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Welcome to Day 2651 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – “The Unseen Realm: God and the Gods” – Supernatural Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2651 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2651 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Today, we begin a new focus on this 2nd of 16 segments of our Theology Thursday lessons. I will read through the book Supernatural, written by Hebrew Bible scholar, professor, and mentor, the late Dr. Michael S. Heiser. Supernatural is a condensed version of his comprehensive book ‘The Unseen Realm.' If these readings pique your interest, I would recommend that you read ‘The Unseen Realm.' Today, we will read through chapter two: ‘The Unseen Realm: God and the Gods.' People are fascinated by the supernatural and the superhuman. Just think about the entertainment industry in recent years. Thousands of books, television shows, and movies from the past decade have explored themes such as angels, aliens, monsters, demons, ghosts, witches, magic, vampires, werewolves, and superheroes. Many of Hollywood's blockbuster franchises feature the supernatural: the X-Men, the Avengers, the Harry Potter series, Superman, and the Twilight Saga. Television shows like Fringe, and, of course, Supernatural and The X-Files, have dedicated followings even long after filming new episodes ends. And really, haven't these things always been popular—in tales, in books, in art? Why? One answer is that they're an escape from the ordinary. They offer us a world that's more interesting and exciting than our own. There's something about good versus evil, magnified on a cosmic scale, that thrills us. The epic struggle by the heroes of Middle-earth (Gandalf, Frodo, and company) against the Dark Lord Sauron in The Lord of the Rings trilogy has captivated readers (and now moviegoers) for over half a century now. The more otherworldly the villain, the more spectacular the triumph. On another level, people are drawn to other worlds because, as the book of Ecclesiastes puts it, God has “put eternity into [our] hearts” (Eccl. 3:11). There's something about the human condition that longs for something beyond human experience—something divine. The Apostle Paul also wrote about this yearning. He taught that it comes from just being alive in the world God has made. The creation bears witness to a creator, and, therefore, to a realm beyond our own (Rom. 1:18–23). Paul said this impulse was so powerful that it had to be willfully suppressed (v. 18). And yet we don't seem to think of the epic story of the Bible in the same way we think of our own tales of the supernatural in books, movies, and legend. There are reasons for that, and they go beyond the lack of special effects. For some, the Bible's characters are too ordinary or grandfatherly. They don't feel dynamic or heroic. After all, these are the same people and the same stories we've been hearing since Sunday school as kids. Then there's the cultural barrier. It's hard for us to identify with what seems like an endless parade of ancient shepherds and men wearing robes, like so many actors in your church's nativity play. But I think an even bigger factor in why science fiction or supernatural fantasy captures our imagination more...

In 1939, J.R. Tolkin took Robert Dickmans hypothesis one step further in a lecture he delivered titled, On Fairy Stories. In his lecture, Tolkin said the following about fairytales and those who create them: Probably every writer making a secondary world, a fantasy, every sub-creator, wishes in some measure to be a real maker, or hopes that he is drawing on reality: hopes that the peculiar quality of this secondary world (if not all the details) are derived from reality, or are flowing into it. The peculiar quality of the joy in successful Fantasy can thus be explained as a sudden glimpse of the underlying reality or truth. The Gospels contain a fairy-story, or a story of a larger kind, which embraces all the essence of fairy-stories. But this story is supreme, and it is true. Art has been verified. God is the Lord, of angels, and of menand of elves. Legend and History have met and fused.[1] In the Bible, the three great antagonists that we face in our story include the great serpent, the problem of sin, and death (in that order). Satan entered into the Garden as a serpent where the first man and woman enjoyed true love with both God and each other, they were tempted to sin against God by the Serpent. Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit that God commanded them not to eat and a curse was pronounced upon all of creation, and ever since that fateful day, sin and death have vandalized the peace we were created to enjoy with God. In the wake of Adam and Eves rebellion and under the shadow of evil and death, God gifted Adam and Eve a promise: The great serpent would one day be destroyed: And I will make enemies Of you and the woman, And of your offspring and her Descendant; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise Him on the heel. (Genesis 3:15) So who or what is the serpent? In The Lord of the Rings, he is the Dark Lord Sauron. In The Wizard of Oz, he is the Wicked Witch of the West. In The Matrix, he is Agent Smith. In The Chronicles of Narnia, he is the White Witch. In Superman, He is Lex Luther. In Star Wars, he is Darth Vader and every evil Sith Lord before and after him. The serpent is Lucifer, the devil, the father of lies, the accuser, and the great dragon. There is another antagonist that is the consequence of our sin and rebellion, and that is death. The word gospel simply means good news, and oh is there good news my dear brothers and sisters! The apostle Paul spoke of it in his epistle to the Romans: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Rom. 1:16). The gospel of Jesus Christ from Genesis through the last chapter of Revelation has everything that every great story requires, and it is a story that has the power to not only transform, but to save! The gospel of Jesus Christ is supreme because it is indeed true, and it is seen and heard throughout the 23rd Psalm! The Good Shepherd Guides His Sheep through the Valley of Deep Darkness On resurrection Sunday, we looked at the first part of verse 4, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me... Even if your first Sunday at Meadowbrooke was on that day, you should know by now that the Lord of the 23rd Psalm is the Good Shepherd, and His name is Jesus! He is my shepherd; therefore I will not be in need. Why will I not be in need? Well... because He is my bread of life who satisfies my hunger and quenches my thirst (John 6:35)! Why will I not be in need? Well... because He is the Light of the world who lights up the darkness that surrounds me (John 8:12)! Why again will I never ever be in need so long as Jesus is my shepherd? Well... let me tell you: He for me is the resurrection and the life who has promised that not even death can take from me what I already have in Him (John 11:25-26)! Now, just because Jesus is my Shepherd, that does not mean that I am exempt from walking through the valley of the shadow of death. As I said on Easter Sunday, we all must experience the valley of utter darkness that includes suffering, sickness, a broken world, and even death; however, those whose shepherd is Jesus only must walk through it while everyone else must walk in it. For the one who does not know Jesus as the bread of life, the light of the world, and the resurrection of life will never know the kind of hope that transcends the grave. For the one whose shepherd is not Jesus, the grave is deaths victory dance over you, and the news only gets worse beyond the grave. Jesus said, Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt. 10:28). Again, to all who would refuse Jesus as the good shepherd, He warned: Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matt. 7:1314). Jesus is the narrow gate! For those whose shepherd is Jesus, then the valley of the shadow of death is a temporary experience that you are only passing through. Do you know what that means? It means that there is life at the end of the valley! There is a table, and there is oil, and there is a cup placed into your hand dear Christian that is overflowing with His goodness and faithfulness all the days of your life! At that table, we will hold high that cup and toast: Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:55-57). The Good Shepherd Comforts His Sheep with His Rod and Staff What is the significance of Jesus rod and staff? For starters, He is the one leading us through the deep dark valleys on this side of eternity; while in the valley, we have no reason to fear evil because He is with us, and while with us... He is armed with His rod and staff. In their commentary on the Psalms, Josh Smith and Daniel Akin comment: We are going through the deep, dark valleys because our good shepherd is leading us! The dark valley is part of the path of righteousness.[2] Not to belabor the point I made previously, but what does the dark valley include? It includes pain, it includes suffering, it includes disease, it includes achy joints, it includes persecution, and it even includes death! After all, Jesus did say: In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world (John 16:33b). You may be saying in response to this: Pastor Keith, what about what Jesus said in John 10:10? Here is what Jesus said: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly. The thief is anything or anyone that promises to give you what only Jesus is able to give, and the abundant life is a life with Jesus. Now, what about the rod and staff? Why not just the rod or only the staff? Why both? The rod was typically used as offensive weapon against any predator that would threaten the sheep from the outside while the staff was used to direct, round up, and pull in the sheep. While the rod is used to protect the sheep from enemies, the staff is used to protect the sheep from themselves. Jesus guides me with His staff, and as He does, He leads me through the valley to the table where He has prepared a feast for me. Because it is Jesus who carries the rod and the staff, I can be confident that Jesus will lead me to where I need to go, or as the apostle Paul put it: For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6), and He will use His rod and staff to do it. Or as one person wrote: Jesus Christ, our Shepherd, is no emaciated weakling. Our Shepherd is a warrior, as shepherds had to be. No one can snatch his sheep out of his hand (John 10:28). The muscles of his arm are flexed to defend his flock; he doesnt carry a club for nothing. He is obviously enough for whatever the valley throws at us.[3] What is the point of verse 4? Here is the point: If Jesus is my shepherd, then even in the darkest moments of life I have all that I need because I have Him. Or, as the modern hymn, Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me, so adequately and helpfully states: The night is dark, but I am not forsakenFor by my side, the Savior, He will stayI labor on in weakness and rejoicingFor in my need, His power is displayed To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend meThrough the deepest valley, He will leadOh, the night has been won, and I shall overcomeYet not I, but through Christ in me The Good Shepherd Prepares a Feast for His Sheep in the Presence of Their Enemies So, where is He leading me? Where is He leading you dear Christian? What is waiting for me, and what is waiting for all who are being led by the Good Shepherd? A table that has been prepared by Jesus is what is waiting for His sheep. What is on that table? A feast is what is on that table! What is the meaning of this feast that He has prepared? It is a testament, it is proof, and it is a witness to Gods favor upon His sheep. This, my friend, is the abundant life Jesus provides! Again, another set of verses from Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me rings true! No fate I dread, I know I am forgivenThe future's sure, the price, it has been paidFor Jesus bled and suffered for my pardonAnd He was raised to overthrow the grave To this I hold, my sin has been defeatedJesus, now and ever is my pleaOh, the chains are released, I can sing, "I am free"Yet not I, but through Christ in me Where is the table set for His redeemed to feast? It is set in the place that my enemies are made to watch and not permitted to touch, take, or taunt because of the One who has prepared the table for me. But do not miss that before my enemies and yours, He has anointed us with oil and placed a cup in each of our hands! Besides the fact that in the dry and hot climate of the valley, oil would be used to sooth the skin and wine would be consumed to clear the throat. However, there is more to the oil and the cup! The imagery of oil and wine in the Bible speak of joy and prosperity. Conclusion When I think of the table in Psalm 23:5, I cannot help but think of three feasts mentioned in the Bible. The first happened while the Hebrew people were surrounded by Egypt under the bondage of Pharoh. On the eve of their deliverance they marked their doorposts with the blood of a lamb with no defects and feasted on that lamb. After they feasted, God delivered the Hebrews from the bondage of slavery and defeated Pharoh and his army, and then they sang a song known as, The Song of Moses that included this verse: The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him... (Exod. 15:2), and concludes with these words: The Lord shall reign forever and ever (15:18). The second feast is the one Jesus celebrated with His disciples on the eve of His crucifixion and death. Like Moses and the Hebrews before, Jesus and His disciples sat at a table to the feast of the Passover. During the meal, Jesus and his disciples no doubt recited or even sang the Song of Moses: The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation... There were four cups that the disciples drank from during the Passover which were, The cup of sanctification (holiness) to start the celebration and a reminder of the holiness of God. The cup of salvation (deliverance) symbolizing Gods deliverance which was drunk after the retelling of the Exodus story. The cup of redemption (blessing), which was drunk after the meal which represented Gods act of redeeming Israel. The cup of glory (praise) which was drunk at the very end representing the future redemption and coming of the Messiah. It was this cup that Jesus said, Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.... I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it with you, new, in My Fathers kingdom (Matt. 26:26-29). After that feast, Jesus atoned for sin on the cross and then defeated the curse of sin and death by rising on the third day. Just before He died on the cross, He declared: It is finished (John 19:30)! The third feast has not happened yet, and we learn of it in Revelation 19:7-10; it is the Marriage feast we will celebrate with Jesus as His Bride. I believe that at this coming feast Jesus will pick up the fourth cup and drink it with us. Do you know what will come after that feast? The defeat of the nations gathered against Jesus and the final defeat of Satan. According to Revelation 15, do you know what song all of heaven will sing on that day? Here is what we are told: And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! Who will not fear You, Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before You, For Your righteous acts have been revealed. (Rev. 15:34) So, can you guess what comes after the banquet prepared before His people in the presence of our enemies in Psalm 23:5? You guessed it! What comes after is the triumph of the Lamb of God over all that stands against those whom He has redeemed! [1] J. R. R. Tolkien. On Fairy Stories (1939). [2] J. Josh Smith and Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Psalms 150, ed. David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2022), 175. [3] David Gibson, The Lord of Psalm 23: Jesus Our Shepherd, Companion, and Host (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2023), 90.

In 1939, J.R. Tolkin took Robert Dickmans hypothesis one step further in a lecture he delivered titled, On Fairy Stories. In his lecture, Tolkin said the following about fairytales and those who create them: Probably every writer making a secondary world, a fantasy, every sub-creator, wishes in some measure to be a real maker, or hopes that he is drawing on reality: hopes that the peculiar quality of this secondary world (if not all the details) are derived from reality, or are flowing into it. The peculiar quality of the joy in successful Fantasy can thus be explained as a sudden glimpse of the underlying reality or truth. The Gospels contain a fairy-story, or a story of a larger kind, which embraces all the essence of fairy-stories. But this story is supreme, and it is true. Art has been verified. God is the Lord, of angels, and of menand of elves. Legend and History have met and fused.[1] In the Bible, the three great antagonists that we face in our story include the great serpent, the problem of sin, and death (in that order). Satan entered into the Garden as a serpent where the first man and woman enjoyed true love with both God and each other, they were tempted to sin against God by the Serpent. Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit that God commanded them not to eat and a curse was pronounced upon all of creation, and ever since that fateful day, sin and death have vandalized the peace we were created to enjoy with God. In the wake of Adam and Eves rebellion and under the shadow of evil and death, God gifted Adam and Eve a promise: The great serpent would one day be destroyed: And I will make enemies Of you and the woman, And of your offspring and her Descendant; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise Him on the heel. (Genesis 3:15) So who or what is the serpent? In The Lord of the Rings, he is the Dark Lord Sauron. In The Wizard of Oz, he is the Wicked Witch of the West. In The Matrix, he is Agent Smith. In The Chronicles of Narnia, he is the White Witch. In Superman, He is Lex Luther. In Star Wars, he is Darth Vader and every evil Sith Lord before and after him. The serpent is Lucifer, the devil, the father of lies, the accuser, and the great dragon. There is another antagonist that is the consequence of our sin and rebellion, and that is death. The word gospel simply means good news, and oh is there good news my dear brothers and sisters! The apostle Paul spoke of it in his epistle to the Romans: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Rom. 1:16). The gospel of Jesus Christ from Genesis through the last chapter of Revelation has everything that every great story requires, and it is a story that has the power to not only transform, but to save! The gospel of Jesus Christ is supreme because it is indeed true, and it is seen and heard throughout the 23rd Psalm! The Good Shepherd Guides His Sheep through the Valley of Deep Darkness On resurrection Sunday, we looked at the first part of verse 4, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me... Even if your first Sunday at Meadowbrooke was on that day, you should know by now that the Lord of the 23rd Psalm is the Good Shepherd, and His name is Jesus! He is my shepherd; therefore I will not be in need. Why will I not be in need? Well... because He is my bread of life who satisfies my hunger and quenches my thirst (John 6:35)! Why will I not be in need? Well... because He is the Light of the world who lights up the darkness that surrounds me (John 8:12)! Why again will I never ever be in need so long as Jesus is my shepherd? Well... let me tell you: He for me is the resurrection and the life who has promised that not even death can take from me what I already have in Him (John 11:25-26)! Now, just because Jesus is my Shepherd, that does not mean that I am exempt from walking through the valley of the shadow of death. As I said on Easter Sunday, we all must experience the valley of utter darkness that includes suffering, sickness, a broken world, and even death; however, those whose shepherd is Jesus only must walk through it while everyone else must walk in it. For the one who does not know Jesus as the bread of life, the light of the world, and the resurrection of life will never know the kind of hope that transcends the grave. For the one whose shepherd is not Jesus, the grave is deaths victory dance over you, and the news only gets worse beyond the grave. Jesus said, Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt. 10:28). Again, to all who would refuse Jesus as the good shepherd, He warned: Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matt. 7:1314). Jesus is the narrow gate! For those whose shepherd is Jesus, then the valley of the shadow of death is a temporary experience that you are only passing through. Do you know what that means? It means that there is life at the end of the valley! There is a table, and there is oil, and there is a cup placed into your hand dear Christian that is overflowing with His goodness and faithfulness all the days of your life! At that table, we will hold high that cup and toast: Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:55-57). The Good Shepherd Comforts His Sheep with His Rod and Staff What is the significance of Jesus rod and staff? For starters, He is the one leading us through the deep dark valleys on this side of eternity; while in the valley, we have no reason to fear evil because He is with us, and while with us... He is armed with His rod and staff. In their commentary on the Psalms, Josh Smith and Daniel Akin comment: We are going through the deep, dark valleys because our good shepherd is leading us! The dark valley is part of the path of righteousness.[2] Not to belabor the point I made previously, but what does the dark valley include? It includes pain, it includes suffering, it includes disease, it includes achy joints, it includes persecution, and it even includes death! After all, Jesus did say: In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world (John 16:33b). You may be saying in response to this: Pastor Keith, what about what Jesus said in John 10:10? Here is what Jesus said: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly. The thief is anything or anyone that promises to give you what only Jesus is able to give, and the abundant life is a life with Jesus. Now, what about the rod and staff? Why not just the rod or only the staff? Why both? The rod was typically used as offensive weapon against any predator that would threaten the sheep from the outside while the staff was used to direct, round up, and pull in the sheep. While the rod is used to protect the sheep from enemies, the staff is used to protect the sheep from themselves. Jesus guides me with His staff, and as He does, He leads me through the valley to the table where He has prepared a feast for me. Because it is Jesus who carries the rod and the staff, I can be confident that Jesus will lead me to where I need to go, or as the apostle Paul put it: For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6), and He will use His rod and staff to do it. Or as one person wrote: Jesus Christ, our Shepherd, is no emaciated weakling. Our Shepherd is a warrior, as shepherds had to be. No one can snatch his sheep out of his hand (John 10:28). The muscles of his arm are flexed to defend his flock; he doesnt carry a club for nothing. He is obviously enough for whatever the valley throws at us.[3] What is the point of verse 4? Here is the point: If Jesus is my shepherd, then even in the darkest moments of life I have all that I need because I have Him. Or, as the modern hymn, Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me, so adequately and helpfully states: The night is dark, but I am not forsakenFor by my side, the Savior, He will stayI labor on in weakness and rejoicingFor in my need, His power is displayed To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend meThrough the deepest valley, He will leadOh, the night has been won, and I shall overcomeYet not I, but through Christ in me The Good Shepherd Prepares a Feast for His Sheep in the Presence of Their Enemies So, where is He leading me? Where is He leading you dear Christian? What is waiting for me, and what is waiting for all who are being led by the Good Shepherd? A table that has been prepared by Jesus is what is waiting for His sheep. What is on that table? A feast is what is on that table! What is the meaning of this feast that He has prepared? It is a testament, it is proof, and it is a witness to Gods favor upon His sheep. This, my friend, is the abundant life Jesus provides! Again, another set of verses from Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me rings true! No fate I dread, I know I am forgivenThe future's sure, the price, it has been paidFor Jesus bled and suffered for my pardonAnd He was raised to overthrow the grave To this I hold, my sin has been defeatedJesus, now and ever is my pleaOh, the chains are released, I can sing, "I am free"Yet not I, but through Christ in me Where is the table set for His redeemed to feast? It is set in the place that my enemies are made to watch and not permitted to touch, take, or taunt because of the One who has prepared the table for me. But do not miss that before my enemies and yours, He has anointed us with oil and placed a cup in each of our hands! Besides the fact that in the dry and hot climate of the valley, oil would be used to sooth the skin and wine would be consumed to clear the throat. However, there is more to the oil and the cup! The imagery of oil and wine in the Bible speak of joy and prosperity. Conclusion When I think of the table in Psalm 23:5, I cannot help but think of three feasts mentioned in the Bible. The first happened while the Hebrew people were surrounded by Egypt under the bondage of Pharoh. On the eve of their deliverance they marked their doorposts with the blood of a lamb with no defects and feasted on that lamb. After they feasted, God delivered the Hebrews from the bondage of slavery and defeated Pharoh and his army, and then they sang a song known as, The Song of Moses that included this verse: The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him... (Exod. 15:2), and concludes with these words: The Lord shall reign forever and ever (15:18). The second feast is the one Jesus celebrated with His disciples on the eve of His crucifixion and death. Like Moses and the Hebrews before, Jesus and His disciples sat at a table to the feast of the Passover. During the meal, Jesus and his disciples no doubt recited or even sang the Song of Moses: The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation... There were four cups that the disciples drank from during the Passover which were, The cup of sanctification (holiness) to start the celebration and a reminder of the holiness of God. The cup of salvation (deliverance) symbolizing Gods deliverance which was drunk after the retelling of the Exodus story. The cup of redemption (blessing), which was drunk after the meal which represented Gods act of redeeming Israel. The cup of glory (praise) which was drunk at the very end representing the future redemption and coming of the Messiah. It was this cup that Jesus said, Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.... I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it with you, new, in My Fathers kingdom (Matt. 26:26-29). After that feast, Jesus atoned for sin on the cross and then defeated the curse of sin and death by rising on the third day. Just before He died on the cross, He declared: It is finished (John 19:30)! The third feast has not happened yet, and we learn of it in Revelation 19:7-10; it is the Marriage feast we will celebrate with Jesus as His Bride. I believe that at this coming feast Jesus will pick up the fourth cup and drink it with us. Do you know what will come after that feast? The defeat of the nations gathered against Jesus and the final defeat of Satan. According to Revelation 15, do you know what song all of heaven will sing on that day? Here is what we are told: And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! Who will not fear You, Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before You, For Your righteous acts have been revealed. (Rev. 15:34) So, can you guess what comes after the banquet prepared before His people in the presence of our enemies in Psalm 23:5? You guessed it! What comes after is the triumph of the Lamb of God over all that stands against those whom He has redeemed! [1] J. R. R. Tolkien. On Fairy Stories (1939). [2] J. Josh Smith and Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Psalms 150, ed. David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2022), 175. [3] David Gibson, The Lord of Psalm 23: Jesus Our Shepherd, Companion, and Host (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2023), 90.

JESUS' PLAN IS FAR GREATER THAN THE SCHEMES OF HIS ENEMIES! No matter how much darkness tries to take control, no matter how hopeless a situation may seem, God's plan is always bigger, always deeper, and always victorious! To help us picture this, let's think about The Lord of the Rings. In that story, the Dark Lord Sauron believes he has everything under control. His armies are massive, his power is overwhelming, and he's convinced that everything is working in his favor. But what he doesn't realize is that a small, unnoticed hobbit named Frodo is carrying the One Ring: not to give it to him, but to destroy it! While Sauron is focused on battle and conquest, something far greater is happening right under his nose.  EVIL BELIEVES IT IS WINNING, BUT IT IS BEING UNDONE. 

Two of our hosts return to wrap up our discussions about Sauron, his powers, and their portrayals on screen.

The fate of all of Middle Earth is in the hands of the Dark Lord Sauron. Wow! What an election. These 2024 election results are bananas. Ben and Judah are weighing in with their thoughts on the election. What will happen with Rohan? What will happen with Gondor? Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/barelycoolcast Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOtAu8fBkbamv8OgY_UolRg TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@barelycoolcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barelycoolcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/barelycoolcast

Barad Dûr: A Slice of Life in Mordor Welcome back to another special episode of Extra Pieces! Today's episode takes us to the Land of Mordor, where the shadows lie, any by shadows, we mean a 5,471-piece 73cm tall Barad-Dur LEGO set, that's due to be released on the 1st of June! Last year, we dedicated an entire episode to Rivendell, and we felt like we had to do the same for Barad-Dur, lest we upset the Dark Lord Sauron, so here's a deep geeky dive into all things Barad-Dur, Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings! LEGO Barad-Dur Reveal: https://jaysbrickblog.com/news/lego-unveils-10333-barad-dur-a-towering-5471-piece-model-of-saurons-stronghold/ How Tall Is Barad-Dur? https://jaysbrickblog.com/news/heres-how-tall-lego-10333-barad-dur-is-plus-how-it-compares-to-orthanc-and-other-tall-sets/ The Rambling Brick's Reveal, Spaculation and Costing out of full play set range vs Annual commitment: https://ramblingbrick.com/2024/05/15/10333barad-dur-revealed-new-minifigures450usd-speculation/ We hope you enjoy the episode. If you do, please leave a 5 star review on your pod-paying platform of choice, as it helps others to find the podcast. We love your questions and feedback, too: leave your comments on our socials @extrapiecespod and or send an email to extrapiecespod@gmail.com

An ancient Ring thought lost for centuries has been found, and through a strange twist of fate has been given to a small Hobbit named Frodo. When Gandalf discovers the Ring is in fact the One Ring of the Dark Lord Sauron, Frodo must make an epic quest to the Cracks of Doom in order … Continue reading Ep. 06-17: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) →

We have talked about for it years. It's finally time to visit the world of Tolkien and dive deep into both trilogies and the "Rings of Power" Amazon series. Nick, Creston & Matt start off with the movie that started it all, The Fellowship of the Ring. In this deep dive, we recap and review the first movie in the OG trilogy while using the books to expand on the lore of Middle Earth. A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron. Want to support us? Patreon.com/2Game Want exclusive merch? https://www.bonfire.com/store/2game/?utm_source=copy_link&utm_medium=store_page_share&utm_campaign=2game&utm_content=default Social Media: FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/gaming/2Gamepodcast TWITTER: https://twitter.com/2GamePodcast1 TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@2gamepodcast YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@2game794?si=4Sn545eDOMsND7Dv --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matthew-primeaux/support

This week we complete the saga and talk The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien. Since the first season, we have had a guest episode with the great Robert von Hagen, but now, in season four we have completed the Tolkien series. "What about the Silmarillion?" You may asked. "WE HAVE COMPLETED THE SERIES." I reply. Enjoy this indepth thematic episode as we crown a king, liberate the Shire, and mourn some hobbits.  Host: Dr. Nic Hoffmann Co-Host: Mike Carroll Panel: Robert von Hagen From the Del Rey back cover: "The awesome conclusion to The Lord of the Rings—the greatest fantasy epic of all time—which began in The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read While the evil might of the Dark Lord Sauron swarms out to conquer all Middle-earth, Frodo and Sam struggle deep into Mordor, seat of Sauron's power. To defeat the Dark Lord, the One Ring, ruler of the accursed Rings of Power, must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. But the way is impossibly hard, and Frodo is weakening. Weighed down by the compulsion of the Ring, he begins finally to despair."  

For a special Halloween episode, we invited our favorite Sauron experts Cameron and Mercury to talk to us about some of Arda's biggest villains. Specifically, the ship pairing known as 'Angbang', which pairs the Dark Lord Sauron against the fallen Valar Morgoth, also known as Melkor. From the history of this ship and how its depictions changed over time, to the best-known Angbang fan fic and fan artists, to all the problematic, messy power dynamics involved... we dive deep into some dark, kinky transformative works to explore why 'Angbangers' are so enthralled with this pairing.Content warning: This episode includes discussion of sex, sexual relationships, kink, BDSM, intimate partner violence at various levels of consent, rape, sexual assault/abuse, abusive relationships, and abusive power dynamics.

Attempt to instruct a group of 12-year-old kids about the importance of duty, honor, perseverance, and friendship by means of a lecture, and the most likely result will be glazed eyes and tuned-out ears. If instead of a lecture, however, the lesson began with, “There once was a tiny creature called a Hobbit, whose name was Frodo. He had hairy feet and a magic ring, and whenever he put that ring on his finger, he'd disappear. But each time he put the ring on, the Ring exercised a dark power over him and attracted the attention of the Dark Lord Sauron. . .”  That story, the plot of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, is more likely to capture the attention and the imagination of kids, as it has tens of millions before them. And, along the way, they'd learn about duty, honor, perseverance, and friendship. This is the power of great stories.  The best stories are not merely well told, they also wrestle with ultimate ideas. Tolkien remains popular today because his stories stand the test of time. They stand the test of time because they engage with us at the deepest levels of the human condition.  More than 2,000 years ago, Damon of Athens wrote, “Give me the songs of a people, and I care not who writes its laws.” Christian musician and novelist Andrew Peterson has said, “If you want someone to hear the truth, you should tell them the truth. But if you want someone to LOVE the truth, you should tell them a story.”  The power of storytelling should come as no surprise to Christians. After all, Jesus told lots of stories. So have Christians throughout history.  Tolkien and T.S. Eliot were two writers from the last century who exemplify the importance of stories. Because of the success of the Lord of the Rings films, Tolkien is better known today than Eliot, but Eliot stands shoulder to shoulder with Tolkien in terms of literary output and genius. Eliot's poem “Hollow Men,” concludes with these better known, haunting lines: “This is the way the world ends/not with a bang but a whimper.” Eliot's melancholy poem “The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock,” which is still read by most college students, captures the despair of modern man facing this broken world without God. In many ways, Eliot was that modern man isolated, spiritually lost, despairing.  A decade or so after he wrote “Prufrock,” Eliot's life and art was transformed when he converted to Christ. He went on to write magnificent religious poetry, such as “Ash Wednesday” and The Four Quartets. For a time, his work even crossed over into pop culture. For example, his book of whimsical verse, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, became the smash-hit Broadway musical Cats.  Chuck Colson often said that “politics is downstream from culture.” That isn't always the case, but it often is. This is why great storytellers and poets like Tolkien and Eliot continue to have such an impact on hearts and minds. Their work goes on to inspire.  In fact, a simple way Christians can impact culture is by simply sharing good stories with those around us. We may not be a Tolkien or an Eliot, but we can know and recommend their works. And we can tell the real-life stories of Christian heroes like William Wilberforce and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, of the incredible conversions of St. Augustine and Chuck Colson, and of the work of the Christian heroes of today who love God   and neighbor by feeding the hungry and clothing the naked while enduring hardships and persecution.  We should share these stories because like all good stories do, they ultimately point hearts and imaginations to the Greatest Story of All.  For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org.  This Breakpoint was originally published 1.3.17. 

Season 18, Episode 26: Weekly Roundup Lawson Zandi returns to break down the results from Pro Tour: Barcelona, where The One Ring and Orcish Bowmasters put on dominant displays. Big mana was the big winner, with Tron and Amulet Titan harnessing The One Ring to tremendous effect while going way over the top of midrange and control players who had planned to outduel Rakdos Scam. And as for Rakdos itself? The most popular deck was also among the winningest decks, making it a ripe target for action in Monday's upcoming B&R window. There's plenty to unpack this week, as we take stock of the current state of the format and speculate where Modern can go from here. We also take a look at Wilds of Eldraine, analyzing the first batch of sneak peek preview cards.   Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community! Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Season 18, Episode 26: Weekly Roundup Lawson Zandi returns to break down the results from Pro Tour: Barcelona, where The One Ring and Orcish Bowmasters put on dominant displays. Big mana was the big winner, with Tron and Amulet Titan harnessing The One Ring to tremendous effect while going way over the top of midrange and control players who had planned to outduel Rakdos Scam. And as for Rakdos itself? The most popular deck was also among the winningest decks, making it a ripe target for action in Monday's upcoming B&R window. There's plenty to unpack this week, as we take stock of the current state of the format and speculate where Modern can go from here. We also take a look at Wilds of Eldraine, analyzing the first batch of sneak peek preview cards.   Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community! Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Happy Tolkien Reading Day!March 25 marks the day when the One Ring was destroyed and the Dark Lord Sauron was overthrown. Every March 25 for the last 20 years, the Tolkien Society commemorates Tolkien Reading Day. This is a day to read and share your favorite Tolkien passages.Today's episode is dedicated to Tolkien Reading Day. We will explore Tolkien's thoughts on what makes a good story that he laid out in his essay “On Fairy Stories”.Let's wander!Come explore JRR Tolkien's Middle-earth, from the Lord of the Rings, to the Hobbit, to the Silmarillion, to Unfinished Tales and beyond! We compare Tolkien's tales with Peter Jackson's films and Amazon's Rings of Power series.Support the show with a wafer of lembas: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lotrpodcastFind contact info on LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/lotrpodcastDon't be a stranger! Find me on Twitter, Facebook and InstagramFeedback for the show? Email me at lordoftheringspodcast@gmail.comThis podcast is not affiliated with the Tolkien Estate.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/beginners-guide-to-the-lord-of-the-rings/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Happy Tolkien Reading Day!March 25 marks the day when the One Ring was destroyed and the Dark Lord Sauron was overthrown. Every March 25 for the last 20 years, the Tolkien Society commemorates Tolkien Reading Day. This is a day to read and share your favorite Tolkien passages.Today's episode is dedicated to Tolkien Reading Day. We will explore Tolkien's thoughts on what makes a good story that he laid out in his essay “On Fairy Stories”.Let's wander!Come explore JRR Tolkien's Middle-earth, from the Lord of the Rings, to the Hobbit, to the Silmarillion, to Unfinished Tales and beyond! We compare Tolkien's tales with Peter Jackson's films and Amazon's Rings of Power series.Support the show with a wafer of lembas: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lotrpodcastFind contact info on LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/lotrpodcastDon't be a stranger! Find me on Twitter, Facebook and InstagramFeedback for the show? Email me at lordoftheringspodcast@gmail.comThis podcast is not affiliated with the Tolkien Estate.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/beginners-guide-to-the-lord-of-the-rings/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Two Towers (Lord of the Rings Trilogy) Scott Keith, Adam Francisco, Caleb Keith, and Bruce Hilman discuss the second book in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The Two Towers opens to a broken fellowship set on two distinct but interwoven journeys against the Dark Lord Sauron. This fragmented journey cements that a new age is coming to Middle Earth, the Age of Men. How do Tolkien's characters deal with temptation and resist the power of darkness?  Support the Show 1517 Podcasts

It began with the war on Christmas. One Christmas was given to the elves, immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings. One to the Dwarf-Lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. And one was gifted to the race of Men, who above all else desire power. For within these Christmases was bound the strength and the will to govern each race. But they were all of them deceived, for another Christmas was made. Deep in the land of Mordor, in the Fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged a master Christmas in secret, and into this Christmas he poured his cruelty, his malice and his will to dominate all life. One Christmas to rule them all.

After years of anticipations, we have finally decided to dwell in Tolkien's world. Description: A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron. IMDB: 8.8 This Podcast is a Galactecis Production. Twitter -> https://twitter.com/God_Of_Paradox Movie Time -> Breaker | Google Podcast | Apple Podcast | Overcast | Pocket Cast | RadioPublic | Spotify | Castbox Want to say something to us? You can give us voice messages here or https://anchor.fm/mr-paradox/message. If you want to comment, then say it on twitter, we don't check comments on any platforms. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mr-paradox/message

What was promised over a year ago has finally come to pass! Our epic marathon of The Lord of the Rings! So join us for second breakfast as we step further away from home than we ever have, all while discussing the film that started it all ‘The Fellowship of the Rings'. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a 2001 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson from a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Jackson, based on 1954's The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of the novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. The film is the first installment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It features an ensemble cast including Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, and Andy Serkis. Set in Middle-earth, the story tells of the Dark Lord Sauron, who seeks the One Ring, which contains part of his might, to return to power. The Ring has found its way to the young hobbit Frodo Baggins. The fate of Middle-earth hangs in the balance as Frodo and eight companions (who form the Fellowship of the Ring) begin their journey to Mount Doom in the land of Mordor, the only place where the Ring can be destroyed. We Watched A Thing is supported by Dendy Cinemas Canberra. The best Australian cinema chain showing everything from blockbusters to arthouse and indie films. Find them at https://www.dendy.com.au/ If you like this podcast, or hate it and us and want to tell us so - You can reach us at wewatchedathing@gmail.com Or, Twitter - @WeWatchedAThing Facebook - @WeWatchedAThing Instagram - @WeWatchedAThing and on iTunes and Youtube If you really like us and think we're worth at least a dollar, why not check out our patreon at http://patreon.com/wewatchedathing. Every little bit helps, and you can get access to bonus episodes, early releases, and even tell us what movies to watch.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a 2001 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson from a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Jackson, based on 1954's The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of the novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. The film is the first installment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It features an ensemble cast including Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, and Andy Serkis. Set in Middle-earth, the story tells of the Dark Lord Sauron, who seeks the One Ring, which contains part of his might, to return to power. The Ring has found its way to the young hobbit Frodo Baggins. The fate of Middle-earth hangs in the balance as Frodo and eight companions begin their journey to Mount Doom in the land of Mordor, the only place where the Ring can be destroyed. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tradepaperbacks/message --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rangerryan/message

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a 2001 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson from a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Jackson, based on 1954's The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of the novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. The film is the first installment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It features an ensemble cast including Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, and Andy Serkis. Set in Middle-earth, the story tells of the Dark Lord Sauron, who seeks the One Ring, which contains part of his might, to return to power. The Ring has found its way to the young hobbit Frodo Baggins. The fate of Middle-earth hangs in the balance as Frodo and eight companions begin their journey to Mount Doom in the land of Mordor, the only place where the Ring can be destroyed.

Soooo... Rings of Power....?? Came back with a bang for the finale!!!! The visuals? 10 out of 10! The acting?! 10 out of 10!! The twists?! 15 out of 15!!! This episode is how you end a season. Should've had this energy this whole season! But now we have to wait for the next season to get the rest of the story... Are we going to watch? Maybe... maybe not. Either way, you know we're gonna give ya all the deets, our tipsy (or sometimes not so tipsy) opinions, & all the feels (or lack thereof) about the newest watch. So... How do we feel about The Rings of Power? We'll tell you all about it in this episode! It begins during a time of relative peace and covers all the major events of Middle-earth's Second Age: the forging of the Rings of Power, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the fall of the island kingdom of Númenor, and the last alliance between Elves and Men. You can catch Lord of the Rings: the Rings of Power on Amazon Prime!! In the meantime, catch us on our socials: Twitter - 2SistasT & TikTok - 2Sistas_n_Their_Dramas You can even can drop us an email or recommendations at 2Sistas.theirdramas@gmail.com or even drop us a voice message: https://anchor.fm/2sistastheirdramas/message!! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/2sistastheirdramas/support

Soooo... Rings of Power .... Was a let down this week guys. Yes, it's still beautiful, still has amazing visuals. But how is this the episode before the finale and we have even more questions that are unanswered? So far - our ragtag team has made it. Surprise - we're in Mordor because no one saw that happening, right? Either way, you know we're gonna give ya all the deets, our tipsy (or sometimes not so tipsy) opinions, & all the feels (or lack thereof) about the newest watch. So... How do we feel about The Rings of Power? Is it evoking that familiar LOTR feel? We'll tell you all about it in this episode! It begins during a time of relative peace and covers all the major events of Middle-earth's Second Age: the forging of the Rings of Power, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the fall of the island kingdom of Númenor, and the last alliance between Elves and Men. You can catch Lord of the Rings: the Rings of Power on Amazon Prime!! In the meantime, catch us on our socials: Twitter - 2SistasT & TikTok - 2Sistas_n_Their_Dramas You can even can drop us an email or recommendations at 2Sistas.theirdramas@gmail.com or even drop us a voice message: https://anchor.fm/2sistastheirdramas/message!! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/2sistastheirdramas/support

Soooo... Rings of Power said we are gonna give you ACTION this episode and honestly, it was GREAT! Yes, it's still beautiful, still has amazing visuals. So... What more can we say about this new venture into Middle Earth? The Numenor Army came to slay didn't they? Galadriel is still THAT bihhh!! And Arondir is continuing to prove his love for Bronwyn. Looks like the scales are tipping in Adar's favor though but... You know we're gonna give ya all the deets, our tipsy (or sometimes not so tipsy) opinions, & all the feels (or lack thereof) about the newest watch. So... How do we feel about The Rings of Power? Is it evoking that familiar LOTR feel? We'll tell you all about it in this episode! It begins during a time of relative peace and covers all the major events of Middle-earth's Second Age: the forging of the Rings of Power, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the fall of the island kingdom of Númenor, and the last alliance between Elves and Men. You can catch Lord of the Rings: the Rings of Power on Amazon Prime!! In the meantime, catch us on our socials: Twitter - 2SistasT & TikTok - 2Sistas_n_Their_Dramas You can even can drop us an email or recommendations at 2Sistas.theirdramas@gmail.com or even drop us a voice message: https://anchor.fm/2sistastheirdramas/message!! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/2sistastheirdramas/support

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is an epic adventure based on the novels written by J.R.R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story follows the young Hobbit, Frodo Baggins, as he and the Fellowship embark on a quest to destroy the One Ring, to ensure the destruction of the Dark Lord Sauron. But what is the Lord of the Rings story really about? And, why is it so popular?Whether it's The Ring of Power, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, or the original trilogy, Tolkien's words are filled with lessons and insight all can learn from. In this classic Pop & Locke episode, guests Jacob Levy, Paul Meany, and Paul Matzko join us to dig into the religious roots of the work, the nature of power, and whether or not the eagles would have actually helped destroy the ring. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Soooo... LOTR continues to top of list of must watch weekly shows! It's still so beautiful. So... What can we say about this new venture into Middle Earth? Galadriel IS a bit power-hungry? The Queen is up against the wall with her people and Halbrand is finally on board! But Numenor is still very much for the humans and not feeling the Elvenfolk! We still dont know who Adar really is or the Big Stranger - could he be Gandalf - that's what Chan thinks! But... You know we're gonna give ya all the deets, our tipsy (or sometimes not so tipsy) opinions, & all the feels (or lack thereof) about the newest watch. So... How do we feel about The Rings of Power? Is it evoking that familiar LOTR feel? We'll tell you all about it in this episode! It begins during a time of relative peace and covers all the major events of Middle-earth's Second Age: the forging of the Rings of Power, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the fall of the island kingdom of Númenor, and the last alliance between Elves and Men. You can catch Lord of the Rings: the Rings of Power on Amazon Prime!! In the meantime, catch us on our socials: Twitter - 2SistasT & TikTok - 2Sistas_n_Their_Dramas You can even can drop us an email or recommendations at 2Sistas.theirdramas@gmail.com or even drop us a voice message: https://anchor.fm/2sistastheirdramas/message!! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/2sistastheirdramas/support

Soooo... LOTR is still doing it's thing. It's still so beautiful. If you love looks and scenes... LOTR: The Rings of Power should be right up your alley!! So... What can we say about this new venture into Middle Earth? Galadriel IS a bit power-hungry? Numenor is for the humans and they are not feeling the Elvenfolk! And it wasn't (?) Sauron but someone names Adar? And we saw his full face!! But... You know we're gonna give ya all the deets, our tipsy (or sometimes not so tipsy) opinions, & all the feels (or lack thereof) about the newest watch. So... How do we feel about The Rings of Power? Is it evoking that familiar LOTR feel? We'll tell you all about it in this episode! And guess what? They spent $1B on making it so it's gonna be aesthetically beautiful! Which you know we'll be watching! It begins during a time of relative peace and covers all the major events of Middle-earth's Second Age: the forging of the Rings of Power, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the fall of the island kingdom of Númenor, and the last alliance between Elves and Men. You can catch Lord of the Rings: the Rings of Power on Amazon Prime!! In the meantime, catch us on our socials: Twitter - 2SistasT & TikTok - 2Sistas_n_Their_Dramas You can even can drop us an email or recommendations at 2Sistas.theirdramas@gmail.com or even drop us a voice message: https://anchor.fm/2sistastheirdramas/message!! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/2sistastheirdramas/support

Soooo... LOTR is still doing it's thing. It's still so beautiful. If you love looks and scenes... LOTR: The Rings of Power should be right up your alley!! So... What can we say about this new venture into Middle Earth? Is Galadriel a bit power-hungry? What is the story of Numenor? And was that Sauron making his first blurred appearance? You know we're gonna give ya all the deets, our tipsy (or sometimes not so tipsy) opinions, & all the feels (or lack thereof) about the newest watch. So... How do we feel about The Rings of Power? Is it evoking that familiar LOTR feel? We'll tell you all about it in this episode! And guess what? They spent $1B on making it so it's gonna be aesthetically beautiful! Which you know we'll be watching! It begins during a time of relative peace and covers all the major events of Middle-earth's Second Age: the forging of the Rings of Power, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the fall of the island kingdom of Númenor, and the last alliance between Elves and Men. You can catch Lord of the Rings: the Rings of Power on Amazon Prime!! In the meantime, catch us on our socials: Twitter - 2SistasT & TikTok - 2Sistas_n_Their_Dramas You can even can drop us an email or recommendations at 2Sistas.theirdramas@gmail.com or even drop us a voice message: https://anchor.fm/2sistastheirdramas/message!! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/2sistastheirdramas/support

Soooo....I guess we've dived into the prequel lane of dramas huh? It's no secret that we were slightly obsessed with LOTR when it came out - I mean we had the PS games, the boardgames... we would even have LOTR watch weekends... so we had to give The Rings of Power a watch for nostalgias sake, right? What can we say about this new venture into Middle Earth? Are the Harfoots pre-Hobbit? You know we're gonna give ya all the deets, our tipsy (or sometimes not so tipsy) opinions, & all the feels (or lack thereof) about the newest watch. So... How do we feel about The Rings of Power? Is it evoking that familiar LOTR feel? We'll tell you all about it in this episode! And guess what? They spent $1B on making it so it's gonna be aesthetically beautiful! Which you know we'll be watching! It begins during a time of relative peace and covers all the major events of Middle-earth's Second Age: the forging of the Rings of Power, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the fall of the island kingdom of Númenor, and the last alliance between Elves and Men. You can catch Lord of the Rings: the Rings of Power on Amazon Prime!! In the meantime, catch us on our socials: Twitter - 2SistasT & TikTok - 2Sistas_n_Their_Dramas You can even can drop us an email or recommendations at 2Sistas.theirdramas@gmail.com or even drop us a voice message: https://anchor.fm/2sistastheirdramas/message!! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/2sistastheirdramas/support

We will be reacting to promotional materials related to The Rings of Power. Set thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the series is based on author J. R. R. Tolkien's history of Middle-earth. It begins during a time of relative peace and covers all the major events of Middle-earth's Second Age: the forging of the Rings of Power, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the fall of the island kingdom of Númenor, and the last alliance between Elves and Men. These events take place over thousands of years in Tolkien's original stories but are condensed for the series. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tradepaperbacks/message --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rangerryan/message

Millennial Movie Diary returns with an adventure through Middle Earth with The Fellowship of the Ring from 2001. "A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron." Written and directed by Peter Jackson, cowritten by Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, based on the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, starring Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean and many more! Interact with the show on Discord: discord.gg/e7724unQPs Follow us on Twitter: @coyknutspodcast

The awesome conclusion to The Lord of the Rings—the greatest fantasy epic of all time—which began in The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read While the evil might of the Dark Lord Sauron swarms out to conquer all Middle-earth, Frodo and Sam struggle deep into Mordor, seat of Sauron's power. To defeat the Dark Lord, the One Ring, ruler of the accursed Rings of Power, must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. But the way is impossibly hard, and Frodo is weakening. Weighed down by the compulsion of the Ring, he begins finally to despair.

We will be reacting to promotional materials related to The Rings of Power. Set thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the series is based on author J. R. R. Tolkien's history of Middle-earth. It begins during a time of relative peace and covers all the major events of Middle-earth's Second Age: the forging of the Rings of Power, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the fall of the island kingdom of Númenor, and the last alliance between Elves and Men. These events take place over thousands of years in Tolkien's original stories but are condensed for the series.

Support the sponsor of today's Movie Club HONEY. Go to http://www.joinhoney.com/movieclub today! Join John, Rob and Ray as they discuss the first of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, Fellowship Of The Ring The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Jackson's and even Ralph Bakshi's movies give the impression that Isildur single-handedly took down the Dark Lord Sauron, and while this isn't exactly accurate, it turns out they did get one detail right. Other Links: Rumble at https://rumble.com/c/c-355195 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TolkienLore:f Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrrtlore Patreon: www.patreon.com/tolkiengeek

Our heroes delve deep under the earth and confront the Gollum of the second self. The big question to ask in Tolkien's works is WHAT IS THE RING? Well, it is like the Ouroboros the SAMPO in Kalevala (w/Vainamoinen) the ring imagery in Nibelung the Gyges' Ring story in Plato's “Republic” We know that it is Golden (like a mini sun) Continuous (like the Ouroboros) a Treasure that Makes one invisible fits on the finger (not the neck or chest like a hauberk) formed by The Dark Lord Sauron (deception is involved & power) Is it then Related to Time? A metaphor for Seeing behind the curtain? An image of the artistic ability? Something that binds together? Perhaps an answer can be approached by asking What is The World of Gollum? · It is like the world of Grendel's dam in Beowulf · Which itself is based on the mythical world of Midgard and Yggdrasil the World Tree in Norse mythology https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1305/nine-realms-of-norse-cosmology/ https://theheart756621753.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/the-9-worlds-in-mythology.jpg What is the Character of Gollum? He is “The Swallower” His name reflects The Kabbalistic “golem” of Prague o https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golem He is a miniature of Sauron What is the nature of the Riddle Game? It is Time honored Rooted in Norse culture o https://medium.com/@erin.nord87/the-influence-of-norse-mythology-in-riddles-in-the-dark-19acb167b47b Strategic An existential test Even the Question mark is a riddle; a dragon What is The escape (the “birthday”) - from danger and from this world? Ring signifies a “seeing differently” “Born again” – “Bless us and splash us” Great good brought about after but there is the risk of the Shadow self taking over (the dragon; Sauron)

SynopsisThe Fellowship of the Ring - A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.The Two Towers - While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.The Return of the King - Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.LinksTwitterWebsite Support the show and get early access to upcoming content!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/headphonesneil-reviews. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join your two hosts Johnny and Dave, aka The Mellon Heads, for some laughs, interesting facts, riddles and our takes and views on some of our favourite aspects of both the movies and the books. No matter how much of a casual or die-hard fan you are, if you want to have a good time, this is the podcast for you! In this weeks episode we delve (greedily and deeply) into the depths of Moria. We discuss the history and origins of Moria and its many different inhabitance. We also tackle interesting questions regarding one of its most fearsome hosts, the Balrog. Why was he there? What was he doing there? What is his relationship with the Dark Lord Sauron? After listening, you will know just about everything there is to know about this ancient dwarven metropolis in this informative and funny episode! As usual, you'll hear the regular charming Irish humour, tidbits and fun facts. Please get in touch with us on social media! We want this to be an interactive experience for the listeners so we would love to hear all your comments and suggestions on any of our social media platforms. You can find us at: Twitter @mellon_heads Instagram @mellonheadsofficial Facebook The Mellon Heads Buy me a Coffee buymeacoffee.com/themellonheads

Our noble questers are almost at the end of their journey but they still have quite a lot to contend with as the mysterious power of the ring threatens to finally corrupt one of their number...Yes, such is the power of the Dark Lord Sauron that Alex has been filled with nothing but rage and ill-placed contempt for a film that can only be described as Really Rather Good (if a bit on the long side). Oscar and Jonah, ever on the side of Good, try and talk him down and explain to him that it's actually really rather impressive. Can he be persuaded? Or will Oscar and Jonah lose their friend forever to ramblings about that bloody film about Paul Bettany and a boat?There's only one way to find out, as the three do their best to straighten this out once and for all. Spoiler Warning!Spoilers for the Return of the King. Throughout. Obviously.Find Oscar:On his Website. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

为你读英语美文 · 第408期 主播：永清坐标：北京The Lord of the RingsThe Fellowship of the RingChapter 3 Three is CompanyIn a sleepy village in the Shire, a young hobbit is entrusted with an immense task. He must make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ruling Ring of Power-the only thing that prevents the Dark Lord Sauron's evil dominion. 在夏尔一个寂静的村庄，一位年轻的霍比特人被托以重任，他必须踏上危机四伏的旅程，穿越整个中土世界，到达末日火山的山口，摧毁至尊魔戒，阻止魔君索伦的邪恶统治。在《魔戒特辑》里，潇雨讲述了袋底洞的霍比特人Frodo的历险故事，而如今，自从潇雨带我入坑中土，已经过去6年。以前，我以为《魔戒》的故事宏大复杂到难以理解，而如今，我已经看过5遍《魔戒》的电影，并且越看越喜欢。如潇雨所说：“魔戒的世界很复杂，每一个事件都有宏大的历史背景，每一个种族之间都有数不清的纠葛，但魔戒的世界又很简单，简单到当你读完后会发现平凡的生活最可珍贵。” 最近，我在看《魔戒》的原版书籍，今天要为你读的是《魔戒》第1部The Fellowship of the Ring第3章Three is Company打动我的一些文字，作者是J.R.R. Tolkien, 译者是朱学恒。 Gandalf告诉了Frodo至尊魔戒的秘密后，怀着忐忑的心情，Frodo和Sam, Pippin, Merry踏上了摧毁至尊魔戒的旅程，他们走过田野，穿过森林，走出了最可爱的家乡夏尔，Frodo唱起的这段文字就好像要离开家乡去上大学，或去另一座城市工作的我们的心情：Home is behind, the world is ahead,背井离乡，征途在前，And there are many paths to tread长路漫漫，Through shadows to the edge of night,越过暗影，到达黑夜边缘，Until the stars are all right. 星光闪耀如昼。在森林里，几位年轻的霍比特人遭到了戒灵的追杀，让他们惊慌失措，他们也第一次遇到了传说中的精灵，我非常喜欢托尔金这段对精灵的描写：The hobbits sat in shadow by the wayside. Before long the Elves came down the land towards the valley. They passed slowly, and the hobbits could see the starlight glimmering on their hair and in their eyes. They bore no lights, yet as they walked a shimmer, like the light of moon above the rim of the hills before it rise, seemed to fall about their feet. 霍比特人就这样躲在路旁的阴影中。不久之后，精灵们走上小路，开始朝向山谷迈进。他们好整以暇的走著，霍比特人可以看见他们头发和眼中反射著闪耀的星光。他们不会发光，却散发出一种闪耀迷朦的气质，彷佛像是月亮升起前山缘反射的柔光一般落在他们脚边。Frodo还和精灵Gildor成为了朋友，Frodo对前路充满疑惑和恐惧，他问Gildor前程如何的时候，像极了在人生道路上的我们，会遇到苦难，会恐惧，也会充满未知。Gildor对Frodo说：“Go not to the Elves for counsel, for they will say both no and yes. Elves seldom give unguarded advice, for advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise and all courses may run ill. But what would you? You have not told me all concerning yourself; and how shall I choose better than you?” “精灵们很少会给人直接了当的忠告。忠告是种危险的礼物，即使是智者送给智者的忠告都会因为命运的作弄而出轨。但你不也是一样？你没有告诉我背后的真相，我怎么能够作出比你更正确的决定？”是啊，我们遇到未知的时候，我们也许会去占星，会去算命，但再有智慧的人也不如我们全然地了解自己，是否更了解自己的我们会做出更明智的选择呢？ Frodo的前路充满敌人和危险，他甚至没有往前走的勇气，他在深夜和Gildor的这段对谈让我想到了一句话“但行好事，莫问前程”。Frodo问：Where shall I find courage? That is what I chiefly need.” “我该怎么鼓起勇气？这是我最需要的。”Gildor对Frodo说：”Courage is found in unlikely places. Be of good hope! Sleep now! In the morning we shall have gone; but we will send our messages through the lands. The Wandering Companies shall know of your journey, and those that have power for good shall be on the watch. I name you Elf-friend; and may the stars shine upon the end of your road!”“勇气往往藏在你所不注意的地方。要怀抱希望！睡吧！早上我们就会离开了；但我们会把消息散播出去。漫游者们会知道你们的行踪，站在正义这一方的人将会时时看顾你们。我赐给你精灵之友的称号；愿星光时时照耀你的旅途！”聊完，Frodo安心地睡着了。之后会发生什么故事呢？我们下回分解。这里是为你读英语美文，我是永清，我们下期再会。 ▎主播介绍永清：中土粉制作，编辑：永清▎节目首发，背景音乐，图文资料，更多推送敬请关注微信公众号：为你读英语美文，ID：readenglishforyou

为你读英语美文 · 第408期 主播：永清坐标：北京The Lord of the RingsThe Fellowship of the RingChapter 3 Three is CompanyIn a sleepy village in the Shire, a young hobbit is entrusted with an immense task. He must make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ruling Ring of Power-the only thing that prevents the Dark Lord Sauron's evil dominion. 在夏尔一个寂静的村庄，一位年轻的霍比特人被托以重任，他必须踏上危机四伏的旅程，穿越整个中土世界，到达末日火山的山口，摧毁至尊魔戒，阻止魔君索伦的邪恶统治。在《魔戒特辑》里，潇雨讲述了袋底洞的霍比特人Frodo的历险故事，而如今，自从潇雨带我入坑中土，已经过去6年。以前，我以为《魔戒》的故事宏大复杂到难以理解，而如今，我已经看过5遍《魔戒》的电影，并且越看越喜欢。如潇雨所说：“魔戒的世界很复杂，每一个事件都有宏大的历史背景，每一个种族之间都有数不清的纠葛，但魔戒的世界又很简单，简单到当你读完后会发现平凡的生活最可珍贵。” 最近，我在看《魔戒》的原版书籍，今天要为你读的是《魔戒》第1部The Fellowship of the Ring第3章Three is Company打动我的一些文字，作者是J.R.R. Tolkien, 译者是朱学恒。 Gandalf告诉了Frodo至尊魔戒的秘密后，怀着忐忑的心情，Frodo和Sam, Pippin, Merry踏上了摧毁至尊魔戒的旅程，他们走过田野，穿过森林，走出了最可爱的家乡夏尔，Frodo唱起的这段文字就好像要离开家乡去上大学，或去另一座城市工作的我们的心情：Home is behind, the world is ahead,背井离乡，征途在前，And there are many paths to tread长路漫漫，Through shadows to the edge of night,越过暗影，到达黑夜边缘，Until the stars are all right. 星光闪耀如昼。在森林里，几位年轻的霍比特人遭到了戒灵的追杀，让他们惊慌失措，他们也第一次遇到了传说中的精灵，我非常喜欢托尔金这段对精灵的描写：The hobbits sat in shadow by the wayside. Before long the Elves came down the land towards the valley. They passed slowly, and the hobbits could see the starlight glimmering on their hair and in their eyes. They bore no lights, yet as they walked a shimmer, like the light of moon above the rim of the hills before it rise, seemed to fall about their feet. 霍比特人就这样躲在路旁的阴影中。不久之后，精灵们走上小路，开始朝向山谷迈进。他们好整以暇的走著，霍比特人可以看见他们头发和眼中反射著闪耀的星光。他们不会发光，却散发出一种闪耀迷朦的气质，彷佛像是月亮升起前山缘反射的柔光一般落在他们脚边。Frodo还和精灵Gildor成为了朋友，Frodo对前路充满疑惑和恐惧，他问Gildor前程如何的时候，像极了在人生道路上的我们，会遇到苦难，会恐惧，也会充满未知。Gildor对Frodo说：“Go not to the Elves for counsel, for they will say both no and yes. Elves seldom give unguarded advice, for advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise and all courses may run ill. But what would you? You have not told me all concerning yourself; and how shall I choose better than you?” “精灵们很少会给人直接了当的忠告。忠告是种危险的礼物，即使是智者送给智者的忠告都会因为命运的作弄而出轨。但你不也是一样？你没有告诉我背后的真相，我怎么能够作出比你更正确的决定？”是啊，我们遇到未知的时候，我们也许会去占星，会去算命，但再有智慧的人也不如我们全然地了解自己，是否更了解自己的我们会做出更明智的选择呢？ Frodo的前路充满敌人和危险，他甚至没有往前走的勇气，他在深夜和Gildor的这段对谈让我想到了一句话“但行好事，莫问前程”。Frodo问：Where shall I find courage? That is what I chiefly need.” “我该怎么鼓起勇气？这是我最需要的。”Gildor对Frodo说：”Courage is found in unlikely places. Be of good hope! Sleep now! In the morning we shall have gone; but we will send our messages through the lands. The Wandering Companies shall know of your journey, and those that have power for good shall be on the watch. I name you Elf-friend; and may the stars shine upon the end of your road!”“勇气往往藏在你所不注意的地方。要怀抱希望！睡吧！早上我们就会离开了；但我们会把消息散播出去。漫游者们会知道你们的行踪，站在正义这一方的人将会时时看顾你们。我赐给你精灵之友的称号；愿星光时时照耀你的旅途！”聊完，Frodo安心地睡着了。之后会发生什么故事呢？我们下回分解。这里是为你读英语美文，我是永清，我们下期再会。 ▎主播介绍永清：中土粉制作，编辑：永清▎节目首发，背景音乐，图文资料，更多推送敬请关注微信公众号：为你读英语美文，ID：readenglishforyou

And God help you if you are a phoenix, and you dare to rise up from the ash. A thousand eyes will smolder with jealousy while you are just flying past.-Ani DiFrancoTo whom it may concern:Adam and John would like to offer their sincere condolences after the devastating loss of our back catalogue. These episodes will live on on our hearts as they now join the ranks of those taken too soon: James Dean, Alexander the Great, Walter Matthau, and many other people who are still alive but will be dying soon with so much left undone. We know that gifts mean nothing in this moment but we managed to pull up this old recording from the archives in which Adam and John talk about a fight between two fictional characters. They were happier times. God, he sounds so alive. It was truly a pleasure working with your father for 17 years. He will be deeply missed.With deepest sympathies, Tim Cook

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is an epic adventure based on the novels written by J.R.R. Tolkien. Set in Middle‐​earth, the story follows the young Hobbit, Frodo Baggins, as he and the Fellowship embark on a quest to destroy the One Ring, to ensure the destruction of the Dark Lord Sauron. What is the Lord of the Rings story actually about? And, why is it so popular? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to Day 1521 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomThe Unseen Realm: God and the gods – Worldview WednesdayWisdom - the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek! Where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend; I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase Wisdom and Create a Living Legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. Today is Day 1521 of our Trek, and it is Worldview Wednesday. Creating a Biblical Worldview is essential to have a proper perspective on today's current events. To establish a Biblical Worldview, you must have a proper understanding of God and His Word. This week, we will expand on the past course work as we continue reviewing the book from Dr. Michael S Heiser titled “Supernatural.” The book is an abbreviated version of his more comprehensive book, “The Unseen Realm.” I highly recommend one or both of these books. Creating a Biblical Worldview based on how the Old and New Testaments connect with God's overall plan for humanity is essential. This book review will help us understand what the Bible teaches about the unseen world, and why it matters. The Unseen Realm: God and the Gods People are fascinated by the supernatural and the superhuman. Just think about the entertainment industry in recent years. Thousands of books, television shows, and movies have been about angels, aliens, monsters, demons, ghosts, witches, magic, vampires, werewolves, and superheroes in the past decade. Many of Hollywood's blockbuster franchises feature the supernatural: the X-Men, the Avengers, the Harry Potter series, Superman, and the Twilight saga. Television shows like Fringe and, of course, Supernatural and X-Files have dedicated followings even long after filming new episodes end. Haven't these things always been popular—in tales, in books, in art? Why? One answer is that they're an escape from the ordinary. They offer us a world that's more interesting and exciting than our own. There's something about good versus evil, magnified on a cosmic scale, that thrills us. The epic struggle by the heroes of Middle Earth (Gandalf, Frodo, and company) against the Dark Lord Sauron in The Lord of the Rings trilogy has captivated readers (and now movie-goers) for over a half-century now. The more otherworldly the villain, the more spectacular the triumph. On another level, people are drawn to other worlds because, as the book of https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+3%3A11&version=NLT (Ecclesiastes 3:11) puts it, Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.  There's something about the human condition that longs for something beyond human experience—something divine. The apostle Paul wrote about this yearning too. He taught that it comes from just being alive in the world God has made. The creation bears witness to a creator, and therefore to a realm beyond our own (Roman 1:18–23). In verse 18, Paul said the impulse to know more about God was so powerful that the wicked willfully suppressed that knowledge. Yet we don't seem to think of the epic story of the Bible in the same way we think of our own tales of the supernatural in books, movies, and legend. There are reasons for that, and they go beyond the lack of special effects. For some, the Bible's characters are too ordinary or grandfatherly. They don't feel dynamic or heroic. After all, these are the same people and the same stories we've heard since Sunday school as kids. Then there's the cultural barrier. It's hard for us to identify with what seems like an endless parade of ancient shepherds and men

Who doesn't love Lord of The Rings? It was that epic story that birthed a genre. I've been using the Walk To Mordor app and a pedometer to re-tract Frodo and Sam's legendary journey from Hobbiton to Mordor. As I go, I'm also revisiting the movies and the books. In today's podcast, we talk about the beginning of the story, up until Buckleberry Ferry. So grab some lembas bread and let's go on an adventure! ----more---- Transcript Welcome to Nerd Heaven. I’m Adam David Collings, the author of Jewel of the Stars. And I am a nerd This is episode 22 of the podcast.   Today is the first installment of my Lord of The Rings, Read, Walk and Watch series. If you’ve been following my content anywhere, you’re most likely aware that I’ve been doing a walk to mordor challenge.    Using a pedometer, and an app on my phone called Walk to Mordor, I enter the distance I’ve walked at the end of each day, and the app tells me how far along the legendary journey from the Shire to Mordor I have travelled. There are lots of milestones along the way.   From time to time, I’ll be doing one of these episodes where I dig into the story of Lord of The Rings, discussing it as far where I’ve walked, drawing from both the books and the movies.   I’m not really going to be comparing the book and movie, I’m just going to be drawing from both.   In this installment, I’ll be talking about the beginning of the story, up and until Buckleberry Ferry Lord of the Rings Part 1 The Fellowship Of The Ring was written by J.R.R Tokkien. It was first published in 1954. The movie was written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson. It was directed by Peter Jackson And first released in cinemas on the 19th of December 2001.   The description on IMDB reads A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.   So. Let’s go on an adventure.   My first experience with Lord of The Rings was seeing Fellowship of the Ring at the cinema. I hadn’t read the book prior to this, and was blown away by the epic scope of the story.   So I’m not a hard-core lifelong Tolkien fan. There are many people who cold run rings around me in terms of their knowledge of the lore of Lore of The Rings. So I’m not doing this as an expert, just a nerd geeking out of a story that I think we can all agree is pretty darn awesome.   Both the book and the movie start off giving us backstory and setup, but they do it in very different ways. The prologue to the novel reads somewhat like a non-fiction book written in universe. No book would ever be published today if it began this way, but there is a certain old-fashion charm to this prologue.   While the book focuses on the smaller details, the history of hobbits, and how Bilbo came to have the ring, the movie delves right back to the creation of the ring and the first battle with Sauron. Important aspects of the world that the books keep a mystery for now.   I think both were the correct choices for the given medium. See, I said the point of this wasn’t to compare the two, but given the different ways they start, it’s kind of hard not to.   This opening sequence for the movie sets up the stakes from the beginning. We know how powerful, and how dangerous this ring is. So when it comes into Frodo’s possession, we already fear for him. These sequences were great to watch. This movie was pretty revolutionary in it’s use of CGI to create huge armies. It was the feat for the eyes when it first came out, and is still impressive today, although no longer unique.   I like the sense of wonder you get as history become legend and legend became myth over 2 and a half thousand years.   The extended version of the movie actually follows the prologue of the book more closely. Narrated by Bilbo. I only saw the extended version about a year ago, so it’s still pretty new and exciting to me.   The set for Hobbiton is awesome. I’ve always loved it. You can’t watch this and not just want to be transported there. And of course the music! It fits the visuals so well and has got to be one of the most memorable pieces of movie music ever. I love it.   The new scene where Bilbo has a panic attack because he can’t find the ring is a nice touch. IT shows the addictive powers that it has over those it owns.   Bilbo and Frodo kind of represent two different responses to the amazing World Tolkien created. Bilbo is tired of living in the idyylic shire. He wants to go and travel, to experience advanture again. Frodo also has some interest in adventure, but he is still in love with the shire. And who wouldn’t be? I can identify with both of them. I’d want to go and see the whole of Middle Earth. But I’d want to know the Shire is still there to return to. If there’s one thing the story shows us at the beginning, it’s that life in the shire is very very good.   One of the best things about being a hobbit would be how much they love food. They also like drinking beer and smoking pipe weed, neither of which interest me, but I loooove food.   Bilbo has some genuine regret about leaving Frodo behind. He’s the only family that Bilbo actually likes.   Biblo’s behaviour regarding the ring stimulates Gandalf’s suspicions straight away. He doesn’t know the full story, but there’s definitely something off about it.   The ring hadn’t been used in decades. When Bilbo uses it to escape, he doesn’t seem to suffer any effects. No scary flaming eye staring at him. But that moment of usage is probably what first gets Sauron’s attention. The ring calls out to him after all these years. Now he must retrieve it. And so, Golumn is captured and tortured.   I like the scene in the movie where Gandalf is researching the ring. I know it’s just him reading to himself, but it adds a real sense of history.   Life continues as it always has back in the shire. They eat, they dance, they sing. It’s a truly joyful moment when we see them in the pub. And then Gandalf shows up to share what he has learned with Frodo. For that one moment, when Frodo says there is no text, I think Gandalf thinks maybe, just maybe he was wrong. But when Frodo says the Elvish writing has appeared, his face just dropped.   So this trinket that Bilbo passed on to Frodo is the one ring. Such a significant and ancient thing. While both Frodo and Galdalf must be feeling a lot of fear and dread in this moment, there’s got to also be a profound sense of wonder that they’d be feeling as well. I know I would. Which, I suppose, is a problem, because it’s just another thing that makes the ring more enticing.   This discovery about the ring comes in parallel with Gandalf learning of the return of Sauron and the regathering of forces at Mordor. Even the hobbits are talking. They know something is brewing in the wider world.   We learn here that the ring is basically sentient. It has a consciousness. It thinks. It has desires. This is because Sauron poured part of himself into the ring. It’s like a piece of his consciousness possessing the inanimate object. Without that, this is just a piece of gold like any other.   When Frodo learns the truth about the ring, his first impulse is to hide it. It’s actually impressive how quickly he formulates a good plan. “Nobody knows it’s here. We just bury it and never speak of it again.” That’s a good plan, and it could have worked, maybe for thousands more years. Except that it’s too late. Because of Golum. Sauron got to Gollum first and has told him exactly where to find the ring. Shire. Baggins. That will take the enemy literally to Frodo’s front door.   This is the point in the book where we get an interesting discussion about mercy, a discussion that happens much later in the movie. Frodo wishes that Bilbo had just killed Gollum back when he found the ring. If he had, their problems would be over. They could hide the ring and Sauron would probably never find it. It actually comes across a little callous, just how quick Frodo is to wish death upon another, even a creature as wretched as Gollum.   Specifically, Frodo says “It’s a pity that Bilbo did not stab that vile creature , when he had the chance.” And Gandalf replies “Pity? It was pity that stayed his hand. Pity, and mercy: not to strike without need. And he has been well rewarded, Frodo. Be sure, that he took so little hurt from the evil, and escaped in the end, because he began his ownership of the ring with pity.” Frodo admits he has no pity for Gollum, and that it is because of his fear. And isn’t that so true of fear, and the things attitudes it leads to. He says Gollum deserves death. “Deserves it,” Gandalf says. “I dare say he does. Many that live deserve death . And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death and judgement  For even the very wise cannot see all ends. I have not much hope that Gollum can be cured before he dies, but there is a chance of it. And he is bound up with the fate of the ring. My heart tells me that he has some part to play yet,  for good or ill, before the end; and when that comes, the pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.” I really like this conversation. As for myself, I value things like mercy and compassion, so I love what Gandalf says.   At this point, Frodo just wants to give the ring to Gandalf. He doesn’t want any part in it. And Gandalf immediately refuses. It is far too great a temptation for him. The ring has great power, and if he possessed it, he would want to use that power for good. But the ring would work great evil through him.  This isn’t just a question of power corrupting, something I don’t take as a given. The ring itself is evil. It has its own will. So the ring doesn’t just represent neutral power. To me, the ring has always been a pretty strong representation of temptation and sin. This is seen thematically through the whole story.   Gandalf doesn’t believe he has the necessary willpower to resist that temptation when it comes, and he is very wise to recognise that, so he chooses to excercise that willpower now, and refuse the ring. Better never to possess it.   But what does that say about Frodo? He wants Frodo to keep it. He worries that it will be a great burden to Frodo, of course, but I think he recognises a moral strength in Frodo that most lack, including himself.   And then they realise that Sam was outside the window, and we get that awesome amusing line “I ‘aint been dropping no eaves.” I love that line. It’s not some witty one-liner, it’s just a statement that comes out of a genuine simple misunderstanding.   Gandalf warns Frodo to never put the ring on. It’s use will draw the attention of Sauron’s servents. It wants to be found. And that’s chilling. Anyway, we’ll see how that goes in the future.   And so, here is where my walk actually begins. Frodo and Sam leave Bag End. That’s the starting point on my walk to Mordor app. It’s taken this long just to get to the starting point. But it’s been well worth it.   So within less than a page, we hit my very first milestone. Tookland. It’s just a sentance they says they passed through tookland. This is where Pippin’s family are from.   From here on, the order of events is a little different between the movie and the book, but they both follow the same points. My Walk to Mordor app obviously follows the book.   As they’re walking through a paddock, Sam stops. And he says “This is it. If I take one more step, it’ll be the furthest from home I’ve ever been.” I like this recognition of the significance of this moment. It’s not an expression of fear, or anxiety, about being so far from home. It’s simply an acknowledgement of something that feels significant to Sam. I understand this. I went on my first cruise a few years ago. I was 39 at the time, and I’d never been outside of Australia. This would be my very first time setting foot in another country. I felt like Neil Armstrong. I remember that morning at our first port, Noumea, the capital city of New Caledonia. I stepped slowly down the gangway toward the soil of another nation. I say soil, but it was actually concrete. It was a dreary industrial port, but that wasn’t the point. This was a significant moment for me. Unfortunately, the staff were hurrying us on to get a photo, so I didn’t really get to stop and really take in that moment, savour it, like Sam is doing here.   Even before Saruman is revealed to be evil, there are hints. Isenguard looks very dark and creepy. Sauramon looks at Sauron, and his armies, and he can find no logical way to defeat him. Faced with what he believes is inevitable defeat, he believes the only option left is to join Sauron, because it is impossible to oppose him. Gandalf accuses Saruman of abandoning reason for madness. But it could be argued that Sauramon’s choice here is governed by pure reason. Cold unfeeling logic. Absolute pragmatism. Gandalf has one thing that Saruman lacks. Faith. That there are forces in this world other than the forces of evil, that even in the face of seemingly impossible odds, there is still reason to hope. That even a hobbit, could, in fact, oppose the will of Sauron. It’s illogical. It doesn’t add up mathematically.  But choosing faith is a preferable option to him than giving in to the evil. And I really love that about Gandalf. Also, I gotta say, what was Tolkien thinking, naming Sauron and Saruman such similar names. And given that Saruman  ends up working for Sauron. That’s really on the nose. One of the first things a modern author is taught is not to give characters names that will get confused with one another. Try not to even have two main characters whose name starts with the same letter.   Then we reach my second milestone, the encounter with the black rider. The movie does an especially good job of this. It’s so creepy. Frodo senses something off about the black rider before he even appears. He is, of course, a ring wraith. It’s such a tense moment as it stops near the tree they’re hiding under and sniffs. Frodo is really tempted to use the ring to hide. Even though Gandalf warned him not to. It takes Sam to keep him from doing it. If he’d put it on, it would have all been over. The rider would have sensed the ring more strongly and kill them then and there.   My next walking milestone is a meeting with the elves at the 65 km mark. That’s a fair chunk of walking. And Frodo still hasn’t even left the borders of the shire. At this point in the book, Frodo is getting worried about Gandalf, who was supposed to show up for his farewell party, but hasn’t been heard from. In the movie, the encounter with the elves is brief, Frodo and Sam spy them in the distance but don’t actually make contact. They are already aware that the elves are heading to the harbour, leaving middle earth forever. This makes me think of, and is very likely the inspiration for, the first ones from Babylon 5, going beyond the rim and leaving our galaxy. It’s a powerful trope. It’s like all the magic is leaving the world. Sam says it makes him feel sad. I get that. Sheridan expressed a similar feeling in Babylon 5. Delenn’s response was “now we make our own magic.”   The last milestone I’ll talk about in this episode is Farmer Maggot’s field.   In the movie, Farmer Maggot’s field is where they finally meet up with Merry and Pippin. Keep in mind that this is further than Sam has ever been from home. Keep in mind, they’ve travelled two nights and at least one and a half days. My Walk to Mordor app says it’s 98 km from Bag End. But they find Merry and Pippin casually here stealing crops. It doesn’t quite add up. Have those two travelled two days and slept under the stars two nights just to come here and steal some carrots? It sounds like they do this almost every week.   By the way, it says a lot about hobbits that they so love raw vegetables they rebellious young hobbits would steal vegetables with such glee. It’s not just junk food that they take delight in. They love their vegies too.   Of course, in the book, they go and have a drink with farmer maggot. The stealing of crops is just part of Frodo’s childhood backstory.   The main point of all of these encounters seems to be to remind us that the black riders are dangerous and to re-emphasise that they are actively searching for Frodo.   But there’s a little moment I like when Frodo says “I’ve been afraid of you and your dogs for over 30 years. It’s a pity as I have missed out on a good friend.”   And that’s so true, isn’t it. Fear can make us miss out on all sorts of things, including friendships with people who may not be at all as we feared them to be.   Also, I’d like to point out that while Frodo, Sam, and Pippin got to ride all the way to the ferry in Maggot’s wagon, I had to walk all that way!   Anyway, that brings us to the fifth milestone on my journey. Buckleberry Ferry. So I’m going to leave it here for this time. It’s been a fun journey so far and there is plenty more to come.   Next time I do a Lord of the Rings Read, Walk and Watch, we’ll meet Tom Bombadil.  Until then, happy walking. Feel free to add me as a friend on the Walk To Mordor app, if you’re using it. And I’ll see you somewhere in Middle Earth. Next time I do a Lord of the Rings Read, Walk and Watch, we’ll meet Tom Bombadil.    Feel free to add me as a friend on the Walk To Mordor app, if you’re using it.   Next time on Nerd Heaven, in two weeks time, I’ll be talking about Star Trek Generations, that epic meeting between captains Jean-Luc Picard and James T. Kirk. I’ve got plenty to say about the movie, so I hope you’ll join me.   Until then,  Live Long and Prosper.   Make it so.

Hosts Andrew, Cary, and Ekin dun goofed and accidentally returned Carys audio into the fires from which it was created, thus embarrassing ourselves in front of our first guest, Chelsea!  So we sifted through the flotsam to bring you a clip show!  And stay tuned to see the return of both Chelsea and Cary next week!.  In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged, in secret , another episode of Ace in the Hole to control all others!

Josh kicks off our 6 part Fellowship of the Ring Coverage! -In the Second Age of Middle-earth, the lords of Elves, Dwarves, and Men are given Rings of Power. Unbeknownst to them, the Dark Lord Sauron forges the One Ring in Mount Doom, infusing into it a great part of his power to dominate, through it and at a distance, the other Rings, so he might conquer Middle-earth. -A final alliance of men and elves battles Sauron's forces in Mordor, where Prince Isildur of Gondor severs Sauron's finger, and the Ring with it, thereby destroying his physical form. With Sauron's first defeat, the Third Age of Middle-earth begins. -Unfortunately, the Ring's influence corrupts Isildur, and, rather than destroy the Ring, Isildur takes it for himself. Isildur is later killed by Orcs, and the Ring is lost for 2,500 years, until it is found by Gollum, who owns it for five centuries. The Ring is then found by a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, who turns invisible when he puts it on, but is unaware of its history.

Josh kicks off our 6 part Fellowship of the Ring Coverage! -In the Second Age of Middle-earth, the lords of Elves, Dwarves, and Men are given Rings of Power. Unbeknownst to them, the Dark Lord Sauron forges the One Ring in Mount Doom, infusing into it a great part of his power to dominate, through it and at a distance, the other Rings, so he might conquer Middle-earth. -A final alliance of men and elves battles Sauron's forces in Mordor, where Prince Isildur of Gondor severs Sauron's finger, and the Ring with it, thereby destroying his physical form. With Sauron's first defeat, the Third Age of Middle-earth begins. -Unfortunately, the Ring's influence corrupts Isildur, and, rather than destroy the Ring, Isildur takes it for himself. Isildur is later killed by Orcs, and the Ring is lost for 2,500 years, until it is found by Gollum, who owns it for five centuries. The Ring is then found by a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, who turns invisible when he puts it on, but is unaware of its history.

Welcome to Xbox Game Passengers. Every other Wednesday, host Derek and a guest will dissect and discuss just one game available on Microsoft’s Game Pass service, which was chosen for them completely at random. Whether it’s a magical or a horrible experience, they’ll force themselves through it, share their thoughts, and let you know whether or not the game is worth your time! At the end of each episode, they’ll also randomly select the game for the following show, so you always know what’s coming up on the next adventure. This time around, newcomer (and host of the Super GG Radio gaming podcast) Joel joins Derek to chat about the well received Lord of the Rings basically Assassin’s Creed game, Middle Earth: Shadow of War. It really, really feels like Assassin’s Creed, and it also really doesn’t do a great job of getting you invested in its characters (especially if you haven’t played the first game in the series, Shadow of Mordor). Go behind enemy lines to forge your army, conquer Fortresses and dominate Mordor from within. Experience how the award winning Nemesis System creates unique personal stories with every enemy and follower, and confront the full power of the Dark Lord Sauron and his Ringwraiths in this epic new story of Middle-earth. In Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™, nothing will be forgotten. We’ve had a blast making Xbox Game Passengers so far, and we really hope that you’re enjoying it too! If you have any feedback for us, we’d love to hear it at derek@geekscape.net. Anything you listeners can do to help spread the word about the podcast would be immensely appreciated — from sharing it on social media like Facebook or Twitter, to leaving us five stars (or even a review) on Apple Podcasts, to sending it to a single friend, it can all make a massive difference! Thanks again for coming along on this ride! You can also follow us on twitter @XGPPodcast Theme Song: I Adore My C64 by Nicolai Heidlas from HookSounds.com

One episode to rule them all! In this episode, Emma, Jim and Ken discuss how the Dark Lord Sauron should have kept his eye on the prize. Emma suggests that Sauron should listen to those infomercials about being 'premature', Ken tag-teams in some assistance, and Jim makes like Santa; elf slave-labour and all! Links: The Lord of the Rings (Wikipedia) The Lord of the Rings Background Explained: Part 1 and Part 2 They’re Taking the Hobbits to Isengard

65 years ago, on July 29th 1954, J. R. R. Tolkien published his first volume in the epic novel The Lord of the Rings. In 2001, the epic fantasy adventure The Fellowship of the Ring, became a film. Directed by Peter Jackson, what was once referred to as an unfilmable story, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, captured the imagination of the world and paved the way for one of the biggest film franchises to ever be produced. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential fantasy films ever made, The Fellowship of the Ring defined the genre and introduced the world to Tolkien’s Middle-earth on a scope that had never been undertaken before. The Dark Lord Sauron is seeking the One Ring. The Ring has found its way to the young hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). The fate of Middle-earth hangs in the balance as Frodo and eight companions who form the Fellowship of the Ring begin their journey to Mount Doom in the land of Mordor, the only place where the Ring can be destroyed. Rewind to where the trilogy began and join Frodo, Gandalf (Ian McKellan), Samwise (Sean Astin), Merry (Dominic Monaghan), Pippin (Billy Boyd), Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Boromir (Sean Bean), in an adventure to rule them all.

When Frodo prevented Dark Lord Sauron from using the One Ring to rule Middle Earth, he became a hero. When Neo led and won the warfare against machine overlords from obliterating the whole humanity, he also became a hero. You might not be aware, but you are on your own hero's journey-well, not in the fictional world, of course, but in real life. In this first part of the 5-part Slay the Dragon Series, a collabcast of The Speed Mentor Gavan Wall with Best of Belfast Podcast's Matt Thompson, we discuss everything you need to know about The Hero's Journey. They base this on Joseph Campbell's book of the same title. Today, we've compressed the steps into ten, so make sure you take mental notes. Discover how you can start and expect from your journey. We know deep down ourselves that there's more to what we are doing and what we have that is far better, so tune in. KEY TAKEAWAYS Ordinary World - We try go through each day trying to get the most out of the mundane. We work from 9-5 most of the week, try to spend time with out loved ones, and get enough rest. Call to Adventure - Passion has been ignited and you want to start and plan you journey. We think what we want is unreachable and that we're not worth it. Meeting with the Mentor - When someone experienced shows and up and guides you in your journey, grab the opportunity and start learning. Crossing the threshold. It's about jumping out to the unknown and taking the leap. Tests, Allies, Enemies - You meet people that will help you improve, develop and face any obstacle. And there will be people who won't even bat an eyelash. Approach to The Inmost Cave - Confront your fears, doubts, and insecurities. It's only you who can resolve your inner conflicts. Primal Ordeal - Ready yourself for your unforeseen battles. They could be as small and as big as they get. They could change your path or even change you afterwards. Getting Out. You get a sense of relief from the transformation that happened from overcoming an obstacle. It's the moment of ultimate humility as the hero do what he feels what needs to be done. There is completion of the character arc. A Gift for The People. Look back to where you started and see and appreciate how much you've changed. It's time to help other people also in their journey. BEST MOMENTS “At the end of the day, we all want to be heroes.” The heroes' journey is like a circle. The reason it's a circle is because the heroes' journey doesn't start when you're born and ends when you die. It's a process you'll go through several times in your life.” “Mentors can be physical. They can be people in real life that you meet for coffee, a grandparent, a parent, or whoever he is. But they can also be, in this day and age, digital.” “Start the action that will create attraction.” “There's always that moment when you think you've won, the end's at sight, but a bigger challenge will come up.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Hero's Journey by Joseph Campbell The Artist's Journey: The Wake of the Hero's Journey and the Lifelong Pursuit of Meaning by Steven Pressfield ABOUT THE GUEST HOST Matthew Thompson is the host of the Best of Belfast Podcast, a podcast dedicated to showcase what Belfast has to offer – the places, the stories of the locals, the culture, and many more. He interviews people from across Northern Ireland to let the podcast listeners not just hear but ‘see' how beautiful Belfast is. https://bestofbelfast.org/ https://matthewthompson.org/about/ ABOUT THE HOST Welcome to the Speed Mentor Podcast. Do you want success and abundance in your life?! Do you want to hear how to achieve it? Then you've come to the right place where the world's only Speed Mentor, Gavan Wall will mainline you with micro bite-sized chunks of inspiration fused with knowledge, built into a daily routine to help you deliver success. After walking away, a decade ago from his gilded life as a leading Barrister and property investor, Gavan Wall started his entrepreneurial career in inauspicious circumstances as he lost everything in the property crash. But he refused to give up, re-building a financial fortress from scratch, until now he leads multiple successful multi-million £ companies across FMCG, Franchise, Tech, Property and Mentoring. He's the Speed Mentor and serial entrepreneur, who shares with you all the breadcrumbs of success and just as importantly the failures. If you listen, you can avoid the potholes and learn to conquer your fear and live a life of success and abundance just like him. But be warned, his message can be stark and will not be for those seeking shortcuts. If you're wanting to be told that the law of attraction will deliver success wrapped in a bow to your front door, then this Podcast isn't for you, as that's never going to happen! It's time to own your own sh#t, never blame others and take the massive action to create the attraction. The opportunities and white space are everywhere. Gavan will help you get outside your comfort zone, connect with others, shed the scarcity mindset, set gorilla goals and achieve so much more. If you want to make your ideas soar…then talk to the Wall! CONTACT METHOD Gavan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavan-wall-b828a56b/ Gavan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gavanwall Gavan's Twitter: https://twitter.com/gavanwall Speed Mentor Podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeedMentor Subscribe to Gavan Wall's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZyfsl7Au5_tM7gKA_vuitw Gavan Wall Official Website: gavanwall.com Email him at success@gavanwall.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1981 BBC Radio 4 produced a dramatisation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in 26 half-hour stereo installments. The novel had previously been adapted as a 12-part BBC Radio adaptation in 1955 and 1956 (of which no recordings are known to have survived), and a 1979 production by The Mind's Eye for National Public Radio in the USA. Like the novel on which it is based, The Lord of the Rings is the story of an epic struggle between the Dark Lord Sauron of Mordor, the primary villain of the work, and an alliance of heroes who join forces to save the world from falling under his shadow.

[June 15, 2018] Return with the NJNM crew as they chat about 2003’s RETURN OF THE KING, directed by Peter Jackson. Thoughts and suggestions can be sent to notjustnewmovies@gmail.com. “The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. The story begins in the kingdom of Gondor, which is soon to be attacked by the Dark Lord Sauron.” - Wikipedia

[June 15, 2018] Return with the NJNM crew as they chat about 2003’s RETURN OF THE KING, directed by Peter Jackson. Thoughts and suggestions can be sent to notjustnewmovies@gmail.com. “The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. The story begins in the kingdom of Gondor, which is soon to be attacked by the Dark Lord Sauron.” - Wikipedia

This week, we return to the land of shadow that lies beneath the fires of Mount Doom to take control of any orc that crosses our path as we attempt to end the reign of the Dark Lord Sauron in Middle Earth: Shadow of War! After that, we talk about Cuphead's success, the loot box debate of 2017, and Nintendo courting mature gamers. Game On!

David Harten Watson: SQR Podcast celebrated another first by welcoming its first author, David Harten Watson to the studio. Born in Teaneck, New Jersey, and raised in Buffalo, New York, Watson grew up with his older brother Dale and his parents. He graduated from Calasanctius School and has degrees from Princeton University, Canisius College, and Buffalo State College. Currently, he lives with his wife (a native of Ecuador, not Eldor), their two sons, Daniel, “Danny” and David Aaron and two cats in New Jersey.  The mundane, uneventful day working as an IT Specialist allows time for Watson’s creative ideas to develop where he can later use them in his writing. As a child, Watson’s insatiable appetite for reading led him to reading adult novels by the age of ten. Being an avid reader, specifically in the genre of science fiction/fantasy, Watson was transported to fantastic places and he used his imagination to experience the adventures, which is what drew him to these novels.  A fan of J.R. Tolkein, he grew up reading The Hobbit  and Lord of the Rings. He also was inspired by Anne McCaffrey’s, The Dragonriders of Pern, and C.S. Lewis’, Narnia. Due to the high interest and multitude of fantasy and science fiction novels Watson read growing up, he was inspired to do the same. While at Princeton, Watson was a member of the student science fiction club, "Infitity Ltd." where he produced his first science fiction story; however, he never published it, and it has been unable to be located since. Some find writing short stories easier; however, Watson discovered the opposite was true for him as he was dabbling with different stories and writing techniques.  He explained how some writers need to outline their ideas first before writing; “outliners” and some writers simply just begin writing by the seat of their pants; “pantsers.”  Although he would try to outline his book at first, once he began writing, the characters would soon take on a life of their own and his original ideas didn’t always stick to the outline, thus making that process a waste of time.   Influenced by his favorite science fiction/fantasy novelist, Orson Scott Card, he attended "Uncle Orson's Writing Bootcamp" in 2011, taught by the great science fiction and fantasy novelist Orson Scott Card.  Additionally, Watson served as a U.S. Army Armor officer at Fort Knox, including all four positions: driver, gunner, loader, and tank commander.  These experiences, especially as a U.S. Army Armor officer, proved to be instrumental for writing novels since his first hand knowledge adds accurate, descriptive details during times of war. David Harten Watson is the author of the young adult fantasy series Magicians’ Gold, published by Pen-L Publishing, including Magic Teacher’s Son (a 2016 Eric Hoffer Book Award winner, 2016 New Horizon Award Finalist, and 2015 IAN Book of the Year Awards Finalist) and its upcoming sequel, Fortress of Gold that will be released in 2018.  Magic Teacher’s Son takes place in a parallel world similar to Earth in the early 1800s, except gunpowder hasn’t been invented in their world; however, magic is prevalent in their world. Watson used his son as the inspiration for the cover; however, because of his crew cut, Watson decided to have him wear a cowboy hat. There was some confusion later on about the genre because of the cowboy hat and as a result, the second cover was designed by artist M. Wayne Miller to unmistakably depict science fiction/fantasy; including magic, swords, and sorcery. Watson, as part of the Resistance, created a Twitter account, @LordOfTheTrump, anti-Trump; which is a Trump parody account where he takes Trump’s tweets and twists them around to be something from the Dark Lord Sauron from The Lord of the Rings and retweets them. Watson wishes to see a more equitable world and have people take care of the environment. Watson is a member of the U.S. Army Brotherhood of Tankers (USABOT) and the Mormon Church. He has also worked in a variety of jobs including camp counselor at Keewaydin Camps, teacher, tax preparer, car salesman, portrait photographer, track photographer, solar energy entrepreneur, and computer programmer.  Watson  is the Organizer of the Woodbridge Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Meetup, which he founded in 2008.  In his free time, he enjoys kayaking, acting in a no-budget horror movie filmed in New Jersey, and participating in Cowboy Action Shooting under the alias “Derringer Dave.”  

  The Nicks discuss Frodo's departure from Bag End, dealing with the Sackville-Bagginses, Gaffer Gamgee (a ninja?), Black Riders, High Elves, and walking through the Shire - which should have been the safest part of the journey.   Maps Map of Middle-earth  LoTRproject.com interactive map - Caution: spoilers for new readers!   How far is 20 miles around you? If you were Sam, how far would your geographic knowledge take you?   Last time in The Lord of The Rings Last episode we spoke about Gandalf, and how he chased all over Middle-earth to learn everything he could about the ring Bilbo found in Gollum's cave nearly 80 years ago. With Bilbo gone, and Frodo the new owner of the Ring (and Bag End), danger is growing and coming ever closer to the Shire. Frodo, under the guidance of Gandalf, and with the companionship of his gardener, Sam Gamgee, must get the Ring OUT of the Shire to save his home from danger!   Where are we in the narrative? Bilbo Baggins, who found a “Magic” Ring nearly 80 years ago, wills the Ring to his heir Frodo. Gandalf the wizard has discovered the true identity of Frodo’s ring. The Ring is the One Ring that the Dark Lord Sauron made, to dominate the whole world. Frodo learns that the only way to defeat the Dark Lord is to destroy the Ring, but that can only be done in the fires of Mt. Doom where it was made. Frodo then decides that he must take the Ring away from the Shire to protect his homeland, and also help the free people of Middle-earth to defeat the Dark Lord.   Notes for this episode Cheese fest is a thing in Wisconsin - there are several held around the state Gaffer Gamgee - The Ninja - Nick Andrew promises a prize for a fanfic about the Gaffer being or becoming a ninja. Frodo plans to leave the Shire at around the time of his Birthday Gandalf suggests that he travel to Rivendell, the home of Elrond Gandalf leaves after 2 months in the Shire (around June) Frodo sells Bag End to the Sackville-Bagginses Hints that he may be running out of money Merry helps to find a home in Buckland called Crickhollow We see how the Hobbits are when they’re not as polite as they might seem Lobelia walking into Bag End and declaring “Ours at last!” Leaving the dishes for Lobelia - tid for tat - little jabs at each other. Strange voices and conversations down the hill The adventure begins - trekking across the Shire The fox having his thoughts? What do you make of it? Nicholas missed the song reference Nick was hinting at. Radagast and the way he talks to animals Crebain and other animal spies and informers The way Frodo teases his friends Songs - show up throughout the story, but less common as hope is not reinforced. Robert Inglis version of Bilbo's Walking Song from the audio book Another version of Bilbo's Walking Song put to music The first Black Rider Another song “Upon the hearth...” - 3rd stanza becomes Pippin’s song in the movie Second Black Rider The High Elves Gildor Inglorion Worried about the news of Black Riders Unwilling to give advice Sam feels safe enough to fall asleep, but not willing to leave Frodo VERY unwilling to give advice Gandalf is missing - DANGER - RED FLAG!   Notable Difference(s) from Films: Frodo and Sam leave together -- IMMEDIATELY, with no “alternate residence” misdirect. Accidentally meet up with Merry and Pippin who are running away with some carrots. The Black Rider is not in Hobbiton in the movie, instead is somewhere further away.   Locations/Distance Traveled/Distance apart: The Shire (we don’t get very far this episode) New Characters: Peregrin “Pippin” Took Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck Fredegar “Fatty” Bolger Folco Boffin Gildor Inglorion et al   Links greendragonlive.com Twitter Facebook Special thanks to our friend Harry Murrell for the use of his music. Listen to more and subscribe to his channel here.

The Nicks discuss favorite musical themes from the films, the motions of Gandalf throughout Middle-earth and the hunting of Gollum in Chapter 2 of The Lord of The Rings. This is part 2 of this discussion - in the first part we discussed the chapter from Frodo's point of view. Click to go back to that discussion. Maps Map of Middle-earth  LoTRproject.com interactive map - Caution: spoilers for new readers! If you had to pick one musical theme from the films as your favorite, which would it be? Nicholas Jon's pick - The Charge of the Rohirrim - the fully developed and orchestrated version of the Rohirrim theme. Nick Andrew's pick - The Grey Havens - The final version of the Grey Havens theme An orchestrated version of Into The West. The melody/vocal line is played on the cello. Fellowship Reunited - the fully formed and matured Shire theme first heard in Concerning Hobbits. Last time in The Lord of The Rings Last episode we spoke about Frodo, and how he experienced the chapter as Gandalf laid an almighty hammer blow of scariness. The Dark Lord Sauron is looking for The Ring, and he now knows about the Shire and the name Baggins. Where are we in the narrative? Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered, Gandalf has traveled many paths to find the secrets of the Ring that Frodo has inherited. He returns to the Shire to find that, so far, all is well. But danger is closer than Frodo ever thought - it is in his pocket. Gandalf tells his story of how he pieced together the puzzle of the One Ring and how it came to Gollum and thus to Bilbo. Notes for this episode Episode 6 - Places of Middle-earth - [Prologue 0.6 Gandalf pieces the history of the ring together (more or less chronologically) Eregion - the first Elven-rings were made by Celebrimbor Reference chart for the pronunciation of Elvish words 8. Magic, Maiar, & The Rings of Power - []Prologue 0.8] Sauron makes the One Ring After many years the Last Alliance faces off with Sauron Isildur, Elendil’s son cuts the Ring from Sauron and claims the Ring The Ring is not destroyed The Ring betrayed Isildur in the river Anduin The Ring is lost Deagol finds the Ring Deagol finds the ring in the Anduin - Ring saves him from drowning? Deagol is promptly killed by Smeagol Smeagol is cast out, and eventually finds his way into the roots of the Misty Mountains The Ring eventually abandons Smeagol Bilbo finds the Ring The Gollum’s Road Bilbo and Gollum have their riddle contest Bilbo wins on a technicality vSmeagol doesn’t take too kindly to this After a couple of years Smeagol leaves the mountains Makes his way through Mirkwood to Dale Learns that Bilbo was there, and where he is from Back through Mirkwood avoiding the Wood Elves who are tracking him Turning aside he presumably went toward Mordor He was eventually captured and brutally interrogated He told his captors enough that they now know Baggins has it and it is in the Shire He escaped or possibly released He was hunted by Aragorn and Gandalf When found Gandalf spoke with him for many weary days to learn what he knew He was left under the guard of the Wood Elves in Mirkwood 5. Peoples of Middle-earth: Orcs, Trolls, & Wraiths - Prologue 0.5 Links greendragonlive.com Twitter Facebook Special thanks to our friend Harry Murrell for the use of his music. Listen to more and subscribe to his channel here.