Podcasts about every christmas

Have you ever had a divine encounter with someone who came into your life at just the right time, and you knew it was a “God thing”?I heard about a family that had a flat tire at Christmastime. They pulled into the closest repair shop they could find. The technician who came out to help them was named “Emmanuel.” He agreed to fix the flat even though the shop had just closed. Every Christmas, this family tells their “Emmanuel” story as a reminder that God is always with us.God orchestrates every meeting you have with someone for a purpose. Sometimes, that purpose is life-changing; other times, not so much. But they are all divine appointments.For more encouragement and parenting advice, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Every Christmas, Kristen's family does a scavenger hunt to reveal a family gift or trip. This past year they decided to give the gift early, and we got to follow along on her Facebook page. We loved the idea so much we wanted to bring her on the podcast to tell us all about it. … Continue reading Episode 535: Kristen’s Family Scavenger Hunt →

Every Christmas we gift our family with a new game to play together in the year ahead. This year's game got mixed reviews from players. See it on the blog here: Our Newest Game https://amybain.wordpress.com/2025/01/18/our-newest-game/ Shout out this week to listeners in Dominican Republic, Pakistan, Switzerland, Sweden, Philippines, and Indonesia!

  Ever wondered how to navigate life's challenges with a smile? Join Gail Zugerman in a hilarious and insightful conversation with Greg Schwem, a well-respected corporate comedian and cruise ship entertainer who has turned life's gut punches into punchlines. Discover how Greg's superpower – humor – helped him navigate a gray divorce and a cancer diagnosis, all while keeping his audience laughing. Plus, get ready for some witty insights on online dating, the importance of human connection, and the power of laughter in the face of adversity. Greg has recently written a book about his personal life called, “Turning Gut Punches Into Punchlines“.  He is on SIRIUS Radio and Comedy Central and has shared the stage with Jay Leno, Celine Dion, and Keith Urban! — Watch the episode here   Listen to the podcast here   The Power Of Humor: Navigating Life's Ups And Downs With Greg Schwem How To Use Humor To Get Through Life's Curve Balls Welcome to the show. This is a show that provides a platform for older people who are growing older in a positive and productive way to come on stage and dispense their wisdom. You can find out more about our show by going to www.GrowingOlderWithGusto.com. We have a very special guest for the holidays from the start of the new year who happens to be a comedian from Chicago. He is navigating the ups and downs of life by utilizing his superpower as a comedian and using his great sense of humor. His name is Greg Schwem. He spends much of his professional time on stage and onboard cruise ships. The Chicago Tribune has proclaimed him as “The King of the Hill” in the growing world of corporate comedy. He's been on Sirius Radio and Comedy Central and has shared the stage with the likes of Celine Dion, Jay Leno, and Keith Urban. We're going to talk to Greg about how changes later in life don't necessarily have to be as scary as you might think if you find the humor in difficult, challenging, and unfamiliar situations. Greg has also written a very funny book based on his own personal life called Turning Gut Punches into Punch Lines. There's a lot to talk about with Greg so let's get going.     Welcome to the show, Greg. Thank you for having me. Superpowers, I love that. I don't think I've ever been introduced as having superpowers. That's a lot of pressure. From Journalist To Comedian: Greg Schwem's Unlikely Path To Success Why don't we begin by having you tell our audience a bit about how you got started as a corporate speaker which the Huffington Post has called you “Your boss's favorite comedian”? It's weird. I quit my job in journalism. I was a newspaper and a TV reporter in West Palm Beach, Florida. I did that for the first five years out of college. I was always a comedian though. I always did it as a hobby. I started doing it in high school. I finally decided after five years in journalism, which doesn't sound like a lot but it is a lot. It takes a toll on you, particularly with the kind of stories that I was covering which were certainly not funny. They were very depressing. I told a lot of morbid stories. I would do that during the day and then I would go to comedy clubs at night and make people laugh. I eventually decided I liked doing that better so I moved back to Chicago. I became a club comedian, the guy who goes around to clubs around the country and makes people laugh. Little by little, I started getting approached because of the type of material that I was doing in my standup act. I was doing material about computers, business, meetings, and that kind of stuff. I would have people come up to me afterward and invite me down to their Christmas party, their golf outing, or little stuff like that. That snowballed. The more shows that I did for business groups, the more I got noticed by people who booked those kinds of events on a much larger scale. I was getting approached by corporate speakers bureaus, corporate booking agents, and meeting planners. It is a word of mouth marketing, so to speak. I had no idea that this kind of stuff even existed. When you're a journalist, you don't get invited to three-day offsite meetings. Your boss does, but not you. Someone's got to put out the paper. Little by little, I transitioned my whole act. Instead of being a club comedian, I became a corporate humor speaker. That's really what I've been doing for the past couple of years. That's an interesting path that you took to that. It's very rare. There are few comedians or people who have transitioned into the corporate market. It's different from working as a club comedian. Were you a little jokester when you were little? I was. One of the questions comedians get always asked is, “Were you the class clown?” I always say, “No. I was the class smart ass.” I always say the class clown is always in trouble because he's always trying to get the other kids in the class to laugh. What I would do is try to get the teacher to laugh. You can't get mad at somebody when you're laughing. I figured that out very early. I would sit in the back and pick my spots. I always enjoyed making people laugh and trying to figure out what would entertain them. You can't get mad at somebody when you're laughing. Navigating The Gray Divorce: Finding Humor In Unexpected Change To segue into a more serious subject, we hear a lot about the graying of America and the graying generation. There's a rise in what they're calling the graying divorce. I know that you have experienced this situation. I'm hoping you can give some wisdom to our audience about how your divorce came about and how you were able to use your superpower of humor to get you through a rough patch in your life. My divorce was no different from a lot of divorces. Gray divorce is defined as people over 50, certainly how long you've been married but how old you are physically. It is the only demographic where the divorce rate is on the rise. A lot of it is attributed to couples who stayed together and raised their kids and all of a sudden, the kids are gone. They're creating their own lives. The couples look at each other and go, “Now what?” There was a little of that involved in mind. There were other issues as well. I certainly realized at one point that it wasn't going to happen. You could say, “Did you go to therapy or so forth?” We'll get into that later. That's fine. That's a whole nother episode. We're going to talk about it. That's me. It's scary. For people in this age group, when they make the decision to get divorced, they're only thinking about the positives. They're like, “Finally,” probably men especially. They're like, “I supported my family. I did this. I paid the mortgage. I mowed the lawn. I did all this. Now, finally, I can focus on myself.” That's very common and it's natural to think that way. What you don't think is that you have been married for a very long amount of time. For me, that's half my life. I was married for 29 years. When you are in that situation, you become a little bit complacent. I don't use that in a negative term. You're like, “This is what I get. This is what I've gotten used to, my house and this. I come home and I sit in front of the fire. Every Christmas, we do this. Every Thanksgiving, we do this,” and so forth. All of a sudden, that's all gone. You have to reinvent yourself. That's something people don't think about. I don't think it's necessarily a reason not to get divorced if you're not happy, but it's something you should probably plot out. As I talked about in the book, I have not paid bills in 25 years. My ex-wife did that. There were a lot of things. That's what the responsibilities are. That doesn't even cover things like, “How do I meet people now?” I've had the same friends for 25 years, but I don't have those friends anymore. How am I going to meet people? How did you use your humor during your separation and then your divorce? I know you did use your humor to deflect some of these other feelings that cropped up for you. That's natural as a comedian. That's what comedians do. We are always looking for humor in everyday situations. It doesn't necessarily matter if those situations are funny from the start or serious. That's also why people always go to see comedians because they want to laugh at something that may be going on in their lives. Nothing makes me happier when I'm on stage or when I'm delivering some material about a particular topic and I see people in the audience nodding in agreement and looking at one another because I know I've hit on something here. They're like, “He's saying what I've been thinking.” It was natural to do that. Laughing is a way to get through the day. I've heard that it's also really healthy from a physical point of view. Online Dating After Divorce: Keeping A Sense of Humor Sometimes, you have to. You can get as frustrated as you want with lawyers and unfortunately the bad parts of divorce, the lawyers, moving out, and restarting your life. You're going to come into something that's funny and it's how you deal with that. I had always planned to write a funny book about divorce. I  thought that would be a good thing for me to do. I've written a couple of books before, but to write things down and journal my thoughts and maybe some of it will end up in my standup act on stage. As we'll probably talk about, there was a little twist in there that's something different. I want to talk to you a little bit about online dating. How do you do this passage? What are your ways of navigating these ups and downs of Greg Schwem's life? What would you like to know about online dating? Is it about how you do it? How can you keep a sense of humor while you are finding a date? Reading other people's profiles can be very funny. Trying to create your own can be funny. How funny do you want to be when you're creating it? What are your ultimate goals? I put down that I was looking for people my age. To be honest, when I entered online dating, it was more of a fact-finding mission for me. I knew that I was moving to Chicago, the city. I was moving out of the suburbs. Before I committed to that, I wanted to meet women my age who were also in the city to find out if they thought it was a good move. Was there enough to do? Was it more difficult to meet people? How easy is it to get around with transportation? All of that kind of stuff. I was very clear about that. In my profile, I said, “Right now, I'm looking for friends. Would you please be my friend, you over 55 ladies?” That's what it was for the first few months. Once you get a little more comfortable, you think, “I met somebody or I've seen somebody. It's time to see if we can have a new relationship,” which we know from someone who's been married for a long time, that's scary too. Did you ever have any instances where maybe somebody's profile didn't match up to what you met, saw, and interacted with? Everybody leaves something out of their profile. It's not necessarily that it didn't match up. I found a lot of humor in women's profile pictures because that's the first thing you see. I was amazed at how many profile pictures from women involved them holding a glass of wine. I don't know why. What's with the wine? These are all different sizes too. There were some that a fish could swim in the goblet they were holding. I found that to be funny. It's like, “What are you trying to portray with this particular photo?” That became, for me, an icebreaker. When I would reach out to somebody, I would make a comment about their photo, not a mean-spirited one. I remember there was one woman who I was a little interested in. She was on a paddleboard and there was this brilliant red sunset. I said something like, “I noticed your profile photo. Are you almost done recording your album?” It looked like the cover of an album or a CD. She thought that was very funny. There were a couple of women who I did meet who, all of a sudden, dropped a little bit of a bomb on me like, “Now that I've got him in the Starbucks I'm going to casually mention my sobriety or my ex abusive husband,” or something like that. You got to like, “Now you're here. I have to deal with that. Am I ready to?” Therapy And Reinvention: Embracing New Experiences It's not easy. That might send somebody, not you per se, but anybody going through a divorce or something like that into therapy. I know that you mentioned in your book that almost everybody these days does have a therapist, including your therapist. I was wondering if you would reflect back on your experience in getting through this gray divorce. How would you do things differently? How did therapy play into it? How would I do things differently in my marriage? No, in handling the divorce or getting through this. I don't know if I would handle it differently. I handled it very well. If I didn't eventually go talk to an independent third party, I don't think that would've been a good way to handle it. I was always anti-therapy. What brought you over that hurdle? Running out of people to talk to. This is something that another podcast host told me off-air. He had me on his show. He was divorced too. He said, “You realize you're going to have to make new friends because your old friends knew you as a couple. You're no longer a couple.” As much as I could say, “These are good friends of mine. We used to hang out at 4th of July picnics,” sadly, with the exception of a few, that is what happened. You can be mad about it or be upset and you can question whether they were ever your friends in the first place but I don't think that does you any good. Everybody has their own reasons. It might be uncomfortable. It might be that your friends are no longer comfortable talking to you. They question. Getting back to therapy, that's eventually what got me into therapy because you have all these questions like, “Why aren't people reaching out to me? What did I do? Am I suddenly a bad guy?” That's one of the reasons. Were you able to use your humor superpower as a way to overcome any bitterness that you might have? That is very common among people who either lose somebody because of a divorce or a death. Bitterness, that word can go a lot of different ways. I have tried very hard to not bring my personal life and any issues that I might have with my ex into either my act or my book. I don't think that gets you anywhere. I was saying if somebody, not you per se, but anybody out there tuning in feels they've been shortchanged because they were a couple and they're no longer a couple. Their friends are no longer who they think they were or were they ever their friends. Somebody can get over that by maybe finding a sense of humor in everything. It's good but you have to be very careful because your attempts at humor, and this is true on stage too, can be perceived in very different ways. It could come off as sarcasm. It could come off as bitterness. I've been a comedian for 30 years. I know how to read the room better than some people. Some people, when they try to maybe either reconnect with their children after a divorce, might think they're being funny and lighthearted but they might not realize how it sounds to the other person. It's a very slippery slope. What got me through it is I knew that other people were going through it too. If I could make them laugh and find things on stage and get that nodding response from people, then that was probably more therapeutic for me than going to a therapist. A lot of people helped me too. You have to be very careful because your attempts at humor can be perceived in very different ways. I want to say this. One thing I found out about people who are divorced is I realized we're all on the same team. Whether this was on a cruise ship, random, or maybe I met somebody in a restaurant or something, nobody jumped in and said, “Let me tell you about my divorce. Do you think yours is bad? Wait until you hear this.” I don't want to hear about it. I don't want to hear the particulars. I always say it's like your delayed flight. It's different from my delayed flight. I found that people were not doing that. They weren't trying to top you or turn the discussion to them. Everybody who I broached this subject with said, “It sucks but you're going to get through it. You're going to feel better when you come out on the other side.” That was enough for me. Divorce sucks, but you're going to get through it and you're going to feel better when you come out on the other side. The Double C: Finding Laughter In The Face Of Cancer That is a good way of putting it. That's very wise. My next topic is also not particularly uplifting, but I really admire you and everything that you've been through. Another life hurdle was while you were going through the divorce, y ou heard the C word, which is one nobody wants to hear. You experienced this right in the middle of your divorce. Tell our audience. How did your natural sense of humor get through your diagnosis and your treatment? It was the double C. It was Colon Cancer. It certainly sent the book in a different direction. I had planned to write a funny book about divorce, and then this happened. I approached it the way that we've been talking about, which is about trying to laugh at something and trying to find humor. I am a big observer of people. That's what comedians do. People say, “Your business is about jokes.” It's really not. A comedian's business is people, observing, and listening because that's what ends up on stage. We have to see something and then we poke fun at it or make light of it. That's the way our minds are always working. I don't think there's any reason that you can't let your mind work that way even when you are faced with a disease or an unexpected diagnosis where you're not sure where that's going to end up. It came naturally to me. It didn't mean that I was going into every doctor's appointment going, “How's it going, everybody?” I'm not going to be on stage. If I could get the nurses to laugh or the doctors to laugh, to me, that was like, “If you can get them to laugh, they're going to maybe take more of an interest in your case.” I remember when my surgeon came in. He was telling me where my tumor was. It was right where there was a bend in my colon. He was like, “We're going to take out the 90-degree angle and then I'm going to put those two back together.” I go, “How do you take this part and this part and put them together?” He goes, “That's why they pay me the big bucks.” I was like, “I like this guy.” He laughed and I laughed. I knew I was in the right hands. That's great. Humor As A Coping Mechanism: Finding Light In The Darkness That doesn't mean it was a yuk a minute, certainly not with the recovery or anything like that, but I do believe that there is the ability to find humor in any subject. There's so much craziness going on in the world. Do you see humor as a coping mechanism? If so, how can you recommend to our audience how they can cultivate that? Maybe somebody's taking life too seriously. I can only see it as a coping mechanism, and it always has been. This has become a topic of one of my corporate presentations. The title is Humor is Serious Business But We Should Still Be Laughing. I've given that talk to corporations before. What's happening is we're so busy trying to answer the question, “What is funny?” There is no answer to that. We need to start admitting that. Nothing is universally funny. To try and put rules on what is funny and what is not is doing us no good at all.     Comedy clubs are doing very well. They ebb and flow, but they do well when we are in a strange time or a very unknown situation of what's going to happen. Everybody's a little bit anxious as to what the future's going to hold so people look to comedy as escapism. That's why clubs are doing well. I've had a real renaissance in getting on stage. It's not that I ever disliked it, but with all that has happened to me and what's going on in the world, I'm enjoying the chance to make people of all ages laugh probably a lot more. Remember, we're coming out of COVID where there was no laughter because there was no place other than the internet and to sit by yourself with your phone in your room and try to make yourself laugh. We went from that to all of a sudden, “It's okay to go outside now. Let's start laughing again.” Turning Gut Punches Into Punchlines: A Comedian's Journey I'm thinking about your book. You mentioned the title. The subtitle though is what I really like. It's Turning Gut Punches Into Punch Lines: A Comedian's Journey through Cancer, Divorce, and Other Hilarious Stuff. That is quite a mouthful. It's a mouthful but that's the part that makes people laugh, and that's what I wanted. I wanted it because it shows what we've been talking about. You can laugh at subjects that aren't considered universally funny.     That's correct. What was your favorite section of the book? I know I had mine. It's divided into three parts. The first part was the reality of, “I'm getting divorced. I have to reinvent myself. I have to move out. I have to find a therapist.” The second part was about reinvention and trying new things. I tried things more for communication. I went to work for Amazon during the Christmas break. I don't need to work for Amazon. I'm doing okay, but I happened to see an advertisement saying, “We need help for Christmas.” December is usually a month in corporate comedy that is pretty slow. I thought, “I'll try this.” I drove for Uber to try and get material, meet people, and hear their stories. The last part of the book is all about the future. My favorite chapter is the last one because, in the last one, I went on a journey. I wanted to engage particularly with younger people because they're the future. I wanted to know what they thought of things and how they felt about things like marriage, divorce, and therapy. I was talking to people of my own generation for the whole time but I thought, “It would be a good twist to meet younger people because they're going to be faced with these challenges too. Maybe they have ideas that I didn't know about.” I looked at a lot of social media of people who were trying to answer the question of what it is to be happy. There's some funny stuff out there. That's probably my favorite chapter. What's yours? I had a couple. One was entitled Single Rizzable Male. Can you quickly tell some people who might not be in the know about what rizz means? Rizz was the Oxford University Word of the Year. They had the vote. We're doing this in late December 2024. I read about what it was this 2024. They voted on this word. In 2023, the word was rizz. Rizz is a take on charisma. The younger generation, if they can figure out a way to shorten anything and spend less time, which in this case, talking, they're going to do it. Rizz is like an attraction. You give off magnetism. That's where rizzable came in. That is the chapter that deals with online dating, filling up profiles, and the hits and misses of these people I met. I'm glad you liked that one. I did. Also, the one about your trip to Denmark and your discovery of hygge. This is part of the last chapter. It's very popular. It's a word for happiness. I was in Denmark. I was in Copenhagen. I saw a tour on TripAdvisor called The Happiness Tour and Learning About the Power of Hygge. I thought, “That's exactly what  I'm looking for. I want to see that.” There were about 10 of us. Our guide, who was about 38 talked, about hygge. What it involves is being present or being in the moment and listening to who you are with. You could use hygge as a noun or a verb. He said something like, “Why don't we go hygge in the park today? If you do go hygge in the park, you leave your phone at home because if you are on your phone, you are not in the moment. You are not as interested in that person who invited you that you're hygge-ing with.” I found that very fascinating. What was really interesting was when I was in Denmark, I observed there was a school group on a field trip. I was looking at these kids, probably anywhere from 8 to 14. They had no phones, not one. Can you imagine that in this country? No. They were commiserating with one another. They were listening to what was being told to them about whatever it was they were seeing. I found that to be really refreshing. What has gotten me through this is communicating, listening to other people, and hearing their stories no matter what age they are. I'm very intrigued with people. It's people that get you through tough times. It's not your phone. It's not necessarily your therapist. Your therapist can be great at dispensing advice, but that's for an hour. You leave and you've got the rest of the day or the evening to figure out what you're going to do. I have decided that people entertain me and fascinate me and I want to find out about everybody. Any other experiences that came out of writing your book that you didn't expect perhaps? I didn't expect people to be as forthcoming as they were. I've been a solo traveler on business. I eat by myself. You're in a strange city. I've had no problem sitting at bars or brewpubs and ordering, trying to talk to other people, and so forth because that, to me, is more than just sitting there, eating by yourself, and then scrolling your phone every now and then. I was amazed at how forthcoming people were to talk because that is something that COVID took away from us. COVID seems very far away but it will always be there. It will always be because it changed everything. It changed marriages. It changed how people work. It changed how people get educated. It will always be a part of our lives. That's another thing when I drove for Uber. It was amazing how much they would keep going if you got people to start talking. I find that to be very refreshing. I wasn't expecting that. Words Of Wisdom: Embracing Change And Finding New Beginnings You seem like an easy person to talk to and easy for people to open up to, which is nice. That is another superpower. I hope this will air and drop before the end of 2024, but if it doesn't, even for the new year. Any words of wisdom that you can give to anyone who has lost a spouse from their passing away or through divorce in a long-term relationship? Is there anything that they can do as far as keeping their sense of hor and getting through this? I'm willing to give people the same advice that was dished out to me about how it sucks but you're going to get through it. Maybe not for someone who has lost a spouse but certainly for people who are getting divorced, you could sit there, curl up in a ball, and say, “My life will never be the same. I lost my companion of this long.” You can do that but at some point,  you have to pick yourself up and say, “There's something new. What haven't I done? What have I always wanted to try?” That could be something like a cooking class. It could be a support group. I've always said it's never too late to learn a different skill or educate yourself about something. That's what I've tried to do. It's easier said than done. Everybody is going to have to do that at their own pace. It's never too late to learn a different skill or educate yourself about something. When you do those things, you meet people. That's what it's all about, right? Yes. You might meet somebody who's going through the exact same thing as you and you probably up until then thought you were the only person going through this and were very lonely as a result. It doesn't have to be that way. Is there anything else you want to tell us about your book or anything in general? I do hope people purchase the book. It is on Amazon. People who are maybe living in active retirement communities, I've started doing shows in active retirement communities. That demographic loves to laugh and they love to laugh at themselves. Sometimes, we aren't good at laughing at ourselves. When I do shows for maybe an over 55 group, how easy they are at laughing at their health problems, their sex lives, their lack of sex lives, and everything like that. You might as well laugh at getting old because it's going to happen. It's a gift. You might as well find something like that to laugh at. I'd be more than happy to come to any place that you think needs some laughter. If somebody wants to contact you, what's the best way? My website. It's GregSchwem.com. Tell me about your event and I would be more than happy to come and entertain you. That sounds great. Thank you so much. This has been so much fun. For all our readers, please join the show by going to www.GrowingOlderWithGusto.com and share with your friends or whoever you think will enjoy the episode. This one I know you're going to share because it was great. Thank you very much. Stay connected and curious.   Important Links Greg Schwem Greg Schwem on LinkedIn Turning Gut Punches into Punch Lines

Every Christmas season brings its own wisdom, so the question we all need to ask is, "Christmas, what did you come to teach me this year?"   Welcome to Christmastide!  Christmas is far from over.  The celebration of Jesus' birth extends beyond December 25th.  Today is only the fourth day of Christmas.  There are eight more days to come, plus Epiphany.  For many of us, the best Christmas gift has yet to be unwrapped.     Today's Table encourages us to pause and reflect on what just happened a few days ago - on what just happened 2000 years ago.  Last Wednesday and two millenniums back are not that far apart.  Christmas Day itself is a thin place where the reverberating echoes of angels can still be felt and heard.  Ask the Christmas question and listen quietly for God's reply.   Special thanks today to Arbo, a country band from the cajun swampland, led by brothers Stevie and Johnny Rees.  They have graciously allowed us to share their 2023 song "A Child Is Born" for this special Christmas episode.  (Used by Permission).

Every Christmas, we like to share a favorite poem. This year it's 'Snowy Night' by Mary Oliver.We'll be back with our regularly scheduled episodes on January 9th. Happy Holidays! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every Christmas season, people make fun of the absurd level of schmaltz dumped onto television by the good people at Hallmark. But, anyone who complains needs to be brought back in time to 1978, when Santa crapped out the biggest coal ever to fill a stocking. If you already have a bad feeling about this, so do we, because we're about to try to prove to you that The Star Wars Holiday Special is not that bad. www.notthatbadcast.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/notthatbadcast Social Media - @notthatbadcast (X, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, Spoutible) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode of the Music Minute, I share that Mariah Carey earns up to $5 million in royalties every Christmas from her song “All I Want for Christmas Is You”. If you prefer to watch the episode instead of listen to it, you can do so on Youtube at: ⁠https://youtu.be/KJePmzbOwlg If you've enjoyed today's episode, please take a moment to subscribe, like, comment and share. You can find all my social media links to connect with me at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/joelmartinmastery⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Your friend and ally, Joel Martin We've Got Time by LiQWYD | https://www.instagram.com/liqwyd Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Every Christmas dinner with extended family inevitably involves the timeless question, “So, what are you doing for work these days?” or “What do you do, again?” This can be a daunting challenge when your job description sounds like a cryptic corporate riddle that would require a PowerPoint presentation and therapy hand puppets to explain. In this episode, Ross and Natalie vividly portray their family holiday experiences, accurately predicting the chaos that awaits each other's households. They engage in a role-playing scenario where Natalie attempts to explain her job to her Grandpa Jack. Additionally, they offer valuable tips on how to effectively communicate your esoteric corporate role to your family in a manner they can comprehend, or at least sufficiently to deter follow-up questions. Prepare yourself for a fresh wave of holiday party confessions, including an intern who vomits on the CEO's wife, a showdown between a “work husband” and a real husband, and a heartfelt tribute to Melvin, a disgruntled manager who purposefully drove his car into the company building. Stay tuned for hazy recollections of SantaCon, childhood encounters with the terrifying mall Santa, and the enigma that is the Elf on the Shelf. Get up to 50% off Masterclass by going to https://masterclass.com/demoted Email contact@demotedpodcast.com with your Corporate Confessions and Dear Demoted advice requests. Or use the anonymous submission form on our website, https://www.demotedpodcast.com. Now accepting voice memos!

While winter is cold, there is the hope of spring and warmer weather. Similarly, today, Brett shares how the dark times of Isaiah 8 ultimately leads us to the hope of Jesus and savior in Isaiah 9. 00:07 - Introduction - Isaiah 8:21-22 00:42 - Are you a fan of winter? 05:12 - Isaiah 9:6 06:17 - Isaiah 8:21-22 07:03 - Isaiah 9:1-3, 6-7 09:45 - Isaiah 9:2 11:29 - Isaiah 9:6 Share your stories, prayer requests, or your response to this devotional in the comments below. If you would like to know more about New Life, who we are, what we believe, or when we meet, visit http://newlife.church. Or you can fill out a digital connection card at http://newlife.church/connect - we would love to get to know you better!

  A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE – When God Says “GO”! By Mary Lindow   This Podcast is going to be focusing on what I would call “A Miracle on Christmas Eve!”   Steve And I Had Just About Been Married About A Year and had been through a complete reorganization of his business due to a partner, having not reported properly on the business financial books. Shortly after we were married, we found this all out and we were saddled with the debt of the business and the business was shuttered and the friendship was shattered.     STEVE REOPENED HIS OWN INTERIOR DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURAL ADVISORY BUSINESS ON A LITERAL SHOESTRING. I was teaching piano and voice lessons and directing a church choir.   In October Steve had been asked to totally remodel a local restaurant as well as create matching themed Christmas decor. I had worked in a floral shop for years as a young high school girl and had done many wreaths as well as large swags of things for commercial decorations. I helped Steve begin to build and construct the pieces that went together for all of the items we were going to install. Once it was all prepared and ready, the owner was so grateful and so in love with all the work, she asked us to also do Christmas swags and decor for the Bar and eating area in the bar. This was a few days before Christmas and she had decided she wanted more festive decor in the bar since many parties were to take place for Christmas and up to New Years Day. So, we gathered materials and created that and installed it.   WE WERE NOT ANTICIPATING THAT EXTRA BLESSING FINANCIALLY and we received a $400 check, (which was a lot at that time.) As we began to pray about a Christmas offering, we wanted to do something to honor the Lord at Christmas and help others. A friend of ours whom we had met and had had wonderful prayer meetings with two other schoolteachers in East St. Louis, Missouri, had shared in a prayer meeting about a family in need. At that time, the Bloods and the Crips gangs were very heavily active and there was a tremendous amount of racial tension in East Saint Louis. We were always very careful when driving through the area to not get off on the wrong ramp because often there was a lot of car theft and harm done to people who didn't know or belong to that area. But, there were times that we would travel down with a group of our friends, both black and white, to a house where a woman by the name of sister Lucy, who had a Doctorate in education, would hold ladies teas and prayer gatherings. We would worship and pray, and intercede and study the word fervently among both black-and-white women who were either highly educated or women who cleaned homes for a living. It didn't matter! We loved being with each other, and we loved the presence of the Lord. So, when sister Margaret Wren our friend from East St. Louis, who was also a teacher, told us there was a family in desperate need of clothing and food that she knew of and that the mother who was in her early 60s had been holding all of the children and grandchildren together in her home.   THIS DEAR WOMAN WAS SCHEDULED TO GO IN FOR OPEN-HEART SURGERY ON CHRISTMAS EVE. Margaret told us there was going to be limited food and of course they weren't expecting anything for Christmas. Steve and I knew that we were going to end up making what we considered a very significant personal sacrifice instead of doing things we needed to do to broaden our business and also to take care of a few things we needed to handle as well in our home. Yet, the Holy Spirit was persistent. The extra job came in unexpectedly. We knew that $400 was to be used specifically to help this family.   WE BEGAN TO TELL OUR SISTER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW WHO LIVED NEXT-DOOR TO US AND A FEW OTHER FAMILIES BEGAN TO GET EXCITED TO HELP. Steve and I went to the local grocery store and filled carts with warm blankets, hams, cereals, fruits, vegetables, different kinds of meat and canned goods, and had the joy of a lifetime like we had won the “Supermarket Sweepstakes!”   WE WERE GOING TO GO DELIVER ALL OF THIS ON CHRISTMAS EVE AFTERNOON BEFORE THE DEAR SISTER WAS GOING TO GO AND HAVE HER SURGERY THAT EVENING. Everyone congregated at our little cottage home and we could not believe how many people put together beautiful things for this family! My sister-in-law Judi had put together stacks of beautiful clothing and little outfits for children that her children were no longer fitting into because we had said there were children needing clothing. They also found a giant 6-foot long stocking and filled it with candy, fruit, and nuts. Another lovely couple had a giant Christmas turkey on a platter with all kinds of onions and celery and carrots with the stuffing ready to go so they could put it in the oven when we got there.   THERE WERE BOXES OF DIAPERS, FORMULA, AND SACKS OF GROCERIES FROM SO MANY PEOPLE! Many who also had large families! We really didn't know how many we were going to be helping! We just knew that there was a large family in need, and there were children were involved. Several married couples lived in the same house with the mother and the poverty was substantial.   WE MADE A CARAVAN OF FOUR CARS TO TRAVEL INTO EAST ST. LOUIS and Margaret Wren met us on a side street as we entered to go towards this family‘s house. We parked the cars outside, and there was a young man standing outside who did live in the home, who told us he would watch our cars for us. We told him that we didn't think it would be a problem and he smiled at us shyly and he's told us it was very important to have someone from the neighborhood watching your cars. We thanked him and went up the steps to a house that was sturdy but in much needed repair.   WE STOOD ON THE PORCH AND RANG THE DOORBELL. The door opened and there was the most precious older woman standing there in her coat and hat with a purse on her arm. She told us she was waiting for us to come before she made her journey to the hospital. As we began to walk in with box after box, package after package, grocery sack after grocery sack of items, the room began to fill with people coming from upstairs just standing there, staring at us in wonder and shock.   AS I LOOKED INTO THE KITCHEN AREA, THE ONLY HEAT IN THE HOUSE WAS THE GAS STOVE WITH ALL FOUR BURNERS FLAMING AND THE OVEN DOOR WAS OPEN. Lying over on a vinyl couch was a little infant, beautiful, baby boy dressed only in a T-shirt and a diaper, and the house was chilly.   Our hearts were breaking to see how little they had, and yet the love among them was evident and of course, the mother/ grandmother was introducing us all with great pride to her children and their spouses. Two of the little boys saw the big fluffy blankets that we bought. We had stacked things over on a makeshift couch that was really just a twin bed with a covering over it, and these little boys grabbed the blankets and ran upstairs to their rooms.   TO SAY IT WAS HUMBLING IS MINIMIZING HOW LITTLE THESE DEAR PEOPLE HAD. We were not there to give out of any sense of benevolence, but out of love.   We Began To Talk To Their Children And Coo Over The Babies, And The Tension In The Room Began To Melt As They Began To See, That We Were Just People Who Came To Love And Bless Them.   Because they knew Margaret Wren, they knew we were safe people and that we were kind people. We knew they were safe people and kind people.   NOW HERE'S WHERE THE BEAUTIFUL MIRACLE PART BEGINS TO TAKE PLACE! Steve asked if we might be able to pray for this dear woman heading into surgery that night. She was the one holding the family together and I think pretty much financially as well. She was covering what it cost to pay for the house and just basic comforts. Although several other others did have jobs, it just was not going to be enough with her being incapacitated.   SHE SMILED BROADLY, AND SHE SAID, “I AM BELIEVING THAT GOD WILL HEAL ME AND THAT I WILL COME OUT OF THIS WITH A NEW HEART. That I will mend quickly! I trust in Jesus!” Some of her older children were rolling their eyes at her or had an attitude of just accepting that “this was the way their mother always was”, but there was not necessarily disrespect, just a lot of disbelief. Yet, they all joined the large circle we formed to pray.   STEVE BEGAN TO PRAY. He prayed and blessed the family and thanked the Lord for the privilege of meeting every one of them. He asked the Heavenly Father if he would come and show himself to be kind and real to each and every one of them and provide for them and open up new jobs for them. He then laid hands on this dear lady, as did several others who were with us, and he anointed her with oil and prayed that the Lord would touch her body and astound the doctors, asking that there would not nearly be as much damage done to her heart as originally thought.   We All Felt This Unusual Warm Presence Gently Surround All Of Us As We Were Standing There. Everyone Was Aware Of The Sweetness Of God's Presence.   WHEN STEVE GOT DONE PRAYING, WE ALL HUGGED EVERYONE. Some of it was awkward, some of it was genuine and warm, and the dear lady said, "I need to be on my way, they'll be waiting for me at the hospital." We said Merry Christmas to everyone and went outside where the young man was still watching our cars and of course, he had seen us take in all of the items. He was smiling a big smile and gave each of us a hug and said, “Thank you all so much. You have no idea how much this means to our children.” Many of us smiled and said, “We do understand because some of us came from big families and have been through hard times in the past, so we're so glad to be able to share!”   ON OUR WAY HOME STEVE AND I JUST SAT THERE QUIETLY basking in the joy of knowing that God sent us to a difficult place and a potentially dangerous place, and that the enemy would want us to think that we were doing something foolish or dangerous, but instead, we were sent to love people who were in need. We were given the privilege of watching joy take place in their home, as well as seeing their beautiful children, and then praying for the dear lady who was going to have the heart surgery.   WE WENT TO STEVE'S PARENTS HOUSE and sat there with Christmas music playing and good food everywhere and said, “we've already had our Christmas” We just had the most beautiful moment and it just seemed like everything else paled compared to what we had had the honor of partaking in. It was about a 35-minute drive from Steve's parents house to ours and we went home and prepared for bed.   CHRISTMAS MORNING, (THE NEXT MORNING), WE HAD GOTTEN UP AND WE WERE PREPARING SOME COFFEE AND WERE GOING TO OPEN OUR SMALL GIFTS TO EACH OTHER WHEN THE PHONE RANG. When we answered it, Margaret Wren was on the phone and she was laughing and praising God. We said, “What's going on Margaret? What's got you so fired up on Christmas morning to call us! Aren't you with your family?” Margaret said, “WELL!! I WAS getting ready to celebrate with my family, but I got a phone call from our dear sister who went into surgery last night … …And as they were examining her last evening and did a final scan, the doctor was extremely puzzled. They decided to do some exploratory surgery before fully opening her up to make sure that everything was necessary. Upon further examination with laparoscopy, the doctor was absolutely stunned and flummoxed that this woman's heart was in perfect condition! There was no scar tissue. There was no evidence of heart attack or stroke anywhere in her body. Her blood pressure had gone into a normal rhythm and she was breathing with ease. They ran more tests and didn't know what to do with her so they sent her home.    WE WERE STUNNED, JOYFULLY PRAISING GOD AND LAUGHING AT THE FACT THE DOCTOR'S DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH HER! We told Margaret we would split calling everybody up with her to let everyone know, and each time we called and told someone the rejoicing increased!   After the phone calls, Steve and I sat and talked about what an absolute moment it must've been for her children to have her walk through that door and smile at them and say, “Look what the Lord has done. He gave me the best Christmas ever! He gave me a new heart!” All of those young adults and grandchildren who stood in that room, doubtful that God cared about them very much, but knew that their grandmother or their mother loved them and gave everything for them in order for them to have comfort and shelter. Yet, she stood there bravely and courageously saying she was believing God for a new heart. (I think the Lord gave a few other people a new heart that day as well!)   WATCHING PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT FROM YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD or even from your own culture, praying for your mother, bringing gifts and treasures much like the Wiseman brought, filled with abundance because of Jesus to celebrate Christmas, created an open door for God to work a miracle and change an entire family's focus to see that he not only cares for them, but that he loves them.   NO CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, NO TINSEL, NO BEAUTIFULLY WRAPPED GIFT HELD INTEREST FOR STEVE AND I THAT CHRISTMAS. We sat on our little couch and held hands and wept and praised God for the extra income that we had been given through the unexpected extra job. Even though we had suffered great losses and had been saddled with the business debt, we knew that we had obeyed the Lord being a part of the blessing of watching God unite many people who gave their little bits, which created a tremendous amount to bless another family in need. To see joy on those dear faces and learn of the miracle that took place was more than we could handle!   Every Christmas we recount the story. We remember the years where there was hardship and yet God always came through. That dear woman lived into her late 80s and although we never saw her or the family again, we occasionally would hear from sister Margaret about the advances that had taken a place in the family. How the grandchildren were doing. We knew that we had been a small, tiny part of validating that they were worthy of love and care.   WHAT IS IT RIGHT NOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH IN ABUNDANCE? What is it that you have in your home? Maybe you have a box of new tennis shoes that you don't really like or a pair of dress shoes. Maybe you have jeans or clothing that you can't fit into, or, they're too big and they're just hanging in your closet. Maybe you have an extra $20 or $50 where you could go buy bags of fruit loaves of bread, a few blocks of cheese.   When you put these things together and you ask around, you will find a family in need. A family worthy of love, going through a difficult time. In that moment when you choose to go and be the hands of Christ extended, not only will he empower you with his Holy Spirit, but he gives you the opportunity to offer prayer for the deeper needs that they may have.   Perhaps In The Next Few Days You Will Be Called Upon To Do Something That Starts Out As Simply A Loving Act Of Giving Of Sustenance And Warmth That Will Turn Into A Miraculous And Beautiful Testimony.   We live in a world in a time we're hoarding has become something others applaud, holding our “earthly stuff” close to us, and becoming cynical when others suffer or others are going through difficult times.   IF YOU HAVE WEALTH, IF YOU HAVE ABUNDANCE OR IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE,  and there is even the slightest hint of condescension or looking down on anyone else who suffers or seems to have cycles of loss, Check your heart! You have been blessed in abundance, to help others in abundance. That is the biblical approach to wealth.   We don't store up and hoard for ourselves in order to impress others as believers. We don't flaunt and act extravagant in front of others in order to appear superior. We humble ourselves, we give sacrificially, and we go to hard places, we go to difficult places, perhaps to families who have no interest in Christ, but we become light in their darkness and plant seeds.   THERE ARE WIDOWS AND ORPHANS NEARBY WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW, THAT NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE SEEN AND LOVED. Even the smallest thing, a plate of cookies or a basket of fruit taken to a woman who has been recently widowed, can cause her loneliness and fears to be calmed.   ALWAYS REMEMBER TO PRAY WITH THOSE THAT YOU GO TO CHECK IN ON. They may say no, they don't want to be prayed for, and you can lovingly say, “that's fine. I will pray quietly for you at home.” But never be afraid to offer to pray for them in the moment. This Is What Jesus Would Do.   Ask the Holy Spirit right now what is it that you have been blessed with. Ask if you are supposed to share a part of that blessing. Ask if there's something sacrificial that you can do to help bless others who serve. Those who bless others who care take.  Bless others who seem to be givers and others think they have an endless supply, when in fact; they too need to be loved and seen.   THE COMING OF CHRIST WAS A GIFT OF IMMEASURABLE GRACE. God gave his entire wealth to mankind so that this gift would give us back access to the Father himself. He gave the very best that heaven could offer. That is why Christmas is such a potent time, because it is to be about the giving, the light, and the celebrating of this immeasurable gift.   When We Step Out Into Difficult And Hard Places And Sacrifice, Remember, God Is With Us! Emmanuel!   Matthew 1:23 Tells us “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN WILL CONCEIVE AND GIVE BIRTH TO A SON, AND THEY SHALL NAME HIM IMMANUEL,” which translated, means, “GOD WITH US.”   THE NAME OF JESUS THE MESSIAH, “GOD WITH US” MANIFESTS IN NOT ONLY THE MIRACULOUS, BUT HE HEALS AND BREAKS DOWN BARRIERS.    May your celebration of the King of Kings who was sent to earth as a tiny, vulnerable baby, be filled with a deeper understanding of the price that was paid for our lives.   Of course we know this is not actually the accurate date or celebration for Jesus' birthday, but we must never minimize the fact that the world is aware of what we are celebrating! Something of great power and a great comfort. It has a depth and a meaning that many are still seeking to understand.   Let us use every opportunity to its fullest to tell of the wonders of his love!   Have A Miraculous And Beautiful Christmas Season My Friends! God Is With Us. We Are Not Alone!   I will say goodbye for now until my next podcast! I bless you all in the mighty name of the Savior of mankind, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, GOD WITH US.     Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed, as long as the complete message, Website, podcast link and information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You! 2024 "THE MESSENGER"  - Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com www.marylindow.podbean.com   If you would be so kind and assist Mary helping her to meet other administrative needs such as website and podcast costs, or desire to bless her service in ministry with Spirit-led Love gifts or regular support:   Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of:  ► Personal Checks ► Business Checks ► Money Orders ► Cashiers Checks To:    His Beloved Ministries Inc.  PO Box 1253 Denver, Colorado 80614
 USA    Or feel free to use our send a tax-deductible gift with Pay Pal   paypal.me/mlindow  Under the name of - His Beloved Ministries Inc.    ALL gifts are tax-deductible under His Beloved Ministries 5013c non-profit status.   We are financially accountable and have been in full compliance since 1985 THANK YOU!  

Best NBA bets, picks and predictions for EVERY Christmas Game December 25th! (12/25/24).

While winter is cold, there is the hope of spring and warmer weather. Similarly, today, Brett shares how the dark times of Isaiah 8 ultimately leads us to the hope of Jesus and savior in Isaiah 9. 00:07 - Introduction - Isaiah 8:21-22 00:42 - Are you a fan of winter? 05:12 - Isaiah 9:6 06:17 - Isaiah 8:21-22 07:03 - Isaiah 9:1-3, 6-7 09:45 - Isaiah 9:2 11:29 - Isaiah 9:6 Share your stories, prayer requests, or your response to this devotional in the comments below. If you would like to know more about New Life, who we are, what we believe, or when we meet, visit http://newlife.church. Or you can fill out a digital connection card at http://newlife.church/connect - we would love to get to know you better!

Every Christmas shopping season, we're bombarded with advertisements urging us to buy the latest gadgets and toys. Yet, amid all this consumerism, the simplest gestures of kindness and giving often have the most profound impact. I invite you to think about a time when you gave a gift that truly mattered to someone — maybe […] The post Episode 115 – The Gift of Giving first appeared on Soul Safari - Suzanne Thibault.

Every Christmas we remember the birth of a King. The birth of the King of Kings, and the promised Prince of Peace. The birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. We so often hear it preached, we read it and we even quote it, but when the world throws a curveball at you, do you really practice Jesus' reassuring command, “Do not be afraid”? The world cannot give us peace, not like the Prince of Peace can.The Big Idea: Peace isn't about the absence of storms but the presence of Jesus.

Every Christmas, we revisit this classic episode from the Considering Catholicism Podcast. Greg, Ed, and Cory discuss the disappearance of genuine Christmas carols. Why haven't any new ones been written in more than 100 years? How does it reflect changes in Christianity and the broader culture in the West? Support this ministry so more people can consider Catholicism! Website: https://www.consideringcatholicism.com/ Email: consideringcatholicism@gmail.com

Every Christmas, we embark on the journey of Advent, reflecting on the hope, peace, joy, and love brought by Christ's first coming and ultimately brought to the full at His second coming. But love—especially God's love—can be the hardest to understand and accept. This teaching explores God's profound love through the four Gospels, using a poem, a prophecy, a purpose statement, and a parable.

Every Christmas, we embark on the journey of Advent, reflecting on the hope, peace, joy, and love brought by Christ's first coming and ultimately brought to the full at His second coming.But love—especially God's love—can be the hardest to understand and accept. This teaching explores God's profound love through the four Gospels, using a poem, a prophecy, a purpose statement, and a parable.

Every Christmas, we embark on the journey of Advent, reflecting on the hope, peace, joy, and love brought by Christ's first coming and ultimately brought to the full at His second coming.But love—especially God's love—can be the hardest to understand and accept. This teaching explores God's profound love through the four Gospels, using a poem, a prophecy, a purpose statement, and a parable.

Every Christmas season, we are drawn in by the lights and beauty of the season. However, the reason we celebrate Christmas willingly left more majesty than we can imagine to be born into a mess — both literally and figuratively.

Every Christmas season, we are drawn in by the lights and beauty of the season. However, the reason we celebrate Christmas willingly left more majesty than we can imagine to be born into a mess — both literally and figuratively.

Every Christmas we try to do a call in show to talk to listners about the holiday, the year, next year, their history and relationship with waterbeds, and much, much more. Take us on your next long run.   We'll keep you company and make you laugh.  I promise. Sign up for the races here: https://www.tenjunkmilesracing.com   Support the show via Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/tenjunkmiles   Website: http://www.tenjunkmiles.com/   Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tenjunkmiles   Twitter: https://twitter.com/tenjunkmiles   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tenjunkmiles/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TenJunkMiles/  

Coming up today on Australia's ONLY Christmas Podcast we navigate through that awkward moment when someone gives you a gift but you don't have a return gift for them. What do you do? Rush out and grab the first gift you see, or live in the knowledge they weren't on your gift list for a reason. We have some options. Will you be suffering some Boxing Day Regret this year? Do you wait just one day and receive massive savings on the gifst you really want? Plus  Do you send your own kids Christmas Cards? Most of us don't. We run you through all the reasons why you should definitely be sending your own family a card they may never forget. We're releasing a Podcast a day every day from now till Christmas, with Liam and Ness on Christmas Podding.

This week on The School Runway, Cara and Bronagh dive into one of the season's biggest dilemmas: What do you wear on Christmas Day?Whether you're heading to church, hosting at home, popping to the pub, or hitting a festive party, the girls share their personal favourites and styling tips for each occasion. Bronagh explores chic yet comfy outfit ideas that balance elegance with the indulgence of Christmas lunch, while Cara shares how to elevate even the most casual looks with statement accessories.Plus, listener questions spark a fun debate on unexpected topics—ever wondered what makes earrings waterproof? Bronagh breaks it down in a way only she can, blending style advice with a splash of humour!If you're looking for outfit inspiration or just love a good fashion chat, this episode has you covered.Connect with The School Runway Podcast:Instagram: @schoolrunwaypodLeave us a voice note on: https://sayhi.chat/TSRWe love hearing from you! Drop us a message or voice note with your fashion dilemmas, and don't forget to leave your lovely ratings and reviews on Apple Podcast and Spotify x Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every Christmas season, we are drawn in by the lights and beauty of the season. However, the reason we celebrate Christmas willingly left more majesty than we can imagine to be born into a mess — both literally and figuratively.

Every Christmas season, we are drawn in by the lights and beauty of the season. However, the reason we celebrate Christmas willingly left more majesty than we can imagine to be born into a mess — both literally and figuratively.

Send us a textOn this Episode, Tom and Bert are all about their favorite Christmas Songs to listen to so please enjoy this Special Edition and have a Wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!(3:00) "Last Christmas" by Wham (7:20) "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow" by Gloria Estefon (11:16) "All I Want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey(15:15) "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burl Ives(17:30) "Happy Holidays-Holiday Season" by Andy Williams(20:10) "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer" by Dean Martin(22:25) "Santa Baby" by Eartha Kitt(25:50) "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" by Frank Sinatra(28:26) "Merry Christmas Darling" by The Carpenters(31:31) "Every Year,Every Christmas" by Luther Vandross(36:34) "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord" by Bony M(40:39) "Gloria" by Michael W. Smith(45:41) "Feliz Navidad" by Jose Feliciano(48:44) "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby HelmsEnjoy the Show!You can email us at reeldealzmoviesandmusic@gmail.com or visit our Facebook page, Reel Dealz Podcast: Movies & Music Thru The Decades to leave comments and/or TEXT us at 843-855-1704 as well.

Every Christmas, the team here at Mooney Goes Wild likes to bring you some of our recommendations for wildlife-themed gifts for your nearest and dearest. This year, we have chosen to focus on natural history books, with Derek and panel each focusing on their own preferred title and interviewing the authors.

Every Christmas season, we are drawn in by the lights and beauty of the season. However, the reason we celebrate Christmas willingly left more majesty than we can imagine to be born into a mess — both literally and figuratively.

Every Christmas season, we are drawn in by the lights and beauty of the season. However, the reason we celebrate Christmas willingly left more majesty than we can imagine to be born into a mess — both literally and figuratively.

Send us a textOn this episode, Tom and Bert select, review and discuss their Honorable Mentions and their TOP 10 + 1 Greatest Holiday Song Favorites of all time!It's the "SONG" that makes the criteria for their selections then theor favorite/best renditions by their favorites singers complete their lists. Some are the traditional Classics and some are newer originals with a few surprise sleeper hits that make up their lists.Some highlights: "Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer" (9:21) by Dean Martin"Merry Christmas Baby" (13:35) by the Carpenters"Happy Holidays/Holiday Season" (21:03) by Andy Williams"Feliz Navidad" (23:30) by Jose Feliciano"Every Year, Every Christmas" (25:52) by Luther Vandross"The Christmas Song" (27:24) by Nat King Cole"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (32:03) by Frank Sinatra"Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" (38:45) by Burl Ives"Peace on Earth"/"Little Drummer Boy" (41:30) by Bing Crosby and David Bowie"Gloria" (51:06) by Michael W. Smith"Santa Baby" (53:45) by Eartha Kitt"Baby It's Cold Outside" (1h 01m) by Dean Martin"Same Old Lang Syne" (1h 12m) by Dan Fogelberg"All I want for Christmas is You" (1h 15m) by Mariah CareyHave a Great Holiday Season and we wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year. Enjoy the Show!You can email us at reeldealzmoviesandmusic@gmail.com or visit our Facebook page, Reel Dealz Podcast: Movies & Music Thru The Decades to leave comments and/or TEXT us at 843-855-1704 as well.

Every Christmas, we celebrate the greatest gift ever given—Jesus. But Christmas isn't just about receiving; it's about exchanging gifts with the King. Discover the deeper meaning behind the gifts of the wise men—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—and how they symbolize the gifts we can give to Jesus: our obedience, worship, and even our sin. Let God exchange your stress, fear, and shame for His peace, freedom, and hope. Don't miss this powerful message of purpose and generosity.

Every Christmas we get reminded about “the reason for the season.” Simply put, we celebrate Christmas because of Christ! However, the more you look at “the reason” the more miraculous it becomes. Did you know Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies? Many of these prophecies began taking place during the time of His birth. Prophecy is more than a foretold event. Rather prophecy is a revelation of God’s heart and will. Prophecy is more than simply evidence that Jesus is the Messiah, but in addition, prophecy reveals to us who the Messiah is and who we are. This is why we are so excited for our next series “As Promised.” We are going to discover more about the nature of Jesus, the nature of man, our purpose, and how we can practically live out “the reason for the season.” Come join us this week as we discover the fulfilled promise of an awaited king born in a little town called Bethlehem. Key Scripture - Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:7 ESV For Scripture, notes, upcoming events, & more: http://bible.com/events/49329810

Every Christmas season, we are drawn in by the lights and beauty of the season. However, the reason we celebrate Christmas willingly left more majesty than we can imagine to be born into a mess — both literally and figuratively.

Every Christmas season, we are drawn in by the lights and beauty of the season. However, the reason we celebrate Christmas willingly left more majesty than we can imagine to be born into a mess — both literally and figuratively.

Every Christmas, Christians worldwide hear Isaiah's prophecies about a child called "Immanuel." Seth and David talk about one of the best-known prophecies in Scripture and how it prepares us for the birth of Jesus. 

CREEPYPASTA STORIES-►0:00 "Something else sees through my eyes" Creepypasta►13:26 "Every Christmas my family booby trapped the chimney. This year we caught something" Creepypasta►57:25 "NO ONE HAS EVER LIVED IN THIS HOUSE" Creepypasta►1:32:17 "I heard the last words of the woman in the woods" Creepypasta►1:57:07 "They forced me to love the flashing lights" Creepypasta►2:28:45 "The Night Hunt Ritual" Creepypasta►2:52:36 "I think my grandmother is dead but no one else seems to notice" CreepypastaCreepypastas are the campfire tales of the internet. Horror stories spread through Reddit r/nosleep, forums and blogs, rather than word of mouth. Whether you believe these scary stories to be true or not is left to your own discretion and imagination. LISTEN TO CREEPYPASTAS ON THE GO-SPOTIFY► https://open.spotify.com/show/7l0iRPd...iTUNES► https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast...SUGGESTED CREEPYPASTA PLAYLISTS-►"Good Places to Start"- • "I wasn't careful enough on the deep ... ►"Personal Favourites"- • "I sold my soul for a used dishwasher... ►"Written by me"- • "I've been Blind my Whole Life" Creep... ►"Long Stories"- • Long Stories FOLLOW ME ON-►Twitter: / creeps_mcpasta ►Instagram: / creepsmcpasta ►Twitch: / creepsmcpasta ►Facebook: / creepsmcpasta CREEPYPASTA MUSIC/ SFX- ►http://bit.ly/Audionic ♪►http://bit.ly/Myuusic ♪►http://bit.ly/incompt ♪►http://bit.ly/EpidemicM ♪This creepypasta is for entertainment purposes only

CREEPYPASTA STORY►by ChristianWallis: / every_christmas_my_family_boobytrapped_the Creepypastas are the campfire tales of the internet. Horror stories spread through Reddit r/nosleep, forums and blogs, rather than word of mouth. Whether you believe these scary stories to be true or not is left to your own discretion and imagination. LISTEN TO CREEPYPASTAS ON THE GO-SPOTIFY► https://open.spotify.com/show/7l0iRPd...iTUNES► https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast...SUGGESTED CREEPYPASTA PLAYLISTS-►"Good Places to Start"- • "I wasn't careful enough on the deep ... ►"Personal Favourites"- • "I sold my soul for a used dishwasher... ►"Written by me"- • "I've been Blind my Whole Life" Creep... ►"Long Stories"- • Long Stories FOLLOW ME ON-►Twitter: / creeps_mcpasta ►Instagram: / creepsmcpasta ►Twitch: / creepsmcpasta ►Facebook: / creepsmcpasta CREEPYPASTA MUSIC/ SFX- ►http://bit.ly/Audionic ♪►http://bit.ly/Myuusic ♪►http://bit.ly/incompt ♪►http://bit.ly/EpidemicM ♪This creepypasta is for entertainment purposes onlyThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4253631/advertisement

One of Jimmy Akin's favorite Old Time Radio shows is Lum and Abner, featuring the general store owner in Pine Ridge, Arkansas, and his employee. Every Christmas they did a special episode that gets at the true meaning of Christmas and so Jimmy wanted to share it with the listeners in a bonus episode. The post Lum and Abner’s Christmas Story appeared first on StarQuest Media.

One of Jimmy Akin's favorite Old Time Radio shows is Lum and Abner, featuring the general store owner in Pine Ridge, Arkansas, and his employee. Every Christmas they did a special episode that gets at the true meaning of Christmas and so Jimmy wanted to share it with the listeners in a bonus episode.

Every Christmas, we like to share a favorite poem. This year it's 'The Magi' by William Butler Yeats.We'll be back with our regularly scheduled episodes on January 5th. Happy Holidays! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every Christmas, my family gathers around, each taking a turn to stumble through the grand words of Luke 2, etching a tradition that's as much about laughter as it is about the miraculous tale it tells. This Christmas Day, as I cozy up with a heart brimming with joy, I'm inviting you into that precious circle. Let's share the deep-seated warmth and love that only this time of year can bring, reflecting on the true meaning of our celebrations—the birth of our Savior. Picture us together, you in your festive jammies, coffee in hand, surrounded by love, as we give thanks and revel in the hope of promises yet to come.Today's episode is a heartfelt journey through memory lane, sprinkled with chuckles at Christmases past, and a reading from Luke 2 that might just bring a tear to your eye or a smile to your face. It's a story that never grows old, no matter the occasional trip over a word or two. You'll hear the echoes of a heavenly chorus and feel the peace and joy of a narrative that has stood the test of time. So, settle in for a tale that's been told for millennia, and let's celebrate the Christmas story together. Merry Christmas to each of you, dear listeners, and may your day be as splendid as the story we cherish.

Support the sponsors! ► HelloFresh: https://hellofresh.com/mrcreepsfree and use code MRCREEPSFREE for free breakfast for life! ► BetterHelp: This episode of Creepscast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/mrcreeps and get on your way to being your best self. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00:20 "Every Christmas, The Kids In Our Town Must Fight Against Santa" 0:34:42 "Santa Was Resurrected By The Devil On Christmas Eve" 1:22:10 “I Found A Body Deep In The Siberian Tundra"

Every Christmas, this immigrant family made a British classic with laughter, joy, booze - and everyone got at least one turn with the spoon.

And now for Liz's best (??) idea yet: Every Christmas Movie Ever.  Basically the premise is simple, Matiu, Sam, Liz and Kahu throw 20 questions at Christmas movies, pondering things like: What is the best porn parody for a popular Christmas movie? What Christmas movie character would be better played by our man Nicolas Cage? We all know Kevin from Home Alone grew up to become the killer from Saw, but what other famous Christmas movie character is in jail right now? Which actor/actress's appearance in a Christmas movie most showed the decline in their career?  But of course the best questions are from our premier Patreons. Wanna join them and help shape the show? Well you can join them here: www.patreon.com/mritqs Emily also has her own podcast, which you can find here: https://www.tastelesspod.com/ As does Julio! Find it here: http://www.wearethecontrarians.com/ ALSO! Wanna buy Sam's book? It's available on most of the major websites (Amazon, Book Depository etc), just search out "Sam Hurley Compliance" and ya should find it.  SOCIALS: You can contact us here on Twitter: www.twitter.com/moviereviewsin Or here on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MovieReviewsIn20Qs Or via email at mritqs@gmail.com Cheers!

And now for Liz's best (??) idea yet: Every Christmas Movie Ever. Basically the premise is simple, Matiu, Sam, Liz and Kahu throw 20 questions at Christmas movies, pondering things like:What is the best porn parody for a popular Christmas movie? What Christmas movie character would be better played by our man Nicolas Cage? We all know Kevin from Home Alone grew up to become the killer from Saw, but what other famous Christmas movie character is in jail right now? Which actor/actress's appearance in a Christmas movie most showed the decline in their career? But of course the best questions are from our premier Patreons. Wanna join them and help shape the show? Well you can join them here:www.patreon.com/mritqsEmily also has her own podcast, which you can find here: https://www.tastelesspod.com/As does Julio! Find it here: http://www.wearethecontrarians.com/ALSO! Wanna buy Sam's book? It's available on most of the major websites (Amazon, Book Depository etc), just search out "Sam Hurley Compliance" and ya should find it. SOCIALS:You can contact us here on Twitter:www.twitter.com/moviereviewsinOr here on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/MovieReviewsIn20QsOr via email at mritqs@gmail.comCheers! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yes, the Savior has come, but the story is not finished. Every Christmas is still a turning page until Jesus returns, and he is the answer to those deep longings. -------- Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible.   Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org.   Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Bookmarks & Author Links: Story 1: 0:00 - 21:16 Story 2: 21:16 - 40:20 Christopher Maxim: https://www.reddit.com/user/Christopher_Maxim/comments/hdy93l/my_stories/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ChristopherMaxim/ https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=BCQNVLBY2JB6S&item_name=Donate+to+support+my+writing%21+Any+amount+helps+and+will+go+towards+paying+for+rent%2C+utilities+and+food.+Thank+you%21¤cy_code=USD Brandon Faircloth: https://www.reddit.com/r/Verastahl/comments/9ndww5/welcome_to_the_new_verastahl_information_hub/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Verastahl/comments/8pnvcx/verastahl_story_database/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC73PScmymsggAJ26f_ZPmvQ?view_as=subscriber https://verastahl.com/ https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Brandon+Faircloth&ref=is_s https://www.reddit.com/r/Verastahl/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/themisterdavis/message

Every Christmas season, we're immersed in stories that celebrate and embrace this reality. We love these stories because they display for us, in full and living color, the wonder of redemption. Of a life gone bad only to somehow be restored and returned to goodness once more. Yet, no matter how much we enjoy redemption on the screen (or the page), we sometimes struggle to believe it's possible in “real life.” We delight in redemption stories, but we struggle to believe that redemption could be possible for us…and for others...  Giving is a redemptive act. If you'd like to partner with us redemption this Christmas, click here.

Luke 2:1 — Every Christmas season a battle rages. For Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones the battle rages over the historical facts about the birth of Christ. While many deny the facts of Christmas altogether, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says there is a much more dangerous message distributed among the culture during the Christmas season. It is a message which says that it does not matter whether the Son of God actually was born in a particular location and in a particular year. Whether the birth of Christ is true or historical makes no difference at all because we can still say we have a noble teaching in the Christmas story, and it can still help people have a better life. This psychologizing of the Christmas message, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, sounds wonderful, but in the end it is the most hopeless message the world has ever heard. Why? Because sinful humanity is left with nothing but an exhortation to live a moral life. But the historical, biblical facts of the Christian Gospel is about what God has actually done in time through the Son of God. In this Christmas Day sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds the relationship of the Lord Jesus Christ to time, emphasizing that the Son of God was before time, manifested in time, come late in time, in the fullness of time, is himself the center of time, and will come back to end time! Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones battles for the true Christmas message in this sermon on Luke 2:1.