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Audit your own homeschool: https://simplyconvivial.com/audit5 tips to plan your year round homeschool schedule:1. Make your plan - either choose how many weeks your school year will be (and the state doesn't decide that - you do!) and check them off as you go, taking breaks as needed OR start by marking your Christmas break, then schedule backward up into September working in your breaks and then start again in January and work forward, marking in determined breaks until you want the school year to be complete.How to homeschool year round: https://simplyconvivial.com/2020/year-round-homeschooling/My favorite curriculum resources: https://simplyconvivial.com/2020/kindergarten-homeschool-curriculum/Art of Homeschool eCourse: https://simplyconvivial.com/art-of-homeschooling/My best homeschool checklist tips: https://simplyconvivial.com/2018/homeschool-checklist-routine/2. Plan a fun rest day with your kids during break week, even if it's just a park day with a coffee and a book. 3. Keep a running list during your school weeks of things you wish you had time to do, but don't. It will collect up, but you're intentionally postponing, not procrastinating, because you're prioritizing education. Evaluate, pick what's important from that list, and get some of those things done during break week - choose 1-2 days to dedicate to that4. Take 1-2 hours during break week to clean out the kids' school bins, straighten the books, find the pencils, and evaluate if you need to make adjustments to the checklist formats or workload.5. Put homeschool on your list of top 3 weekly things and your top three daily things. Write a daily and weekly top 3 so you focus and prioritize and COUNT IT when you homeschool. It's a vocation, a duty, a job - put in the hours without resentment. Check it off and be satisfied that you educated the children, even if there were math tears, even if your time got thrown off by parenting, even if dinner was just a quick and simple affair. Homeschooling takes time and effort!Mystie Winckler encourages moms to organize their attitudes and get traction at home so we are no longer overwhelmed or frustrated with homemaking. We are a community of Christian women striving to be competent, cheerful homemakers so we are fruitful, faithful, and hospitable. Subscribe for regular encouragement!What's a daily top 3 you ask? Check out this series all about how to keep track of your life with an index card and find out - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPkowQCQW4x_LiFxytLeE5Dsbpfv4-xFm

The complete version of this episode is available to Patrons who support us at the $4/month level at patreon.com/marvelbythemonth — join today to hear us cover all of these issues:"Foggy Nelson, Agent of SHIELD" - Daredevil #121, written by Tony Isabella, art by Bob Brown and Vince Colletta, letters by Karen Mantlo, colors by Don Warfield, ©1975 Marvel Comics"The Snakes Shall Inherit the Earth!" - Defenders #23, written by Steve Gerber, art by Sal Buscema and Vince Colletta, letters by June Braverman, colors by Don Warfield, ©1975 Marvel Comics"Who Lurks Beyond the Labyrinth!" - Thor #235, written by Gerry Conway, art by John Buscema and Joe Sinnott, letters by John Costanza, colors by Petra Goldberg, ©1975 Marvel Comics"Invasion From the 5th (Count It, 5th!) Dimension" - Fantastic Four #158, written by Roy Thomas, art by Rich Buckler and Joe Sinnott, letters by Joe Rosen, colors by Janice Cohen, ©1975 Marvel Comics"There's a Gremlin In the Works!" - Incredible Hulk #187, written by Len Wein, art by Herb Trimpe and Joe Staton, letters by Artie Simek, colors by Glynis Wein, ©1975 Marvel Comics"Death Is a Ninja" - Marvel Premiere #22, written by Tony Isabella, art by Arvell Jones and Aubrey Bradford, letters by Karen Mantlo, colors by George Roussos, ©1975 Marvel Comics"Scream the Scarlet Skull!" - Captain America #185, written by Steve Englehart, art by Frank Robbins, Sal Buscema, and Frank Giacoia, letters by Tom Orzechowski, colors by Stan Goldberg, ©1975 Marvel Comics"No Way Out!" - Captain Marvel #38, written by Steve Englehart, art by Al Milgrom and Klaus Janson, letters by Charlotte Jetter, colors by Klaus Janson, ©1975 Marvel Comics"The MODOK Machine!" - Iron Man #74, written by Mike Friedrich, art by Arvell Jones, Keith Pollard, and Dick Ayers, letters by Tom Orzechowski, colors by Phil Rachelson, ©1975 Marvel Comics"Thorns In the Flesh, Thorns In the Mind" - Jungle Action #15, written by Don McGregor, art by Billy Graham and Dan Green, letters by Karen Mantlo, colors by Glynis Oliver Wein, ©1975 Marvel Comics"The Man Who Hunted Dinosaur!" - Ka-Zar #9, written by Gerry Conway, art by John Buscema and Sonny Trinidad, letters by Marcos Pelayo, colors by Petra Goldberg, ©1975 Marvel Comics"Anybody Here Know a Guy Named Meteor Man?" - Marvel Team-Up #33, written by Gerry Conway, art by Sal Buscema and Vince Colletta, letters by John Costanza, colors by Janice Cohen, ©1975 Marvel Comics"When a God Goes Mad!" - Marvel Two-In-One #9, written by Chris Claremont and Steve Gerber, art by Herb Trimpe and Joe Giella, letters by Charlotte Jetter, colors by Janice Cohen, ©1975 Marvel Comics"Wolfquest" - Creatures on the Loose #35, written by David Kraft, art by George Perez and Frank McLaughlin, letters by Dave Hunt, colors by Petra Goldberg, ©1975 Marvel Comics"A Book Burns In Citrusville!" - Man-Thing #17, written by Steve Gerber, art by Jim Mooney, letters by Joe Rosen, colors by Petra Goldberg, ©1975 Marvel Comics"Code-Name: Berserker!" - Frankenstein #16, written by Doug Moench, art by Val Mayerik and Bob McLeod, letters by John Costanza, colors by Janice Cohen, ©1975 Marvel Comics"And Some Call Him... Madness!" - Tomb of Dracula #32, written by Marv Wolfman, art by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer, letters by John Costanza, colors by Tom Palmer, ©1975 Marvel Comics"A Sister of Hell" - Werewolf by Night #29, written by Doug Moench, art by Don Perlin, letters by John Costanza, colors by George Roussos, ©1975 Marvel Comics"Marvel by the Month" theme v. 3.0 written and performed by Robb Milne and sung by Barb Allen. All incidental music by Robb Milne.Visit us on the internet (and buy some stuff) at marvelbythemonth.com, follow us on Instagram at @marvelbythemonth and support us on Patreon at patreon.com/marvelbythemonth.Many thanks to Mike's Amazing World of Comics, an invaluable resource for release dates and issue information. (RIP Mike.)

In this edition of Hoopsology, Matt and Justin welcome the host of the Count It on the PointsBet USA YouTube Channel Kazeem Famuyide. We get Kazeem's insight and analysis of the hot streak of the New York Knicks, contenders in the Eastern and Western Conference, the shocking dominance of the Sacramento Kings, the rise of betting on the NBA, and we sneak in some chat about WrestleMania. Please email your questions to hoopsologypod@gmail.com and follow us on all social media platforms for our latest shows. Also, Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Twitter:@hoopsologypod Instagram:@hoopsologypod Justin's Twitter: @Justintime16 Matt Thomas Twitter: @thetrainerstake We are a proud member of Underdog Podcasts.

It's Not Just Mail-In Ballots Slowing the Count -- It's Conspiracy Theories Today's LinksArticles & Resources: Associated Press - Nevada officials begin unprecedented hand count of ballotsAZ Central - In court, opponents of Cochise County hand count raise legal concerns as backers seek to allay fearsAssociated Press - Judge blocks hand-count of ballots in Cochise CountyNH Bulletin - Overvoted ballots could slow down state's election workers and delay results You're listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.In our last report, we suggested that “election night won't be results night” in many places around the country due to the slower counting of mail-in ballots.   But in some jurisdictions, it's not the mail slowing things down, it's conspiracy theories.Nye County, Nevada supervisors voted in August to conduct its General Election by hand, in a county with 33,000 registered voters.  The Associated Press reports that in the pre-election counting of early mail-in ballots, after a full day with 60 volunteers, Nye County had only counted 900 of its received 1,950 mail-in ballots.  In study after study, optical ballot readers are found to be faster and with an accuracy so close to perfect that unless the margin is razor thin, there is no point to recounting by hand.  In this case, no ballot readers were to be used at all.  The AP observed two groups of five officials who spent about three hours each counting 50 ballots.In New Hampshire, a fringe conspiracy theory group claiming that optical ballot tabulators are subject to fraud and hacking, said it planned to intentionally “overvote” ballots.  Overvotes – voting for more candidates than allowed – forces a hand count.  Last spring, the same group failed in its attempt to convince any NH towns to mandate only hand counting.   It's unclear how much extra counting time was added by the Overvote action.  Be careful what you wish for.  We have links to articles at  AmericanDemocracyMinute.org For the American Democracy Minute, I'm Brian Beihl.

Hear now the word of the Lord. This is 2022-05-15-Hebrews-12-1-17.mp3 Hear now the word of the Lord. This is Hebrews 12:1-17, and I will be reading out of the ESV. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. Hebrews 12:1-17, ESV Friends, this is the Word of the Lord. When the American Civil War broke out in 1861, there were many in the north who didn't imagine that the war would end up being as long as it actually turned out to be, nor as bloody as it actually turned out to be either. Those initial assumptions were particularly evident in the lead up to the first major battle of the Civil War, the first battle of Bull Run, or what some have since nicknamed the Picnic Battle. You see, when Lincoln ordered some 35,000 troops south from Washington, D.C., to Manassas, Virginia, in the summer of 1861, in order to take on a Confederate force of roughly 20,000, there were many in the North who thought that that battle would issue in such a swift and decisive and relatively bloodless union victory. So much so, in fact, that a throng of spectators from Washington, D.C. followed the advancing Union Army southward in order to watch the battle unfold while they enjoyed a picnic. That's exactly what happened. A number of civilians comprised of several dozen congressmen, journalists, food vendors, women and even children set up near the battlefield with opera glasses to watch the battle unfold and enjoy a picnic as they did so. They were so confident in a swift and bloodless union victory. So, too, in fact, was the union's military brass. The new recruits that were marched south to take on this Confederate force were only signed up for a 90 day term because few imagine the war would last any longer than that. Yet, as that July day unfolded, it became increasingly clear that everyone carried naive expectations about the length and the brutality of the conflict that would have to be fought and endured in the months and the years that followed. By the end of the day, not only was the Union Army in retreat, but so too were the throng of spectators, too. According to the report of one union captain, the retreat of these picnickers was so frantic that carriages collided, tearing away the wheels, and then horses were cut loose and had to be ridden without saddles. Now, while many northerners in the lead up to this first battle of Bull Run had obviously underestimated the protracted race that lay before them. When we turn to our text in Hebrews our author urges us that in our protracted battle in the sometimes grueling race that is the Christian life. Well, he takes it tells us to take it seriously. He tells us don't underestimate the challenges that we face along the way. You see, throughout Hebrews, our author has pressed his readers because he knows the temptations that they faced to water down their confession and retreat into the world. The specific temptation that they faced to revert to the system, the old covenant system of Judaism that had been fulfilled in Christ. He urges them in view of those persuasions, to endure and to persevere through whatever sufferings or hardships that they face as a result of their confession. In the passage before us, our author continues with another exhortation in this vein. He encourages them, exhorts them to endure in the race that's before him. Yet, though the race is grueling, our author also reminds us that there's great encouragement in this race that we run as well. For one thing, he tells us and we'll study this in just a second, he tells us that we have a great cloud of witnesses to look to as we run. But these witnesses aren't anything like the spectators at Bull Run watching as a curious, so disengaged audience. The witnesses that we look to as we run the Christian life are those who have already run that race and who have endured a multitude of sufferings themselves along the way. More importantly, we're also reminded in our text that we have, as we run this long and grueling race, a God who loves us, a God who is committed to us, and in the fatigue that this race often brings is nevertheless forming us to be better runners. So a big idea this morning is this take seriously the race that's before us. As we study this text, we're going to see this developed in three parts. 1. The Race of Endurance 2. The Fight of Endurance 3. The Warning to Endure The Race of Endurance Now throughout this passage, as I've already suggested, and we see it in this text, this metaphor of a race is employed to frame the entirety of the Christian life. Our author tells us that when we become Christians, it's as if we're registered into a great race, a marathon of sorts. Then the first three verses of our passage, our author plays off this metaphor of a race to explain what it looks like to run the Christian life from our conversions until our death well. What do we need to keep in mind as we live our lives of faith so that we endure whatever sufferings or hardships or temptations that the Lord might call us to walk in? Well, the first thing our author tells us is that as we run this long and grueling race, we don't do so alone. Now, throughout much of 2020 into 2021, we got used to seeing, if you're a sports fan, arenas and stadiums with no spectators in attendance. But according to the author here, in the race that we run, there are a great many spectators in attendance. A great cloud of witnesses, he tells us. Who are these witnesses? Well, our author just got done in Hebrews chapter 11 describing the enduring faith of so many Old Testament believers who have gone before us. In describing these Old Testament believers as a cloud of witnesses, it's as if we're invited to imagine them as spectators in attendance at a stadium in which we run the Christian life. But this imagery at the same point needs to be qualified a little bit, because it's not as if these Old Testament saints in attendance for our race are necessarily watching us and cheering us along. Rather, as New Testament commentator F.F. Bruce writes, "It's not so much they who look to us as we, who look to them for encouragement." Back in middle school, I can recall that when I first started to go to the gym and run on a treadmill and lift weights, because like most young teenagers, there was a certain constituency that I was hoping to impress. I had no idea what I was really doing. I knew, like most young guys, that I wanted to look good and be strong, but I had no idea how to do that or what techniques to employ in lifting weights and running on treadmills. So what I would do would, was I'd watch those who looked like they knew what they were doing. Those who were confident in what they were doing. Those who looked like they had the results that I was hoping to achieve. I would adopt their routines and their techniques and even their mannerisms as I walked through the gym. Well, so too, in the race that we run, we have a lot of examples to look to. We look back to those who have gone before us, those in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11, and we learn from them how to run the grueling race of the Christian life well. We also look to those in our church family who have been Christians longer than we have, those who have suffered a real loss, who have walked through real sufferings and hardship, and yet have endured by faith in Christ. We look to them for an encouragement to know, first and foremost, that endurance is possible when it feels like every persuasion in the world is pulling us away from our confession. We also look to those mature examples of faith when we have no idea what it looks like to live a life of steadfast endurance when things get really tough. We look to them to give us the tools and perspectives we need to run the race well before us, because, let's face it, they've run that race well and have been at it a far longer than we have. As we continue in our passage, we also learn that as important as it is that we look outward both to the examples of faith in Hebrews 11 and to those in our own church body as well. It's not enough to just look outward to run the race well. We also have to examine our own hearts and be honest about those habits or beliefs or the sin that would hinder us from running well. So in the second half of verse one, our author instructs us, "to lay aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely." Now, this command likewise calls upon the imagery of a race or a marathon. In the ancient world, those who competed in races or marathons would first train for a long time to keep their bodies lean. Then just before the race, they would strip off any excess garments to keep themselves as light as possible. In fact, they would run without any clothes at all. As it applies to us in our race, in this long, protracted and grueling race, that is the Christian life, we have to be mindful of both the sin that prevents us from running well, and of those things that might not necessarily be sinful but aren't altogether helpful either. With that latter category in view, understand, there are a number of things that we entertain in our lives that aren't necessarily sin or inherently sinful, but they just aren't building spiritual muscle or helping us mature as we well as we could. These are, according to our author, the weights that are holding us back from thriving as well as we could. So what are some of those things? Well, ask yourself the question where am I investing a great deal of time and how are those investments building spiritual muscle? Are they? How you answer that question, I think will go a long way in identifying those things that might not necessarily be sin but aren't entirely helpful in running that race either. As important as it is that we look both outward to the cloud of witnesses, inward exploring our own hearts for our sin, and then the weights that hold us back. What ultimately drives us forward as a people of enduring and long suffering faith and what ultimately enters us into the race in the first place is Jesus Christ. So in verses two through three, our author brings this first part of our passage to a fitting climax by drawing our attention to Jesus. Who he calls, "The founder and perfector of our faith." Now this phrase, these two words in particular, are words that are absolutely loaded with significance. But what exactly does this tell us about Jesus? Well, to be called the founder and some of your Bible translations might translate that word as pioneer. That's probably a better way to translate that refers to Jesus as the one who has gone before us. The one who has blazed the trail, the one who's paved the way forward by suffering, reproach and injustice. In fact, the worst injustice known to man and yet endured. So that when we follow Jesus, we could look to him and know that endurance in this life is possible. Then to be called the perfector means that Jesus just didn't pave the way for us, but that he also conquered in that way. That he did everything necessary to procure for us the salvation that we need, apart from which no one will see the Lord. Friends, Jesus is the example par excellence, the one that we look to as we endure whatever God calls us to in this world. But more than just an example to look to, Jesus is also the source of our faith. He's the one who gives us the gift of faith and then who holds us steady along the path of faith until glory. So, friends, as you press forward along the path of faith, are you seeing this Jesus? Notice that in describing Jesus here as the founder and perfector of our faith, our author stresses that even as Jesus endured all the shame and mockery and suffering that he endured in a state of humiliation, he pressed forward. More than just pressing forward and enduring, look at how we did that. He pressed forward with joy. How is that possible? Well, Jesus, as we've heard elsewhere in Hebrews, was so fixed on glory and so fixed on bringing many sons to glory with him, that even through incredible suffering and injustice, he was so confident that those light, momentary afflictions were preparing for him an eternal weight of glory, beyond all comparison, that a deeper joy coursing through his veins, throughout his ministry. Now what we suffer as the people of God could never compare with the sufferings of Christ. Yet our sufferings are also not an illusion either. Because some of you I know have suffered great loss in your lives. Some of you have been sinned against in some pretty significant ways, and many of you have had dreams and ambitions crushed. Yet, like Jesus, even in those unimaginably hard things, we are still likewise encouraged to pursue joy. Jesus's own brother, James tells us exactly that in James 1:2-3, when he instructs us, "Count IT all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." So how can we possibly count it all, joy, when we face the kind of sufferings that we face in this world? Well, the only way that's possible is by staying fixed on Jesus. Like Jesus being firmly convinced that what we have in the riches of heaven makes it possible to endure the slums of this earth. Now, I asked the question a moment ago, are you seeing Jesus? And what are the litmus tests for that? One of the ways to evaluate whether or not that's the case in your own life is to ask yourself whether your life is likewise marked by joy. Now, of course, joy can and very often does coexist with grief. Joy might be harder to come by in certain seasons than others, but joy is also a fruit of the spirit. If you've never had joy and knowing Christ and being part of his people, well then that might mean that you're not seeing Jesus as you should. It may even mean that you've never actually entered the race of the Christian life at all. At the end of the day, our author would have us look to Jesus Christ. Looking to Him by faith is the heart of the race that we run. As we turn to the next part of our passage, our author homes in on those hardships that we encounter in this lifelong marathon. And he gives us a much needed perspective on them, lest we misinterpret what they tell us about God or what they tell us about us. And so this leads to the second point, the fight of endurance. The Fight of Endurance So if the first verse is the first three verses of our passage made use of the metaphor of a race to describe the Christian life, our author is actually quite fond of these athletic metaphors because in verses four through 13, he reaches into the world of boxing and he describes the Christian life as a fatiguing struggle against sin that we need to resist, but in doing so can zap us of energy. Yet, just when our knees begin to buckle and our arms become so exhausted that we can barely lift them to our face and continue in the fight. Our author offers us a much needed perspective and much needed encouragement to keep us going, to keep us pressing forward in both the marathon and in the fight. So what is the encouragement we carry with us? Well, notice that verses five through six that our author asks his wearied audience, he asks you and I a question. He asks whether or not you've forgotten who you really are. You see, he recognizes how prone we are to misinterpret our sufferings and our hardships, whatever they are. Sometimes we act like functional deists and we discount God's providential hand as the one who rules and governs all things. We imagine those sufferings or hardships or whatever you want to call them must mean that God is so far removed from this world and basically uninvolved in the day to day struggles of God's people. Then other times we treat those sufferings or hardships or whatever you want to call them as indications that God must be a cruel God. In our hearts, we heed the advice of Job's wife who said, "curse God and die." In verses four through 11, our author cuts through many of those unchallenged assumptions that we often have in our suffering. He gives us some much needed perspective. Perspective, first, on what those hardships indicate about who we are. Then, second, on how those hardships are intended to function in our lives. So first, when we experience those hardships, what does that indicate about who we are? Well, in verses 5 to 6, our author cites from an earlier text in the Bible. He cites from the Old Testament, something that he's fond of doing as we've seen throughout Hebrews. Here he cites from Proverbs 3:11-12. We learned in that text that all the various hardships that we as Christians face are actually a form of God's discipline towards us. That indicates neither that God is absent nor that God is cruel, but rather that God actually loves us as his sons. In verses seven through 11, he fleshes out some of the implications of the passage he cites, and that's exactly what he tells us. He draws out this extended analogy between earthly fathers and our Heavenly Father. Now we know often in retrospect, because it doesn't feel good when we're being disciplined. That when our earthly fathers discipline us, that that means that they're engaged in our lives. That means that they're committed to us. That means they love us. That means that we have belonging to them and they're committed to our good. Now, as a brief aside, this analogy also assumes a biblical view of fatherhood that I recognize some of you might not have. Some of you might have had absent fathers or abusive fathers, but if that's your story, know that what our author has to say about our Heavenly Father nevertheless applies to you in Christ, regardless of your relationship with your earthly father. In fact, when God disciplines us as He does, he does so with a perfect perspective that even the most well intentioned fathers lack. He disciplines us out of the perfections of his character, and he disciplines us because he loves us with a steadfast, covenantal, eternally secure kind of love. Understand then that whatever hardships or sufferings that we're forced to walk through in Christ, we walk through them under the loving countenance of a father who is committed to us as his children. This leaves us with another question, and that is what are these hardships then intended to do in our lives as Christians? Yes, they remind us of who we are and who we belong to, at least if you're a Christian. But what are they actually intended to do for us as Christians in the long life that we run? Well, in verses ten through 11, our author tells us that in whatever ways God disciplines us, it's for our sanctification, it's for our spiritual growth that he does so. He disciplines us so that we would be better equipped to run the race before us. He trains us so that we would flourish in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control, the fruit of the spirit. In disciplining us accordingly, God is forming us in a Christ likeness that's beautiful. The challenge for us is that we would be attentive and receptive to God's discipline as the sanctifying encouragement that it's truly designed to be, and we e would respond to the discipline of God, rightly. How do we do that? Well, when I was in college, one of the classes that I had to take as part of my degree program, I spent a lot of time studying aviation accidents in order to probe all of the various factors that lead to airplane mishaps. I recall that in one class in particular, we studied the human factor issue of why pilots in the cockpit sometimes ignore warnings, warning signs, blaring alarms. Why do they ignore those sometimes? Well, there was one issue in particular, one incident that I can recall. It actually happens occasionally in general aviation. Don't worry about it if you're flying on an airline, but in general aviation, this sometimes happens. Where an airplane is on final approach to landing, but the pilots forget to put down the landing gear. They went through this one incident in particular, these pilots went through all the proper procedures for flaps and the tower cleared them for landing. But at no point did they remember to check that the landing gear was down. What made that incident even worse is that throughout this entire final approach sequence that the pilots went through, there was this loud alarm in the cockpit, shrieking at the pilots, letting them know that the gear wasn't down. For whatever reason, either because they were so focused on other things or they had made it a habit of ignoring false alarms in the past, or perhaps for a combination of reasons, they were oblivious to the warning. Then, after landing gear up, skidding across the runway and destroying their engines, they look dumbfounded at what just happened. Well, friends understand that hardships or sufferings or whatever we want to call them function in the life of faith to get our attention. C.S. Lewis recognized this, too. Lewis once wrote, "God whispers to us in our pleasures. He speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to arouse a deaf world." Now, of course, when we experience those things, we can't often pinpoint the reason for them. You know, sometimes those hardships are sufferings arise because of our sin. Our confession mentions how we may, because of our sin, fall under God's fatherly displeasure from time to time and not have the light of his countenance restored until we repent. Yet there are other times, plenty of other times, when there might be no apparent or obvious reason for our sufferings and hardships other than that God has, for whatever reason, seen fit to lead us for a time through valleys of darkness. Whatever the hardships and however they might arise, our author instructs us not to ignore them, nor to grumble in them, but to see them as these blaring, glaring signposts along the race that we run that help us to run well. As counterintuitive as it is, they point us to God's fatherly care and they remind us not to neglect the much needed heart work of repentance when it's actually our sin that screams at us along the way. It's with that encouragement in view that our author lands ultimately where he lands and verses 12 through 13 of our passage. He returns in these verses, if you're looking at your text to this boxing imagery again, and he tells us to stay in the fight. Almost as if to say, let the encouragement that these hardships are the means of forming you into a holy people of God, by the Holy God who loves you. Let those hardships be as a surge of adrenaline to keep you in the fight, to keep you in the race, and to keep you pressing onward. This is also imagery, as commentators note, that alludes back in the Bible to Isaiah 35. In that text, Isaiah 35, the prophet Isaiah looks to the future, the future from his standpoint, that is. He envisions those who have been displaced by exile, who have gone into exile into Babylon because of their sin, now being drawn out of exile, and finally, at last, making their way home. To those exiles who are on their journey, on their sojourn back home at last, to those exiles, the prophet Isaiah urges them to strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees. To you and I, friends, who likewise have the promise of a home before us, the promise of a heavenly homeland stretched out in front of us, our author tells us to keep going. As he often does throughout Hebrews, before we hear more about that heavenly home, which he's going to tell us a little bit more about the end of chapter 12. We'll study that next week. He gives us a warning to help us run well and stay in the fight. The Warning to Endure So this leads to our third and final point, the warning that we have to endure. The sobering reality that we've encountered throughout Hebrews and the so called warning passages, and this would be another one of those so called warning passages is that in this long and grueling race that we run, the unfortunate reality is that some who run with us, who may have at one point appear to be running well, eventually give up before they reach the finish line. Now, that doesn't mean and we've said this in previous weeks as well, that those people somehow lost their salvation. We know from the Bible that those who are truly in Christ can never finally fall away. The Bible makes that abundantly clear elsewhere, too. It rather means, though, that the word never took root in them in the first place. Now with that said, the warning in these final verses of our passage is intended like the rest of the warning passages in Hebrews at its core, for us to take seriously the race of faith that's before us. As we study these particular verses, we're going to notice that this warning isn't primarily about checking ourselves and ensuring that we're regularly repenting of our sin and keeping our eyes fixed in on Jesus. Of course, our author had much to say about that in the earlier passage we studied, and he does tell us here that holiness is really important. But what we actually see in these verses is that the lion's share of attention falls on ensuring that our brothers and sisters, that those in our church family are running well too. Look at some of what the author tells us to do in the passage before us. First, he tells us to pursue peace with everyone. Now, on the one hand, we should be a people marked by peace wherever we are. After all, the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12:18, if possible, "So far as it depends on you live peaceably with all." Now, that doesn't mean that we're not a people of conviction, we are. Nor that we should compromise holiness in our pursuit of peace, we shouldn't. But it does mean that we don't participate in the culture of rage that so often persists in our world. That we don't feed the culture of anxiety that drives so many of our neighbors this way in that. On the other hand, the primary focus of our author's exhortation here isn't primarily on how we pursue peace with our unbelieving neighbors, but rather on how we pursue peace with everyone in the church, in our covenant community. What follows, our author tells us what a pursuit of both peace and holiness looks like in the church. Positively, he tells us in verse 15, to see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God. Understand that there's a certain vigilance, a certain proactive posture that we're encouraged to pursue towards each other in our church family. After all, if you understand for yourself that this race of faith that we're on is grueling. If you know for yourself the struggle that it is of working through hardships and thinking rightly about suffering when we're absorbed in it, then we should also appreciate that our brothers and sisters in the church are dealing with the same things. This verb that's translated in the ESV where it says "See to it" in verse 15, is actually the verbal form of a of a word that we translate overseer or elder elsewhere in the New Testament. Well, it's the job of an elder or overseer to proactively oversee the marathon of everyone in the church. Our author places this responsibility, crucially, on all of us. There's a non-technical, looser sense in which we are all called to oversee and be overseers of each other. Then he tells us negatively, and the second half of verse 15, to see to it that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble. Now, we may think on the surface that this is an appeal for us as individuals to check our hearts and make sure we don't let bitterness fester. Well, that's always true, that's always important for us to do. That's not what our author means in this passage. Rather, he's actually alluding in that phrase root of bitterness to Deuteronomy 29. In that text, the so called root of bitterness isn't about having a certain attitude. Rather, it's about a certain kind of person. John Owen explains it like this. He says, "The bitter root refers to people in the church whose hearts are turning away from the gospel as they turn either to Judaism, (which was an issue the original readers of Hebrews had), or to a sensual life." Which is perhaps more so the issue that we face in our modern context. You see, if the first part of the verse 15 called us to be proactive among our church family. Well, then the second part of the passage reminds us that there are times we have to be reactive in the body, too. There are times in the life of the church when we might have to deal with sin that's reared its ugly head among those we love. Or damaging teaching that undercuts the gospel and rots away at the gospel moorings of the body. This was an issue in the churches, some of the churches in Revelation two through three that they had to deal with. Some in those churches were complacent not to just let different theological opinions on minor issues have a hearing, but to let a different gospel altogether be taught, preached and practice. These are the things that, according to our author, can actually defile a church and its members from running well. Things that we have to be on the lookout as one body as we encourage and spur one another up in the marathon before us. To show us what this route of bitterness looks like in the church, our author concludes this passage with this curious example of Esau from Genesis 25. Now, if you're unfamiliar with the story as the story goes, Esau, he was the brother of Jacob who would later become Israel. Esau came home one day and this event is recorded in Genesis 25. He was hunting in the field. He came home one day and he discovered that his brother made red stew. Esau was hungry. He saw the stew. He wanted a bowl of it and so badly, in fact, that he won a bowl of it, that he was willing to sell his birthright. That is what belonged to him, rightly, as the firstborn son for it, for a bowl of stew. Esau, and this is ultimately our author's point here, is a case study of someone who lived for his momentary desires and was willing to surrender the whole race in pursuit of those fleeting momentary desires. Now, when our author closes, he also makes this curious statement about how Esau sought repentance but was unable to find it. That might make us think at first that those who sinned like Esau, but who later regret their sin and seek repentance, won't be able to do so. It might seem to us on the surface here that that that our authors teaching us that there reaches a certain point where God doesn't want our genuine repentance any longer. But that's not what this means. Rather, Calvin explains it like this. He writes, "Whenever a sinner sighs on account of his sins, the Lord is ready to pardon his sins. Nor is God's mercy ever sought in vain for to him who knocks it shall be opened. But as the tears of Esau were those of a man passed hope, they were not shed on account of having offended God." In other words, Esau was somebody who didn't really grieve his sin as an offense before a holy God. Rather, he was a man who only grieved the consequences. Application So on the one hand, as we think about applying this, ask yourself whether you have a heart like Esau's. You see, maybe you've been in the church for some time, and yet your heart is more attuned with that of Esau than with the many examples of long suffering faith that we've already encountered in the Hall of Faith. Do you really grieve your sin? Do you really find your sin ugly and deplorable? Or do you only grieve the consequences of your sin? Do you make snap decisions in life based upon what's going to be momentarily advantageous, or do you consider the biblical and eternal ramifications for your actions? Are you in the race and are you committed to the race come what may? On the other hand, if you don't have a heart like soul and that's good, that still doesn't mean you're off the hook. Because as our author has made clear, each of us have a responsibility towards each other in the body. We have a responsibility to call any potential souls among us back to faith. Now, that doesn't mean that we police every action or every word our brothers and sisters say, but it does mean that we are deeply invested in the lives of each other in a meaningful way. That in turn, we're vulnerable with those who are invested in us. So ask yourself this very simple question. Who can you encourage among the church, in the church this week? Who can you check in with after the service is over and really take care to ask how someone is doing and how you can serve them? Understand that the stakes are high, the responsibilities are weighty, but there's also great blessing and encouraging each other in this kind of way. As James, the Lord's half-brother, put it in James 5:19-20, "My brothers, if anyone among you wonders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." So as we prepare to close, let me leave us with this. The run, the race we run may be grueling. There may be countless persuasions and beliefs that seek to cut our legs out from under us. But in the end, the race is worth it, because when we run well, we'll also finish well. In that we will receive something better than a gilded medal, something better than a perishable reef. We will receive a place to call home an unceasing, unhindered fellowship among a redeemed multitude and with a God who loves us. So brothers and sisters don't lose sight of what's at stake. Run this race with the seriousness that it deserves and keep your eyes focused on the finish line and on the one who stands at the finish line, our Lord Jesus Christ. Pray with me. Gracious Heavenly Father, Lord, I pray that whatever hardships or sufferings that we as your body are encountering in the race, that is the Christian life, that you would help us view those things with a proper perspective. That you would help us see those things not as an indication that you hate us, an indication of your cruelty or an indication that you're absent, but that we would see that as disciplined by a loving father who would seek to have us run this race well. Father, I pray that you would help us run this race by the grace of your Holy Spirit, and that, as we do so, that we would seek to help other people in this body run their race as well too. Lord, would you keep us focused on the prize? Keep us focused on Jesus Christ, the founder and perfector, the pioneer and perfector of the faith. Would we look to Him all the days of our lives, and would we, in our encouragement of each other, point other people to your son and our Lord Jesus Christ as well? We asked this in Christ's name. Amen.

Making Conversations About ego Count "It's more our understanding of what's going on, than trying to fight it, or bypass it." - Rob Begg,  Making Conversations Count, August 2021. Admit it, you've said, "I'm not good enough", more than once right? Self-belief is one of our biggest challenges in business, and you can read more about it in Wendy's best selling book, which you can order here. It can take many guises -imposter syndrome... self limiting beliefs. Whatever it sounds like in your own brain, this episode will definitely help you. Rob Begg is a truly inspirational fella. He talks about non-duality. You'll need to listen to the episode to hear about how it needs to be understood so you can know how to get what you want. If ever there was someone who spoke reason that you should listen to, it is indeed Rob Begg. In this episode Wendy asks Rob lots of questions around how our ego and beliefs get in the way of our desires. There are common mischievous beliefs that you'll recognise: "I'm not good enough. I don't deserve it or I need to wait until the timing is right." You need to stop that right now. Have you said this to yourself or someone else recently? Listen to the end and you'll know how to get started on the correct path. Have you downloaded the FREE Making Conversations Count downloadable read-through yet?  Download it, print it out, and have it by your desk so you can refer to it at any time. If you want to get better on the phone with your prospects, you NEED this guide in your life! If you need a little more hand-holding, you'll be pleased to know that Wendy offers real-time dynamic one-to-one advice. At the very least, you should probably take the 'Telephone Influencer Test'! It's really useful for getting an idea for how you're doing when it comes to converting, effective telephone communication. Wendy often mentions the letter to listeners and the resources on offer. You can find all of this good stuff, here.   Missed our previous episodes? You can catch up with any of the other guests we've been making conversations count with, here. If you're on your mobile device, you can hear them in your favourite platform (Apple or Spotify etc) here.   NEVER MISS AN EPISODE AGAIN!! Follow the show on Apple Podcasts here! Follow the show on Spotify, here! You are following the show on socials, right? Only there will you see sneaky peaky teasers of the upcoming episodes, as well as updates and news on the show!  Just in case: Twitter Facebook Pinterest YouTube    

Vover Hoops Insider, Justine Brown, discusses Tom Thibodeau winning NBA Coach of the Year over Monty Williams, the latest in the playoffs and much more in the latest edition of “Count It!”Host: Justine BrownVoice your thoughts on this episode by downloading the Vover app here!

Vover Hoops Insider, Justine Brown, is back for another edition of "Count It!" where she makes her play-in game predictions, reacts to the recent Hall of Fame inductees (as well as the 2021 Class) and much more!Host: Justine BrownVoice your thoughts on this episode by downloading the Vover app here!

Vover Hoops Insider, Justine Brown, is back with another edition of "Count It!" where she counts down the biggest stories in the NBA. This week, she goes in on the Bradley Beal-Kent Bazmore scoring title-related spiciness, the devastating Jaylen Brown injury for the Celtics, LeBron's return to the court and the latest and greatest with the play-in game contenders.Host: Justine BrownVoice your thoughts on this episode by downloading the Vover app here!

Vover Hoops Insider, Justine Brown, is back with another Tuesday episode of "Count It!" to break down the biggest storylines in the NBA. Can the Suns catch the Jazz for the number 1 seed out West? Do we appreciate Russell Westbrook enough? All this and more on this week's "Count It!"Host: Justine BrownVoice your thoughts on this episode by downloading the Vover app here!

Vover Hoops Insider Justine Brown is back with another episode of "Count It," counting down the biggest storylines in the NBA including Isaiah Thomas' return to the NBA, Paul Pierce's Instagram incident and much more.Host: Justine BrownDownload the Vover app here!

On episode 13 of Family Court Vision, we touch on the Meyers Leonard punishment, Joel Embiid's injury, Caris Levert's return, Shawn Bradley, the Hornets announcers, Liz Cambage, the WNBA's "Count It" campaign for their 25th season, and Mom's NCAA brackets, all in our segment, Basketball News of the Week (5:05). Then, we talk about the documentary "Linsanity," which brings an important discussion on racism, diversity, and representation (29:15). We end the show by highlighting some organizations we've found that are actively working to end racism against the Asian American community. You can check them out here, please read, and support in any way you can: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1260467?fbclid=IwAR28shih2jrGFG7Qssu-Kb2Dlb9oHlu6GgBNHzzNOrZCw8XsQd0r5d_4hu8 https://www.asianamericanadvocacyfund.org/?fbclid=IwAR2kKwGyId_6hy6161wY721EvMuyK7MXQcnGsFsIXzn1kvuaCyvClRJuerw https://www.advancingjustice-atlanta.org https://www.cpc-nyc.org

JOY. We will look at why JOY is so powerful and something we choose. We can COUNT IT all joy when we encounter trials of various kinds. Let’s unpack HOW that works. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Or "Big City Green". They're puns about NBA free agency.  Key Players: Josh Hamilton, Megan Rapinoe, Kent State Football, May 22, Howard Samuels, George Best, Count It!, Salary Cap, Lifetime, Los Angeles Clippers, Sports Illustrated, NBA, Phoenix Suns, Julian Edelman, North American Soccer League, "Marrying Millions", Texas Rangers 

Guests: Kristina Clark and Alex Windings, Count It! Lock It! Drop It! Initiative The best way to serve a community is to be part of it. So, how can healthcare providers, advocates and community members join forces to fight addiction at the local level? We’ll explore this with coalition leaders Kristina Clark and Alex Windings on this episode of Recovery Unscripted. For more about Recovery Unscripted, visit http://recoveryunscripted.org For more about the Count It! Lock It! Drop It! drug abuse prevention initiative in Tennessee, visit https://countitlockitdropit.org  For more about DEA Drug Take-Back Day events in your area, visit https://takebackday.dea.gov  Music from this episode: "Permanent" by David Condos - URL: http://davidcondos.com  "Mont Blanc" by Podington Bear - URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/Homage_Fromage/Mont_Blanc "Sneaker Chase" by Podington Bear - URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/Egress/07_Sneaker_Chase "Running on Empty" by Podington Bear - URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/Brooding/Running_On_Empty

Jonas kicks off our new series on James looking at how we Count It all joy, even when life is hard.

Episode 2 – July 3 2016 Messages from Elder Asa Moseley – The Ten Commandments Reviewed, Deuteronomy 5, and Elder Steven Bloyd – Count It…

Count It (snip) by Rxnto

It's difficult to count it al joy when you are going through a storm but that's exactly what God tells us to do. In the book of James we are advised to "count it all joy, persevere, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and don't be angry". "True Colors" - A Sermon Series from the book of James.