/long-christmas-in-guadalcanal/article_a31a7764-6e90-5c34-b343-bafe6ecad796.htmlWord of the Day: yuletide (adj.) of or pertaining to ChristmasQuestion of the Day: What are some things you can do to keep your spirits and energy up, during the dark, cold months of winter?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

Ep. 22: Thoughts on the Christmas StoryMost people think of Santa or Christmas trees at Christmas, but do you know the Christmas story? The word “Christmas” comes from “Christ Mass,” a holy day to remember the birth of Jesus Christ. Listen in to a reading from two passages in the Bible that tell about the birth of Jesus: Matthew chapters 1 & 2, and Luke chapter 2. Word of the Day: magi (noun) wise men, kings, astrologers. We get the words “magic” and “magician” from the same root.Question of the Day: Why do you think many people begin Christmas morning by reading Luke 2, before they open their presents?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

Episode 21 It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year? What about S.A.D.? Andy Williams’ famous Christmas carol starts:It's the most wonderful time of the yearWith the kids jingle bellingAnd everyone telling you be of good cheerIt's the most wonderful time of the yearThese make catchy lyrics for a long, but for many people, the reality of late December and winter are anything but wonderful and cheery. Christmas, as it’s celebrated in current American culture, is often laden with stress, conflict, over-indulgence, and debt. (Please listen to Episode 19, “Preparing for Christmas.”) But beyond the tension that often accompanies Christmas, there are also the mid-winter “blahs.” Starting in late June every year, people in the Northern Hemisphere get about two minutes’ less of daylight each day. That might not sound like much, but when you add it all up, by December it’s often getting dark by the time kids get out of school and adults get off of work. These shorter days, combined with the lower, weaker sun rays during daylight, can trigger a medical malady aptly-labeled as Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.). Listen to this episode to find out more about what causes S.A.D.; what some of the symptoms are; and how getting outside, putting more lights inside, and other changes can help you fight this condition.The bumper music is Bill Monroe (1911-1997) and his band “The Blue Grass Boys” singing “Christmas Time’s a Comin.’” Bill Monroe is known as the “Father of Bluegrass Music,” a famous music genre from the Appalachian region of the US. Word of the Day: affective (adj.) relating to moods, feelings, and attitudesQuestion of the Day: What are some things you do to keep your mood and energy boosted in the winter months?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

Episode 20: Get a Money Life: Interview with Mrs. Denise MannWe like to do something special to mark every 10th episode, and with our 20th podcast we are delighted to welcome Mrs. Denise Mann to impart some wisdom and guidance regarding money, career, and spending. Mann has led Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University classes before and she will share some of her insights with us. Christmas can easily become a time of out-of-control spending, giving people debts to face at the start of the new year. She will share some Christmas-time money tips too.The bumper music is Bill Monroe (1911-1997) and his band “The Blue Grass Boys” singing “Christmas Time’s a Comin.’” Bill Monroe is known as the “Father of Bluegrass Music,” a famous music genre from the Appalachian region of the US. Word of the Day: budget (noun, verb) to make a plan to handle money, time or resourcesIt’s important to have a budget, so you can tell your money where to go, instead of wondering “where did it go?” (noun) “Be sure you budget your time wisely, so you can finish your projects by the due date,” Mr. Crawford reminded his students. Question of the Day: What is the most valuable piece of financial advice you’ve ever received?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

Episode 19: Preparing for ChristmasBy far the biggest holiday in the US, a federal holiday, it can be a time of cheer and joy, but also a time of stress and loneliness...it’s Christmas! From the decorations in the yards, sales in the stores, and Christmas carols on the radio, you can’t miss Christmas in the USA. This episode tells about some ways Americans get ready for the holiday, and also gives some tips on ways to avoid some pitfalls that can accompany Christmas. The bumper music is Bill Monroe (1911-1997) and his band “The Blue Grass Boys” singing “Christmas Time’s a Comin.’” Bill Monroe is known as the “Father of Bluegrass Music,” a famous music genre from the Appalachian region of the US. Word of the Day: advent (noun) arrival.The 4 Sundays and weeks before Christmas Day. (religious meaning) “Many children like to open one window per day on an Advent calendar and get out the piece of chocolate!The arrival or start of something (secular meaning) “Since the advent of the automobile, many Americans have moved from the cities to the suburbs.”Question of the Day: If you celebrate Christmas, what are some things you do to get ready for it?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

When you see the words “Thanksgiving Story,” you might have mental images of Pilgrims eating turkey and thanking God for their blessings in the New World. But in this case, Scott tells the personal story about his first year living overseas, and thus his first Thanksgiving away from home and family. Stripped of all the familiar trappings of a family Thanksgiving, Scott was lonely, homesick, and struggling with self-pity in snow-encrusted Germany...until he had a sudden change of attitude, and then an even more sudden change of circumstances! Listen for the surprise ending!You can read more about this story in Scott’s blog. http://dreyercoaching.com/en/component/k2/item/68-thanksgiving-meaningWord of the Day: self-pity (noun) the negative attitude of feeling sorry for oneselfQuestion of the Day: Self-pity is obviously a harmful mindset. (Check out the two quotations below.) Since it is obviously not a helpful attitude, why do so many people still choose to embrace it?Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything good in the world. --Helen KellerYou can be pitiful or you can be powerful, but you can’t be both at the same time. --Joyce MeyerHave a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

While our Churchill Part 1 episode focused on some highlights from his life story and character, Part 2 focuses on a few of his famous speeches. An old saying goes “Talk is cheap,” but in Churchill’s case, his talks helped keep the British Empire and the cause of global freedom alive during World War II and thereafter. In this episode you will hear excerpts read from a few of Churchill’s key speeches, along with some explanations of the historical backgrounds of his speeches, thus putting them into a context for you. We will also discuss some of his masterful word choices and literary devices that gave his speeches such punch. Word of the Day: defiance (noun) a strong-willed refusal to surrender or obeyQuestion of the Day: Is it possible for strong-willed defiance in a child to become a positive character quality in an adult? If so, how?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

Episode 16: Churchill (Part 1)Over the years, many people have told me they like how I can help them make connections between people and events in history and our lives today. That is a goal for this episode, where we look at the life of Winston Churchill, especially his strong will, bravery, humor and amazing way with words. After the sudden fall of France in June 1940, until Hitler’s foolish invasion of the USSR one year later, tiny England basically stood alone against the Nazi onslaught. (The British Empire, though large, powerful, and helpful, was far away.) It is incredible to think that, to a great extent, it was Churchill’s powerful personality and oratory that kept the British Empire (and thus the cause of freedom) afloat in an Axis ocean. We have much to learn from Churchill, and we owe him a debt of gratitude. Word of the Day: evacuation (noun) a large retreat or withdrawal from a place of danger to a place of safely. The evacuation at Dunkirk in 1940 was a turning point in World War II. Question of the Day: Do you think Churchill was a politician or a statesman? What is the difference? Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.

In this episode we wrap up our three-part series based on Michael Hyatt’s webinar, “The 7 Deadly Sins of Productivity.” Today we examine Sins 6 and 7: Respond Constantly and Switch Technology. In our world where so many people live with their noses in their phones, I hope this episode gives you some positive, practical take-aways. Word of the Day: batch (noun, verb) a small amount of the same thing (i.e. “a batch of cookies”; to combine similar items together (“batch your emails together 3-4 times a day.)Question of the Day: Do you feel the need to constantly respond to each call or text as they come in? If so, why? What would your life and schedule look like, if you did not feel that compulsive need?Have a question or feedback? Maybe a topic you’d like to hear in a future episode? Please email Scott at lifeapppodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! If you enjoy our podcasts, please subscribe, write a review, and share them on social media and by word of mouth! Those are GREAT ways to help more people find our podcasts. Please also visit us at www.DreyerCoaching.com; check out the blog posts at the bottom of the page for more information about life in the USA and the crazy English language.