Podcast appearances and mentions of erika carlson

Today on the Utah Stories podcast, Erika Carlson from the organization Peace House Park City joins the podcast to talk about all that Peace House does for the Park City community. Go to peacehouse.org for more information on all the events they have coming up and more. Visit UtahStories.com for more and to subscribe to our free digital newsletter. There you can also support our journalism by subscribing to our print magazine for $3 per month. Follow us on: Instagram @UtahStories Twitter @UtahStories

This week Michelle begins a new series with commentary on the CoVid19 Pandemic from a biblical perspective and talking the next few weeks about turning the posture of our hearts to fasting and prayer. Today, we will look at how perfect love casts out fear and how turning our hearts to receive God’s Perfect Love helps us to in turn love others well. Show Transcript: You are listening to the Blooming Inspired Podcast on the Blooming Inspired Podcast Network. We exist to empower the voices of women who live their lives #BloomingAlive through Podcast Community. Now, here is your host. Blooming Inspired Podcast equipping and empowering the voices of women who live their lives Blooming Alive. Introduction Good Morning! This is Michelle Bentham, host of Blooming Inspired Podcast. Review Over the last 6 weeks we’ve been having a conversation with Karen Dearmand Gardener sharing her testimony about walking out of a 30 year marriage where she suffered Domestic Abuse and Violence, and how God spent the last 15 years redeeming her past and her pain as she has learned to heal and overcome those years of trauma and abuse. Be sure to keep up with Karen and the publication of her book on the subject scheduled for publication in 2021. Her Facebook Page is: facebook.com/crackthesilence This Week’s Reading Let’s Pray, Father God, I ask that you would give each person within the sound of my voice eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to know you more. I pray that every person would encounter your living presence and power through the Scriptures today and that as we do we would be changed by them. Let our hearts be inspired to believe for more, to live for more and to experience more so your glory may be known upon the earth. Give us eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to know! I ask these things in Jesus’ Precious Name, AMEN. The title for this episode and series is “Fasting & Prayer” It comes from Daniel 9:3 (ESV) “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.” Today we’re going to look at this posture of Fasting & Prayer represented in Daniel’s prayers throughout the book that bears his name. A posture of mourning, solitude and prayer where he allowed himself to be afflicted in order to draw near to God. Before we jump into Scripture I’d like to speak a bit on the CoVid19 Pandemic and just how I plan to spend my days in solitude as we watch for God’s healing power to overcome this deadly disease and bring peace and healing to all the people afflicted by it’s symptoms. I’ve been watching the “panic button” type fears as our stores are emptying with shoppers stocking up on anything and everything concerned about quarantines, and reading the posts of individuals who are living in what is now more than 50 days of isolation in Wuhan. Watching the “Flash Mob” on balconies in Italy and the ever darkening reports of increasing numbers of those who are testing positive, being hospitalized and the climbing death toll. I returned home with my husband last Friday night after going to the store to pick up groceries to get us through a couple of weeks and wept in his arms. Not because I am afraid, but because I am dismayed. Dismayed by people so selfish in their thinking that they would buy up all the toilet paper in the county daily. I mean really, toilet paper? I understand staple food products like bottled water, powdered milk or juice concentrates, flour, sugar, rice, beans, milk, cheese, bulk meats like ground beef, chicken and sausage. But the first thing to disappear is toilet paper? Dismayed by the mainstream media and Fox News for their fear mongering, politicizing and downright irresponsible reporting. Everything is exaggerated, dramatized and criticized. It is crazy out there. And as I felt myself spinning with all this dismay, wrapped in my husband’s arms - we prayed. I turned my heart to God, the Father whom I affectionately call Poppa, and I wept over the state of the people around me, and prayed for my family and those I love, my community, city, state nation and the entire world who is so affected by this pandemic: a word that has given much anxiety and fear in recent days. I wanted to take a moment to read a few posts from Facebook to you. Two of my own and one of the woman I read about in Wuhan. Rebecca Franks posted: March 8 at 1:42 AM WUHAN. It's roughly day 48 of the city's quarantine. We've been locked in our apartment complex for many weeks. I haven't eaten out since January 19. We're living in such strange times. After my last post, which was all about locks on doors and further restrictions, my husband asked me if I've posted any of the good. But...but... well, but nothing. That convicted me. So from the epicenter of the coronavirus, here is just SOME of the good we have been experiencing because of the lockdown: (Be warned - there is no way this post could be short.) Our family life has never been better. Usually one weekend is long enough before I'm ready to send each of us back to school or work. But for SEVEN weeks, we've been home together with very little outside influences or distraction, forced to reconnect with one another, learn how to communicate better, give each other space, slow down our pace, and be a stronger family than ever before. We've learned how to accept help from others. During this time, we've HAD to rely on others to show us how to get food and other things we need. People here are so good, and they want to help. It's satisfying to accept the help. Shopping is so much easier now. It comes straight to our complex, and we just pick it up. Simple. Right now I hear birds outside my window (on the 25th floor). I used to think there weren't really birds in Wuhan, because you rarely saw them and never heard them. I now know they were just muted and crowded out by the traffic and people. All day long now I hear birds singing. It stops me in my tracks to hear the sound of their wings. Spring in Wuhan is absolutely stunning. God has been giving us glimpses of the beauty to come with near-perfect weather. Because of lockdown, we get to watch spring slowly unfold right in front of us with no work, traffic, pollution, or other distractions. I have pulled up my chair and am ready for the creator's show. My cooking has gotten way more creative. I'm cooking like a homesteader. Housekeeping hasn't suffered, either. We take naps in the middle of the day sometimes. We've all been reading so much more than before. I've reconnected with lots of old friends. We've talked with our families more than ever before. We still work and do school, but all from home and all on flexible hours. It is not perfect, but it is fairly productive and good. We are exercising more. Because we borrowed a rowing machine from school right before the lockdown, Edgar Franks has been rowing regularly at home and has lost several kilos already. I still walk in the morning as usual, but I do so with no time restrictions and now with friend Erika Carlson. In my yoga world, I have finally done a forearm stand. I also share goofy yoga photos each day with a local friend/yogi. This keeps us connected in spirit and movement. I could devote a whole post to the amazing community we've been blessed with because of this lockdown. We live near 4 other staff members, most of whom we didn't know well at all prior to this. Because of this quarantine, we have bonded with and supported each other in ways that I've never experienced in 9 years of living here. (Crowd sourcing for feminine products and coffee, creatively sharing overstock of carrots and squash, etc) Friday night, we four staff women celebrated Julia Marie Roehrkasse's birthday together. We four have never before been together without husbands, kids, or larger community. But that night, I felt like I won the lottery in the friendship department. Our gathering was genuine in a way that can only be shared by people who are experiencing the same thing at the same time and understand what each other are going through. This bond we have may lessen when our world gets back to normal, but for now I wouldn't trade it for anything. It is good. My prayer life has never been better and my study time has been much more real. I have quiet time that is actually (usually) quiet - and I can devote real time to it. Most days I have so much more time to think, to listen, to process, and to discover. I am discovering the good gifts that God has given me and my family. More than anything, I am bowled over by his goodness at every turn. He overwhelms me with his goodness. We had "church" by Zoom this morning at 10:30, as usual. My husband just woke up from his nap. My kid is reading quietly on the couch. I have the luxury of writing uncensored here on FB. We are about to go pick up a ham that a friend is giving us, taking her our coffee and cranberries to share. God is providing so many opportunities for good while we are here, and he is showing us his goodness every single moment. We are at peace in the epicenter of the virus. We are at peace in the epicenter of his will. Fear is a faithless coward and has no place in the lives of believers. Fear and worry have no seat at our table. We're here because he wants us here, right now, for his purpose. Coronavirus wants you to isolate and stock up and take care of your own first. Instead, look to him first while you take care of others. In community, we can do so much more than we can do on our own. God is caring for us so richly and showering us with SO MUCH GOOD each and every moment. And the song just plays nonstop in my head - Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. It chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the 99. I couldn't earn it, I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away. Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Psalm 118:6 - The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Pray.” And my response was to consider in all this what I am grateful for in spite of all that dismays me in this world. And so I also wrote, after putting the groceries away and reading Rebecca’s post at 12:08 am March 14, 2020: I don't know what else I have to offer, but I'm offering Jesus and gratitude tonight. For a Good God still in the miracle business. Grateful for friends and family to share life with. That Scott and I have life's necessities tonight. Food, Clothing, Shelter Community and Family. I'm grateful for the conversations we had with our girls this week planning for our first grandbaby and other milestones that are just too good and joyful... But cannot yet be spoken of in public. I'm grateful for the privilege of taking my nearly 75 yo Momma to the gym and shopping for workout clothes which have not disappeared from the store racks this week. I'm grateful for air to breathe and that another day to awaken to life is another day to reach into the lives of others with Jesus' truly good news!!! I'm letting you know He came to save you, but that's not all... He also came to transform you, heal you, deliver you, set you free, equip you, empower you, and to give you His joy, His peace, His love, His life and His abundance. Nothing in life scares me when I remember Who He is, all He has promised, all He has done and all He will come back to finish this with us!!! Do you know Him? Yes, I'm grateful for Him most of all. Nothing is impossible for those who believe!!! And all those things He will do for you - He wants to do through you in the lives of other people. "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart for I have overcome the world." - Jesus (John 16:33) "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything through prayer and petition - with thanksgiving - make your requests known to God, and His peace which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." - Apostle Paul (Philippians 4:6-7) He is love. Love casts out fear. Love Never fails. Take heart indeed. March 14 at 9:08 am As I become more and more dismayed by humanity... I have one hope: Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes in His disciples hands. He is the God of more than enough. Praying for peace and rest over you today as we watch our world feeding a hysterical panic. Let's get better at expressing the only Love that saves. "God is Perfect Love. There is no fear in love... Perfect Love casts out ALL Fear." -The Apostle John (1John 4) Now for today’s reading, found in 1 John 4, The New King James Version (NKJV) The heading for Chapter Four Reads: Love for God & One Another Verses 1-3: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. As I have been praying over this virus God began to show me the governments of this world that oppose Him and operate in an Anti-Christ Spirit. He bid me pray for these government leaders and for the repentance of nations, especially governmental leaders who oppose Him. Many of these countries have been heavily afflicted by this virus. Now mind you, I’m not saying the people are of the Anti-Christ spirit - but the governments oppose God through the Anti-Christ Spirit. China, North Korea, Iran, Italy - except for Italy the other three countries oppose Jesus Christ as the Son of God. They persecute believers and seek to destroy anything that opposes their government, especially Jews and Christians - and in China, more recently Muslims. And in Italy the Pope recently met with a leader of the Islamic faith and agreed to an accord that stated that whether one serves the God of the Bible or the God of the Koran, Allah, that we serve the same God. How does that ring to you? And now CoVid19, also known as the Coronavirus, has spread to the United States of America where the church has largely surrendered her influence to the government, expecting the government to do for us what God has called us to do in Him. In case you’ve missed it, our government is failing miserably at honoring God in most every way these days. Even with President Trump, who allows for weekly worship and prayer. Who is standing by faith to protect religious freedoms and calling the nation to prayer. Still. Failing. Why? Anything we put our faith in that is not God, will surely fail us. It has to - or else why would we need God. We can buy every roll of toilet paper in the world, and still not save ourselves or our family from this deadly virus. We should remember that God’s adversary Satan is one whom Jesus called a liar, the Father of lies actually, and Satan trafficks in scarcity, lack and fear as he rules this world - the prince of the air, with authority from God - as he comes to kill, steal and destroy. But, my question is… Will you let him win this battle? Will you give in to fear, scarcity and lack - allowing Him to steal from you, to destroy those around you and even seek to take the lives of those you love? Or, Are you willing to take your position, stand your watch upon God’s wall and not give Him rest day or night until He makes this nation, every nation for that matter, a praise declaring His glory upon the earth. (Isaiah 62) You see the Coronavirus may seem new, but it’s been around since the mid- 1960s when it was first identified. The CoVid19 strain may be more potent than previous strains, but it is not new. And the enemy of God is using it to destroy people. The world has turned further and further away from God because the church has not risen to the occasion. We are right now in a moment where the clarion call of Heaven is for the church to rise up and take her place. Reclaiming for God the nations, the people, she is called to preach the Gospel to and make disciples of… The nations she serves. God is calling His Church to rise in this hour above the fear and the dismay, into a place of battle. Do you have your armor on? When I say none of this is new: Think about it… John likely wrote these books toward the end of his life. Many date the writing to between 70-90 AD. And John writes during the end of the first century that the Anti-Christ Spirit had already been released in the world. The Anti-Christ spirit has been opposing God and His people for generation after generation. And we’re still here. We may be barely breathing, but if we’re breathing He will strengthen us for the fight. Verse 4: You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Do you hear that beloved of God? If you are in Christ, you are of God - His Children - and you have already overcome them. How? Jesus. HE is in YOU. And He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Amen? Verses 5-6: They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. We have to be careful what we agree with, partner with and confess with our mouth. We are of God. And He is about to tell us what part of fear we should have… Where we line up will tell us if we believe in truth or in the lies of the enemy who is seeking to devour us. Heading: Knowing God Through Love Verse 7-10: Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (meaning the substitutionary sacrifice that paid the price) for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. God’s love is identified by the Greek word, agapē (Strong’s G26) which is most commonly translated simply love, but may also be translated as benevolence - a word commonly associated with charity - but herein actually refers to the sacrificial nature of God who is love. A love so lavish we may feast upon it. Some say it is the highest form of love, a love that desires the very best for others and pursues that best on their behalf - sacrificing itself, believing the best, expressing affection and kindness, bearing up in patience, refusing to be rude, never jealous of - but jealous for, a love free of envy, boasting, anger or the like. 1 Corinthians 13 concludes it’s ode to love saying, “Love bears all things, believe all things, hopes all things. Love Never Fails.” If God is love - HE NEVER FAILS. Do you get that? Why should we fear if we belong to God? He will not fail us. He is love - He sacrifices so we can experience Him as love. That is a beautiful thing to consider. Heading: Seeing God Through Love… Do You See God through Love? Verse 12-16: No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. First of all, I would be remiss if I didn’t seize this opportunity to ask… Have you confessed Jesus as the Son of God, who died as the sacrifice paying the price for your sins? Well, beloved, no time like the present. If you want a relationship with Jesus and to surrender to him as Love, then today’s the day. Just confess with your mouth what you believe in your heart (See Romans 8:9-10). “Lord God, I believe that Jesus is your only Son who died on a cross for my sins and rose in power to be the Lord of my life. Today I surrender myself to your love, fill me with your eternal life and your holy spirit.” That’s it… now all you have to do is learn to abide in Him as Love and be an expression of that love to the world around you. Isn’t that good news? Do you know God, do you see Him as love? Not just a God who loves, but our God who is Love. That’s a capital L. It was His love for us that compelled the Father to send the Son to die on a cross for us. It was His love for us and His Father that compelled Christ to the Cross to willingly die on our behalf. Jesus died so we don’t have to live in eternal punishment, separated from God for sin. And if we know Him and abide in Him then we abide in love. Now let me ask you, How are you doing at abiding in love? Sacrificing on behalf of others so they may know Love, too. Heading: The Consummation of Love Verse 17-19: Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. The Love that is God is consummated in us when it casts out all FEAR. Fear involves torment, but when God comes to us as Perfect Love - it casts out all fear. Not some, not part - but all. If I am responding and reacting in panic to fear then I am not abiding in God who is perfect love. Do you get that? I cannot possibly love others selflessly without first abiding in the only Sacrificial love there is the Love who is God, Himself. The Common English Bible (CEB) renders verse 18 this way: “ There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear expects punishment. The person who is afraid has not been made perfect in love.” And if I give place to fear, allowing anxiety and worry to keep me from abiding in God, then I am living in fear. You see, fear is not of God because it is not God’s desire to punish us. He will chasten those He loves to teach us discipline - the root word of discipline is disciple. But, He will not willingly bring harm to us or torment us with fear. It is not in His nature. To fear God is to live in awe of His glory, to be reverent of His holiness, and to honor Him as Good. But, this fear is not the same as fear of punishment or torment. A healthy caution and a holy reverence are often called fear, but in fact they are true wisdom. A healthy caution understands that danger and evil exist in this world and lives proactively pursuing God in reverence, walking in His wisdom and love - which casts out fear. When we live with the wisdom of healthy caution and holy reverence - fear will have no place in our lives because the Spirit of God - the Holy Spirit - who lives inside of us will guide us into all truth when we yield ourselves to Him. When we love God, we yield ourselves to Him which brings us to our conclusion. Heading: Obedience by Faith Verse 20-21: If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. Bill Johnson is the Senior Leader of Bethel Church in Redding, CA. My friend, Tracy, and I have been to Bethel for prophetic and healing schools and follow their services regularly online. She reminds me often of something that Bill says, “Obedience is the love language of the Holy Spirit.” To walk in fear is to walk in disobedience to the love of God. Do you see that? To walk in hatred toward others, to mock them or believe deception and live by it - confess it - means you do not live in obedience to the Love of God. I mentioned 1 Corinthians 13 earlier and here is how the Apostle Paul defined love: “Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up...Until then, there are three things that remain: faith, hope, and love—yet love surpasses them all. So above all else, let love be the beautiful prize for which you run.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 13 TPT) You see if I am going to love as God loves, I have to first live in Him as Love. And as He lives in me, and expresses Himself through me - when I yield myself to His perfect love - only then will I be loving others with incredible patience, through gentle and consistent kindness to ALL, not just believers, but everyone - even those who despise me, insult me, persecute me and seek my life - ALL. Only then will I be able to refuse jealousy when I see the blessing in other people’s lives. Only then will I not be concerned with bragging about my achievements or inflating myself in self-promotion or importance, but rather I will bow low, and humbly serve even if I am never recognized. I will gladly promote others and their welfare beyond my own. If I live in the Perfect Love that is God, and that Love abides in me then I will not traffic in shame or disrespect toward others, nor selfishly seek my own honor. I will not be easily irritated or angered, and will not be quick to take offense. YOU SEE.. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and doesn’t glory when others or even itself is found wrong. When I walk in God’s Love toward others I become a safe place of shelter, never failing to believe the best for others. I never take failure as a sign of defeat, and I never give up! Paul assures us that in the end three things will remain: faith, hope and love - and LOVE will be what surpasses them all. So let’s do it friends. Let’s overcome the present evil, and this plague of Coronavirus with Love - for it is the most beautiful prize we run toward. Jesus Himself, our God is Love. I pray over the next week you’ll find yourself fasting from judgments, criticisms and fear as you turn your heart toward Perfect Love and become an expression of that love to everyone around you! Poppa God, we come today humbled by your words of exhortation toward perfect love. Make us vessels of your perfect love, and turn our hearts to dwell in you, the God who is Perfect love. Keep our minds from anxious and worried thoughts, keep our hearts set on you and your perfect love through these trying days, seeking ways to sacrificially love others more than we love ourselves. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. Closing Remarks Thank you for tuning in with us. I pray this is some encouragement to you as you seek to set your heart in a posture of love through this grievous time of solitude, mourning and despair. May His joy be complete in you and you walk in His steadfast love for you. Next week we’ll dig deeper into this idea of turning our hearts to God, grieving over the state of His people and our communities as we seek His face in Fasting & Prayer. I also want to ask you if this podcast has been a blessing to you: would you consider subscribing to it and share it with your friends and family? We’d love to partner with you in sharing messages that encourage and inspire. If you’d like to be a guest on this show or get more information about hosting your own podcast on the Blooming Inspired Podcast Network - please reach out to michelle.bentham@bloominginspirednetwork.com. I’d love the opportunity to connect with you and figure out how we can share your voice with the world around us. Join Us Through Facebook Live for Bible Study on Saturday at 10am (CT)! We’ll continue reading Luke 14 this week and digging into the life of Christ Verse-By-Verse considering what we would believe if reading the Scriptures was the primary way we inform our faith! You can learn more and catch up on last week’s study by visiting facebook.com/bloominginspired. If you need encouragement of any kind, prayer or would just like to stay connected with us here at Blooming Inspired Network, please reach out by visiting us on Facebook, @BloomingInspired or bloominginspirednetwork.com and click the Direct Message or Contact link at the top of the page. 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This week Michelle begins a new series with commentary on the CoVid19 Pandemic from a biblical perspective and talking the next few weeks about turning the posture of our hearts to fasting and prayer. Today, we will look at how perfect love casts out fear and how turning our hearts to receive God’s Perfect Love helps us to in turn love others well. Show Transcript: You are listening to the Blooming Inspired Podcast on the Blooming Inspired Podcast Network. We exist to empower the voices of women who live their lives #BloomingAlive through Podcast Community. Now, here is your host. Blooming Inspired Podcast equipping and empowering the voices of women who live their lives Blooming Alive. Introduction Good Morning! This is Michelle Bentham, host of Blooming Inspired Podcast. Review Over the last 6 weeks we’ve been having a conversation with Karen Dearmand Gardener sharing her testimony about walking out of a 30 year marriage where she suffered Domestic Abuse and Violence, and how God spent the last 15 years redeeming her past and her pain as she has learned to heal and overcome those years of trauma and abuse. Be sure to keep up with Karen and the publication of her book on the subject scheduled for publication in 2021. Her Facebook Page is: facebook.com/crackthesilence This Week’s Reading Let’s Pray, Father God, I ask that you would give each person within the sound of my voice eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to know you more. I pray that every person would encounter your living presence and power through the Scriptures today and that as we do we would be changed by them. Let our hearts be inspired to believe for more, to live for more and to experience more so your glory may be known upon the earth. Give us eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to know! I ask these things in Jesus’ Precious Name, AMEN. The title for this episode and series is “Fasting & Prayer” It comes from Daniel 9:3 (ESV) “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.” Today we’re going to look at this posture of Fasting & Prayer represented in Daniel’s prayers throughout the book that bears his name. A posture of mourning, solitude and prayer where he allowed himself to be afflicted in order to draw near to God. Before we jump into Scripture I’d like to speak a bit on the CoVid19 Pandemic and just how I plan to spend my days in solitude as we watch for God’s healing power to overcome this deadly disease and bring peace and healing to all the people afflicted by it’s symptoms. I’ve been watching the “panic button” type fears as our stores are emptying with shoppers stocking up on anything and everything concerned about quarantines, and reading the posts of individuals who are living in what is now more than 50 days of isolation in Wuhan. Watching the “Flash Mob” on balconies in Italy and the ever darkening reports of increasing numbers of those who are testing positive, being hospitalized and the climbing death toll. I returned home with my husband last Friday night after going to the store to pick up groceries to get us through a couple of weeks and wept in his arms. Not because I am afraid, but because I am dismayed. Dismayed by people so selfish in their thinking that they would buy up all the toilet paper in the county daily. I mean really, toilet paper? I understand staple food products like bottled water, powdered milk or juice concentrates, flour, sugar, rice, beans, milk, cheese, bulk meats like ground beef, chicken and sausage. But the first thing to disappear is toilet paper? Dismayed by the mainstream media and Fox News for their fear mongering, politicizing and downright irresponsible reporting. Everything is exaggerated, dramatized and criticized. It is crazy out there. And as I felt myself spinning with all this dismay, wrapped in my husband’s arms - we prayed. I turned my heart to God, the Father whom I affectionately call Poppa, and I wept over the state of the people around me, and prayed for my family and those I love, my community, city, state nation and the entire world who is so affected by this pandemic: a word that has given much anxiety and fear in recent days. I wanted to take a moment to read a few posts from Facebook to you. Two of my own and one of the woman I read about in Wuhan. Rebecca Franks posted: March 8 at 1:42 AM WUHAN. It's roughly day 48 of the city's quarantine. We've been locked in our apartment complex for many weeks. I haven't eaten out since January 19. We're living in such strange times. After my last post, which was all about locks on doors and further restrictions, my husband asked me if I've posted any of the good. But...but... well, but nothing. That convicted me. So from the epicenter of the coronavirus, here is just SOME of the good we have been experiencing because of the lockdown: (Be warned - there is no way this post could be short.) Our family life has never been better. Usually one weekend is long enough before I'm ready to send each of us back to school or work. But for SEVEN weeks, we've been home together with very little outside influences or distraction, forced to reconnect with one another, learn how to communicate better, give each other space, slow down our pace, and be a stronger family than ever before. We've learned how to accept help from others. During this time, we've HAD to rely on others to show us how to get food and other things we need. People here are so good, and they want to help. It's satisfying to accept the help. Shopping is so much easier now. It comes straight to our complex, and we just pick it up. Simple. Right now I hear birds outside my window (on the 25th floor). I used to think there weren't really birds in Wuhan, because you rarely saw them and never heard them. I now know they were just muted and crowded out by the traffic and people. All day long now I hear birds singing. It stops me in my tracks to hear the sound of their wings. Spring in Wuhan is absolutely stunning. God has been giving us glimpses of the beauty to come with near-perfect weather. Because of lockdown, we get to watch spring slowly unfold right in front of us with no work, traffic, pollution, or other distractions. I have pulled up my chair and am ready for the creator's show. My cooking has gotten way more creative. I'm cooking like a homesteader. Housekeeping hasn't suffered, either. We take naps in the middle of the day sometimes. We've all been reading so much more than before. I've reconnected with lots of old friends. We've talked with our families more than ever before. We still work and do school, but all from home and all on flexible hours. It is not perfect, but it is fairly productive and good. We are exercising more. Because we borrowed a rowing machine from school right before the lockdown, Edgar Franks has been rowing regularly at home and has lost several kilos already. I still walk in the morning as usual, but I do so with no time restrictions and now with friend Erika Carlson. In my yoga world, I have finally done a forearm stand. I also share goofy yoga photos each day with a local friend/yogi. This keeps us connected in spirit and movement. I could devote a whole post to the amazing community we've been blessed with because of this lockdown. We live near 4 other staff members, most of whom we didn't know well at all prior to this. Because of this quarantine, we have bonded with and supported each other in ways that I've never experienced in 9 years of living here. (Crowd sourcing for feminine products and coffee, creatively sharing overstock of carrots and squash, etc) Friday night, we four staff women celebrated Julia Marie Roehrkasse's birthday together. We four have never before been together without husbands, kids, or larger community. But that night, I felt like I won the lottery in the friendship department. Our gathering was genuine in a way that can only be shared by people who are experiencing the same thing at the same time and understand what each other are going through. This bond we have may lessen when our world gets back to normal, but for now I wouldn't trade it for anything. It is good. My prayer life has never been better and my study time has been much more real. I have quiet time that is actually (usually) quiet - and I can devote real time to it. Most days I have so much more time to think, to listen, to process, and to discover. I am discovering the good gifts that God has given me and my family. More than anything, I am bowled over by his goodness at every turn. He overwhelms me with his goodness. We had "church" by Zoom this morning at 10:30, as usual. My husband just woke up from his nap. My kid is reading quietly on the couch. I have the luxury of writing uncensored here on FB. We are about to go pick up a ham that a friend is giving us, taking her our coffee and cranberries to share. God is providing so many opportunities for good while we are here, and he is showing us his goodness every single moment. We are at peace in the epicenter of the virus. We are at peace in the epicenter of his will. Fear is a faithless coward and has no place in the lives of believers. Fear and worry have no seat at our table. We're here because he wants us here, right now, for his purpose. Coronavirus wants you to isolate and stock up and take care of your own first. Instead, look to him first while you take care of others. In community, we can do so much more than we can do on our own. God is caring for us so richly and showering us with SO MUCH GOOD each and every moment. And the song just plays nonstop in my head - Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. It chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the 99. I couldn't earn it, I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away. Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Psalm 118:6 - The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Pray.” And my response was to consider in all this what I am grateful for in spite of all that dismays me in this world. And so I also wrote, after putting the groceries away and reading Rebecca’s post at 12:08 am March 14, 2020: I don't know what else I have to offer, but I'm offering Jesus and gratitude tonight. For a Good God still in the miracle business. Grateful for friends and family to share life with. That Scott and I have life's necessities tonight. Food, Clothing, Shelter Community and Family. I'm grateful for the conversations we had with our girls this week planning for our first grandbaby and other milestones that are just too good and joyful... But cannot yet be spoken of in public. I'm grateful for the privilege of taking my nearly 75 yo Momma to the gym and shopping for workout clothes which have not disappeared from the store racks this week. I'm grateful for air to breathe and that another day to awaken to life is another day to reach into the lives of others with Jesus' truly good news!!! I'm letting you know He came to save you, but that's not all... He also came to transform you, heal you, deliver you, set you free, equip you, empower you, and to give you His joy, His peace, His love, His life and His abundance. Nothing in life scares me when I remember Who He is, all He has promised, all He has done and all He will come back to finish this with us!!! Do you know Him? Yes, I'm grateful for Him most of all. Nothing is impossible for those who believe!!! And all those things He will do for you - He wants to do through you in the lives of other people. "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart for I have overcome the world." - Jesus (John 16:33) "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything through prayer and petition - with thanksgiving - make your requests known to God, and His peace which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." - Apostle Paul (Philippians 4:6-7) He is love. Love casts out fear. Love Never fails. Take heart indeed. March 14 at 9:08 am As I become more and more dismayed by humanity... I have one hope: Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes in His disciples hands. He is the God of more than enough. Praying for peace and rest over you today as we watch our world feeding a hysterical panic. Let's get better at expressing the only Love that saves. "God is Perfect Love. There is no fear in love... Perfect Love casts out ALL Fear." -The Apostle John (1John 4) Now for today’s reading, found in 1 John 4, The New King James Version (NKJV) The heading for Chapter Four Reads: Love for God & One Another Verses 1-3: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. As I have been praying over this virus God began to show me the governments of this world that oppose Him and operate in an Anti-Christ Spirit. He bid me pray for these government leaders and for the repentance of nations, especially governmental leaders who oppose Him. Many of these countries have been heavily afflicted by this virus. Now mind you, I’m not saying the people are of the Anti-Christ spirit - but the governments oppose God through the Anti-Christ Spirit. China, North Korea, Iran, Italy - except for Italy the other three countries oppose Jesus Christ as the Son of God. They persecute believers and seek to destroy anything that opposes their government, especially Jews and Christians - and in China, more recently Muslims. And in Italy the Pope recently met with a leader of the Islamic faith and agreed to an accord that stated that whether one serves the God of the Bible or the God of the Koran, Allah, that we serve the same God. How does that ring to you? And now CoVid19, also known as the Coronavirus, has spread to the United States of America where the church has largely surrendered her influence to the government, expecting the government to do for us what God has called us to do in Him. In case you’ve missed it, our government is failing miserably at honoring God in most every way these days. Even with President Trump, who allows for weekly worship and prayer. Who is standing by faith to protect religious freedoms and calling the nation to prayer. Still. Failing. Why? Anything we put our faith in that is not God, will surely fail us. It has to - or else why would we need God. We can buy every roll of toilet paper in the world, and still not save ourselves or our family from this deadly virus. We should remember that God’s adversary Satan is one whom Jesus called a liar, the Father of lies actually, and Satan trafficks in scarcity, lack and fear as he rules this world - the prince of the air, with authority from God - as he comes to kill, steal and destroy. But, my question is… Will you let him win this battle? Will you give in to fear, scarcity and lack - allowing Him to steal from you, to destroy those around you and even seek to take the lives of those you love? Or, Are you willing to take your position, stand your watch upon God’s wall and not give Him rest day or night until He makes this nation, every nation for that matter, a praise declaring His glory upon the earth. (Isaiah 62) You see the Coronavirus may seem new, but it’s been around since the mid- 1960s when it was first identified. The CoVid19 strain may be more potent than previous strains, but it is not new. And the enemy of God is using it to destroy people. The world has turned further and further away from God because the church has not risen to the occasion. We are right now in a moment where the clarion call of Heaven is for the church to rise up and take her place. Reclaiming for God the nations, the people, she is called to preach the Gospel to and make disciples of… The nations she serves. God is calling His Church to rise in this hour above the fear and the dismay, into a place of battle. Do you have your armor on? When I say none of this is new: Think about it… John likely wrote these books toward the end of his life. Many date the writing to between 70-90 AD. And John writes during the end of the first century that the Anti-Christ Spirit had already been released in the world. The Anti-Christ spirit has been opposing God and His people for generation after generation. And we’re still here. We may be barely breathing, but if we’re breathing He will strengthen us for the fight. Verse 4: You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Do you hear that beloved of God? If you are in Christ, you are of God - His Children - and you have already overcome them. How? Jesus. HE is in YOU. And He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Amen? Verses 5-6: They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. We have to be careful what we agree with, partner with and confess with our mouth. We are of God. And He is about to tell us what part of fear we should have… Where we line up will tell us if we believe in truth or in the lies of the enemy who is seeking to devour us. Heading: Knowing God Through Love Verse 7-10: Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (meaning the substitutionary sacrifice that paid the price) for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. God’s love is identified by the Greek word, agapē (Strong’s G26) which is most commonly translated simply love, but may also be translated as benevolence - a word commonly associated with charity - but herein actually refers to the sacrificial nature of God who is love. A love so lavish we may feast upon it. Some say it is the highest form of love, a love that desires the very best for others and pursues that best on their behalf - sacrificing itself, believing the best, expressing affection and kindness, bearing up in patience, refusing to be rude, never jealous of - but jealous for, a love free of envy, boasting, anger or the like. 1 Corinthians 13 concludes it’s ode to love saying, “Love bears all things, believe all things, hopes all things. Love Never Fails.” If God is love - HE NEVER FAILS. Do you get that? Why should we fear if we belong to God? He will not fail us. He is love - He sacrifices so we can experience Him as love. That is a beautiful thing to consider. Heading: Seeing God Through Love… Do You See God through Love? Verse 12-16: No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. First of all, I would be remiss if I didn’t seize this opportunity to ask… Have you confessed Jesus as the Son of God, who died as the sacrifice paying the price for your sins? Well, beloved, no time like the present. If you want a relationship with Jesus and to surrender to him as Love, then today’s the day. Just confess with your mouth what you believe in your heart (See Romans 8:9-10). “Lord God, I believe that Jesus is your only Son who died on a cross for my sins and rose in power to be the Lord of my life. Today I surrender myself to your love, fill me with your eternal life and your holy spirit.” That’s it… now all you have to do is learn to abide in Him as Love and be an expression of that love to the world around you. Isn’t that good news? Do you know God, do you see Him as love? Not just a God who loves, but our God who is Love. That’s a capital L. It was His love for us that compelled the Father to send the Son to die on a cross for us. It was His love for us and His Father that compelled Christ to the Cross to willingly die on our behalf. Jesus died so we don’t have to live in eternal punishment, separated from God for sin. And if we know Him and abide in Him then we abide in love. Now let me ask you, How are you doing at abiding in love? Sacrificing on behalf of others so they may know Love, too. Heading: The Consummation of Love Verse 17-19: Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. The Love that is God is consummated in us when it casts out all FEAR. Fear involves torment, but when God comes to us as Perfect Love - it casts out all fear. Not some, not part - but all. If I am responding and reacting in panic to fear then I am not abiding in God who is perfect love. Do you get that? I cannot possibly love others selflessly without first abiding in the only Sacrificial love there is the Love who is God, Himself. The Common English Bible (CEB) renders verse 18 this way: “ There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear expects punishment. The person who is afraid has not been made perfect in love.” And if I give place to fear, allowing anxiety and worry to keep me from abiding in God, then I am living in fear. You see, fear is not of God because it is not God’s desire to punish us. He will chasten those He loves to teach us discipline - the root word of discipline is disciple. But, He will not willingly bring harm to us or torment us with fear. It is not in His nature. To fear God is to live in awe of His glory, to be reverent of His holiness, and to honor Him as Good. But, this fear is not the same as fear of punishment or torment. A healthy caution and a holy reverence are often called fear, but in fact they are true wisdom. A healthy caution understands that danger and evil exist in this world and lives proactively pursuing God in reverence, walking in His wisdom and love - which casts out fear. When we live with the wisdom of healthy caution and holy reverence - fear will have no place in our lives because the Spirit of God - the Holy Spirit - who lives inside of us will guide us into all truth when we yield ourselves to Him. When we love God, we yield ourselves to Him which brings us to our conclusion. Heading: Obedience by Faith Verse 20-21: If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. Bill Johnson is the Senior Leader of Bethel Church in Redding, CA. My friend, Tracy, and I have been to Bethel for prophetic and healing schools and follow their services regularly online. She reminds me often of something that Bill says, “Obedience is the love language of the Holy Spirit.” To walk in fear is to walk in disobedience to the love of God. Do you see that? To walk in hatred toward others, to mock them or believe deception and live by it - confess it - means you do not live in obedience to the Love of God. I mentioned 1 Corinthians 13 earlier and here is how the Apostle Paul defined love: “Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up...Until then, there are three things that remain: faith, hope, and love—yet love surpasses them all. So above all else, let love be the beautiful prize for which you run.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 13 TPT) You see if I am going to love as God loves, I have to first live in Him as Love. And as He lives in me, and expresses Himself through me - when I yield myself to His perfect love - only then will I be loving others with incredible patience, through gentle and consistent kindness to ALL, not just believers, but everyone - even those who despise me, insult me, persecute me and seek my life - ALL. Only then will I be able to refuse jealousy when I see the blessing in other people’s lives. Only then will I not be concerned with bragging about my achievements or inflating myself in self-promotion or importance, but rather I will bow low, and humbly serve even if I am never recognized. I will gladly promote others and their welfare beyond my own. If I live in the Perfect Love that is God, and that Love abides in me then I will not traffic in shame or disrespect toward others, nor selfishly seek my own honor. I will not be easily irritated or angered, and will not be quick to take offense. YOU SEE.. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and doesn’t glory when others or even itself is found wrong. When I walk in God’s Love toward others I become a safe place of shelter, never failing to believe the best for others. I never take failure as a sign of defeat, and I never give up! Paul assures us that in the end three things will remain: faith, hope and love - and LOVE will be what surpasses them all. So let’s do it friends. Let’s overcome the present evil, and this plague of Coronavirus with Love - for it is the most beautiful prize we run toward. Jesus Himself, our God is Love. I pray over the next week you’ll find yourself fasting from judgments, criticisms and fear as you turn your heart toward Perfect Love and become an expression of that love to everyone around you! Poppa God, we come today humbled by your words of exhortation toward perfect love. Make us vessels of your perfect love, and turn our hearts to dwell in you, the God who is Perfect love. Keep our minds from anxious and worried thoughts, keep our hearts set on you and your perfect love through these trying days, seeking ways to sacrificially love others more than we love ourselves. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. Closing Remarks Thank you for tuning in with us. I pray this is some encouragement to you as you seek to set your heart in a posture of love through this grievous time of solitude, mourning and despair. May His joy be complete in you and you walk in His steadfast love for you. Next week we’ll dig deeper into this idea of turning our hearts to God, grieving over the state of His people and our communities as we seek His face in Fasting & Prayer. I also want to ask you if this podcast has been a blessing to you: would you consider subscribing to it and share it with your friends and family? We’d love to partner with you in sharing messages that encourage and inspire. If you’d like to be a guest on this show or get more information about hosting your own podcast on the Blooming Inspired Podcast Network - please reach out to michelle.bentham@bloominginspirednetwork.com. I’d love the opportunity to connect with you and figure out how we can share your voice with the world around us. Join Us Through Facebook Live for Bible Study on Saturday at 10am (CT)! We’ll continue reading Luke 14 this week and digging into the life of Christ Verse-By-Verse considering what we would believe if reading the Scriptures was the primary way we inform our faith! You can learn more and catch up on last week’s study by visiting facebook.com/bloominginspired. If you need encouragement of any kind, prayer or would just like to stay connected with us here at Blooming Inspired Network, please reach out by visiting us on Facebook, @BloomingInspired or bloominginspirednetwork.com and click the Direct Message or Contact link at the top of the page. We’d love to join hands with you in this season and lift you up. If you’d like to get this podcast delivered to your smart device, we're available on both Apple and Google Podcasts - take a moment to Subscribe and leave a review today! Thank you for listening to the Blooming Inspired Podcast on the Blooming Inspired Podcast Network. This show airs weekly on Tuesdays. Please take a moment to like, share and subscribe to this podcast. To learn more about this podcast and it’s network, or the ministries of Blooming Inspired Network please visit BloomingInspiredNetwork.com and click the podcast link at the top of the page.

Guest: Erika Carlson In Episode 39, Michael opens a hailing frequency to speak to Erika Carlson—a AAAS Mass Media Fellow at Discover magazine—about what it's like to be a science writer and why science communication is important, both in our society and in Star Trek. Erika's bibliography at Discover: http://discovermagazine.com/authors?name=Erika+K.+Carlson Follow us on Twitter! Michael: @Miquai Erika: @erikakcarlson

In this ver. @csell5 talks to @erikalanguirand about learning, then teaching and right back to learning again. Our industry is constantly changing and at times you can just feel like a professional rookie, but are you?   Erika Carlson is the Director of Training & Development at Detroit Labs, where she blends her love of programming with her passion for helping others grow. Erika was studying psychology in 2011 when she wrote her first line of Python code. She fell in love with programming, decided to change paths, and became a software developer. Since then she has built enterprise software, created websites for nonprofits, and worked on mobile applications with millions of users, as well as training dozens of software developers through Detroit Labs's innovative Developer Apprentice Program. Erika is passionate about the power of technology to drive positive change in the world. She loves writing code, bourbon ice cream, listening to people, and those "light bulb" moments when someone learns to see things differently.   Links from today’s show: Website: detroitlabs.com Twitter: @erikalanguirand

In Episode 3, Michael hails Erika Carlson to discuss systems with more than one star, how they're discovered, how they form, and the real triple star system that is said to house Spock's home planet, Vulcan. The book about the "Harvard computers" that Erika mentions at 21:26 is called "The Glass Universe" by Dava Sobel.

Erika Carlson, CEO and Certified Mental Trainer at Mental Training Inc., discusses the importance of playing carefree and present. She describes that playing “carefree” means to not care about the outcome. The best train their mind to be present moment focused. When we overthink, we are focused on the past or future, not the present. She describes that many athletes have outcome goals but no process to achieve them.  The key to reaching your BHAG’s, Erika says, is to “focus on your process today.” Erika also discusses the importance of failure, understanding “patterns” and the emotional wheel.   “I have not met a person that cannot improve on their self-talk.” @SportPsycher via @Mentally_Strong “There are always patterns pre-game, after mistakes, and post-game to help bring awareness.” @SportPsycher via @Mentally_Strong “The quicker you can learn from a mistake, the more valuable it is. The mistake then is a blurb not a mountain.” @ SportPsycher via @Mentally_Strong “A key to performance is to be calm from the neck up and relaxed from the next down.” @ SportPsycher via @Mentally_Strong “When you focus on what’s right, you acknowledge an additional source of confidence.” @ SportPsycher via @Mentally_Strong   To reach out to Erika, you can find her at erikacarlsonsports.com or on Twitter @SportPsycher.

In this episode we hear from Kate Catlin, millennial founder of Women Rising and Sue Schade, CIO of the University of Michigan Hospitals & Health Centers. We share the mission of Kate’s new program and Sue’s equally inspiring story. Kate first entered technology by accident, trying out a coding class. As she deepened her interest and skills, she began to look up to a friend and mentor, Erika Carlson, co-founder of Girl Develop IT Detroit. She learned how important mentorship is for women, sparking the idea for Women Rising, an online-based platform matching women in tech to mentors. Next we spoke with Sue Schade, CIO of the University of Michigan Hospitals & Health Centers. Sue has spent over 30 years in the world of technology. She began as a developer before finding herself traveling down the path to become CIO of a major health system. Kate and Sue discuss: How to find a mentor and how Women Rising helps Why Kate thinks girls need a “Ballsy-ness” attitude How Sue took the leap into the world of management Crucial management tips for women Make sure to check us out on online at www.divatechtalk.com on Twitter @divatechtalks, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/divatechalk.  

IT in the D, Episode 50. We were going to call it "Girls, Girls, Girls", but then we realized that we'd probably get "Slapped, Slapped, Slapped", and so...yeah, no. As we knew it would be, this episode was a blast. We were joined in-studio by Kate Catlin of Assemble: Giving Small Businesses a Bigger Chance, Elyse Turner from Brightwing, and Erika Carlson of Girl Develop IT - Detroit and Detroit Labs. It was a wild ride from the get go... As always, our first segment ran through the introductions around the room, and then dove into some news and events that have caught our eye over the past week. The links to find those stories...and some we didn't get to due to time constraints but are still worth taking a look at...can be found down below. Kate Catlin For our second segment, we hopped in with Kate Catlin to talk about her project geared towards helping small business downtown improve the way they do things. She's got a Rockethub (kinda like KickStarter) campaign going to help fund site development of an online marketplace and exchange for local businesses to partner and work together. There's a whole host of cool incentives for donors, including coffee mugs from Great Lakes Coffee, a great lunch, a spin class, a tour of historic downtown bars, flower delivery, something for foodies, and tons more.  Even though she hit her original goal, she's now aiming higher to get even more done, so check it out and donate at http://www.rockethub.com/projects/44667-assemble-giving-small-businesses-a-bigger-chance Elyse Turner Our third segment focused in with repeat guest Elyse Turner from Brightwing. We talked about the job market and the kinds of positions that Brightwing is currently on the hunt to fill, as well as what they're seeing in the local industry scene with regards to contract, contract to hire and permanent placement positions. We also dove into some common ground that we've all walked over from time to time - helping out college students (and others) who are woefully unprepared for the real world upon graduation. Students with 3.8 and higher GPAs that should be a lock for the jobs that they're not getting, and the feedback coming in says it's because of the lack of softer skills - they can't communicate properly, they don't know how to talk with people, they can't express what it is that they actually do or want to do...or even worse, they're showing up unshowered, completely unprepared... ...or they have their mom keeping tabs on the recruiter and the interview process... ...yeah, that's a great idea.  Check out Brightwing and everything that they have going on out at http://www.gobrightwing.com/ Erika Carlson We saved the best for last (no offense to Kate and Elyse, of course) and our fourth and final segment roped our other repeat guest for the night, Erika Carlson, on to center stage. Erika has her hands in just as many (if not more) things as we do, and so it's always good when we get can our schedules to sync up so we can play catch up with her.  And get a new drop or two for future usage... Her two main areas of focus these days are her work as one of the founders of Girl Develop IT - Detroit and her "real world" job at Detroit Labs.  For those not in the know, she not only talks the talk, but has walked the walk herself.  She was studying clinical psychology just a few years ago (which probably explains why she knows how to manipulate the three of us so easily and well) when she made the gutsy decision to switch gears and head into coding.  Her frustration with finding good resources led her to partnering with a few others to start the Detroit chapter of Girl Develop IT, a 501c3 charitable organization dedicated to getting women more involved and engaged with technology by teaching them how to develop in various languages and get them up to speed for a new career track.  That whole backstory can be heard way back in Episode 2 of our show here.

IT in the D, Episode 22 This was a GREAT episode. One of the ones where we could have sat there for anther two or three hours easily, and never run out of things to talk about. With our guests Elaina Farnsworth of Mobile Comply, Nate Hughes of Detroit Labs and Amber Coffman of Spark Digital Strategy, there was no shortage of things to talk about or topics to dive in...and a bit of ranting, naturally... In our first segment, we went through our usual round-up of news items that had caught our eye over the past week.  Things like our Support the Troops event next Thursday, "How is Black Friday an international thing...complete with riots and chaos in Ireland?", that stores being open on Thursday proved to be a very good thing for them, and so all of those protests and debates about letting people stay with their families and pledging not to shop that day were...worthless...because the landscape has changed permanently, you can bet on it. We even got a little bit into how small of a world it can be sometimes, and why you don't judge people based on how they treat the CEO, but rather how they treat the secretary...or perhaps the DJ.  Who happens to run a networking group you're a part of...but you don't know that.  And who's cohost and longtime friend is friends with your boss...and eight other people you work with. In our second segment, we chatted with Elaina Farnsworth about Mobile Comply, and what they've got going on...which, as it turns out, is quite a bit.  They've created a whole new training program to support the new CompTIA Certification, Mobility+, which teaches everything you need to know...and prove you know...about the basics of all things mobile.  From architecture to infrastructure, and from platform agnostic best practices to security...it's a great foundation.  They're running a special right now on the prep class for the test...and, well, since they quite literally wrote the book on it, you can be sure the teaching is sound. In our third segment, we switch over and engage with Nate Hughes, one of the founders of Detroit Labs.  Just a great chat overall.  From the beginnings at a few empty desks in the Compuware building to their space at the Madison building that they eventually filled to breaking point out to their move into their new building, where they span two entire floors of the old Lane Bryant building downtown.  We'd heard some of the stories from Erika Carlson during her last visit, but it was really great to sit down and hear it all from Nate's perspective, which can seem to be paradoxical at times.  They're a mobile application development company looking to hire developers...but not really necessarily mobile app devs.  They tell potential clients their prices are almost assuredly going to be the highest...and yet they're swamped with work and growing. For our fourth and final segment, we dragged Amber Coffman from Spark Digital Strategy out of lurker mode and talked a bit about what digital strategy is, what services she brings to the table for her clients, and what digital strategy is...and, more importantly, why you need one.  Brands versus identities.  Personal versus corporate.  Damage control and reputation management.  We chatted a bit about this story involving some shady practices by a company concerned about their online reputation...and it may wind up costing them more than the backlash they're already receiving. [soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/122997429" params="color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /] Links from tonight's show: Mobile Comply: http://mobilecomply.com/ Detroit Labs: http://www.detroitlabs.com/ Spark Digital Strategy: http://sparkdigitalstrategy.com/ The lawsuit over a negative review: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/couple-fined-3500-writing-negative-review/story?id=21018224 The IT in the D Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ITinTheD IT in the D on Twitter: https://www.twitter.