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Oral Sex, Frequency, Desire, and Other Topics Couples Negotiate in Marriage: An Interview with Dr. Michael Sytsma (Episode 300)   *Today's message is not intended for little ears. We'll be discussing some adult themes, and I want you to be aware before you listen to this message.*   Deuteronomy 30:19 + 20 “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”   *Transcription Below*   Dr. Michael Sytsma has been working with couples in a variety of capacities since 1987. He is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Georgia, a Certified Sex Therapist, and a Certified Professional Counseling Supervisor. He is also an ordained minister with The Wesleyan Church and has served as a staff pastor for churches with attendance from 30 to over 1,000. He is currently appointed to Building Intimate Marriages, Inc. by The Wesleyan Church, where he provides marriage and sex therapy and training to other professionals. Michael also cofounded Sexual Wholeness, Inc., a Christian non-profit dedicated to training, equipping, and certifying professionals in human sexuality.    After earning a Bachelor of Science in Christian Ministry from Indiana Wesleyan University, Michael went on to receive a master's degree in community counseling from Georgia State University and a diploma in Christian counseling from Psychological Studies Institute. He subsequently earned a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in Child and Family Development/Marriage and Family Therapy, where he specialized in marital sexual therapy. His dissertation topic was “Sexual Desire Discrepancy in Married Couples.”    Building Intimate Marriages Secrets of Sex and Marriage   Thank You to Our Sponsor: WinShape Marriage   Questions and Topics We Cover: What habits do you see drawing married couples closer together and also what behaviors or mindsets are pulling them apart? What are the different types of desire discrepancy? Can you share what the Bible says about oral sex and also share research findings?    Previous Savvy Sauce Episodes with Dr Mike: Ten Common Questions About Sex Enjoying a God-honoring, Healthy Sex Life with Your Spouse Remaining Sexually Engaged Through The Years with Dr. Michael Sytsma  Sexual Desire Discrepancy in Marriage Secrets of Sex and Marriage   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger: (0:12 - 1:47) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   Today's message is not intended for little ears. We'll be discussing some adult themes, and I want you to be aware before you listen to this message.   I'm thrilled to introduce you to our sponsor, WinShape Marriage. Their weekend marriage retreats will strengthen your marriage while you enjoy the gorgeous setting, delicious food, and quality time with your spouse. To find out more, visit them online at winshapemarriage.org/savvy.   Today, I get to bring back our most repeated guest, Dr. Michael Sytsma. Our show notes are going to have links back to all of his previous episodes on The Savvy Sauce, and you're going to find out why he is invited back so frequently. Dr. Sytsma is a Christian sex therapist, an author, a counseling supervisor, and ordained minister. With a pastoral heart, a gift in teaching, and a passion for helping couples grow in marriage, Dr. Sytsma is the perfect guest for today to discuss these sensitive and sacred topics related to sexual intimacy in marriage. Here's our chat.   Welcome back to The Savvy Sauce, Dr. Mike.   Dr. Michael Sytsma: (1:47 - 1:52) Thank you so much. It's such an honor. It's always a joy to be with you and to talk through this.   Laura Dugger: (1:52 - 2:19) Well, I'm always looking forward to these conversations. And I just want to begin with a broad overview where we can discuss both relationship builders and some of the sneaky relationship retractors. So, what habits do you see drawing married couples closer together? And then also, what are the behaviors and mindsets that are pulling them apart?   Dr. Michael Sytsma: (2:21 - 5:57) So, when I sit with couples, obviously the bulk of the couples that I work with are those that are struggling or wanting things to be better. So that may be a bit of a skewed. The couples that come into workshops even are often aware that something's not quite how they want it to be. And so, watching to see what makes a difference, exactly what you're asking. And one of the biggest things I see is just the intentionality of couples that are doing well. I think many times our culture tends to say that if you've picked the right person, if everything is going well, it'll be easy and everything will just flow well. And I find that amusing because it doesn't work in any other area of life. In our finances, we have to be disciplined with them. In parenting, we have to be disciplined with it. In our own health and exercise and what we eat. If we just ate whatever we wanted, I don't think things would be good. If we waited to feel to eat healthy, I don't think we would eat healthy.   And yet couples almost have this idea that you need to desire, you need to feel the urges to do what's healthy in the marriage. And those that wait for it and wait for their spouse to do it, they tend to get irritated and disillusioned and start to see each other negatively and pull apart versus those that sit down and develop a vision. Here's who we want to be as a couple. Here's who I want to be as a husband. Here's who I want to be as a wife. And we begin to lock ourselves into who we're becoming and who we're becoming as a couple and then live intentionally towards that. I see those couples do so much better.   Part of it is, you know, if you say to your husband, here's who I want to be as a wife. And he believes that. He believes that's your heart. Then the day that you get up, and I'm sure this never happens to you, but the day you get up and you're just not in a good mood, you know, the kids kept you awake at night or you didn't eat something that was good for you. You wake up and you're not in a mood. He can extend a ton of grace because he knows you're not satisfied with yourself. He knows that you're not going to like who you are right now and you're not going to tolerate that very long. So, he doesn't have to step in and try to control you, to manipulate you, to make you to be who he wants you to be. He can step back and extend grace knowing that you're probably going to come to him later that day or tomorrow and go, sorry, I wasn't in a good mood yesterday. It was probably tough to live with. And he knows you will reset and the same for him.   If he has a rough day and he doesn't treat you with the cherishing care that you know he wants to be, then you kind of step back and we'll give him a little bit of space. He'll figure it out. And he does. And he resets and he comes back and you make intentional steps towards that vision that you guys have co-created. Those couples tend to do really well. And I see those steps being a little different for different couples because their vision might be slightly different. But the consistent patterns and habits that I see are establishing that vision, locking into it and trusting that you'll do your work and I'm going to do mine. And we're intentional in moving forward with it.   Laura Dugger: (5:58 - 6:20) Okay. So, I'm kind of hearing start with the end in mind, get on the same page with the conversation of what our vision is. And then intentionally, it sounds like pre-deciding before you're waiting for these feelings to come up to even pre-decide practical things of how often do we want to come together? What do we want that to look like? So, am I hearing that right?   Dr. Michael Sytsma: (6:20 - 9:28) Yep, very much so. And obviously there's a lot that's wrapped in it. Couples have to be able to communicate effectively, you know, hear and be heard to be able to sit down and sort through who do I want to be? Because usually a few years into marriage, we're starting to ascribe motivation and desire to our spouse that's not fully accurate. And we begin to define them different than they see themselves to be able to hear that, to be able to figure out who do I want to be? How do I work with the personality that I have? Mike works in idiosyncrasies and who's the best person that I can become? And then to be able to share that with each other.   So many couples don't sit down and really talk through. As you know, sex therapy is my primary research and interest area. And so, working a lot with couples that most of the couples I work with have never shared their vision for what they want their sex life to look like. They might've argued about frequency or certain behaviors, but they've never really shared vision. And most when I challenged them to don't have a clue of themselves really how to articulate what they want. So once that vision has been discussed and talked about, then yes, they can start to sort through, well, how do we get there? And can we give ourselves permission for some time?   I told a couple of you yesterday, guys, this is going to take decades to get to where you want to be. And you get to see his face. I said, this doesn't mean that we wait decades till we get there, but you've created a really beautiful vision and nobody can do that overnight. You're going to have to regularly work at it. And you're right. That intentionality of what are we going to do?   I tell couples my recipe is 15 minutes of connect time every day where you're leaning into each other. How are you doing? Really? What's going on? And then a one hour a week, a business meeting, I call it a working date where we sit down, we do the business of marriage. Just being intentional in how do we do this? Well, at least every other week to do a fun date where we are just going and playing together. We're not trying to work on anything. We're not talking about anything difficult. We're playing together. And then once a year, some kind of a continuing ed for their marriage, whether that be some marriage therapy, a retreat, a workshop, going through a sermon series and talking about it, reading a book together, something that gets them to really focus back on how are we doing and how do we make this better? Those are all intentional things that have to be done on a regular basis. Couples who make those, like you say, early decisions and then work to consistently follow through on them. Not perfectly, but consistently following through.   Laura Dugger: (9:30 - 10:08) I love that because the fruit of it is so enjoyable then to be married to one another if you've got this intentional relationship rather than the other option is for it to really overflow into all areas of life and be difficult. But you're clearly a world-leading Christian sex therapist, so I'm very eager to hear your insight on this as well. What would you say is the current trend for trouble areas with sex and intimacy that you're seeing with your clients or people that you meet through traveling the world to speak?   Dr. Michael Sytsma: (10:11 - 12:58) Obviously, some of the standards that have been a part of human culture, especially my area of interest, is desire discrepancy. Whether that be husbands and wives who desire different frequencies, who desire different practices, who desire a different tone. I want wild and crazy and you want soft and nurturing. The differing desires are a primary area of conflict for couples. Because if you're not doing what I want, my natural instinct is to lean in and start to make you be that way. And humans don't tend to do well with pressure, so it tends to shut things down and then it spins out. So that's always an ongoing one, but that's also being my primary area of research and focus, one that I see a lot just in looking.   But one that the research seems to be showing that is a bit disturbing, and we've got theories behind what's going on, but we're seeing a decrease in sexual frequency amongst couples, a decrease in couples connecting. Whether that be connecting centrally, nurturing kind of touch, you know, the tender hugs and kisses, caresses, the snuggling together at night, or the more intimate sexual encounters where couples are having intercourse or they're engaging for sexual pleasure, we're seeing a drop in those. We saw it drop. COVID was not friendly to many aspects of marriage, and we saw a lot of it drop towards the end of that. And in many respects, it hasn't recovered, according to some of the research. So that would be an area of concern, because if couples are not connecting, many times they're acting out on their own, because it's easy, I don't have to negotiate you, there's plenty of options and ways to go about doing that. And the experiences, the chemicals that are released when we connect with each other, the associating you with pleasure, all of those things decrease, and they're critical in marriage. So that would be an area that we're kind of keeping an eye on. Is that going to bounce back? What is really going on? Is it a temporary thing, or is it just a glitch in the numbers? And it doesn't seem to be, seems to be what's happening.   Laura Dugger: (13:00 - 13:19) Wow, that is kind of alarming. And since COVID, that is so interesting. You said you have a few theories, and I know you're very scientifically based, so it's too early to report the research findings. But what are your opinions or thoughts on the reasons for that?   Dr. Michael Sytsma: (13:21 - 18:05) I think in working with couples, there's a couple of things that I see play out. One is we are in an age of information overload and anxiety overload. We hear so much that is disturbing, and we don't feel like we have any agency in creating change for it. So, the internal stress level just goes up, you know, wars and economy, and things that we dislike that we're out of control with. And we see a general level of stress and anxiety go up for us right now. You know, there's some insecurity in terms of what is the economy really going to do. And all of that, I believe, has an impact on our sexual behavior.   I think, in part, we're wired for that. We think through human history. However long you happen to believe humans have been around, it's a while. For most of that time, we couldn't manage our fertility. So, if a couple engaged in sex, she was going to get pregnant. Well, if I don't have the emotional energy, the bandwidth, the resources to produce a child and to raise them, it makes sense to me that we are wired to not have desire to engage sexually with somebody. We see that especially for women. If stress level goes up, they're not interested. And I think that makes sense. I think it's a wiring in. Why would you want to reproduce if you're living in a stress-filled environment? We need to raise these kids up enough that I have the bandwidth to do another one or we need to have the food resources or whatever is needed. And our brains don't always think through the details of my refrigerator's full. We're fine. It just experiences the stress of what we're in.   Guys are the same way. You tend to have to push guys to a much higher level of stress before it affects their sexual desire. But I watch it almost every day in my office. Guys come in that have lost interest in sex. I look at their lives. I'm like, you're stressed to the max. You're working 60, 70 hours a week. You're not sleeping. You're eating like crap. You're not exercising. Of course you don't have interest. So, living in a culture that has that high level of anxiety and out of control, I think is part of what's going on there. We don't give time to just sit back and relax and realize that we are a blessed people living in a blessed time. We have a lot of resources. We could do this.   I think the other side of it is the impact of, we'll just call it social media, the impact of all of the information we're able to get. And it's curated information. And we only put online the things that we're proud of. So, we put online all of these great images. We look at everybody else's life. And sometimes in the research, we'll talk about monitoring the alternatives. I'm looking at my spouse and I'm looking at them and I'm going, wait, I like what they're doing better than what you're doing. And it creates an overall dissatisfaction that we start to try to make our spouse to be different. And they don't respond well to that. They get defensive and they push back on trying to make us different. And now we've got a power struggle going on and sex doesn't do well in those kinds of settings. Sex doesn't respond well to pressure. Hearts don't respond well to pressure. So, we start to pull away. Then we experience pleasure with you less. And I experience pain and frustration with you more. And when I look over here, it increases that because they're saying this is what it's like for them. That's not what it's like for me. I want that. And I don't know that I can have that with you. So, I want to have sex with you. And it's easier to negotiate pornography. It's easier to negotiate my fantasy stories. It's easier to negotiate something individually than it is to try to negotiate you. And so, the opportunity to experience profound pleasure with our spouse goes down and the frustration goes up and the cycle just continues to spin up. So those would be, they're interrelated, but a couple of ideas that I would have at this point.   Laura Dugger: (18:06 - 20:42) And now a brief message from our sponsor. Friends, I'm excited to share with you today's sponsor, WinShape Marriage. Do you feel like you need a weekend away with your spouse and a chance to grow in your relationship together at the same time? WinShape Marriage is a fantastic ministry that provides weekend marriage retreats to help couples grow closer together in every season and stage of life. From premarital to parenting to the empty nest phase, there is an opportunity for you. WinShape Marriage is grounded on the belief that the strongest marriages are the ones that are nurtured, even when it seems things are going smoothly, so that they're stronger if they do hit a bump along their marital journey.   These weekend retreats are hosted within the beautiful refuge of WinShape Retreat, perched in the mountains of Rome, Georgia, which is a short drive from Atlanta, Birmingham, and Chattanooga. While you're there, you will be well-fed, well-nurtured, and well-cared for. During your time away in this beautiful place, you and your spouse will learn from expert speakers and explore topics related to intimacy, overcoming challenges, improving communication, and more. I've stayed on site at WinShape before, and I can attest to their generosity, food, and content. You will be so grateful you went.   To find an experience that's right for you and your spouse, head to their website, winshapemarriage.org/savvy. That's W-I-N-S-H-A-P-E marriage.org slash savvy, S-A-V-V-Y. Thanks for your sponsorship.   That's so insightful. I have a lot of follow-up questions, so I'll try to organize them because I'm thinking of three categories. First, about just pleasing yourself and not working with your spouse and negotiating. Then also desire discrepancy going further into that and social media. Let's start with the first one. When you see the numbers go down of how often couples engage sexually in marriage, you're seeing those numbers go down. Would you say that automatically means that they are just seeking this out themselves with pornography or doing things in secrecy? Would you like to clarify that?   Dr. Michael Sytsma: (20:42 - 23:50) Not necessarily. It is worth asking the question, but I think one of the myths our society has, especially in the church and culture, is that sex is a need. If you're not fulfilling it with me because it's a need, you're getting it someplace. For some people, sex is a strong drive. It's a strong urge. I think it's designed in us that way to draw us to our spouse, to draw us to connecting, but it is not a need. Nobody dies from lack of it. I could line up a whole string of clients that practice sexual fidelity, sexual integrity, and they're not at a place that they can express their sexuality in a way that they believe is honoring, so they don't. Nobody dies. Nobody does poorly, even. Many times, they thrive. The belief that if you're not getting it with me, you're getting it someplace, that may be true, but that's not a foregone assumption.   For some, though, it is. It is something that I want, something that I desire. It meets a lot of my desires. I think sex meets a lot of our needs, a need of acceptance. I do believe that's a need. I think we have a need to be desired, to be pursued. I think those are God-reflective needs in us. God desires those things. I think it's fair to say that those are needs, and we often get those needs met through sex. Even in an altered, hollow way, masturbatory sex can give something towards those needs. It's worth asking, as somebody pursuing that individually. A couple last week, they sat down for the first time and started to talk about that with each other. What do you do? We're only engaging this frequency. What do you do outside of that? They were both surprised at what each other does, and able to step back and say, I'm challenging them to do vision work. What do we want? For one of them, they said, “I don't want this part of my life. I want it to be only you, but that doesn't always work well. What do we need to do so it can be?” The other is not so sure that they want to give up some of what they're enjoying in their individual time. How do we wrap that in? It's interesting to watch them work through the vision and try to figure out who do they want to be as couples. But to go back to your question, no, it's not a foregone that they're going to be acting out. But it's worth asking, and worth asking, is that what you want? Or are you taking that as a second best because you don't see an opportunity to pursue what's really good? If that's true, can we maybe figure out how for both of us to get what we truly desire?   Laura Dugger: (23:51 - 24:19) That's so wise. Then to elaborate also on desire discrepancy, you've shared this is your primary research area. Can you expand a little bit on, I won't hit all of these, but you had talked about it being a desire discrepancy with frequency, with the type of activity, and I feel like there was one other topic. In practices. Can you share more about each of those?   Dr. Michael Sytsma: (24:20 - 27:48) Yeah, the primary conflict that comes into my office is often illustrated by frequency. Generally, in most couples, the husband, the male, has a desire for a higher frequency. The female has, her frequency desire tends to be lower. In Secrets of Sex and Marriage, we have all the numbers that play that out. What's interesting is when we test them, they're not as far apart as they believe they are. Actually, in our survey, 22% of couples were wanting the exact same amount. Only 14% or 15% believe that they wanted the same amount, which is a pretty significant difference. Couples are closer together than they think they are. And most of those couples, even when they were different, were only one mark different. She said that she would like to have sex one to two times a week, and he said he would like to have sex two to three times a week. That's one mark different. Most couples were not that different, even when there was one.   Usually what is being expressed there is, I don't know that you desire me as much as I desire you. I desire you in a way that's physically connecting, and you don't seem to. What does that mean about me? What does that mean about am I a desirable person? Would you prefer to have somebody else other than me? Often, underneath that is the fears of, do you choose me? Do you want me? Do you like playing with me? I want a playmate. I want somebody who we can just relax and be together. I want somebody who holds me and nurtures and comforts me, and you don't seem to want to do that. What does that mean about me? The fight about the frequency, but really what's underneath it is a lot of fears.   That comes into the types as well. I want sex that is wild and crazy and spontaneous. I want to be able to walk into the room and you lose your mind. That never happens anymore. I want sex that follows us having long talks where you've cared for my heart and you've nurtured me. We've gone slow and you've really just cherished me. You just want something wild and crazy and to lose your mind. How do we bring those two together? Or practices. I enjoy bringing toys in and playing. You don't like that. You like the one kind that helps you to feel connected. I want to play more. The research on oral sex that we just finished comes into that and how they desire differently around even those practices. So, all of that comes into the office. I'm sure you're hearing at one level it is we're arguing about what I want versus you want. At another level, it's what does that mean? What does it mean to my heart and how do I interpret that you don't want to do this? That comes into play pretty heavily and it's worth couples trying to unpack and figure it out.   Laura Dugger: (27:48 - 28:01) And would you say that to unpack and figure it out is that most beneficial at a neutral time or what kind of conversation starters would be helpful for them?   Dr. Michael Sytsma: (28:04 - 29:54) Not to advertise, but Secrets of Sex and Marriage was designed, we wrote it, and my heart desire in it was to have a book that couples could sit down and read out loud to each that would start these conversations. So, if they read through a session or a section that talks about one type of sexual behavior to pause and go, I think this author is stupid. Nobody wants that. And to start the conversation about what do each of them like and what do they want as a couple. I think it often takes something outside of them to help get the conversation started. And we always tell couples don't have these conversations around sex. Don't have it in the bed. Have it at the coffee table the next day. Have it in structured working dates. Have it in times that we're going to talk about this. So, we're doing our best to be our best while we're talking about it. Keep those conversations time limited or you run out of energy. Step at it, work on it a bit, then step back, get a break, rethink. So, all of the stuff that we know how to do with difficult conversations in business, we bring those skills in because heart issues are involved and we're not always aware of the heart issues. If I start to get defensive, we need to step away from it because curiosity is the only thing that's going to work here. So yes, structuring it. Most couples struggle to do that on their own. They struggle to do that on finances and parenting, how to manage your mom, let alone something as intimate as sex. So many times they will need a coach or a therapist or somebody just to hold the space for them so they can have that conversation.   Laura Dugger: (29:55 - 30:08) That's brilliant advice. And I like that kind of step care mentality of getting the book and trying that first. It still is a neutral third party and I think that's a great place to begin.   Dr. Michael Sytsma: (30:09 - 30:26) I love when couples come in and say, well, we read this section and he said, well, that's just stupid. And I look at him like, what do you mean that's stupid? I think that way. And as long as they can stay curious and not critical, those conversations go really well.   Laura Dugger: (30:28 - 30:48) That's good. Staying curious. Okay. So, then you also mentioned social media. So can you speak more to this demand that people are having to, I guess the way that you've worded it in the past is the demand for fantasy that people see in social media and pornography.   Dr. Michael Sytsma: (30:50 - 34:18) Maybe a stupid example. My wife and I are looking at redoing our master bathroom closet. It's been a lot of years. The first person we had come in and take a look at it went, yeah, this has been here a while. Okay. So yeah, maybe it needs to be redone. And so, what do you do? You start jumping online and looking, well, what are people doing today? What do bathrooms look like? And you start looking at them going, wow, I want that. Well, I can't fit that space into my space. So, do I need different space? And all of a sudden, all of these desires that I have and what I fantasize about living in, what if it's not even possible where I'm at? What do I do with the tension in it? Can I look at what I've got and really appreciate it and work on making it maybe better, but not need to swap it out for something else or not stay in a state of discontent with what I got, even after it's been upgraded and redone.   A stupid little example, I think of what goes on in relationship as we watch a couple and their gorgeous pictures of their vacation or their family pictures of, it looks like this big family with all the grands and they're having so much fun together. And every time my kids get together, we have knockdown drag outs, or two of my kids won't even show up, or the grands act out every time that they're around. And my family isn't the ideal family. My spouse isn't the ideal spouse. Here's a picture of him with his arms wrapped around looking so nurturing. And I don't know that my husband ever does that to me. He's always irritated with me. And we go to, I desire to be pursued. I desire to be chosen. I desire to be nurtured. And I see that in all of these images out there, and I'm not experiencing it. And I increase the fantasy of what I could have, what I desire to have. And I look at you and I think, it's not even possible to have that with you. You're not that kind of person. I'm not sure I picked right. And we're creating something that is really destructive in the process.   When we go back a few hundred years ago, and your spouse was chosen for you, or your spouse was one of only a handful of people that were even options. I got the best of those. This is pretty good. And we're working to make it good. And no, it's not perfect. Nobody expected it to be perfect. I love the song in Fiddler on the Roof, Do You Love Me? My father told us that I'd be lucky if in time, we would fall in love with each other, because they didn't marry for love. And then realizing that over the years, they had developed a rich kind of love. That's a very different experience than we have today, where we want the fantasy right up front. And we never want to step out of the fantasy, because it looks like it's all around us. And I don't know that's necessarily good for us, because the real takes work. I don't want to work. I want you to be who I want you to be without me working.   Laura Dugger: (34:20 - 34:39) That's so interesting. And that, I guess, pairing social media and phones, which are relatively recent changes, and then COVID, and there's so much curiosity around why have things changed so much sexually for married couples since COVID? But all of these consequent...   Dr. Michael Sytsma: (34:39 - 35:33) We think in part, it was pushing couples together, because we saw a spike in activity when we first shut things down. I'm blocking on the word that we use for it. But when we first shut things down and lock people up together, we saw an initial spike, and then we saw a drop. And it's that sense of, okay, now you're wearing on me, and I don't know that I want to do this with you. I think some of it was pushing people into the online world. I talk about social media, but it covers all of that online consuming that we do, and the dissatisfaction growing in. So, when you push people together, there's plenty of that talk about that. It doesn't always do real well, unless they're intentional and work at it.   Laura Dugger: (35:34 - 37:26) Okay, that is interesting. As you say, social media, maybe putting it even with phones, even just the amount of time that people you're giving so much attention to your screen, rather than one another. And it does seem like that was from COVID.   By now, I hope you've checked out our updated website, thesavvysauce.com, so that you can have access to all the additional freebies we are offering, including all of our previous articles, and all of our previous episodes, which now include transcriptions. You will be equipped to have your own practical chats for intentional living. When you read all the recommended questions in the articles, or gain insight from expert guests and past episodes as you read through the transcriptions, because many people have shared with us that they want to take notes on previous episodes, or maybe their spouse prefers to read our conversations rather than listen to them or watch them now that we're offering video rather than just audio. So, we heard all of that. And we now have provided transcripts for all our episodes. Just visit thesavvysauce.com. All of this is conveniently located under the tab show notes on our website. Happy reading.   So, this is kind of a big question, but whether it's thinking of wisdom for married couples, or even the way that they train their children so that they can avoid some of these pitfalls later on when they're adults. So, I'm thinking of the engagement and connection in real life face-to-face versus screens. Do you have any other wisdom that may actually impact them sexually someday?   Dr. Michael Sytsma: (37:27 - 40:25) There are some foods that we don't eat because they're poisonous to us. There are some things we don't take into our brains because they're toxic to us. Yeah, we do. We learn to stay totally away from those. But yeah, I was thinking more the experiences that I have of even a spouse saying, “you can't have access to anything because I'm so angry at you.” I don't know if that's helpful.   Laura Dugger: (40:26 - 40:56) I see what you're saying. Appreciate the heart behind that, not controlling them and also taking the responsibility of self-discipline. So, there's another topic that many married couples may want to know more about, but they don't know where a safe place is to go and ask. So, this is the topic of oral sex. And so, Dr. Mike, can you share first what the Bible has to say about oral sex, but also share with us some of the research findings?   Dr. Michael Sytsma: (40:57 - 52:46) Okay. So, we've got three more hours, right? So, if we tried to collapse it down a little bit, this comes a bit out of just working with it for so many years. We do the couples' workshops. We always do an Ask Dr. Mike. And so, through the entire workshop, today's technology, we used to use three by five cards, but today's technology, they can anonymously send a message in to me. And we take an hour of workshop and just go through those and answer them. And I am always going to get several on the subject. So, it's just been something that we know couples want to know about. Because it is a desire discrepancy, it is of interest to me. And so, we rolled questions about it into our last survey, the Marital Intimacy Project, where we surveyed 501 married couples, and a nationally representative sample. So, these weren't Christian couples, they weren't non-Christian couples, they weren't. The sample represents the 2018 U.S. Census data for the United States. So, in racial mix, racial ethnic mix, and religious mix and age, where they're at in the country. So, this is what these married couples are telling us about. So that's the background that some of this embeds in.   And your first question is, what does scripture say about it? Well, that depends on who you ask. You know, if we go back through most of church history, the purpose for sex was procreation. And anything that wasn't procreative act was considered outside of the boundary of God, because sex was about procreation. And many even teaching that once you got to the age that you weren't trying to have kids any longer, you should stop having sex, because the purpose for sex is procreation. And if you're doing it for pleasure, you're risking sin. If you're doing it for connection, you're risking sin. Well, if sex is about procreation, first, foremost, and sometimes only, oral sex is not acceptable, because it's not a potentially procreative act. That's the language that's often used in some of the church history teaching, that it needs to have the potential for procreation. And if it doesn't, then it's sin, it's outside of God's boundary. So, for hundreds of years, we have teaching that says that oral sex is totally unacceptable because it's not procreative.   If you take a perspective that sex is about connection, or sex is about play, sex is about intimacy, and sex is about pleasure, then all of that is re-evaluated. So, we have those theologians that look at Song of Solomon, where he talks about tasting of her garden. Nobody questions what her garden is in the story, the imagery that's used there. But there are those, or the flip side of that, she talks about drinking of his spring. And many theologians would look at that and say, no, no, no, that's not about oral sex. God would never talk about oral sex because that's unacceptable. It's not a procreative act. He is using imagery there to talk about the intensity of the love and the desire. This is strictly a spiritual story. And then others come in and say, yeah, no, I think it's about the physical. God would talk about that because couples do this, and it's playful, and it's fun, and it's good, and it allows them to connect. And the pleasure is not a bad thing. And when he's talking of tasting of her garden, when she's talking of drinking of his spring, they're talking about oral sex and scripture. And God talks about drink deeply, enjoy. And so, the other side of the argument says, for couples that enjoy this, there's nothing wrong in it.   Now, I think we can make a larger argument. Scripture talks about consent. Scripture talks about honoring one another. Scripture talks about desiring for one another. So anytime we step in and we start using demands, that is not scriptural. You know, Christ was profoundly invitational. He was profoundly inviting in who he was. The language I use for it sometimes shocks people. I say Christ was profoundly seductive. He had the ability to woo, to draw, that he can step up to somebody whose generational career is fishing. This is what their family is about. And he walks up and he says, “Hey, come follow me.” And they drop their nets and leave. I mean, who has the ability to do that? And it wasn't a command, you need to do this, or you're going to burn in hell. No, it was a wooing invitation. He had profound ways to look at somebody and point out their sin. Yeah, I know you've been married to what was it, four men already, and the one that you're living with is not, you're not married to him. He calls out her sin in such a way that she leans into the story. You know, how seductive, how invitational. I want to be a fly on the wall of that well, to experience what it was like to listen to him talk. And how did he draw people so well? That's who we want to be in marriage. We want to be the seductive, the person who draws, not the person who commands. So, if we take any of these principles and we start to demand of our spouse, I think that's not scriptural. So, when you ask, what does scripture say? I think it talks about honoring one another, nurturing one another, inviting, if that's something that's pleasing to you.   So, the question was, well, what do couples do? What do they want? And so, we asked all of these couples to, how often do you perform on your spouse? And what would you like? Do you enjoy it? Do you enjoy performing on your spouse? Do you enjoy having it performed on you? And it was really fascinating. You know, there's a lot of numbers that come into it. But the first thing that we learned is this tends to be couple scoring. If one does, the other one likely does. If we move into desire, that's more individual scoring. But if we move into practice, it tends to be couples. So, the couples where both of them said we never do, couples where both of them said we often do or occasionally do, and couples who said we regularly do or always do, those were clubs. The ones where he said, well, I always do. And she says, “I never do.” Those were rare, which was interesting. And then when we had it broken down into a lot of categories, but when we clumped them all together into the never, rarely, occasionally, sometimes, and often, always, we get almost third, third, and third. And so, couples have said in my office, but everybody does it. Actually, no, they don't. The largest group when we had it all broken down were couples that never do. That was the largest group. And the couples that always do was half of the never do. But if we get the larger categories, it's almost a third, third, and third, which says to me, it's perfectly okay, whatever the couple decides. Let's let them decide their comfort, what they enjoy with it, what it means to them. And that's more important than the behavior of it.   Then when we do get into, and I'm looking over here at my numbers, so I get them kind of right. We did not see a huge difference in age. I expected there to be a difference in practice with age. We didn't see a huge difference. And there was no difference in marital satisfaction or in sexual satisfaction between the couples that did and didn't. The only times we saw a difference was when they were what we would call asymmetrical. And those few couples where she said, “I always do”, and he says, “I never do.” Or the other way around. We got asymmetrical, we saw a decrease in marital and sexual satisfaction. But there was no difference in the couples that say we never do and the couples that say we always do. So, it didn't have an impact on sexual satisfaction. It had a bit of an impact on her orgasmic frequency, which that kind of makes sense. But the biggest difference was in desires and how, whether you like to or not.   So, we asked husbands, do you like to have it performed on you? And we asked wives, does he like when you perform on him? And wives have us figured out. The answer is almost identical to us. When we asked husbands, “does your wife enjoy doing this?” And we asked wives, “do you enjoy performing on him?” Husbands really overestimate how much she enjoys this, which was fascinating. Not a surprise, but fascinating. And there was a big difference between what the husband enjoys and performing on him and what the wife enjoys and performing on him. That was a massive difference. And then in the middle of that is performing on her. And they weren't near as far apart there. But once again, husbands overestimated her enjoyment. Wives underestimated his enjoyment, which was interesting. But there wasn't a huge difference. So, if we take the wife enjoying performing on him, husbands enjoying being performed on, those are quite a bit different. And right in the middle was wives saying that they enjoy it and husbands saying they enjoy performing on her. So that was interesting in looking at what they do and don't like.   Now, I haven't broken it down into some of the categories of couples. Yeah, I did look at it in terms of desire types. And there was some big differences there, which we would expect that an initiating type of a desire is going to want more versus a receptive or resistant, a little less. But I haven't broken down some of it even more detailed. Those initial numbers have been fascinating to see. And I think the takeaway is what we started with. What's your vision? What do you want and why? What does it mean to you? Let's decide what you want in your marriage. And then let's take steps to make it healthy and to be good and to move toward it. And it doesn't have to be tomorrow. We can slowly grow to that.   Laura Dugger: (52:47 - 53:09) That is so interesting. And I'm sure that's so helpful when a majority of people are submitting those kind of questions. Now you have some normative responses. And you also mentioned something in there about the different types of initiation or desire, and one is resistant. So, can you go into all three of those and define that?   Dr. Michael Sytsma: (53:10 - 58:20) Yeah. We have the cultural message that desire is being harmed. And it is. That we feel we wake up and I'm interested in sex or you walk by and I'm interested in sex. I want to have sex. We think of it as spontaneous. It's not actually spontaneous, but we think of it as spontaneous. That's an initiating type of desire where we're aware of the desire before arousal. We pursue the sex for arousal is the experience of it. The second, and for that I've shifted to in the book, we talk about a car and being driving neutral and parking, but I've shifted to talking about in terms of boats, you know, that initiating desire is a speedboat, sometimes a really big engine, sometimes not so big of an engine, but it's powered, it's moving forward. Receptive desire requires arousal before the desire shows up. So, it takes an intentional step to move forward. Yeah, we can do that. And I'm enjoying doing this. Oh, my body's enjoying this too. This is good. And then the desire clicks on. So, desire sometimes may not show up till five to 10 minutes into the sex act. Now I want this, please don't stop, you know, please do it this way. Now the desire is there. That's the receptive desire. And I talk about that as kind of like a sailboat. You know, it's not powered by an engine. It needs an external force to kind of get it moving forward. But I also have to have the sails up. And what does it take for me to have the sails up on my sailboat? And what seduces me, what draws me, what helps me to move towards that desire?   And then resistant is the motor's pulled up out of the water, the sails are tied down, and there's two anchors that are, you know, doesn't matter what you do, I'm not moving. I'm not going to allow anything to move me. Or those anchors are there for a good reason, because of trauma, because of wounds, maybe that you have done. Maybe the relationship is not safe. If I get naked, I'm going to be criticized. I don't care to get naked, whether that be emotionally or physically. So, most of the time when I'm working with somebody who's resistant, the resistance is there for a good reason. And we have to figure out what's going on and how do we get rid of the anchors? Or how do we get this engine started again? And it may be physical, it may be emotional, may be relational, may be spiritual. But the resistance is going to be something has got us locked down in our sexuality, or locked down towards you. I'm still interested in sex, just not with you. And so, we have to kind of unpack that.   I do think that generally requires a third party, a therapist who's skilled in this who can work with it. My concern is even most therapists are defining receptive desires, low desire. And so, if somebody comes in and says, well, I have low desire, and they even if they realize they have receptive desire, all of the interventions are designed to increase initiating desire, rather than help somebody to nurture their type of desire, to nurture the receptive type of desire, or to figure out there's a reason you're resistant. Can we step back and create the space for you to drop the guards to figure out why you're resistant? Because he may be resistant and not even know why. He just, I'm not going to go there. And we have to create the space for him to even sit in it and start to figure it out. Or she may be, same thing for her, she may be resistant, and she might have an idea why, but we haven't unpacked it enough to really figure out what's going on. She just feels like she's broken and is being criticized by her husband. So, to step back and figure out which of those three is really going on, and how do we work with it?   So those types, within those, there are different levels, you know, we'll have an initiating desire that has a really big engine. They want sex all the time. Or an initiating desire that has a smaller engine. They don't want it all that often, but when they do, they're going to pursue it. A receptive desire that has really big sales doesn't take an awful lot to get them moving forward, but it doesn't come from within. And those that, you know, it takes a lot of work to get this thing moving forward. Is there a way we can increase the sales a little bit, so it doesn't take quite so much work internally and to the spouse? So, we're looking at types, we're looking at levels. It gets really complex, which is part of the fun of it, but part of what makes it tough for couples, and they default to the, you're broken, you don't want me, you don't like me. They default to simple answers that don't work. Mm.   Laura Dugger: (58:21 - 58:37) Okay. So, it sounds like you're saying the goal isn't to get everybody to have the engine, which is maybe where some therapists could direct them in the wrong way, but to grow in the freedom and releasing and get closer to the vision.   Dr. Michael Sytsma: (58:38 - 59:38) I was teaching this to some therapists and one of them came up on break and she says, “okay, I hear all of this, but you've got to be honest that truly the healthy person, when they've done good work, is going to have initiating desire.” If you walk into the therapy office with that, the receptive desire person, you're always internally thinking you're broken, you're immature, you're something, you're not okay. That's wrong. No receptive desire is a legitimate type. We're not trying to get the receptive person to be initiating. That's probably, I suspect that's not how they're wired. So, asking them to be that different, and they'll say, but there was a time that they were, well, yes, but that was a unique season of life where biology was very different. Now they're kind of, they're normative, so.   Laura Dugger: (59:39 - 1:01:06) That's so great. And that's what I always appreciate. Dr. Mike, you always offer hope for everyone, even the one who's locked down with the anchors. It's a, how can we start to lift those anchors? There's hope that there is change and restoration possible. And I've just loved this conversation. Deuteronomy 30 keeps coming to mind. There are two verses because I feel like you've laid out wisdom for intentionality or the negatives and hazardous results that can come from overindulging, prioritizing, connecting with our phone rather than our spouse. And so, I just want to read these two verses from Deuteronomy 30, it's verses 19 and 20. It says, "This day, I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord, your God, listen to his voice and hold fast to him for the Lord is your life. And he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." So, it's just been such a delight to have this conversation. And I know we could talk all day, but you still have a full day of work to also get back to. So where can we go after this chat to learn more from you?   Dr. Michael Sytsma: (1:01:07 - 1:01:38) My primary website is intimatemarriage.org. And there are links through that to even get to like my link page that has some of the professional articles. We're putting together some little teaching videos that grab some of this. All of that can be located through intimatemarriage.org. And of course, secretsofsexandmarriage.com is the book website too. There are a lot of resources there.   Laura Dugger: (1:01:39 - 1:01:59) I highly recommend both of those. So, we'll add the links in the show notes for today's episode. And you're familiar as our most repeated guest that we are called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, my final question for you today, Dr. Mike, what is your savvy sauce?   Dr. Michael Sytsma: (1:01:59 - 1:02:37) I think it would flow from what you were just reading there in Deuteronomy. What does it take to choose life versus choose death? I can choose death by being passive, by waiting for something to happen. If I'm going to choose life, I'm working on it. So, it goes to what we started with, a vision-based intentionality. Is the savvy sauce, who do I want to be? Who do we want to be? And how do I be intentional and consistently and regularly moving toward that? Not perfect in it, but I know what I'm striving toward and I'm being intentional and taking steps that direction.   Laura Dugger: (1:02:38 - 1:03:07) So good. And Dr. Mike, just thank you for being a safe place where we can go for these sensitive and sacred topics. I think it's going to be fascinating someday in heaven to hear all of the people saying, “oh yeah, he helped us with our marriage too. And he helped us.” So we've been so enriched because of your work. So, thank you for your investment in your work that impacts people for eternity. And thank you for being my guest.   Dr. Michael Sytsma: (1:03:08 - 1:03:09) Well, thanks for having me back.   Laura Dugger: (1:03:10 - 1:06:52) One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin.   This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you.   Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray.   Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him.   And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started.   First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it.   You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.   We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.   And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

The Jeff Styles and Clint - Headlines and Opinions: The Fear of AI - War - The Promise of $5k - Sports - Culture - MORE! ===== THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: (Welcome to our NEW sponsor) Signal Investigations: https://www.signalpi.com/ Nutrition World: https://nutritionw.com/ Vascular Institute of Chattanooga: https://www.vascularinstituteofchattanooga.com/ The Barn Nursery: https://www.barnnursery.com/ Optimize U Chattanooga: https://optimizeunow.com/chattanooga/ Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/ Alchemy Medspa and Wellness Center: http://www.alchemychattanooga.com/ Our House Studio: https://ourhousestudiosinc.com/ Team Montieth Real Estate - Lori Montieth: https://www.findchattanoogarealestate.com/ Ballinger and Associates - Risk Management: https://ballingerandassociates.com/ AirSpace Acoustics: https://www.airspaceacoustics.com/ BWELL4EVER: Labs and IV Therapies: https://www.bwell4ever.org/ ALL THINGS JEFF STYLES: www.thejeffstyles.com PART OF THE NOOGA PODCAST NETWORK: www.noogapodcasts.com Please consider leaving us a review on Apple and giving us a share to your friends! This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

TOPIC: Automation is not Communication Welcome to Rethink - Reset Coaching! Topics and thoughts to help us clean off mirrors and windows! Mirrors - so we see ourselves better and Windows - so we see the world more accurately! Powered by my friends at Reagan Outdoor Advertising - Chattanooga: https://www.reaganoutdoor.com/chattanooga/ ===== THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: (Welcome to our NEW sponsor) Signal Investigations: https://www.signalpi.com/ Nutrition World: https://nutritionw.com/ Vascular Institute of Chattanooga: https://www.vascularinstituteofchattanooga.com/ The Barn Nursery: https://www.barnnursery.com/ Optimize U Chattanooga: https://optimizeunow.com/chattanooga/ Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/ Alchemy Medspa and Wellness Center: http://www.alchemychattanooga.com/ Our House Studio: https://ourhousestudiosinc.com/ Team Montieth Real Estate - Lori Montieth: https://www.findchattanoogarealestate.com/ Ballinger and Associates - Risk Management: https://ballingerandassociates.com/ AirSpace Acoustics: https://www.airspaceacoustics.com/ BWELL4EVER: Labs and IV Therapies: https://www.bwell4ever.org/ ALL THINGS JEFF STYLES: www.thejeffstyles.com PART OF THE NOOGA PODCAST NETWORK: www.noogapodcasts.com Please consider leaving us a review on Apple and giving us a share to your friends! This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

 True freedom isn't in getting the things that we think that we need, it's found in no longer needing those things 

Chattanooga is one of our favorite cities that we have visited. This is a charming city, surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains and bordered by the Tennessee River. Chattanooga's history includes several Civil War battles, the Trail of Tears, the Chattanooga Choo Choo, the Tennessee Whiskey Trail and there are several haunted locations. Join us for the history and hauntings of Chattanooga, Tennessee. This Month in History features George Frideric Handel's Messiah. Our location was suggested by listener Matt Liese. Check out the website: http://historygoesbump.com Show notes can be found here: https://historygoesbump.blogspot.com/2026/09/hgb-ep-655-haunted-chattanooga.html Become an Executive Producer: http://patreon.com/historygoesbump Music used in this episode: Main Theme: Creepy Carnival Theme  Created and produced by History Goes Bump Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (This Month in History) "In Your Arms" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Silent Movie 007 by Sascha Ende at ende.app Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Andy Peters joins me in-studio as we talk through what the NEW podcast - The Human Algorithm will be about and why he thinks it's important! What is an algorithm? A step-by-step set of instructions to solve a problem or achieve a desired result. Simple as a recipe. GPS navigation. Even your social media feed. They all run on the same three things: inputs, processes, outcomes. Well, that's where this podcast comes in. Welcome to The Human Algorithm — where we talk about the small things we do, consistently, to fix our problems, manage our challenges, and become the best versions of ourselves. Input. Process. Outcome. ===== THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: (Welcome to our NEW sponsor) Signal Investigations: https://www.signalpi.com/ Nutrition World: https://nutritionw.com/ Vascular Institute of Chattanooga: https://www.vascularinstituteofchattanooga.com/ The Barn Nursery: https://www.barnnursery.com/ Optimize U Chattanooga: https://optimizeunow.com/chattanooga/ Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/ Alchemy Medspa and Wellness Center: http://www.alchemychattanooga.com/ Our House Studio: https://ourhousestudiosinc.com/ Team Montieth Real Estate - Lori Montieth: https://www.findchattanoogarealestate.com/ Ballinger and Associates - Risk Management: https://ballingerandassociates.com/ AirSpace Acoustics: https://www.airspaceacoustics.com/ BWELL4EVER: Labs and IV Therapies: https://www.bwell4ever.org/ ALL THINGS JEFF STYLES: www.thejeffstyles.com PART OF THE NOOGA PODCAST NETWORK: www.noogapodcasts.com Please consider leaving us a review on Apple and giving us a share to your friends! This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Death by Boomer with Jeff Styles! Last Thoughts on 9/11! (Powered by Guardian Investment Advisors) Let's face it - the boomers are the 2nd greatest generation to ever walk planet earth! From our music to our toys (we survived lawn darts) - we made the world better! Yes, better even for you gen x'ers - gen y's and millennials - we're just better!! AND....worse - we also used up all the resources - became a little spoiled and maybe we have clung to power a little too long. Misunderstood - that is what we are! These short episodes will hopefully bridge the gap with the x'ers, y'ers (if that's even a word) and millennials - Death by Boomer with Jeff Styles on DTB - powered by Guardian Investment Advisors! Thanks to our sponsor: Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/m/ ===== THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: (Welcome to our NEW sponsor) Signal Investigations: https://www.signalpi.com/ Nutrition World: https://nutritionw.com/ Vascular Institute of Chattanooga: https://www.vascularinstituteofchattanooga.com/ The Barn Nursery: https://www.barnnursery.com/ Optimize U Chattanooga: https://optimizeunow.com/chattanooga/ Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/ Alchemy Medspa and Wellness Center: http://www.alchemychattanooga.com/ Our House Studio: https://ourhousestudiosinc.com/ Team Montieth Real Estate - Lori Montieth: https://www.findchattanoogarealestate.com/ Ballinger and Associates - Risk Management: https://ballingerandassociates.com/ AirSpace Acoustics: https://www.airspaceacoustics.com/ BWELL4EVER: Labs and IV Therapies: https://www.bwell4ever.org/ ALL THINGS JEFF STYLES: www.thejeffstyles.com PART OF THE NOOGA PODCAST NETWORK: www.noogapodcasts.com Please consider leaving us a review on Apple and giving us a share to your friends! This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Many members of the TCD took the trip to Chattanooga, TN for the Annual NMRA National Convention. A discussion about what we all experienced during this fun filled week is the subject of our podcast. Jay Bickford, Diana Gasior, Ken Zieska, and Thomas Gasior talk about te highlights of the weeks adveture. From layout tours to the National Train Show.Our sponsor thiss episode is the Crossing Gate Curmudgeon Troll Thesaurus.

Today we have Cricket. She is 40 years old, lives in Chattanooga, TN, and she took her last drink on July 27th, 2022.   This episode is brought to you by:                                          Sign up and get 10% off: Better Help   The new book This Is How We Quit is now available on Amazon. Throughout the rest of 2026, $2 from every copy sold will be donated to Café RE.   If you are in your first 90 days of sobriety and want to share your story on the podcast, please email info@recoveryelevator.com .   [02:32] Thoughts from Paul:   Paul shares with us that one of the hardest things for him while doing the RE podcast is focus on his side of the street. This means not directing anger, frustration outwards towards things like big alcohol, big pharma, etc. We think modern society is how we're supposed to live, but it's mentally, physically and biologically destroying us and even the animals and nature around us.   What do we do to focus more on our side of the street? You're already doing something about this by making the decision to stop poisoning yourself with alcohol. The next step is to come together as a community. Come closer to your fellow human beings.   The addiction tries to trick you into believing you are alone, but you are not. Come see us in Café RE, go to a 12-step meeting, keep listening. You're not alone.   [09:15] Paul introduces Cricket:   Cricket is 40 years old, lives in Chattanooga, TN with her cats and works in a restaurant downtown. She enjoys reading and writing and loves good TV shows.   Cricket says her drinking was problematic from the start. She was at a party while her mother and sister were out of town and ended up blacking out and acting crazy. The partygoers handcuffed Cricket and took her to the police where she was placed in state custody until her mom could get her out.   In college, Cricket was overwhelmed at the idea of being an adult with all the new people, so she turned to alcohol because it helped her feel brave and popular. When school began to get in the way of how Cricket wanted to drink, she dropped out.   Cricket got married young to a man she met on campus. He was a big partier and enabled her drinking and drug use. Her drinking progressed, she and her husband began to have legal troubles, and Cricket would get so out of control that friends and family would drop her off at the psychiatric hospital because they didn't know what else to do.   Cricket would quit drinking for a week or so but would start right back. The voice inside began telling her this isn't how she wanted to live. She tried moderation, tried going to rehab and tried Antabuse.   When she was 27, Cricket's mother checked her into rehab. She stayed sober for three months before thinking she could moderate again. She got a DUI but still tried to keep alcohol in her life. Around age 30 was when Cricket realized it was the alcohol that was making her life so difficult.   Cricket was 33 when she moved to Chattanooga after her second divorce. The drinking and the consequences of it continued for her. One night in July 2022, Cricket looked at the beer in her hand and just decided she didn't want this life anymore.   The biggest shift this time was that the idea did not come from anyone else, it was Cricket coming to this conclusion on her own. She acknowledged that moderation did not work and she needed to stop completely.   Cricket says she relied on two things when she first quit – one day at a time and playing the tape forward. Focusing on the present moment was how she realized that she could do this. She says it reduces her fear of the future and kept her from being so focused on the past.   Cricket is grateful for her sobriety as she navigates life and the grief and emotions that come with it. She recognizes now that she does not need alcohol to survive the hard times.   Cricket's parting pieces of guidance: Trust the process and take it one day at a time.     Recovery Elevator You took the elevator down. You got to take the stairs back up. We can do this.   Café RE RE Instagram Sobriety Tracker iTunes  RE YouTube  

Catching up with Styles after a few weeks off - war, death by AI, my new book, my big announcement, sports, Trump is being Trump, and world is on fire - but Styles is a cool as the other side of the pillow (or not)! WELCOME to Jeff Styles on During the Break Podcast - powered by Guardian Investment Advisors! A Monday podcast with El Jefe himself about some headlines, stories, and things you may have missed AND some things you may want to look for in the days ahead! Jeff Styles spent over 30 years as the #1 talk radio host in our area and now has brought his talents to DTB Podcast! Tune in - Share AND stay tuned as we grow! (A PODCAST PROVIDED AND OWNED BY DURING THE BREAK PODCASTS) Thanks to our sponsors: Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/ Vascular Institute of Chattanooga: https://www.vascularinstituteofchattanooga.com/ Alchemy Medspa and Wellness Center: http://www.alchemychattanooga.com// (Welcome to our NEW sponsor) Signal Investigations: https://www.signalpi.com/ ALL OUR PODCASTS WITH ONE CLICK: www.duringthebreakpodcast.com ===== THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: (Welcome to our NEW sponsor) Signal Investigations: https://www.signalpi.com/ Nutrition World: https://nutritionw.com/ Vascular Institute of Chattanooga: https://www.vascularinstituteofchattanooga.com/ The Barn Nursery: https://www.barnnursery.com/ Optimize U Chattanooga: https://optimizeunow.com/chattanooga/ Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/ Alchemy Medspa and Wellness Center: http://www.alchemychattanooga.com/ Our House Studio: https://ourhousestudiosinc.com/ Team Montieth Real Estate - Lori Montieth: https://www.findchattanoogarealestate.com/ Ballinger and Associates - Risk Management: https://ballingerandassociates.com/ AirSpace Acoustics: https://www.airspaceacoustics.com/ BWELL4EVER: Labs and IV Therapies: https://www.bwell4ever.org/ ALL THINGS JEFF STYLES: www.thejeffstyles.com PART OF THE NOOGA PODCAST NETWORK: www.noogapodcasts.com Please consider leaving us a review on Apple and giving us a share to your friends! This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Eleanor Cooper was a driving force for Chattanooga Venture and Vision 2000, laying the groundwork for our city's renaissance. In this episode, Eleanor shares why her search for "what's worth learning" led her to Japan, how a B.B. King concert showed her that Chattanooga was ready to change, and what it looked like from the inside as the city reinvented itself. Eleanor Cooper is an educator. You can learn more about her on her website, https://eleanormccalliecooper.com/about-eleanor/ If you like this episode, we think you'll also like: Bob Corker's Morning Cup (E52) Stephen Culp's Morning Cup (E134) Maury Nicely's Morning Cup (E150) Subscribe to the weekly newsletter and be the first to know who upcoming guests are: http://eepurl.com/iGJzII  My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions. 

 Deep down we all crave home, the Kingdom of God, righteousness, peace and joy 

Hosts: Ed Jones (Owner – Nutrition World) & Clint Powell A variety of topics all related to living a healthy life Presented by: Nutrition World www.nutritionw.com Broadcasting from the Nooga Dentistry Studio www.noogadentistry.com Production of: Whitfield Media Group www.vitalhealthradio.com Title: Pasture-Raised Eggs and Smarter Supplementation  [0:02:35] Clint's Podcasts & New Health Success-Story Show Clint mentions he has multiple podcasts under the Nuga Podcast umbrella. Shares that he's curating and sharing many shows (20+). Ed and Clint plan a new podcast through Nutrition World on health success stories. [0:03:02] Ed's Injury & The Body's Healing Power Ed describes nearly severing his middle finger in a steel door. Took 3 days to stop bleeding, now ~70% healed in 5 days. Uses this to illustrate the “magic” of the human body when given what it needs. Critiques tendency to credit treatments instead of the body's inherent healing capacity. Highlights tension between the traditional medical model and holistic philosophies. [0:04:25] New Azure Partnership for Food Products Announces partnership with Azure (AZURE): Nutrition World will stock ~100 new high-quality, holistic food items: Maple syrup, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, organic chicken breast, cheeses, farm butters, etc. Positioned as top-quality natural food products aligned with Nutrition World's standards. [0:05:13] Ed's Bodybuilding Contest Prep & Carb Refeed Lesson Ed is training for his 4th Chattanooga fitness/bodybuilding contest. Coached by Matt Davis (Train Station gym owner) and his wife Julie. Current approach: High protein, ~40% fewer calories than usual. Dealing with hunger and caloric restriction. Matt's key advice: Eat 300g carbs (vs usual 50g) on a specific Sunday. Result: Ed realized how depleted he had been; refeed improved performance and appearance. [0:11:08] Segment with Kristy: Homesteading, Chickens, and Truly Pasture-Raised Eggs Christy: long-time friend and staff member at Nutrition World; now a homesteader. Has ~100 chickens, plus donkey, goats, dogs, cats, husband. Sells eggs through Nutrition World; Ed personally eats 12–18 of her eggs per week. Philosophy: Doesn't “domesticate” or Instagram her chickens. Lets chickens “do chicken things”: peck, eat bugs, scratch soil. No chemicals on property: no weed killers, garden chemicals, or pest sprays. Birds are effectively free-range in the woods, not fenced.  Predator Management with Donkey & Dogs Previously lost 3 chickens to a fox attack. Now uses: Bradford the donkey – daytime guardian; alerts with noise and stomping. Great Pyrenees dog – night guardian for coyotes. Roosters help herd hens to cover when alerted. [0:15:36] Water Filtration & “Structured Water” for Animals Christy filters all animal water with a strong (non-RO) filtration system. Then uses a “structuring” device that swirls water to mimic natural flowing water over rocks, restoring “life” and improving hydration. Reports animals (and people) feel more hydrated and less thirsty on structured water. [0:18:13] Egg Production, Breeds, and Yolk Color Different shell colors = different breeds (white Leghorn, Rhode Island Red, etc.). Shell color does NOT indicate health (brown ≠ healthier than white). Key health marker: deep orange yolk Pale yellow = missing nutrients, especially protein-rich, nutrient-dense feed. Production: A chicken lays about 5–6 eggs/week, with 3 most productive years. Christy does not cull hens at 2–3 years like many operations; keeps older birds for tick and bug control and because they're still valuable. [0:21:17] Feed, Herbs, and Natural Health Strategies Summer: chickens get very little commercial feed, mostly bugs and forage. Uses pumpkin seeds, oregano, rosemary, etc. daily to support gut health and control worms. Avoids antibiotics; instead builds terrain (overall resilience) through diet and environment. [0:22:07] Eggs as “Perfect Protein” & Cholesterol Discussion Ed: eggs have top-tier Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) and complete amino acid profile. Highlights key yolk nutrients: especially choline for brain health. Addresses cholesterol myth: Ed eats 12–18 eggs/week, yet his total cholesterol is ~140 and ApoB is 43 (very low). Emphasizes ApoB and Lp(a) are more meaningful than plain cholesterol. Suggests dietary cholesterol from eggs is not the main driver of cardiovascular risk for most people. Organic eggs: chickens get organic feed, but may still be caged indoors. Producers can sometimes switch feed briefly and still qualify. Pasture-raised: chickens outdoors, in sunlight, foraging — Christy's preference and Ed's recommendation. Chickens are not vegetarians; they're meant to eat bugs and animal protein, so “vegetarian-fed” marketing is misleading for their natural diet. [0:26:34] Other Egg Tips Chickens love scrambled eggs as a high-protein treat. She also feeds them crushed eggshells back for calcium, supporting strong shells. Storing unwashed farm-fresh eggs: Have a natural “bloom” (protective coating). Can be kept unrefrigerated for ~6 weeks or more. Storing retail eggs: Legally must be washed, removing that coating. Must therefore be refrigerated and cannot safely sit on the counter. [0:33:27]  Segment with Curt Dearing: Deprescribing & “Desupplementing” Curt recaps prior discussion on deprescribing medications and the danger of polypharmacy (average American: ~17 prescriptions/year). Introduces “desupplementing”: Many people take too many supplements, often focused on low-impact (“tier 4”) items rather than foundational ones. Goal: simplify supplement regimens, cut redundancy, and focus on what truly matters. Warns about a false sense of security: People think “I'm taking a pill, so I don't need to improve diet or lifestyle.” Applies to pharmaceuticals and supplements. [0:37:41] Case Study: Simplifying a Real Person's Regimen Medications this person was on: Atorvastatin (for cholesterol) Nexium (PPI for reflux) Amlodipine (for blood pressure) Zoloft (for mood) Curt's key points: Standard lipid panel is limited; LDL number alone is not predictive. Recommends advanced lipoprotein testing (ApoB, etc.) and calcium score. Patient had a calcium score of 0 (good), but: That only measures calcified plaque, not soft plaque. Still must monitor inflammation markers like hs-CRP. On specific meds: Atorvastatin: Curt can support stopping it outright, especially with good advanced labs and zero calcium score. Notes statins lower numbers but don't always improve real-world outcomes or calcium scores. Nexium (PPI): Must taper (risk of rebound acid if stopped cold turkey). Long-term use harms magnesium, calcium, micronutrient absorption and may affect bones, kidneys, cognition. Amlodipine: Often tapered (half-dose a few weeks, then lower), while improving lifestyle and boosting magnesium intake. Curt believes conventional targets may push blood pressure too low in older adults. Zoloft: Psych meds generally need careful tapering, not abrupt cessation. [0:47:51] Desupplementing: Cutting Redundancy & Upgrading Quality Key supplement clean-up actions Curt recommends in the case study: Switch to a high-quality multivitamin that includes: B vitamins → drop separate B-complex. CoQ10 (100 mg) → drop separate CoQ10. Vitamin D: always pair with Vitamin K for calcium direction (bones vs arteries). Probiotics: Take breaks (e.g., a month off periodically). Rotate brands/strains, including spore-based options. Quercetin + stinging nettle for allergies: Great combo, but if allergies are seasonal, use it seasonally, not all year. Magnesium: Many people take too little and/or the wrong form. Curt prefers glycinate and taurate for blood pressure, relaxation, sleep, and broad benefits. Omega-3s: Ensure triglyceride form for better absorption. For blood pressure and inflammation, consider high-DHA formulas (e.g., DHA Extra ~960 mg DHA). Berberine/Bergamot: Combines as “Berbercol” to support lipids, blood sugar, and cardiovascular health. Weight-loss products: Instead of chasing stimulants, tackle sleep quality, mood, and lifestyle (he mentions different forms of saffron for mood vs weight management, with the right extract making a difference). Overall result: fewer pills, more targeted impact, and cost savings. [0:56:11] Policy Wins, Tax Treatment of Supplements, and Food Spots Ed shares good news on alternative health funding: Despite fears it might be cut from the federal budget, support for alternative/holistic health remains in the proposal. Dietary Supplement Access Act: Would classify dietary supplements as a qualified medical expense in the IRS code. Proposed annual limits: Up to $500/year per individual. $250/year for married filing separately. Could effectively make many people's basic supplement costs tax-advantaged. Ed plugs Tallow House in Cleveland (tallow-based burger concept, extremely busy) and his regular Cheesecake Factory order: Steak Diane, extra broccoli, extra mushrooms, no mashed potatoes. Matches his preferred macro pattern: high protein, healthy fat, and a colorful vegetable. Clint closes by encouraging listeners to control what they can about their health and keep making incremental improvements. The post Radio Show / Podcast – September 13, 2026 first appeared on Vital Health Radio.

Cards off-day talk? Ray Donovan. Jose in Palm Springs. Doug says Thursday Night Football in Melbourne is the lede. Josh Pate says the Tigers are on upset alert. Civil War music. The Colonel is in for a big night. Fun Fifth Harmony facts. The Late Night Score. Big Fudge gets himself suspended. Mookie Wilson is Preston's stepdad and uncle. Big weekend for TLR. Martin Maxxing.A dozen potstickers. Rams had a quick 36 hours in Melbourne. Secret parties. Inside Hollywood gossip. Audio of Brandon Walker and a caller talking Mizzou and Austin Simmons. The ghost of Don Imus. Mizzou kits for tonight. Martin is Team Papers all day long. Paper straws. Don't call Jackson "Bud." Tom is on the line live boots on the ground in Lawrence. Drinkin' whiskey with his hound. Lucifer is learning disabled. Tom broke the text line.Camilla Cabello. Type out your complaints and then delete them. Audio of reporter in Australia with an unfortunate slip of the tongue talking about the Rams 49ers game last night. Got a live on in the YouTube chat. Bragging about your college GPA. Van McKernan. Hot dogs at Lion's Choice.Cucked by Eric Roberts. Izabella Miko. How does one show themselves off? Chairman Steve on the lines and he wants it bad tonight. 8AM tee time and some mouth service for his birthday. Fired up for Mizzou tonight. What do you think about them Cardinals, Doug? Heading to Chairman's stomping ground. Gotta go, Steve. Ray King is on the lines. Hot dog talk. Keith from South Milwaukee has a question. Keith shares a birthday with Tim. VIP Pat is up next and wants to talk Cardinals pitching. Thick Neck Matt is next on the phone lines talking Doug and leather chaps. Eating a Snickers upside down. So vascular.Drops of the Week. You can get tennis gambling advice among other things in the YouTube chat.Joined by The Colonel talking Border Showdown tonight. Gabe's well aware that if Mizzou loses than his post game show is going to be epic. Do we know enough about either team to have an idea of what might happen tonight? Losing tonight would be a borderline disaster. What's the area of concern for Missouri? Nice to have Blake Craig back. Hoping to start the post game show around 11.Wearing the yellow diaper if they lose. Jack Diddly. This reeks of Market Moves. Chris Vanini has reranked all 138 college football teams. Miami only got 857 yards last night. Did KU video-mog Mizzou? People are releasing their final scores.Iggy says he bet KU and will wear the yellow diaper if Mizzou wins. Can we watch the Blues skate online today? Ope, wrong number. Dual monitors, old man. A big BFIB weekend. Papers going to Kacey Musgraves. Doug's a nine-hole kinda guy. Look at Scottie Scheffler over here. A big Saturday in downtown St. Louis. Trampling kinks and macrophilia.Design Aire Heating & Cooling EMOTDCelebrating the 20 year anniversary of the 2006 World Series Champion Cardinals. Did Doug jump in the dog pile? Best moments from that 2006 playoff run.We can work from home. Isn't it nice to be emotionally vulnerable. The uncertainty makes him excited. Are St. Louis sports fans looking more forward to Saturdays or Sundays in the fall? Is Simmons "the truth?" 7 to 1 on the Tigers to make the CFP. The 10:00 hour is Paper's hour. Nothing beats Tuesday night UFL Jackson's go bag. Where are the art houses?KU hype video doing numbys. Audio of Tennessee Tech head coach Bobby Wilder not holding back at his press conference on Chattanooga coach Rusty Wright. And the winner of the EMOTD is...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

(00:00-3:29) Celebrating the 20 year anniversary of the 2006 World Series Champion Cardinals. Did Doug jump in the dog pile? Best moments from that 2006 playoff run.(3:37-17:50) We can work from home. Isn't it nice to be emotionally vulnerable. The uncertainty makes him excited. Are St. Louis sports fans looking more forward to Saturdays or Sundays in the fall? Is Simmons "the truth?" 7 to 1 on the Tigers to make the CFP. The 10:00 hour is Paper's hour. Nothing beats Tuesday night UFL Jackson's go bag. Where are the art houses?(18:00-26:51) KU hype video doing numbys. Audio of Tennessee Tech head coach Bobby Wilder not holding back at his press conference on Chattanooga coach Rusty Wright. And the winner of the EMOTD is...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Remembering 9/11: Former Congressman Zach Wamp and Talk Radio Host Jeff Styles! From breaking news to emergency trips to the Pentagon and from spontaneously breaking out in song on the steps of rhe Capital to the days/months ahead and the forming of DHS...Zach and Jeff walk us through the attacks of 9/11 and how they brought us together and yet changed us all! ===== THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: (Welcome to our NEW sponsor) Signal Investigations: https://www.signalpi.com/ Nutrition World: https://nutritionw.com/ Vascular Institute of Chattanooga: https://www.vascularinstituteofchattanooga.com/ The Barn Nursery: https://www.barnnursery.com/ Optimize U Chattanooga: https://optimizeunow.com/chattanooga/ Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/ Alchemy Medspa and Wellness Center: http://www.alchemychattanooga.com/ Our House Studio: https://ourhousestudiosinc.com/ Team Montieth Real Estate - Lori Montieth: https://www.findchattanoogarealestate.com/ Ballinger and Associates - Risk Management: https://ballingerandassociates.com/ AirSpace Acoustics: https://www.airspaceacoustics.com/ BWELL4EVER: Labs and IV Therapies: https://www.bwell4ever.org/ ALL THINGS JEFF STYLES: www.thejeffstyles.com PART OF THE NOOGA PODCAST NETWORK: www.noogapodcasts.com Please consider leaving us a review on Apple and giving us a share to your friends! This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Remembering 9/11: Retired Lt. Colonel Sam Guthrie and Former TV Reporter Amy Morrow! Sam was at the point of impact in the Pentagon on 9/11. He shares his stories of the moment the plane hit and the hours/days following. Amy was a reporter at News Channel 3 and Jeff was on air at Talk Radio 102.3 and they share their responses as the qorld went from thinking it was an accident to realizing it was an attack! ===== THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: (Welcome to our NEW sponsor) Signal Investigations: https://www.signalpi.com/ Nutrition World: https://nutritionw.com/ Vascular Institute of Chattanooga: https://www.vascularinstituteofchattanooga.com/ The Barn Nursery: https://www.barnnursery.com/ Optimize U Chattanooga: https://optimizeunow.com/chattanooga/ Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/ Alchemy Medspa and Wellness Center: http://www.alchemychattanooga.com/ Our House Studio: https://ourhousestudiosinc.com/ Team Montieth Real Estate - Lori Montieth: https://www.findchattanoogarealestate.com/ Ballinger and Associates - Risk Management: https://ballingerandassociates.com/ AirSpace Acoustics: https://www.airspaceacoustics.com/ BWELL4EVER: Labs and IV Therapies: https://www.bwell4ever.org/ ALL THINGS JEFF STYLES: www.thejeffstyles.com PART OF THE NOOGA PODCAST NETWORK: www.noogapodcasts.com Please consider leaving us a review on Apple and giving us a share to your friends! This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Sue Becker talks with Rhonda Smith, author of A Walk With God: A 14-Week Journey to Health: Body + Mind + Spirit, to talk about the connection between faith, health, and purpose. Rhonda shares her passion for the upcoming A Walk With God Conference, happening October 23–24, 2026, near Chattanooga, TN, and reminds us that "food is the fuel that powers the body so that we can fulfill our purpose." Discover how caring for your body, mind, and spirit can help you walk more intentionally with God and live out the purpose He has for you. LISTEN NOW

Adam Kinsey has always had a knack for seeing what a place could become (often long before anyone else does). In this episode, Adam shares how driving past construction sites as a kid shaped the way he sees a city, how Track 29 helped put Chattanooga on the map for touring musicians who used to skip right past us, and what it takes to breathe new life into a property as storied as the Chattanooga Choo Choo. Adam Kinsey is the President of The Kinsey Company and Partner of Kinsey Probasco Hays. You can connect with him on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-kinsey-4741a967/). If you like this episode, we think you'll also like: Andy Wood's Morning Cup (E124) Lucy Rymer's Morning Cup (E155) Barry Courter's Morning Cup (E165) Subscribe to the weekly newsletter and be the first to know who upcoming guests are: http://eepurl.com/iGJzII  My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions.

Message 4 in the series "Remnant" Ronnie Phillips is the Lead Pastor at Abba's House in Chattanooga, TN and founder of Ronnie Phillips Ministries International. ronniephillips.org

In this inspiring episode of the Pearls of Wisdom Jewelry Podcast, Guy Pineda sits down with Lorraine Hoffman, owner of Brillante Jeweler in Hixson, Tennessee, to explore her transformation from educator to award-winning jewelry store owner. Lorraine shares how her jewelry journey began during COVID after her education position was eliminated. With guidance from a jewelry professional, she took her first steps into the industry, attending JCK and the Atlanta Jewelry Show and building relationships with vendors and jewelers. What started as an e-commerce idea eventually grew into a brick-and-mortar store, opening in May 2022. The road was not without challenges. Lorraine had to learn the jewelry business, from diamonds, gemstones, gold, and repairs to store design, operations, and financial management. She also transformed a former hair salon into a welcoming jewelry space with a design table, event area, kitchen, and her signature "Wall of Love." Her story highlights the importance of building a trusted team, researching, and staying true to your vision. A major part of Brillante Jeweler's success has been its relationship-driven approach. Lorraine built her business around love and service, creating connections with customers who trust her with engagement rings, family heirlooms, redesigns, repairs, and personal stories. Her commitment recently earned Brillante Jeweler the top spot in Chattanooga's Best of the Best jewelry store category. Lorraine also discusses the influence of IJO, the Atlanta Jewelry Show, JCK, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Google, customer reviews, and word-of-mouth reputation. Looking ahead, she is mentoring her daughter to help carry the Brillante culture forward while developing her own colored gemstone jewelry collection. This episode is a reminder that authenticity, relationships, community, and purpose can turn a new beginning into lasting success. Tune in for Lorraine's inspiring journey and discover why building a business around love can make all the difference. Brought to you by: Southern Jewelry News: https://southernjewelrynews.com/  Jewelry Store Marketers: https://jewelrystoremarketers.com/  Learn more about the Pearls of Wisdom Jewelry Podcast https://southernjewelrynews.com/podcast  Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform: • Apple Podcast = https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/my.-.. • Amazon Music/Audible = https://www.audible.com/pd/Pearls-of.-.. • iHeartRadio = https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-pe... • Spotify = https://open.spotify.com/show/6IU1OHw... • Google Podcast = https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0...

 Jesus isn't repelled by our humanity, brokenness or our problems, He runs to meet us there with His grace 

09/06/2026 A.M. Service Message: Pastor Adam Love 09/06/2026 A.M. preaching service Grace Baptist Church 7815 Shal26wford Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421 (423)892-4869 www.OurGrace.Church/ Copyright © 2019, Grace Baptist Church, All rights reserved. CCLI License # 181746, Info@OurGrace.Church

Nick is recording from his neighbor's WiFi, Eric's in the van, Paula is doing her own audio engineering, but the gang got it together anyway! We kick things off with an airline Rapid Fire before getting into a full question bag that covers racing, going pro, travel logistics, and a Chattanooga guide for a UK family about to combine 70.3 Worlds with Disney World.This week we discussed:Airline rapid fire: favorite snack, drink, seat, airline, and Paula's method for dealing with an overweight bag at the counterShould there be a separate finish line tape for the top age grouper at Ironman races with a pro field?Is there anything in triathlon that matches the euphoria of finally landing a skateboarding trick?Run form analysis: when to think about it, when to leave it alone, Paula's mirror trick on the Kickr Run, and why fixing one thing can break something else up the chainAirline luggage horror stories — Eric's €550 Lufthansa bill and why United loyalty is a financial decisionTurning pro: do you actually need a lawyer, contract clauses worth paying attention to, and where to train when you make the jumpOpen water vs. pool for easy swims in summer, is it even a question?Feeling flat, disconnected, and off 17 days out from Ironman Wisconsin, what's actually happening and what to do about itChattanooga as a destination for a UK family combining 70.3 Worlds with Disney World: the honest guide, how many days at Disney is too many, and what to actually expect from the cityA big thank you to our podcast supporters who keep the podcast alive. To submit a question and to become a podcast supporter, head over to ThatTriathlonLife.com/podcast————————Wahoo Kickr (link)

On this episode of FreightWaves Today, Malcolm Harris and Zach Strickland break down the latest developments shaping freight, logistics and the broader economy. The show opens with the latest headlines, including an EPA proposal that could change how diesel exhaust fluid warnings work, a series of commercial vehicle safety enforcement blitzes and rising Pacific container rates amid strong peak-season demand and port congestion. Then, Ainsley Williams, VP of Automation and Innovation at Kenco, joins the show to discuss the expansion of Kenco's Innovation Lab in Chattanooga from 10,000 to 30,000 square feet. She explains how the larger facility will allow Kenco to test interconnected warehouse robotics, automation systems and emerging technologies in a real-world environment before deploying them for customers. Zach then dives into the latest SONAR data, examining the impact of Labor Day on tender rejections, freight volumes and spot rates across van, reefer and flatbed markets. Later, Matt Pyatt, CEO and co-founder of Arrive Logistics, joins the show to discuss Mubadala Capital's majority investment in Arrive, the company's growth strategy and what the deal means for its future. Pyatt also shares his outlook on freight demand, capacity, truckload rates and why he believes the market remains highly susceptible to disruption. Finally, the FreightWaves team examines the latest JOLTS and ADP employment data with economist D.J. Donahue, looking at what the numbers reveal about the labor market and the health of the economy. Subscribe to FreightWaves for the latest news, data and analysis from across the transportation and logistics industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of The Bluebloods, Zach McKinnell and Timothy Rosario from FCS Football Central preview all the FCS football action on the Week 1 slate. The duo discusses all the potential FCS over FBS upsets, a huge UAC battle between No. 25 West Florida and Central Arkansas, No. 12 Tennessee Tech traveling to face Chattanooga, and an intriguing non-conference game between No. 24 Western Carolina and Campbell. We also make our “Superdog” upset picks of the week and preview multiple other key Week 1 matchups. All this & more right here on The Bluebloods! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dan talks about an Axios article talking about how Clarksville could pass Chattanooga in population, and Congressman Matt Van Epps joins to talk about that and more! | aired on Thursday, September 3rd, 2026 on Nashville's Morning News with Dan Mandis Produced by Samuel RutherfordSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Leonard preaches on what it means to be human and limited — that our finitude, mortality, and dependence are not flaws to overcome but gifts by God's design, meant to release us from the exhausting pretense of being God and draw us into communion with him and one another.

Brett Ender: Co-Founder of Noble Origins Beef Protein and Host of the 'Meat Mafia Podcast'! We coverd a bunch of ground - why is protein so important, how do you make beef protein taste good, why his protein is better, building a business, leadership, marketing, and MUCH MORE! Plus - he is a podcast host AND he brought along one of his marketing Gurus Josh! Also in-studio was Ed Jones, Owner of Nutrition World! ===== THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: (Welcome to our NEW sponsor) Signal Investigations: https://www.signalpi.com/ Nutrition World: https://nutritionw.com/ Vascular Institute of Chattanooga: https://www.vascularinstituteofchattanooga.com/ The Barn Nursery: https://www.barnnursery.com/ Optimize U Chattanooga: https://optimizeunow.com/chattanooga/ Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/ Alchemy Medspa and Wellness Center: http://www.alchemychattanooga.com/ Our House Studio: https://ourhousestudiosinc.com/ Team Montieth Real Estate - Lori Montieth: https://www.findchattanoogarealestate.com/ Ballinger and Associates - Risk Management: https://ballingerandassociates.com/ AirSpace Acoustics: https://www.airspaceacoustics.com/ BWELL4EVER: Labs and IV Therapies: https://www.bwell4ever.org/ ALL THINGS JEFF STYLES: www.thejeffstyles.com PART OF THE NOOGA PODCAST NETWORK: www.noogapodcasts.com Please consider leaving us a review on Apple and giving us a share to your friends! This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly joined Sam in-studio for a great conversation! From politics to leadership and from business to life --- they covered a lot of ground! About Tim Kelly Tim Kelly is the 66th mayor of Chattanooga. He grew up in Chattanooga and attended undergraduate school at Columbia University. Upon returning to Chattanooga, Kelly expanded his family's automotive dealership and launched several successful ventures, including co-founding Chattanooga's professional soccer club. He later earned his MBA from Emory University. Kelly has always been active in the community, serving on boards for multiple nonprofits and even teaching as an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Since being elected mayor in April 2021, he has made great strides in his vision to create One Chattanooga – a city where every resident has the opportunity to thrive and prosper. You're listening to Unstructured, where a new generation of entrepreneurs connects with experienced and emerging business leaders to unpack the lessons behind the journey. From setbacks to success stories, we explore what it truly means to build, grow, and lead. Welcome to the conversation. PART OF THE NOOGA PODCAST NETWORK - 20 PODCASTS WITH ONE CLICK: www.noogapodcasts.com ===== THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: (Welcome to our NEW sponsor) Signal Investigations: https://www.signalpi.com/ Nutrition World: https://nutritionw.com/ Vascular Institute of Chattanooga: https://www.vascularinstituteofchattanooga.com/ The Barn Nursery: https://www.barnnursery.com/ Optimize U Chattanooga: https://optimizeunow.com/chattanooga/ Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/ Alchemy Medspa and Wellness Center: http://www.alchemychattanooga.com/ Our House Studio: https://ourhousestudiosinc.com/ Team Montieth Real Estate - Lori Montieth: https://www.findchattanoogarealestate.com/ Ballinger and Associates - Risk Management: https://ballingerandassociates.com/ AirSpace Acoustics: https://www.airspaceacoustics.com/ BWELL4EVER: Labs and IV Therapies: https://www.bwell4ever.org/ ALL THINGS JEFF STYLES: www.thejeffstyles.com PART OF THE NOOGA PODCAST NETWORK: www.noogapodcasts.com Please consider leaving us a review on Apple and giving us a share to your friends! This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

After moving to Chattanooga, Lisa hit three potholes in three years and ended up buying five new tires. She knew people elsewhere had taken pothole repairs into their own hands, and as a mosaic artist, she already had the materials to try her own version. Soon, bright smiley faces started appearing in Chattanooga's streets. They attracted attention from drivers, neighbors, and eventually the city itself, raising questions about safety, public space, and what happens when one resident decides to fix something in her own strange, joyful way. Now Lisa keeps stacks of smileys in her car, ready for the next pothole that could use a little silliness. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Potholes of Chattanooga (Instagram) Chattanooga's Smiley‑Face Potholes Show Creative Civic Problem‑Solving (Article) Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here.   This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you! Join fellow members discussing this episode in The Commons.

A church of Jesus in Chattanooga, Tennessee that loves God and lives in community for the sake of the city.We gather for worship on Sundays at 10am at Battle Academy (1601 Market Street).@citycollectivechatt on Instagramwww.citycollective.usinfo@citycollectivechatt.com

Shannon Burger has been a K9 handler, a CPA, a firefighter, an entrepreneur, and now: CEO of one of Chattanooga's fastest growing healthcare organizations. In this episode, Shannon shares how bracelets and bubblegum were the first signs of an entrepreneurial mind, what working nights as a firefighter taught her about public service and teamwork, and how Cempa has evolved over the past decade to meet the changing needs of our community. Shannon Burger is the CEO of Cempa Community Care. You can connect with her on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-burger-dsc-mba-cpa-55b8391a/). If you like this episode, we think you'll also like: Emily Mack's Morning Cup (E83) April Cameron's Morning Cup (E146) Cindy Lee's Morning Cup (E185) Subscribe to the weekly newsletter and be the first to know who upcoming guests are: http://eepurl.com/iGJzII  My Morning Cup is hosted by Mike Costa of Costa Media Advisors and produced by SpeakEasy Productions.

Message 3 in the series "Remnant" Ronnie Phillips is the Lead Pastor at Abba's House in Chattanooga, TN and founder of Ronnie Phillips Ministries International. ronniephillips.org

Today, for the second time, we welcome the original Survivor winner,  Richard Hatch, to the show.  We discuss everything from Richard's court case, fighting for justice over 20 years later, participating in other reality shows, and his new book, Reality Matters: What You , Owe Yourself.  Richard is always very open, funny, and a smart guy to chat with.  Have a listen!   We also dive into Burlew's encounter with a grocery store robot, discuss Mussolini's grandson, and play a game called Survive or Die. Another great week

 A cold and broken hallelujah  

Send us Fan MailThis week, Coach Matt McCall joins Bob to talk about the current landscape in college athletics! You can hear the former Chattanooga and Umass head coach on SMX College Sports and The Field of 68 network! WANT TO SUPPORT A TROPHY LIFE?Leave a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback only helps make the show better, and we appreciate your support! For more information about the Naismith Trophy Award, visit our home on the web.

Flock Cameras-Open Fields Doctrine/Search Warrants-and MUCH MORE! Policing & the Community - Cold/Active Cases - Safety Tips - Famous/Infamous Cases - Special Guests AND all Wrapped in Entertainment and Stories! Share us with your friends - leave us reviews - help us spread the word! - Hosted by Clint Powell and David Roddy Powered by Kubota of Chattanooga: https://www.kubotaofchattanooga.com/ Sponsored by: Signal Investigations: https://www.signalpi.com/ 1st Lead U Podcast - www.1stleadu.com Optimize U Chattanooga - https://optimizeucenters.com/locations/chattanooga-tennessee/ ===== THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: (Welcome to our NEW sponsor) Signal Investigations: https://www.signalpi.com/ Nutrition World: https://nutritionw.com/ Vascular Institute of Chattanooga: https://www.vascularinstituteofchattanooga.com/ The Barn Nursery: https://www.barnnursery.com/ Optimize U Chattanooga: https://optimizeunow.com/chattanooga/ Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/ Alchemy Medspa and Wellness Center: http://www.alchemychattanooga.com/ Our House Studio: https://ourhousestudiosinc.com/ Team Montieth Real Estate - Lori Montieth: https://www.findchattanoogarealestate.com/ Ballinger and Associates - Risk Management: https://ballingerandassociates.com/ AirSpace Acoustics: https://www.airspaceacoustics.com/ BWELL4EVER: Labs and IV Therapies: https://www.bwell4ever.org/ ALL THINGS JEFF STYLES: www.thejeffstyles.com PART OF THE NOOGA PODCAST NETWORK: www.noogapodcasts.com Please consider leaving us a review on Apple and giving us a share to your friends! This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

What happens when you skip the traditional corporate path, lean into networking, and turn relationships into real estate opportunities? Haydynn Fike is co-founder of Acadia Capital and host of The Art of Connecting Podcast. After graduating from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Haydynn quickly realized the corporate world wasn't for him and began attending every networking event he could find. That decision led to a partnership with Dan, a 74-unit storage facility, and eventually the creation of Acadia Capital. Today, Haydynn has helped investors place more than $7 million into Acadia Capital while building a growing network of real estate investors throughout the Southeast. Haydynn shares how networking and genuine relationships can create opportunities that aren't found by simply scrolling through property listings. He also talks about flipping two houses in 2024, owning a 74-unit storage facility, building investor communities through the Southeast Best Real Estate Meetup and Chattanooga Owners Club, and the lessons he's learned along the way. From raising capital and finding deals to building relationships and taking action, this conversation is packed with practical insights for anyone looking to grow their real estate investing business and their network.FOLLOW:https://acadialoans.com/SUBSCRIBE IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BUILD WEALTH THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY ✅ http://relfreedom.tv   GET STARTED INVESTING TODAY AND ACCESS OUR DEAL LIST! 

Storytime with Joe 'Dixie' Fuller: ZZ Top-Elvis-Alabama-Clint Black-David Crosby-Fleetwood Mac-MUCH MORE!! ===== THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: (Welcome to our NEW sponsor) Signal Investigations: https://www.signalpi.com/ Nutrition World: https://nutritionw.com/ Vascular Institute of Chattanooga: https://www.vascularinstituteofchattanooga.com/ The Barn Nursery: https://www.barnnursery.com/ Optimize U Chattanooga: https://optimizeunow.com/chattanooga/ Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/ Alchemy Medspa and Wellness Center: http://www.alchemychattanooga.com/ Our House Studio: https://ourhousestudiosinc.com/ Team Montieth Real Estate - Lori Montieth: https://www.findchattanoogarealestate.com/ Ballinger and Associates - Risk Management: https://ballingerandassociates.com/ AirSpace Acoustics: https://www.airspaceacoustics.com/ BWELL4EVER: Labs and IV Therapies: https://www.bwell4ever.org/ ALL THINGS JEFF STYLES: www.thejeffstyles.com PART OF THE NOOGA PODCAST NETWORK: www.noogapodcasts.com Please consider leaving us a review on Apple and giving us a share to your friends! This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Death by Boomer with Jeff Styles! When You're The Last One Standing! (Powered by Guardian Investment Advisors) Let's face it - the boomers are the 2nd greatest generation to ever walk planet earth! From our music to our toys (we survived lawn darts) - we made the world better! Yes, better even for you gen x'ers - gen y's and millennials - we're just better!! AND....worse - we also used up all the resources - became a little spoiled and maybe we have clung to power a little too long. Misunderstood - that is what we are! These short episodes will hopefully bridge the gap with the x'ers, y'ers (if that's even a word) and millennials - Death by Boomer with Jeff Styles on DTB - powered by Guardian Investment Advisors! Thanks to our sponsor: Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/m/ ===== THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: (Welcome to our NEW sponsor) Signal Investigations: https://www.signalpi.com/ Nutrition World: https://nutritionw.com/ Vascular Institute of Chattanooga: https://www.vascularinstituteofchattanooga.com/ The Barn Nursery: https://www.barnnursery.com/ Optimize U Chattanooga: https://optimizeunow.com/chattanooga/ Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/ Alchemy Medspa and Wellness Center: http://www.alchemychattanooga.com/ Our House Studio: https://ourhousestudiosinc.com/ Team Montieth Real Estate - Lori Montieth: https://www.findchattanoogarealestate.com/ Ballinger and Associates - Risk Management: https://ballingerandassociates.com/ AirSpace Acoustics: https://www.airspaceacoustics.com/ BWELL4EVER: Labs and IV Therapies: https://www.bwell4ever.org/ ALL THINGS JEFF STYLES: www.thejeffstyles.com PART OF THE NOOGA PODCAST NETWORK: www.noogapodcasts.com Please consider leaving us a review on Apple and giving us a share to your friends! This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Was It a Murder? The Trial That Flipped Everything. A reclusive television repairman. A wife no one knew existed. A mysterious death inside a cluttered Georgia home. And a murder trial that would change two families, and one attorney's life, forever. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. #LawEnforcementTalk #Free #Podcast #Radio When attorney McCracken King Poston Jr. agreed to defend Alvin Ridley, many people in Ringgold, Georgia, had already reached their verdict. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin. Ridley was strange. He was isolated. He lived behind closed doors in a junk-filled house. Most shocking of all, a woman had been found dead inside, and she was reportedly his wife, although many people in town never knew he was married. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms. To the public, the case appeared almost impossible to explain. But was it a murder? That question is at the heart of a gripping episode of the nationally syndicated Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast. Poston shares the extraordinary courtroom battle, the evidence investigators reportedly overlooked, and the unlikely friendship that emerged from one of Georgia's most unusual criminal cases. Was It a Murder? The Trial That Flipped Everything. It is also the remarkable story behind his Book, Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom. A Death That Shocked a Small Georgia Town In October 1997, the northwest Georgia town of Ringgold was rocked by reports of a suspicious death. Virginia Ridley had been found dead inside the home she shared with Alvin Ridley, a former television repairman known locally as the “Zenith Man.” The nickname came from his years selling and servicing Zenith televisions. Alvin had always been considered a local character. He was reclusive, socially awkward, and frequently misunderstood. His home was cluttered, his mannerisms were unusual, and his relationships with other people were often difficult. He shares the full story as a guest on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major podcast platforms. The interview is also featured across Facebook and Instagram. Then the community learned that he had a wife. Virginia had reportedly lived with Alvin for decades, yet many people in town did not know she existed. Rumors quickly spread that he had kept her captive inside the home for approximately 30 years before killing her. The story sounded like something created for a true-crime television series. The accusation was horrifying, and the circumstances surrounding Virginia's life and death made Alvin an easy person to suspect. But unusual behavior is not proof of murder. That distinction would become the foundation of Poston's defense. “The case was never simply about whether Alvin Ridley was different. It was about whether the evidence proved that he was guilty.” The Attorney Who Took the Case McCracken Poston was no stranger to public pressure. Born and raised in Catoosa County, Georgia, he had strong personal ties to the community where the case unfolded. He graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and later earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law, where he served as president of his graduating class. Was It a Murder? The Trial That Flipped Everything. The episode is available across major platforms including their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, with highlights shared across their Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles. Before entering private practice, he worked as an assistant district attorney for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit. Poston also served four terms in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1989 through 1997. After losing a campaign for the United States Congress, he returned to practicing law. That career transition placed him in the path of Alvin Ridley. Poston knew Alvin as the eccentric “Zenith Man” who once sold and repaired televisions. Although Alvin could be difficult, combative, and intensely private, Poston did not believe that his odd personality automatically made him capable of murder. He agreed to defend him. What followed was one of the most difficult and personally transformative periods of Poston's life. A Client Who Would Not Help His Own Defense Preparing for a murder trial is challenging under any circumstances. Defending a client who refuses to reveal essential facts makes the task even more difficult. Alvin was not an easy client. He was reluctant to communicate and often unwilling to provide Poston with information that could help explain his marriage, Virginia's secluded life, and what happened inside the house. Every unanswered question created another obstacle. Why had Virginia remained hidden from public view? Had she been prevented from leaving the house? Why did so few people know the couple was married? What caused her death? And why did Alvin behave in ways that made him appear suspicious, even when he might have been trying to tell the truth? Poston had to look beyond Alvin's personality and search for facts. “A defense attorney cannot rely on appearances, rumors, or community opinion. The obligation is to examine the evidence, even when the client makes that work extraordinarily difficult.” Piece by piece, Poston began reconstructing the story of Alvin and Virginia Ridley. The answers were buried inside medical records, witness testimony, expert analysis, and the enormous amount of material found inside Alvin's cluttered home. Was It a Murder? The Trial That Flipped Everything. The Podcast is available for free on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and most major podcast platforms. The Evidence That Changed the Case The prosecution's theory portrayed Alvin as a controlling husband who had kept Virginia captive before causing her death. Poston's investigation pointed toward another possibility. With assistance from medical experts, he focused on Virginia's health and the true cause of her death. His defense challenged assumptions that had shaped the case and raised serious questions about evidence that he believed law enforcement had overlooked. The home that initially appeared to reinforce the image of a disturbed killer began producing evidence that supported the defense. Poston also made the risky decision to call Alvin to testify. For a defendant in a murder case, taking the witness stand can be dangerous. Prosecutors gain the opportunity to question the accused directly, and a single poorly worded answer can affect how jurors view the entire case. For Alvin, a man who struggled with communication and frequently appeared hostile or evasive, the risk was even greater. Yet his testimony gave jurors an opportunity to see the person behind the rumors. The trial became about more than his strange behavior. It became a search for the truth about Virginia's life, the couple's marriage, and her death. The defense argued that the medical evidence did not support the murder allegation. After hearing the testimony and examining the evidence, the jury acquitted Alvin Ridley of all charges in 1999. He walked out of court a Free man. A Later Diagnosis Flipped Everything Again The acquittal ended the criminal case, but it did not fully explain Alvin Ridley. That explanation would come years later. Alvin was eventually diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The diagnosis offered a new way to understand many of the traits that had made him appear suspicious, hostile, or impossible to reach. Was It a Murder? The Trial That Flipped Everything. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast continues bringing listeners real conversations from the front lines of crime, policing, trauma, survival, and healing. His communication difficulties, rigid behavior, social isolation, and inability to respond in ways others expected were no longer merely signs of eccentricity. The revelation reframed the entire story. It also raised a disturbing question: How often are people treated as dangerous or dishonest simply because they communicate differently or fail to conform to society's expectations? Alvin had been judged long before a jury heard the evidence. His differences helped create a public image that fit the accusation, even if the medical facts did not. “When someone does not behave the way society expects, people can mistake difference for guilt.” The diagnosis does not erase every mystery surrounding Alvin and Virginia's unconventional marriage. It does, however, offer important context about a man who spent much of his life being misunderstood. The Murder Trial That Changed Poston's Life The case did more than save Alvin Ridley from a possible murder conviction. It changed McCracken Poston personally. By the time he took the case, Poston had already spent approximately 14 years building his legal and political career. Beneath his professional success, however, he carried emotional wounds connected to his childhood. Supporting articles about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin. He had grown up with an alcoholic parent and struggled with low self-esteem and other personal issues. Alcohol would also become part of his own battle. Then his father appeared at Alvin's trial. That moment became part of a life-changing sequence for both men. Poston's father became sober afterward, and Poston eventually began his own recovery journey. Today, Poston has reportedly been sober for more than 20 years. The courtroom victory was important, but the case's impact reached far beyond a legal verdict. It transformed his relationships, challenged his understanding of himself, and helped place him on a path toward recovery. In an unexpected way, Alvin became more than a client. The two men formed an unlikely friendship, one that may have saved both of their lives. Zenith Man: More Than a True-Crime Book Decades after the trial, Poston returned to the case in his 2024 Book, Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom, published by Citadel Books/Kensington Publishing. The Book is part true crime, part courtroom drama, and part personal memoir. It examines the mystery surrounding Virginia Ridley's death, the challenges of representing Alvin, and the surprising evidence that changed the direction of the case. It also explores family, addiction, justice, community judgment, friendship, love, and redemption. At its center are two very different men. One was a former state legislator and experienced criminal defense attorney attempting to rebuild his career. The other was a reclusive television repairman accused of committing an almost unimaginable crime. Was It a Murder? The Trial That Flipped Everything. Their relationship began because of a murder charge. It endured because each man discovered something human in the other. “Sometimes the case that appears to be about saving a client becomes the case that saves the attorney, too.” A Career Filled With Nationally Recognized Cases Poston's legal work has extended far beyond the Ridley trial. As a Georgia and Tennessee criminal defense attorney, former prosecutor, and former state representative, he has handled numerous high-profile criminal cases. His work has received national News and television coverage, including features on CNN Presents, Dateline NBC, A&E's American Justice, Forensic Files, Extra, and NPR's Snap Judgment. The interview is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and other major Podcast platforms. Additional articles, and episode information can be shared through Facebook, Instagram, and other Social Media channels. Yet the Alvin Ridley case remains the one most closely associated with his career. It combined a sensational accusation, a deeply unconventional marriage, overlooked medical evidence, community suspicion, and a defendant whose behavior was widely misunderstood. It also became a deeply personal story of sobriety and redemption. Lessons From the Trial Poston's experience offers several important lessons about the criminal justice system and the way the public consumes crime stories. First, appearances are not evidence. A person can be strange, unlikeable, evasive, or socially isolated without being guilty of a crime. Second, medical evidence matters. Assumptions about a death must be tested against forensic facts and qualified expert analysis. Third, defendants with autism or other communication differences may be particularly vulnerable. Behavior that appears cold, deceptive, or uncooperative may have an entirely different explanation. Finally, redemption can emerge from unexpected places. Poston entered the case as Alvin's attorney. He left it with a changed perspective on his career, his family, his struggles with alcohol, and the direction of his life. Hear the Full Story on the Free Podcast McCracken Poston tells the remarkable story behind the trial on the nationally syndicated Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast. He discusses the difficulties of defending Alvin Ridley, the obstacles that threatened trial preparation, the overlooked evidence, and the courtroom decisions that helped secure an acquittal. Was It a Murder? The Trial That Flipped Everything. The show is distributed through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartradio and other podcast platforms. Its interviews are also promoted across Facebook, Instagram, and other social media channels. He also talks about his father's unexpected appearance at the trial, his family's experience with alcoholism, and his own journey to more than 20 years of sobriety. The Free Podcast episode is available across major platforms, including Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and YouTube. Updates and additional content from the Radio Show can also be found on Facebook and Instagram. For true-crime followers, the episode provides a rare look inside a defense attorney's preparation for an almost unbelievable murder trial. For listeners interested in recovery, family, autism awareness, and second chances, it offers something even more powerful. Was It a Murder? The people of Ringgold initially saw a dead woman, a secret marriage, and an eccentric husband living inside a cluttered house. They believed they knew what had happened. The evidence told another story. McCracken Poston's defense helped Alvin Ridley walk out of court a Free man. Years later, Alvin's autism diagnosis changed the way many people understood his behavior. The trial also became a turning point in Poston's relationship with his father and in his own journey toward sobriety. Zenith Man: Death, Love, and Redemption in a Georgia Courtroom is not merely the story of a sensational murder accusation. It is the story of what can happen when one attorney looks beyond appearances, questions the accepted narrative, and refuses to confuse being different with being guilty. Was it a murder? The trial flipped everything people thought they knew and the truth changed far more than the verdict. Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo. Be sure to check out our website . Be sure to follow us on X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news. Listeners can find the show across Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and other podcast and social media platforms. Learn and get access to money saving tips and how to increase your net worth at www.LetSavings.com For a community of like minded individuals from all over the planet that want to improve their lives, relationships and business. Learn what they need, and develop the life that they've always wanted. We host weekly rooms on the Clubhouse Drop In Social Audio App. The App and Your Confident Life rooms are free of charge. You can get more information about Clubhouse and Your Confident Life for free here. Download the Free Ebook about ways and tips to improve your health. You can get the ebook for free at www.LetHealthy.com Listen to the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on their website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and most major podcast platforms. Get the Free Clubhouse App, it is Drop In Social Audio. Think of it as your own talk radio show on your phone, and best of all it is free. Be sure to look for me and follow me, that's John J Wiley or @letradioshow you can do all that here. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast social media like their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other social media platforms. You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website . Was It a Murder? The Trial That Flipped Everything. Attributions Zenith Man Book Amazon Facebook Facebook Group Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

#175 Planning a Trip to Chattanooga, TN? Tune In! Looking for a Chattanooga getaway to add to your bucket list travel plans? No matter if you're a seasoned traveler or amateur traveler, you'll find something great. In this episode of The Everyday Bucket List Podcast, local guest Liz Pessaran - a therapist and life coach - shares popular attractions, places to stay, dining recommendations, fun things to do, and helpful tips for visiting Chattanooga, Tennessee. Whether you are planning a family vacation, couples getaway, weekend escape, or one of your future bucket list trips, this episode will help you discover what makes Chattanooga worth visiting. In This Episode We discuss: Chattanooga attractions, including the Chattanooga Choo Choo and Ruby Falls The best areas to stay, from the North Shore to downtown Chattanooga Restaurant recommendations, local favorites, and a variety of cuisines Ideas for adults, couples, and families Hotels and accommodations to consider when planning your visit Popular landmarks and unique local experiences Hear a local's perspective on what Chattanooga is known for and why it deserves a spot among your bucket list destinations. Whether you need something fun to do today, ideas for this weekend, or inspiration for a future trip, tune in and start planning. The Everyday Bucket List Podcast is a weekly travel podcast, travel lifestyle podcast, and travel planning podcast featuring approachable ideas for memorable trips and everyday adventures. Read the blog post (show notes): https://karencordaway.com/chattanooga-tennessee-things-to-do/    Binge-listen to my Seasonal Bucket List playlist https://bit.ly/3SPiiVN  Binge-listen to my Episodes about Hobbies playlist  https://spoti.fi/46Q9p4o   Listen to these episodes next: Best Card for Travel with Lee Huffman (Ep 103) Things to Do in Kentucky for Adults, Kids (or Both) (Ep 27) Fun Things to Do in Atlanta, GA Spotify Playlist Fun, Bucket List Things to Do in Charleston. SC (Ep 77) Simple, Fun & Affordable Bucket List Ideas to Do in Everyday Life (Ep 89)   RESOURCES: Grab a copy of  The Everyday Bucket List Book https://amzn.to/3vwxz2K If you'd like to support my work, check out https://buymeacoffee.com/edbl Hire me for VO:  https://www.fiverr.com/s/0D9rdZL?utm_source=CopyLink_Mobile See my UGC Samples on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/EverydayBucketList/user-generated-content-examples/ Hire me as a UGC Video Creator: https://www.fiverr.com/s/99mKB2d?utm_source=CopyLink_Mobile   Connect with the guest: Website: LizPessaran.com now Liz Fast Instagram: Liz Pessaran (Liz Fast Coaching) Facebook: Liz Pessaran (Liz Fast Life Coaching)   Connect with me: Website: KarenCordaway.com Twitter (X): @KarenCordaway https://x.com/karencordaway Pinterest: @Everyday_Bucket_List https://www.pinterest.com/EverydayBucketList/ Tiktok: @Everyday_Bucket_List https://www.tiktok.com/@everyday_bucket_list   If you're enjoying this podcast, please rate and review it here. Let me know what you like about it so I know exactly what content to keep creating for you. Disclaimer: Some of the outbound links financially benefit the podcast. Using our links is a small way to support the show at zero cost to you. I only endorse products, programs, and services I use and would recommend to close friends and family. Thank you for your support.

Let's talk about schools! The good and the bad! What is going well and where are the struggles! Funding to Discipline and Curriculum to Results and all things in between. Hosted by Clint Powell and former Hamilton County School Board Member - Rhonda Thurman! Part of The Nooga Podcast Network: www.noogapodcasts.com ===== THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: (Welcome to our NEW sponsor) Signal Investigations: https://www.signalpi.com/ Nutrition World: https://nutritionw.com/ Vascular Institute of Chattanooga: https://www.vascularinstituteofchattanooga.com/ The Barn Nursery: https://www.barnnursery.com/ Optimize U Chattanooga: https://optimizeunow.com/chattanooga/ Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/ Alchemy Medspa and Wellness Center: http://www.alchemychattanooga.com/ Our House Studio: https://ourhousestudiosinc.com/ Team Montieth Real Estate - Lori Montieth: https://www.findchattanoogarealestate.com/ Ballinger and Associates - Risk Management: https://ballingerandassociates.com/ AirSpace Acoustics: https://www.airspaceacoustics.com/ BWELL4EVER: Labs and IV Therapies: https://www.bwell4ever.org/ ALL THINGS JEFF STYLES: www.thejeffstyles.com PART OF THE NOOGA PODCAST NETWORK: www.noogapodcasts.com Please consider leaving us a review on Apple and giving us a share to your friends! This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

In April 1963, civil rights activist William Lewis Moore set out alone on a 320-mile walk from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Jackson, Mississippi, carrying a letter for segregationist Gov. Ross Barnett. On April 23, the 35-year-old postal worker was found shot to death in northeast Alabama.In this episode of Southern Mysteries, we explore Moore's life beyond his final walk, the family he left behind, the threats and warnings he encountered along the road, the investigation into his killing, and the questions that remain more than 60 years later. Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries

Headlines and Opinions with Jeff and Clint! PLUS-Flock Cameras with Special Guest Fromer CPD Executive Chief Glenn ScruggsWELCOME to Jeff Styles on During the Break Podcast - powered by Guardian Investment Advisors! A Monday podcast with El Jefe himself about some headlines, stories, and things you may have missed AND some things you may want to look for in the days ahead! Jeff Styles spent over 30 years as the #1 talk radio host in our area and now has brought his talents to DTB Podcast! Tune in - Share AND stay tuned as we grow! (A PODCAST PROVIDED AND OWNED BY DURING THE BREAK PODCASTS) Thanks to our sponsors: Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/ Vascular Institute of Chattanooga: https://www.vascularinstituteofchattanooga.com/ Alchemy Medspa and Wellness Center: http://www.alchemychattanooga.com// (Welcome to our NEW sponsor) Signal Investigations: https://www.signalpi.com/ ALL OUR PODCASTS WITH ONE CLICK: www.duringthebreakpodcast.com THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: (Welcome to our NEW sponsor) Signal Investigations: https://www.signalpi.com/ Nutrition World: https://nutritionw.com/ Vascular Institute of Chattanooga: https://www.vascularinstituteofchattanooga.com/ The Barn Nursery: https://www.barnnursery.com/ Optimize U Chattanooga: https://optimizeunow.com/chattanooga/ Guardian Investment Advisors: https://giaplantoday.com/ Alchemy Medspa and Wellness Center: http://www.alchemychattanooga.com/ Our House Studio: https://ourhousestudiosinc.com/ Team Montieth Real Estate - Lori Montieth: https://www.findchattanoogarealestate.com/ Ballinger and Associates - Risk Management: https://ballingerandassociates.com/ AirSpace Acoustics: https://www.airspaceacoustics.com/ BWELL4EVER: Labs and IV Therapies: https://www.bwell4ever.org/ ALL THINGS JEFF STYLES: www.thejeffstyles.com PART OF THE NOOGA PODCAST NETWORK: www.noogapodcasts.com Please consider leaving us a review on Apple and giving us a share to your friends! This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Do your feelings get a vote when God has already spoken? From rejecting hell to claiming personal encounters with Jesus, Todd looks at why even sincere experiences can lead us away from truth—and why Scripture has to remain the final authority. Segment 1 • Why Todd believes leaving mentally ill and addicted people on the streets isn't compassion. • What his trip to Chattanooga revealed about homelessness and human dignity. • Why personal autonomy isn't always the most loving answer. Segment 2 • Jen Hatmaker says abandoning her belief in a literal hell was “the best thing” that ever happened to her. • Should Christians use the fear of hell when sharing the gospel—especially with children? • Why the gospel requires both the reality of judgment and the kindness of God in providing a Savior. Segment 3 • Kathie Lee Gifford says she's experienced Jesus speaking to her and encounters with the demonic. • Why Todd says Christians don't need personal experiences to confirm what Jesus has already revealed in Scripture. • Are Christians treating baptism with the same urgency we see in the book of Acts? Segment 4 • Why older Christian men cannot afford to coast spiritually or assume they're beyond serious sexual sin. • Massachusetts expands access to late-term abortion—and an abortion doctor says he'd perform one simply because a woman changed her mind. • A proposed law would require pornography websites to verify that users are adults. ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn't be more thankful for you if we tried!