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In this episode, Physical Therapist at Kelly Hawkins Physical Therapy, Meagan Duncan, talks about creating safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community. Today, Meagan talks about trauma-informed care, navigating trauma during the subjective exam, and the importance of consent. How can PTs make clinics safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community? Hear about the discrimination faced by the LGBTQ+ community, doing community advocacy work, and get Meagan's advice to her younger self, all on today's episode of The Healthy, Wealthy & Smart Podcast.   Key Takeaways “Gay men can undergo sexual violence at twice the rate of straight men. 50% of transgender people will experience some kind of sexual violence in their life. It's even more if they're a minority.” “Being trauma-informed is important in any discipline because you don't know what somebody has been through.” “I think it's about really small gestures.” “Starting with paperwork, gender has every option you can think of. If it's a paper form, gender's a blank space.” “We have small flag stickers for every flag that you can think of with all the colours that represent different parts of the LGBTQ+ community.” “Be more vigilant about asking for consent.” “Asking for consent is something that should be ongoing and all the time.” “Education is a big part of asking for consent, because in order to consent to something, people have to understand what it's going to entail.” “Providing options Is a really important part of consent.” “It's not patient-directed care. It's patient-centred care.” “Don't just go around touching people without consent.” “Find a niche. If you can find a niche that you are passionate about and that is needed, you are never going to struggle for work or for satisfaction.”   More about Meagan Duncan Meagan Duncan is a Chicagoland native who earned an associate degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant in 2013 from Kankakee Community College. She then worked for six years in an orthopaedic setting while earning a Bachelor's in Interdisciplinary Studies from Governor State University in Illinois. Later, she moved to Las Vegas to earn her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Nevada Las Vegas in 2020. As a PTA, she developed and ran a pro bono clinic at her first post grad job in her hometown of Joliet, Illinois. She now practices in Las Vegas and specializes in pelvic health after completing a specialty clinical rotation with the VA Hospital in Las Vegas. Duncan currently works at Kelly Hawkins Physical Therapy, a prominent outpatient physical therapy company in the Las Vegas area. At Kelly Hawkins, she built a successful pelvic health program that she has overseen and grown over the past year and a half. Duncan also works for NPTE Final Frontier, a premier national physical therapy exam preparation company that works with domestic and foreign trained students to help them pass the board exam. In this role, she tutors PT and PTA exam candidates and assists them with content development. She advocates for students and professionals to balance life outside of physical therapy. Outside of her profession, Duncan enjoys hiking, biking, paddleboarding and anything she can do outdoors with her husband and dog. She is excited to welcome a new addition to her family soon, as her first child is due in a month.   Suggested Keywords Healthy, Wealthy, Smart, Physiotherapy, LGBTQ+, Inclusion, Trauma, Pain, Discrimination, Sexual Violence, Advocacy, Consent, Pelvic Health,   To learn more, follow Meagan at: Email:              mduncan@kellyhawkins.com Website:          https://www.kellyhawkins.com LinkedIn:         Meagan Duncan   Subscribe to Healthy, Wealthy & Smart: Website:                      https://podcast.healthywealthysmart.com Apple Podcasts:          https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/healthy-wealthy-smart/id532717264 Spotify:                        https://open.spotify.com/show/6ELmKwE4mSZXBB8TiQvp73 SoundCloud:               https://soundcloud.com/healthywealthysmart Stitcher:                       https://www.stitcher.com/show/healthy-wealthy-smart iHeart Radio:               https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-healthy-wealthy-smart-27628927   Read the Full Transcript Here:  00:02 Hey Megan, welcome to the podcast. I'm happy to have you on.   00:06 Hey, Karen, awesome to be here. Thank you for having me.   00:09 Yes. And like I said in the intro, today, we're going to be talking about creating physical therapy space, a safe spaces for the LGBTQ plus community. So before we talk a little bit more about that, can you let the listeners know where your passion for this community comes from?   00:27 For um, so I guess I feel like I'm just kind of a fan of the underdog in any situation. And I can't say that I have personally experienced, like so much in this community, aside from having a lot of relationships with people, and seeing what they go through and what life looks like on that side of our world, because it's a very different experience from what I've had as a heterosexual, white female. So when I was in high school, I just kind of ended up best friends with a gay man. And he kind of brought me into the circle of his friends, which ended up being just a really large, wonderful welcoming circle of people on all spectrums of the LGBTQ plus community. So I got really interested in just kind of gay rights and things like that went to marches and did all of that. Tried to advocate for the community as whatever I need to do as a 16 year old, which was not very much. And now I found myself in this position that I can do something which is awesome. And it's not even necessarily something I thought about when I went into the niche that I'm in. But I am really happy to be able to finally say that there's like some baggage behind this lifelong commitment that I kind of said that I had towards the community, but was never really doing anything about it other than like, your like Facebook posts here and there that talk about, you know, advocacy or supporting a community that's not well supported. So I'm happy to be able to do something about it now.   01:56 And let's talk about what you can do, or what we can do as physical therapists to help support this community, because I'm sure a lot of people may be listening to this and say, Well, what does the community need? That's so different from the rest of of other communities? So what is it about this community in particular, that perhaps they're more exposed to certain things? Or do they not get the care that they need? So go ahead, I'll pass the mic over to you.   02:27 Yeah, absolutely. So just discrimination in general, it's a problem in so many realms of social issues, being gender and sexual preference, of course, is one of those huge ones. So people feeling like or actually having less access to healthcare, getting denied health care, or getting given less than optimal treatment, or not really getting the best of their provider because of discrimination or because of biases that those providers have. Likewise, they might be afraid to go to facilities or go get treatments for things that are going through because they've experienced poor care before. So my niche actually, is pelvic floor physical therapy. And in this, there is so much that I can do for the community and physical therapists as well. And I was thinking about this podcast and thinking, what actually makes my job so different from the way everybody should be treating everyone. And I think there's a lot to learn, aside from just treating in pelvic floor PT. But in pelvic floor PT, I see a lot of people in the community because they are much more exposed to sexual violence and sexual trauma. And that correlates really significantly with pelvic floor dysfunctions. So we know from studies that gay men can undergo sexual violence at twice the rate of straight men, transgender people will usually experience about 50% of people will experience some kind of sexual violence in their life, which is a huge number 50%. And then it's even more if they're a minority. So that's a huge community of people where like, most of them need our help or need pelvic floor PT, or need more support than they're getting. So I think that we can play a big role in advocating for people and making spaces where they feel like are welcome. Or be that person that they can come to and after bad experience, bad experience or bad experience in healthcare, they can come to you and feel comfortable. And that's a really great feeling from my end. And I hope that other physical therapists out that out there feel better experienced that because it's awesome.   04:29 And you know, when you're talking about sexual trauma, or sexual assault within this community, I mean, the thing that sticks out to me is trauma. And so there is more and more research. And I think more and more people are now aware of trauma informed care. So can you share with us some of the principles of trauma informed care and why physical therapists should care?   04:56 Yeah, so this is kind of one of those things I was thinking about. trauma informed care and pelvic floor physical therapy is like, every class every time, we're always talking about every continuing ed course, because the nature of the work is so intimate, and very personal. And we're asking questions that make people uncomfortable, and hopefully not too much, but putting people in uncomfortable positions a lot of times, and it takes a lot for somebody to even come into my office to tackle these issues. But I think we should all be kind of treating in that same way. Because we don't really know like, of course, I know, when people come in for pelvic floor PT, they're probably uncomfortable. Like most of the time, people don't really like, want to be there. They're there because they need it. But that goes for a lot of things in physical therapy, right? Like people don't want to have back pain and come in and like, a lot of people don't want to get like touched and massage like, that's not what they intended on doing. But here they are, because they need it. So being trauma informed in any discipline is really important, because you just don't know what somebody has been through. So talking about trauma informed care, I think understanding a little bit more about trauma is probably a good place to start. So I do kind of think everybody should   06:10 reflect a little bit on what that means. So I was thinking of a good example. And I think that trauma can be kind of like pain, where we don't have a measurable, like objective measure for like, what pain is or what trauma is. So I know if a patient comes in says they're in six out of 10 pain, I have a patient with that same diagnosis that might say they're in two out of 10 pain. Or maybe I see, let's say I see somebody with a knee replacement. And I know that like a good healthy knee should have zero degrees extension, right. Or before they leave the hospital, we want them to have 90 degrees of flexion. But like I can't say to somebody, like you have a 15 degree trauma contracture. Like that doesn't make sense. There's no reference point that we know of other than what that person's experienced. So it's important to understand that trauma is different for each person. And some people could be really traumatized by an event. And some people could not really be traumatized by the same event. And that could depend on what factors they have in their cultural background in their other life experiences or the lens that they see things through. So somebody could experience their parents getting divorced, and maybe they came out of that fine. And they're like, Well, I came out of that fine. I don't know why it's so hard for everybody else. But you don't know what it was like to experience that with these other issues around you with being a minority or having financial distress or anything else like that. So understanding traumas is the most important part first. And then when we talk about trauma informed care. And this is from a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, there's kind of the principles of trauma informed care, what does that mean? So the first part of that is to realize that trauma is a widespread issue. And it is invasive, and pervasive, and it affects people in a lot of different areas of their life. And then also realizing that there are pathways to potential recovery. After that, we should be able to recognize the five signs and symptoms of trauma. So recognize what is trauma look like? Sound like? How does that patient act? How can we pick up on if they're a traumatized individual. So seeing a patient being uncomfortable in your clinic, they might not make eye contact with you, they might not want to face you directly, you might see their body language is a little bit off, their arms are crossed. Things that we've all seen. We all have patients probably every day ranging anything from like that super bubbly, happy patient to the one that comes in and has done PT before and had bad experiences, and they're really unhappy. So recognizing what does that look like, and then responding by implementing that knowledge into practices and policies within just not just yourself, but the the facility as well. So using what you know, to actually change or adopt practices better, going to be more inviting or more informed and make more comfortable spaces for people that are traumatized. And then we have resisting retraumatization. And this, I think, is the most important part for us as clinicians. So thinking about what we can do to make an environment that does not correlate with any kind of trauma, anybody has had to make them have to revisit that. So and that could be anything again, like there's traumatic events that range from, you know, like really terrible sexual violence, and these are maybe things I hear about, but then there's also the trauma of like, having been misdiagnosed or having been told this or that by that provider or getting a hopeless diagnosis or being told that there's nothing that can be done for them. Those are things that we can actively try to resist re traumatizing that patient in. So being on honest and informative, making sure that we're not making false promise promises, but also that we're providing hope. And then thinking about what our space is like. And this is probably relative, maybe a little bit more for like LGBT, t plus LGBT plus community, where I am making sure that my space has signs that say All are welcome here. And things that make people feel invited, because they very possibly have had an experience before where they walk into a facility and like, immediately feel discriminated against or immediately feel like, this is not a place that I want to be here, this is not a place that's going to give me good care, and maybe the Carolinas without a dentist, but at any rate, they've experienced that and probably are very likely more than once. So I want to make sure that whatever I'm doing is not recreating any of that for them.   10:54 And when you are, understanding what trauma is, and really trying to understand the trauma of the person sitting in front of you, right, I would assume a lot of that comes through our subjective exam. So do you have any advice for therapists who are navigating these waters, even newer therapists perhaps are navigating or who maybe aren't, are not as well practiced in the art of the interview? Or in that process of, of that subjective exam? So do you have any like, what types of questions do you ask that kind of stuff?   11:34 Yeah, sure. Um, so I asked a lot of questions and pelvic floor PT. But I think the more important concept around that is, um, sometimes instead of asking questions, I, and that's not that we're talking at patients. But I do take a moment to do this. And if I am getting a sense from a patient, that they may have experienced trauma, that they're not going to share that with me. And that is probably more likely than not, especially on the first day, when I'm doing my initial evaluation, they don't know me, they don't trust me, they don't really want to share any of this with me, let alone even be there. So, a lot of times, I'll take the opportunity to talk about how trauma or how other experiences can relate to pain. So I might say to, let's say to my pelvic floor patients, I don't need to know or I don't need you to tell me any details or anything. But I am aware that trauma increases pelvic floor dysfunction increases pain, and it can really affect the way that people recover. So if there's anything that I can do during this treatment to make you more comfortable in any way, let me know if we need to stop anything. We're doing them, you know. So I might just take it as a piece of information, instead of asking a direct question, like making them tell me, maybe they'll do that later on in another session or two. Maybe I might need to know more at some point. But I've really never ran into that situation. A lot of patients will tell me the extent of it right there. They might do it another session or two. But it's not something that I really want to force out to people like day one, because if if I do that, like are they going to come back? Because that re traumatizing them? Have they been forced to talk about it before. I'm not a psychologist, I'm not a psychiatrist. I'm maybe not the person that they want to share all that with. So I want to make sure they have the open door to tell me about it. But I'm not like dragging it out of them.   13:22 Yeah, that's, that's wonderful advice. I really love that. And the other thing is, that I heard a couple of times during kind of these principles is creating that safe space, creating that space, where like you said, Everyone is welcome. How do you have any other tips and it could be from the person at the front desk all the way to, to the therapist and every employee in between? So are their conversations with the all the employees who work at the within that space? And and this may seem kind of like a silly question, but I think it's important, but colors on the wall artwork, things like that. I think it makes a difference. Right. So what do you what do you think?   14:10 Yeah, so I think that maybe places are a little bit hesitant to, like, fly this giant rainbow flag outside their door, right? Like, I would totally do it if I have my own clinic, but I recognize that I'm like, you know, working we're still working in a world that like from a business model. Maybe we don't want to do that because we want everyone to feel welcome, right? But it doesn't really take much. I think it's about really small gestures. So in our clinic, starting from paperwork, like they fill out paperwork online. And gender, for example, has every option that you can think of. If it is a paper form, gender is a blank space, so that blank space leaves people the option to write how they identify. And I love that option because That's even better than having to choose from like an overwhelming amount of options, or not finding the option that you're looking for. So a blank space for gender is fantastic. And then what we have in our clinic, like I said, small gestures, I think small gestures are really the thing, we have very small little flag stickers, like on the Plexiglas from our front office. Just little flag stickers for like every flag that you can think of, or it has like all the colors that represent different parts of LGBTQ plus community. So that little flag makes such a big difference, because I'll tell you, a lot of our patients are not going to notice it, like your patients that don't identify in any of those ways are not even going to notice it. But those people that do are going to see it, and they're going to love it. And we get compliments on that all the time. They think like, Oh, my God, people are so thankful for this little tiny sticker, we got like four pack on Amazon for like, probably a couple bucks, you know, just doesn't take much. And then another thing that we have in our waiting area is a sign that says All are welcome here. And that's such a simple thing, because that's not offending anybody that's making all people feel welcome. And people that are looking for that in their space, they know exactly what you're talking about when they see that fine. And everybody else is just like, oh, that's a nice thing. And they might not think very much of it. But it's certainly still a good thing to hear like, older people are welcome. Younger people are welcome. Everybody's welcome here. So it's really easy option.   16:29 And I love that these are all really easy, inexpensive, and accessible ways to show that you are working hard on creating a safe space for everyone. And like you said, a safe space for the LGBTQ plus community who oftentimes can't find those safe spaces.   16:48 Yeah, yeah. Another another small thing that I do personally, because I want my patients before I even go into their room maybe to like understand that I'm an advocate, I just have like a rainbow water bottle. And that's what I drink out of that work. And they see that sitting on my desk, and maybe some other stickers on like my laptop and stuff like that. But something that they might see like, Oh, that's my therapist, and they see like a rainbow water bottle. And it's just like a little thing that makes them feel more comfortable. I love it. I love my water bottle, so everybody's happy.   17:19 And do you go out physically into the community for advocacy work or as part of the clinic just so that people know that you're there? You know, like, how, how does that work within your community? Because I'm sure there are people who I mean, I'm in New York City, right? So I talk about like a large amount of people, right? So how do people know how to find? So how do people, especially in these marginalized communities know how to find the people who are creating spaces for them? Yeah,   17:49 so most communities, I'm in Las Vegas have support centers or community centers that support or provide or refer to services like my own or other providers that they know, create these safe spaces. So we have a support center here in Vegas, I've spoken to a little bit, I'm not necessarily within everybody's insurance providers. So that makes things a little bit harder. I'm in pelvic floor PT, I get so many patients from all over. And I've had a very long wait time, it's been tough to go out and mark it. And I'm also leaving for maternity leave actually in a couple of weeks. So I have plans for when I come back to reach out a little bit more, but I have been swarmed with what I have. But going out into these community centers, just letting them know who you are dropping off some cards, I have done that. And that is a really good way to at least get started. Get your name or your clinic out there. And maybe you're not what every person is looking for. But if they have your card handy, and they are providing social services to somebody, they might say, it sounds like you could benefit from this I know a great physical therapist that you could go to. And then, of course, we're a little bit bound by insurances. And that's definitely something I see in my future is trying to provide a little bit more preventive care to people that are uninsured or under insured. But that's probably a future problem for me at the moment. Right.   19:18 Right. And I think that's great advice. So if you're in a city, reach out to local community groups, community centers, things like that, and I think that's a great way for you to get out and in the community and really make a difference. And now there's one more thing that I want to talk about before we start wrapping things up. And that is the importance of asking patients for consent. So you touched on this a little bit, right? But especially in the pelvic floor world. Where does this explained explain to the to myself and to the listeners, how you go about asking for consent And why this   20:01 is yeah, this is definitely like if we can take home anything from if listeners could take home anything, it's to be more vigilant about asking for consent. And I can kind of trace this back to like how I've evolved in asking for consent. And I think about an IC O I think probably hope I'm probably not the only one guilty of this. But when I started, I started as a physical therapist assistant. So way back, when I graduated as a PTA, I went to work at a facility where the, the clinic was pretty manually aggressive, a lot of manual therapy, a lot of kind of aggressive manual therapy, which can be a little jarring for patients that are maybe not prepared for that. But I think about how many patients, I just went into the room and like started palpating, or like, Okay, I'm going to check this and then just like put my hands on them. And I think now about like how strange it would be to just like, grab somebody like psi SS without like telling them where you're going, like grabbing the back of their hips or having them like face a wall and then touching their back. And that can be like a very, that can like reiterate some traumatic events for people being grabbed from behind. That's, it's, I can't believe that I did this being the person that I am now. But I did, I did it every day all the time. And I never really thought about consent, I just figured the patient was there, maybe the provider before me had probably done similar the same things as a PTA, so I assumed PT had done the same. And I just think how crazy that is. Now, to me, it just is like so out there that I would have done that. Um, but asking for consent is something that should be ongoing and all the time. So from the initial evaluation, and education is a big part of asking for consent, I think too, because in order to consent to something, people have to understand what it's going to entail. And for me and pelvic floor, that's certainly relevant because I do do internal pelvic floor exams. So they need to know exactly what I'm going to be doing. And I use a model to demonstrate and to talk about what that's going to entail, and then discuss that they have the option to consent to that or to not consent to that, if they don't, there's other things that I can work on that I can help with. So I don't want them to feel pressured, that they have to consent to anything that I asked for. So consent, those should be informing the patient pretty much every step of the way. So instead of saying, I'm going to check your pelvic alignment, nobody knows what that means, like our patients don't know what that means. So I might ask, Is it okay with you if I touched the front of your hips, and then that's how I started just kind of simple and explaining in layman's terms, what I'm going to do. And a lot of times, I'm asking a patient or giving a patient options. And this is kind of part of trauma informed care is enabling or empowering the patient to make choices or have options. So instead of saying, say I want to do soft tissue work, instead of saying, I will be right back, I'm going to go grab some lotion, and then the patient knows I'm going to do soft tissue, but they didn't get an option to consent to that. I just went to go grab it. And now they feel like they're stuck there. And I'm going to come back with lotion and they're going to get a massage and they don't have a choice. So I might say, I would like to work on this. This is why. So we can do that. If you don't want to do that. We can work on mobility in this other way. So that way they have an option for what they want to do or how they want to do it. So providing options, I think is a really important part of concern. Um, I think yeah, I think that's mostly what I mean with consent.   23:42 Perfect. Yeah, I think that's great. And listen, I used to do the same thing. And I can't believe I did that either. Yeah, just like walking into a room and just like touching. Like, I wouldn't want someone to do that to me. I can't believe I did that.   23:55 I know. And I wonder is that like, a time? A time thing? Like 10 years ago? Was it just more like then we're just more informed now? Or was I just like totally oblivious? Because that's certainly   24:05 possible. I think it's just we're more informed now. I'm gonna I'm gonna go with that, you know, and yeah, and and maybe a little bit of a being oblivious? I don't know. But you're right. Like, I would just come first of all stand up and you just be like, hands on the pelvis. And it's like, what is like, how, what, what was?   24:25 And like next to I think, like, we were just yeah, like not grabbing,   24:30 grabbing onto people's heads and everything. What's that about? I would never do that. Now. You know, even if I'm just going to touch someone's arm. I was like, I'm just gonna put my hands here if that's okay. And we're gonna. Yeah, it just makes so much more sense. And I love the fact that you tied that in with the patient education component. Because I think like you said, you can't have one without the other. It's just so important.   24:55 Right? And I think that we underestimate like how much the patient wants to be educated about things. So and that's a lesson, I think I've learned pelvic floor PT, because so many people did, like they don't even know they have a pelvic floor or what it does. So education's been a huge part of my practice, like the whole first session is really education and training, and bladder and bowel training and things like that. But patients want to know, they want to know all the details, like they love it, tell them so they know what you're doing. So they know if they want that done or not.   25:24 Yeah, absolutely. At your right patients want to know, and it doesn't matter the age, they want to know, what's going on with their bodies and and what they can do to be a part of it. So it's also a great way to empower your patient to understand and take control over their, over their bodies. You know, and and give, give the patient some autonomy and some confidence.   25:49 Yeah. And to give that the patient the opportunity to, like collaborate with you, instead of be told what's happening. So to have the opportunity for them to feel involved and to have a voice in their decision making and understand even why they're making a decision, like so that they might know. Yes, I do want this internal pelvic floor exam done. Because I want to know more about the tone of my pelvic floor so that I can know why I have pain or why I have difficulty emptying my bladder. I want them to be able to make that connection in their head and be able to consent to it. Knowing why.   26:21 Yeah. And it's all part of patient centered care. I mean, that's what we're all supposed to be doing. Right? Yeah, absolutely. It's not patient directed care. It's patient centered care.   26:33 Right. And just as relevant as it is for me and pelvic floor. I think it's the same anywhere else across the board.   26:39 Yeah, across the board. Absolutely. Well, I, you know, I want to thank you. I think this was a great conversation. I feel like I've definitely learned a little bit more about trauma informed care. So I thank you for that. Now, where can people find you? If let's say they have questions, they, you know, they want to know how they can implement some of the things you're doing in your clinic in their own clinics.   27:06 Yeah, sure. So I typically use my work email for anything like that. So that is M Duncan at Kelly hawkins.com. And I like I said, I'm not much of a social media person I wish I could say I was that's probably not the best way to contact me.   27:24 I know you're not missing anything. Don't worry about it.   27:27 Yeah, but I'm always happy to check emails and respond that way. For people trying to figure out where to start. I did want to mention CSM has a lot of great topics on this, I've certainly gotten a lot of information, or directed myself onto what things I'd like to learn more about by going to CSM and going to these discussions. There is some information on trauma informed care at CSM this year, as well as introductions to pelvic floor PT, for those that are interested. And there are always platforms and other lectures on what we can do for the LGBT Q plus community. Excellent.   28:04 Thank you so so much. And before we wrap up, I'll ask you the question I asked everyone. And that's knowing where you are now in your life and in your career, what advice would you give to your younger self?   28:14 That's fine to not just go around touching people.   28:18 Yeah. That advice to each other.   28:21 I think I'm fortunate that never really panned out to be anything too negative, but I would love to go back and not do that. But what I do tell people and recommend as far as career is to find a niche. So my niche is pelvic floor PT. Within that my niche is being passionate and treating the LGBTQ plus community treating patients that are transgender, that is a great niche to be in, not everybody is doing it, it is so needed. If you can find a niche that you're passionate about, and that is needed, you are never going to struggle for work or for satisfaction. Um, it really is kind of been if you build it, they will come situation. And people told that to me when I began pelvic floor pt. And that's what I did, I built a pelvic floor program, the company that I work for now. And like I said, I am very busy, very satisfied with the way my career has gone in. So find a niche and it's not something that every new student is going to know right away. But get out there and explore like go shadow and go find places that are outside your comfort zone. Like I wasn't I didn't think I was going to go into pelvic floor PT. I don't think a lot of us that end up in it do. It's maybe not something I would have thought to shadow I would have been like, that does not sound good. I don't want to do that. But again, outside your comfort zone, go shadow and find therapists that are doing things that you don't think you would ever do, and see if you can find somewhere that you're going to land and be successful.   29:50 I love it. That is great advice. Thank you so much, Megan. I really appreciate your time and your knowledge sharing with myself and the Audience So thank you so much yeah thank you and everyone thanks so much for tuning in and listening have a great couple of days and stay healthy Wealthy and Smart

Legendary Milwaukee wrestling promoter and personality David Herro joins Windy City Slam Podcast to promote Blizzard Brawl, coming to Waukesha, Wis., on Dec. 4, getting into the business, how he is so well connected to many big-time wrestlers, his son Kal's burgeoning career and much more. Plus, Mike offers his opinion on WWE Survivor Series and reports on the Chicagoland independent scene, including Freelance Wrestling, Chicago Style Wrestling, AAW Pro and more. Mike Pankow is a wrestling super-fan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy "Wrestling, Chicago-Style" on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

This week we catch up with Head Coach at St. Xavier University Michael Kay. Kay talks about his teams' early season win and how he hopes to continue to build on the program. We discuss recruiting in the Chicagoland area how he approaches the mental game. We talk about how he coaches the men and women different if he does and his goals for the teams.

Tianna Gawlak is a mother & baker in the suburbs of Chicago. Baking for her family inspired a series of entrepreneurial ventures, including her first children's picture book “When You Dream of Chocolate Cake” and her business, The Bakery Box. The Bakery Box is a 24-hour dessert ATM with several locations in the Chicagoland. It might sounds complicated, but it's literally what it sounds like! We'd pick dessert over $20 bills any day! We sat down for the best part of any meal, dessert, to learn about founding a food-based business in the middle of the pandemic and how that impacted operations. Plus we learn how she keeps the ATM's stocked with the tastiest, freshest desserts 24/7! We mean, what a dream! And we hear about her darling Children's book inspired by her children. Instead of coffee, we finish dessert with a round of rapid fire to discover Tianna's favorite favorite cupcake flavor, how she likes her cookies, future items she'd like in her ATM's, and of course, her favorite cocktail! Tianna also expresses her Thanksgiving gratitude for her local Chicago business partners. And we featured “Stratford Sodas” as our drink of the week!

Are you dreaming of having your day in divorce court? Of exposing your spouse's misbehavior to a sympathetic judge? Of winning the case and being rewarded financially? Then you are going to be sorely disappointed. The truth is, the court system cares little about your spouse's wrongdoing. And the cost of litigation (in terms of money and mental health) far outweighs any potential reward. So, what do you need to consider before you file for divorce? Rayford Dalton Palmer, JD, AAML, serves as Managing Shareholder at STG Divorce Law, a top family law firm based in the Chicagoland area. Raiford's team has expertise in complex divorce cases, specifically those involving business owners and high-net-worth individuals. Raiford is also the author of the bestseller I Just Want This Done: How Smart, Successful People Get Divorced Without Losing Their Kids, Money and Minds. On this episode of Divorce Dialogues, Raiford joins Katherine to explore the common myth that court is the best way to resolve a divorce and explain why there are no winners in a litigated divorce. He describes a divorce lawyer's responsibility to provide clients with a sober analysis of potential outcomes and help people set realistic expectations around the divorce process. Listen in for Raiford's insight on choosing among litigation, mediation and the collaborative process and learn how to bring a business mindset to divorce for the best possible result long term. Topics Covered What inspired Raiford to write I Just Want This Done as resource for divorce Why it's crucial to know your goals and set realistic expectations for the divorce process The common myth that court is the best way to resolve a divorce case Why there are no winners in a litigated divorce A divorce lawyer's responsibility to provide clients with a sober analysis of potential outcomes How the justice system was not set up to deal with family issues Why a spouse's misbehavior almost never impacts the financial outcome of a divorce Bringing a business mindset to the divorce process Why Raiford recommends working with a divorce coach and lawyer Choosing among litigation, mediation and the collaborative divorce process Connect with Raiford Dalton Palmer I Just Want This Done: https://www.ijustwantthisdone.com/ STG Divorce Law on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stgdivorcelaw Raiford on Twitter: https://twitter.com/raifordpalmer Connect with Katherine Miller The Center for Understanding Conflict: http://understandinginconflict.org/ Miller Law Group: https://westchesterfamilylaw.com/ Katherine on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kemiller1 The New Yorker's Guide to Collaborative Divorce by Katherine Miller: https://www.amazon.com/New-Yorkers-Guide-Collaborative-Divorce/dp/0692496246 Email: katherine@westchesterfamilylaw.com Call (914) 738-7765 Resources I Just Want This Done: How Smart, Successful People Get Divorced Without Losing Their Kids, Money and Minds by Raiford Dalton Palmer, JD, AAML: https://www.ijustwantthisdone.com/

MOLD! It's the scary four-letter word that investors never want to hear and it does not belong in a healthy property. However, a basic understanding of mold and its misconceptions in the marketplace will make you a better investor.  After having a bad experience with a mold company, investor Greg Bukowsi saw a need in the market and made it his mission to assist similar investors with mold issues. In today's episode, Greg and Devin explain what causes mold, why the Chicago market is ripe for mold problems, and how to analyze and tackle mold issues small or large.  Please take ten seconds and leave us a review!!!! Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Guest: Greg Bukowski and Devin Renberg of Moldman Chicago & St. Louis Link: Reducing Your Exposure To Mold Link: Mold and Your Health Link: Mold Sponsors: Appeal.tax and Essex ----------------- Guest Questions Get ready for winter, avoid frozen pipe lines. 01:20  Why I love being in the mold business 10:23   Key conditions for mold to grow 15:18  How do you know if there is mold behind the drywall?18:36  Protect yourself before buying mold issues 19:52 What is the root cause of Mold in Chicago or the Midwest? 22:28 Is it smart to use a store bought mold kit? 24:34 The relation between humidity and mold 26:54 How can I prevent mold in Chicago garden apartments 31:13 Wrap Up Questions Good news...it isn't always mold! 33:01 Difference between black mold & regular mold? 35:02  What to say as a Chicago landlord when mold is reported by a tenant 39:45 What makes a great mold vendor in Chicago? 43:54 One specific piece of advice you would tell someone that is yet to buy their first property here in the Chicagoland area. 45:26  That's our show! Thanks for listening! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2021.

This week, we spoke with the newest addition to the BWLP management team, our Director of Agent Development, Hunter Andre! We learned about his transition into real estate, his incredible career, and his tips on how agents can maximize their business through a little bit of strategy, and a whole lot of patience. Hunter is an incredible agent and teacher, and there's a lot to learn on this episode! Contact Hunter Andre:

Welcome to the Unconfined Network! Our podcast hosts all share the unique link of knowing each other from our time working together at The Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL. Some of us have since moved on from Wrigley, but no matter where our travels and interests took us, we stayed in contact and shared a passion for podcasting. We decided to merge our platforms under the Unconfined umbrella to introduce listeners to a wide array of shows that highlight the depths and interests of our respective hosts. The Mistaken Identity Podcast gives listeners an inside look at the people who work "behind the scenes" in the Guest Services & Security departments at Wrigley Field, where most of us originally met. Hosted by Frank Walker, who works at Wrigley as a Security Services Supervisor (amongst many other things!), Mistaken Identity helps us get to know the personalities behind the ID badges.You're the DJ, I'm the Podcaster is hosted by the original podcast gangster of our group, Mike Kincaide. Mike is no stranger to having his voice heard by hundreds of ears each and every day, as he worked as lead dispatch for Security Services at Wrigley Field for over a decade. As Mike's episode catalog will show, he's got friends and interests all across the spectrum, and his show uses each guest's specific interest in music as a jumping-off point for organic conversation.Back in the Day is a 90's Black Sitcom retrospective hosted by our resident dynamic duo, Cheryl Morely & Tanya Letcher. Each week, the ladies look back at the sitcoms that literally helped shape pop culture. From the iconic sitcoms to diamonds in the rough, Back in the Day discusses the messaging, social issues and continued relevance of each episode while taking plenty of time to highlight the wackiness of the 90s and their personal experiences.On-Air Mobcast (soon to be renamed "Trademark") is a clearinghouse for sports and sports-betting related content through the eyes of budding journalist Thomas Butler-Guerrero. From breaking sports news to betting odds to one-on-one interviews with players, coaches and reporters, On-Air Mobcast has the pulse of the Chicagoland sports scene. We have plans to expand our network in the future, so we hope you enjoy the journey as we grow!Sign up to win some of the items featured on our shows for the holidays at www,patreon.com/mistakenidentitypodcast The baseball season is over, soon, but the the fall line up of movies, player sessions and On Demand content to watch is just beginning on our Podcast membership site, starting at just $1! Check it out at www.patreon.com/mistakenidentitypodcastSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/mistakenidentitypodcast)

Dr. Matthew Raidbard is a former Men's college basketball coach and athletic administrator, head of Raidbard Sports Leadership Consulting, and author of Lead like a Pro! Dr. Raidbard shares his upbringing in the Chicagoland area (as y'all know, MY FAVORITE PLACE IN THE WORLD!!! If you haven't yet, go visit!

Jason begins by explaining why Bulls fans can finally ditch their emotional baggage like hate and jealousy as the franchise enters a new era (0:10). Dan Woike grew up in the Chicagoland area and now covers the NBA and Lakers for the L.A. Times. Dan gives us some insight into what's going on with the Lakers, the addition of Russell Westbrook, and the possible end of LeBron's run (14:00). Following Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball's revenge game in L.A., we asked our listeners for their best stories of revenge in our voicemail segment (1:19:00). Host: Jason Goff Guest: Dan Woike Producers: Steve Ceruti and Chris Tannehill Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chicagoland and Midwestern independent wrestling referee Dan Perch joins Windy City Slam Podcast to talk about the enthusiasm he has for the business, being trained at Thumper's Den up in the Milwaukee area, learning Spanish to work Lucha Libre matches and much more. Plus, Mike recaps the top matches at AEW Full Gear, runs down the local scene, including a stellar Dynamic Wrestling Alliance show last week, and previews a huge weekend around Chicago. Mike Pankow is a wrestling super-fan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy "Wrestling, Chicago-Style" on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

It's sad but true. Adam comes to terms with the end of his 2021 golf season as Mother Nature has taken a turn for the worse in Chicagoland. We also touch on Sean Foley's recent interview with Claude Harmon III where he admits he may have overcoached Tiger Woods. Finally, Adam offers a short checklist to keep in mind as you enter your own offseason. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/golf-unfiltered/message

WGN-TV meteorologist Demetrius Ivory joins John Williams to describe what we should expect in the Chicagoland area as temperatures begin to drop later this week.

Also in the news: dozens of fights have been reported at Proviso East and Proviso West high schools, prompting a response from Superintendent James Henderson; two men are facing charges for allegedly attacking a Joliet police officer; a man says he was robbed of 40-thousand dollars outside the Rivers Casino in Des Plaines; and much more.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Veteran Chicago independent wrestler Brawn the Lumberjack joins Windy City Slam Podcast to promote this weekend's Dynamic Wrestling Alliance show in Willowbrook, talks about coming up in the business in the famous Lunatic Wrestling Federation and who he wrestled in his first match, his love for gimmicks and much more. Plus, Mike talks about POWW's WrestleRage with SCW's invasion, Zelo Pro's “Any Given Sunday” and previews AEW Full Gear. Mike Pankow is a wrestling super-fan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy "Wrestling, Chicago-Style" on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

Scott Weiner & Greg Mohr, co-owners of the Fifty/50 Restaurant Group, are back on the show to talk about how they survived the COVID-19 pandemic. Fifty/50 owns 20 successful restaurants around the Chicagoland area. Not only did the company survive Covid, but Scott and Greg also fed people in the restaurant industry and local patrons who were affected by the virus for free. They also had a chance to work with José Andrés, chef and founder of the World Central kitchen. Learn more.

Scott Weiner & Greg Mohr, co-owners of the Fifty/50 Restaurant Group, are back on the show to talk about how they survived the COVID-19 pandemic. Fifty/50 owns 20 successful restaurants around the Chicagoland area. Not only did the company survive Covid, but Scott and Greg also fed people in the restaurant industry and local patrons who were affected by the virus for free. They also had a chance to work with José Andrés, chef and founder of the World Central kitchen. Learn more.

Hey friends! This week we sit down with Nate Noel about his experience with new construction, and how that impacts his real estate business. Nate is a testament to how building your knowledge of the business can better help your clients, and make you a more valuable agent! We also talk a little bit about investment properties. This is a truly content heavy episode, and there's a lot to be learned here! Contact Nate Noel:

Also in the news: a domestic incident involving two Chicago Police Officers left one dead last night; the "People Mover" trains at O'Hare Airport are back in operation today; Public health leaders in Illinois are looking at COVID-19 numbers every day -- as they weigh whether to end the state's indoor mask requirement; testimony is now underway in the homicide trial of Kyle Rittenhouse - the Illinois teenager charged with shooting three people  - killing two of them - during protests in Wisconsin during August of 2020; and much more.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the feed we're featuring the Chicago Capital Podcast.Chicago Capital is hosted by Matt Castellini and explores the Venture Capital and Entrepreneurial ecosystem in Chicago.Matt is currently getting his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business while working in early stage VC.He grew up in the Chicagoland area and attended Notre Dame for undergrad. He became obessesed with podcasts and podcasting after college. He finally decided to start one when I saw an opportunity to spotlight a city that I felt was not receiving the national recognition it deserved.Matt is also the author of Venture Scenes, where I blog about Startups, Venture Capital, and Movies.Ezra Galston is the Founding Partner at Starting Line, a Chicago-based early-stage venture capital firm that invests in leading consumer products and brands.In this episode, they cover: Fundraising Resiliency Starting Line Fund II Building to Conviction Post-Investment Value-Add The Challenges of the VC Feedback Loop State of Chicago Tech Subscribe to Chicago Capital PodcastFollow Matt Castellini on TwitterLearn more about Starting LineFollow Ezra Galston on TwitterFollow upside on TwitterJoin the upside network

Lydia Warren has a particular kind of amnesia. She vaguely recalls arriving in Santorini with a one-armed man whom she calls David Copperfield, who takes care of her. Lydia spends her days watching the sea and the changing light, trying to remember who she is. She takes walks, befriends a kindly old antiques dealer who might have been a Nazi and a French woman who helps people remember their past lives. Bits and pieces of what might or might not have been past lives appear in brief visions. A lamp she buys from the antiques dealer reminds her of an New York apartment she once lived in, but it's the 1960's, well before she was born. Then she's visited by someone from The Hague investigating war crimes, and she learns that she has an uncle who lives like a hermit behind a monastery, also somewhere in Greece. This is a story about memory, the mysterious workings of the brain, and the human capacity for forgiveness. Jessica Sticklor earned a BA from the New School and an MFA in Creative Writing from the City University of New York. Before The Weary God of Ancient Travelers, she wrote The Beekeeper's Daughter (Bedazzled Ink Press), Betwixt and Between (IG Publishing), Nod, and the young adult Pan Chronicles Series (D.X. Varos). Her short stories have appeared in The Warwick Review, The Hawaii Pacific Review and Wasifiri, and her nonfiction has appeared in The Writer Magazine, Ms. Magazine, and Tor.com. She has worked as an editor at THe Global City Press and the The Global City Review and has taught creative writing at both high school and university level. She has published young adult fantasy under the name J.M. Stephen, lives in southern Vermont, and writes for the very local newspaper, the Deerfield Valley News. Jessica grew up in the Chicagoland area. She has lived in New York City and Southwestern Vermont. She loves skiing, hiking, Virginia Woolf and anything Icelandic. I interview authors of beautifully written literary fiction and mysteries, and try to focus on independently published novels, especially by women and others whose voices deserve more attention. If your upcoming or recently published novel might be a candidate for a podcast, please contact me via my website, gpgottlieb dot com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Lydia Warren has a particular kind of amnesia. She vaguely recalls arriving in Santorini with a one-armed man whom she calls David Copperfield, who takes care of her. Lydia spends her days watching the sea and the changing light, trying to remember who she is. She takes walks, befriends a kindly old antiques dealer who might have been a Nazi and a French woman who helps people remember their past lives. Bits and pieces of what might or might not have been past lives appear in brief visions. A lamp she buys from the antiques dealer reminds her of an New York apartment she once lived in, but it's the 1960's, well before she was born. Then she's visited by someone from The Hague investigating war crimes, and she learns that she has an uncle who lives like a hermit behind a monastery, also somewhere in Greece. This is a story about memory, the mysterious workings of the brain, and the human capacity for forgiveness. Jessica Sticklor earned a BA from the New School and an MFA in Creative Writing from the City University of New York. Before The Weary God of Ancient Travelers, she wrote The Beekeeper's Daughter (Bedazzled Ink Press), Betwixt and Between (IG Publishing), Nod, and the young adult Pan Chronicles Series (D.X. Varos). Her short stories have appeared in The Warwick Review, The Hawaii Pacific Review and Wasifiri, and her nonfiction has appeared in The Writer Magazine, Ms. Magazine, and Tor.com. She has worked as an editor at THe Global City Press and the The Global City Review and has taught creative writing at both high school and university level. She has published young adult fantasy under the name J.M. Stephen, lives in southern Vermont, and writes for the very local newspaper, the Deerfield Valley News. Jessica grew up in the Chicagoland area. She has lived in New York City and Southwestern Vermont. She loves skiing, hiking, Virginia Woolf and anything Icelandic. I interview authors of beautifully written literary fiction and mysteries, and try to focus on independently published novels, especially by women and others whose voices deserve more attention. If your upcoming or recently published novel might be a candidate for a podcast, please contact me via my website, gpgottlieb dot com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Longtime Chicago independent wrestler and POWW Entertainment promoter Jimmy Blaze joins Windy City Slam Podcast to preview this weekend's WrestleRage in Twin Lakes, Wis., breaks down the card match by match and also addresses his potential career-ending match against Mason Percs on Nov. 12. Plus, Mike discusses local indies such as AAW Pro, Zelo Pro, Rocket Pro and GALLI Lucha Libre and offers another theory on Project M.O.N.I.X.'s swerve. Mike Pankow is a wrestling super-fan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy "Wrestling, Chicago-Style" on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

First & Last Name Andrea Robinson Business Email andy@andysunflowercafe.com Business Name Andy sunflower cafe Industry Coffee shop Phone 3129613171 What is your business about? AndySunflower Café started off as a mobile coffee cart based in Chicago, Illinois that launched in 2018 by owner and barista, Andrea O. Robinson. Now we're located in-store at Ain't She Sweet Café in the Chicago Beverly community. AndySunflower Café was created to connect and meet with as many coffee lovers in the Chicagoland area as possible. Any means to serve coffee and have great conversations is what matter most. Andy taught herself how to make great, flavorful, fresh coffee for over 10 years by using the freshest of beans sourced from the best roasters around the world. Although self-taught, Andy later became a certified barista and coffee expert. Wherever there was a coffee pot, Andy was ready to serve. Family and friends requested her coffee everyday so AndySunflower Café was inevitable. She considered her hands as her true machines. Our journey has been amazing, but it has just started. Business Address South Western Ave Chicago IL Business Website www.andysunflowercafe.com Business Social Media Andysunflowercafe --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/anotherblackownedbiz/support

We are going to close out the But God... series today with a glimpse into the life of Paul or also known as Saul. Galatians chapter 1 Paul give us the quick break down of how he became a religious zealot. He rose through the ranks and was a well respected man. I don't think there were any Christians who were rooting for Paul to become one of them. But God...wasn't done with Saul/Paul. The music on the podcast is from John Nugent. John is a Chicagoland area musician who has been a real blessing to Tabor Church. Support the show (http://taborchicago.org/give/)

My special guest for this episode is Chicago's Kris McEwen. He's a man of many parts, with his Venn Diagram covering several sides of golf through his growing multi-media empire. We talk golf courses, media, travel, Chicagoland, and more. Links to Kris's various works are listed below. Enjoy! Driving Range Heroes where you can find…

We are sticking around in 1 Corinthians today with chapter 3, verse 6. In the church we are filled with humans who are flawed. We humans try and look at "our ministry" and want all the glory while we pass the buck on the flaws. It is not about you! Today we are going to talk about that. The music on the podcast is from John Nugent. John is a Chicagoland area musician who has been a real blessing to Tabor Church. Support the show (http://taborchicago.org/give/)

Our Host, Lori La Bey will be talking with Dr. Joy Poskozim.  Everyone calls her Dr. Joy.  Dr. Joy has been providing dental care to Alzheimer's patients for over ten years all over Chicagoland while maintaining a brick and mortar practice in the city of Chicago.  She also educates nursing home staff on the importance of oral care for those who cannot communicate. This show has a ton of great tips for dental care, approaches, and products to help you care for someone with dementia. Contact Dr Joy          Phone:  773-736-7767 Website:  https://joyposkozimdds.com     Website:  https://joyfuldentalcare.com     Email   Contact Lori La Bey with questions or branding needs at www.AlzheimersSpeaks.com   Alzheimer's Speaks Radio - Shifting dementia care from crisis to comfort around the world one episode at a time by raising all voices and delivering sounds news, not just sound bites since 2011.

The Sherman & Tingle Show - WDRV-FM Chicago

As this episode airs, several of the Chicago townships have already been reassessed, leaving many owners with an unpleasant increase in property taxes. Returning guest Tim Jacobs of KSN Law (appeal.tax), joins us to discuss what he's seen in the Chicago townships that have been reassessed, and what he feels will happen in several townships about to be reassessed. Tim walks through the basics of how to look up your assessed value, calculate your taxes, and most importantly how to appeal your property taxes. Tim explains the appeal process, what data you can use to your advantage, and how to leverage a professional if you choose to engage one. Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Guest: Tim Jacobs from Appeal.tax Link: Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business: Wickman, Gino: 0783324916904 Link: Cook County Assessor's Office: We are Here to Help Link: Cook County Treasurer's Office - Chicago, Illinois Link: Law Offices of Naheed A. Amdani, PC – What is a Real Estate Tax Reproration Agreement? Link: KSN Law Link: Ted Kuhlmann, Real Estate Agent in Chicago - Compass Sponsor: Prime Lending   Sponsor: Appeal.tax ----------------- Guest Questions Understanding tax data 5:00 How have different townships been affected in Chicagoland? 9:15 How vacancy can change your tax assessment. 17:30 Do non paying tenants affect tax assessments? 24:00 Wrap Up Questions What is your competitive advantage? 37:15 Advice for a new investor? 38:00 What do you do for fun? 39:00 Self development activity? 39:45 Network recommendation? 40:30 How can we learn more about you? 41:00 That's our show! Thanks for listening! ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2021.

You guys! It's the fourth season of This Real Estate Life! We're still here and kicking, and to celebrate, I got to sit down with my co-host Negeeen Masghati. We talk about business planning, how to create practices that lead to long term success, and some BIG news about Mrs. Masghati herself! Episodes are always fantastic when we keep it to family - and this one is no exception! Contact Negeen Masghati:

Today we are going to 1 Corinthians 1:28- But God chose things despised by the world...God's Kingdom looks upside-down to how we are used to considering things. We think the powerful, wealthy people are the ones we should use to pass along our significance. God thinks differently and I am glad for it. The music on the podcast os from John Nugent. John is a Chicagoland area musician who has been a real blessing to Tabor Church. Support the show (http://taborchicago.org/give/)

AU Sports is Chicagoland's oldest sports memorabilia store. Owner Scott Beatty joined Bob Sirott to discuss what he thinks the Tom Brady 600th touchdown ball is worth, and whether the buyer who spent nearly $1.5 million on a pair of Michael Jordan’s shoes overpaid. Scott also takes calls from listeners and shares feedback on their sports […]

Rachel Fahrenbach - Identity, Purpose, Belonging and the Sabbath Today's guest, author Rachel Fahrenbach has some valuable insight to share on what rest can do for you in all the areas of your life, and rest in the form of practicing Sabbath. Our conversation was based on her new book, Rest & Reflect: 12-Week Guided Sabbath Journal. Through her guided journal you will explore these 3 areas with God: Identity Purpose Belonging To me, identity, purpose and belonging are key areas that are foundational for us when navigating this thing called life. When those 3 areas are healthy we get to enjoy things like peace, clarity, and joy for the journey. This isn't a legalistic practice. It moves with the ebb and flow of life and it looks original to the families that define how they want to focus on God. It's truly a beautiful thing. Because resting in God is a spiritual inheritance that we have access to as His children, you know God has a beautiful exchange for us when we practice the Sabbath.  Anytime we draw near to Him He showers us with His affection and generosity. And He always gives more than we can imagine. God's value system is such that when we discover who He is in the type of rest that He has for us we get more. More peace, less anxiety. More relationship with less work. More life, less overwhelm. Giving God our focus helps us to begin to see things through the lens of God's heart for us and that sweet friend is transformational! Talking with Rachel about practicing the Sabbath reminds me that it offer us the opportunity to  have that garden of eden experience...in the here and now…..daily perceiving Him, walking and talking with Him.  Rachel shows us that resting is not being lazy, it shouldn't make you feel guilty and you're not adding something to you To Do list. I want to challenge you to give God your time by practicing a Sabbath and see what He has for you. Test Him, taste and see that He is good. Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com BIO: RACHEL FAHRENBACH is the author of Rest & Reflect, a guided journal that helps you implement a weekly rhythm of rest and reflection in your week through the practice of Sabbath. Her desire is to see moms reclaim a deep joy and stabilizing peace in their weeks by actively choosing to rest. To support them in this choice, Rachel offers encouragement and resources for implementing a Sabbath practice at rachelfahrenbach.com. Rachel and her husband live in the Chicagoland area with their three kiddos.   To connect with Rachel: Instagram.com/rachelfahrenbach Facebook.com/rachelfahrenbach   To download a sample week from the guided journal: rachelfahrenbach.com/journal  To purchase the journal: https://www.amazon.com/Rest-Reflect-12-Week-Sabbath-Journal/dp/1736855514  To get access to The Busy Mom's Guide to a Simple Family Sabbath: rachelfahrenbach.com/sabbath     Transcript: TRANSCRIPT: [00:00:00.000] - Rachel We consume so much, and I don't even think we realize how much we consume. As far as media goes, people's opinions, expectations, things that people say, world views that people have. We don't even realize how much we're consuming on a daily basis, between media, between social media, between conversations we have at the grocery store even. And because we move at such a quick pace in life, we don't actually have time to process anymore. It used to be you went and saw a movie with your friends, and then you might sit and discuss it afterwards or you might talk about it in the car ride home. [00:00:34.990] - Rachel Now we sit on our couches and we watch movie after movie after movie after movie, and we don't even have time to process the first one by the time we're watching the second one. But we don't understand how much music we are consuming as we listen to Spotify and it's turning over one song after the other. There's just a subconscious consumption of messages that unless we give ourselves time to process with our Creator, sometimes we don't realize that we've internalized those messages that were never meant to be internalized. [00:01:29.110] - Sherrie When life as you know it is flipped upside down, we struggle to make sense of it all. Why would a good God allow this to happen? Hi, I'm Sherrie Pilkington, your host of Finding God in Our Pain. In early 2018, the deepest questions of my life erupted when I unexpectedly lost my husband of thirty-two years. Since then, I've searched the heart of God for what He has to say about pain and suffering. In this podcast, we'll discover how God enters into our pain, shepherds us through our darkest valley, and out into the green pastures once again.  [00:01:53.410] - Sherrie I'll bring you firsthand stories from women who will allow us into their authentic struggle, along with professional advice from experts, counselors, and others who can speak to what it looks like to navigate pain. Join me as we discover God's answers to the deepest cries of our shattered heart. [00:01:54.300] - Sherrie I'll keep my intro short because my guest author, Rachel Fehrenbach, has some good, good insights to share with you on what rest can do for you in all the areas of your life and rest in the form of practicing Sabbath. Our conversation was based on her new book, Rest and Reflect, a twelve-week guided Sabbath Journal. Through her guided Journal, you can explore these three areas with God identity, purpose, and belonging. And for me, that's three key areas that are foundational for us when we're navigating this thing called life. [00:02:24.280] - Sherrie And when you have those three areas healthy, then to me, you get to enjoy things like peace, clarity, and joy for the journey. Make sure you listen to the end because this is not legalistic. It moves with the ebb and flow of life. It looks original to the families that define how they want to use their time to focus on God. It's truly a beautiful thing. And because resting in God is a spiritual inheritance that we have access to as His children, as God's children, you know God has placed a beautiful exchange there for us. Anytime we draw near to Him, He showers us with His affection and generosity. [00:02:58.050] - Sherrie God's value system is such that when we discover who He is and the type of rest that He has for us, we get more, more peace, less anxiety, more relationship with less work, more life, less overwhelmed. When we begin to see things through the lens of God's heart for us, we take on a whole new way of living. And that, sweet friend, is transformational. [00:03:19.860] - Sherrie When I was talking with Rachel about practicing the Sabbath, it just reminded me that doing that, putting aside that time with God, offers us the opportunity to have that Garden of Eden experience in the here and now, daily perceiving God, walking and talking with Him. In our conversation, Rachel shows us that resting is not being lazy. It shouldn't make you feel guilty and you're not adding something else on top of your current to-do list. I want to challenge you to give God your time by practicing a Sabbath and see what He does for you. [00:03:50.680] - Sherrie Test Him. Taste and see that He is good. If you're like me, sitting in my quiet time with the Lord and my mind keeps wandering off to my to-do list and all--a ton of other stuff that are running in the back of my mind to get done--if that's you too, then do like I did and order Rachel's guided Sabbath Journal. It's the best guide to keep you focused and mine the heart of God for some beautiful revelations about your identity, purpose, and belonging. [00:04:14.990] - Sherrie Before we move on to my conversation with Rachel, I want to remind you, keep the eyes of your heart on God because He's writing a much bigger love story with you, an overarching love story with you as the unique individual person He has created you to be. Much love, sweet friend. [00:04:31.470] - Sherrie Rachel, your story of how typical challenges in your life began to multiply and then led to overwhelm and anxiety,  and then, of course, it starts to cost you mental, physical, emotional, spiritual health. I've heard it said that because we are made of mind, body, spirit, that when one of those suffers, it begins to impact the other two. And then we have our hands full because we're not taking care of these areas. Tell me about the first of several what I will term as snowfalls that would eventually cause an avalanche in your life. [00:05:08.730] - Rachel When I think back to that time period where I felt like the extreme exhaustion that you're talking about, just like where every aspect of my whole being just felt like it was under attack, I probably would go back to the day that we brought my newborn son home from the hospital, and I say that, but I have to add in that we adopted him. So we actually didn't bring him home from the hospital. We brought him home from a hotel, which sounds so crazy. Our case worker met us in the lobby of a hotel and handed him to us. [00:05:41.220] - Rachel And up until that point, life was busy and life was very full, and there was starting to be some shifts. But after that day, everything really started to get amplified. And I think it was amplified because when you have a newborn, you're sleep deprived. There's all the new things that come along with having a new baby in your home. But we are also adjusting to the fact that we had this new little one in our home, and it didn't look like the other two times that we had a newborn in our home. [00:06:14.010] - Rachel We had two biological children at that time. One was five and the other three. So we had littles on top of having a newborn. Also, at that time, my husband had started a new job, and he had been there for about a year or so at that point. But before that, we had gone through two unemployment periods. We are coming off these two unemployment period, this adoption. So by this point, we're, like, cash flow was a little tight, you know, so finances were a little--not--we were doing okay, but it was definitely not as good as we would have liked at the time. [00:06:47.720] - Rachel And we had some debt, and it was stressful. So we had some debt, we had a newborn in our home, a nonprofit that I had co-founded was growing very quickly. It was a food pantry, and on one hand, you're like, yay, more people to serve, but on the other hand, you're like, oh, my gosh, I'm like, where's the volunteers? We need more volunteers. It was 100% volunteer ran and trying to get donors and trying to get volunteers. [00:07:13.490] - Rachel And it was just-- it was a lot. It was a lot. We had a really great team there, but there was a couple of volunteers that came on that my personality and their personalities just didn't jive. And so we were having some conflict. With age comes maturity and with them, and through that I had to learn how I dealt with conflict and how to do it in a way that was biblical, in a way that was gracious and kind while also being a leader. And that was a new one for me. [00:07:45.480] - Rachel I had done conflict resolution before, but having to be a leader in that conflict resolution, that was a whole new ball game for me. So it was like these little things just started happening and snowballing and growing and just putting more and more emphasis on my life. And then our church had to close. Our church community that we had been a part of for a few years, that we just loved being a part of, where both my husband and I felt like we grew so much spiritually, that we got to be in community with my family there, too. [00:08:19.280] - Rachel And so it was like my grandkids were worshipping alongside of my parents. Not my grandkids, their grandkids. My kids were worshipping alongside of their grandparents. And that was just such a beautiful experience to have. And it was having to go away because they were too small to maintain the property. That was very difficult to--church shopping is hard enough. But when you have to church shop, not because you want to, but because you have to,  it just is hard. Just one thing on top of the other. [00:08:51.190] - Rachel And then I think what the tip of the iceberg was was I had a few close friends that threw out the whole thing, started to pull away from me. And I do think that God was shifting our friendships for various reasons. Now, looking back on it, I can see that those shifts needed to happen, but at the time, it felt like abandonment, especially having just brought home a baby, especially because I felt so lonely, because I was trying to do all these things, trying to navigate motherhood in a new way that I hadn't been before. [00:09:24.590] - Rachel And I always say the third one will put you over, like, the first two I feel like you can kind of navigate. The third one, you're like, oh, my gosh. So I think by that point, I just felt like, oh, my gosh, they just left me hanging. Where are my friends? And then we had to start going to a new church. It was just like --I say that it was a bunch of unique challenges amongst everyday hardships, right? Like, it's just everyday stuff, like everyday motherhood challenges along with these very unique things that were happening in my life. It was like the perfect storm, and it definitely put me to a point of just complete exhaustion. [00:10:04.000] - Sherrie I can see where there's these basic commonalities, such as young children in the house and maybe even adoption. I don't know how often that happens in a family to say that it's basically common ground for everybody but church family. So that breaks away. That's a foundational piece. Good friends. Obviously, you love community. You've got a nonprofit, and now you're butting heads with some of the volunteers. They're crucial. Yet, like you said, your personality does not match theirs, and that makes for a challenge within the business. [00:10:33.460] - Sherrie As a side note, though, I'd like to understand how to do that as a leadership position and be gracious and lead into that sort of conflict resolution. That sounds good. You could probably use that in a family, too. [00:10:45.500] - Rachel I was very fortunate that I was on a leadership team with some women who had already gone through it and who were much wiser than me and who were able to say what it--let's make sure that we're going back to God on this. Let's try to do our best to resolve this conflict in every way possible. And if we can't, then we're just going to have to move forward for the sake of the the ministry. And this is what the ministry's goal is, and this is what the ministry's mission is. [00:11:12.860] - Rachel And this is how we're going to move forward. We just have to make a decision to move forward. And so they're much, much wiser than I was and could lead us through that. And so that volunteer actually ended up just stepping away from the ministry because she felt like she needed to. God just continued to move us forward after that. And so I am grateful for their wisdom, because I don't think I could have made it through about it. [00:11:34.280] - Sherrie I would need wisdom. I would need leaders who were wiser. [00:11:37.730] - Rachel Yes. [00:11:38.710] - Sherrie Thinking about all of those components and those moving parts. And these are crucial parts of your life, your family, as far as husband and children, and then your family, as far as the church, and then your family, as far as your extended friendships and whatnot. So what was the breaking point to which you throw your hands up in the air and say, God, the ship is sinking. [00:12:00.430] - Rachel I think my breaking point-- I was to the point where --when you asked me that what came to mind is this moment where something had happened and misunderstanding with one of the friends that I felt like was pulling away from me. And I just felt a huge amount of abandonment in that moment. And that's a whole other conversation, things that we wrestle with and ways that we internalize things. But in that moment, I just felt like everything is just falling apart. And I remember getting so angry and so bitter and feeling like I was the victim and that's not typically my personality. [00:12:44.780] - Rachel I'm a pretty optimistic person, and I'm a pretty friendly and outgoing person. And I realized in that moment as I was just lashing out and raging and ranting, and my husband's sitting there listening to me that that was not the first time I had done that, where I was just so angry and so bitter. And it was like it was getting to the point where every time something was happening, I was just feeling like this whole, like, destabilizing chaos just kind of welling up inside of me. [00:13:13.080] - Rachel It was just like the storm that was happening outside of me now suddenly felt like it was internal, and it just didn't feel good. And it didn't feel right. And it didn't feel like peace at all. And I just thought, this is not how it's supposed to be. I'm not supposed to feel like this all the time. And that was the beginning of God starting to say, you need to pay attention. And we started going to a new church and got plugged into a new small group. [00:13:40.130] - Rachel And the church was going through the series on the Ten Commandments, and we were in a small group discussing the Fourth Commandment, and I just was reading the scriptures over and over again about the Sabbath. It just suddenly hit me, as we're all trying to decide,-- we were all discussing, like, okay, what is the Sabbath? What do you have to do? Like, what constitutes as work? What doesn't? We're all discussing this in this room. And I just remember sitting there with this moment where I thought to myself, what if we're all missing it? [00:14:12.600] - Rachel What if we're all missing the point? That it's really not about what do we do or what do we not do? But maybe this is a gift that's being handed out to us. And we're just not even seeing that in front of our faces. And so we walked out of that small group, and my husband looked over at me and he just said to me, he was like, this conversation is not done yet, is it?  And I'm like, I don't think so. And that started us looking into, okay, what could a Sabbath practice look like for us? [00:14:42.280] - Rachel What does it mean to take a 24-hour break? Would that even be feasible for us? And so we started, we're like, okay, we're going to do this. And so we let our family know. We're like, okay, we're going to be Sabbath-ing from Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. We started out by saying we weren't going to do any kind of social media or electronics. We decided to kind of do a big, big Sabbath. So we took electronics out of there. We took, like, seeing people out of there. [00:15:11.010] - Rachel And we just kind of hunkered down as a family. And what became pretty regular in that original version of our practice, because it has shifted and grown since then, but in the original version, and I think it was what we needed at the time, we did a Sabbath meal together as a family. We did some one-on-one. And then as my husband was putting the kids the bed, I started having about an hour of prayer and reflection time. And I just sat there and there was no objective. Like, sometimes I think when we do a Bible study, we sit down, we're like, okay, we're going to study these scriptures. We're going to earn these things. We're going to study this topic. We're going to figure out what God says about it. [00:15:53.020] - Rachel But I just sat there and there was no agenda. There was no, like, okay, Lord, I want to accomplish this. I just sat there with Him. And it was from this doing things with God, to almost like walking alongside of Him, doing all the things, going to church, being in small group, running a food pantry that served people, doing things with God to just sitting across from Him in this intimate posture of listening. [00:16:22.150] - Rachel And, oh, my gosh, He tended to my soul in that moment every week, week after week. He just met me there and He began to peel away the layers about my identity, my purpose, and my belonging. And He stabilized everything again. And the peace came back into my life that had been missing. And in that rest moment with Him, I was refreshed and renewed. And even though life has still been just as busy and actually been harder, we've lost my mother-in-law. We had a miscarriage. COVID happened. [00:17:04.040] - Rachel Life has not gotten any easier. But week after week, I sit with Jesus, and He tends to my soul where I'm at. In that moment, I'm just with Him. And it has been life saving. [00:17:17.910] - Sherrie Can you put into words when you say He tends to me? Can you give me an example, or is it more--I know it's difficult. [00:17:23.820] - Rachel For me, when I sit down and I have actually-- I created a guided journal to help women do this. It's called Rest and Reflect. I think our sense of identity is wrapped up in four questions. Who am I? What is my personality? What are my interests? How has God designed me, right? How do I operate? Who does God say I am? Because so often we can forget He calls me Beloved. He calls me Redeemed. He calls me these things. Who does God say I am? [00:17:53.200] - Rachel And how should I live? What is His calling on my life? What does that look like? And then how do I relate to those around me? How do I belong? What is my sense of purpose within relationships that I have? And so those were the questions that I started asking myself week after week with God. Pretty much what it amounts to is I would ask Him, like, okay, this is how I view this week has gone. These are the things that I see about my identity, my purpose, and my belonging. [00:18:25.230] - Rachel And what would You have to say to me? What am I missing here? Help me see it with Your eyes, Lord, because I think that this is true. What is actual truth? And that's where He tended to me. Because there would be moments where I'm like, oh, this happened, and God would gently say, actually, no. Let's step back, take a deep breath. Let Me show you what it really, truly was. And I think that's the part where He tended to me. And he does this week after week. [00:18:57.550] - Rachel It's a gentle reminder that He is still in control, that He has good for me planned and that He is not going to let me go. And I think that being reminded of those truths is what brings us stabilizing peace back into your life. He says that He came to give life and give it abundantly. And I think that sometimes we forget that His peace is beyond comprehension. And if we don't stop long enough to let Him blanket us with His peace, we miss out on how beautiful and deep it is and rich it is.  [00:19:37.930] - Sherrie We have a spiritual inheritance. Rest is a spiritual inheritance. Why do we miss out on that? [00:19:43.940] - Rachel Oh, goodness. I always say Sabbath is a gift wrapped up in a commandment, and yet so often we just kind of skirt on by it. I think there's a couple of reasons. I think, one, our culture is just is--it is not designed to rest, especially in the last, oh gosh, like 30 years where we have now on demand, everything. Everything was due yesterday. We have the capability to be on demand all the time. Should we? No. But we think we have to perform at this level. And there's also the comparison game. Right now we have everybody's lives on display. [00:20:20.150] - Rachel So now we're constantly going, oh, I got to keep up with the Joneses even more so. It's not just the Jones that live next door to me. It's the ones that live next door to me and over there and over here. And so I think there's-- just our culture in general doesn't  encourage it, nor does it reward it. Think about vacation days. People-- it's like some minuscule number actually use their full amount of vacation days every year, because there's a fear if I take vacation days, I'll be seen as not being loyal to the company, or we have too much work. [00:20:53.490] - Rachel So I'm never going to get it done if I take these vacation days. I also think that our church doesn't truly set us up to rest either. I love the Church. I'm not going to say that we should not be in Church community. I think Church community is so important. I think sound teaching is so important. But I do think the way that we do church is very much--we go to Church, we consume Church, we go to small group, we consume small group. We do a Bible study. [00:21:18.940] - Rachel We serve. It's this constant going and going and doing. Our Church culture has not really set us up to just be in community with one another, to just sit with the Holy Spirit and let Him speak to us. We kind of shy away from that. We want to learn and we want to know and we want to apply. And so even within our Church culture, I don't think we're set up very well for simply being and resting. And so I think all of that coupled together, there is this culture that doesn't encourage or reward rest. [00:21:55.200] - Rachel We have a Church culture that's not exactly giving us a structure to rest within. And then you throw on there the layer of mom guilt that you're not doing enough-- it's just the perfect storm of things that are going to get in your way to rest. [00:22:09.360] - Sherrie In all of these areas that you're talking about, that we overdo ourselves, whether it's church commitments or mommy tasks or whatever, the common denominator is us as the individual. So what can we do to change our mindset about  over-compensating or over-volunteering. How can we make an effort to bring rest into --is the Sabbath the answer for that? [00:22:37.980] - Rachel I think it is. And I specifically think that it's a family Sabbath, not just a personal Sabbath, because we all know moms won't take rest if their families aren't taken care of. It's just how we are wired. I personally think that when you structure a Sabbath rest in a way that your whole family is engaged in that rest, it allows you to take a step back and go, okay, everybody's taking care of ...  Now, Lord, take care of me. I do think that it is an answer. Many people will say, oh, it's great as long as you're resting a couple of hours, even small rests throughout the week is good. [00:23:13.720] - Rachel I think that those are good pauses, and I think that's helpful. I think that's more about putting margin into your day. But when I'm talking about rest, the spiritual inheritance that you were talking about earlier with Sabbath goes back to Genesis chapter one. It goes back to that Garden. It goes back to the fact that we were supposed to be co-rulers with God in the Garden. He cultivated this whole world, and then He co- inhabited with it. [00:23:37.850] - Rachel He created us, and then He co-inhabited with us. And in doing so, He set up this beautiful example of work and rest, and not just work and take a break, but work in delight in the thing that you've created. And I think that that's something that we miss out on in our culture today. We've lost a sense of we cultivate, we work, we create, and then we delight in the thing that we've worked and created. And so it's something-- it's more than just let's take a break, let's take a nap. [00:24:09.620] - Rachel Let's structure our entire week so it has this balance of six days of cultivating and then a seventh of actually cohabiting with that creation. Let's reflect God's image in it. Let's truly show the Creator in the way that we're creating. [00:24:28.910] - Sherrie What you're saying kind of rings the bell for me with regard to I'm having to practice celebrating. When I went through my season of grief, I didn't realize how little I celebrated the good things. And so now I try to be mindful about stopping, pausing, and celebrating, and also giving attention to grieving what has broken my heart, grieving things that I've had to say goodbye to. And now it sounds like this rest, it has to be purposeful about setting aside some time with the Lord. I do know when I sit with Him quietly, I get a great reward, and I believe that the beauty of that is His presence. [00:25:11.430] - Sherrie But I find myself wandering off. What can you do to keep that intact? Keep your focus on God. Do you have any practices for that? [00:25:20.040] - Rachel Yes. So when I am teaching people about a Sabbath practice, I typically suggest that they don't just take 24 hours off and not have a structure to it. When you look at the Bible and you look at the different observances God gives the Israelites, He often gives them structure for what they're supposed to do during those observances. And even within our practice of Communion, there a rhythm to it. There's a routine to it, right? And so I actually suggest that they structure their Sabbath, and I give them a structure. [00:25:51.410] - Rachel And this is just based off of things that I have observed when reading the scriptures. They kind of popped out at me. It's not necessarily that the Scriptures are prescriptive in this, but it's just the way that you could structure it, if you are looking for a way to structure it. So I call it the Five R's, and the first one is Remember, remember your Provider in His provision. And traditionally, in the Jewish faith, they open their Sabbath time with a meal together, and they light candles, and they do blessings over their kids. [00:26:23.540] - Rachel We, as a family, have adopted some of those traditions. We do light candles. I've written a little bit of a liturgy that ties in how Christ is our Sabbath rest to some of those traditions. We take Communion during that time. But really, the focus of that Sabbath meal is to remember our Provider and His provision for that week, and just in general, His provision for our lives through the work of the cross. And then I suggest you have a time of remembrance. Then I suggest you have a time of reflection. [00:26:57.490] - Rachel And this is going back to what we were talking about a little earlier, about a time to sit with God and look back over both the challenges and the joys of your week and ask Him to really help you see it through His eyes or to see things that you missed the first time around and just have that quiet time with Him. So I suggest, like, an hour, at least doing that. And I think when you--the first time you do it, even a second, 3rd, 4th, even now, like, the more you practice it, I think the easier it is to, like, go into that space because you--your mind, your body, I have cues for myself. [00:27:32.940] - Rachel I sit in the same chair. I have a pen and a journal that are in--all of our Sabbath materials are in the same spot. We keep them all in the same drawer of a cabinet that's right by our table and right by the chair where I do my reflection. I have a blanket that I use, too. These are just cues that,  okay, this is the time that we do this thing. And I think that's what the Sabbath meal too, when we light the candle is, like, this is the time when we do this thing where we remember God and give Him thanks. [00:28:02.510] - Rachel So a time of remembrance, time of reflection, and then a time of relaxing in ways that meet your personality and your interest. And this is an area where my husband and I will talk about this about Thursday, Friday, we'll start talking about ways that we either need to relax as a family or relax as individuals. And if we need time, neither one of us are true introverts, and so sometimes we don't really need to be alone, but sometimes there's weeks where one of us will be like, hey, you know, I just need it-- some time by myself. [00:28:38.180] - Rachel Then what we'll do, we'll each take an hour and we'll flip flop. So I'm the primary response parent for an hour while he goes and works in his wood shop, and then we switch and he's the primary response parent. And I am in my bedroom reading or just playing some music or whatnot, whatever it is that we need that week. And that changes from week to week. Sometimes we just do a fun family activity during Sabbath. We went to Six Flags last week. That was just a fun family activity. [00:29:04.850] - Rachel We enjoy that. That would put some people over the edge, and some people will be, like, that's not rest at all. But for us it is. So we have that. And then the other thing that I think is definitely in the Scripture is reconnection with both God and with each other during the Sabbath. I think it's really important. We know that we will be together as a family for probably the majority of that Sabbath period. But also we know that my spouse,  my husband and I are going to have be able to reconnect. [00:29:34.340] - Rachel So after the kids go to bed on Saturday night, the two of us just sit there, no phones, we just sit there and talk. And I will say we also do one-on- one time with our kids. And that intentional reconnection with the people who are our people, I think it's so important, and I think it really goes back to the fact that we are made for community. We're made to do life with other people. That reconnection time with my husband and even my kids. Like, sometimes the week just gets super busy. [00:30:04.210] - Rachel But we know we know that by Saturday we're going to have time to connect together. And then finally, the fifth R is to rejoice, and that--the word rejoice actually means to take delight in, to enjoy. And I think over and over again there's verses where it says, if you will take delight in My faith, if you will rejoice in My Sabbath, it's the thing that God, like,  don't just do, enjoy this creation that I've given you enjoy the good gifts I've given you. That's just the way that we structure it. [00:30:36.220] - Rachel It's the way that I suggest other people structure. I think when we have a structure, it allows us to kind of focus in. We know we're doing this thing for this time, and we can just kind of let everything else fall to the wayside. [00:30:49.260] - Sherrie And you can tailor that as you go, correct? As far as the individuality of your family and personalities, the ages of your children, things like that. [00:30:57.040] - Rachel Exactly. And the one thing that I always make sure to tell people because they aren't aware of it, in the Jewish faith, they actually do Sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown the next day. And I think there's so much wisdom in doing the 24 hours over from evening to evening because your physical rest, your sleep is actually built into it, right? And you also have time to prepare during the day for that rest time, especially if you don't want to be cooking during it, you can cook the morning of, a big batch or whatever so you have leftovers. [00:31:36.660] - Rachel And then you have time to prepare. So for us, my husband and the kids, they clean the house, they prepare our Sabbath meal, and then I come home, and we start our Sabbath about around 5:00. So we go through our Sabbath 24 hours, and then Sunday night, our Sabbath ends around 5:00 on Sunday. And then we have Sunday evening to prepare for the week. So there's just a lot of wisdom in doing it. It gives you time to prepare on both sides of the day. And then your physical rest is automatically built into that 24 hours. [00:32:06.280] - Sherrie Rest is always good. I love that you have-- remember your Provider, reflection, relaxing, and then reconnection and rejoice. Those are key elements for any good life. Boy, what do we miss out on when we don't take the time to discover these areas? I know you said that the Lord has spoken to you. Or maybe how did you put it, you were talking about the three areas-- [00:32:36.250] - Rachel Identity, purpose, and belonging. [00:32:38.380] - Sherrie What has God showed you about your identity in some of your personal time? What's a revelation He has given you, a value, a takeaway? [00:32:45.330] - Rachel A couple of things. One, I have learned that I am a writer, through and through. And what I mean by that, even if I never publish a single word, I still need to write because that's how I process the world. That's how I connect with God through writing my prayers out. It also helps me focus in what I'm praying to write it out. There's something about that that I need. Oftentimes, I don't even know what I'm thinking until I write it down. And so He showed that to me. [00:33:18.210] - Rachel I went to college and majored with creative writing. I had plans to become a published author, all the things. And throughout the years of that dream not being answered and not being able to go down that road, there was a part of me that felt like I had lost a piece of me. But what God was starting to show me was that, Rachel, even being a writer and doing the writing career are two different things. You still need to write and not throw that away just because you're not getting published. [00:33:48.470] - Rachel So that was one thing that came out of it. That was very telling to me. It gave me permission to block out time to write. So my husband and I had a conversation about it, and I said, you know what? I think I really need to be writing regularly in order to be able to process the world and to really lean into how I'm uniquely designed. And so I started doing that, just started writing. It took a little while, but God actually started opening up some doors for me. [00:34:15.710] - Rachel And so now I have this guided journal I published, and this is now a regular rhythm. He's moved me into this new season. He had a lot to teach me first, but now He's moving into this new season where I actually get to be both be a writer but also do a writing career. I just think that's such a beautiful gift that He's given me. Another thing that He taught me about my identity. I really do care what other people think of me. And for the longest time, I've heard people over and over again say very dismissingly, "You shouldn't care what other people think about you" like, you're being a people, pleaser. [00:34:50.670] - Rachel And I'm like, no, you don't understand. Like, there's just the thing about me that I care what other people think. And it's not going to just go away. And I didn't know what to do with that. And so in that quiet time, in that quiet space with God, He started showing me that that's not necessarily a bad thing. But when I let the fear of what they may or they may not say, that's when it becomes a stronghold in my life because, you know, we should care what other people say about us in the way am I reflecting God's image? [00:35:24.940] - Rachel That should be a concern of mine. But am I reflecting God's image because I'm afraid that if I don't do certain things, people are going to think I'm a bad Christian? That's not good. But am I reflecting God's image because I want people to see Him and know Him? That's not a bad thing. So that was something that He showed me about myself, about that very fine line that I needed to walk, and I need to constantly submit to Him. And in doing so, it allowed me to start asking myself the question, oh, am I afraid, am I doing this thing out of fear? Or am I doing this thing because I feel like that's what God's calling me to do? [00:36:02.210] - Sherrie What a great distinction, too. Like you said, a fine line, some things that stir our soul or make us mad or whatever are good indicators, if you will, that we need to take a look at something and then to dissect it between what is my biggest fear here to what is God calling me to do, if anything, in this situation? So that's pretty powerful with identity. [00:36:28.420] - Rachel One of the things that God really just started bringing into focus for me as I start pondering these identity questions with Him was that often times I hear people say, oh, we're broken people. Sin has caused people to be broken. And God gave me this image of more of, like, a glass that's been fractured. Sin has fractured us. We're not completely broken. But those fractures are just enough that it distorts the image. And so oftentimes our strengths have been fractured by sin, so they're also kind of our distorted weaknesses. [00:37:04.280] - Rachel And so that's where what you're talking about, that fine line, sometimes the things that we struggle the most with is because they've been fractured in a way that our strength is no longer being fully seen for what it is. And so that has been definitely a thing that God's been working on me, like, hey, over here, you've been saying this is a weakness of yours, but actually, if you would see it how I see it, it's actually a strength. As long as you're submitted to Me in the Spirit, I can refine that. [00:37:34.770] - Rachel I can sanctify that. I can bring it back to its original, restore it to its original design in your life. And so that's one of the things that truly He has given me during that reflection time. [00:37:51.260] - Sherrie I love the word you use: restore to His original, because there's been plenty of times when I've been asking the Lord, put me back together again, put this back together again, do that like it was. But then I got to thinking, I don't really want it back to like it was. I want it back to like He wants to put it back. How does He define restoring that situation? [00:38:12.810] - Rachel In my guided journal in one of the weeks, I actually say the best picture I have of  this is like those HGTV shows where they go to a garage sale and they pick out this furniture and you're like, why would they want that? And then they start working on it. And they start chipping away at the paint, and they start rubbing the hardware. And then they replace the hardware. They shine this, they do that. And at the end, you have this piece that only they saw the vision to, and only they saw what it really truly could be with their help and with their expertise and with their design and their eye for beauty. [00:38:50.300] - Rachel And I think that's what God does to us. He restores us to not just our original design, but this beautiful masterpiece that only He can really, truly fashion. [00:38:59.540] - Sherrie In His hands that stripping away process is still painful. But He is so trustworthy. He doesn't use that stuff against you. He doesn't use your weakness, your brokenness, your faults, your sins. He doesn't use any of that against you. He just shapes it into something different and restores and redeems. That's the beauty, I believe, of who He is is that He redeems that which is of this world, broken, sinful, fractured. Moving from identity to purpose, what has God told you about your purpose? [00:39:30.160] - Rachel One thing I've learned about my purpose is that He's taught me to stop thinking about purpose as a singular thing. That it's not just you have one purpose in life that God has called you to. I think God has called you to many. He's called you to one purpose and that's to reflect His glory. But He's called you to various roles in which to do that. And so that purpose of reflecting His glory is going to look like, going to look different in different seasons of your life and in different roles that you have. In college, the professors that I had, they're all wonderful professors, but they all had this big push to find your vocation. [00:40:10.680] - Rachel It was a big topic in our senior year, having a vocation, not just a career, living your life on purpose so that you don't just do the job, but you actually do something you love. And so it put this huge pressure on me to find the thing and find the thing that would make me feel alive. I went to college with this intention. I was going to be an acquisition editor for a Christian publishing house. That was my dream, my dream. And then God put me at a scientific publication. [00:40:39.300] - Rachel And I was editing articles about dental work. And so you're just kind of like, what? And then He moved me to another job. And then He moved me out--I was living in the city, He moved me out to the suburbs with my husband. And then we had kids. And I was working as a writing tutor. And then I was working as, like, I was teaching writing to home schoolers. And then I was running this nonprofit. And it got to this point where I was like, this is so far off of what my dream was, Lord, is this truly my purpose? [00:41:08.320] - Rachel I thought You designed me to be a writer. And yet I'm not writing in any way, shape, or form. So during this time where He started stripping this away from me, and He starts showing me purpose is not about one thing other than to reflect My goodness and My glory and My Holiness, Rachel. And you need to stop worrying so much about what your purpose is and worry more about being obedient in the roles that I've given you. And that completely flipped everything for me. [00:41:41.480] - Rachel And I moved from being so wrapped up in discovering what I was made to do and instead started saying, okay, what do You want me to do in these roles that You've given me right now? What roles do You want me to carry right now? Because that's another thing. Sometimes we take on roles we're not supposed to have. And so there was a couple of roles I had to let go of, a couple of things that I had to step out of because I had said yes when I should have said no or roles that I had said yes, but He said, okay, that's done now. I need you to step out of it. And so it's definitely been a very unique time of just saying, okay, what do You have for me now and how can I be obedient in that? [00:42:19.910] - Sherrie You kind of wrapped that or  tied that back into identity because I'm reminded that, if I put my stock in one title, if that title changes, goes away, like my title of wife, if we don't have our focus on God who is steadfast and does not change, then you can lose yourself in this process of trying to fulfill these roles, these titles, and these responsibilities. Plus, we're a people of expectation. So we attach our expectations onto situations, people, jobs-- [00:42:51.480] - Rachel or other people's expectations of those roles. That was another thing that I personally had to work through with just recently. I home school my kids, and I see these pictures, these moms doing these crafts and all. I'm not a crafty person at all, but there's a little bit of me who I was, like, oh, my goodness, I don't home school like other people do because I'm not just a stay-at-home mom. I'm a work-from-home mom, right? I'm a writer. I have a business with my mom. [00:43:18.210] - Rachel I have those business things I've got to do. And so we home school, but we home school in the afternoon, and it looks a certain way, and I had to step back and say, okay, God's called you to be a home-schooling parent, and He's called you to have it look like this. And it doesn't matter what other people's expectations of what a home-schooling parents should be. This is what He's asking you to do, and you need to be obedient. [00:43:42.480] - Sherrie And that brings up another point about God's originality with us as individuals, what He's calling us to do, what it looks like. God is always rewriting what we think He does or what we think He'll do. And then He turns around and gives you a whole different perspective on what He was trying to do. [00:44:03.120] - Rachel And I think that's why it's so important that you have time of reflection and times where you're just sitting and asking Him to reveal Himself to you. Because if you're not sitting there and allowing Him to speak truth to you, we consume so much. And I don't even think we realize how much we consume, as far as media goes, people's opinions, expectations, things that people say, world views that people have. We don't even realize how much we're consuming on a daily basis, between media, between social media, between conversations we have at the grocery store, even. [00:44:39.440] - Rachel And because we move at such a quick pace in life, we don't actually have time to process anymore. It used to be you went and saw a movie with your friends and then you might sit and discuss it afterwards, or you might talk about it in the car ride home. Now we sit on our couches and we watch movie after movie after movie after movie, and we don't even have time to process the first one by the time we're watching the second one. We don't understand how much music we are consuming as we listen to Spotify and it's turning over one song after the other. [00:45:10.080] - Rachel There's just such a subconscious consumption of messages that unless we give ourselves time to process with our Creator, sometimes we don't realize that we've internalized those messages that were never meant to be internalized. [00:45:23.220] - Sherrie I know for myself that in my grief, when I isolated myself during that process, I learned more about God in that time than I have over years of looking into who He is and growing closer to Him. So, to me in that quietness is the gift of His presence, because I've heard you refer to it as the gift of Sabbath. What would you say, the gift of Sabbath is? [00:45:50.880] - Rachel I think the gift is in the being with Him and the reminder that He desires a relationship with you, that He created you to be in relationship with Him, that He created you to co-rule with him. That Garden intimacy I think we kind of skip over so quickly when we're in our church culture. We just kind of talk about, like, oh, yeah, Adam and Eve in the garden, and then they sinned and then they left the garden. Then all the rest of life is what we kind of focus on in the Bible. [00:46:20.970] - Rachel But I think there's just something about God saying, I created you to delight in you, and I take delight in you, and I want to spend time with you. That is-- that's the gift, the gift that He is able to both remind you of that, but also remind you of His goodness and His faithfulness and His provision, and also the fact that He wants-- that He gives you good gifts, that He wants to be there with you. He wants to walk through life with you, that there is just something that's rich and deep and powerful in having a relationship with the Creator of the universe. [00:47:00.980] - Sherrie He offers us those garden moments. We may not be able to be in the garden anymore, but that communing with Him and that fellowship with Him, He still offers that on this side of the garden. [00:47:11.840] - Rachel Yes. And it's also a picture of what to come. I truly do believe that when the new Heaven and new Earth and all that is restored, I think we're going to return to that garden-like intimacy where we are walking with him on a daily basis, and we get to experience what that was meant to be. [00:47:27.860] - Sherrie Before we move to belonging, let's talk a little bit about the being versus the doing, because it sounds like this being helps us in the doing. [00:47:38.920] - Rachel So I think that there's two parts that we talk about sanctification and justification in church. And I think those two terms really kind of sum up what being and doing are. We're justified by Christ work on the cross, right? There's nothing--we can just exist in that beautiful sacrifice. There's nothing we can do to earn it. There's nothing we can do to claim it. God gifts it to us. It's just-- we are-- just are. We're just being in this justified state with Him. Sanctification is the act of doing. It is the moments in which you're walking with God. [00:48:19.670] - Rachel And I think that Sabbath reminds us of that state of justification so that we can live out the rest of the week in that process of sanctification. I know that, for some, that term Sabbath feels a little bit-- it might even feel legalistic. Might be, like, oh, that's the term from the law, right? But it's so interesting how often God talks about the Sabbath throughout the entire Old Testament, and the Sabbath was meant to point, not just to the fact that Israel was a nation set apart--you know, they had all these different things that were meant to show that they're set apart. [00:48:58.110] - Rachel But the Sabbath really was even pre-Moses and the Ten Commandments. Sabbath was designed within the very fabric of our time. And going back to that garden intimacy that I talked about, that was woven into that right off the bat. I think that's why it's not just a ceremonial thing. I think that's why it's included in the Ten Commandments, because it's not just a, hey,  Passover-- here's a remembrance ceremony. This is something important to do. It's even more so. [00:49:30.580] - Rachel It's like, hey, this is, like, the fabric of who I am and this relationship I want to have with you. If we actually look at the Ten Commandments, the first four are about our relationship with God and the next six our relationship with others. But I actually think that the Fourth Commandment is a hinge commandment because it talks about both God and others. It's actually the only commandment that we really, truly get to reflect God's glory when we do it, right? Because God actually Sabbathed. In the first week of creation, He Sabbathed with His creation. [00:50:04.720] - Rachel And when we observe the Fourth Commandment, we actually reflect God's goodness and His glory. And so I think that it's such a vital thing, a vital part of our story. And I think  we lose something when we don't pay attention to it. I don't think it's necessary for our salvation to practice Sabbath. Like I said before, Christ's work on the cross, He fulfilled all those laws. He fulfilled everything. So He is our true Sabbath rest when it comes to salvation. But I think there's something beautiful in that--the fact that it is woven into the very structure of time in this space that we occupy. [00:50:44.540] - Sherrie It was part of his seven days, right? When He's creating everything He works the first six, creates man, and invites man into rest. That's the first thing man gets to do. [00:50:53.340] - Rachel And He invites him into rest with Him. It's not just like, okay, I've created this for you. I've given you the space to rest. Here, I've created this for you. Now let's rest together. [00:51:04.540] - Rachel Let's work together. Let's rest together. Let's work together. Let's rest together. So that truly becomes your work. You work in order to rest and then out of your rest you work some more. And it's this beautiful cyclical loop of work, rest, work, rest ... with God. [00:51:20.260] - Sherrie In my time of being with the Lord, it does clear your mind, frees up your heart, and you get to see when God's changing direction or looking at something new, inviting something new into what He's been doing already. And that's key, because I miss that sometimes because I am headlong into what I just know He was telling me to do, and I miss that He's turned. Have you had that experience where you pick up on something that, oh, wait, Lord. [00:51:46.670] - Rachel Oh, my goodness. Yes. Even the fact that I'm talking to you about Sabbath today, that was, like, not on my radar at all. I wanted to be a fiction writer, and God is now having me write nonfiction and creating-- I published this guided journal, like, that was never on my radar. Never something I thought I would do. And now He's saying to me, I want you to  share this message of my Sabbath rest with other burnt-out Christian moms, right? That was so not on my radar. [00:52:14.570] - Rachel And it took me a while. It actually--it was very funny because I was in a coaching call with my business coach, and I was talking about one thing, and I was, like, I was, like, struggling and rambling, and he just kind of stopped me one second. He asked me the question, he's like, wait, do you not want to talk about Sabbath? You have this thing that you just made. I'm like, oh, no, I want to talk about it. And he's like, I guess I'm not seeing the problem here, Rachel. [00:52:42.410] - Rachel I was, like, what? So then I went back to--during my Sabbath time that week, I was like, Lord, okay, what is going on here? What's the deal? Because and I do think that God uses other people to reflect back to us some of the things that we need to hear from Him. And so in that moment, He used my business coach to be like, Rachel, you're trying to go so hard this way, and I really need you to divert and go this way. And since doing that, since being obedient, I was like, okay, Lord, I guess I'm like, who am I to talk about this? [00:53:11.290] - Rachel I don't have the theology degree. I've been practicing it for a few years with my family, but I'm like, I'm not super great at it. I I keep messing up, and He's like, Well, that's why it's called a practice, Rachel, because you're not gonna do it perfectly. I guess I was kind of fighting it for a bit, and it took a couple Sabbaths, actually, where we kept having this conversation. And I'm like, I don't feel qualified or equipped to talk about this at all. And God just kind of reminded me, it's not really my message. [00:53:40.650] - Rachel I'm just a person to share it. That it's ultimately His work that I'm doing. And I just need to be obedient. It's not about what I'm qualified to do, not to. I just need to be obedient. And so I started being obedient. And He has opened up doors, and He has allowed me to speak into the lives of some really burnt out, exhausted moms. And that has been such a beautiful thing to be a part of, to see a mom who is just at that breaking point and me be able to say to her, you're not adding anything to your schedule. [00:54:15.220] - Rachel You're allowing space for God to be with you. You're allowing space to just sit and rest with Him and let Him just just comfort you and give you peace. And there's something really valuable in that. And they have started practicing it. And they've come back to me and say, like, it's now one of their favorite days of the week, and I'm like, that's not me, that's God. I just feel so privileged to be part of that work. And if I didn't give myself space to listen to Him, I would have missed out on being part of that. [00:54:48.280] - Sherrie I am impressed with this one thing with the Lord that He does have an adventurous plan. This plan, we don't even know it's going to light us up and get us passionate about what we're doing. And if we tune into Him, we get to witness what He's doing. Like, we get a front row seat to what He's doing. And He gives us like a VIP ticket because we experience what He wants to do and how He wants to affect people. Like you're saying, it's so rewarding to see this overwhelmed mom put some lightness in her heart or light in her eyes or a lighter heart over her schedule. [00:55:25.860] - Rachel Yes. And you know, the one thing that I noticed so many moms have said to me, they're like, I just feel so selfish, like rest feels selfish to me, because who am I take time away from my family. And I'm, like, hold up. That's not God's desire for you either. God isn't wanting you to escape your life. He's not wanting you to run away from it. He wants you to live it in a way that it brings life and joy and gives space and margin to your week. [00:55:52.570] - Rachel And so when we talk about it that way, when we talk about structuring it in a way that the whole family finds rest because that's truly God's desire. When you look at what He talks about in Exodus, He's talking about the whole family gathering mana together. It's not just like one person doing all the work. It's the whole family working together to do this thing and resting together. And I just think that's such a beautiful picture, and I think it takes the burden off of this burden that the mom has put on herself to care for everybody and reminds her that ultimately God's the one caring for her family. [00:56:24.760] - Rachel But it also allows her to see that God has given her permission to rest just as much as He's given her husband and her kids. And He's also given her a plan to do it. And now He's just inviting her in. She doesn't have to figure anything out. He's already given it to her. [00:56:38.020] - Sherrie Such a significant point to make, because I can see moms not wanting to take time out for themselves, but what a beautiful service she's doing to them, to draw them in to rest as well. What a benefit to that family. [00:56:52.650] - Rachel And who's going to teach her kids how to rest other than her, right? If we just continue going full fledge the way that we are, we're going to have another generation that's just burnt out, if not more burnt out than us because they won't know how to rest either. [00:57:07.280] - Sherrie I agree. Backing up just a little bit. Tell me about the belonging portion of this Sabbath. What has God spoken to you about belonging, belonging to Him? [00:57:16.380] - Rachel Specifically when I think about belonging it's both belonging to Him, but it's belonging in community. I do believe God's designed us for community. Communion with Him and communion with others. And that's why I think reconnection with God and with each other needs to be a key component of Sabbath. But what He's really shown me about community is that people are in our lives for specific reasons, some for specific times, and He moves them in and out of our lives. I think that I had carried on my shoulders a burden to perform, for lack of a better word, to make sure I was doing all the right things so that people would stay in community with me. And when they would leave the community with me for whatever reason, some that I don't even fully understand because we don't always understand what's going on in somebody's life. [00:58:15.090] - Rachel Oftentimes I would internalize it as something being wrong with me. And so God had to really pull back that layer and remind me that not everything is about me, that I can't internalize it. And that really, I think the key thing that came out of that, out of the last couple of years asking this question about belonging with Him, is Him just really saying to me I --that verse where it talks about giving and taking away-- the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the Lord. I think that's not necessarily just about loss. [00:58:53.280] - Rachel I think it's even, I guess you could call it loss, but I think it's even in our relationships where people are still living, there is a loss of relationship when they move out of relationship with us. But I think what God really stressed to me was that He's ultimately the one overseeing that, and He's ultimately the one bringing people into our lives and taking people out of our lives for His purposes and for His glory. And sometimes that's to protect us. Sometimes that's because those people aren't necessarily the right ones to move us in the next season of life. [00:59:31.930] - Rachel And sometimes that is just because for reasons we don't even know. And in understanding that and understanding that He is the one ultimately in charge of my community, that all that I was responsible for was to put myself out there and to be intentional with the people He brought to mind and to love and value individuals in my life. Then it took the burden off to perform or be good enough or to convince others to be in community with me. [01:00:05.780] - Sherrie I hear you keep saying a word. It took the burden off of me. That's huge freedom when you're not performing, when you're not fearful about what other people are thinking of you, when you now understand that God is taking people, positions, roles, He gives and He takes. So you get to focus on the heart of God while He moves and rearranges things as you go. [01:00:32.820] - Rachel So what I've moved to now is every couple months I ask God, who do You want me to focus on building an intentional relationship with for this season? That's been very interesting. I have met more people in the last two years just through different online communities that I've become a part of and developed some very, very cool relationships and very unique situations that I never would have if I was so focused over here. I was spending so much energy with some friendships I had and still care deeply about them. [01:01:10.210] - Rachel But God moved us. Those friendships that I talked about earlier that I felt kind of abandoned by, I was spending a lot of energy worrying about those relationships, and I'm not going to sugar coat it and say that it's easy to be like, okay, God moves people out of our lives. It still doesn't stop hurting when it happens. It still does when you're like  I kind of thought ... But I do think that having that burden lifted off and knowing that it's ultimately God's responsibility, that He has a plan and a vision for my life. [01:01:42.820] - Rachel And I really, truly just need to walk in obedience and trust His faithfulness, trust His goodness, trust in who He is not what He does. That's where I think it lessens the sting a little bit when it does happen.  [01:01:58.380] - Sherrie For me, when I know it's in His hands and it's up to Him, again like you stated, it's not easy, but there's comfort. There's peace in that process of that stripping away or that having to lay down your expectations and then listen to God leading in a different direction, different than what you

From the south side of Chicago, Jamila Trimuel is a results-driven leader and encourages others to pursue purpose at all costs. She is the Founder of Ladies of Virtue, an award winning mentoring program that has empowered over 1,000 girls to become confident and purpose-driven leaders.​As a mentor, social entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Jamila Trimuel has over ten years of experience in strategic planning and community engagement for nonprofit organizations. Jamila is a Broad Residency alum, a highly competitive leadership program that places participants in high-level managerial positions to help transform our public school systems. Jamila is the product of the South Shore community on Chicago's southeast side.  She attributes a large part of her success to her parents and thanks them for fueling her grit and desire to pursue her passion at all costs. Jamila was recognized as Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Humanitarian Award winner in 2012.  She was also recognized as a Change Agent and invited to the United State of Women Summit hosted by the White House in 2016.  In 2017, she was recognized by Chicago Scholars for their 35 under 35 Award and received Rush University's Hidden Figures Award. Jamila was one of the 100 community leaders from Chicago (500 in total around the world) invited to attend the inaugural Obama Foundation Summit in 2017. In addition, she was a 2017 National Mentor Summit Fellow.  She also won the Coaches Award at the 2018 Social Venture Partners (SVP) Fast Pitch competition for Chicagoland nonprofits. Jamila also presented her Tedx Talk in 2018 entitled, "Make Today Your Saturday. Live a Fulfilled Life of Purpose." Furthermore, in 2018, Jamila was honored alongside Jesse Jackson Sr. with the "Giving a Hand Out to Give a Hand Up" Mentoring Award by the Calahan Foundation. In 2019, Jamila was honored with the Leading Lady Community Award by the Daisie Foundation. ​Jamila has a Bachelor of Science in Community Health from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Science in Health Systems Management from Rush University.  She also holds a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from The Broad Center for Management of School Systems. In addition to the Broad Residency, Jamila graduated from several prestigious leadership programs including the Schweitzer Fellowship and the IMPACT Leadership Development Program founded by the Chicago Urban League and the University of Chicago. She is also a Kellogg Executive Scholar from Northwestern University. In addition, she is a Licensed Minister at New Life Covenant – Southeast under the leadership of Pastor John F. Hannah.  Jamila resides in the South Loop community with her husband, Damien.​Community Leadership78 Community Advisory Council member appointed by Mayor Lori LightfootStatus of Women and Girls Working Group - Co-Chair of the Economic Development Committee - Office of the City Clerk, Anna ValenciaCivic Engagement Advisory Council (Core Member) - Office of the City Clerk, Anna ValenciaIllinois Council for Women and Girls - Founding Steering Committee MemberGreater Bronzeville Neighborhood Network - Workforce Development Steering Committee MemberCoalition for Urban Girls - Steering Committee Member​

Today we are moving along to Paul's letter to church in Rome. We might be willing to die for someone close or even a "good" person. But die for an enemy? No. We'll pass on that one. But God...has an even greater side that really is the opposite of what makes sense to us humans. Listen and see what you think. The music on the podcast is from John Nugent. John is a Chicagoland area musician who has been a real blessing to Tabor Church. Support the show (http://taborchicago.org/give/)

Are you getting enough rest, and are you getting the right kind of rest? In this week's episode, Pastor Ian Simkins talks about the importance of rest and how rest is much more than sitting on the couch after a long day at work; it's about how you spend your time when you aren't resting. You'll learn what God says about rest and why you need time for Sabbath. This episode aligns so well with the PIES of Attraction and becoming the best version of you that you can be. What you do in life is important but who you are becoming is more important. Ian provides a great perspective on rest and how it resets the posture of who we are and understanding our identity, especially our identity in Christ.Pop in your headphones, go for a walk, breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the episode! Today's Speaker: Ian Simkins, Lead Pastor of Teaching at The Bridge Church in Spring Hill, TNIan is the Lead Pastor of Teaching and Vision at The Bridge Church in Spring Hill, TN. He and his wife Katie have two amazing young boys, Owen and Redmond.Prior to coming on as Lead Pastor of Teaching in TN, he was the Teaching Pastor at Community Christian Church in Chicagoland and was also the host of a radio show called The Common Good.Website: bridge.tvhttps://iansimkins.com/Get the Attraction Assessment by visiting PIESUniversity.com, scroll down and wait for the pop-up.You'll LearnWhat rest is and why it's importantWhat God says about SabbathHow to implement a mindset of restSeason 2, Ep 73: Stop Doing and Start Resting with Ian Simkins

Friend of the show and GLCW Champion Backwoods Brown returns to Windy City Slam Podcast to preview One Fall Entertainment's “Pink Heals” show in Sheboygan Falls, Wis., including his match against Rhino, his return from injury and his Chicago Bears fandom. Plus, Mike recaps Freelance Underground's “The Final Phase” and the ultimate swerve by Project M.O.N.I.X., who says he isn't going anywhere and much more. Mike Pankow is a wrestling super-fan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy "Wrestling, Chicago-Style" on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

Can God change your opinion about people? Hopefully the answer to that question is yes. We are in the Book of Acts chapter 10 as God has been changing Peter's opinion about people, in particular the gentiles. This would be a difficult transition, as Peter has been raised to believe gentiles are unclean. Where does God need to change your perspective on people? The music on the podcast is from John Nugent. John is a Chicagoland area musician who has been a real blessing to Tabor Church. Support the show (http://taborchicago.org/give/)

We've always been a church with our eye on the future. We believe that this cultural moment affords us the opportunity of building a church that can reach all of Chicagoland. The post BE-ING: Who We Are, Pt. 6. Looking to the Future.” first appeared on Vineyard.

Episode 80: Personal Resilience Vanessa's guest is Marie Hale, cofounder and visionary at @revenue, the innovative Chicago sales and marketing agency. The topic is personal resilience. Vanessa defines personal resilience as the “ability to absorb an impact or disruption and be able to bounce back.” Marie has thought a lot about personal resilience over the past few years. She had no choice after the passing of two people close to her—first her life partner and mentor, then a close friend and colleague—and the onset of skin cancer affecting her face. In confronting these losses, says Marie, “I had to learn to pick myself up and put my lipstick on and keep walking.” In addition: • Marie discusses how to develop personal resilience and its benefits in connecting with others and thriving in business. • Marie explains how vulnerability and authenticity have become two of the strongest tools in her skillset. • Marie gives her answer to the question, “When you walk through an experience of having your entire chosen family eliminated and you still have to lead, what do you have to fall back on?” Finally, Vanessa gets Marie to connect the dots between sales and resilience. Marie explains why CRM is her love language and encourages listeners not to do business with jerk-faces. Please take part in our podcast listener survey at: https://forms.gle/XDuYPcFjXaydkEXV6 [LINKS MENTIONED] Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ's weekly (Wednesday) webinar series at https://drj.com/webinars/up-coming/ Register for DRJ Spring 2022: Resiliency Transformed at http://www.drj.com/spring2022 Connect with the podcast! • Email us at podcast@drj.com • Podcast Website: https://drj.com/decoded/ • Twitter: https://twitter.com/BRDecoded • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/business-resilience-decoded/ Marie Hale, guest Marie Hale is the co-founder and visionary at @revenue, a leading Chicago sales and marketing agency. She has spent more than 20 years revolutionizing small business marketing and sales in the Chicagoland area. She was formerly the owner of marketing agency Lipstic Logic. A graduate of Jim Rosas' Sales Results, Inc., program with a Black Belt in Sales, she speaks all over the country on sales and marketing topics as well as her own story of resilience. • @revenue: https://www.atrevenue.com/ • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-hale • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariehaleinspired/ • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atrevenue/?hl=en • Twitter: https://twitter.com/realmariehale?lang=en • Red Lipstick and Resilience on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cztOT4F-gtE • fwdrEvolution: https://www.fwdrevolution.com/author/marieh/ Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe's Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-vaughn-mathews-mba-cbcp-70916b4b/ • Book Mathews as a speaker: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/public-speaking/ • Asfalis Advisors: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/ Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting. • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonseals/ • Disaster Recovery Journal: https://drj.com/

Talking on the stream with Dan Lambton of rationale. (ex-Real Friends) about new tunes, which Gatorade flavor is superior (minus all cucumbers ever), mental health & illness awareness, his Twitch stream and more.Follow & Support rationale. & Dan:Twitter, Insta, Listen; Dan's Twitch, Twitter, Linktree______SOOTHSAYER HOT SAUCE X SPICY TAKESCan the guys in Action/Adventure stand the heat? Tune in to our latest episode of Spicy Takes on our YouTube channel to find out!In this episode, we feature their hot sauce "Poser Poison" sauce, which includes hints of Mexican chocolate and scorpion pepper. It's sold out online BUT you can snag a ticket to their upcoming tour this fall, & snag a bottle at their merch table. you can scoop over on their website.Make sure to give Soothsayer a follow on Insta to stay up to date with them + upcoming sauce drops. Also! Subscribe to us on YouTube so you can be the first to see our spiciest takes. EMO KID SUMMER MERCHSun's Out, Stay Inside! Or maybe you're feeling a nu-metal vibe? Whichever it is, we've got you covered! Grab our summer 2.0 drop now in our store!Thanks to our designer Joey Resko for our designs.___________________________CHECK OUT: BAD PLANNING X HIGHWIRE HOUSE SHOW (CHICAGO)Looking for a good ol' fashioned house show? Are you in Chicagoland and looking to monster mosh it out while supporting a good cause? Well Our friends in Bad Planning & Highwire are playing a haunted house gig on Fri. Oct. 22 in Hanover Park! Honey Creek, Radar & our friends in Wolf Rd. will also be there to get your bones rattlin'. It's $5 at the door & it goes to St. Judes Children's Research Hospital.Check out the FB event for more info!Join the club!Twitch: https://emosocialclub.tvDiscord: https://emosocial.club/discordTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@xemosocialclubxTwitter: https://emosocial.club/twitterInstagram: https://emosocial.club/instagramYoutube: https://emosocial.club/youtubeFacebook: https://emosocial.club/facebook  Follow us!Brian: @spookypants1Lizzie: @bordenbathory

To preview and promote the final wrestling match of his career against “the ghost he could never catch” Kylie Rae this weekend at Freelance Undergound, Project M.O.N.I.X. joins Windy City Slam Podcast to discuss what was behind his decision to leave wrestling, his rivalries against the likes of Simon Grimm/Gotch, Isaias Velazquez and DJZ (aka NXT's Joaquin Wilde) and the thoughts behind his “Final Phase” farewell tour. Plus, Mike recaps Warrior Wrestling: Sweet 16 and Chicago Style Wrestling, previews Freelance weekend and makes WWE Crown Jewel predictions. Mike Pankow is a wrestling super-fan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy "Wrestling, Chicago-Style" on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

Deanna Kuempel's story is one of struggle, determination, fortitude, faith – and fashion. Born & raised in the Chicagoland area and she studied Business & Accounting at Harper College. She went on to become an entrepreneur, simultaneously running 4 different businesses and closing multi-million dollar contracts. In 2013, Deanna's best friend and husband Richard became critically ill, and they set out on a very difficult battle with his health… one that was all too soon lost. Following open heart surgery and in need of a kidney transplant, Deanna dedicated herself to caring for her husband. Serving as a caregiver in those final days of Richard's life was a true awakening for Deanna. In an instant, she realized the preciousness of this one life we are given, and that we all must live out our legend. After Richard died, Deanna was forced to start over. She always had a passion for fashion and in 2017, embraced the mantra be yourself – be fierce – be fashion by launching the Deanna Marie Label. She designed, produced and launched 3 collections over the course of a few years and was named a finalist for Style Chicago's Design Challenge Presented by Cadillac. In 2019 Deanna read an article on how to start a podcast and just decided to go for it. Having overcome much abuse & trauma she decided on the name Label Free. Label Free Podcast, a show that highlights stories of people breaking free of the confines of societal labels to live a life that is truly fulfilling. In this episode you'll discover: How dressing well helped Deanna to reclaim her power during a difficult time What it means to live label-free How to find the courage to start over after loss How clothes can help you shift your mindset Be sure to share this with a friend! And don't forget to leave me a review. Merci.�� Join me for a free MasterClass and discover The Secret Power of Color: https://stylefinder.clickfunnels.com/the-secret-power-of-color Connect with Deanna here: www.labelfreepodcast.com www.instagram.com/labelfreepodcast www.facebook.com/labelfreepodcast www.facebook.com/deanna.kuempel.9 www.linkedin.com/in/deanna-kuempel/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5t_ELs5dkqBxa0DLxegKsw Follow me on Instagram: @stylebymarymichele Follow me on Tiktok: @stylebymarymichele Join the StyleFinder School of Style: https://sfschoolofstyle.com/join49186980 Connect with me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stylefindervipgroup Shop our boutique: https://shopstylefinder.com/ Download the StyleFinder APP for iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/stylefinder-boutique/id1525834450 Download the StyleFinder APP for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.CSstylefinder.android&hl=en_US&gl=US

Thank you so much ☺️ Vanessa Rodriguez had a great time talking about wrestling, family , and Chicago traffic! Tune for a special episode of the Midwest Marks Podcast talking with this amazing Woman FOLLOW VANESSA ON INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/thevanessarodriguez/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/midwest-mark/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/midwest-mark/support

Back IRL baby! We chat with the guys in Tiny Kingdoms before their show at Bottom Lounge with City Mouth, friends of the pod Kali Masi and You, Me & Everyone We Know. We chat about the best ice cream spots, their new EP "For A Moment We Were All Alone," why we can't give Jake too much power and more.Follow & Support Tiny Kingdoms:Twitter, Insta, Listen______SOOTHSAYER HOT SAUCE X SPICY TAKESCan the guys in Action/Adventure stand the heat? Tune in to our latest episode of Spicy Takes on our YouTube channel to find out!In this episode, we feature their hot sauce "Poser Poison" sauce, which includes hints of Mexican chocolate and scorpion pepper. It's sold out online BUT you can snag a ticket to their upcoming tour this fall, & snag a bottle at their merch table. you can scoop over on their website.Make sure to give Soothsayer a follow on Insta to stay up to date with them + upcoming sauce drops. Also! Subscribe to us on YouTube so you can be the first to see our spiciest takes. EMO KID SUMMER MERCHSun's Out, Stay Inside! Or maybe you're feeling a nu-metal vibe? Whichever it is, we've got you covered! Grab our summer 2.0 drop now in our store!Thanks to our designer Joey Resko for our designs.___________________________CHECK OUT: BAD PLANNING X HIGHWIRE HOUSE SHOW (CHICAGO)Looking for a good ol' fashioned house show? Are you in Chicagoland and looking to monster mosh it out while supporting a good cause? Well Our friends in Bad Planning & Highwire are playing a haunted house gig on Fri. Oct. 22 in Hanover Park! Honey Creek, Radar & our friends in Wolf Rd. will also be there to get your bones rattlin'. It's $5 at the door & it goes to St. Judes Children's Research Hospital.Check out the FB event for more info!Join the club!Twitch: https://emosocialclub.tvDiscord: https://emosocial.club/discordTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@xemosocialclubxTwitter: https://emosocial.club/twitterInstagram: https://emosocial.club/instagramYoutube: https://emosocial.club/youtubeFacebook: https://emosocial.club/facebook  Follow us!Brian: @spookypants1Lizzie: @bordenbathory

Welcome to my Sunroom Welcome to my Sunroom, you guys!!!  Fall is definitely here in Chicagoland! I would like to thank those of you who have found the podcast important enough to you that you have supported it monetarily. I […] The post All About African Violets – Episode 4.05 – More Grooming! appeared first on All About African Violets.

Extra! Texture! Is not featured in this episode. This one's chock-full of #BreakingBeatlesNews, of which there's been a lot these last few weeks. Tony & T.J. delve into Ringo's new E.P., Macca's eye-opening interview in The New Yorker, the first released tracks from the "Let It Be" remix, and much more. Along the way, they ponder/pander:     Did Ringo have a Babyfaced "Premonition" while watching a John Travolta flick in ‘96 that would Change The World?     Did Tony's steadfast allegiance to Phar-Mor help destroy an iconic Chicagoland record store chain?     Is nudie T.J. always Yoko, or only when re-enacting the cover of Tetragrammaton's hundred seller, "Two Virgins"? Look, folks, Tony and T.J. are the Ron Magers and Carol Marin of Beatles podcasts. (Producer Casey is a respectable Allison Rosati.) So trust us to give it to you straight, on A Collection of Beatles Newsies, dateline 16 October 2021, Chicago, U.S.A. Subscribe here, yell at us on Facebook and please support the show - your likes and reviews make a huge difference!

WE APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU! If you wouldn't mind please go leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Thanks! Welcome back to Episode 165 of On the Spot Sports and in today's episode we have a very special guest, current professional hockey player, Evan Mosey! Evan and I talk about his path to pro hockey playing in the EIHL with the Sheffield Steelers. We also talk about growing up in his hometown of Downers Grove, IL and playing youth hockey throughout the Chicagoland area, being able to switch from forward to a defenseman while knowing the different situations to do that, importance of playing different sports and becoming more athletic, inside the Wolves vs Icehogs rivalry, playing pro hockey overseas, winning a Gold Medal in the World Championships with Great Britain and so much more! We hope you guys enjoy this episode!! Thank you Evan for coming on the show! I had a blast! Follow us on Instagram @on_the_spot_sports and take a listen on YouTube, Spotify and Apple/Google Podcasts @ On The Spot Sports Get $25 off our guy Jamie Phillips Nutrition book for Hockey Players with the discount code "ONTHESPOT" on victoremnutrition.com Living Sisu link: https://livingsisu.com/app/devenirmem...... *BECOME A MEMBER TODAY*

Shoshana Buchholz-Miller works tirelessly as Executive Director of Cradles to Crayons Chicago managing an organization that provides low-income Chicagoland families the essential items children need to thrive. In this episode, Shoshana shares about her path to finding her niche in non-profits, the trials and triumphs of working in the non-profit sector, and how her role as a mother influences the passion and vigor she brings to her leadership. Listen now to discover how Shoshana's work levels the playing field for children living in poverty and learn about opportunities to partner or volunteer with Cradles to Crayons Chicago in order to further their mission.