Podcasts about confronting

Ian Faith, co-host with Galen Balinski of The Screwtape Letters Podcast, calls in to the show to talk about the inspiration behind the creation of the podcast, his recently-released devotional inspired by the C.S. Lewis book, Confronting Evil in Our Time, what happens when the truth hits you, the scary, real dangers of vice and the difficulty of convincing others of those dangers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, I delve into the often unspoken fears surrounding wedding planning, focusing specifically on the concept of worst-case scenarios.After reflecting on a recent conversation with a bride, it struck me how commonly these worries manifest, creating an atmosphere of anxiety and stress for those preparing for what should be a joyous occasion. From concerns about unpredictable weather to familial tensions, the anxiety surrounding a wedding can lead to excessive spending and compulsive planning, detracting from the excitement of the event.Walking through the worst-case scenarios allows us to strip away the layers of fear. What do you do if it rains? You create a backup plan. What happens if emotions run high on the big day? You learn to embrace those feelings instead of fearing them. This practice doesn't just mitigate anxiety; it fosters a sense of strength and stability as you prepare for one of life's most significant milestones.What you'll learn from this episode:Confronting wedding day anxietiesTurning toward anxietyEmbracing solutionsFeatured on the show:Follow me on Instagram to learn more about navigating your wedding with grace and ease: https://www.instagram.com/karaghassabeh/Check out **The Bridal Prep Academy:** https://karamaureen.comLet's connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KaraMaureenBridalCoachingGet your copy of the book, **Whispers to a Bride:**https://www.amazon.com/Whispers-Bride-handle-stress-drama/dp/B0BCRXBQFN/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1UXWJVJOF3MNI&keywords=whispers+to+a+bride&qid=1662643892&sprefix=whispers+to+a+bride%2Caps%2C141&sr=8-1

In this episode, the focus is on clergy abuse—a topic made even more pressing by recent headlines. The featured guest, Sandy Phillips Kirkham, shares her harrowing ordeal of being abused by a charismatic youth pastor starting at the age of 16. Sandy discusses the grooming process, the five years of abuse, and how she was ultimately expelled from her church while her abuser was merely relocated. She delves into the long-lasting impact of the abuse on her life and her spiritual journey, how she concealed her trauma for 27 years, and how she ultimately confronted her abuser. Sandy also provides valuable insights and actionable advice for preventing abuse and supporting victims within church communities. Her story is also detailed in her book, ‘Let Me Prey on You,' which offers a detailed account of her journey from victim to advocate. 00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message 00:47 Welcome to the Podcast 01:32 Introducing Today's Topic: Clergy Abuse 02:17 Sandy Phillips Kirkham's Early Life and Church Involvement 06:22 Meeting the Abuser: The Charismatic Youth Pastor 08:43 Red Flags and Grooming Tactics 13:51 The First Inappropriate Act 16:37 The Abuse Escalates 21:06 The Aftermath and Church's Response 28:15 Life After Abuse: Marriage and Keeping Secrets 32:09 Protecting Future Generations 35:17 The Importance of Sex Education in the Church 36:32 Techniques for Discussing Sex with Children 37:22 Personal Experiences with Sex Education 38:20 Triggering Memories and Emotional Breakdown 40:13 The Journey of Healing Begins 41:31 Understanding Clergy Abuse and Self-Forgiveness 43:52 Confronting the Abuser 47:07 Challenges in Seeking Justice 54:47 Preventing Abuse in the Church 01:00:31 Supporting Victims of Clergy Abuse 01:05:07 Final Thoughts and Resources Sandy Kirkham and her husband Bill enjoy life with their two grown children, two beautiful granddaughters, and two fairly well-behaved dogs. Sandy continues to use her voice to help victims of clergy abuse. She currently serves on the board of Council Against Child Abuse. Sandy has spoken before the Ohio Senate, a Maryland court, and appeared on a local television show in Boston. Her story, “Stolen Innocence,” was told in a documentary produced by The Hope of Survivors. Sandy works with survivors conducting victim support conferences. She has participated in The Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) panels moderated by SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), sharing her perspective from the non-Catholic point of view. Sandy has been a presenter/speaker at major events on clergy abuse including the Hope & Healing Conference. Sandy has earned a certificate of completion from the Faith Trust Institute entitled, “A Sacred Trust: Boundary Issues for Clergy and Spiritual Teachers.” https://sandyphillipskirkham.com/ https://www.facebook.com/KirkhamAuthor/  sandykirkhamauthor@gmail.com  Purchase her book “Let Me Prey Upon You” on amazon: https://sandyphillipskirkham.com/shop/let-me-prey-upon-you/   Link Tree   Website: https://dswministries.org Subscribe to the podcast: https://dswministries.org/subscribe-to-podcast/ Social media links: Join our Private Wounds of the Faithful FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1603903730020136 Twitter: https://twitter.com/DswMinistries YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxgIpWVQCmjqog0PMK4khDw/playlists Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dswministries/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DSW-Ministries-230135337033879 Keep in touch with me! Email subscribe to get my handpicked list of the best resources for abuse survivors! https://thoughtful-composer-4268.ck.page #abuse #trauma Affiliate links: Our Sponsor: 753 Academy: https://www.753academy.com/ Can't travel to The Holy Land right now? The next best thing is Walking The Bible Lands! Get a free video sample of the Bible lands here! https://www.walkingthebiblelands.com/a/18410/hN8u6LQP An easy way to help my ministry: https://dswministries.org/product/buy-me-a-cup-of-tea/ A donation link: https://dswministries.org/donate/   Sandy Phillips Kirkham [00:00:00] Special thanks to 7 5 3 Academy for sponsoring this episode. No matter where you are in your fitness and health journey, they've got you covered. They specialize in helping you exceed your health and fitness goals, whether that is losing body fat, gaining muscle, or nutritional coaching to match your fitness levels. They do it all with a written guarantee for results so you don't waste time and money on a program that doesn't exceed your goals. There are martial arts programs. Specialize in anti-bullying programs for kids to combat proven Filipino martial arts. They take a holistic, fun, and innovative approach that simply works. Sign up for your free class now. It's 7 5 3 academy.com. Find the link in the show notes. Welcome to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast, brought to you by DSW Ministries. Your host is singer songwriter, speaker and domestic violence advocate, [00:01:00] Diana Winkler. She is passionate about helping survivors in the church heal from domestic violence and abuse and trauma. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counseling or qualified medical help. Now here is Diana. Hello. Welcome everyone. Welcome to my regular listeners, as well as some new listeners that have joined us today. I have a great guest for you today. We're going to be talking about clergy abuse today. Religious leader, abuse. Pastor, youth leader. You've seen this in the news recently with all these preachers being arrested or charged with sexual misconduct or rape or [00:02:00] pedophilia. I'm sure you've seen the news. Well, today we're going to hear a story about a woman who's been victimized in that way and she's fighting back. So let me read her bio for you. A church is where an insecure 16-year-old girl should feel welcome, happy, and most importantly, safe tragically. For some, the church can become a place of great harm. Sandy Phillips Kirkham details her account of how charismatic youth minister preyed upon her, a betrayal which left her broken with a shattered faith and the ultimate shame of being blamed enforced from the church she loved. Despite a successful and happy life, is a wife, mother, and friend. Sandy successfully concealed her abuse for [00:03:00] 27 years until a trigger forced her to face the truth. Sandy's story will take you on her journey of healing. Her strength and courage will inspire you. Let me pray upon you her book details. Sandy's journey from innocent 16-year-old, a victim to a survivor, and advocate. We please welcome Sandy Phillips. Kirk, welcome Sandy to the show. Thanks so much for coming on. Well, thank you for having me. I'm glad to be here. Wow. So I've been listening to you on the Preacher Boys podcast and thought you had a really great story, and so I wanted to come and bring you on so my listeners can hear your story as well. Mm-hmm. So tell us a little bit about your home and your church environment growing up. Let's [00:04:00] start from the beginning here. Okay. I'm the oldest of five. My parents were divorced when I was about seven, which that was really the impact of my life, of just how it altered everything about that time in my life. Then my mother remarried and we moved in with my stepfather shortly after my father remarried, and so I was dealing with these blended families and it was just very confusing for me at the time, my parents and stepfather did not attend church. So I, I wasn't a part of a church until I was about eight, and that's when my best friend who lived up the street invited me to go with their family, and I went with them and I went every Sunday after that, I absolutely fell in love with church. It was a place that I felt safe. I think it provided for me a place away from home that I felt comfortable and I got attention there. I was very active even as a small child. I went to vacation Bible school, church camp, love Sunday School. I sang in a junior choir. Really, it was a just a great place for me to [00:05:00] be. When I was 13, I was baptized and then my faith really deepened and my involvement in the church became even more so, started teaching Sunday school and teaching vacation Bible school. I started serving on committees with adults and doing more of the activities that would, , just be more in depth than just typical youth group activities. So, it's just no exaggeration to say that if the doors of the church were open, I was there and I loved it. I loved serving God. I felt that was the place for me, and everything about it was brought me joy and peace in the church. Wow. You really, were very sincere in your faith. It was not a fake one. I hear a lot of stories of. Being brought up in the church and being made to go to church and, you just go through the motions kind of thing. But it sounds like it was the opposite for you. It was that you really believed this with all your heart. Was that a fundamental Baptist church you were going [00:06:00] to or what? It was a church, Christ Christian Church, which is similar to the Baptist. It's an independent church. Yeah, that's the church. That was so something happened while you were serving the Lord and loving God. You met your abuser? Yes. Shortly after I turned 16, our church hired a new youth pastor, and from the moment he arrived, he was totally different than anyone we'd ever seen before. He was very charismatic, very dynamic. His sermons were really like nothing we'd ever heard before, and people were just drawn to him. He had a personality that people found themselves wanting to be around him. They wanted to please him. So he was very good at asking people to do things and they didn't hesitate. It, it was just a different kind of atmosphere. When he came to the church, the youth group exploded in numbers. We went from like 25 to almost 200 in a very short time. Even the [00:07:00] adult church was growing because people just came to hear him preach because he was so good at what he did. He was 30, married with two children, but he really acted more like our age group. He dressed like we did. He. Went to our football games at school, he knew our music. So he just, he really, he was tuned into us and in return we found ourselves, all of us being willing to please him and wanna do anything we could to make the youth group and the church better. So when people think of a profile of a child abuser, they usually think, oh, some dirty old man, that his roaming fingers or what have you, but this youth pastor sounded like, okay, he was really good looking and hip and really loved the young people. Mm-hmm. Is that typical of. Well, it's, it's typical in the sense that it's not the, dirty old man hiding in the bushes. Most abusers [00:08:00] are people we know. They're people that we like. They're usually people that, connect with people very well, and that's what makes them so dangerous because they're not obvious with what they do, and they're very good at that. They pretend to be one of us. They pretend to care, but in reality, their goal is to find a way to take advantage of the most vulnerable in, in the group. And so, predators are usually drawn to places where they will find vulnerable people. The gymnastics team is an example of that. The Boy Scouts, anywhere where you can, and certainly the church because we are welcoming into people who are in need. Oftentimes. Then there are many people in the church who are vulnerable to these types of men, and sometimes women. Were there any red flags? That you should have seen or noticed when you were around this youth pastor? Well, he came with so many different ideas and different ways of doing things. And one of the things that he was doing now, this was in the [00:09:00] seventies, so cultures were changing and it was free love and kind of thing. But he came into our church and he expected everyone to hug each other. So we were always hugging each other. And he also expected us to say how much we loved each other and that we love you and not just that I love you in Christ. He would simply walk up, give you a hug and say, I love you. Now you know, that may seem innocent, but that's a little odd for that pastor to be saying those kinds of things. And it also blurs the lines because when you say to someone, I love you, that can be confusing to. Young teenagers and even to vulnerable adults. So, but he did that with everybody. It wasn't like he picked someone else special, but, so the hugging in the contact was kind of a red flag in the beginning. But for me personally, I babysat for his family. His wife worked evenings. Mm-hmm. So one night after he came home, he asked me to go to his basement and listen to a song by Neil Diamond. [00:10:00] Well, it felt a little weird 'cause I'd never. I've been around a pastor that wanted to talk to me about anything but church in the Bible. But I went to the basement. Yeah. I mean a Neil Diamond song. So I went to the basement. I know, but that's a trigger factor for me sometimes. So anyway, I went to the basement and he put this record on and I sat down on the couch and instead of sitting in a chair or another place, he came on the couch and sat very close to me. And I remember feeling uncomfortable, but I didn't say anything. 'cause I thought, well, he is just sitting next to me. It's no big deal. But that's a red flag that I felt because it felt uncomfortable to me. And then the other times that I would babysit for him. His wife wouldn't come home till late in the evening, so he would come home around seven or eight and after the kids were in bed, instead of taking me home, he wanted me to sit and talk with him all evening. So we'd talk about the Bible or we'd talk about church, and sometimes he'd ask me what I thought of his [00:11:00] sermon, which at age 16, I'm flattered that this man has any idea that I would have some opinion about this great sermon that he just gave. So I didn't see anything wrong with that because he's my pastor. But had that occurred with my 30-year-old neighbor down the street, every time I went to babysit, I know I would've come home to my mother and said, okay, this is weird. Mm-hmm. Every time I babysit, this man wants to sit and talk to me all evening. I mean, what interest would I have as a teenager wanting to talk to this 30-year-old married man? But because my pastor was who he was and he tapped into our common connection of the church and God, and again, many times he would give me books to read 'cause he wanted me to get better in my deep, in my spirituality. So I didn't see anything wrong with it because of who he was. And so I just accepted that behavior, which is another tool and technique. They look for ways to get into you. Mm-hmm. [00:12:00] That don't seem obvious. And that was, so those were two red flags for me. Now as far as the congregation goes, I was in his office a lot by myself, but so were other kids, because he would actually call us into his office and say, I want you to come in and tell me what's going on in your life. Talk to me about your problems. Instead of us going to him, he would encourage us to come into his office. So while that probably wasn't a good thing, no one saw it as a bad thing. It seemed normal, but he called me into his office a lot more than the other kids. And later on there were people who did say to me, there were times when I wondered why he said something to you like that, or I noticed something one time. And so I think people notice some things, but no one thought enough of it to say, okay, there's something going on that doesn't seem right. So those were the red flags that I think in the beginning were very subtle. But they were hard to see, [00:13:00] and this is really important to distinguish these things because I was groomed by a guidance counselor in seventh grade. Mm-hmm. But he was one of those dirty old men that, he was doing creepy stuff. Yeah. But I never would have seen myself. A pastor and he's talking about spiritual things and he's talking about God and mm-hmm. He's not talking about sex. He's not watching, you're not watching dirty movies together. No, he's not, buying you sexy lingerie. It's, Hey, he's doing spiritual things. Mm-hmm. It's a setup. It's that grooming process you're talking about. It's pulling someone in to gain their trust, in a very di diabolical way, because he's using the church to do that. That's really scary. That scares mm-hmm. Scares me to death. What were the first times that he did something really inappropriate that you were just like, whoa? Well, the very [00:14:00] first time, was after a youth group meeting that was held in my home. I was the song leader. He put me in a leadership position, and it was very important to him that the evening always go well and that we were to make people feel welcome. And so at the end of the evening, I was nervous because I wanted to make sure that he thought everything went well. And he came up to me in my hallway and began telling me how great the evening was and how proud he was of me. And I was on Cloud nine. I was flattered that he felt that way. I felt good that the evening went so well. And then he just slowly bent down and he kissed me. And it wasn't, it was a kiss, but it seemed somewhat innocent to some extent. And I, I remember thinking, I think he just kissed me. Then my next thought was, well, he's my pastor and I don't think he would be doing anything he shouldn't be doing. And it was just a quick kiss. And he's always hugging people. And so maybe this is just his way of showing his appreciation for the evening. It was really [00:15:00] the only way in my 16-year-old mind that I could justify it because I couldn't think about this man doing anything he shouldn't be doing. And this was a person that everyone loved and thought so highly of, so how could I think he was doing something he shouldn't be doing? So I just let it go. I didn't think anything more about it. I mean, did you have any sex ed or anything? Did you know the birds and bees? Nine. Well, yeah, I'm 16. I did. Yeah, I did. But I wasn't, I hadn't dated much. I wasn't allowed to date till I was 16, so I hadn't had any dating experience. I had one kiss before this with a boy at camp. So I wasn't. Worldly or knowledgeable about all those things. But, and again, it was such a quick innocent type kiss. He didn't grab me, he didn't push me against the wall. I just, and again, I think for me it was okay if he's, if this is more than just a kiss, then what do I do with it? So therefore I'm just gonna say it's [00:16:00] nothing because I don't know what else to do. Um, wow. I let it go. I let it go. But as I babysat for him, he, sometimes when I would leave, he would kiss me and sometimes he wouldn't. So, I didn't see it as a con, kind of a continual thing that he was always wanting to kiss me. He always hugged me. But the kissing became more intense as it went along. So it, it would be another year, before he would have sex with me. And so that grooming process and kind of pushing the boundaries each time he was with me, finally ended with him having sex with me. Oh, wow. Now, some of us listening are like an adult having sex with a child or 16-year-old. Can you unpack that a little bit more, the process of how he got to that point? I mean, that the first time you had intercourse, I mean, did he, you know, go to a hotel with you and you had a candlelight dinner, or was it in the backseat of the car?[00:17:00] Was it an accident? It wasn't an accident. He was very deliberate and I had every intentions of having sex with me that night. I babysat, I was babysitting, I put the kids to bed, I walked down the steps. I assumed that we would go into the living room. Or the family room, sit on the couch and talk about the things we always talked about. But instead, he stopped me at the bottom of the stairs and he took me into the living room, and immediately put me on the floor and began undressing me. Um, and wow, I froze. I, I literally froze and I kept thinking to myself, he's going to stop. He's going to stop. And that the entire time he's whispering into my ear how much he loves me, that he would never hurt me, and that he can, I can trust him. And then he kept asking me, do you love me? Do you love me? And I, of course, I'm answering yes, because well, yes I do, because that's what I've told him for the past year. I, I, I just, I was so confused and what my real reaction was, I froze. Mm-hmm. Um, he, he sort of pushed my head under the [00:18:00] stereo. And so when he is starting to get farther than I thought he would ever go. I blocked, I just blocked it out and I started reading the serial numbers underneath the stereo. Oh my goodness. Just to be thinking of anything else. Um, at one point he then just picked me up and took me upstairs. He literally put me on the bed, penetrated me, and that was it. And I was horrified. I was absolutely horrified. I, I wanted to cry. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do. Um, he left the room, told me to get dressed, and he would take me home. And I remember sitting on the bed and I put the bedspread around me because I was so embarrassed that I didn't have my clothes on. Mm-hmm. Oh, wow. Um, and then I just remember thinking I just had sex. I'm no longer a virgin. I just had sex with this man and. He took me home. Now, in the [00:19:00] book, of course, I go into a little bit more detail, but Right, he took me home and just before I got outta the car, he said to me, now, you know, this is something between the two of us, you can't tell anyone. And of course I'm thinking, who would I tell? I, I don't want anybody to know. I just did this. So, that was the first time. And then I think I, at that point I kept thinking, you know, I've had sex with him. So now I'm committed to him again. I'm at this point, I'm 17 years old. I'm still like, what do I do with this? I don't, I don't know what to do with this. Um, and he was convincing me that he loved me. He was convincing me that he needed me in his ministry and that God, this was God's will in our lives. He threw that at me. Eventually he would say to me that we were married in God's eyes. I mean, twisting the scripture and using God as a reason that we should be together. And so. I started to accept that. There were a couple times I went to him and told him that I couldn't do this anymore. I felt [00:20:00] guilty. He would respond in one of two ways. One, he would say to me how much he needed me, how much he loved me, and that he couldn't live without me. So that was the guilt part of it. Or he would respond and by saying to me, you know, you're no longer a virgin. No one else is gonna want you. I'm the only one that knows how to love you, and you are committed to me, and this is gonna be the way it is. And I saw no way out. I didn't see a way out. And so the relationship continued for five years. Wow. Five years. It went on for five years. That is a long time. And it, during that time, he became more aggressive physically. Uh, he hit me. He became sexually more deviant. It just progressed. It got worse and worse. And to a point that I finally, I was, my self-esteem was so low. I hated myself for what I'd been doing. So I finally just accepted that this was my life. I knew [00:21:00] I'd never get married. I knew I'd never have children, and this wouldn't be over until he said it was over. This went on for five years and nobody in the church noticed it. Your parents didn't notice it. You know, people say, well, where were your parents? Well, first of all, my parents were thrilled. I was in church. I mean, this was a time in the seventies when drugs were. Prevalent girls were, having free sex. So for them, what safer place could there be than to be in church? So, and they saw his intention toward me and his involvement with me as a good thing. I mean, he would take me on hospital visits with him. I mean, they saw this as being positive. And they knew how much I loved being there and that it was a place that I liked to go. So they didn't see it. And many in the church didn't see it began because who suspects the pastor of such behavior. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And especially in the seventies when this wasn't an open topic like it is now, you wouldn't have dared thought anything like that. And so [00:22:00] it's not uncommon for people in the church, to miss the signs and to ignore what they really do see, because they just can't believe that it would be something that would be happening in their church because then they'd have to do something about it. Yes, exactly. When did it all come crumbling down? It does crumble. Eventually it does. Two elders became suspicious and followed him one night and found us together in a hotel room. And then from then on, the next month and a half was an absolute nightmare for me. Hmm. It was initially hoped that they could keep what he had done, quiet and keep it from the congregation. Now, I have to say one thing before I forget. This wasn't his first incident of sexual misconduct. Oh. Prior to and just after he was awri, he arrived at our church. A young woman from his first church came forward and accused him of sexual misconduct. When he was [00:23:00] confronted by my elders, he didn't deny it. He said it was true. He asked for forgiveness, that it would never happen again. It was a mistake. So within six months. That's when he was kissing me in my hallway. So this, so these elders were aware that this was the second time that there had been an incident with this man of sexual abuse and misconduct. But in spite of that, they tried to keep it quiet in hopes of moving him to another church. And so I was told during that time where I was to sit, how I was to respond to questions. I wasn't to talk to anyone. I wasn't to tell anyone about what had happened, including my parents. And this was all in an effort to keep it quiet. Well, that effort failed. And so it was determined that he should address the congregation. He did it in a very vague way, just simply said that he'd sinned. He'd sinned against God, and he'd sinned against his wife. And that was his confession. That was it. Two days later, he had me meet [00:24:00] him in a hotel room after that confession in front of the congregation. Now. He was moved to the next church. He was given a going away party. There was actually a vote to maybe keep him, but the vote failed and they decided to move him to the next church. About, two weeks, three weeks later, I was called in by the elders, and this is probably the hardest part of my story for me. Mm-hmm. I was called in by the elders and I was told that because of my behavior I was to leave the church. I was devastated. I loved that church. It was the only church I knew, and here I was being told by these two elders that I wasn't fit to worship there any longer. Mm-hmm. He could be forgiven and given a second, third chance. I couldn't be, I was told that to leave the church. I wasn't given any counseling. I wasn't helped in any way. I was simply told to leave and I did. I left. [00:25:00] And that I told people many times, as horrific as the abuse was, having been told to leave, that church had a greater impact on me spiritually than the actual abuse did. I don't think I ever recovered from that. It still haunts me to this day to some extent. That response of the church really devastated me. So that was the crumbling, as you called it? It came crashing down and I would, I left the church. So did that change your perception of God? What was your relationship with God this time? Yes. You were kicked outta the church, but. Well, I felt a disconnect from God. I never blamed God. I never felt like God caused this to happen. I, in fact, I carry the blame and the shame. I felt guilty for what I had done. And so I never blamed God, but because of the relationship being tied in with God and the [00:26:00] prayers that this man would give, and then, you know, he'd give these wonderful sermons about marriage and sanctity of marriage on a Sunday morning after having sex with me the night before. I had difficulty separating all of that, and there were so many trigger factors associated with the church and prayer that God really did. It was hard for me to have any kind of relationship with God. I did. I didn't become an atheist like a lot of victims do, and who become angry at God. I simply just. I just put him on the back burner. I knew he existed, but I didn't have a connection with him any longer. So for 27 years, I, I never prayed. I never opened my Bible. I went to church because when I met my husband, he was a Methodist. And I thought, well, I'll go to the Methodist Church. It's a different denomination. Mm-hmm. I'll just go on. It should be fine. It didn't work that way. I had anxiety attacks in church. I, his [00:27:00] reminders of him were constant, but I forced myself to go. I made sure that I went because I knew when we had children, I wanted them to have that church experience. But every time I walked past the minister's office, I got a knot in my stomach. Oh yeah. It had nothing to do with that minister. But you understand that. I mean, it, but I did that for 27 years. It became my norm. I just knew that when I walked past that office, I was gonna get a knock my stomach, certain hymns. I can tell you what his favorite hymn was, and every time that was played, that's who I thought of. I couldn't pray. It was so, I did have a deep, deep disconnect for 27 years, and I have to tell you, I missed it. I actually mourn that loss of my spiritual life, but I didn't know how to get it back. Because I'm keeping this secret. I'm still carrying guilt and shame. I couldn't forgive myself. I didn't feel worthy to be in church. So with all of that mixed in, I just put myself on autopilot and said, [00:28:00] well, this is the way my life will be and I'll just have to accept it. It just sounds so unfair. Somebody that loves the Lord so much and served in the church and so innocent and being kicked out. Oh, but it sounded like maybe meeting your husband would've been a positive thing for you. How did you guys meet? I actually worked at his office, so I met him there. We dated for about two years, and I just found him to be a kind, loving soul. He was very unassuming. He wasn't arrogant. He didn't, he wasn't a boastful type of person. He didn't like taking credit for things, even though he deserved it sometimes. He was just a good hearted person, and I just, I fell in love with him immediately. I really did. I thought this was a great, great guy. I mean, I will tell you, I have said many times because before I met him, I was on a destructive path. I did not have any self-esteem. [00:29:00] I saw myself just simply as some sex object that, I was only good for that. And so when I met him, he saved my life because he loved me for who I was and showed me that I was worthy. So I've often said to him, you saved my life, and he will respond back with you made mine, and you can't get any better than that. So meeting him was a turning point for me, but I kept a secret from him for 27 years, and I lived in fear that he'd always find out that I'd had this affair with a married man. And I know in my heart that it wouldn't have made a difference to him. But people who've been abused never forget the words, don't ever tell. And I never forgot those words. And I never forgot what the consequences could be if I were to tell someone. Because when my elders found out, they blamed me. And I, I couldn't bear the thought that if I were to tell him. [00:30:00] Somehow he would find fault with me, or I wondered, would he wonder why I didn't feel confident enough to tell him? Would he feel betrayed that I kept a secret? Would he see me differently sexually? All those fears that I had while unfounded were still present in my mind. And so I never could tell him. And I had to do a lot of play acting and pretending, through our married life in the sense that the times I was having trigger factors, I had to hide them. And I know he would've been supportive, but I couldn't see that. Because while trauma affects you at the time of the abuse, it's lifelong. It doesn't leave you. And so I lived with that for 27 years. So did you have. Intimacy issues when you were together? Was that what you're talking about? The triggering? No, I, know a lot of victims do, and that's understandable. I really didn't, because he was so different from my abuser [00:31:00] and I recognized that my abuser was emotionally violent mm-hmm. And physically, he just wasn't loving in any sense of the word. I was simply used for sex. Mm-hmm. And I didn't have that with my husband. And so I could separate that a little bit. But I think the guilt of hiding the secret had an impact on our marriage as far as my able to be intimate with him in an emotional way. I'm really glad to hear that. I, you are not the first person that I've heard that. The victim has hidden a secret from her husband. I passed her and a pastor's wife and her husband did not know. Mm-hmm. Children didn't know, and it was a family member that was the abuser. And I kept telling her, you've got to tell him. Mm-hmm. You know why? It's because, and I was thinking this when I was listening to your, the other shows that you were on. I'm thinking about your children and your grandchildren. If I was abused, [00:32:00] I would be like. How do I keep my children and grandchildren from going through what I just went through, you know? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Well, that's an interesting thing because most people would assume that my daughter, I would've been all over it and worried sick every time she left the house. Yeah. But I actually had the opposite, reaction because keep in mind, I didn't see myself as an abuse victim. I saw myself as someone who participated, who willingly went into this relationship and stayed in it willingly, which is not the case when you're abused. There's the control, the manipulation, all of those things that play into keeping a victim in a relationship and they see no way out. So for me, I just assumed I got one bad apple in the whole barrel, that this didn't happen to other people and that I had an affair. But my daughter, who I knew, she would never have an affair with a married man, I just knew that. So I. Sent her on [00:33:00] retreats. I sent her to church camp without fear because again, I'm thinking, okay, this just doesn't happen to other people and this is not something I need to be concerned about with her. However, with my granddaughters, it's totally different because now I understand what really occurred and the damage that can occur when you've been abused. And so with my granddaughters, her mom and dad have talked to them, about good touch, bad touch. And I too have talked about to her, but I've been a little bit more probably detailed about it. Mm-hmm. And as she gets older, these men, the techniques change as you get older and they, after they go after teenage girls, so mm-hmm. Hopefully I'll be able to help her understand, what happens when someone's grooming. I want her to understand her personal space, that if you're not comfortable when someone hugs you, it's okay. That's right. Say I, I don't want you to touch me that way. Mm-hmm. Or say if they don't feel comfortable and we put a lot on kids to do that. 'cause here [00:34:00] we're asking a child to say to an adult, no. Mm-hmm. So it's okay to go to your mother or your mom and say, can you tell so and so Uncle Jimmy or whoever it is, I don't wanna be hugged. So we need to make sure our kids understand that their personal space is their space. And if they don't want someone in that space, it's okay to say no. I also think it's important to tell kids that good people can do bad things. Yeah. Because, as we talked about earlier, our abusers are not strangers. They're not mean people. Mm-hmm. They're usually good people. They're usually people who've given us gifts. They're people who help us. They're people who tell us how wonderful we are. So it's hard for children, even adults, to see this individual who. Who on one side is a good individual who does a lot in the church, who's done all these wonderful things. And so we, we have to tell these kids, just because they're a good person doesn't mean they can't do bad things. And so that's kind of the message I hope to get to my granddaughters that I didn't give to my [00:35:00] daughter. And fortunately she didn't have any issues with church or any, anybody abusing her. But I certainly did not, guide her in the right way in that sense because I just, like I said, I just assumed that I was the only one that this would ever have happened to. Well, I think, I hear a lot in the church that they don't teach sex ed because they don't want the kids to go out and have sex. Mm-hmm. And so a lot of these kids are like ignorant as to, what is healthy and what is not proper, yeah. We need to teach 'em that our bodies or are going to respond. They were built that way. God intended us to have feelings. You know, when we are around the opposite sex, that's normal. Mm-hmm. So we need to make sure kids understand. But there are barriers and there are boundaries that need to be taken. But you're absolutely right when we don't talk at it, then we figure it out on their own. And we could, we can all imagine when you're leaving teenagers to [00:36:00] their own devices to figure out things. That's probably not gonna lead in a good spot. No, we have the internet now, which when we, right. When you and I were younger, we didn't have the internet. We didn't have cell phones. No. If you wanted a Playboy magazine, you had to go to that kind of a neighborhood to get something. Yes. You know? Yes. It was a lot more difficult. Yes, absolutely. But too many parents are embarrassed to talk to their children about sex and, you know, everybody listening needs to listen. You need to find a way to talk to them about these things. And one of the techniques that I use with my daughter, just in talking about sex in general, kids don't want to hear their mom and dad talk to 'em about this. So what I did would say, I read a magazine article about this girl who did such and such so that I put it off on something else that's, a non-entity of a person. And I'll say, or Have you ever heard of this? And of course I know she's got a little embarrassed, but I, it opened the dialogue without me coming [00:37:00] out and saying, have you heard of oral sex? Instead, I would talk to her and say, I heard this about this. This is what kids are doing, blah, blah, blah. So you kind of have to find techniques and ways to sneak around it sometimes, but you absolutely need to talk to, because they know it's out there and they're going to experiment. That's just part of being a teenager. Yeah, my parents chickened out. They just gave me a book to read. Same, probably the same book. I got, I forget what it was called. Where did I come from? Or something. It was a cartoon book. Mm-hmm. And I'm grateful for that. And, they just, after I finished the book, do you have any questions? Yeah, yeah. I had a lot of, older people that were friends and I would actually go to my older. Senior citizen friends and ask them questions rather than ask my parents. Right? Yeah, yeah. It's more comfortable that way for sure. Like I said, it's not the topic that we like to talk to with our kids and our kids don't wanna hear it, but being uncomfortable is not an excuse not to do that. And in school you get [00:38:00] the basics of the mechanics of it, but then that ends, that's all you get there as well. And that's not as helpful either. Yeah. The sixth grade menstrual cycle, health class. Yeah, exactly. That's it. They separate the girls and the boys. Yeah. We were all really embarrassed and Yes, yes. Yeah, exactly. Great information. So let's, circle around back to, okay, you've been hiding this secret forever. Mm-hmm. And nobody knows about your past. And then one day you got triggered. So what happened that day? Well, that's the first chapter of my book, and that is one day I was driving to a golf tournament in Tennessee. We live in Cincinnati. I was driving, my daughter was in college. She was playing in a golf tournament. I was driving down there and I was about halfway when I saw an exit sign for the town of Kingsport, Tennessee. And that is the. Town to which my [00:39:00] abuser was sent after he left our church, and it just sent me over the edge. Mm-hmm. All of a sudden I'm thinking, I'm in the town where he lives. Am I close to his house? Am I close to the church where he's now a minister? I mean, even though it'd been 27 years, I thought he was probably still there. I didn't know, but that's what my mind was telling me. I, all of a sudden I felt his presence in the car. I, I could smell him. I could hear him. Oh. I was, it was unbelievable to me what was happening to me. I didn't even know what was happening. I pulled to the side of the road Oh, good. And I sobbed. Yeah. I sobbed for about 20 minutes and I was just trying to figure out what was happening because anytime I had trigger factors before I could manage them, I could control them. I kind of let them happen and then I push 'em back down. Mm-hmm. This one wasn't going back down and I was a mess. I was just an absolute mess. I was able to get through the weekend. I drove back home and all I could think about was, what am I gonna do? What am I gonna do? [00:40:00] I wanted to stop thinking about him and I couldn't. I spent the next two weeks, really in anxiety. I, my husband would leave for work and I would just walk around the house, wring my hands, trying to figure out why I was feeling the way I was feeling. What was I gonna do with these feelings till at one point I finally decided I was gonna tell my best friend, and I was absolutely petrified to tell her because for the first time in 27 years, I was going to utter the words. I was sexually abused by my youth pastor. And I remember thinking, he's gonna find out and I'm gonna get in trouble. I just, I was 49 years old and I'm still afraid of this man. But I did tell her, it was, it took me a long time to, to get the words out, but I did, she was very supportive. She was very kind. She was patient as she waited for me to tell her. And so that started my journey of healing just by telling that first person. I then told two or three other of my close friends, so the four of us spent [00:41:00] many days and many hours on the screened in porch of one of my friends just letting me talk. Mm-hmm. And being able to express what had happened to me. I wasn't ready to tell all of the story. I mean, there's parts in the book that I won't go into here because they're pretty mm-hmm. Embarrassing and some things that I did. So I wasn't ready to tell them everything, but I told them enough that it helped me start to release what had been done to me. And so that was the first thing that I did, I think. And then the next thing I did, which was so valuable, and I encouraged victims to do it as well, I just read everything I could on clergy abuse or sexual abuse in itself. So I began to learn the terms of grooming, manipulation, gaslighting, and then I could see how he methodically used each one of those things on me to get me to do the things he got me to do, and to stay in that relationship for those five years. And that was huge for me. So [00:42:00] it was, for the first time as I began reading, I understood that I had been abused. Now, it still took me a while to admit that I really was sexually abused because I didn't want that label. I didn't wanna be an abuse victim. And there was a part of me. We all wanna be loved. And so there was still a part of me that I wanted to think that there was some part of him that cared about me, that this wasn't just purely about sex and that he wasn't just using me for his own gratification. And I had to get past that. I had to finally come to terms with, no, this man didn't do the no one who loves you, would do the things he did and ask the things he did of me. So that took me a while, to finally admit, okay, this was an abusive relationship. So I told someone, educating myself, and then I had to learn to forgive myself. I had to let, I had to let go of the guilt [00:43:00] and shame because any guilt and shame belongs squarely on him. This was a man that I should have been able to trust. It was in a place that should have been the safest place on earth for me. And he took advantage of a vulnerable teenager who had, I didn't have a major crisis in my life, but he knew my home life was an upheaval at times. He knew that I didn't see my dad very much. So he used that to against me. And I had to forgive myself for being who I was at the time and being able to respond the way I did for the coping skills I had at the time. Sure. You can look back. I, and I think, why didn't I say this? Why didn't I do that? But I couldn't because of, of the re of the relationship he had created between us. Mm-hmm. I had lost all power. He was in complete control of this relationship, so I had to forgive myself and that wasn't easy either. Then, and I don't know that this is something all victims should do, but I just felt this need [00:44:00] that I needed to confront him. I just felt like I couldn't move past this unless I was able to face him. Now, I had no contact with him for 27 years. I didn't even know if he was still alive, but I hired a private investigator and he found him ministering in a church in Alabama. And so I had my investigator contact him and we set up a time and a meeting that we would meet. And I took my husband, I took my friend who was a counselor and another friend who was at the church at the time. Um, I wanted her at this point. You told your husband at this point, I'm sorry. Yes, that's correct. I, it was probably three months after I told my friends, that I said to him I would like to meet him in his office and talked to him about something and. I was terrified. I don't know how else to say it. I just was so afraid. Not that I needed to be, but I was. And I probably sat there for almost, [00:45:00] I would say, 40 minutes and just cried. I was able to finally get out. I'm okay, the kids are okay, and then I started crying again. He couldn't have been any more supportive, more loving. I remember looking at his face and I said I was sexually abused by my youth pastor, and he didn't. His expression didn't change, and then I said. I was their babysitter and his face just dropped. And for the first time, I could see the pain I was feeling was reflected in his face. It was, I almost wanted to hug him to say, I'm sorry. 'cause I could see how much it hurt him to know that this had been done to me, especially as a baby. I mean, the picture became complete for him once I said that. And so he was very supportive. I think he was worried about me confronting this man, for a couple reasons. But one, I think he was worried that I would be disappointed in his reaction, and that I would be expecting too much of this [00:46:00] person to understand what he did to me and show any kind of remorse, and that I, it would hurt me even more. And one of my fears was that, I was afraid he wouldn't meet me. I was afraid that he was gonna say, no, I'm not gonna meet with you. And my husband said, oh, he's gonna meet with you all right? Because if he doesn't meet with you, you just tell him. Call the church secretary. We'll call every elder. We're gonna, he, somebody's gonna hear your story if he doesn't want to hear it. So he did agree to meet with me. I went down to Alabama and the meeting took place and I said the things that I wanted to say to him. I wanted him to get what he did to me. But he didn't, he never could understand the damage. It was almost as if, okay, I shouldn't have done it and I'm sorry I did it. Okay, now what do you want? It was, get away. You bother me? Yes. And his greatest fear as most narcissist, and I believe he was, narcissistic, but his greatest fear was that I was going to demand that he be removed from the ministry. I mean, that's what he [00:47:00] was most concerned about, how this was going to impact him. And he should have been out of the ministry. So I went to his. Boss. I was told this, and something happened 27 years ago. He, we think he's safe. We're not worried, in spite of the fact that during the meeting he had admitted that there had been multiple occurrences of sexual misconduct throughout his ministry. Not all teenagers, some were most were probably women. And then he said he had gone to therapy because he had been identified as a sexual addict. And I kept thinking, who, what? What world, what world? Does this make sense that a man who has been identified by a psychologist as a sex addict belongs in the ministry? Nope. But here was this church. So I sent a letter to his 11 elders thinking, okay, somebody in this eldership is gonna see this. Is I something's wrong here. Not one responded totally [00:48:00] ignored me. 11 elders totally ignored me. Wow. No worries. So then, I decided to go to his denominational leaders, which were in Indianapolis. And there again, while they were sympathetic to my story and apologize that it happened, they said, we're an independent church. Our churches hire and fire their own ministers. We have no control and if they choose to keep this man, we can do nothing about it. And so what, I was shut down and basically I had no place else to go. I had pretty much. Done everything I could do. And it wasn't my place in the man that he be removed. I expected the church to be, the church was to do the right thing. Exactly. I assumed so naively that once they heard my story and once they understood the background of this man, surely someone would say, this isn't right. But again, keep in mind he's very charismatic. He brings in [00:49:00] people, he brings in money. And to be fair, and probably I'm being a little too gracious, these men are very good at manipulating not only the victim but the congregation as well. They're very good at getting control of the congregation so that they find themselves following this man no matter what he would do. Yeah. And that's basically what happened. There was going to be, I got a four page letter from his boss telling me that, know, I'm going to. Ruin this church if I continue on this path and that I'm going to feel all this guilt because I'm gonna be responsible for the damage that I will do to pe people's spiritual lives. I mean that, it was an incredible, I put the letter in the book, I, because it is so incredibly, hard to believe that someone write that to a victim of abuse. Just So that was What year did that happen? 2004. Okay. So we did have. We did have the internet. Oh, yes. And this was after the Catholic, [00:50:00] church had their, exposure of sexual abuse within their church. So yes, this was, it was out there for sure. This wasn't something that you would think, oh, I can't believe this happened. And again, he had admitted to these past instances. I mean, this wasn't someone who was saying, oh, I don't know what she's talking about. Or, oh, this is the only time it ever happened. He had been in therapy because he was a sexual addict, So he wasn't registered as a sex offender? I guess not. And in my case, at the time of the abuse, the age of consent was 16. So I had no legal recourse because of I was either legally age of consent. Now that has been changed in Ohio. It's now 18. It's now 18, but many states it's still 16. There are several states where the age of consent is 16. Now, the interesting about that is. His contact sexual contact with me was not considered a crime. However, if he had been my high school teacher, it would've been a crime. What, so pastors I know [00:51:00] does not make sense. It does not make a leg of sense. No, it does not. So it, they don't consider him a teacher. They don't cons, they don't, they considered an affair. A mutual. Relationship if he'd been my teacher, that's a different story. So yeah, I had no legal recourse. And that was frustrating. But I couldn't change that. So it was what it was. I just had to accept that he, yes, he belonged in jail. Yes, there's no doubt and should be registered as a sex offender, but I'm not so sure that even if he's registered as a sex offender, these people in Alabama and wherever he is now, would. Even take that as a concern. Well, you know, the millennials now, they'll just, they just post stuff on Facebook and Twitter and call the evening news and they have, yes. News people at their doorstep, right. Ready to mm-hmm. Track this guy's name through the mud. Mm-hmm. But you didn't choose to do that, I guess. No, you know, I'm very careful about naming him in the sense that, part of my story is that I [00:52:00] reconnected with his wife. She actually divorced him after they moved, because again, he committed sexual misconduct. She was 20, I think, at the time, so it wasn't a minor, but that's beside the point. This is a man in a position that, a professional who does not cross boundaries like that. So, to no one surprise, he committed sexual misconduct the third time, so she divorced him. And part of, I guess letting go of some of the guilt that I felt, I wanted to. Connect with her to at least tell her, not that I was responsible for what happened, but how very sorry I was for her pain and suffering as well because she was part of the youth group. I mean, she was there at the church all the time. We sang in the choir together. So it was like I had a relationship with her. Oh wow. To some extent. And of course when, we were found, when he was found out by the elders, she was upset and she of course, didn't wanna have anything to do with me, which is understandable. So I actually think I [00:53:00] also wanted to give her the opportunity to say whatever she felt she needed to say to me if she wanted to. I mean, I didn't know what she was gonna say or react. I thought maybe she'd hang up on me. I didn't know. So I called her one day. My investigator found her phone number and gave it to me, and she couldn't have been any more gracious. I, she never blamed me. She understood as she, as the years went on, what this really was just like I did. She's remarried. She's has a wonderful husband now. And so I visited her several times. We keep in contact. And so part of my not wanting to expose him too much is that it would be hurtful to her. And he does have children. Now. I know that, well, whatever consequences are as a result of this are all on him, but I don't feel the need to add to that. That's not my purpose in speaking out. And so, mm-hmm. I've gone to his church leaders, I've done everything I can to get him removed from the ministry. And nothing, it's just [00:54:00] he's still, I don't know that he's still a pastor, but he still remains in good standing within that denomination to this day. Yeah. I mean, sometimes we have to just let God. Right. Dish out the justice. It may not be in our timeline, it may not be the way that we think it should happen, but Right. He's not gonna get away with this. No. And again, I did my part. Yes. So my conscience is clear and I am able to say I did what I could do and whether or not they removed him, I certainly hope that I maybe put some doubt in some of their minds and maybe questioned their motives in keeping this man. I don't know. But, I feel I did what I could do and I feel good about that. I feel good about that. Absolutely, you should. And what I'm really interested in is, you're trying to keep this stuff from happening to other people, so, I mean, what can we do to prevent some of this stuff? Well, it's [00:55:00] difficult again, because these men are among us as wolves in sheep's clothing, and so they're difficult to spot. But a couple things. I think the first thing I would tell people is if something doesn't seem right. Keep your antenna up. Don't just ignore it or just don't think, oh, well that can't be true because he's the pastor. Mm-hmm. If it's behavior that you wouldn't accept in someone else, or it's something that you would question in someone else, then question it in the pastor or the choir director, whoever it is. Don't be blinded by the person. The persona that they're presenting to you. So that's the first thing I would say is keep your antenna up. The other thing is we, and we're churches, I think are doing better about this, but you've got to have policies in place that say, no, you're not taking a 16-year-old girl on your hospital visit with you. Yes. That's, that's not normal. That's not right. What is she doing going on a hospital visit with you in a car? And of course now we have the texting [00:56:00] and there should be absolutely no texting between a pastor, a youth minister, and anyone in the congregation. And that includes, no, don't forget the meeting for the church luncheon. No, there should be no texting because you, it's too hidden and it's too easily moved to the next step. And that's how it starts. You know, all of the abuse when it's someone you know, it always starts with small things and subtle things. It doesn't, innocent things. Innocent things that, yeah, that, that are innocent. But so that's why, so no texting. Yeah. So put in the policy, those places of, when you take a 10-year-old child to the bathroom, you make sure there's another adult with you. Absolutely. That's for your safety as well as for the child's safety. Mm-hmm. So I, I think we need to be aware. And then I would also say watch for the vulnerable in your, among your church or your group. Watch for the kid that's got issues at home and is looking for a father figure. Be aware that they're going to be more susceptible to someone who's a predator and pay [00:57:00] attention to their cues and kind of keep in touch with them as well in a sense of asking questions and how they're doing and be the kind of a person that they might feel comfortable coming to if something were to happen to them because they're the ones that are gonna be most vulnerable, to a predator. So that's kind of, an overview of what. Maybe a help to try and stop and prevent some of this. Yes, I like lots of video cameras. They're cheap now. You can put a camera, you can hide cameras all over the church facility and Yes. And I think too, talking to this about this issue to the congregation before anything happens, maybe having a person in your congregation who is the go-to person on this topic, who, who's researched what all these grooming and manipulation is so that they are even more equipped to, to notice the signs. So you have a person who's kind of in charge of that topic and then address it to the congregation once a year and say, here's our policy and here's what we expect of our pastors and here's what we would hope you would [00:58:00] do if you notice something. So it just brings it out so that people feel like if there is something that they know is going on or something's wrong, they feel comfortable going to someone about it. Those are all really great tips for leaders and, church members. So what, what if I am listening and I am being subjected to some of this stuff, what should I do? Well, what you need to do and what is the hardest thing to do is to tell someone. Yeah. And it's hard to do because when you're in an abusive relationship, you are being controlled by your abuser. And the narrative is what he is directing. And so he's going to tell you, look, you can tell anybody you want. They're not gonna believe you. And he tells you that over and over again. He's also going to tell you that you are going to be in trouble if you tell anyone. And then there's that problem of you sort [00:59:00] of care about this person. Here's someone that has been helping you, who's been your mentor, and you don't wanna get him in trouble. So with all those dynamics involved, it's very difficult for victims to come forward. But I am telling you, you don't wanna wait the 27 years that I did no. And live with this guilt and the shame and the angst and the anxiety. First of all, it's not worth it. You're not doing anyone any favors, especially yourself, because there is help out there. But they can only help you if you're able to be able to tell someone. And believe me, I understand how difficult that is. It's not easy. Mm-hmm. But I would hope that I hearing my story and others that you will understand that there is help out there and you need to tell someone. 'cause it won't end until you tell someone. And if you need to, you go to someone that you trust. And if you need to, you go outside the church. Yes. You tell someone you know is going to listen to you. [01:00:00] Hey, I tell my listeners, you can call me anytime mm-hmm. And email me and I'm sure you'd say the same thing. Exactly. Reach out to Sandy if mm-hmm. You need somebody to talk to. Mm-hmm. Or you don't know what is the next step I need to take here? Right. It is scary to make First step. It's very scary. Very scary. Absolutely. So then there's the rest of us, those that have not experienced clergy abuse, maybe we're members in the church, maybe we're friends or family. What are some helpful things for us to do to support a victim? Helpful things to say, maybe there's things we shouldn't say, well, that's a yes. First, I would say anytime you're aware of a victim of clergy abuse or anybody who's been abused, whether it's clergy or not, reiterate to that victim that it was not their fault and that there was nothing they could have done, should have done that would've prevented this. And by doing that, you are [01:01:00] telling that person they're free to speak to you. And victims need to hear it over and over again because we do blame ourselves. Children as young as five will blame themselves because they allowed someone to touch them 'cause mommy said not to. And the that guilt in that shame that victims carry, it's difficult to let go of it. So to hear someone say to us, it's not your fault is so freeing. So that's the first thing. The second thing I would say is. Let them know that you will listen to them without judging them, and you will hear their story without being shocked that you are able to say, tell me everything you need to tell me, or Tell me as little as you wanna tell me. Give them a comfort place to go to talk. And then I would say, and this is difficult for people who have spiritual lives or who are part of the church, be very much aware that things such as prayer and Bible reading and [01:02:00] scripture can be very triggering for those who've been abused in the church. Mm-hmm. So things that you would find comforting like prayer. Can be a very major trigger factor for victims. And so instead of saying to a victim, I'll pray for you, or Can I pray with you? The best thing you could say would be to phrase it in such a way as to say, I understand because of what you've been through, prayer can be difficult. And so I would like to pray for you, but I would completely understand if you don't want to pray or you won't, don't even want me to pray for you. And so you've opened up the door to say to this person, wow, I don't have to feel guilty because I can't pray. You know, when we've grown up in the church and we've been told how wonderful church and prayer and all those things are, we still carry that guilt too because we're no longer connected to God. So to have a person on the outside. Recognize that these can be trigger factors is again, a gift. It's a [01:03:00] gift. So those things I think would be the most helpful when dealing with a person of clergy abuse. And give them time. Don't push forgiveness. Don't push trying to get them back into church. 'cause some victims will never be able to go back to church if you let them find their own pace of time and you do it without judging them. And I know that's kind of hard sometimes for Christians and people in the church because we love the church and we find it to be such a wonderful place and we want this person back in the church. Yes. But it, it may not be the best place at that point for that victim. Such valuable advice. I That is awesome. And again, back to like, when you're talking about the sex education, open up the dialogue, you know? Yeah. Bring it up. Bring it up before they bring it up. Again, I read in the newspaper that this girl was molested by, a gym teacher. You know that, that ha I know that happens. And then let 'em know that if. It is, like you said, allowing that comfort to be able to [01:04:00] talk to someone. I think for me it was important to give my side of the story. No one had a clue that he was emotionally and verbally and physically abusive to me. They saw this as a little love affair and that we had this, magic little love affair. Evil temptress. Yes, exactly. And so I wanted them to know the full story. That was important for my healing too. And they did that. And, they welcomed me back to the church. I went back, I've been back a couple times for, a youth group reunion that we had. So, and that was difficult. But again, I thought that was necessary for me to move forward. I had to let go of my past. I had to figure out, not to forget it, but how was I going to incorpo

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli sits down with David Ross, VUCA strategist and author of Confronting the Storm: Regenerating Leadership and Hope in the Age of Uncertainty. David is a renowned expert on VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) environments and has spent his career advising organizations on how to thrive amidst complexity and disruption. With a background as an ecologist, David brings a unique perspective to leadership—one that emphasizes the interconnectedness of the issues facing businesses and society today. His deep understanding of wicked problems, those challenges with no straightforward solutions, forms the backbone of this engaging conversation.The discussion centers around how leaders must adapt to the rapidly changing business landscape, where traditional approaches no longer work. David argues that the old leadership models—based on control and linear thinking—are ill-suited for the challenges we face today. Instead, he advocates for a more collaborative, emotionally intelligent, and resilient leadership style, one that embraces uncertainty rather than fighting it. He explains how technology, climate change, and societal shifts are creating a world that's more BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible), and what leaders need to do to stay ahead.Throughout the episode, David draws on his extensive experience advising CEOs and leadership teams, offering practical insights into how organizations can navigate the unpredictability of today's environment. He also delves into the importance of hope and optimism, even in times of crisis, and how leaders can turn challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation. Actionable Takeaways:You'll learn why traditional leadership models based on control and linear thinking are no longer effective in today's VUCA world—and what you need to replace them with.Hear how embracing uncertainty and fostering resilience can transform how your organization responds to crises and wicked problems.Discover the power of emotional intelligence in leadership and why listening is just as important as speaking in today's collaborative environments.Find out what David means by a BANI world (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible) and how leaders can adapt to thrive in these unpredictable times.Explore the importance of hope and optimism in leadership and how turning crises into opportunities is key to long-term success.Understand why future literacy and foresight are critical tools for leaders looking to anticipate change and guide their organizations through complexity.Learn why David believes that normalcy has left the building and how leaders must evolve to lead effectively in this new reality.Hear David's insights on why collaboration—not isolation—is the future of leadership and how diverse perspectives fuel innovation.Gain insight into why scenario planning is a powerful tool for leaders to prepare for multiple futures and make better strategic decisions.Connect with David RossDavid Ross Website Confronting the Storm: Regenerating Leadership and Hope in the Age of UncertaintyDavid Ross LinkedInConnect with Mahan Tavakoli: Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website

In Part II of this two-part series, guest host Esaa Mohammad Sabti Samarah, PhD, LMSW reunites with Dr. Siham Elkassem, Dr. Bryn King, Dr. Nuha Dwaikat-Shaer, and doctoral candidate Amilah Baksh to move beyond naming harm and toward a deeper examination of responsibility. This episode turns a critical lens on how the social work profession responds, or fails to respond, to anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim racisms, with particular attention to the ways calls for “neutrality” shape research, teaching, and professional practice.The conversation interrogates neutrality as it appears in social work academia, especially in relation to empiricism and claims of objectivity. The panel introduces and critically examines the concept of “weepy universalism,” a term they coin for social workers in their forthcoming work to describe how generalized expressions of sympathy can obscure power, flatten difference, and ultimately reproduce harm rather than challenge it.The episode also brings these debates down from theory to practice, exploring what they mean for social workers on the ground, particularly those working with youth and communities most directly impacted by these forms of racism. The series closes with a collective call to action, challenging the profession to move beyond symbolic gestures and toward principled, sustained solidarity with Palestinians, Arabs, and Muslims, as part of broader struggles for justice and liberation.This episode invites listeners to reckon with complicity, resist comfort, and reimagine what ethical practice demands in moments of profound injustice.#BeyondNeutrality #EthicalSocialWork #SolidarityNotSilence #WeepyUniversalism #YouthJustice #DecolonizeSocialWork #JusticeInActionLinks to Published WorksDwaikat-Shaer, N., Baksh, A., Elkassem, S., & King, B. (2025). Phenomenologies of Silence: On the Palestine Exception and the Complicity of Social Work Academe. Abolitionist Perspectives in Social Work, 3(2).Siham Elkassem - Google ScholarSupport the showSupport the Center for Security, Race and Rights by following us and making a donation: Donate: https://give.rutgersfoundation.org/csrr-support/20046.html Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEbUfYcWGZapBNYvCObiCpp3qtxgH_jFy Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rucsrr Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/rutgerscsrr Follow us on Threads: https://threads.com/rutgerscsrr Follow us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/rucsrr Follow us on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/rucsrr Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://csrr.rutgers.edu/newsroom/sign-up-for-newsletter/

Our world is in desperate need of peace, and this passage is just one of many examples. But it also shows us the counter-intuitive way that God brings the peace we so desperately need.

America is in a divided and angry moment. Should "niceness" be our goal? When is it right to confront another Christian and how should we do so? What is the key to balancing grace and truth? In this conversation, I talk with pastor and podcaster Shane Idleman about some of the toughest challenges Christian face today, such as: *What is the #1 sign of a FALSE prophet today? *Is confrontational Christianity biblical? *How can we speak up boldly and yet with appropriate gentleness? ARTICLE: Celebrity Christianity & Our Pathetic Failure To Confront It by Shane Idleman https://shaneidleman.com/2025/06/17/celebrity-christianity-our-pathetic-failure-to-confront-it/ *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGION at BIOLA (https://bit.ly/3LdNqKf) *USE Discount Code [smdcertdisc] for 25% off the BIOLA APOLOGETICS CERTIFICATE program (https://bit.ly/3AzfPFM) *See our fully online UNDERGRAD DEGREE in Bible, Theology, and Apologetics: (https://bit.ly/448STKK) FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://x.com/Sean_McDowell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sean_mcdowell?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmcdowell/ Website: https://seanmcdowell.org Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

FOREVER Digital Storage - Their mission is to be the complete, permanent, and safe place where millions of families save and enjoy their memories for generations. Please support this sponsor of the podcast.Episode SummaryIn this episode of Stories from Real Life, host Melvin E. Edwards speaks with filmmaker and author Matthew Pridgen, creator of the documentary The Sins of Our Fathers: Race, Religion, and the Rise of Trump. This powerful conversation explores how Christian nationalism, generational racism, and white evangelical culture helped shape the political rise of Donald Trump—and what that means for America today.Drawing from his own dramatic life transformation—from addiction and atheism to faith and social awareness — Matthew brings a rare combination of vulnerability, insight, and lived experience to this discussion. Together, we unpack the cultural, historical, and theological forces that continue to influence American politics.Key Topics Covered• The inspiration behind The Sins of Our Fathers• How race, religion, and politics intersected during the rise of Donald Trump• The role of Christian nationalism and white evangelical culture• Generational belief systems and inherited racial bias• The fear narratives driving modern political movements• Why so many Christians supported Donald Trump• What Matthew hopes viewers will confront about race and faithWhy This Episode MattersThis conversation is essential for anyone interested in:• race relations in America• evangelical Christianity• Christian nationalism• political polarization• the rise of Trump and its cultural roots• documentary filmmaking focused on social justice• reconciling faith with historical truthAbout the Guest: Matthew PridgenMatthew Pridgen is a documentarian, author, speaker, and advocate who explores the intersections of race, religion, and justice through film and storytelling. His documentary The Sins of Our Fathers has sparked national conversations around racism, faith, and political identity.Resources and LinksWebsite: matthewpridgen.comDocumentary: The Sins of Our Fathers Get full access to Melvin E. Edwards at storiesfromreallife.substack.com/subscribe

Every parent has had a moment where you didn't agree with a choice your kid made. But how do you handle a time where you need to confront an adult son or daughter? Danny talks with John about how he's seen this be a common problem in his counseling practice. Also, Jim Daly and Dr. Gary Chapman address why you must give your adult kids freedom to make their own decisions. Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/parentingpodcast. Or call 1-800-A-FAMILY. Receive the book Your New Life with an Adult Child for your donation of any amount! Take the 7 Traits of Effective Parenting Assessment How to Positively Influence Your Adult Child Contact our Counseling Team Redrawing Boundaries with Adult Children Support This Show! If you enjoyed listening to the Focus on Parenting Podcast, please give us your feedback.

Every parent has had a moment where you didn't agree with a choice your kid made. But how do you handle a time where you need to confront an adult son or daughter? Danny talks with John about how he's seen this be a common problem in his counseling practice. Also, Jim Daly and Dr. Gary Chapman address why you must give your adult kids freedom to make their own decisions. Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/parentingpodcast. Or call 1-800-A-FAMILY. Receive the book Your New Life with an Adult Child for your donation of any amount! Take the 7 Traits of Effective Parenting Assessment How to Positively Influence Your Adult Child Contact our Counseling Team Redrawing Boundaries with Adult Children Support This Show! If you enjoyed listening to the Focus on Parenting Podcast, please give us your feedback. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1197/29?v=20251111

After World War II, political parties championing redistribution, full employment, and egalitarianism gained power across the globe, especially in Western Europe. But why did these social democrats give up the ambition to transition to socialism? In this episode of Confronting Capitalism, Vivek Chibber explains why the golden age of capitalism was a rare period of triumph for the Left, even though the movement faced serious challenges from class enemies, state structures, and tensions within its own coalition. Any leftist trying to change the balance of class power would benefit from understanding why social democracy achieved such lasting success even as it remains in the political minority today. The latest issue of Catalyst is out and you can subscribe for just $20 using the code, CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM: https://catalyst-journal.com/subscribe/?code=CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM Have a question for us? Write to us by email: confronting.capitalism@jacobin.com Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber is produced by Catalyst: A Journal of Theory and Strategy, and published by Jacobin. Music by Zonkey.

In this episode of SoundPractice, Matthew Mazurek, MD, assistant professor of anesthesiology at Yale School of Medicine discusses his new book, Sexual Misconduct, Harassment, and Discrimination in Healthcare by the AAPL. Mazurek reveals sexual misconduct in healthcare occurs on multiple levels: - Confidential surveys show the problem remains significantly underreported. - Social media has created new avenues for inappropriate behavior, particularly among younger staff members. - Healthcare workers face harassment from patients more frequently than in other STEM fields due to physical touching and power dynamics. For healthcare leaders conducting investigations, Mazurek recommends: - Use two-person interview teams to avoid "he said, she said" situations while preventing respondents from feeling ganged up on. - Strip away who is telling the story and focus objectively on what happened. - Involve risk management early in high-stakes cases. - Maintain consistency in questioning and look for corroboration. Reality check: Lack of standardization across 50 state medical boards contributes to delays in addressing misconduct, with some physicians maintaining long histories of violations before consequences. Mazurek emphasizes prevention over investigation expertise: - Leadership must model appropriate behavior — executives engaging in misconduct set a tone of tolerance. - Training programs should use case studies in small groups to help staff feel the emotional impact, not just understand it intellectually. - Address microaggressions through comprehensive education on bias and stereotypes. - Create policies expressly covering social media interactions with colleagues as part of the work environment. The bottom line: Healthcare organizations must balance their duty to provide safe environments for staff with their obligation to care for patients, even when patient behavior crosses lines. Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.org.

In this holiday edition, investigative journalists ⁠Mandy Matney⁠⁠ and⁠ ⁠Liz Farrell⁠⁠ talk with attorney⁠ Eric Bland about their Festivus grievances and the ongoing legal harassment they face in the Beach v. Parker civil conspiracy case. Eric explains how unlimited budgets enable clients to weaponize discovery processes, while Mandy and Liz discuss their decision to speak publicly about Greg Parker's tactics rather than remain silent.  Plus, Mandy shares some observations from her eye-opening jury duty experience highlighting systemic inefficiencies and her encounters with familiar figures in the 14th Circuit. Then we're discussing newly revealed details from JP Miller's federal indictment for cyberstalking and lying to investigators—including the chilling allegation that he called Victim #1 (likely Mica Francis) over 50 times on March 11, 2024, how JP allegedly lied about slashing her tires and allegedly lied to federal investigators about local police instructing him to leave her alone.  Despite the frustrations, the team remains defiant, grateful for their community's support, and ready for the major trials and appeals ahead in 2026. ☕ Cups Up! ⚖️ Episode References Mandy's Parker's Kitchen Gas Boycott Post - Facebook, Dec 20, 2025

https://rabbiefremgoldberg.org/vayigash-confronting-antisemites-with-malchus Tue, 23 Dec 2025 15:41:36 +0000 7192 Rabbi Efrem Goldberg Parsha Perspectives - Podcast no

While many countries now allow multiple citizenship, Japan maintains a single-nationality principle.Documentary filmmaker Megumi Nishikura reflects on how Japan's Nationality Act affects people living across borders. - ドキュメンタリー映画『ハーフ』から10年以上。 日本の“社会の現実”を世界に伝えてきたドキュメンタリー映像監督・西倉めぐみさんが、 次に取り上げるテーマは日本の「国籍法」。

In this episode of Cynthia and Josie’s Unmentionables, we speak with award winning journalist and TSN reporter Rick Westhead about Canadian hockey culture and the systems that shape young boys in sport. Rick Westhead is the journalist who broke the 2022 Hockey Canada World Junior sexual assault allegations story. His book, We Breed Lions Confronting Canada’s Troubled Hockey Culture, examines junior hockey in Canada, locker room dynamics, hazing rituals, and the lack of accountability that has allowed harmful behaviour to persist. We discuss how hockey has become deeply tied to Canadian identity, particularly in Ontario, Toronto, and communities across Canada, and why questioning hockey culture can provoke such intense backlash. Rick also reflects on social media harassment, power, masculinity, and the personal cost of investigating sport at the highest levels. The conversation explores how minor hockey and elite junior leagues operate, how secrecy and humiliation are normalized, and why real change has been so difficult. At the same time, Rick highlights programs in Hamilton Ontario and across Canada that are teaching consent, healthy masculinity, and leadership through sport. Proceeds from We Breed Lions support organizations including the London Abused Women’s Centre, the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre, and Canadian Tire Jumpstart, helping combat gender based violence and improve access to sport. This episode is essential listening for parents, coaches, athletes, and anyone invested in the future of hockey in Canada.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/MASTYORASTY and get on your way to being your best self.-------------------------------------------In this episode Raam talks to psychologist Shahin Soleimani about negative thoughts, the will to power and the reason to live. https://www.instagram.com/artofanalysis/contact Raam at https://t.me/queenraaminfo@kingraam.comTo learn more about psychedelic therapy go to my brother Mehran's page at: https://www.mindbodyintegration.ca/ or to https://www.somaretreats.org for his next retreat.***Masty o Rasty is not responsible for, or condone, the views and opinions expressed by our guests ******مستی و راستی هیچگونه مسولیتی در برابر نظرها و عقاید مهمان‌های برنامه ندارد.***--------Support the showhttps://paypal.me/raamemamiVenmo + Revolut: @KingRaamContact me at:info@kingraam.comt.me/queenraam Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura Simmons talks about confronting the temptation to write off those who write us off.

Re-Air Date: 12–18-25 Unless you were a member in December of 2024, this episode of SOLVED! will be brand new to you! If you were a member back then, THANK YOU and this one is worth a re-listen. We're slowing down production for a little bit to reorganize our production processes, so enjoy this episode from our archives (and before YouTube) where Jay!, Amanda, Deon, and Erin discuss:   Ch. 1 -  What the orcas are up to Ch. 2 -  Confronting the truth about eating meat Ch. 3 -  How to not let grief destroy leftist movements Ch. 4 -  Living a better life by accepting our own mortality   FOLLOW US ON: In honor of our 20th birthday, we're giving new Members 20% OFF FOR THE LIFETIME OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP...this includes Gift Memberships! YouTube (This full episode premieres on YouTube on Friday - please share!) Bluesky Instagram Facebook Mastadon   REFERENCES: Confessions of a Former Carnivore - The New Republic For Our Movements to Win, We Must Learn How Not to Let Our Grief Destroy Us - TruthOut You Are Going to Die - The Atlantic EXTRAS: 00:50:04 - Best of the Left Ep. #1672   - "Keep an open mind, but not so open that your brain falls out' (11-26-24)   TAKE ACTION: No Kings Next Steps Free DC Project: FOR ALLIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY - Tell Congress to stand down the federal escalation One Million Rising Trainings In a blue state? Help stop ICE overreach     Join our Discord Server Reach us via Signal: Bestoftheleft.01 Leave a message at 202-999-3991   Produced by: Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts!

We try team slot pulls 4 times and every one is a disaster. Wonging in. Being followed. Multiple entries on me today. Confronting to manager. Big swing blackjack.

The Mirage of Life: A Journey Through Time and ReflectionThis conversation explores the themes of existentialism and human connection through a radio drama titled 'Lights Out.' The narrative unfolds as two characters, Carl and Linda, engage in a dialogue that leads them to confront their fears and desires while encountering a mysterious old man who writes names in the sand. The story delves into the significance of social obligations, the inevitability of mortality, and the importance of embracing life's true desires.In the dim glow of moonlight, two souls wander along a deserted beach, their conversation weaving a tapestry of introspection and revelation. As they encounter an enigmatic old man writing names in the sand, they are drawn into a reflection on life, time, and the choices that define us.The Encounter: The story unfolds with Carl and Linda, who find themselves intrigued by an old man inscribing names in the sand. This seemingly mundane act becomes a catalyst for deeper contemplation. Carl, a man consumed by business and social obligations, is challenged by Linda to reconsider the path he's chosen. Their dialogue reveals the tension between societal expectations and personal fulfillment.A Moment of Clarity: As the old man writes their names, Carl and Linda confront the fragility of life. The act of seeing their names in the sand becomes a metaphor for the impermanence of existence. Carl's realization that he has been living in a "cage" of his own making prompts a desire for change. He yearns to break free from the constraints of his past and embrace a future filled with genuine happiness and purpose.The Path Forward: Linda's revelation that she wants a child symbolizes a new beginning, a chance to create a life filled with meaning and joy. Together, they envision a future unburdened by the weight of societal expectations, where they can explore the world and savor each moment. Their journey becomes a testament to the power of introspection and the courage to pursue one's true desires.Lights Out: Mirage" is a poignant exploration of life's fleeting nature and the choices that shape our destiny. It invites us to reflect on our own lives and consider what truly matters. As Carl and Linda discover, the path to fulfillment lies not in the pursuit of external validation, but in the embrace of our innermost dreams and aspirations.Subscribe Now: Join us on this journey of self-discovery and transformation. Subscribe for more stories that inspire and challenge the way we see the world.TakeawaysThe stories are designed to evoke fear and suspense.Radio drama allows for a unique storytelling experience.Social obligations can weigh heavily on individuals.The ocean serves as a metaphor for the unknown.The old man's writing symbolizes fate and mortality.Confronting one's name in the sand is a powerful moment.The characters' dialogue reveals their inner conflicts.Life's true desires often remain unspoken.Understanding mortality can lead to a deeper appreciation of life.The narrative encourages listeners to reflect on their own lives.Lights Out, Arch Obler, radio drama, mystery, mortality, existentialism, storytelling, human connection, fear, life choices

Welcome back to another edition of BreakRoom Talk with the gang! In this episode, we dive into Diddy's controversial documentary produced by 50 Cent – is it exposing the truth or stepping over the line? The team gets candid about problematic mom-son dynamics with Blueface's recent fiery comments about his mother. Plus, we share our own wild catfish stories - from busted teeth to wrong sleep sounds. Make sure to like, comment, and subscribe for more juicy content!00:00 Introduction and Episode Setup00:28 Technical Difficulties and Banter01:15 Gym Talk and Fitness Goals01:51 Camera Adjustments and Appearance04:07 Winter Weather and Fashion10:09 Diddy Documentary Discussion28:14 Vegas Reflections and Tyson Fight Memories28:29 Marlon Wayans Defends Diddy28:45 50 Cent's Role in the Documentary29:22 Cultural Impact and Dry Snitching29:52 50 Cent's Controversial Press Run32:47 Debating the Necessity of the Documentary33:13 Marlon Wayans and Diddy's History34:13 Diddy's Business Practices35:25 50 Cent's Petty Nature43:12 Blueface and His Mom's Relationship43:58 Boy Moms and Boundaries50:47 Moving Out and Independence01:02:52 Parental Hypocrisy and Conversations with Kids01:03:48 Straightforward Parenting Style01:05:12 Comfortable Conversations with Kids01:05:42 Basement Stories and Tally Marks01:07:17 Embarrassing Encounters and Smells01:09:34 Catfish Stories and Online Deception01:11:37 Confronting the Catfish01:17:09 Catfish Stories Continue01:23:05 Dealing with Catfish and Final Thoughts01:32:30 Podcast Wrap-Up

Streamed live on Dec 16, 2025 The SITCH and ADAM Show! (Full Livestreams)New Movie, Anime and Game channel!    / @howtokillafranchise  

In American culture, men and women are often expected to grieve in very different ways, but those expectations can leave many men feeling pressured to stay silent, stoic, or emotionally closed off. Morgan Rich is working to challenge that pattern.Rich, a writer and life coach, focuses on helping men navigate grief, change and pain in healthier, more authentic ways. His work also explores what healthy masculinity can look like beyond the stereotypes that often shape how men are “supposed” to cope.Rich's interest in this work is personal. His father died when Rich was 18, an experience that pushed him to reconsider the way he lived and how he processed loss. In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, hear how Rich's loss influenced his approach to life, masculinity and emotional honesty. He also offers insight for men struggling with grief and for the women who want to support them.Visit Morgan's website and purchase his book here.If you enjoyed this episode, you may like the following: What This Grief Expert Wants You to Know About Healing and HopeSurviving the holiday season while grievingWords of Wisdom: Surviving GriefSend us a textBehind every number is a story of a life cut short, a family shattered, and a community devastated.They were...daughterssonsmothersfathersfriendswiveshusbandscousinsboyfriendsgirlfriends.They were More Than Just A Number. Support the showConnect with Angela Follow Grieving Out Loud Follow Emily's Hope Read Angela's Blog Subscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily's Hope Updates Suggest a Guest For more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Kayli Fitz

We The People must stand strong, stay united, resolute, calm, and focus on the mission. Order Mel's New Book: Americans Anonymous: Restoring Power to the People One Citizen at a Time https://themelkshow.com/book The Show's Partners Page: https://themelkshow.com/partners/ Consider Making A Donation: https://themelkshow.com/donate/ Beverly Hills Precious Metals Exchange - Buy Gold & Silver https://themelkshow.com/gold/ Speak with Gold Expert Andrew Sorchini…Tell Him Mel K Sent You! Dr. Zelenko Immunity Protocols https://zstacklife.com/MelK I trust SatellitePhoneStore when all other networks fail. With their phone, I know I'm always connected, no matter where I am or what happens. https://sat123.com/melk/ I've tried a lot of supplements over the years, but nothing has compared to the purity and results I've experienced with Chemical Free Body. USE CODE MELK Mel K Superfoods Supercharge your wellness with Mel K Superfoods Use Code: MELKWELLNESS and Save Over $100 off retail today! https://themelkshow.com/partners/ Healthy Hydration: https://themelkshow.com/partners/ Patriot Mobile Support your values, your freedom and the Mel K Show. Switch to Patriot Mobile for Free. Use free activation code MELK https://themelkshow.com/partners/ HempWorx The #1 selling CBD brand. Offering cutting edge products that run the gamut from CBD oils and other hemp products to essential oils in our Mantra Brand, MDC Daily Sprays which are Vitamin and Herb combination sprays/ https://themelkshow.com/partners/ Dr. Zelenko Immunity Protocols https://zstacklife.com/MelK Support Patriots With MyPillow Go to https://www.mypillow.com/melk Use offer code “MelK” to support both MyPillow and The Mel K Show The Wellness Company - Emergency Medical Kits: https://themelkshow.com/partners/ Dr. Stella Immanuel, MD. Consult with a renowned healthcare provider! Offering Telehealth Services & Supplements. Use offer code ‘MelK' for 5% Off https://themelkshow.com/partners/ Rumble (Video) - The Mel K Show: https://rumble.com/c/TheMelKShow X: https://twitter.com/MelKShow Twitter (Original): https://twitter.com/originalmelk TRUTH Social: https://truthsocial.com/@themelkshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themelkshow/ Podbean: https://themelkshow.podbean.com/ GETTR: https://www.gettr.com/user/themelkshow Locals.com: https://melk.locals.com/ Banned Video: https://banned.video/channel/the-mel-k-show We at www.themelkshow.com want to thank all our amazing patriot pals for joining us on this journey, for your support of our work, and for your faith in this biblical transition to greatness. Together we are unstoppable. We look forward to seeing you. God Wins! https://themelkshow.com/events/ Remember to mention Mel K for great discounts on all these fun and informative events. See you there! Our Website www.TheMelKShow.com We love what we do and are working hard to keep on top of everything to help this transition along peacefully and with love. Please help us amplify our message: Like, Comment & Share!

In this ClimateGenn episode I am speaking with cofounder of the Climate Psychology Alliance (CPA) and author of Paradise Lost, Paul Hoggett. Paul's book was published in 2023 and is more relevant today than it was a couple of years ago, given the ongoing tragedies and violence we are all being subjected to and forced to respond to. "There's that kind of coldness, that cold indifference in the face of inhumanity and suffering is something I think has been a very powerful element in the way in which, for example, oil companies and oil company professionals and executives have functioned."Paul Hoggett - Author of 'Paradise Lost' 2023For more information visit: https://genn.cc/a-blank-and-pitiless-stare-confronting-the-inhuman/Paul refers to the work of the poet WB Yeats, in particular, one poem, ‘The Second Coming' written in 1919 in the aftermath of the first world war. Given its resonance in the context of our lives today, I have pasted below for those who have not read it:Turning and turning in the widening gyreThe falcon cannot hear the falconer;Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhereThe ceremony of innocence is drowned;The best lack all conviction, while the worstAre full of passionate intensity.Surely some revelation is at hand;Surely the Second Coming is at hand.The Second Coming! Hardly are those words outWhen a vast image out of Spiritus MundiTroubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desertA shape with lion body and the head of a man,A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,Is moving its slow thighs, while all about itReel shadows of the indignant desert birds.The darkness drops again; but now I knowThat twenty centuries of stony sleepWere vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?Source WikipediaI definitely recommend Paul's book, Pandora's Box too if you want to explore the issues that we discuss in this episode. I have found it fascinating.W.B. Yeats – The Second Coming

What happens when you love a practice but recognize the harm within its structures? In this raw and revelatory conversation, Harmony sits down with Zoe Ward—long-time Ashtanga practitioner, authorized teacher, and the voice behind @unrulyascetic—to explore what it means to dismantle a tradition from within. Zoe spent years immersed in Mysore, studying with lineage teachers, and fully embodying the discipline that defines Ashtanga yoga. But somewhere along the way, she began to see the cracks: the privilege required to practice this way, the power dynamics that mutate devotion into dogma, the loss of autonomy when teachers dictate who you are and what's good for you. This conversation doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable truths—the hierarchy, the gatekeeping, the ways we've normalized abuse while failing to normalize talking about it. But it also offers something essential: a path forward. Zoe shares how she's rebuilding her relationship with practice, helping others reclaim their agency, and creating space for people to trust themselves again. Whether you're a devoted practitioner, a disillusioned teacher, or someone who's quietly stepped away from the mat, this episode offers permission to question, evolve, and find your own unruly path to freedom. Topics Discussed: • The privilege required to practice traditional Ashtanga yoga • Power dynamics and hierarchy in yoga communities • When devotion becomes dogma and disconnection • Confronting harm and accountability in spiritual communities • Reclaiming autonomy and trusting yourself in practice • Finding the intelligence in the system without rigid adherence • Building community that doesn't gatekeep or sort practitioners Lightworker Alignment Call: https://harmonyslater.as.me/quick-clarity Upcoming events: https://harmonyslater.com/events 21 Day Money Magic Manifestation Challenge: https://community-harmonyslater.com/landing/plans/1542444Use PROMO CODE for additional $20 Savings: MANIFESTATIONMAGIC  FREE Manifestation Activation: https://harmonyslater.kit.com/manifestation-activation FIND Harmony: https://harmonyslater.com/ JOIN the Finding Harmony Community: https://community-harmonyslater.com/ Harmony on IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyslaterofficial/ Finding Harmony Podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/findingharmonypodcast/ FREE 2 min breathwork practice: https://harmonyslater.com/morning-breathwork-optin Find your Spiritual Entrepreneur Archetype! Take the Quiz! https://harmonyslater.com/spiritual-entrepreneur-archetype-quiz BOOK Your Spinal Energetics Session: https://harmonyslater.as.me/

Tune in here to this Monday's edition of the Brett Winterble Show! Brett kicks off the program by talking about a weekend marked by violence and what he sees as a growing failure to confront evil and dangerous behavior in society. He reacts to a series of disturbing incidents, including a hit-and-run fatality, a mass shooting investigation at Brown University, and alleged terror plots uncovered by the FBI. Brett argues that these events reflect a broader breakdown in accountability, particularly in major blue cities and states. He strongly criticizes what he views as leniency toward violent offenders and warns against dismissing repeated warning signs under the guise of tolerance or misunderstood mental illness. Later Brett has great dialogue with a caller discussing the value of thoughtful, fair-minded commentary and the importance of maintaining humanity and decency in political discourse Brett explains that while he supports Trump’s policies, he believes criticizing the dead is inappropriate, emphasizing respect, prayer, and basic human decency once someone has passed. The exchange underscores Brett’s willingness to challenge his own side when necessary and reinforces his view that leadership requires moral restraint, not just political loyalty. Listen here for all of this and more on The Brett Winterble Show! For more from Brett Winterble check out his YouTube channel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is the ideal of priesthood stuck in the past? I love the saints—especially guys like St. John Vianney—but trying to imitate their circumstances can leave today's priests feeling defeated before they even begin. In this episode, Fr. Scott Traynor and I get honest about how different our world is now, and why that's not a problem to mourn but a mission to embrace. We talk about the heart of priesthood today: prayer, the sacraments, and investing deeply in a few people who can carry the Gospel into a culture that's drifting away from Christ. And here's the hope: renewal isn't about going backward. It's about priests doing what only they can do—celebrate, preach, shepherd—and unleashing the laity to live their mission with confidence. If you've ever felt the weight of expectations you can't live up to or wondered whether your parish can actually flourish in a secular age, this conversation will help you imagine a future filled with purpose and hope. 01:21 Meet Father Scott Traynor 04:34 The Legacy of St. John Vianney 10:51 Historical Context of Parish Life 21:25 Modern Parish Challenges and Solutions 31:49 The Role of the Parish Priest 37:07 The Power of Relationships in Evangelization 48:36 Building a Leadership Culture in Parishes 51:20 The Transmission of Faith in Parish Life 56:18 Practical Steps to Start Evangelizing 59:18 Final Thoughts and Encouragement Books mentioned in this podcast: * From Christendom to Apostolic Mission (https://www.amazon.com/Christendom-Apostolic-Mission-Pastoral-Strategies/dp/099887289X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2E2L8F8IOB42N&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.XqKmGIzYvYr-zvy0QndfgnMKCsZRmHDUNoxT0QFQ1VKN8K-x4U9-23N6FKaINctQRdcJ2Y-KVB1n9q_-02RXaQFu3JKj_D2UaFMsXio5iL8qHcWIkExs8O_RQWN2GNqJJz39d74ZuQZwV1PwrBCRnr1SVysF2YUXsfjFOua3ItA.pmztDhf-W2Kl7B86unRBY7RHm47SOnfQrSvoQv_tpHQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=christendom+to+apostolic+mission&qid=1761847022&sprefix=christendo%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-1) * The Advantage (https://www.amazon.com/Advantage-Organizational-Health-Everything-Business/dp/0470941529/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LV5AYGA5BPB9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.pPRUd5gbTy8ZS0gf6wabwlOFgACN0bQpmLwoTMrIGmSTxCYoPY0FjrfPBh7aQszRjXrnAKRFtbcIpW1JsaWGItGIeOK3Av_DAj8r_SozPM-ObY_W38owgx6dxP1T2hRY9ii4K1ROXgI8mCVsA1Lut0j8Cc4rihJCQbZElVqY7QDmHdcIT5Uv5OV2Z4t25hb4XfBPUeKbBrlsKU9ypcRgYcxgqCBNHlBWm5z0CuFe63Q.uOxeU74PuOLrlcqUskPl52pIBpNgGtBEvA_pam_L1ns&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+advantage&qid=1761846981&sprefix=the+advantage%2Caps%2C132&sr=8-1) * The Parish as a School of Prayer (https://www.amazon.com/Parish-School-Prayer-Foundations-Evangelization/dp/0984379290/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.xjrcQDgEMBWlxKjai4BRe8shADNgx-7FbNGjGs3CLz6nrw22ye0_9Nd70NsI2Rlx21YZOMT3aA1ZW2-z7UtEr2CTvs364_wDKSyhYxJ6m-WC-OPad6HSoln9JoNy6DJQEVz48d0Ahi3gne4nixa6FNY3UnNog9KOYdaTgHm70rEvTZPzbvwaZBOcqrM6uF7HhEWNOKfX0n8N4F0W-DP1mQ.PrK21-PNy3S5lKIt-Iz0KFRarRz4CyIT9M1NJmkB7rw&dib_tag=se&hvadid=598657698172&hvdev=c&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=9189219&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=11773289655691973530--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=11773289655691973530&hvtargid=kwd-310940649083&hydadcr=8293_13544394&keywords=the+parish+as+a+school+of+prayer&mcid=b50e44803f3a31b880115cd37b4215b7&qid=1761846939&sr=8-1) For more practical advice and experiences from real people sharing their mission with the world, go to https://equip.archomaha.org/podcast/. A Production of the Archdiocese of Omaha Editor: Taylor Schroll (ForteCatholic.com)

Feeling like your December budget melts faster than an ice cream in the sun? You're not alone; even the most disciplined savers lose control when the festive season hits. In this episode of Everything Counts, Motheo Khoaripe sits down with Investec financial advisor Nirvashni Rajkumar to unpack why we overspend in December, how festive marketing and emotions cloud our judgment, and the practical steps you can take right now to avoid a financial hangover in January. From understanding the psychology behind “DeZemba,” to making your 13th cheque last, and setting a realistic December budget the whole family can get behind. This conversation is packed with real-world strategies to help you celebrate without regret. If you want to end the year with clarity, avoid holiday overspending, and start the next one strong, you're in the right place. 00:00 Introduction 01:30 Why are we prone to overspending during the holiday season? 03:00 How festive marketing drives holiday season spending 04:00 The psychology of holiday spending 06:00 When should we start budgeting for December? 07:00 Planning for holiday season spending isn't a one-person job 08:15 How your financial advisor can help with your December budget 10:00 How to make your 13th cheque last: Confronting financial vulnerabilities 14:00 Top tips to avoid blowing your December budget 15:00 Setting a realistic December budget 18:00 Teaching children about delayed gratification 19:00 Hacks to getting the most out of your holiday season spending 23:00 How to plan and budget for the year ahead 26:30 How to end the year with financial clarity 27:30 Conclusion Investec Focus Radio SA

Things are getting HEATED on TikTok this week. Dena and Catalina open with an in depth chat about Heated Rivalry, the show taking the TikTok by storm since its premier on HBO. They feature videos by @sackettc and @tmurray06 and discuss all things butts, smoothies, and hockey smut. In the FYP segment Dena comments on PHNX fest, aka Fyre Fest 2, spotlighting commentary and clips from creators @maddisoubry, @thegmansour, @phnxfestupdatez. She also shares a recap from @becoming_jhay of the woman who drove three hours to confront a troll in the comment section. Catalina spotlights @lucy.holz's quest to find her personal style and @elirallo quest to elevate her wardrobe by parting ways with most of her sweatpant collection. In the drama on TikTok segment they highlight @anthonyrfesta's ongoing beef with his local solid core, including a reaction by @eddysarchivess. They wrap up with some food content, including cookie batter lava brownies by @genies_life and @traveleen_gurl sampling push pop sushi.   Check out all the videos we mention and more on our blog (2old4tiktok.com), Instagram (@2old4tiktokpod), and TikTok (@2old4tiktok_podcast). 

To learn more about Beverly Hills Precious Metals, please visit https://melkgold.com  

We're off this week, deep into planning and scheduling for next year. Please enjoy this Best Of episode, originally released in October.Hannah Storey, Advocacy and Policy Advisor at Amnesty International, joins the show to talk about her new brief that reframes Big Tech monopolies as a human rights crisis, not just a market competition problem.This isn't about consumer choice or antitrust law. It's about how concentrated market power violates fundamental rights—freedom of expression, privacy, and the right to hold views without interference or manipulation.Can you make a human rights case against Big Tech? Why civil society needed to stop asking these companies to fix themselves and start demanding structural change. What happens when regulation alone won't work because the companies have massive influence over the regulators?Is Big Tech actually innovating anymore? Or are they just buying up competition and locking down alternatives? Does scale drive progress, or does it strangle it?What would real accountability look like? Should companies be required to embed human rights due diligence into product development from the beginning?Are we making the same mistakes with AI? Why is generative AI rolling forward without anyone asking about water usage for data centers, labor exploitation of data labelers, or discriminatory outcomes?The goal isn't tweaking the current system—it's building a more diverse internet with actual options and less control by fewer companies.If you've been tracking Big Tech issues in silos—privacy here, misinformation there, market dominance over here—this episode is an attempt to bring those conversations together in one framework.Mentioned:Read more about the Amnesty International report and download the full report here: “Breaking Up with Big Tech: a Human Rights-Based Argument for Tackling Big Tech's Market Power”Speech AI model helps preserve indigenous languagesEmpire of AI, by Karen HaoCory Doctorow's new book, "Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What To Do About It"

#IsraelTrip2025(b) 13:30 Background 17:51 Turning Point 18:55 Ben Yeshiva 24:42 Jewish History 26:42 Female Relationships 30:33 Disconnecting from Phones 35:07 Professional Sports 38:26 Halacha 40:09 Makeup 42:56 Non-religious friend and Shabbos 43:57 Alcohol 49:55 Dimyon 53:06 Lishma 54:48 Confronting someone who wrongs you 56:46 Writing Ben Yeshiva 57:48 Relaxing Activities 58:55 Relationship with Parents 1:01:37 Developing a love for Ruchniyos 1:03:18 Learning in Eretz  Yisroel or America

Read OnlineWhen Jesus had come into the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” Matthew 21:25–27The chief priests and the elders of the people were supposed to shepherd the people into eternal salvation. They were supposed to be instruments of God's divine will, prophetic voices, and priests who offered holy sacrifices for the atonement of sin. In practice, they were none of those things.As this Gospel passage progresses, we see more clearly why Jesus rebuked them so firmly. “Jesus said to them in reply, ‘I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me, then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things. Where was John's baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin?'” (Matthew 21:24–25). The religious leaders refused to answer the question because neither answer suited their agenda. If they said John's baptism was of heavenly origin, they feared that Jesus would ask them why they didn't believe John. If they said of earthly origin, they feared the crowd who believed John to be a prophet. So they took the easy way out and said, “We do not know.” As a result, Jesus did not answer their question.Jesus' response to these religious leaders gives us insight into how to respond to those in our lives who directly challenge our faith. At times, we might encounter criticism that is irrational. We might be tempted to get angry and engage that irrational criticism. This often leads to an unproductive conversation.Our Lord's approach to irrationality in this passage was quite different. Though Jesus judged these religious leaders as God, His human interaction with them was not judgmental or defensive. Instead, He asked a question that forced them to face their irrationality, bringing it into the light. When they refused to admit their irrationality, Jesus remained silent.One thing this tells us is that it is rarely beneficial to engage a person on the level of their irrationality. Silently forgiving their judgment does not mean we need to engage them in it. If someone confronts us with humility and sincerity, this opens the door to a healthy conversation. If their questioning of our actions is irrational, it's often best ignored. This approach is loving because it imitates our Lord and diffuses the irrational criticism, opening the door to a more healthy conversation later.Reflect today on whether Jesus' experience with the irrational religious leaders of His time is something you experience with those in your life. Though some people are blessed to be surrounded by very supportive and faith-filled family and friends, others are not. Ponder the ways God wants you to live your faith openly, even if it draws criticism. When it does, try to imitate the humility and wisdom Jesus manifested so that you are not drawn into unhealthy and irrational conversations.Lord of true Wisdom, You always knew how to interact with people with perfect charity and truth. To those who needed Your compassion, You were compassionate. To those who were irrational, You humbly revealed their irrationality. Please give me the gift of wisdom so that I will always relate to those in my life in accord with Your holy will. Jesus, I trust in You.Image via Adobe Stock Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

WarRoom Battleground EP 909: Deep Dive With SAM HAMMOND: Confronting AI and Leviathan

In this bonus Q&A episode, Lysa TerKeurst, Dr. Joel Muddamalle, and Counselor Jim Cress respond to voice memos sent in by Therapy & Theology listeners.In This Episode, You'll Learn:How to accept the life you have today, instead of being stuck in ruminating over the past.What to do when life feels "stalled out" and you're waiting for God.Practical tools for co-parenting with an ex-partner and how to approach dating again post-divorce.Links and Resources We'll Mention in This Episode:Get your copy of Surviving an Unwanted Divorce by Lysa TerKeurst, Dr. Joel Muddamalle, and Jim Cress.The Therapy & Theology podcast is brought to you by Proverbs 31 Ministries. Give today to partner with Proverbs 31 Ministries and help more women encounter the Truth of God's Word. Have a question for Lysa, Jim, or Joel? Leave us a message, and it could be answered on one of our future podcast episodes! Start here.Be notified as soon as new Therapy & Theology episodes are available! Enter your email address here to subscribe and stay connected.Click here to download a transcript of this episode.Go Deeper:Listen to "When Divorce Makes You Feel Like You Weren't Enough."Listen to "How To Be Brave When You Don't Feel Brave."Watch "Stop the Shame Scripts Holding You Back."

Send us a textStrong doesn't mean silent. And it doesn't mean savage either.In this empowering episode, Chelsey unpacks what it means to live as an Ezer Kenegdo—a woman created to be a powerful helper, warrior, and ally. She shares how women can confront their husbands, their own patterns, and even false doctrine without becoming controlling or combative.Inside, you'll learn:What the Ezer identity means for Christian women todayWhy submission doesn't mean suppressionThe 5-step approach to godly confrontation that flows from security, not strivingHow to remain rooted in grace and strength when standing your groundWhether you've been afraid to speak up—or you've been doing it with anger and regret—this episode will help you confront with wisdom, strength, and godly authority. Support the showChelsey Holm | the Wife Coach "I help Christian wives surrender fully, live Spirit-led, and be set apart according to God's design in marriage, motherhood, and life."Grab my free training here: https://chelsey.coach/highlevelwife-blueprint 2x certified Coach (John Maxwell Leadership, Kristen Boss SSLS)10+ years coaching experienceNASM-certified in Personal Training and NutritionMom of 5, Army wife 16 yearsSupport the show!The Chelsey Holm Podcast (The Chelsey Holm Podcast) It's hard to give your best when you don't feel your best- replenish your health with Ready Set Wellness: https://us.shaklee.com/site/chelseynoel/Nutrition/Ready-Set-Wellness/Ready-Set-Wellness-Bundle/p/89599

A fifteen-year-old girl gets raped in the U.K. Minnesota taxpayers get fleeced by a valuable voting bloc. And Randi Weingarten is at it again. It's Wildcard Wednesday. Michele Tafoya is a four-time Emmy award-winning sportscaster turned political and cultural commentator. Record-setting, four-time Sports Emmy Award winner Michele Tafoya worked her final NBC Sunday Night Football game at Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022, her fifth Super Bowl. She retired from sportscasting the following day. In total, she covered 327 games — the most national primetime TV games (regular + postseason) for an NFL sideline reporter. Learn More about “The Michele Tafoya Podcast” here: https://linktr.ee/micheletafoya Subscribe to “The Michele Tafoya Podcast” here: https://apple.co/3nPW221 Follow Michele on twitter: https://twitter.com/Michele_Tafoya Follow Michele on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realmicheletafoya/ Learn more about the Salem Podcast network: https://salempodcastnetwork.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A fifteen-year-old girl gets raped in the U.K. Minnesota taxpayers get fleeced by a valuable voting bloc. And Randi Weingarten is at it again. It's Wildcard Wednesday. Michele Tafoya is a four-time Emmy award-winning sportscaster turned political and cultural commentator. Record-setting, four-time Sports Emmy Award winner Michele Tafoya worked her final NBC Sunday Night Football game at Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022, her fifth Super Bowl. She retired from sportscasting the following day. In total, she covered 327 games — the most national primetime TV games (regular + postseason) for an NFL sideline reporter. Learn More about “The Michele Tafoya Podcast” here: https://linktr.ee/micheletafoya Subscribe to “The Michele Tafoya Podcast” here: https://apple.co/3nPW221 Follow Michele on twitter: https://twitter.com/Michele_Tafoya Follow Michele on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realmicheletafoya/ Learn more about the Salem Podcast network: https://salempodcastnetwork.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To lament means to express sorrow, mourning, or regret; to grieve openly or to mourn aloud, and there is one entire book of the Bible most often ignored by our culture, obsessed with happiness and pleasure, called Lamentations. In this journey, we will explore the five poems contained in the book and allow the Scriptures to lead us to morning, healing, and hope as we navigate a world filled with pain and suffering. This week, we encounter Lamentations 5:1-22 ESV and how we confront regret to discover hope and healing in Christ. Scripture: Lamentations 5:1-22 ESV Speaker: Michael Bayne

From Invisible to I'm Here: Midlife, People-Pleasing & the 67-Degree Thermostat   If you've ever walked into a room and instantly shrank three sizes… or found yourself over-giving, over-understanding, and still somehow overlooked… this one's for you. In this episode, I get brutally honest about my own people-pleasing patterns — the “nice girl” identity that kept my inner thermostat stuck at 67 degrees, no matter how much I wanted a 72-degree life. We're talking childhood emotional non-attunement, being #7 of 7 kids, midlife triggers, and why simply “being nice” has quietly sabotaged my success, visibility, and self-worth for decades.   In this episode, I talk about: What it actually means to be #7 of 7 kids and a twin in an already maxed-out household — and how emotional non-attunement forms the “I don't need anything” identity. The two faces of people-pleasing: the over-functioning, doing-for-everyone sister, and the emotion-holding, invisible, “I'm fine” version (you). How making yourself “easy” and “low maintenance” as a child becomes a core survival strategy that follows you into midlife. Why you can be outwardly confident and competent, yet still walk into big groups and feel small, optional, or invisible. The thermostat / upper limit analogy: why your inner setting might still be 67 degrees — and how that quietly caps your happiness, success, and capacity to receive. How your childhood emotional reality shows up in: friendships (being the optional friend) marriage (people-pleasing in partnership) parenting (over-correcting from your own upbringing) business and visibility (struggling to hold momentum). The difference between healthy kindness and toxic niceness that costs you your voice, energy, and self-respect. Why triggers, tests, and midlife “mayhem” are often invitations to rewire, not punishment. The first steps to re-parenting your inner “I don't need anything” girl, so you can finally allow yourself to want, ask, take up space — and stay.   “It was my understanding, very early on, that in order to get any crumb of attention, I needed to be easy and nearly invisible.” “My version of people-pleasing wasn't over-doing — it was shrinking. It was becoming so low maintenance that nobody ever had to show up for me.” “You are the only consistent factor in every room where you feel ignored, overlooked, or ghosted. At some point, you have to look at the energy you're bringing — not to blame yourself, but to finally free yourself.” “I wasn't always fine. I just got really good at surviving my own disappointment.” “You can't upper-limit your way into a bigger life. If your nervous system is still set at 67 degrees, it will shut down every time you get close to 72.” “Being nice is beautiful. Being nice at the expense of your own safety, needs, and truth is something entirely different.”   This work isn't about becoming someone new. It's about finally understanding who you've been all along. If you're curious to go deeper, I host intentional workshops and gatherings through The Experience Project — including the Magnetic Midlife Project cohort and Human Design workshops that help you understand your patterns without judgment. Everything I create is gentle, practical, and designed for midlife — when we don't have time to force things that don't fit anymore. You can explore it all at

Imagine being told you belong to a faith that is fighting to keep you out—and refusing to leave. In this week's Madlik, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz welcome Rabbi Steve Greenberg, the first openly gay Orthodox-ordained rabbi, for a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation. Key Takeaways Vulnerability transforms the meaning of Torah. Bottom-up change is reshaping Orthodoxy. The tradition has the capacity — and the precedent — to grow. Timestamps [00:00:12] Rabbi Steve Greenberg's coming-out context and the question of LGBTQ+ Jews as teachers of Torah. [00:03:11] Steve's Yom Kippur aliyah story and being vulnerable to the text. [00:04:46] Confronting the biblical verses; reframing what Leviticus might mean. [00:06:22] Tamar's courage and parallels to LGBTQ+ belonging. [00:08:57] "Bottom-up Judaism": queer Jews staying, not leaving — shifting the halachic landscape. [00:11:39] Google rabbis, post-COVID authority shifts, and personal autonomy in community life. [00:15:08] Israeli changes: rejecting the Rabbanut, forming new models of partnership. [00:17:42] A painful role-play with a rabbi exposes how harmful "lifelong celibacy" messaging is for gay teens. [00:21:19] New data on LGBTQ+ rabbinical students and why queer spiritual sensitivity strengthens Jewish leadership. [00:24:56] Parents as powerful advocates: Orthodox families pushing shuls and schools to stop rejecting their children. Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/691629 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/ Eshel: https://www.eshelonline.org/  

SummaryIn this episode, the hosts delve into the intricacies of Rings of Power, Episode 7, titled 'The Eye.' They explore character dynamics, thematic elements, and narrative techniques while discussing the implications of lore divergences. The conversation highlights the emotional weight of character arcs, particularly focusing on Galadriel and Theo, and sets the stage for future developments in the series. The hosts also reflect on the balance of humor and seriousness in the storytelling, providing a comprehensive breakdown of the episode's impact. In this episode, the conversation explores various themes from the latest installment of 'Rings of Power.' The discussion begins with a comparison of hiding scenes reminiscent of 'Fellowship of the Ring,' leading into character development through grief in the Southlands. The Harfoots' journey intertwines with the events of the Southlands, showcasing humor amidst devastation. The mystics' actions result in collateral damage for the Harfoots, while Elrond's respect for King Durin highlights the evolving relationship between elves and dwarves. The awakening of the Balrog foreshadows future conflicts, and significant lore changes regarding Mithril and Mordor's creation are discussed. The episode concludes with reflections on the highs and lows of the narrative.TakeawaysThe episode explores the aftermath of the eruption of Mount Doom.Character dynamics between Galadriel and Theo highlight themes of revenge and responsibility.Symbolism is prevalent in the passing of the sword from Galadriel to Theo.The narrative structure effectively builds tension and reveals character motivations.The show diverges from established lore, particularly regarding Galadriel's backstory.Character arcs are set up for future development, especially for Theo.The storytelling techniques used enhance the emotional impact of the episode.The episode balances humor and serious themes effectively.The implications of character deaths are significant for the overall narrative.The discussion highlights the importance of character relationships in storytelling.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview06:59 Character Dynamics and Development13:48 Plot Summary and Key Events19:00 Humor and Lighthearted Moments25:00 Character Arcs and Future Possibilities26:30 The Cat Chronicles: A Lighthearted Interlude28:30 Galadriel and Theo: A Passing of the Torch32:29 The Blindness Reveal: A Chilling Moment36:32 The Weight of Loss: Alendil's Grief40:39 Lore Divergence: Galadriel's Character Arc51:28 The Harfoots: Collateral Damage in a Larger Conflict57:47 Confronting the Mystics01:00:04 The Harfoots' Journey and Challenges01:02:53 Elrond and King Durin's Dynamic01:09:34 Distrust Between Elves and Dwarves01:19:57 King Durin's Motivations and Dwarven Identity01:30:11 Significant Lore Changes and Their ImplicationsKeywordsRings of Power, Episode 7, The Eye, character development, storytelling, lore, Galadriel, Theo, Numenor, Southlands, Rings of Power, Lord of the Rings, Galadriel, Harfoots, Elrond, Dwarves, Mithril, Mordor, Balrog, Southlands

immigration activist Alexia Salvatierra shares with host Jean P. Kelly Scriptural and moral reasons why people in the pews must act now to stop unjust detainment and deportation.

This is the third presentation at the Advent Retreat "Welcoming the Light of Christ in our lives" given at St. William Catholic Church on December 6, 2025.  Fr. Andrew addresses the darkness in our lives, inviting us to draw near to the Light of Christ and confront the evil we perceive. 3rd Talk - St. William Catholic Church - Foxboro, WI Fr. Andrew Ricci - www.studyprayserve.com  

Feeling like maybe you're not meant to write, or questioning if writing is really your path? In this episode, Zena Dell Lowe dives into the reality of self-doubt for writers, offering insights on how to handle the emotional and practical challenges of creating consistently. Learn how to evaluate your dedication to the craft, embrace incremental improvement, and understand why effort and perseverance often matter more than raw talent.Tune in for guidance on:Confronting comparison and impostor syndromeMoving past fear of failureRecognizing when your commitment signals your callingPractical ways to keep writing even when inspiration fadesWatch this episode on YouTube Free Video Tutorial for ScreenwritingThe Storyteller's Mission Podcast is now on YouTube.  Subscribe to our channel and never miss a new episode or announcement.Sign up for The Storyteller's Digest, my exclusive bi-monthly newsletter for writers and storytellers. Each edition delivers an insightful article or practical writing tip straight from me, designed to help you master your craft and tell compelling stories.Support the Show!Contact us for anything else!Send us a textSupport the show

Turn online alignment into an offline community — join us at TheWayFwrd.com to connect with like-minded people near you.She found aluminum and other metals in her rainwater, uncovered a decades-long cloud-seeding program running over her county without public notice, and then drove to the airport to confront the pilots — and you'll hear her full conversation.In this episode, I sit down with Kathryn “Mellow Kat” Saari, a former flight attendant turned homesteader who started noticing grid patterns and flight clusters during storms in her part of California. Her curiosity led her into rainwater testing, public records digging, and decades of cloud-seeding programs that no one in her community had ever been told about.Mellow Kat walks me through what she uncovered: silver-iodide cloud seeding, adulticide spraying, organophosphate insecticides, genetically modified mosquito proposals, and the contracts counties hold with Weather Modification Inc. She also shares the night she followed the aircraft to their airport and spoke with the pilots face-to-face.If you've been curious about weather modification, cloud seeding, geoengineering, or how these programs are actually run on the local level, this conversation brings the details into full view without hype or guesswork.You'll Learn:[00:00:00] Introduction[00:21:06] Why Mellow Kat believes her son's neurological issues stem from vaccines, and the aluminum levels that shocked her[00:35:00] The moment she first noticed grid patterns in the sky[00:39:32] What Mellow Kat found in her rainwater samples after tracking cloud seeding flights[00:42:20] Discovering a 30+ year cloud seeding operation happening directly over her county without public notice[00:55:17] How $6.6 million from Bill Gates led to trees being cut down and trucked to Nevada to be buried underground[00:59:27] Confronting the adulticide spray pilot who admitted he's releasing a nerve agent over neighborhoods to kill mosquitoes[01:16:34] The full unedited audio: driving to an airport in the middle of the night to confront the cloud seeding pilots face-to-face[01:52:21] How Mellow Kat and 5,400 people stopped a biotech company from releasing genetically modified mosquitoes in California[01:56:27] What an arborist found at wildfire sites that suggests energy weapons—trees burned from the inside out while leaves stayed intact[02:05:26] Why Mellow Kat is no longer afraid of death and how that freed her to speak without holding backResources Mentioned:Alfacast episode #262 The Atmospheric End Game w/ Mellow Kat | Spotify or Apple or DeezerThe Way Forward episode #183 Geoengineering: How Weather Is Manipulated, And How We Reclaim It with Dr. Rob Williams | YouTubeI finally confront the pilots who have been geoengineering Tuolumne's skies | ArticleHarms of Cloud seeding: It's not "just silver iodide." | ArticleSanta Barbara County and Twitchell Reservoir Cloud Seeding Program | PDFWritten instructions on identifying aircraft, testing rain samples, and PRA requests | ArticleAriana Masters | SubstackIf you want to learn more from Mellow Kat, visit her Substack.Find more from Alec:Alec Zeck | InstagramAlec Zeck | XThe Way Forward | InstagramThe Way Forward is Sponsored By:Create a cleaner energetic space, go to AiresTech.com and use code TWF25 at checkout for 25% off your entire order.Sleep Deeper with BiOptimizers MagnesiumStruggling with restless nights? Magnesium deficiency may be the reason.Try Magnesium Breakthrough use code ALEC10 for 10% off.RMDY Academy & Collective: Homeopathy Made AccessibleHigh-quality remedies and training to support natural healing. Enroll hereExplore hereNew Biology Clinic: Redefine Health from the Ground UpExperience tailored terrain-based health services with consults, livestreams, movement classes, and more. Visit www.NewBiologyClinic.com and use code TheWayForward for $50 off activation. Members get the $150 fee waived

Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/VIEWS and use code VIEWS and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! Get 20% off your first Mood order with promo code "VIEWS." https://mood.com On today's podcast David and Jason welcome Corinna Kopf to talk about why she and David never hooked up, what kind of car Steve Willdoit bought her and some beef that Corinna has with David. Check out Jason's latest podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4G49SOZ1S8fHG41Vbovd8F?si=1uiEwRFLRM27Jnb6UTDdYQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices