Podcasts about ellensburg

Lani Cran-Petrie runs Kapapala Ranch on the south flank of the Big Island of Hawai'i with her husband, Bill. This episode with Lani begins a series on ranching in Hawai'i. Lani describes the improbable history of cattle in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, from a king's gift of livestock to the hide-and-tallow trade through the sugar plantations that shaped which lands ranches kept, the collapse of in-state slaughter in 1992, the shipping containers and airplane crates that now move Hawaiian calves to mainland grass, and a long relationship with Ellensburg, Washington. She also tells the personal story of ranching for 17 years on thirty-day permits on state land, thirteen years of fighting at the state capitol to keep the ranch, ten million gallons of water storage built on faith, and the herd-breaking of "inexperienced" cattle with dogs, exclosures, and an air horn. The Art of Range is supported by RanchBot Monitoring Solutions. Host: Tip Hudson Music by Lewis Roise Producer: Matt Ziegler, WSU College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resources Communications Visit the episode page at artofrange.com for the transcript of this interview and links to other resources mentioned in this episode.

En este episodio de ¡Bienvenido a los 90!, nos transportamos directamente a los orígenes de la escena musical de Ellensburg (Washington) de la mano de Dave Frazzini , un invitado de lujo que vivió de primera mano la eclosión musical de aquella época y que mantuvo una estrecha relación personal con los miembros fundadores de Screamin' Trees. ¿Qué descubrirás en este episodio? Los orígenes de Mark Lanegan: Descubre cómo era Mark antes de convertirse en leyenda, sus inicios jugando al béisbol, su etapa trabajando en el videoclub familiar y cómo dio sus primeros pasos musicales casi por casualidad. La escena de Ellensburg y Seattle: Un recorrido por los años 90, los conciertos locales en pequeños recintos y cómo bandas icónicas como Nirvana o Soundgarden tocaban ante apenas unas decenas de personas cuando nadie los conocía. Anécdotas inéditas: Recuerdos de primera mano sobre Mark Pickerel, Van Conner y Gary Lee Conner, sus colecciones de vinilos y los primeros proyectos musicales que gestaron la gran explosión del grunge. Escucha a David Frazzini: https://dfrazz-music.bandcamp.com Suenan: 01. Nirvana Pen Cap Chew (Tacoma 1989) 02. King Krab - To The Sun 03. Gary Lee Conner-Open Your Window 04. TAD - Paregoric (Live) 05. David Frazzin - Yer Goin' the Wrong Way 06. Screaming Trees - Shadow Of The Season (Live 1993) Más info: https://bienvenidoalos90.com Espacio patrocinado por: Angel Medano, Felip Palou, Jon Perez Nubla, Dani GO, Fran Cordero Cañas, Jose Manuel Valera, Barullo, Unai Elordui, JulMorGon, David Salamanca Sanz, Jaime Marchica Band, Sr.Jota, Theinvisibleband, jorge, Llorx Miller, Yago Llopis, boldano, estebansantosjuanesbosch@gmail, Vicent Martin, Matias Ruiz Molina, Próxima Estación Okinawa, Rosa Rivas, jvcliment, Jaume Solivelles, Javier Alcalde, jmgomez, Ana Isabel Miguélez Domínguez, Iñigo Albizu, Rachael, Naïa, Jaime Cruz Flórez, DOMINGO SANTABÁRBARA, faeminoandtired, Javi Portas, Belén Vaca, Ana FM, Eduardo Mayordomo Muñoz, Barrax de Pump, pdr_rmn, fernando, QUIROGEA Integrative Osteopath, J. Gutiérrez, Gabriel Vicente, Carlos Conseglieri, Miguel, Isabel Luengo, Franc Puerto, screaming, HugoBR, Vicente DC, Alvaro Gomez Marin, Alvaro Perez, Sergio Serrano, Isranet, Paco Gandia, ok_pablopg, Crisele, Wasabi Segovia, Dani RM, Fernando Masero, María Garrido, RafaGP, Macu Chaleka, laura, davidgonsan, Juan Carlos Mazas, Bassman Mugre, SrLara, carmenlimbostar, Piri, Miguel Ángel Tinte, Nuria Sonabé, Pere Pasqual, Juanmi, blinddogs, JM MORENTE, Rubio Carbón, LaRubiaProducciones, cesmunsal, Marcos, jocio, Norberto Blanquer Solar, Tolo Sent, Carmen Ventura, Jordi y varias personas anónimas. ✌️

“The people you're trying to lead may become your greatest teacher.” SUMMARY Matthew Ayers '99 believes leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about listening, learning and serving with joy. Hear how experiences at the U.S. Air Force Academy, on a U.N. peacekeeping mission and leading Dream Centers of Colorado Springs transformed his understanding of leadership. MATTHEW'S TOP 10 LEADERSHIP LESSONS 1. Leadership Begins with Ordinary Acts Matthew's grandfather didn't set out to do extraordinary things—he simply noticed people, asked questions, and invited them in. Great leadership often begins with small acts of compassion that have lifelong impact. 2. Lead with Joy One of the defining characteristics of Matthew's grandfather was his joy. Even in difficult circumstances, he demonstrated that joy isn't the absence of hardship—it's a choice that gives others hope and the courage to move forward. 3. Stay Curious About People Matthew learned that leadership starts by genuinely wanting to know people and understand their stories. Curiosity builds trust, broadens perspective, and opens the door to meaningful relationships. 4. Integrity Is Lived, Not Signed His experience during a United Nations peacekeeping mission revealed that values aren't proven by an oath—they're revealed in everyday decisions. Leadership requires the courage to live your principles, even when circumstances become complicated. 5. Influence Doesn't Require Authority Serving alongside people outside his chain of command taught Matthew that leadership often happens through relationships rather than rank. Quiet, consistent influence can move an organization—and a mission—forward one conversation at a time. 6. Presence Is Sometimes the Greatest Gift Whether comforting cadets during tragedy or supporting people in crisis, Matthew discovered that leaders don't always need the perfect words. Simply showing up and being present can have a lasting impact. 7. Listen Before You Lead Matthew's work reinforced that the people closest to the problem often hold the clearest vision for the solution. Leaders who listen deeply make better decisions because they're willing to learn before they act. 8. Let Others Become Your Teachers One of the most powerful themes of the episode is that leadership is not about always being the teacher. Matthew believes the people we serve—and the people we lead—often become our greatest teachers if we're humble enough to learn from them. 9. Transformation Happens Through Action Leadership isn't mastered in a classroom alone. Matthew reminds us that principles become convictions only when we wrestle with them in real life, applying them through service, relationships, and everyday decisions. 10. Leave People Better Than You Found Them Looking back on his grandfather's influence, Matthew's own leadership philosophy comes into focus: serve others with humility, model joy, remain teachable, and help people flourish. The greatest legacy a leader leaves is the positive impact they have on the lives of others. CHAPTERS 00:00:00 – Opening: Sometimes the Greatest Teachers Aren't the Ones We Expect 00:00:53 – Meet Matthew Ayers, USAFA Class of 1999 00:01:38 – The Story That Changed Everything: Grandpa, Joy & Two Strangers 00:08:47 – Justice Begins at Home: Lessons Passed from One Generation to the Next 00:15:12 – Ethiopia: When Integrity Is Tested in the Real World 00:24:31 – The Difference Between Signing an Oath and Living It 00:31:26 – The Child Who Became the Teacher 00:39:08 – Why Great Leaders Never Stop Being Students 00:45:51 – Leading Through Joy, Compassion & Presence 00:52:37 – Leadership in Practice: Listening Before Leading 00:58:44 – Matthew's Leadership Philosophy 01:03:28 – Advice to His Younger Self 01:06:14 – Final Reflections: Leave People Better Than You Found Them   ABOUT MATTHEW BIO Matthew Ayers, USAFA Class of 1999, is the founder and CEO of Dream Centers, a Colorado Springs nonprofit dedicated to serving women, children, and families through comprehensive healthcare, behavioral health services, and transformational housing. Before founding Dream Centers in 2011, Matthew served as an Air Force officer, managed air and space programs, taught at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and deployed as an unarmed military observer with the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea. A passionate student of leadership, theology, and community development, Matthew believes the most meaningful leadership begins with humility, service, and a willingness to learn from others. Through his work and volunteer service, he continues to champion innovative approaches that strengthen families, empower communities, and create lasting change. Matthew lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Amber, and their two children, Zeke and Halle Joy. CONNECT WITH MATTHEW LINKEDIN  |  DREAM CENTERS CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LINE PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor:  Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org Please note: we are only considering USAFA graduates as guests at this time. Ryan Hall | Director:  Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org     ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE AT USAFA.ORG/LONGBLUELEADERSHIP AND ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS   FULL TRANSCRIPT Guest: Lt. Col. (Ret.) Matthew Ayers '99  |  Host: Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99 Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz 0:00 Sometimes the greatest leadership lesson isn't learning how to teach others; it's discovering that the people you're trying to lead may become your greatest teacher. I'm Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99 — Long Blue Leadership starts now. Well, welcome. Our guest today is Matthew Ayers, class of '99. Yes, my classmate. Welcome, welcome to Long Blue Leadership. Let me tell you about Matthew from his military service, where he served in international peacekeeping. Then he went into the classrooms of Fairchild Hall, onto leading an organization called Dream Centers, where he's the CEO, really focusing on a vulnerable set of our community. It's such a pleasure to have you here today, Matthew. Matthew Ayers 0:46 Love being here. Thank you, Naviere. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:48 Absolutely. Well, we're going to jump right in because your story is so unique and so personal. I'd like to take us back in time and talk about your grandfather. I know we had some time talking about him, but I think it's well worth that our listeners and our watchers get to know him a little bit more as well. Let's talk about your grandfather and maybe a particular act of courage. Matthew Ayers 1:09 OK, yeah, he's my hero, and I always continue to this day trying to live life like my grandpa. He just was so inspirational in the way he lived, and he's a very relational servant leader. He pastored most of his life in the Pacific Northwest, but his beginnings were in Wuhan, China, where he was born and raised, and moved to the U.S. when he was 15. Got on a back of a cargo ship, and he and his brother John made their way here. He built railroad with the CCC and flipped burgers, put himself through high school, college, seminary, and he's just got an amazing life. But when I got to know my grandpa as a little boy, he was smoking cigarettes like a chimney and in the local bowling league and playing cards with his neighbors. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 2:01 I can visualize this man. Yes. Yes. Matthew Ayers 2:06 He was just everybody's person, and he could hang out with anyone. No one was a stranger, and he was genuinely curious about everyone he met. And so he just modeled that with such joy. I just grew up thinking I want to be like my grandpa. He's an amazing guy, And so I've got unlimited stories about him, about someone that really has left a mark on my life, and I was 11 years old, and we were pretty new, about a year or so into living in central Washington State. And he came to guest preach at a local church there, and when he came to visit, of course, we would always go to a local Chinese restaurant.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 2:53 And did he say it wasn't as good as when he grew up, though? Matthew Ayers 2:57 It was not nearly as good, but he still enjoyed it. He still would enjoy it wherever he went. And so he disappeared like usual, and we just knew he was back in the kitchen, probably washing dishes, hamming it up with the staff. And soon he comes back out, introducing us to staff, and we have all this free food, and he's best friends with this couple. So we were just this was like a normal experience with Grandpa, but on this particular visit, he had some pretty serious conversations after that with my parents, and he had found out that several of the staff were labor trafficked. They were new immigrants from China, and the next day, he brought me along as a little boy, we go down in our little town into a bag alley, knock on the door of a warehouse, no running water, no electricity, no amenities, dirt floor, and I see the rats running around. I'm like, "What are we doing here?” And we get to sit down with these people who are serving at this restaurant and can't speak English and do not know any way to navigate their situation. And he challenged us as a family. Well, he might have just volunteered us, but it was going to happen one way or another, that this couple ended up moving in with us, and we got to be like family with them, and had the most incredible experiences cross culturally just in our own home, and that was my first, maybe you know, shocking example of just the vulnerability of people in every community. It happens everywhere, but what was even more powerful to me about that, and what stays with me, is just how simple it really was looking back, where he just asked the question, and it seemed like such an ordinary, easy thing that that he made it out to be. And looking back, I'm like, well, that that's not easy for most people, but really, it is an ordinary thing that anyone can do. Naviere Walkewicz 5:07 Ask a question and bring someone in, right? Matthew Ayers 5:10 That's it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 3:46 I'm thinking about you as an 11-year-old, and you said it was kind of your first real glimpse of that experience. How did that shape you as you grew up? Because they were with you, right? And so, first off, did you did you learn to speak Chinese? Matthew Ayers 5:27 No, I learned a few phrases. I should have though. I remember even the simple things like these cross-cultural miscommunications we had about ruining laundry and just doing things so differently that made us sometimes laugh and sometimes have some pretty tense moments. But it was it was all of us learning together. How do we do this? And I think one of my favorite memories was one of these people — they were they just had this incredible ability to do this unique art form of laying small colored thread, and would take months and hundreds of hours per piece of art, and just the beauty of getting to introduce into this art of her culture that was in particular from this region she was from. So we just, I mean, we had so many rich experiences like that. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 6:29 I can imagine. So taking a leap forward, what was part of your journey that led you to the Academy? And when you went to the Air Force Academy, was your goal in mind to think about how to either participate or engage in things cross culturally, or was that just part of your upbringing and your makeup? Matthew Ayers 6:50 Yeah, I thought you might ask me this, and I have nothing here. Honestly, I saw pictures of the Rocky Mountains. I love the beauty of Colorado. It just seemed magical to me, coming from this little town in central Washington, and I wanted to snowboard, so it came with some, you know, really good university education. It was a win-win. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 7:13 Yes. So getting into the Academy, you know, obviously drawn by the aesthetics. What about the service in the military do you think really called you? And would you say that started, you know, with your grandfather, or was that something else you saw throughout just your childhood? Matthew Ayers 7:29 My mom and dad modeled it well, of course. My dad found an amazing and safe place in my mom's home, where she grew up in Wenatchee, Washington, and so they really had this model of my grandpa and grandpa Paul and Lydia serving continually, and they modeled that in our home, in our community, in our neighborhood. I mean, from as young as I can remember, my dad was leading leadership camps for high school students in Washington State and doing incredible things to serve. And servant leadership, which is always kind of a part of the conversation. So it was like the water that we got to swim in. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 8:09 It seems so when you talk about your grandpa and your parents, it feels very warm and comforting and secure. And when I think about our time at USAFA, Matthew, it was — you know while it was, you know, in this ecosystem, and yes, you know, we were growing as leaders, I would say there was chaos around us, you know? How did you navigate that with such a different kind of upbringing, and by what you saw in leadership. Matthew Ayers 8:37 Yep. That is, I think, really insightful, and it's probably — it could be the most powerful part of my growing up, my formation in my family. Because my grandpa, when he did these hard things that were ordinary, but you naturally create friction in these situations where you're serving and helping and bringing cross cultures together and bringing people in need, including us. We needed to be educated in that situation, understanding what was happening in our own community and understanding how to serve. And you don't — there wasn't a formula for that, and we didn't have a lot of coaching or training. Grandpa just pulled us in, and so we learned through doing this kind of life together. And I think that that was the power of it: is that he did it with such joy. So you describe it as this warmth, and absolutely it was. And so having that mindset, I think, built this resilience in us to have joy no matter what the situation was, and to hold those things intentionally. You know, sometimes things are really difficult and sad and sorrowful, but to still be able to carry joy into those situations, you're really able to have that impact on somebody who may need that. So even coming to the Academy and experiencing that, especially the chaos of the first year, it felt like a little bit of a challenge. Like, how do we have joy through this? Col. Naviere Walkewicz 10:05 Well, I think I would have loved to be in your squadron because it sounds like you would have brought some joy to us for sure. Let's talk about after the Academy. There was a particular time while you were serving, you went on to work in — I think it was 2005 — you were part of a United Nations peacekeeping mission. Can you talk about some of that experience and how it maybe shaped you? Because I think it was a really transformational moment as well in your leadership journey. Matthew Ayers 10:33 It was. It was. I was in the acquisition career field, and so I didn't have much opportunity to go overseas, but although I really wanted to. So this was one of those few things that I could thankfully got some approval from our commander and got to apply for this mission. And in that, I had this experience of coming out of Asmara, Eritrea, and heading down to our team site, which was pretty remote near the border, just south of Eritrea, and in this very small village in a war-torn area, it was completely austere, and you basically, as military observers, you have a team site you run and you kind of manage this area that you observe with daily patrols. And so I got to be in a team site with people from Ghana and South Africa and Bangladesh, and you name it. I mean, we always had new members coming in and out from one of these 41 nations that were there. And when I arrived at the team site the first day, Adahanit was our team cleaner, and so she was hired by the local staff on our team site. And when she literally ran to me, she saw my uniform and the American flag, and she dropped to her knees and just started weeping. And she was telling me how grateful she was that an American was at her team site now, because Americans had treated her and some of her family and friends and people who were living in this village with a little more respect than they were used to, and that was my introduction to this mission, to this team site, and I just thought, “Wow, what did I step into?” Because there are obviously a lot of really interesting dynamics that I didn't necessarily expect that kind of welcome coming in. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 12:27 We take for granted what seems so normal and usual and expected, right? And so to actually see how what we're expecting can really make a difference to somebody else is really powerful. What was some of that experience like there? Can you talk a little bit more about that mission and really why it, besides that incredible greeting, why it really spoke to you? Matthew Ayers 12:52 What I came to learn over the next six months living in Shiraru was that, you know, we all of us on the mission we had this MOU, kind of a moral obligation that we signed. We had this oath that we gave and communicated. We had a lot of training, extensive training in country, and then when we arrived overseas, and it was so — I think coming from this side, we had these just very clear expectations, and I think also kind of some of the culture that we swim in is filled with moral obligations. Even just our values at the Academy, where we where we were trained, and but it's such a part of American culture. And so what I realized is that although all the soldiers from every nation get to sign this thing and take this oath, it's not necessarily something that was part of the conversations in families growing up, or a part of the water that they swam in. So our day-to-day life there was filled with this tension between what we agreed to do and what was actually happening on the ground, and those things were completely different. So we saw — I mean, I saw two nations get kicked out and dismissed from the mission for starting trafficking rings. I saw two members of our own team site, they ended up running the black market cash exchange for the entire nation of Ethiopia while I was on site. And some of these things I really struggled with. Tried to work with people to help them understand what we were doing is not helpful to locals, and even to the point of bringing some of these things up legally with some of the team at headquarters. But when they're dealing with international trafficking rings, some of those smaller things that were happening at our team site, they just — they didn't even have capacity to deal with. And so that's also tension was like, OK, we have to learn to deal with this on a one-on-one basis in our team site in the middle of several hours' drive away from anyone who has any authority over the space. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 15:06 Wow! So, how did you learn from that? What did — what changed in you, or what evolved in you? How do you grow as a leader from that? Because that's really powerful when you have a mission, and then you have these competing things happening that sometimes challenge values. Matthew Ayers 15:25 It made life so much more complicated for me. I think I went in —   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 15:28 Like, “If my grandpa was here, he simplified things really well.”    Matthew Ayers 15:33 Right. Exactly. Where is this simple answer? There really wasn't. And I remember sitting in several meetings, both formal and informal, with some of the JAGs, some of the legal team there, and just trying to untangle some of these issues and understand what would be worth our time to bring up, even to the highest levels, even if we had to go to Congress. What are some of the things that we need eyeballs here and influence here so that we can change some what's going on ground? It's really negatively impacting people's lives, and some of the things that we had to wrestle with were these larger moral questions of if we do this and we potentially raise these other issues at this particular level, we can end the mission. And we're trying to keep these two nations from destroying each other. So please don't go to this level. Work with us. We're going to work with you. We're going to give you advice, but you need to deal with this one on one with these people that you're working with and serving with, and they may not be from your country and they may not be in your chain of command, but you have at least some level of influence with them. So we need you to be courageous and we need you to have these conversations on a daily basis and help us. So those, that was powerful to me because it wasn't, you know — I at first I felt disempowered and like I don't know what I could do in this position, but over time I think little by little, you know, you can you can move the ball down the field if you stay focused -and you kind of understand the situation you're working within. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 17:11 I'm so glad you shared that because often we might think, “Well, I'm just an acquisitions officer” or “I'm just this and this is not my lane” or “This is not my role.” But I think to your point is we can all be leaders and if we stay focused and we know what we need to be doing, moving the ball down the field is still very much progress. And so thank you for sharing that. I think that was really powerful. You know, you've had so many incredible experiences. I'm curious. So, acquisitions officer, you went and did this UN mission, and somehow you ended back in the hallways of Fairchild Hall teaching cadets. Let's talk about that transition and maybe what leadership looked like after you had some of this real-world and mission experience, operational experience. How did that translate to leading cadets in the way they think, etc. Matthew Ayers 18:03 The mission, you know, sharing knowledge, sharing wisdom, sharing the things that we know we're learning in Management 101. I mean, that's important, right? Col. Naviere Walkewicz 18:13 Yeah. Matthew Ayers 18:13 But what I realized in that role too is just, and I realized this going back to our time. You know, as '99ers…   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 18:24 Gold will shine.   Matthew Ayers 18:25 …and just people who had so much influence on us. That's my always dreamed to come back. That was a dream job for me. I wanted to be back here on campus and influencing kids' lives because I think you are for the first time in your life for most of us. Then you're away from home, and you get to like have your family, your brothers, your sisters, your parents, your grandparents. You can lean on in those situations at home to help you carry that leadership. But this is the first time you get to try it out on your own. And I wanted to get to know people relationally first and build trust so that I could earn a right as little as it was to speak into anyone's life, and maybe learn from them too, because we're all coming from different backgrounds where we can learn from each other. So that environment was incredible to me because it's just so much more than sharing knowledge, right? You know you're transforming. You're part of that transformative process of a person being formed when they're standing on their own values for the first time. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 19:34 Matthew, can you share an example of maybe when you saw that come to life with a cadet and an interaction with you? Was there a time in that that when you were facilitating or when you were an instructor that you actually saw some of those seeds be received and how it actually bloomed? Matthew Ayers 19:52 My very first night on duty, I was officer on duty at night, and you know you do this. Everyone pitches in and has that role at some point or another when they're on faculty here, and there was a suicide, and I remember getting to interact in the moment as the news is, you know, in a grassroots way, very quickly moving through the Cadet Wing. And in the middle of the night, just walking the hallways and seeing kids, and just getting to put my hand on my shoulder and ask if they need to talk, can I pray? Can I support you? And hearing their stories and what they knew, and so life happens, right? No matter what position you're in, no matter where you are, and you get to show up for people where you don't, or you get scared. And I think some of those things, you know, being in Eritrea in the middle of night with people, and that I think you build a little more resilience there too when you're in some interesting situations. And it helps you step into somebody else's space and just be present and I — those are sacred memories for me and those opportunities just to be present. Didn't do anything really but just be there. And I think I'll cherish that always. And I just encourage us. You know, it again — these things seem like so challenging sometimes when you're in a, when the stakes are high and the emotions are high, but those are the most important times to stand in and be present. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 21:42 I feel this tie from your grandpa to you. This ordinary act. I will tell you, the cadets that you spent time with when you were walking the halls that evening, and you put your hand on their shoulder, or you said, "Do you need to talk?” They will take that with them, and there's a good chance that when the moment calls for that from them, they're ready because they saw it in action and they felt the importance of that. Man, thank you for sharing that incredible story. I have to think that that probably played into your decision to jump into the nonprofit space and lead something incredible like you've been doing for the past 10+ years. Matthew Ayers 22:20 If I'm honest, I was a little bit upset leaving the Air Force. I loved that job. I loved what I was doing, but of course, I did have the seed that my grandpa planted, and really, it went back to that first experience that day when he introduced us to the staff at this restaurant. And I thought, I remember making a commitment back then to say, I want to be like my grandpa, and I want to do something. I think with my life, just to interact with vulnerable people and serve them. And so that came true. I got to start some work in the nonprofit world when I got out of the Air Force, and then it led into this opportunity. And I think just casting that vision in that early season of getting out and just sharing this bigger idea of like, OK, we what does the city need? We love Colorado Springs. There's a lot of great nonprofits, and we don't want to duplicate anything. So what do we really need? And that's when I got to go on this journey of just listening to leaders all over our city and discovering what some of those things could be. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 23:29 I love that powerful listening tour. Before we jump into that, I want to just in that piece of time in which you made that transition, I'm curious on how you knew it was time. Because I think many leaders, you know, when they're in different roles, they're looking for the when is the right time for what's next, or and who do you talk to in your corner? What was that transition, and maybe that network around you or your community around you, what did that look like in navigating that decision? Matthew Ayers 1:57 So, Naviere, my life is like one example after another of I have plans in my mind, in my heart, and then they get redirected. And there's a proverb about that that says, you know, people make plans in their heart, and the Lord directs their steps. So this was another clear example of that, of me taking a while to learn what really should be the next step. And I remember the voluntary separation program, that VSP came open, that opportunity. And this is strange. So if anyone's been around the Academy or taught there, you know this. If you haven't, it is rare to have people just come by your office and small talk for a while, right? You're with cadets in your open office hours, or you're teaching, or you're preparing for something. So we're running. We're always running around. And 15 people, several of them — I couldn't have even told you their last name. I was just an acquaintance with them — stopped by my office in my open hours during the day, one after the other, asking the exact same thing: “Are you going to apply for this VSP?” Col. Naviere Walkewicz 25:12 Did you make — I mean, I can't even. That's just kind of blows my mind, right? I'm just I'm putting myself in your shoes in that moment. Yes, please continue. Matthew Ayers 25:22 Yeah. So if Anthony Pedroni is listening, he was the last one, and Tony comes in at like 7 that night in my office and asks the same exact question. We're friends. We work together in the management department. And he said, "Are you going to apply for this VSP?” I said, "No, man, I love my job. I love what I'm doing. Why would I want to leave here?” And he said, "Oh, Mr. Sensitive,” and he walked away. And when he said that, I was convicted. I had not even stopped to pray for a second. Like, is this the right thing to do? And I just knew it was, and I didn't know why. So, I, as an Enneagram 9, I try to lead with my gut instinct. That always just naturally leads first, and I just knew I needed. So I applied that night. I was one of 20 that got it. I got a call the next day, and I was out in 30 days. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 26:11 Oh my goodness. So really, it was this group around you, and then some self-reflection and prayer, and you made that decision. There was really not a lot of talk at all, it sounds like. Matthew Ayers 26:23 There was zero planning. So yeah, but I knew it was right, and I knew if — you know, I just think taking steps of faith, sometimes we need to be redirected. And looking back on my life now, I cannot imagine not doing this nonprofit work early. In my mind, the timing was retire first, be stable, make a good decision, get your retirement, then launch this nonprofit. But that's not that wasn't the best way forward. And so I would just say that for others too, where I had to be redirected, and it was so helpful for me. And that if you know you're holding on to a dream, sometimes it's good to be stable and make that, you know, what might look like a more traditional decision, and sometimes it's not. And to have the courage to be able to at least ask that question. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 27:15 I love that. So you jumped, and you have now led Dream Centers. Let's talk about this a little bit because I think many people may not know what Dream Centers of Colorado Springs is and the mission. Matthew Ayers 27:30 There's a movement across the world. There's several hundred Dream Centers, and the basic thing that ties it all together is that we share this vision that we would find a real need in a city wherever we're located that's unduplicated, and we go meet that need. So we're not the same organization as any one other of these hundreds of Dream Centers. But I got to go on that listening tour for about six months and learn as much as I could from people here before we decided what we wanted to land on. That would really be something unique and unduplicated that we could offer the city. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 28:09 Do you feel that this is another way that you continued to put on a uniform outside of the uniform, right? So this is a new way of service. Do you think that that was part of not only it was a need that you decided this is the one we're going to do and it's unduplicated, but it actually spoke to you because of your servant leadership background? Matthew Ayers 28:29 Maybe. I think honestly, going back to those roots, my parents, my grandpa. I mean, I think of my wrestling coach in high school and English teacher. They served so well, and they did it with joy. I think just to me, it was a more inspiring way to live, and so I didn't think about it like that, and I don't think about it like that. Although that's absolutely important and valuable, but I think as I as I experience the joy of learning from our clients right now and our staff, and just how rewarding the mission is, yeah, absolutely. It's about serving our community, but it is so joyous. It's — I get so much more out of it that it's like it really is a way of life that that is just incredible. I love getting up in the morning. I love what I get to do. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 29:19 So you are learning from the people you serve. You just — you were just talking about the joy that it brings you. What has changed in you? And I think about it — you know, this is Long Blue Leadership. So from a leadership capacity, because you're leading a team of professionals that's making this joy possible, but curious how it's also really, like, you know, changed you? Matthew Ayers 29:40 Man, I think I've changed every day. There's — you know, I have not had a lot of extreme or challenging situations I've dealt with in life, but I've had like a front row seat to that, and I think that I don't understand what it's like to live in a car, or to live on the street, or to experience domestic violence, or to be without food, and people are in those situations in our city every day, and they have so much to tell us about what's going on with our city, what's working, what's not. How can we improve it? How can we improve it down to the level of interactions, from phone calls and intake and how we're welcomed into a front office, to what actually is going to move the ball and make an impact in their life, and I think those are the things that we know are like adding to the quality of community, and it transfers intergenerationally in our city. So if we don't stop to learn about those things, it we're all going to be affected by that, and we're all going to be life will just not be as rewarding because it is so rewarding to be in the middle of those conversations and experiences. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 31:17 So I'm thinking about it in parallel as leaders. To your point, are you know they have colleagues or teammates that are experiencing things that they haven't. How do you navigate those conversations? How do you actually get to a place where maybe you are driving impact or making it a difference? I'm curious if you could share some of that, maybe some for those who are looking for that leadership as well. Matthew Ayers 31:41 We're always trying to do things with excellence. We're always tweaking what we're doing, and we're trying to just be steady and show up every day and learn what we can. And so I think when we have some big changes we need to make or a program we need to implement, first it needs to come from the people we're learning from, right? And it's not dreamed up without partnership there, and I think it needs to be confirmed by them as well. And so I mean, this again-it's the story of my life. But for several years at one of our programs at Mary's Home, the families we get to be with and serve and learn from were telling me about, you know, “The way that you're setting up this high-challenge, high-support program, and what we're able to accomplish here, and how we're surrounded with love and services and challenge. It is so good. Why aren't you doing that with our children? Why are you not offering the same thing for them?” And we — this was a theme, and I got to hear it over and over and over again. And they probably felt like they were being a broken record, but it was so important that they kept — they felt they had that important message to share. And it took me years of hearing that and then validating it with other people in the community, other people who had come through the program, our graduates, who had been years, you know, after launching for Mary's home, validating it, and I think that whole process was something where, for me, it felt like at least scales had to fall from my eyes. I had to really wake up to the reality of what this is because at first I was thinking there's other organizations that do this, and they continued just faithfully week after week, month after month, to have this conversation and say, “No, you — OK, so you don't really understand, Matthew, what we're talking about, so let's back up.” It was conversations like that. Like, “Let me tell you about my experience here with my children.” “Let me tell you about my experience over here at this service and why it's not working.” And so I think those, you know — it's being in touch with your customer. It's being in touch with your client. It's really — we have to be changed first if we're going to really offer something that's truly transformational. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 34:03 I love how you said you can drive change and it really make an intergenerational difference. I'm curious how your work has changed the lives of your family because I know you know you're married and you have two beautiful children. What does this legacy look like in your household? Matthew Ayers 34:22 Yeah, well I hope that I can you know at least try to live up to my grandpa's way of being. And so like when we're around work, that our kids it feels like a normal thing to do, just to be in service and to be engaged, to be in touch with what's going on in our community, and that it feels normal to come to work and have that warmth and have that encouragement and see models of people just doing normal things that we may if we don't have those models otherwise they seem maybe difficult for a little distant from us. And sometimes they're actually closer than we realize and we just keep them distant because it reminds us of just how maybe vulnerable we are sometimes, or maybe a memory like going back to our childhood that could be implicit. You know, before we're even four, and we remember it with our mind. Our body is remembering it with our emotions, and we're and so we get scared sometimes, and we don't even know why to engage with some big challenges in our city. And that's what I think. Yeah, the day-to-day stuff I want to model for Zeke and Halle Joy are just — you know, this is this is actually super rewarding, and it's one of the best things in the world you can do. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 35:40 So, Matthew, if we can go back in time, and you could talk to your 11-year-old self, what might you tell him today? Matthew Ayers 35:46 I think knowing what I know now and seeing what's possible, what transformation, what kinds of things, and just that we've been able to do with our partners in the city, through Dream Centers, going back to that, all that may seem really daunting and just incredibly tough to imagine or even think about as 11-year-old. But I think I would keep just want to model it for him, you know, just like my grandpa did, and make it make it easy, make it like this is — anyone can do this. Take that next faithful step, that everyone has something that they can do to show just a little bit of genuine curiosity in whoever they're with, that we always have something to learn, and if you can model that with joy, I just think it can be captured so much easier. If you model it in any other way, I don't know that it becomes something that you want to emulate. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 36:45 I love that. And speaking of joy, I have a feeling I know where you might go with this answer, but let's see if you surprise us. You know, what is something you're doing every day to be better, either as a leader, you know, in your in your life? What are you doing every day to be better? Matthew Ayers 37:05 I'll say it's something that I try to do every day. So even this week is a great example. Like, the last couple weeks, I've had conversations with staff where they felt courageous enough to give me feedback, and I got to listen, and I get to learn from them, and they're my greatest teachers. “So, this is how I felt in that situation, Matthew, and this is how I didn't feel seen or heard.” And let me just tell you how that impacted me, and those conversations are, you know, although I wish I could say they're far and few between, they're probably more regular. But I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful that we have a team that really trusts each other, and where we can just be honest and reflect and call each other to this higher place. And my team does that for me. So if I could do one thing, I don't always do it, but if I could do one thing really well, it'd be to keep learning from them. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 38:03 Oh, that's fantastic. May I ask how you accept that feedback? Because, you know, being open to hearing it is one thing, but accepting it, I think, is another. Can you talk about how you do that? Matthew Ayers 38:18 Yeah. Well, I think people are complicated, and all of us, right? We're like this incredible mishmash. You have, like, unlimited layers of variables going on an x-axis and a y-axis, and for some reason, on one day, one person will hit that one button that really affects us more deeply than another. And I see that, you know, with me, I see that with our team. And so, even one staff member will give me feedback that's in this direction, and another and receives it completely differently. So, what I think it does for me is I want to hold all those things as equally valid and say how can I sharpen what I'm doing even more so? Like that thing really landed for somebody and it really hurt somebody else. So how can I adjust? How can I learn from that so that I am presenting, I'm showing up to work my best self in a way that's able to speak to everyone. You can't always do that. You're never going to hit on the head, and that's why we need grace for everyone. We need a little patience. But I think we can always learn too, and we can always sharpen the skills. And I'm so grateful that we can, and that EQ is just one of those things that we can constantly work on. So, yeah. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 39:36 I love that. Well, what is something that we didn't cover today that you feel is really important for our viewers and listeners to hear from you? Matthew Ayers 039:46 You keep doing what you're doing because you're bringing a message that is really — it's not complicated at all, but there's so many layers to this leadership journey, and I think people need examples of that. We don't learn — I think what I know that whether it was just in my work here at the Academy, or the work with the nonprofit, or just growing up in Ellensburg, Washington, learn as much in the classroom, and so we have to wrestle with these ideas. That's important, and these ideas we'll hear today are really important. But we need to the community we live in, the family we're a part of, our work, and we need to apply these things. And that's where we really learn. And I don't think leadership can ever be learned just from talking about it, right?   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 40:43 That's right.   Matthew Ayers 40:43 So we have to be able to apply these ideas constantly and wrestle with them, and talk about them, and keep them front and center. So thank you for doing that. And I know we're going to keep trying to do that within Dream Centers and make it real instead of just theoretical. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 41:00 Well, Matthew, this conversation has been really incredible in many ways. I think some of the things that really stuck with me in this conversation, one, I just really appreciated getting to know your grandpa through you. I mean, he's someone that I also hope that I can emulate in just his finding ordinary ways to make big impact. And I think you're doing that every day in your job, and that's helping to inspire others as well. I really appreciated our conversation how you really have become a student of learning leadership through the through the actions that others have gone through, right? So maybe not living them yourself, but being there in the moment, learning from them. And so I appreciated how you really talk about leadership through learning. And so I think that really came through and folds in our conversation today. And last, I want to end with this because, as I sit here and I smile at you, it's because you bring joy, and I think it's really important that we find joy in the moments, even when they're difficult. If we can continue to like hold onto that thread of joy, life is sure a lot more fun and meaningful, and we bring others along with us in that in that capacity. Matthew Ayers 42:04 Thank you, Naviere. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 42:05 For all of you that are watching this and listening, thank you for joining us on Long Blue Leadership. If you know someone who's on their leadership journey, they really should check out this conversation and all of our others at longblueleadership.org. Many of our graduates have different paths that they want on leadership, and just like Matthew, they have so many wonderful lessons you can pose in them. So until next time, I'm Naviere Walkowicz, Class of '99. We'll see you on Long Blue Leadership. KEYWORDS Primary: Servant leadership, leadership through learning, influence, humility, curiosity, transformation. Secondary: Mentorship, moral courage, resilience, trust, active listening, empathy, community, values-based leadership, feedback, purpose. Supporting: Emotional intelligence, authenticity, growth mindset, stewardship, compassion, vulnerability, presence, integrity, service, relational leadership. The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation    

It's Monday, July 13th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Texas police officers vs. Christian preachers at “pride” event Today, our persecution of Christians story comes surprisingly from Texas. On June 27th, Rich Penkoski and like-minded believers spoke the truth and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a bullhorn at the Trinity Homosexual Pride Fest in Fort Worth, Texas.  Not surprisingly, homosexual activists and nearby business owners complained to police about both his message and the amplification. When police responded, the officers threatened to arrest and cite the preachers, telling them that phrases like “homosexuality is a sin” were offensive. Listen to a portion of one video posted by preacher Penkoski of his interaction with a female officer. POLICE OFFICER: “If someone is offended by your talking, then we have a problem.” PREACHER: “That's a constitutional violation of our rights. If you shut us down for talking or speech …” (crosstalk) POLICE OFFICER: “No. If they are offended by speech, …” PREACHER: “I don't care if they're offended.” POLICE OFFICER:  “Okay, then I'll write you a ticket, and we'll go from there.” PREACHER: “Wait, you're going to ticket us for offensive speech?” POLICE OFFICER: “Yes, absolutely.” PREACHER: “Are you serious? You're going to cite us for offensive speech.” POLICE OFFICER: “It's called disorderly conduct.” Plus, according to another video, a male police officer also said if the preacher used biologically accurate pronouns for someone pretending to be the opposite gender that also could be considered an offense. The preacher was warned that continued use of the bullhorn would violate the city's noise ordinance before ultimately receiving a disorderly conduct citation after continuing to use the device. Subsequently, the Fort Worth Police Department acknowledged that an officer made "certain statements that were not accurate," reports Fox News. In last Thursday post on X, Penkoski wrote, "Police officers have been violating preachers' 1st amendment rights for years. This isn't new, we just got it on video, and they can't walk it back or deny it.” He added, “As a street preacher, it is not my job to coddle anyone or go soft on sin. People are dying and going to hell every day and we have to warn them. ​… Christians need to wake up. We have got to stop sitting in the safety and comfort of our church pews and start taking the Gospel back to the streets. If we refuse to exercise our constitutional rights, we are going to lose them." In Matthew 5:13, Jesus said, “You are the salt of the Earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Homosexual couple sues surrogate who refused to abort baby with cleft lip A homosexual male couple in Canada has sued a surrogate mother who believes she is being punished because she refused a request to abort the baby after doctors detected a cleft lip and a possible heart defect, reports The Christian Post. They used a donor egg and sperm from each of the intended fathers. In a suit filed in Ontario Superior Court in May, the homosexuals allege the surrogate mother failed to keep them informed about the baby's health, caused them emotional distress, and violated their confidentiality, reports The National Post. The lawsuit came two years after the perverted couple asked her to abort the baby at 22 weeks — a request she refused. Specialists at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto later determined that the baby was otherwise healthy, except for the cosmetically fixable cleft lip. The couple accepted this assessment, agreed to continue the pregnancy, and took the baby boy home after birth. The surrogate unsuccessfully sought repayment of about $10,000 in out-of-pocket costs. Ironically, the couple filed a lawsuit for $600,000 in damages against the single mother for her failure to abort their now living son. More than 50 countries prohibit both commercial and altruistic surrogacy. And here in the United States, surrogacy laws vary by state. New video: Senator Mitch McConnell loaded into ambulance New video posted on July 10th shows Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky being loaded into an ambulance after suffering an apparent cardiac arrest at his Capitol Hill home last month, reports the New York Post. McConnell has been absent from the Senate for nearly a month as he continues to recover in the hospital. The 84-year-old lawmaker is not seeking re-election this November and will retire when his term ends in January. California puts abortion pill reversal on trial Heartbeat International, a pro-life group, is on trial in a California court for daring to inform women that the effects of the Abortion Kill Pill can sometimes be reversed, reports The Washington Stand. Their attorney, Danielle White, said, “Women deserve to know all of their options. They don't lose that right after beginning a chemical abortion.” In 2023, Democratic California Attorney General Rob Bonta  sued Heartbeat and a pro-life pregnancy center for “advertising Abortion Pill Reversal as safe and effective.”  Factually speaking, the abortion pill reversal protocol simply requires the use of the natural hormone progesterone which is both safe and helps save 65% of the babies. Bonta asked the court to impose a penalty of more than $20 million against Heartbeat and $600,000 against the pregnancy center. That would amount to a financial death sentence for the pro-life non-profits. The case went to a bench trial on June 24, 2026, and the trial may continue for another three weeks. Thomas More Society's Paul Jonna said, “A ruling in California's favor would hand attorneys general across the country a roadmap to penalize any non-profit organization that provides women with information the state disagrees with. If the [California] Attorney General prevails and our clients cannot deliver free, truthful, and lifesaving information to women who request it, then countless babies that could survive may not — and countless women may never meet the children that they wanted to carry to term.” Marriage advocate Mike McManus entered Heaven On a personal note, my father, Mike McManus, entered the gates of Heaven on July 5th at the age of 85 in Nashville, Tennessee.  Standing at 6'8” tall, he might have had to duck to walk through. To be sure, Dad had a God-sized vision to make a difference. After graduating from Duke University, he was employed at Time Magazine where he was stationed in Bueno Aires, Argentina and later covered President Lyndon Johnson at the White House, writing two cover stories. In 1973, my Dad organized a public participation campaign, “Choices for ‘76” to engage 10 percent of the 20 million people of the New York Metropolitan region in policy issues as the U.S. approached its Bicentennial. The project aimed to spark public debate through a series of television town meetings on issues like housing, transportation, the environment, poverty and urban growth. After becoming informed, citizens were invited to express their opinion on possible public policy tradeoffs, using ballots available in newspapers, banks and libraries. Then, he wrote two self-syndicated weekly newspaper columns which appeared in 100 newspapers.  The first, called “Solutions,” was politically focused and offered practical public policy suggestions. The second, “Ethics & Religion,” was inspired by the preaching of Pastor Terry Fullam of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Darien, Connecticut. It grappled with church news and moral issues like abortion, pornography, and the homosexual agenda. I remember helping him copy, collate, stuff, stamp, address, and seal the envelopes to send out his weekly columns to newspaper editors across the country before the advent of the internet and email. We were always racing to the post office to get there before the deadline at 11pm at night. In 1993, he published his first book Marriage Savers: Helping Your Friends and Family Stay Married. Other books included 50 Practical Ways to Take Our Kids Back from the World and Living Together: Myths, Risks and  Answers. In a 2013 phone interview on American Family Radio, Dad talked about the major myth that women believe about living together. MIKE McMANUS: “One of the myths, believed widely by women, is that ‘'If I live with him, he's going to see how wonderful I am, and he'll ask me to marry him.' But he knows that this woman would marry him if he asked her. He's living together with her because he doesn't want to get married. He wants the sex, he wants the companionship, and the shared rent. But he doesn't want to get married. “She believes this myth until about a year and a half, two years into the relationship, when she realizes he's not going to ask her to marry him, and she sadly walks away. Unfortunately, by that time they may have already had a child. The unwed birth rate has risen right along with cohabitation. “This is an unbiblical position, of course. I mean, the church has been silent on the problem, and it's part of the problem.” Cognizant of the clarity of Malachi 2:16 in which God says He “hates divorce,” my father's passion on the issue led to his founding of the non-profit Marriage Savers with my mother, Harriet, to whom he was married for 61 years and whom he simply adored.  He said, “Most divorces are filed by one person who alleges incompatibility, while the other spouse wants to save the marriage. Sadly, divorce is always granted. When adultery or abuse is not alleged, divorce should only be granted if there is 'mutual consent' by husband and wife. What was entered into by two people, should not be ended, unless both people agree." They organized 10,000 pastors in 229 cities in 43 states to sign a Community Marriage Policy agreement that established rigorous premarital preparation for engaged couples and trained volunteer mentor couples to help people in troubled marriages. The Baptist Press reported that the divorce rate in those cities dropped by 17.5%. Think about the heartache that saved untold families and children! Their work led to appearances on ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, CBN News, The O'Reilly Factor, The Ricki Lake Show, Breakpoint with Chuck Colson, Focus on the Family with Dr. James Dobson, Truths that Transform with D. James Kennedy, and Moody Radio's Janet Parshall. I treasure the books that Dr. Dobson personally inscribed to my father as a fellow warrior for the family that are now in my library. And Chuck Colson, President Richard Nixon's former hatchet man who was gloriously saved on his way to prison over Watergate and founded Prison Fellowship, wrote the forward to one of Dad's books after their friendship blossomed. Having always aspired to live on the water, he eventually moved into his dream home with his bride in Kilmarnock, Virginia, just 50 feet from Indian Creek that fed into the Chesapeake Bay.  A great day for him was enjoying the view from his leather chair, reading the paper, listening to classical music, and talking with my mother, who was his great joy. My father taught me how to write clearly and think Biblically. I remember him quizzing us three boys at the dining room table about current events. And he was a faithful husband who pointed the family to faith in Jesus Christ, His legacy lives on in my two younger brothers, John and Tim, and in me, as I strive, with my bride Amy, to disciple Honor, Mercy, and Valor in the ways of the Lord, urging them not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds in the Word of God, as Romans 12:2 articulates. 9 Worldview listeners gave $2,055 And finally, toward our $30,875 goal during the first full week of our month-long fundraiser, 9 listeners stepped up to the plate by 10:30pm Central on Saturday and invested their treasure to fund the six-member team behind The Worldview for another 365 days. Our thanks to 12-year-old Halen in Blum, Texas who gave $5 as well as Mark in Newark, Ohio and Brigitte in Brookings, South Dakota – both of whom gave $25. We're grateful to God for Julie in Victoria, Texas who gave $50, Dirk in Englewood, Colorado who gave $100, and Twyla in Ellensburg, Washington who gave $150. And we were touched by the generosity of Jason in Calhoun, Georgia who gave $200, Elaine here in San Antonio, Texas who gave $500, and Stephen in California, Maryland who gave $1,000. Those 9 gifts add up to $2,055. Ready for our new grand total? Drum roll please. (drum roll sound effect) $23,098 (sound effect of people cheering) That means, in all candor, we missed last Friday's goal by $7,777. Please, do not wait until the last minute.  Every gift gets us closer to our $123,500 goal by July 31st.  So far, out of our tens of thousands of listeners, the most people who have donated in a single day is 15 people. Help us double that.  Will you be one of 30 to step up? Make a donation today to help us hit our $56,565 goal by this Friday, July 17th.  We need to find 7 Worldview listeners who will pledge $100/month for 12 months or give a one-time gift of $1,200, 20 folks who will pledge $50/month or give a one-time gift of $600 and 40 listeners who will pledge $25/month or give a one-time gift of $300. Go to TheWorldview.com, click on Give, select the dollar amount, and make sure to click on the “recurring” button if that's your wish.  What has the Lord placed on your heart to give? Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, July 13th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Eric is back in the studio with the dream team of Jon and Sammy. He switches from his podcaster hat to Coach hat and recaps the season that was for Kittitas HS Baseball. The guys recap the state tournaments with so many competitors from Ellensburg, Cle Elum, and Kittitas. 

This is our final message for our Spring 2026 message series! We've loved getting to hang with you this year; see you next fall!

Spring 2026 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

Kittitas, Ellensburg and Cle Elum Roslyn high school athletes are showing out, and ready to show off as spring sports wrap up during state tournament time. 

Spring 2026 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

In this episode of How to Get Ahead with Millennial Life Coaches, host Tanya Lleigh, co-founder of Coach Core, sits down with Debra Leigh Bryant, transformational coach, author, and founder of Creating Ripple Effects, for a powerful conversation about authentic alignment, self-discovery, subconscious patterns, and the courage it takes to make life-changing decisions.Debra shares her personal journey of leaving a 32-year marriage, stepping away from a 23-year corporate career, writing her book Ripple Effect: A Mother's Journey, and discovering the deep inner work that helped her reconnect with her authentic self. Her book explores family relationships, spirituality, healing, loss, and how her adult children's lives shaped her own path as a mother.Together, Tanya and Debra explore what it means to live in alignment — not just with your goals, but with your mind, heart, gut, and deeper sense of self. Debra also discusses her work as a life coach, including how she helps clients uncover the answers within themselves while creating an outcome-oriented path toward personal development, relationships, career advancement, and spiritual growth.In this episode, we discuss:• What transformational coaching means• How to recognize when your life no longer feels aligned• Why fear and discomfort may point toward growth• How subconscious patterns can hold people back• What NLP and hypnosis can help uncover• Why coaching can support deep self-discovery• How journaling and meditation can help you get clear• What authentic alignment actually feels like• Why sharing your story can create healing for others• How love, choice, and perspective shape relationships• Debra's book, Ripple Effect: A Mother's Journey• How to begin creating positive ripple effects in your own lifeConnect with Debra Leigh Bryant:Website: https://www.DebraLeighBryant.comCreating Ripple Effects: https://www.Creating-Ripple-Effects.comSchedule a Free Discovery Call: https://www.debraleighbryant.com/discoveryEmail: CoachDebraBryant@gmail.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-bryant-8410a1129/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debraleighbryant/Find Debra's book:Ripple Effect: A Mother's Journey is available on Amazon and locally at Pearl Street Books in Ellensburg, Washington.Brought to you by our sponsorship partners, Coach Core:Coach Core helps coaches simplify, streamline, and scale their businesses with systems, strategy, and support that actually fit the way they work. From client management and automation to messaging and growth, Coach Core gives coaches the tools they need to build a business that feels aligned, organized, and sustainable. Learn more at coachcore.ca Millennial Life Coaches connects millennials with coaches, conversations, and personal growth resources designed to support life, leadership, wellness, mindset, relationships, career development, and transformation. Subscribe for more episodes of How to Get Ahead, where we feature coaches and thought leaders helping millennials take meaningful action toward their life goals.Learn more about Millennial Life Coaches (MLC):https://millenniallifecoaches.com/#AuthenticSelf #TransformationalCoaching #MillennialLifeCoaches #SelfDiscovery #HowToGetAhead

Spring 2026 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

Spring 2026 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

Spring 2026 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

Spring 2026 Message Series at Chi Alpha! During this special message, we got to hear student testimonies from Andrew, Lucy, and Luke! Enjoy!

Spring 2026 Message Series at Chi Alpha! You may notice that this message cuts off partway through; our apologies. Our audio system experienced a glitch and was unable to record the whole message. Enjoy!

Spring 2026 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

Spring 2026 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

The Authors Quill todays guest or winners of The L Ron Hubbard writers and illustrators of the Future contest guest Josie Moore Roddy Taylor Karah Richardson Tracy Eire Josie Moore grew up in the valley town of Westfield, Massachusetts with a voice that wouldn't work and a brain filled to bursting. Paranoid by the world and abandoned by those around her, she turned to art in her time of hiding. When she was scared, she wrote about it. When she cried, she drew comforting pictures. With the inability to pinpoint and process her own emotions, she used art and storytelling as her communication, turning her fear into something beautiful. Nowadays, she can finally leave her bedroom, but never without a sketchbook by her side. She attends the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in hopes of getting her BFA in Illustration. She spends her days doodling elves, bears, and silly little faeries and nights writing, planning, and…hopefully writing some more. Finally having an outlet to put all her obsessive, creative energy, she dreams of one day showing even the deepest crevices of her mind with her odd love stories and twisted mysteries. Roddy Taylor is a former high school science teacher, who decided to become a full-time artist and illustrator. He and his wife moved to Ellensburg six years ago after his son was born and fell in love with the place. Since deciding to go full-time with his art, he has developed his previous love for mythology, nature, and fantasy themes. His most recent accolades involve winning Best of Show at the Kittitas County Fair twice. His work has shown often at Gallery One in Ellensburg, including a solo show in the Fall of 2024. It was a fairly short wordcount bio. Find out more about Roddy at,… RoddyTaylorArt.com Karah Richardson was born in 2007, spending much of her childhood moving to and exploring new states across America. She met a variety of people though having prosopagnosia (face blindness) made recognizing them a challenge. Karah loves challenges. Growing up, she had a fascination with studying faces, assuming that she could “learn” how to memorize family and friends by drawing them over and over. This led to a lifelong love of art. She'd blend together a wide variety of separate features and piece them together like a puzzle, relying on others to tell her if it looks “correct.” Due to such an early start on such a potent hobby in her life, she quickly discovered many teachers, family, and friends wanted to encourage her to cultivate this study into a real-life Tracy Eire grew up far to the north in a place called Newfoundland. She has spent most of her life with one foot in the real world and the other somewhere else—maybe on Mercury, maybe in the realm of myth, or ... somewhere near Hobbiton. It's a place where stories breathe, where the old gods whisper, and where women step out of the fog wearing their strength and brilliance plainly. That is the space her art comes from. An oil and charcoal artist with a deep love for narrative painting, Tracy focuses on portraits of women who feel ancient and modern all at once. These are figures who carry storms behind their eyes, but choose the light anyway. She often paints the things she sought—or witnessed—in her youth: courage, grace, grit, and the quiet power of women who refused to disappear, even when maligned. It's no wonder her harpies wear couture. United Public Radio & UFO Paranormal Radio www.uprntalkradio.com

Our Last Relate Message in Winter 2026!

Winter 2026 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

Sammy, Jon and Intern Levi do a deep dive into last weekend's state wrestling championships, where 10 local wrestlers placed in the top 8. Later we discuss state playoff basketball for the Ellensburg, Kittitas and Cle Elum-Roslyn squads before wrapping up with a surprise caller to discuss the arch rivalry game between Central and Western.

Winter 2026 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

Winter 2026 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

Hosts Eric, John, and Sammy ride the wave of the Seahawks' dominant Super Bowl win, discuss key players, coaching moves, and the city's celebratory scenes. They also cover local sports highlights: Central Washington's upset, Ellensburg and Kittitas playoff brackets, girls and boys district previews, wrestling qualifiers headed to Tacoma, and upcoming college matchups.

Winter 2026 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

Our Last Philippians Message in Winter 2026!

Winter 2026 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

Winter 2026 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

Winter 2026 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

Fall 2025 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

A new Department of Ecology report finds that more than half of 2025 Climate Commitment Act project spending went to electrifying the Washington State Ferries fleet, including hundreds of millions of dollars for new hybrid vessels and terminal charging infrastructure, while Ecology touts an estimated nine million metric tons of carbon reductions over the last two fiscal years. Critics such as Washington Policy Center's Todd Myers are questioning whether some projects' reported reductions and cost-per-ton figures are realistic, pointing to examples like an Ellensburg home electrification program that Ecology credits with 3.5 million metric tons of reductions at just one dollar per ton. https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/half-of-2025-cca-spending-went-toward-wsf-fleet-electrification/ #WashingtonState #ClimateCommitmentAct #WSFerries #CarbonPolicy #Ecology #WAleg #ClimateSpending #EmissionReductions

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Fall 2025 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

Playoffs in full swing here in the county. Ellensburg and Cle Elum crosscountry wrap up state. Volleyball, Girls Soccer, and Football kick off state tournament action this week. We have a big conversation about seeding and the process that takes place.    3:15 Cross Country State recap 12:00 State RPI seedings and state tournament preview. 38:00 CWU Athletics

A metal kid grows up on thrash and stadium riffs, then finds himself writing country songs on a beat-up acoustic. That's where our conversation with Jared Graham begins—somewhere between distortion and dust, showmanship and bare-boned truth—and it doesn't let up until the last chord rings.We trade stories about the albums that rewired our ears—early Metallica, the maligned but meaningful Saint Anger, and the Red Dirt records that sneak up on you with brutal honesty. Jared opens up about bombing out of a formal music track, switching majors, and refusing to quit the guitar. The pandemic pause gave him space to write; the return to stages—from winery barns to Montana saloons—taught him how to read a room, shift gears mid-set, and end with a song that matters to his family. If you've ever fought for a booking by sheer persistence, or felt that jolt when a crowd locks in and the set starts feeding on itself, you'll recognize his path.We tour the Northwest circuit—Long Branch's songwriter rounds, Ellensburg's WinterHop, Tri-Cities breweries that turn taps into stages—and swap notes on live presence from Slayer's velocity to Demon Hunter's surprise catharsis to Sturgill Simpson's relentless focus. Along the way, we dig into why rock-to-country isn't a sellout move but a search for a fuller language: metal names the rage, country names the ache, and together they feel like real life.If you love genre-bending artists, gritty lyrics, and the DIY hustle behind every “yes,” this one's for you. Hit play, then tell us the show that changed you—and where Jared should play next. Subscribe, share with a friend who lives for live music, and leave a review so more listeners can find the pod.Instagram:@jared.q.grahamhttps://www.instagram.com/jared.q.graham?igsh=Y3VmZW9lZjg0OGVkFacebook https://www.facebook.com/share/1AtbGwnQsK/?mibextid=wwXIfrShoutout to :Jared GrahamThe Graham Family Music that shaped us. Ag-Gear Store https://www.aggearstore.com/Use Code: Milesmountains For 15% Off Raising Awareness:Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW)Mental Health Send us a text

Cle Elum, Kittitas, Ellensburg all looking for multiple teams punching tickets to state. Central Football and Volleyball both in the regional rankings. 

Fall 2025 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

On Ep. 127 of the WAO Podcast pres. by Harrod Outdoors and Mack's Lure, we are talking with Casey Kelly, owner of Pautzke's in Ellensburg, WA. Casey tells us how his family started the bait company and his personal story of carrying on family tradition. - Harrod Outdoors on Facebook - Harrod Outdoors on Instagram Please help support the production of this podcast by donating at HarrodOutdoors.com and following the podcast link on the homepage. If you have questions or would like us to discuss a certain topic, please send us a message on one of our social media platforms or send an email to info@harrodoutdoors.com.

Fall Retreat 2025 Message Series by Jessica Mumley!

Fall Retreat 2025 Message Series by Jessica Mumley!

Fall Retreat 2025 Message Series by Jessica Mumley!

Fall Retreat 2025 Message Series by Jessica Mumley!

Fall 2025 Mesage Series at Chi Alpha!

Fall 2025 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

Fall 2025 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

Fall 2025 Message Series at Chi Alpha!

Want to hear about a specific topic on the show? Text us and we will consider it :)Ever wonder what it takes to transform a solo cleaning gig into a thriving business with prestigious commercial contracts? Allison Redman's story is a masterclass in persistence, vision, and seizing opportunity.As a single mother who moved to Ellensburg without knowing a soul, Allison built her cleaning business from scratch through community outreach and exceptional service. Her journey took a dramatic turn when she landed a contract cleaning a historic 1910 train station - a 10,500-square-foot architectural gem complete with chandeliers, terrazzo floors, and century-old woodwork that required specialized care."I kept planting that seed with them," Allison reveals, explaining how she pursued this dream client for over a year before securing the contract. The victory wasn't without challenges - she nearly lost the opportunity to an underbidder but refused to give up, boldly reaching out to the CEO on a weekend to make her case. Her passion and persistence paid off.The most fascinating part? Allison's cleaning was so thorough that clients complained about shoes squeaking on the immaculately clean floors! This dedication to quality has earned her "Best https://www.longsproducts.com/fuchsia Huck Clothshttps://b60r0g-vq.myshopify.com/products/pink-huck-towels-doz?_pos=1&_sid=0f160cb51&_ss=r Up your cleaning game, join over 6000 Cleaning Business Owners most of whom are located here in the United States. Erica Paynter is the brains behind My Virtual Bookkeeper, a bookkeeping firm for cleaning companies, and the creator of Clean Co. Cash Flow Academy and the Clean Co. Collective. She's on a mission to help cleaning business owners make sense of their numbers without boring them to tears! Erica's all about turning messy books into profit-packed powerhouses. support@myvbk.com It can be crowed when trying to figure out who you are going to learn fromSupport the showThanks for tuning in to Cleaning Business Life, the show where we pull back the curtain on what it really takes to start, grow, and scale a thriving cleaning business without burning out. Every episode is packed with tips, stories, and strategies you can put to work right away—because you deserve a business that works for you, not the other way around. If you enjoyed today's episode, make sure to follow the podcast so you never miss a new release. And if you got value from this conversation, share it with another cleaning business owner who could use the encouragement and practical advice. Let's stay connected! You can find me online at:

Ellensburg Dollar Tree cashier refuses to sell towels ‘made in Israel,’ quits after manager steps in. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and other King County officials held a press conference today about light rail expansion being way over budget. North Seattle is teaming up with non-profits to crack down on gun violence on Aurora Avenue. // LongForm: GUEST: Sheriff Keith Swank posted about trans shooters and he says the media wants to silence him. // Quick Hit: The City of Everett needlessly lowers the speed limit. Trump is moving Space Command from Colorado to Alabama.

When presented with an opportunity to condemn left-wing extremism, Governor Bob Ferguson shows he's not fit to lead. During DEI debate, Ellensburg city council silenced a Hispanic speaker who didn't agree with them. State's high court upholds high-capacity magazine ban. Senator Bernie Sanders defends use of private jet.