Podcasts about Contentment

Hey Friend! Have you ever thought about the state of your soul? It's not something we think about much. We likely think about how we're doing physically or mentally. We freely talk about self-care. But soul care? Hmmm…not so much... Most of us aren't exactly sure what taking care of our souls looks like. Or why it's important. Some of us wonder how soul care differs from self-care or if it's a bit self-indulgent.  Today, I dive into why tending to our souls is so very important (Hint: Jesus said, “Is anything worth more than your soul?”). Join me as I share invaluable insights and soul-tending tips to help you pause, care for your soul, and create meaningful connections in your life.  Remember to reach out for support if needed and share your ideas for soul care. You'll be encouraged by our conversation today! xo, Donna   Listen in to learn more.  The importance of caring for our souls and their impact on our lives. Tending to our souls is essential for our well-being and personal growth. Being fully present can nourish our souls and create meaningful connections.   Resources: If you need a helpful resource to give someone exploring faith or Christianity, you'll want a copy of my book, Seek: A Woman's Guide to Meeting God. Honestly, it's a must for seekers, new believers, and those who want to be more confident in their faith.  Connect with Donna Instagram: @donnaajones Website: www.donnajones.org Twitter:@donnajonesspeak Donna's speaking schedule: https://donnajones.org/events/ For a copy of “15 Things, Jesus Would Say to You if You Met Him for Coffee,” go to www.donnajones.org/blog  Pick up a copy of Donna's book : Seek: A Woman's Guide to Meeting God  https://www.amazon.com/Seek-Womans-Guide-Meeting-God/dp/0800725328/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3QOGM9DLB01MK&keywords=seek+a+womans+guide&qid=1644959052&s=books&sprefix=Seek+a+woman%2Cstripbooks%2C190&sr=1-2

In a psychiatrist’s advice column, he responded to a reader named Brenda, who lamented that her ambitious pursuits had left her discontent. His words were blunt. Humans aren’t designed to be happy, he said, “only to survive and reproduce.” We’re cursed to chase the “teasing and elusive butterfly” of contentment, he added, “not always to capture it.” I wonder how Brenda felt reading the psychiatrist’s nihilistic words and how different she may have felt reading Psalm 131 instead. In its words, David gives us a guided reflection on how to find contentment. He begins in a posture of humility, putting his kingly ambitions aside, and while wrestling life’s big questions is important, he puts those aside in this moment too (v. 1). Then he quiets his heart before God (v. 2), entrusting the future into His hands (v. 3). The result is beautiful: “like a weaned child with its mother,” he says, “I am content” (v. 2). In a broken world like ours, contentment will at times feel elusive. The apostle Paul said contentment is something to be learned—Philippians 4:11–13. But if we believe we’re only designed to “survive and reproduce,” contentment will surely be an uncatchable butterfly. David shows us another way: catching contentment through quietly resting in God’s presence.

Join Dr. Carla Michelle as she shares 10 empowering questions to heighten your perspective on Goals, Contentment, and Taking Action.

Pastors Andy We believe that all good things are worth fighting for. Although every relationship is complex and unique the Bible displays simple concepts for relational training. Lean in and become the contender that God has called you to be. TEXT: Genesis 29:31-35; Hebrews 13:5,6; Romans 12:18 NOTES: BIG IDEA: Every person in a relationship hopes to find contentment but Every person in a healthy relationship creates and contends for contentment.

Westerners find Contentment to be an impossible dream. Why? What does the Bible say about Contentment? What is the secret of being content? Join me as we study William Barcley's "The Secret of Contentment." This is the last part of this series. You can buy the book at this website: https://www.christianbook.com/the-secret-of-contentment/william-barcley/9781596381919/pd/381919?utm_source=bing&kw=1241348712202415&mt=b&dv=c&event=PPCSRC&p=1215904&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Dynamic%20Search%20Ads&utm_term=%2Fpd%2F&utm_content=DSA%20detail%20pages

Contentment means your place of peaceful happiness. And I believe and I know that you can absolutely have contentment even when you're navigating this maze of owning a business, and/or having a full-time job, running a family while trying to stay sane and healthy. So, I'm sharing three contentment hacks that I believe will help. you find contentment quicker >>Watch HERE!

 Music by lemonmusicstudio from Pixabay.

Dynamic blessings! In this episode, I am joined by my brother Ste Lane. Ste is a coach and podcast host of Radical Health Radio. We dive into how to: -Shift imposter syndrome into imposter adaptation -Navigate contentment vs complacency - Focus on your process rather than the outcome - Embrace your values as a tool to navigate your life. We also dive into cultural phenomena today regarding gender dynamics and judging our own success. If you enjoy this episode, please share it with your family, friends, and loved ones. It would mean the world to me if you left a 5-star rating and a review of the show. You can find Ste on Instagram: peakprimalhealh and his podcast: Radical Health Radio I honor you. I appreciate you! -Alvey aka Mr. You Can 2

This week Josh and Laura discuss the latest sermon, answer a listener question, and are joined by some special guests who have some questions of their own for Pastor Josh.

Tired of playing life whack-a-mole? Rachel Norman wants to hand us our silver bullet to contentment and peace in motherhood and she calls it BOUNDARIES. As a mother of 5 and a Language of Listening™ Parenting Coach, she knows the importance of boundaries and why they aren't just rules you make for someone else. They truly are a necessity to help us realize our purpose in motherhood and being proactive on what you really want for you and your family. Let's get rid of our unnecessary struggles and get clear on our boundaries.  Let's grow,  Jennifer  Connect with Rachel HERE at amotherfarfromhome.com and HERE on Instagram.  Make her tips happen in your own home when you order her book If Mama Ain't Happy: Why Minding Healthy Boundaries is Good For Your Whole Family HERE Keep the conversation going at home with Togather for Family Dinner conversation stickers and Togather for Date Night. BRING HOME NOW Join our PRIVATE Families That Stick Togather Moms Group over on Facebook. "Strong and Faith-Filled Families For Today's Mom" where we share with one another and go on this journey of motherhood in today's world TOGETHER. Join us HERE! Are you ready for a lifetime plan for your family to stay strong and close so it will sustain you through all the busy seasons?Visit familyconnectionframework.com  

What do you think is the most important question to ask yourself in life and in business? In this episode, Kenny takes listeners on an insightful journey of discovering the power that emotional regulation and self-reflection have in unlocking greater freedom. He dives deep into exploring how investing in ourselves - with time, money or energy can open up possibilities for a more meaningful life. Are you making the most out of your resources? Join in as he investigates if traditional assets are enough to create our desired outcome and ask yourself some thought provoking questions about what it really means to maximize every moment! 0:01:39 "The Most Important Question for Business Utilization" 0:03:46 "Maximizing Efficiency: Is This the Best Use of Your Time, Energy, and Resources?" 0:06:08 Unlocking Your Brain for Mental and Emotional Freedom 0:07:57 "Investing in Yourself and Others: Unlocking Happiness and Contentment" 0:12:44 Heading: Evaluating the Best Use of Time and Capital for Business Growth 0:14:59 "Maximizing Your Time: How to Make the Most of Your Life"   For more tips on investing in yourself and creating a more meaningful life, subscribe to Leadership in a Nutshell at kennychapman.com/podcast/ or wherever you listen to podcasts.   Time, Energy, Resources, Investing, Human Experience, Education, Coaching, Life Experience, Elevating Others, Training Others, Team Greatness, Trips, Growth, Conscious Awareness, Mental Freedom, Emotional Freedom, Happiness, Love, Peace

Thanks to everyone who supports TMBH at patreon.com/thetmbhpodcast You're the reason we can all do this together! Discuss the episode here Music written and performed by Jeff Foote

Last week we talked all about gratitude. So, I thought it only made sense to continue the conversation this week by talking about contentment. Contentment goes hand in hand with gratitude. The more grateful we are for the things in our lives, the more likely we will be content with them. When you are grateful for what you have you will naturally feel much more content. Contentment impacts our mental health and our financial health. People that are unhappy with their current situation often make poor financial decisions trying to upgrade their lifestyles before they can actually afford to do so. Instead of being grateful and content with what they have, they are constantly looking for the next best thing. Being content allows us to take time to put thought into lifestyle upgrades without just jumping into them. https://www.lolasfrugallife.com https://www.facebook.com/LolasFrugalLife/ Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lolak/support For one month free of Skillshare Premium, go to: skillshare.eqcm.net/lola --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lolak/support

Hey, Friend! Are you struggling right about now? We're halfway through the homeschool year and every day you're feeling more and more like giving up. The rut you're in is deep and you can't see a way out of it. Maybe the solution is to quit homeschool. You're wondering if your children would be better off in school. But what if there is a way to turn things around and get to a place of choosing to continue to homeschool? I have a few simple solutions that you can begin implementing today in order to see a change. Oh, and also...I have the answer to the question of whether you can quit homeschool. What do you think my answer is? ♥ Leigh    Let's work together and get your homeschool to the place you just know it can be. We all can get stuck and not know what to do, how to adjust, or if we're even doing it right. We'll dive in deep to all the homeschool hot topics and create the homeschool that you and your children will thrive in! ENROLL IN CLARIFY YOUR HOMESCHOOL TODAY --> www.clarifyyourhomeschool.com   Newsletter - > https://littlebylittlehomeschool.subscribemenow.com/ Community -＞https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeschoollifestylecommunity  Follow -＞https://www.instagram.com/littlebylittlehomeschool/ Connect -＞ info@littlebylittlehomeschool.com   Listen to these related episodes:   10. How to NOT Dread Parenting and Homeschooling the Teen Years: 4 Steps to Being Intentional Before the Teenage Years   16. How to Live in Contentment in the Winter as a Stay at Home Homeschooling Mom and Why It Matters   80. 10 Minutes to a Better Homeschool Day With Your Children: 3 Important Things to Do to Homeschool Well   84. 5 Quick Ideas to Make Your Homeschool Days More Enjoyable   125. 6 Warning Signs You Are About to Burnout As a Homeschool Mom

Ian Taylor of the Marvel Card Collectors Podcast and Marvel Facebook groups returns to talk about the state of collecting at this time and how a collector can go through phases in their collecting journey, whether they really be cards or not. Both the MCCP and my podcast started about the same time and much has changed in the hobby on the Marvel and Star Wars side since that time. This is a relaxed conversation and the second meeting for us this year as I was recently on his show a few weeks back, Episode #162 . On the Homestead Keeping segment, I go over the latest online releases of Topps Star Wars Cards and talk a bit about the ‘Breakfast Pack' Schedule for the rest of the month, while both the Bad Batch and Mandalorian overlap. MCC Podcast feed: https://anchor.fm/mccp Marvel Card Collectors Podcast Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheMCCPod/ Marvel Card Collectors Worldwide Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MTCCW/?ref=share Instagram/Twitter @themccpod Ian Taylor Instagram: @black_cat_collector

In the context of a discussion of sex, marriage, and singleness, Paul tells the Corinthians that their circumstances are not as important as their relationship with Christ, and following Him. Instead of concerning themselves with improving their circumstances in this world their concern should be about how to honor the Lord in the midst of their circumstances.Application Questions:1. In what ways are you tempted to meditate on and fixate on your circumstances more than on honoring the Lord?2. Do you struggle with lusting after other circumstances in your life? What are those?3. How can you honor God in the circumstances you find yourself in right now?4. What would it look like to cultivate contentment in Christ? How does the gospel anchor you in the swings of life?

Westerners find Contentment to be an impossible dream. Why? What does the Bible say about Contentment? What is the secret of being content? Join me as we study William Barcley's "The Secret of Contentment." This is part 10 of a multipart series. In this episode we focus on the contentment we get from serving others. You can buy the book at this website: https://www.christianbook.com/the-secret-of-contentment/william-barcley/9781596381919/pd/381919?utm_source=bing&kw=1241348712202415&mt=b&dv=c&event=PPCSRC&p=1215904&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Dynamic%20Search%20Ads&utm_term=%2Fpd%2F&utm_content=DSA%20detail%20pages

Wisdom of God, National Days, Contentment, Secret Foulers, Fear, Scary Clowns, BONUS CONTENT: The Clown Story We Can't Tell; Quotes: “I'm gonna have to be the biggest whiner tonight.” “Everyone gets free McNuggets.” “Their makeup makes them difficult to read.”

Today I'm talking about one of my favorite topics when it comes to minimalism: Contentment. I love talking about how we can be more grateful and content with what is right in front of us. We discuss three ways we can take small but impactful action to get more content with our homes. Of course, these all apply to other areas of our lives as well. I hope you enjoy this episode, and I hope you feel a little more content after listening. Links: Desirae on Instagram Podcast Website Mentioned: Carly @ Debt Free Mom on Instagram Simple Morning Lists Journal Sponsors: Luvbug: Get a 7 day free trial today at luvbuglearning.com or find luvbug in the App Store and download it today! Indeed: Start hiring today at indeed.com/minimalish Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever wondered if it is possible to be both ambitious and content with your life? Somehow these two qualities seem mutually exclusive, and I can't help wondering if contentment is a dream killer? If you are content, does that mean you have settled for less than what is possible for your life? I don't like that idea, so I took this question to my Spirit Guides. I received some interesting answers, including an answer about how to leave the “Isle of Suck” if you are truly unhappy. Thanks for listening!If you want to learn more about what I teach around finding clarity and creating a life you love full of purpose, passion, and joy, I encourage you to join our community at Joyful Inspired Living. Here's the link: http://www.joyfuljourney.ca/About your host:I'm your host, Anita Adams, an award-winning leader and the founder of Joyful Inspired Living, an organization dedicated to teaching people how to access their highest most authentic self so they can find clarity and create a life of purpose, passion, and joy. In addition to hosting the Joyful Journey Podcast, I offer retreats, both live and online, and private coaching programs to further guide my clients on their journey to their highest self. Leave us a reviewWe truly appreciate your ratings and reviews, which helps others find us so we can reach more people with our message and ultimately bring more joy into the world. If you have a minute, an honest review on iTunes goes a long way! Thank You!!Subscribe to the podcastIf you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast app on your mobile device. Other ways to connect with me:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anitaadams604/?hl=enFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/joyfulinspiredLivingLinkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitaadamsyvr/Email - anita@joyfulinspiredliving.com

David Dienhart: Christ in You, Perfect Contentment [2:03:55] Click here for: High quality (0 B) Click here for: Low quality (794.52 MB) 4813

Meet Doug Skoke, the VP of Business Development for Benjamin Douglas, a recruiting agency based out of South Florida.   Doug speaks with Jeff and Brett about recruiting, the state of the hiring market, and his experience in sales.  He also dives into his personal journey, the benefits of struggle, and his quest for complete contentment.   Doug explains how he lives his life according to the “Platinum Rule,” and the three of them go deep about the importance of making meaningful connections in business and life.    This episode is sure to make new fans of The Practice and Doug Skoke.       Click on the link to Doug's book recommendation https://cherylrichardson.com/books/the-unmistakable-touch-of-grace/. 

I think our farm is at a point where I could just cruise if I wanted to.  However, I keep looking at ways to improve, become more efficient and to become more profitable.  What is that in me, and in all entrepreneurs?  Does it ever go away?  

It is our one-year anniversary!!! Thank you for listening to Moms Take Ten and for supporting this podcast. If this podcast has been a blessing to you, will you take a minute to rate and review it? That will help more mamas find encouragement through this podcast. Thank you! I am taking a break from our usual foster and adoption interviews to share something that I have been thinking about. Every time a placement ends, Jonathan and I wrestle with the decision to host again or not. It is a struggle between complacency and contentment, and that is a struggle that all of us can relate to.    Learn more about me at https://www.lyssastoyko.com/ Want to say hello? Follow me on Facebook and Insta @lyssastoyko Email me at momstaketen@gmail.com

My husband died last summer. He had Alzheimer's. I've experienced a lot of “firsts” without him: his birthday, my birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and most recently, Valentine's Day. Some of those days passed without incident. Others…not so much.  It's March. I survived the first holiday season alone. I know there is no end-point to grief. We caregivers learn to carry it. We balance it between sad songs and sweet memories. We treasure the grief. It's proof that we had our own moment of Camelot.  To help me through this year, I've chosen three "guidewords," an important ritual I do every January. For 2023, my words are: Emerge, Share, and Contentment. Each one tosses me out of my comfort zone. And each one gives me strength.  In this episode, I talk about those three guidewords and about surviving my first holiday season alone. I hope you don't need this information. But chances are good you know someone who does. If so, please share this episode. The best thing we caregivers can do is share our stories.   

Well this is one of three messages left in the book of James. Then Palm Sunday and then Easter. One of the comments I've heard over and over through our study of James is this: "Man I love James because it's so practical." And it's true. James talks about so many aspects of everyday life, the tongue, money, trials, etc... Well if you like practical, it doesn't get any more practical than today. When we attend a funeral, perhaps one of the greatest compliments that can be said of a person during that funeral is something like: "Man, her life really counted. His life had an impact. That was a life well-lived." We all want our life to count. We all want to matter. We all want to make an impact. So how do we do that? You want to know the recipe James gives for having a kingdom impact, to really making your life count, to really doing something with your life that has value? Be patient, trust God and don't complain. What we are going to see today is that the heroic moments of the Christian life are actually forged in the mundane corners of everyday life. This is where character is hammered out. This is where the real stuff comes out. This is HEAVEN'S stage. Why? Because it's easy to be a hero at work; it's easy to be a hero when the spotlight is on you; it's easy to be a hero on the screen. It's hard to be a hero at home in the normal everyday grind of life. Many of you are stuck in that grind right now. You are stuck in an unfulfilling job. You are bored. You want to pull your hair out from cleaning up after toddlers, changing diapers and reading Dr. Seuss books. You are thinking, how does this even matter? James is showing us in the passage today that the big spiritual battles are not at dramatic, historical, spotlight kinds of moments. Today what we are going to see is that the big spiritual battles for your soul, the thing that's going to shake the foundations of the kingdom of the enemy is to simply be patient, trust God and not complain. Let's see how this works. Review Remember last week we began by noting that the primary focus of the Bible isn't social reform. It doesn't give us a style of government to address the economic disparity we see in the various classes of people. Rather, depending on where you find yourself in the social structure, God gives you commands on how to conduct yourself such that you will honor the Lord wherever you find yourself. Last week, James addressed the rich. And it was pretty harsh. His tone was unforgiving and contained precisely zero nuance. He was really serious about the danger of loving money and what that would do to our soul. Last week James was addressing the rich. But this week we get the other side of that. What if you find yourself not rich, but suffering under the rich. What if you find yourself oppressed in some way. Well, James has something to say to you this week as well. He talks about how we should conduct ourselves if we find ourselves in this situation. So let's read verses 7-9 and keep in mind, the context is impending judgment for the rich. He's going to begin with a 'THEREFORE.' Knowing that God will judge the rich for their self-indulgence, AS A LOGICAL OUTFLOW OF KNOWING THAT THE JUDGE IS COMING, he now says to the poor who are suffering under the rich, 'THEREFORE' So if verses 1-8 was addressing: - how to be wealthy, powerful AND ALSO righteous, verses 7-9 tells us - how to be poor, powerless AND ALSO righteous. Again, no call for reforms here. No calls for social justice warriors to come swooping in to rescue the oppressed. Instead a call to glorify God by being godly and righteous. The three points of the outline come out of the three commands in the text. We need patience in any situation where we want our situation to change and it's not changing according to our expectations. - I'm hungry for dinner. What's mom say? Be patient; it's almost ready. - I need this paint to dry so I can get on with my project. Be patient; you can't make paint dry any faster. - I'm dying to know the results of my test score or my interview. Be patient; they will get back with you tomorrow. Patience is the ability to be content when you want something to change, but it in fact, does not change. I'm still hungry. The paint is still wet. I still don't have the information I want. Patience is CONTENTMENT with non-change. That's the first command in the list here: Now in this passage, James is talking about a certain type of patience. James is talking about patient suffering. When we suffer, of course we want those circumstances to change and we want them to change now. The poor in this passage are being taken advantage of by the rich. They are suffering. The cry of the laborers goes up to the Lord and what does God say, "Be patient." God wants them to hope in future deliverance. He wants them to trust that one day, it will be made right. But the timing of that is up to God. Be patient. You must be patient. And that patience might need to last your entire life. It very well could be that you have to be very, very, very patient. It very well could be that the justice you hope for won't come until the last day, the judgment day, the day of slaughter. It's hard to be patient, especially that patient. It's really hard. We can all be patient for a while. It's socially rude not to be. But after a while, it seems like, "Okay we've crossed a line here. We've crossed over from reasonable to unreasonable." It's one thing to be on an airplane and sit on the tarmac for 15 minutes because of a delay. It's another thing entirely to sit on the tarmac for 6 hours. Okay, now I have a right to be upset. This is totally unreasonable. Heads are going to roll. The goal of today is to get us all to see that all impatience is a very serious spiritual issue. There's a heart sin pretty deep down there. Let me try to show you how this very spiritual issue disguises itself as no big deal.. - If I asked, "Do you think it's reasonable to say you know better than God?" You have instant answers to those questions. Of course. If I asked you, "Do you think it's reasonable to become impatient when sitting on the tarmac for four hours?" I mean, that's understandable. It's pretty normal to be impatient. To be impatient is part of being human. But you see to be impatient is nothing less than saying, "I know better than God." God, I'm here to complain and let you know that your divine plan for these 6 hours is mistaken. If Satan can get you to think that being impatient in that moment is no big deal, then he has succeeded in getting you to relocate your trust, to distrust the God of the universe. If he can get you to simply be impatient and not even relate that impatience to a spiritual issue, he has succeeded in ripping Christ off the throne of your heart. If he can get you to think that a little grumbling or complaining about my situation is no big deal, he's already won before the war even started because he's tricked you as to where the real battle is taking place. The war is waged in the small attitudes of the heart, in the seemingly insignificant, invisible throw away moments of the day. The victory between heaven and hell is determined by the small choices that come from attitudes that happen every day, moment by moment, in the most mundane corners of life. Maybe you feel pretty good about yourself because you judge your holiness by the number of banks you've robbed, people you've killed, and affairs you've had, you might be tempted to feel pretty good. I've not done these things. I'm a pretty good person. Or maybe you feel bad because you judge your success by how many Bible studies you lead, how many degrees you have, or how large of a business you lead. I don't do these things, so I'm a loser. But God is informing us the real indicator of godliness is the patience and longsuffering you show in the difficult situations of life you have to endure. Listen, I just did a funeral last week for Bonnie Wallace who attended our church for several years. And I can't get out of my mind the testimony of the daughters of this family. I asked them to share with me some memories of their mom. Here she was a single mom raising several kids. She had to work 2 and sometimes 3 jobs. She was dirt poor. She had nothing. But in the summer she would come home to feed her kids, put on sunscreen and then go back to work. Over and over again, she would make that sacrifice. I am quite certain she prayed over and over again, "Lord this is so difficult. Lord this is so hard to raise my kids by myself making minimum wage." And the Lord said, "Be patient." There was no stage. There was no lights. There was nobody cheering her on. She just trusted the Lord, did not complain and did what was right. And then she went to be with the Lord. But man that impacted me. What a mom. I was shattered by that. Do you see? She lived, her entire life, suffered and died never even knowing how that act of patient suffering impacted me. I didn't even know about it till after her passing. And now here you are benefiting from it. An act of patient obedience, no complaining, in her life, invisible to everyone (or so it seemed) is now glorifying God after her death. The ways of God are mysterious. The biggest choices in life are the small ones. Heaven and hell is under every bush. It's decisions to sacrifice self, choices to forgive, attitudes to endure and not complain and things like that that are going to determine who you really are and who you will become. As I said, the outline here comes from the three commands given in the text. The first command is to be patient. And the second command gives you resources to obey the first command. How am I supposed to be patient? Let's look at the second command. ESTABLISH your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. We are ABLE to be patient because the coming of the Lord is at hand. The Judge who will execute justice, the judge who will deliver the oppressed, is coming. That is the certain, CRITICAL HOPE that transforms your perspective and gives you the ability to suffer well. The more certain the hope, the more established the point is in your heart, the more patient we can be. Consider the psychological difference between these two scenarios. Here's the first scenario: Let's say you are playing around in a pool and someone comes behind you and without warning, grabs you and forces your head underwater. Who is this? Am I being attacked? How long will this last? You'd be thrashing around. You'd panic. You'd be punching and doing everything in your power to free yourself. Totally understandable. And then after 60 eternal seconds the assailant lets you up and you come thrashing to the surface gasping for breath, choking, water in your lungs and you discover it was your friend playing a joke on you. Now compare that to if that same friend said, "Let's see if you can do this. I'm going to hold you underwater for 60 seconds and then let you up. And he gives you a stopwatch. " That one sentence creates a totally different experience. You stayed underwater the exact same amount of time. The difference was you trusted that the suffering has an end. It's just a matter of the clock. Your best bet is to just sit it out, to wait, to expend as little energy as possible. In the first situation you had no hope or reason to believe it would end so you had to save yourself. In the second situation, because you believed that salvation is coming, your strategy totally changes. My strategy is to wait. To just focus on that IMPENDING salvation moment instead of focusing on the suffering. There's no point in trying to do anything when salvation is right around the corner. So what I'm really trying to point out here is the connection between our ability to be patient and our HOPE. Our ability to wait patiently is DIRECTLY CONNECTED to our future hope. HOPE makes PATIENT WAITING possible. No hope; no patience. Much Hope; much patience. Now that connection between PATIENCE and HOPE is found all through our Bibles, both OT and NT. GREAT HOPE; GREAT PATIENCE. I want to give you a blast of verses here. Here's just 7. I literally could have given you 47. It's everywhere in the Bible. GREAT HOPE = GREAT PATIENCE. God, as a loving father, cares that you suffer. We look up at our heavenly father with puppy dog eyes and say, "God why are you allowing us to suffer?" That's the question we want answered. And God gives us some help with that. James 1. Well, trials refine us. the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But God's comfort in suffering rarely focuses on the why. God rarely answers the question we are asking, "Why am I suffering." Instead, God almost always focuses on the who. Look at my eyes. I love you. Look at my eyes. Do you see that I love you. I have a reason. Trust me. And that is actually the main reason patience honors the Lord. There is no greater vote of confidence in the wisdom of God, the love of God the character of God then patient suffering. Because when you suffer patiently, here is what you are saying: - God is too good to be unkind. - He's too loving to be uncaring. - He's too compassionate to be calloused or heartless. - He's far too wise to be mistaken. And so if he is asking me to patiently suffer and I cannot understand his reason or trace his hand, then I must trust. I look at his love poured out for me on Calvary and that seals the deal. How could I ever question? If God did not spare his own Son, how will he not along with him give me every needed thing. That kind of fixed, established hope, honors the Lord and as it turns out, is also what is best for us. "When the time is right, he will act." Perhaps the situation you are suffering and the patience required to endure it is teaching you something you could not learn any other way. Talk to 1000 godly men or women who have gone before you and they will all tell you that it was not on the mountaintop that they met the Lord. It was in the valley. As hard as the valley was, they would not trade it for the world. It was not until they learned of the emptiness of everything else that they learned of the fullness of Christ. Patience is to trust in God's great unseen purposes. When you suffer, you just lay your head on the pillow of God's great love. You just lay your head down and rest in his goodness. You just close your eyes and let him take care of the details. I cannot see but I trust and I'm going to sleep right here. I'm just going to shut my eyes and rest and release my worry to him. It is not mine to manage. Sometimes in great trials you have to remind yourself of these big stabilizing truths to help you control your feelings. You have to pull into focus things that at other points in your life were patently obvious but in this moment they are no longer clear and everything feels chaotic. Of course he loves me. I see him there on the cross. Of course he's powerful. He created all things with a word. I will trust him. Keep the connection between this anchored, established hope and the ability to be patient anchored in your mind. To further cement that principle, James gives the illustration of the farmer. Consider how HOPE allows a farmer to be patient. Consider the ability to be patient is LINKED to the hope of the farmer. Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. Vs. 8 You also, be patient. The farmer prepares a field, sows seed, waters, and then he just sits there. His work is over. And he just waits. His ability to wait is anchored in his ESTABLISHED CONFIDENCE, in his sure and steady hope of the coming rains. The farmer can do nothing. He has to just wait for the right rain at the right time. In Israel, the way the geography is set up, you are basically just 100% dependent on rain. Rain is everything. The farmers all through the Bible were just absolutely dependent on the rains that came in late autumn and early spring. In the Bible, these rains are called the early and latter rains. And if you read the OT, every reference to "early and later rains" 100 percent of them are in a context affirming the faithfulness of the Lord (Deut. 11:14; Jer. 5:24; Hos. 6:3; Joel 2:23; Zech. 10:1). What we are really hoping in is the character of God. We are really establishing our hearts not in WHAT we know will happen but WHO controls the uncontrollable. The farmer sees with the eye of faith. He can't see the crops grow. He stares and sees nothing, but he knows in the invisible world of cell biology things are happening. Photosynthesis is happening. ATP. DNA strands are uncoiling, copying, proteins are folding, and this plant is growing. All that is way above my pay grade, but I know it's happening. God is sending the rain, and a crop is coming. Why is this suffering happening to me? I have no idea. That's way above my pay grade. But I know that salvation is coming. When we trust the who, we can be patient with the how. 3 commands and three points in our message. Grumbling is just the verbal expression of impatience. You feel impatient and you express that impatience by grumbling. How do you know when people sitting for four hours are becoming impatient? They begin to grumble. They begin to complain. And James in the text warns us against it. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. - Grumbling is very easy to do. - Grumbling is complaining. - Grumbling can come in the form of making sarcastic comments. - Grumbling can happen when we cut someone down. - Grumbling is griping. - Grumbling is whining or always finding fault. - Grumbling is nitpicking. - Grumbling is verbal discontent. James says this is so serious because just like impatience, if Satan can get you to grumble and complain then he's won. He's succeeded in making you believe that the war for heaven and hell takes place on an entirely different front. Your try to ward off the schemes of the devil fighting by planting churches, doing social reform, political reform, starting schools, making Christian music and art, and you are so proud; we are so effective. Satan is nowhere to be seen. Satan is just laughing as he walks in the front door. James is reminding us: the spearhead of the entire battle for holiness happens in your ability to trust God, not complain or grumble. Grumbling is the seed of something terribly poisonous and toxic. It is so bad that he wants you to see the Judge will judge you for it. Do you remember the children of Israel getting swallowed up in holes in the ground, snakes attacking and biting them all because of some complaining. It seems so harsh until you step back and you realize the wicked spiritual condition of the complaining heart. Grumbling is just not trusting God. Grumbling is questioning God's authority in your life. Grumbling is your vote that God doesn't know what he's doing and you do. And you have to agree, that is a pretty evil thing to say. And he warns that this kind of behavior is at the core of judgment. Setting self above God is at the very heart of the judgment seat of Christ. So he warns you, don't do it. Don't do it, not because I'm trying to destroy your fun. I'm trying to preserve your joy. - Remember, God doesn't condemn things because he knows they will make you happy and God is anti-happiness. - He doesn't condemn things because they are easy and he wants to make your life miserable through hard labor. - He condemns things that hurt you. A doctor doesn't forbid a patient from eating of Snickers bars because they taste good. He forbids the eating of Snickers because too much sugar undermines health. That's so important. Do you see that? Grumbling will kill you and everybody around you, eventually. It's like the poison of sugar. It gets into your blood. It gets added like fat to your body. C.S. Lewis wrote A Preface to Paradise Lost. He says, “A vote for Satan is a vote for hell, and a vote for hell is a vote for an endless autobiography.” What is hell? Hell is an endless monolog with self. Hell is living in your own head where you get to create reality and never be challenged as to what is good for you. There is nothing more miserable than not being able to get out of your own needs. That is all grumbling is. Hell is endless grumbling. Hell is the endless autobiography, the absolute self-absorption, the absolute concentration on nothing but you, and "Why aren't you doing this for me? Why isn't this happening for me?" God does not say, "Don't grumble because I want to give you random commands to limit you." He says, -"Grumbling will kill you because grumbling is cutting yourself off from the goodness of God. - Grumbling is setting yourself up as Lord and master. - Grumbling is the worship and trust of self over God. - Grumbling is casting off the authority, care and love of the God of life and all good things. - If you cut yourself off of the vine by grumbling you will die." There's nothing more like hell than to be grumbling, always unhappy with the way things are for you. The way you can melt your heart down and start to become patient and radiant and loving with people who ordinarily would be irritating to you, the way you can do that, is to think about how much you've taxed God's patience. You have to go back. You have to think about it. One of the great themes of the book of James is repentance. It's much overlooked. James is very harsh but he's not trying to get you to feel ashamed. He's not trying to put you in your place. He's not trying to squash you beneath his thumb. He's simply trying to get you to fall at the foot of the cross so you can receive mercy. You guys we are all a bunch of miserable sinners. I'm not up here telling you all that you are grumpy, impatient sinners as a way to make you feel shame. It is true, we are all a bunch of grumpy, impatient sinners. True enough. It's okay to say that. Let's stop denying it. Let's all just cast ourselves at the foot of the cross where Jesus died to save us from that evil and receive his grace. Let's cast ourselves there to receive his love. Let's fall on our faces with tears streaming down our face saying, "How could you love me so much despite my grumbling, questioning, complaining impatient heart?" God you are so good. Thank you for absorbing in my place. Lord I love you! Do you see the irony of this thing? You can't exhort yourself into patience. You can't discipline yourself to be patient. You can't beat yourself into not grumbling. You can't say, “I really should be more patient," and whip and beat yourself. You can only repent yourself into patience. You have to see who he is. You have to see that he loves you. You have to stare at his love and repent of your arrogance to ever question it. You have to repent and confess that he has always been so slow to anger with you. Until you repent and see how bad you are, you lack the engine for becoming a patient, gentle, evil-absorbing, loving person. Listen, trust God. He loves you. He cares for you. He is for you. If you are suffering, trust God. He loves you. He has your good in mind. I want to close by reading an extended quote from C.H. Spurgeon. This was so good. This wrecked me this week. Closing “Believer, if your inheritance be a lowly one you should be satisfied with your earthly portion; for you may rest assured that it is the fittest for you. Unerring wisdom ordained your lot, and selected for you the safest and best condition. A ship of large tonnage is to be brought up the river; now, in one part of the stream there is a sandbank; should someone ask, "Why does the captain steer through the deep part of the channel and deviate so much from a straight line?" His answer would be, "Because I should not get my vessel into harbour at all if I did not keep to the deep channel." So, it may be, you would run aground and suffer shipwreck, if your divine Captain did not steer you into the depths of affliction where waves of trouble follow each other in quick succession. Some plants die if they have too much sunshine. It may be that you are planted where you get but little, you are put there by the loving Husbandman, because only in that situation will you bring forth fruit unto perfection. Remember this, had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are, divine love would have put you there. You are placed by God in the most suitable circumstances, and if you had the choosing of your lot, you would soon cry, "Lord, choose my inheritance for me, for by my self-will I am pierced through with many sorrows." Be content with such things as you have, since the Lord has ordered all things for your good. Take up your own daily cross; it is the burden best suited for your shoulder, and will prove most effective to make you perfect in every good word and work to the glory of God. Down busy self, and proud impatience, it is not for you to choose, but for the Lord of Love! Trials must and will befall- But with humble faith to see Love inscribed upon them all; This is happiness to me."

Does Jesus really want us to ask the Father to give us food every day? In this message, Pastor Jamie Nunnally continues the series about the Lord's Prayer, focusing on the line: "Give us this day our daily bread." This is the first time in Jesus' model prayer that we ask for something for ourselves. The word “daily” here means only what is necessary for today. You could say “sustain us with what we need for today.” Manna in wildernessExodus 16:2-5; 13-31 Notice, God gave it to them and he gave them only what they needed for the day: the two request in the Lord's prayer.  Manna was training for dependence on God and contentment for today.  Why pray for our daily bread?1. Dependence on God.John 15:5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”Since our culture is so fiercely fights for our independence politically, Christians will have to fiercely fight for our dependence spiritually. The lie of our culture is that our happiness will be found in our self-sufficiency. But God says freedom comes from allowing a loving Heavenly Father to be your provider.  Matthew 6:-31-33 “So don't worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.God wants us to rely on Him because He is the only thing that is fully reliable, dependable, and trustworthy in this world. You won't worry about getting when you get close to thegiver.  2. Contentment for today. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.Contentment replaces the desire for excess with the desire for enough. Hebrews 13:5 “Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”  Jesus is the bread we desire.John 6:48-51 “Yes, I am the bread of life! 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. 50 Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”Jesus is your daily bread. He is enough for today he'll be there tomorrow too.  *When you pray, are you asking God to give you your daily bread?

God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself acarved image… You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain… Remember the Sabbath day,to keep it holy… Honor your father and your mother… You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet.”   Download Bulletin

Westerners find Contentment to be an impossible dream. Why? What does the Bible say about Contentment? What is the secret of being content? Join me as we study William Barcley's "The Secret of Contentment." This is part nine of a multipart series. In this episode we focus on the contentment we get from have a secure relationship with God. You can buy the book at this website: https://www.christianbook.com/the-secret-of-contentment/william-barcley/9781596381919/pd/381919?utm_source=bing&kw=1241348712202415&mt=b&dv=c&event=PPCSRC&p=1215904&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Dynamic%20Search%20Ads&utm_term=%2Fpd%2F&utm_content=DSA%20detail%20pages

This talk was given by Nikki Mirghafori on 2023.03.03 at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. ******* Video of this talk is available at: https://youtube.com/live/uuFxnM54qEg. ******* For more talks like this, visit AudioDharma.org ******* If you have enjoyed this talk, please consider supporting AudioDharma with a donation at https://www.audiodharma.org/donate/. ******* This talk is licensed by a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License

Prayer for Contentment It's human nature to want more, but what do we really want more of?

Have you struggled with idols, identity, or contentment in Christ?Everyone does! That's part of following Jesus and we hope this episode helps you with that.In today's conversation, Pastors Sean and Khalil both share a little bit about what God has been doing in their hearts and offer up some really practical advice for anyone wrestling with the same things right now.Resources Mentioned:Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoungFor more conversations like this one, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, give us a rating and follow us on social mediaFollow & SupportFollow us on InstagramSupport us on Patreon

Chef AJ interviews Dr. Wes Youngberg about his work with Alzheimer's Disease research as a plant-based clinical nutritionist. Hear about the causes, symptoms and treatments. Find out how you can prevent Alzheimer's and reverse cognitive decline. Here is how to get the book. It is not available on Amazon and he can sign it if you like: https://store.dryoungberg.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=Book%2D3 Here is how to book a private consultation: https://store.dryoungberg.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=1839 Dr. Wes Youngberg is a practicing clinical nutritionist and lifestyle medicine specialist in Temecula, CA. He was trained at Loma Linda University where he earned a doctorate in clinical preventive care and a master's degree in nutrition. He is on the clinical faculty of Loma Linda University and serves as assistant clinical professor for both the Department of Preventive Medicine at the School of Medicine and the Department of Health Promotion at the School of Public Health. Dr. Youngberg is a board Certified Nutrition Specialist, and is a founding director and fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Dr. Youngberg is the lead presenter in the Diabetes Undone Program – an interactive, video based series designed to support the doctor and the patient in achieving diabetes reversal. He has trained with Dr. Dale Bredesen (the director of the Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research at UCLA) and is certified in the Bredesen Protocol – a comprehensive, lifestyle medicine based, assessment and intervention model, documented to reverse up to 88% of MCI and early Alzheimer's. Currently, Dr. Youngberg is conducting 4-Day Bredesen Protocol Intensives at resorts in San Diego and Laguna Beach. Prior to opening his lifestyle and nutritional medicine clinic in Temecula, Dr. Youngberg spent 14 years on the island of Guam, researching the diabetes epidemic on the Micronesian islands of the Western Pacific region and directing the Wellness Center at the Guam Seventh-day Adventist Clinic. He traveled throughout the islands, providing public health education, screenings, and professional training for diabetes prevention and care. Dr. Youngberg was honored twice with the Heroes of the Pacific award by the Guam chapter of the American Diabetes Association. In 2007, he was awarded the Ancient Order of the Chamorri—the highest honor given by the governor of Guam for extraordinary contributions to the island community. Returning to California in 2008, he spent three years as medical nutritionist and Director of the Lifestyle Medicine Clinic and Wellness Center for Rancho Family Medical Group in Temecula. He has lectured to medical conferences throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas. His passion is the full integration of physical and emotional risk factors in the assessment and intervention of health concerns. Dr. Youngberg has done post doctoral studies with the Institute for Functional Medicine and the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine. He is the co-host of the Hope Channel's “Naturally Gourmet” with Karen Houghton, and has produced various DVD video series, including: “Transforming Sickness into Health” and “Controlling Cravings with Contentment”. He has published several books including, The Path to Health & Healing, Goodbye Diabetes – preventing and reversing diabetes the natural way, and most recently, Hello Healthy. Dr. Youngberg has over 30 years of clinical nutrition and lifestyle medicine experience using integrative therapies for diabetes control, depression recovery, cardiovascular disease reversal, optimizing digestive health and effective management of many chronic health conditions. Wes and his wife Betsy live in Temecula California (near San Diego) where they work at the Youngberg Lifestyle Medicine Clinic.

I've got two very special guests on the show. Jessica Forman and Sarah Ewart are both employment lawyers and workplace investigators who work at Forte Workplace Law, and they're here to talk to us about mentorship.   Discover how to maximize your mentoring relationship, whether you're a mentor or a mentee. Jessica and Sarah are sharing why both junior and senior lawyers should be engaged in mentorship, what they both found valuable out of their experience, and their tips for anyone looking to build a mentoring relationship.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://thejoyfulpractice.com/93

What is holding you back from experiencing joy?Joy should be one click away, as self-care and getaways are more accessible than ever before.Yet the search for happiness and joy continues to be a popular topic.My guest Yvette Babs Walker knows all about wanting to experience joy and wondering when she would find it.She will talk about a time when she believed in God but felt numb in her faith. She knows what it's like to be a seeker instead of a believer. Yvette will share her experience of that season as well as what awakened her faith and how we can learn:HOW to choose joy HOW to find itWHERE to apply it in our own homesIf your life is empty, Yvette wants to help you fill it with the joy of the Lord!

Welcome to the world of Warriors Unmasked, a podcast that brings to light the stories of warriors who have faced their demons and come out stronger. This podcast provides a platform for individuals to share their experiences, challenges, and triumphs in life. In this episode, Chuck sits down with Evan Johnson, a survivor of 20+ suicide attempts and now a mental health advocate. Evan's story is one of resilience, courage, and hope. Growing up in a tough home, Evan faced abuse from his father, both physically, emotionally, and mentally, and was neglected by both parents. These traumatic experiences led him to develop suicidal thoughts at a young age, but he never attempted until he lost his mother to suicide. The day felt like too much, and Evan found himself struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts. Despite all the challenges, Evan did not give up. He channeled his pain into purpose, and today, he is a mental health advocate, working towards helping others who are  struggling with similar experiences. Through his podcast appearance, Evan takes us on a journey from sadness, hurt, heartbreak, and sorrow to feeling love, hope, understanding, and great compassion. He shares his experiences and how he found hope in the darkest of times. Evan's story is a testament to the power of resilience and the human spirit. Despite facing unimaginable difficulties, he has emerged stronger, more determined, and more compassionate. He is a true warrior, and his story is bound to inspire and motivate listeners to never give up, no matter what life throws their way. In conclusion, Warriors Unmasked provides a platform for individuals to share their stories and experiences, and this episode is no exception. Evan Johnson's story is a reminder that no matter how tough life gets, there is always hope and that we can always find the strength to persevere. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy another amazing episode of Warriors Unmasked!   More Of What's Inside: Growing up in an abusive environment Helping people before they go into a crisis  The power of a ripple effect  How Evan is bringing a light to the world  How Evan is dreaming bigger and pursuing a higher education  You can stop the unhealthy patterns in your family line Overcoming the wounds of physical and mental abuse  The pain of losing your Mother  And much more! LINKS: malarchuk.com/book  malarchuk.com  www.thecompassionateconnection.com www.warriorsunmasked.com  Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Subscribe To Our YouTube My Community Contact   Episode Minute By Minute: 4:43 The first traumatic memory Evan can remember 5:05 Breaking generational patterns of abuse 6:47 How Evan protected himself growing up 10:00 When Evan's parents got divorced 14:26 Living with parents with substance abuse 22:24 What life is like for Evan in 2023 27:01 The desire to give back and help others 31:03 How all things work together for the good 35:11 What contentment looks like for Evan 38:11 Evan's advice for everyone listening today

Are you happy? Do you know your purpose? Have you achieved daily contentment? It's easy to be misled on what happiness is with the bombarding messages from social media and advertisements. At the end of the day, it's up to you to clarify your happiness. Today's show will give you the roadmap and the tools to figure it out. Anthony Poponi is a happiness expert, energetic professional speaker, funny workplace consultant and founder of Focus on the 40 programs and resources. He specializes in putting joy in our workplaces and in our communities through workshops and keynotes that leave his audiences buzzing. Being a hard act to follow on stage is always his goal. In this episode, you'll discover: The roadmap to more happiness, purpose, and fulfillment. The two elements of happiness and the ultimate definition. The misleading messages on happiness. How Fear and stress play a role. How to measure your happiness. An intentional daily practice to maintain happiness. Connect with Anthony: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypoponi/ www.anthonypoponi.com anthony@anthonypoponi.com https://www.facebook.com/AnthonyPoponi/ www.anthonypoponi.com/gethappynow (Freebie) Authentic Happiness Test: https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/testcenter   Connect with your host, Allison: www.bossladyinsweatpants.com www.instagram.com/allisonscholes https://bossladyinsweatpants.com/your-daily-journal/    

Would you like to live a life with no bad days? Is that even possible? Today's episode offers a refreshing perspective on how to live a happy, fulfilling, “no bad days” life. Our guest Jeffrey Holst, a real estate investor who has a passion for life shares how changing one's perspective can lead to a life without bad days. He now shares the secret to making every day great, leveraging the power of mindset, and designing an ideal lifestyle of adventure and fulfillment while uncovering investment opportunities in real estate.   Living and loving what he coined as his “last life ever”, Jeff inspires us to live the best version of ourselves every day from his own life experiences. Beset with challenges and a life-threatening condition, Jeff shares how he crafted the life that he wanted through a complete change in his mindset and by building his real estate business. If you're ready to learn valuable insights on living a full, happy life and looking to gain time and financial freedom toward your ideal lifestyle  through real estate investments, this episode is for you!    Key Points from This Episode: Why does Jeff hasn't had a bad day in 25 years? How can one live a life of “no bad days”? Jeff shares his backstory zeroing in on a life-changing and life-threatening experience and the search for life purpose. How did Jeff alter the direction of his life in pursuit of a more fulfilling one? What type of mindset shift did Jeff go through to craft a more fulfilling life? What prompted Jeff to get into the real estate business? What types of asset classes did Jeff invest in and how did he build his real estate portfolio? How does Jeff interpret the current real estate market cycle and what opportunities does he see as an investor today? How can investors grow their portfolios and design their life given the opportunities presented by the current market cycle?  What is Jeff's philosophy behind the “last life ever” tenet that compelled him to launch a similarly named podcast? How does Jeff live out the “last life ever” philosophy? Jeff's advice on how to design a life based on his philosophies, embracing openness and vulnerability and welcoming challenges. Jeff launches his book “No Bad Days: How to Make Every Day Great” Jeff answers the Rare Air Questionnaire.   Tweetables: “One of my life goals is to live to the energy death of the universe because I love being alive so much.”   “However I perceive the day for me is how my day is.”    “Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right.” - Henry Ford    “It is how we perceive the world that matters. If we think it's good, it is good. If we think it's bad, it's bad.”   “The moment that you accept full responsibility for everything in your life is the moment you can change anything in your life.” - Hal Elrod   “If you focus on the positive, you win.”   “You have to recognize that you don't actually have to change the world to change the world.”   “This amazing purpose that I get to live now is to share this story about how mindset is the only thing that matters.”   “Timing the market is actually really easy. If you bought in 2006 and you sold in 2010, you got crushed. If you bought in 2006, you sell now, you did fine. You bought at the top of the last market, sell some other times. So, my strategy is, buy whenever you buy, sell when it's high.”   “The great part about real estate is it's a levered way to get exposed to inflation.”   “Whatever tragedy happens to us, whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, we're called to respond to that in the best possible way and to live the best possible version of our lives.”    Links Mentioned: Jeffrey Holst website Jeffrey Holst on Instagram No Bad Days: How to Make Every Day Great by Jeffrey Holst Last Life Ever Podcast Old Fashioned Real Estate Advice Blog Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence by Rick Hanson PhD Crushing It in Apartments and Commercial Real Estate: How a Small Investor Can Make It Big by Brian H. Murray Invest with CF Capital About Jeffrey Holst Jeff is a recovering attorney who spends his time as a podcast host and real estate investor. Jeff graduated early and with honors from Michigan State College of Law where he was the graduating class speaker. He also holds an M.B.A.   At 30 years old, Jeff checked the last item off his personal bucket list by climbing Machu Picchu. He was on top of the world. As he stood looking down at the lost Incan city, he had been living the life of his dreams. He was well traveled, having previously visited the Pyramids in Egypt, climbed to the top of Mt Sinai, swam with sharks in Belize, and backpacked alone around Europe. He married the girl of his dreams. He had a beautiful house in the suburbs and a thriving law practice. Two weeks later, he was in the hospital dying. His business was in disarray, his wife was barely holding it together and he was on his way to bankruptcy.   Today, at 43 years old, just over a decade later, Jeff is back on top. He is a millionaire, with over 250 residential units and multiple commercial properties in his personal portfolio. He is still married and continues to travel extensively. In February of 2020 Jeff climbed Mt Kilimanjaro and stood at the highest point in Africa. He is the co-host and founder of the Last Life Ever Podcast. As the original “Last Lifer,” Jeff is passionate about helping people live the best possible version of their lives. He is also the co-host of the Old Fashioned Real Estate Show where the hosts drink bourbon old-fashioned and talk about real estate investing.

Welcome to one of the many conversations with Emma and Natasha. It may be a random assortment of stories and sermons, but this discussion on contentment is applicable to everyone. Whether you are striving for something or feel like you never want things to change, contentment is an important life attribute to learn.

Westerners find Contentment to be an impossible dream. Why? What does the Bible say about Contentment? What is the secret of being content? Join me as we study William Barcley's "The Secret of Contentment." This is part eight of a multipart series. In this episode we look at the importance of being focused on Heaven to our contentment.You can buy the book at this website: https://www.christianbook.com/the-secret-of-contentment/william-barcley/9781596381919/pd/381919?utm_source=bing&kw=1241348712202415&mt=b&dv=c&event=PPCSRC&p=1215904&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Dynamic%20Search%20Ads&utm_term=%2Fpd%2F&utm_content=DSA%20detail%20pages

Oh it's always such a treat to sit down with one of my favorite voices, worship leaders, and friends- Christy Nockels. Today we talk all about taking care of our voices, how to know when it's time to start mentoring versus building in relationships, and how sometimes God calls us to pioneer things like Jesus did. Go out and listen to Christy's new album This is the Hour this weekend! Y'all are going to love it! . . . .  Go to hereforyoutour.com to get your tickets to our upcoming tour this June! Want to gift a ticket to a friend? Go to anniefdowns.com/events for a printable Here For You gift ticket. . . . . Subscribe to Let's Read the Gospels with Annie F. Downs HERE. Go to https://anniefdowns.com/gospels to purchase your March Reading Plan or Let's Read the Gospels Guidebook. . . . . . Head to anniefdowns.com/books for more information and to sign up for the AFD Book of the Month. . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank you to our partners! Athletic Greens: Athletic Greens is going to give you a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is visit athleticgreens.com/soundsfun. She Is One Night: Online + In-Person Tickets are available at sheisonenight.com Rothy's: Get $20 off your first purchase at rothys.com/SOUNDSFUN. Cru: Text CHASE to 71326 to help now or visit give.cru.org/Chase. . . . . . NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of the That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No matter what we have, we want more. I think you would agree, contentment is hard to find. Have you ever said, “I'll be happy when… I'll be content when…” Contentment is elusive. The more we have the more we want. We have an idea that when we arrive at a certain place, we'll finally be content, only to arrive and to still want more. Main Points:1. Today, you and I think of contentment as comfort, happiness, and satisfaction, but all of these things are based on our circumstances. Sometimes the circumstances of life don't leave us comfortable, happy, or satisfied.2. I love this definition. Contentment is realizing God has given you in your present circumstances everything you need to endure, grow closer to Him, and remain victorious in your relationship with Christ.  It is the ability to live steadily above changing circumstances through the power of Christ within you.3. The key to contentment is realizing that God has already given you, in your present circumstances, everything you need to have joy and fulfillment.Today's Scripture Verses:Philippians 4:11-13 - “…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”Luke 12:15 - “A man's life does not consist of the abundance of things he has.”Matthew 6:33 – “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”Quick Links:Subscribe to The 5 Minute Discipleship NewsletterDonate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group5 Minute Discipleship on Instagram

Anxiety, Kidding w/Friends, Faith, NFL Opening, I Saw the Light, Beatitudes, McMuffin/Salt, Contentment, BONUS CONTENT: Snacks and Good Company; Quotes: “I have a confident expectation.” “Cast your anxiety on God. Anxiety is not your department.” “You can't resist a good hoedown.” “God's kingdom is such great news for people on the outs.” “Our culture is at odds with peace.”

Many of us believe that hard work and persistence are the key to achieving our goals. But is that true when it comes to the pursuit of happiness? This week, we kick off a month-long series we're calling Happiness 2.0. We talk with psychologist Iris Mauss, who explains why happiness can seem more elusive the harder we chase it, and what we can do instead to build a lasting sense of contentment. Did you catch our two-part series on the science of influence? You can find part 1 here.  And if you enjoy the show and would like to help us make more episodes of Hidden Brain, please consider supporting our work. Thanks!