Podcasts about gazing

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The ceiling of London’s Banqueting House is magnificent. Painted by Sir Peter Paul Rubens between 1629 and 1634, it was commissioned by King Charles I to glorify his family’s reign. In one painting, the goddess Minerva celebrates the achievements of Charles’ father, King James I. In another, James is carried to heaven on the wings of an eagle. Gazing up at the ceiling, banquet guests got a clear message: kings like Charles and his father were virtually divine. In the prophet Isaiah’s day, the king of Babylon felt similarly about himself. Here was a king who longed to “ascend to the heavens” and sit “on the mount of assembly” where the gods were thought to reign (Isaiah 14:13). Instead, Isaiah prophesied that this king would fall (vv. 3-4), being “brought down to the realm of the dead” (v. 15) without even a tomb to be remembered by (vv. 18-19). Charles I met a similar fate. In an ironic twist, he was marched beneath the very ceiling depicting his supposed divinity before being executed outside Banqueting House in 1649. It’s a sad fact that has repeated through time: powerful people who claim divine glory for themselves will one day discover how human they are. For there is only One who is worthy of reigning from heaven, and all power, glory, and majesty are His alone (1 Chronicles 29:11).

Why Do You Stand Gazing Up Into Heaven? Acts 1:9-11 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” Vs. 9 Jesus' Exaltation Jesus' Delegation John 16:7 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” Why Do You Stand Gazing Up Into Heaven? Jesus Will Come In Like Manner “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Mt. 26:39) God Can Change Your Story Into A Place Of Glory

The devotional calls believers to move from passive spiritual longing—symbolized by the disciples gazing at the clouds after Christ's ascension—to active participation in God's mission, emphasizing that the harvest is ripe and laborers are urgently needed. Drawing from Scripture, particularly Matthew 9:37–38, it underscores the necessity of praying with urgency for more workers in the field, framing prayer not as a passive request but as a vital, ongoing commitment. The speaker illustrates this through personal stories of prayerful engagement with neighbors, including a transformative encounter with a grieving doctor whose life was changed through prayer and testimony, demonstrating how consistent, intentional prayer can open doors for evangelism. He further encourages practical involvement through financial support of missionaries, volunteering in local gospel ministries, and sustained commitment to community transformation, especially in marginalized areas. Ultimately, the message challenges listeners to see themselves not as idle observers but as essential laborers in God's harvest, especially as global opportunities for evangelism grow increasingly limited.

What if the people you love aren't as far away as they seem?For more than two decades, Dr. Irene Blinston has been quietly studying something most psychologists won't touch — an ancient Greek practice called the psychomanteum. Grievers sit in a darkened room with a tilted mirror and open themselves to contact with the other side. The research is staggering: 92% of participants experienced a measurable reduction in grief symptoms, and the relief held for months afterward.In this conversation, Dr. Blinston and I go somewhere most grief conversations never go. We talk about what happens when ancient wisdom and modern psychology stop arguing and start working together. She shares her doctoral research on adults who saw corporeal apparitions as children — including a thirteen-year-old in South Africa who found himself standing beside Jesus after a car struck his bicycle. She tells me about the woman whose only child was killed in a cycling accident, who walked into the psychomanteum devastated and walked out transformed, carrying a message from her daughter: "You feel the only way to stay connected is through pain. But we're always connected by love."I got chills. You will too.We also explore:

Luke writes the story of the ascension twice. The main elements of the two match up, but differ in some of the details., but why? We explore the stories and how the perspective may change depending upon the audience. This message is brought to us by Pastor Jason. The Gosple comes from Luke, Chapter 24, versess 44 - 53, and is compared to the story of ascension from Acts Chapter 1 Verses 6 -11.

how sungazing & breathing can help the body

If you long for a life where you are not preoccupied with wondering how you measure up, Dr. Sharon Hodde Miller shares from her book, "Gazing at God: A 40-Day Journey to Greater Freedom from Self." She'll help you identify the wounds, assumptions, and scripts that keep you focused on you. Learn to recognize your God given true self! Originally aired September 17, 2025 Check out Susie's new podcast God Impressions on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts! Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: click here

"No matter the season, the mesmerising lakeside setting of Wānaka is a supreme body of beauty. Clad in floor to ceiling windows, I was staying at Marina Terrace Apartments on Lakeside Road, waking up to the yolky dawn of a new day as the first rays of sunlight torched the sprawling sweep of Lombardy poplars strutting the western shoreline, beneath Roy's Peak. Gazing across to the gilded glory of the morning light show, it vividly underscored to me Wānaka's elemental brag-power as one of our greatest natural playgrounds. And it beats to a less frenetic tempo than the throb of Queenstown. Unsurprisingly, most of the locals look strikingly fit, lithe and active. I guess it becomes second nature – as does using the Mt. Iron loop track as your open-air gym." Read Mike's full article. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Background Music for Sleep, Meditation, Relaxation, Massage, Yoga, Studying and Therapy - Deep Energy 2360 - 2362- Gazing Above - Parts 1 - 3 AD FREE VERSIONS OF ALL THE PODCASTS ARE HERE: www.jimbutler.bandcamp.com …… Please remember to turn on automatic downloads, like and subscribe, tell a friend, share with your family and leave a review. All of those things help build the podcast. Thank you so much!! ………. This podcast is ad supported. We try the best we can to keep all of the ads at the front and the back of the podcast, but depending on the length of the podcast, there maybe ads in the middle. Please check my Bandcamp page for ad free podcasts. www.jimbutler.bandcamp.com ……………………….. Watch me play live on TikTok @jimbutlermusic or On the Insight Timer App as Jim Butler Links for all of the podcasts in the Deep Energy Podcast Network: Deep Energy Podcast (Current Episodes) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-energy-podcast-music-for-sleep-meditation-yoga/id511265415 https://open.spotify.com/show/1DhN56DzDKc0FhQqR23v9c Deep Energy Classics - All of the ORIGINAL Episodes  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-energy-classics-original-episodes/id1734274408 https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/deep-energy-classics-original-episodes--6108618 https://open.spotify.com/show/7BjEFnqcyKWUkHcYdtFS25?si=05aeab39b5bc4a00 Deep Energy Daily Affirmations - Daily Affirmations to get you through the day https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-energy-daily-affirmations/id1729162791 https://open.spotify.com/show/0oaA8dRsWDQLkqeXmykGvu?si=461c7b47417b4e55 Deep Energy Guided Meditations - Guided Meditations to help through your day https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-energy-guided-meditations-with-michelle-davis-jim/id1732674561 https://open.spotify.com/show/1Kg2LTaFux10Ul94phybp8?si=ebbbf33757d64c13 https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/deep-energy-guided-meditations-with-michelle-davis-jim-butler--6098026 Slow Piano for Sleep - Solo Piano Pieces https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slow-piano-for-sleep-music-for-sleep-meditation-and/id1626828397 https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/slow-piano-for-sleep-music-for-sleep-meditation-and-relaxation--5572963 ………… www,jimbutlermusic.com jimbutlermusic@gmail.com All Social Media (FB - IG - YT - TT) is: @jimbutlermusic Merch: www.deepenergy.threadless.com Bandcamp Monthly No Ads Subscription/Patreon: www.jimbutler.bandcamp.com Custom Made Music: jimbutlermusic@gmail.com ………………….. Thank you for listening. All music is created, performed and composed by Jim Butler. AI IS NEVER USED TO CREATE MY MUSIC. Until the next time, please be kind to one another, peace, bye… …….. Original Image by the Dream App (not sponsored) or Canva (not sponsored) or Midjourney (not Sponsored) …………………. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/deep-energy-podcast-music-for-sleep-meditation-yoga-background-music-and-studying--4262945/support.

Background Music for Sleep, Meditation, Relaxation, Massage, Yoga, Studying and Therapy - Deep Energy 2360 - 2362- Gazing Above - Parts 1 - 3 AD FREE VERSIONS OF ALL THE PODCASTS ARE HERE: www.jimbutler.bandcamp.com …… Please remember to turn on automatic downloads, like and subscribe, tell a friend, share with your family and leave a review. All of those things help build the podcast. Thank you so much!! ………. This podcast is ad supported. We try the best we can to keep all of the ads at the front and the back of the podcast, but depending on the length of the podcast, there maybe ads in the middle. Please check my Bandcamp page for ad free podcasts. www.jimbutler.bandcamp.com ……………………….. Watch me play live on TikTok @jimbutlermusic or On the Insight Timer App as Jim Butler Links for all of the podcasts in the Deep Energy Podcast Network: Deep Energy Podcast (Current Episodes) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-energy-podcast-music-for-sleep-meditation-yoga/id511265415 https://open.spotify.com/show/1DhN56DzDKc0FhQqR23v9c Deep Energy Classics - All of the ORIGINAL Episodes  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-energy-classics-original-episodes/id1734274408 https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/deep-energy-classics-original-episodes--6108618 https://open.spotify.com/show/7BjEFnqcyKWUkHcYdtFS25?si=05aeab39b5bc4a00 Deep Energy Daily Affirmations - Daily Affirmations to get you through the day https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-energy-daily-affirmations/id1729162791 https://open.spotify.com/show/0oaA8dRsWDQLkqeXmykGvu?si=461c7b47417b4e55 Deep Energy Guided Meditations - Guided Meditations to help through your day https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-energy-guided-meditations-with-michelle-davis-jim/id1732674561 https://open.spotify.com/show/1Kg2LTaFux10Ul94phybp8?si=ebbbf33757d64c13 https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/deep-energy-guided-meditations-with-michelle-davis-jim-butler--6098026 Slow Piano for Sleep - Solo Piano Pieces https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slow-piano-for-sleep-music-for-sleep-meditation-and/id1626828397 https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/slow-piano-for-sleep-music-for-sleep-meditation-and-relaxation--5572963 ………… www,jimbutlermusic.com jimbutlermusic@gmail.com All Social Media (FB - IG - YT - TT) is: @jimbutlermusic Merch: www.deepenergy.threadless.com Bandcamp Monthly No Ads Subscription/Patreon: www.jimbutler.bandcamp.com Custom Made Music: jimbutlermusic@gmail.com ………………….. Thank you for listening. All music is created, performed and composed by Jim Butler. AI IS NEVER USED TO CREATE MY MUSIC. Until the next time, please be kind to one another, peace, bye… …….. Original Image by the Dream App (not sponsored) or Canva (not sponsored) or Midjourney (not Sponsored) …………………. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/deep-energy-podcast-music-for-sleep-meditation-yoga-background-music-and-studying--4262945/support.

Background Music for Sleep, Meditation, Relaxation, Massage, Yoga, Studying and Therapy - Deep Energy 2360 - 2362- Gazing Above - Parts 1 - 3 AD FREE VERSIONS OF ALL THE PODCASTS ARE HERE: www.jimbutler.bandcamp.com …… Please remember to turn on automatic downloads, like and subscribe, tell a friend, share with your family and leave a review. All of those things help build the podcast. Thank you so much!! ………. This podcast is ad supported. We try the best we can to keep all of the ads at the front and the back of the podcast, but depending on the length of the podcast, there maybe ads in the middle. Please check my Bandcamp page for ad free podcasts. www.jimbutler.bandcamp.com ……………………….. Watch me play live on TikTok @jimbutlermusic or On the Insight Timer App as Jim Butler Links for all of the podcasts in the Deep Energy Podcast Network: Deep Energy Podcast (Current Episodes) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-energy-podcast-music-for-sleep-meditation-yoga/id511265415 https://open.spotify.com/show/1DhN56DzDKc0FhQqR23v9c Deep Energy Classics - All of the ORIGINAL Episodes  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-energy-classics-original-episodes/id1734274408 https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/deep-energy-classics-original-episodes--6108618 https://open.spotify.com/show/7BjEFnqcyKWUkHcYdtFS25?si=05aeab39b5bc4a00 Deep Energy Daily Affirmations - Daily Affirmations to get you through the day https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-energy-daily-affirmations/id1729162791 https://open.spotify.com/show/0oaA8dRsWDQLkqeXmykGvu?si=461c7b47417b4e55 Deep Energy Guided Meditations - Guided Meditations to help through your day https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-energy-guided-meditations-with-michelle-davis-jim/id1732674561 https://open.spotify.com/show/1Kg2LTaFux10Ul94phybp8?si=ebbbf33757d64c13 https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/deep-energy-guided-meditations-with-michelle-davis-jim-butler--6098026 Slow Piano for Sleep - Solo Piano Pieces https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slow-piano-for-sleep-music-for-sleep-meditation-and/id1626828397 https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/slow-piano-for-sleep-music-for-sleep-meditation-and-relaxation--5572963 ………… www,jimbutlermusic.com jimbutlermusic@gmail.com All Social Media (FB - IG - YT - TT) is: @jimbutlermusic Merch: www.deepenergy.threadless.com Bandcamp Monthly No Ads Subscription/Patreon: www.jimbutler.bandcamp.com Custom Made Music: jimbutlermusic@gmail.com ………………….. Thank you for listening. All music is created, performed and composed by Jim Butler. AI IS NEVER USED TO CREATE MY MUSIC. Until the next time, please be kind to one another, peace, bye… …….. Original Image by the Dream App (not sponsored) or Canva (not sponsored) or Midjourney (not Sponsored) …………………. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/deep-energy-podcast-music-for-sleep-meditation-yoga-background-music-and-studying--4262945/support.

In this episode of Awaken with Oliver, Oliver is joined by Parm Saggu to explore the transformative system behind his spiritual awakening at age 21. Oliver shares his powerful journey of overcoming Tourette's syndrome by coming off medication overnight, diving into meditation, and experiencing a life-changing spiritual shift. Together, they unpack the hidden power of energy, vibration, and the importance of spiritual hygiene in a world filled with external noise and negativity.They dive into how your environment, conversations, and even your thoughts shape your physical reality, the science behind vibration and quantum physics, and why daily practices like sun gazing and meditation are essential for maintaining high-frequency energy.Topics Discussed:How Oliver overcame Tourette's through meditation and a spiritual awakening at 21The hidden impact of negative environments, conversations, and even listening to complaintsWhy your body vibrates at the frequency of whatever you hear, say, or believeThe quantum physics behind vibration: how matter is just energy in motionThe importance of spiritual hygiene and daily practices to cleanse energetic residueSun gazing as a rapid energy reset and how to practice it safelyWhy taking time for yourself isn't selfish—it's necessary to show up for othersHow to support loved ones without being pulled into their low vibrationEpisode Highlights:[00:00:00] – Oliver's story: Diagnosed with Tourette's at 12, on medication for 10 years, and the spiritual awakening at 21 that changed everything[00:02:27] – The subtle patterns that reinforce your beliefs—and how to break them[00:03:39] – How negative self-talk and toxic conversations physically change your cells[00:07:53] – The role of daily spiritual practice in cleansing low-vibration energy[00:08:45] – Quantum physics explained: Why everything is just energy and vibration[00:14:26] – Sun gazing as a five-minute energy reset and how it lifts your vibration faster than meditation[00:17:18] – The yogic roots of sun gazing and why gradual practice is key[00:20:17] – Why everyone needs a personal “go-to” practice—whether church, the gym, or a walkSend us Fan MailSupport the showRaw, unedited conversations exploring healing, self-awareness, trauma, and personal growth.Hosted by Oliver, who overcame Tourette's, ADHD, and OCD through lifestyle changes and nervous system regulation, this podcast focuses on real, practical healing — not theory.Each episode covers topics like emotional triggers, inner child healing, mindfulness, identity, and building resilience through honest, lived experience.For anyone seeking clarity, emotional freedom, and deeper self-understanding.Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/yeskingoliverInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/yeskingoliverDownload my FREE PDF — Take Control: http://www.talkwitholiver.comCommunity for healers, lightworkers & conscious travellers:Connect, exchange services, plan journeys, list retreats, discover festivals, and share your work:https://www.findmytribe.org

All songs performed by licensing agreement through CCLI: Copyright License 20465877 Size A Streaming Plus License 21412465 Size A Connect With Us Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christcenter... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccconline/ If you would like to support this ministry give online 1. PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Chris... 2. CashApp $CCC2711 3. www.myccc.faith

Gazing at the wonder of Christ who died for us.

Days With Jesus Day 39 Gazing at the Invisible God John 12:37-50

Last time we spoke about the Wang Jingwei Regime. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, tensions between Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Jingwei escalated amid Japan's aggressive invasion. Disillusioned by Chiang's scorched-earth tactics, such as the Yellow River flood and Changsha fire, Wang defected from Chongqing in December 1938, fleeing to Hanoi to negotiate peace with Japan. An assassination attempt, likely ordered by Chiang, killed Wang's secretary Zeng Zhongming, deepening the rift and sparking retaliatory violence. Wang's group, aided by Japanese agents like Kagesa Sadaaki, navigated scandals and leaks, including a forged agreement exposed in the press. After grueling negotiations in Shanghai and Tokyo, Wang conceded to harsh Japanese terms, including limited sovereignty and economic controls. On March 30, 1940, he established the Reorganized National Government (RNG) in Nanjing, adopting the nationalist flag with a controversial yellow pennant symbolizing "peace, anticommunism, nation-building." Despite Wang's vision of constitutional democracy, the RNG functioned as a wartime puppet, isolated from Chongqing and resented as traitorous. Wang died in 1944, and the regime collapsed in 1945.   #195 The Xiang-Gan Operation Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. In the sweltering grip of August 1939, Chongqing languished under an unbearably hot summer, the air thick with humidity and the weight of impending doom. Perched on a sun-baked hillside along the southern bank of the Jialing River, roughly 10 kilometers from the chaotic heart of the city, loomed a two-story Western-style building. This fortress of stone and resolve, known as the "Huangshan Villa," stood as Chiang Kai-shek's official residence in Chongqing, a sanctuary amid the storm of war. Unless urgent meetings or crises at the Military Affairs Commission demanded his presence, it was here that Chiang orchestrated the fate of a nation on the brink.   One fateful evening, as shadows lengthened across the villa, the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics delivered a chilling report from Wang Pengsheng, the director of the Military Affairs Commission's Institute for International Affairs. Wang was no ordinary operative; he was a knowledgeable, experienced, and sharp-minded intellectual, a master of Japanese affairs, and one of Chiang's most trusted aides, his insights cutting like a blade through the fog of deception. In this urgent dispatch, Wang distilled the latest machinations from Japan. After the traitor Wang Jingwei defected to the enemy, Japan glimpsed a sinister new path to conquer China: ramping up political inducements for surrender, with brutal military offensives reduced to mere supporting roles. On June 20, the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters unleashed "strategy" tasks upon its troops in China—to incite local armies, those ragtag "miscellaneous troops," to betray their own, isolating and pulverizing the central army units. Wang Pengsheng saw through the ruse; this "attacking the heart" and "subduing strategies," drawn from the ancient wisdom of China's military sage Sun Tzu, betrayed the Japanese army's desperate straits, manpower stretched thin, supplies dwindling to the point of desperation.   Chiang Kai-shek's eyes narrowed as he gripped his red pencil, underlining a passage in the report with deliberate strokes, marking it as a thunderclap of importance or urgency: To cooperate with the establishment of the Wang puppet regime and exert military pressure on the Chongqing government, under the direction of the Imperial General Headquarters, the commander of the Japanese 11th Army, Okamura Yasuji, had formulated the "Xiang-Gan Operation Plan" targeting the main forces of the central army in the Ninth War Zone and was intensifying preparations for its implementation. The words hung heavy in the air like a gathering storm. Chiang Kai-shek rose abruptly, his body protesting with a stiff ache from hours of unyielding vigilance. He stretched his weary waist and legs, then pushed open the wooden door beside the vast sun-facing window, stepping out onto the balcony as if seeking solace from the encroaching night.   The balcony commanded a sweeping vista, a momentary escape from the suffocating confines of strategy and betrayal. Gazing downward, the "Fog Capital" Chongqing emerged in rare clarity, serene and layered beneath the fiery embrace of the evening glow. The distant murmur of the Jialing River, flowing ceaselessly like the pulse of a defiant heart, whispered a fleeting sense of ease amid the turmoil. Yet even this pause carried the echoes of war's relentless march. After the Japanese horde seized Wuhan and surged onward to claim Yueyang—only to halt their southward thrust—both Mao Zedong in his Yan'an stronghold and Chiang Kai-shek in Chongqing etched this moment as a pivotal divide in China's War of Resistance Against Japan. Mao proclaimed the war had plunged into the "stalemate phase," a grinding impasse. Chiang, ever the resolute leader, declared the "second phase of the war of resistance" ignited from this very point.   But across the vast national battlefield, the first half of 1939 roared with unquenched fury, the air thick with the acrid smoke of gunpowder. From the year's dawn, the Japanese army, bolstered by five divisions and eight mixed brigades, launched ruthless "security consolidation" operations in North China to fortify their blood-soaked conquests, only to be harried and bloodied by the Communist Eighth Route Army slipping behind enemy lines and the valiant troops of the First and Second War Zones. In late March, the Japanese 11th Army stormed Nanchang, clashing in a maelstrom of fire with the four group armies of the Ninth War Zone under the iron command of front-line commander Luo Zhuoying. For a grueling month and a half, the battle raged, the Japanese claiming the city at a staggering cost in lives. Chiang Kai-shek, his fury mounting, demanded a counterattack from the Ninth War Zone, but it crumbled into tragedy, over 20,000 souls lost, including Lieutenant General Chen Anbao, the indomitable commander of the 29th Army. Nanchang remained in enemy hands, fueling Chiang's rage like an inferno unchecked.   Then, in May, the Japanese Kwantung Army clashed with Soviet and Mongolian forces in the epic conflagration at Nomonhan. What ignited a spark of grim satisfaction in Chiang was not merely the Japanese rout, with nearly 20,000 of their ranks obliterated, but the broader ripple: this Japan-Soviet inferno would heap pressure upon the invaders in China, weakening their grasp. As the war sank into its stalemate phase, Chiang turned his gaze inward, fiercely guarding his military strength while awaiting the winds of change. He clung to a core conviction: the essence of the War of Resistance boiled down to that single, unbreakable word—"resist." Troops could be sacrificed, territories forsaken, retreats endured when battles turned dire, but surrender was unthinkable. As long as resistance endured, the nation would hold its place among the world's powers, and its leaders their rightful thrones. In time, the tides of international intrigue would shift; the imperialist giants, driven by their own insatiable interests, would not stand idly by as China fell to Japan's maw.   With resolve hardening like steel, Chiang Kai-shek strode back to his imposing desk and seized the telephone, dialing Xu Yongchang, the Minister of Military Orders. His voice cut through the line with unyielding command: instruct Deputy Chief of Staff Bai Chongxi, currently in the Ninth War Zone dissecting the bitter lessons of the Nanchang debacle, to hasten and aid Chen Cheng in crafting ironclad military deployments against the looming Japanese "Xiang-Gan Operation" and submit them without delay.   As the last defiant ray of sunlight plunged below the horizon, the sprawl of Chongqing's urban expanse succumbed to an enveloping darkness, a shroud of uncertainty. Since the government had fled southward, Chongqing had become a relentless target for Japanese bombers, their payloads raining death and devastation in waves of tragedy. By night, the city enforced ironclad blackout controls, its citizens huddling in fear behind heavy curtains, their lives reduced to whispers in the shadows. Chiang Kai-shek's mind drifted to the pre-war nights of the mountain city, when thousands of lights danced like stars upon the river's rippling waves. A deep, weary sigh escaped him, carrying the burden of a leader who refused to yield.   Far from the shadowed balconies of Chongqing, as China's War of Resistance Against Japan plunged into its harrowing third year, the misty haven of Guilin clung to its gentle, rain-soaked serenity, a fragile oasis amid the chaos of a nation torn asunder. Farmers, oblivious to the headlines screaming from distant newspapers, trudged barefoot through the lush fields, guiding massive water buffaloes with their backward-curving horns and deceptively gentle temperaments. Verdant tea groves blanketed the undulating hills, their leaves whispering secrets to the wind, while breezes carried the haunting, sweet-and-sour melodies of mountain songs that seemed to defy the encroaching shadows of war. Those weary souls fleeing the bloodied front lines stumbled into this paradise, their eyes widening in awe, as if they had crossed into a dream untouched by the nightmare raging beyond.   Nestled in the northwestern suburbs of the city, the Guilin Office pulsed with the raw energy of command, its operations post concealed within a colossal karst cave, a labyrinth of nature's own fortifications. Amid the jagged stalagmites and dripping stalactites, wires snaked like veins, cables coiled in tense anticipation, and radio antennas reached out like desperate fingers grasping for signals. These were the nerves of war, linking this hidden nerve center to the smoke-choked, blood-drenched front lines where heroes and horrors collided in the unyielding struggle for resistance.   Deputy Chief of Staff of the Military Affairs Commission and Director of the Guilin Office—Bai Chongxi—unfolded the telegram folder thrust into his hands by his confidential staff, his heart pounding with the weight of destiny:   "To Director Bai in Guilin: Telegram received. Deploy operations according to Plan A.   Zhongzheng"   Before departing Changsha, the Second Department had already whispered warnings of the Japanese horde's intent to strike southward, and fatefully, an urgent call from Xu Yongchang had demanded the swift forging of a battle plan to confront the enemy. As Bai Chongxi devoured the enemy intelligence, a bold strategy ignited in his mind like a flare in the darkness. Chen Cheng, the steadfast Commander of the Ninth War Zone, championed the tried-and-true tactic of successive resistance, but with a grim twist: retreat would be capped north of Changsha. Front-line troops would grind down the Japanese invaders, bleeding them dry before slipping to the east and west flanks. There, they would pounce on the enemy's exposed sides as the foes pressed southward, culminating in a devastating annihilation beneath the walls of Changsha with the aid of the garrison. This blueprint minimized troop movements and promised a swift, brutal clash. Yet Chen Cheng, burdened by his dual role as Minister of the Political Department of the Military Affairs Commission, had delegated command to Xue Yue as acting Ninth War Zone Commander. In heated deliberations, Xue Yue tilted toward Chen's vision, his resolve echoing the caution of survival.   But Bai Chongxi, his strategic mind a whirlwind of innovation, saw a bolder path through the storm. The Japanese forces lurking in the Wuhan area were fractured, split between the Yangtze's north and south, facing off against China's formidable heavy troops. Though intelligence on the scale of their assault remained shrouded in mystery, Bai knew their drawable forces couldn't exceed half their might, and their endurance in sustained combat would falter like a dying flame. "To swallow the attackers whole, the battlefield must be vast and unforgiving, our forces luring them deeper while retreating to the Hengyang area, stretching the enemy thin across a sprawling 200-kilometer wasteland." There, the invaders would wither in passivity, their food and ammunition lines stretched to breaking. Then, in a masterful stroke, troops from the Jiuling and Mufu Mountains would surge westward, while those west of the Xiang River drove eastward, severing every land and water escape route in a vise of total annihilation. Both plans stood as ironclad fortresses of logic, each unassailable in its reasoning, and were dispatched simultaneously to Chiang Kai-shek, the arbiter of China's fate.   By rank and protocol, Bai's vision claimed the mantle of Plan A, while Chen's bore the label of Plan B. Bai Chongxi had voiced his conviction and released it to the winds, content to let Chiang's judgment prevail. Bai Chongxi was a master of strategy, whispered among allies as the "Little Zhuge," his intellect a weapon as sharp as any blade. Yet Chen Cheng shared Chiang's Zhejiang roots and the unbreakable bonds of Huangpu camaraderie, drawing him even closer in the inner circle of trust. On such pivotal matters, Bai Chongxi often chose the path of restraint, yielding rather than clashing in futile strife. Five agonizing days after the plans vanished into the ether, Chiang's telegram pierced the tension, affirming the adoption of Plan A. A surge of quiet triumph coursed through Bai Chongxi as he signed the missive and strode toward the operations map, his steps echoing with purpose.   While strategic minds clashed in hidden caves and distant villas, the front lines pulsed with the raw grit of soldiers readying for battle. Guan Linzheng had been assigned a mount since 1930, when he became commander of the 1st Regiment of the 2nd Training Division, during the Central Plains War between Chiang, Feng, and Yan. He led the regiment to cover the retreat of the division's main force under Zhang Zhizhong. Pursued by several times their number of Feng-Yan troops, they fought while retreating in dire straits. From night to dawn, heavy fog descended, obscuring visibility beyond dozens of paces. Guan Linzheng's chestnut horse suddenly neighed loudly and charged back toward the pursuers. After trying to rein it in unsuccessfully, Guan simply ordered the troops to countercharge into the fog. Shouts of killing filled the air, gunfire intense. The Feng-Yan troops, unclear of the situation in the fog, thought Chiang reinforcements had arrived and ordered a retreat. By the time the fog cleared, they were gone. Guan's bold cunning successfully completed the cover mission, and he was promoted to brigade commander of the division's 2nd Brigade after the war.   In July 1932, during Chiang Kai-shek's fourth encirclement of the Hubei-Henan-Anhui Soviet, Guan Linzheng was brigade commander of the 4th Army's Independent Brigade. In battle, he was surrounded by Red Army troops led by Chen Geng and Cai Shenyi of the Red 25th Army Corps in the Anhui town of Zhuanfo Temple. His unit suffered heavy casualties, and a beloved horse was killed, leaving him distressed for a long time. With the outbreak of the War of Resistance, Guan Linzheng's military career entered its golden age. He believed this was truly raising an army of justice, fighting for the people and the nation. After promotions, though equipped with cars, he always kept a warhorse, often riding to survey terrain, inspect work, and command battles. In spare moments, he personally exercised and groomed the horse. That day, he led several staff on horseback to the Xin Qiang River front line, dismounting on the southern bank. 52nd Army Commander Zhang Yaoming and 195th Division Commander Qin Yizhi were waiting.   According to the Ninth War Zone deployment, the 15th Army Group had positioned Zhang Yaoming's 52nd Army and Xia Chuzhong's 79th Army, a formidable force of six divisions along the southern bank of the Xin Qiang River, stretching from Xin Qiang to Maishi beyond the provincial border. This ironclad first line of defense spanned over 100 kilometers, a vast bulwark against the gathering storm of invasion. Fifty kilometers to the south, Chen Pei's 37th Army, with its Divisions 60 and 95, held the Miluo River from Miluo to Pingjiang as the unyielding second line, ready to absorb any breach. Meanwhile, Li Jue's 70th Army, commanding Divisions 19 and 107 along the eastern bank of the Xiang River, was deployed north and south of Xiangyin, fiercely guarding the critical landing points like Yingtian, points that could spell victory or catastrophe.   195th Division Commander Qin Yizhi reported to Guan Linzheng with a voice charged with resolve: troop morale soared like a battle cry, fortifications stood complete and impenetrable, and the army's slogan for this fateful clash thundered: "Fight with the prestige of Taierzhuang!" The division's mobilization slogan echoed even fiercer: "Win fame in one battle!" Guan Linzheng nodded with grim satisfaction toward Zhang Yaoming, his eyes gleaming with the fire of shared history. Guan had once commanded the 52nd Army himself, leading it through a gauntlet of brilliant, blood-soaked battles on the anti-Japanese front. As the Japanese hordes prepared to surge across the Xin Qiang River southward, this was the first, most perilous barrier, a crucible where legends would be forged or shattered. He had entrusted his most loyal unit to the point of greatest impact, knowing full well the stakes. Zhang Yaoming and the division commanders, who had marched at his side for years through hellfire, understood the gravity: Commander Guan was setting an unassailable example, issuing orders that rippled through the ranks, no one could afford the slightest lapse, or face the merciless blade of military law!   "Who's on the north bank?" Guan Linzheng and the others sat on the hard earth, the weight of impending war pressing down; he pointed to the map's symbols for forward positions across the river, his finger tracing lines of fate. "Guarding the Bijia Mountain position is the reinforced 3rd Battalion of the 195th Division's 131st Regiment under Qin Yizhi," Zhang Yaoming replied without hesitation, his tone steady as stone. "Who's on the north bank?" Guan Linzheng repeated as if he hadn't heard, his voice a low rumble, demanding precision in the face of chaos.   Zhang Yaoming hesitated slightly, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face, and Qin Yizhi stepped in: "3rd Battalion Commander Shi Enhua, Huangpu 8th Class."   The Central Military Academy had held its first five classes in Guangzhou's Huangpu, commonly called Huangpu Military Academy. Afterward, the school moved several times, but students continued using the Huangpu name, partly to inherit the revolutionary spirit against imperialism and feudalism from Huangpu's founding, and partly to indicate their central orthodoxy. Army generals, especially the "old Huangpu" big brothers, approved this practice, calling it Huangpu no matter where the school was.   Guan Linzheng glared at Zhang Yaoming, his gaze like sharpened steel, then pressed his knee and rose to his feet. Guan's left knee had been shattered by a bullet in 1925 during the Eastern Expedition against Chen Jiongming, a wound that had nearly claimed his leg and his future. Doctors had decreed amputation to save his life, but Liao Zhongkai, the party representative, had visited the wounded and intervened strenuously, preventing it. Otherwise, there would be no later glory for Guan Linzheng. After careful treatment and diligent exercise, the leg's function mostly recovered, though rising from a squat was slightly difficult. Zhang Yaoming reached out to help, but Guan pushed him away with a fierce independence born of countless battles. The group descended to the riverbank and stood in heavy silence, the air thick with unspoken tension. The horses either stood patiently with heads held high, vigilant sentinels, or lowered them to sniff the grass, casually plucking some to hold in their lips, oblivious to the human storm brewing.   The Xin Qiang River, an unnamed small river that had flowed quietly for countless years, had no great turbid waves in flood seasons and still shallow clear ripples in dry periods. It flowed peacefully from its source to Dongting Lake over dozens of kilometers. At this moment, it reflected the figures and thoughts of several soldiers, utterly unaware that in a dozen days, its name would leap to the front pages of newspapers nationwide, baptized in blood and etched into history.   Amid these preparations on the front lines, deeper internal conflicts simmered among the high command. Xue Yue regretted taking the position of provincial chairman, a decision that now haunted him like a specter from the battlefield's edge.   After the nationwide shock of the "Great Fire of Changsha," Zhang Zhizhong was punished with "suspension with retention," continuing to handle daily affairs amid the ashes. He sent several telegrams requesting resignation from the provincial chairmanship, expressing to the Executive Yuan his "shameless guilt and deep pain." On January 17, 1939, the Chongqing Executive Yuan passed a resolution to reorganize the Hunan Provincial Government. That night, Zhang Zhizhong received Chiang Kai-shek's telegram instructing him to hand over work and report to Chongqing.   In December 1938, when the Military Affairs Commission issued the order for Xue Yue to act as Ninth War Zone Commander, Chiang Kai-shek personally spoke with Xue, asking: "Brother Boling, do you think this arrangement is acceptable?" Boling was Xue Yue's courtesy name. Chiang, nine years older, addressed him as brother in private. Xue Yue said: "With Changsha in such a state, I truly lack the ability to handle such a major war zone task." Chiang Kai-shek understood Xue's implication about the disunity of military and political affairs making military work difficult. He said: "You go first; we can consider unifying military and political affairs later." According to He Yaozu, then director of the Military Affairs Commission Office who witnessed this: "My impression was that Xue Yue didn't want to avoid the acting commander role, but wanted to combine military and political powers. Chiang knew this, telling me 'If he's willing, let him do it,' words Chiang said to many seeking positions."   On February 1, 1939, the Nationalist Government officially appointed Xue Yue as Chairman of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Kuomintang and Chairman of Hunan Province. With party, government, and military powers combined, troubles followed incessantly, piling upon him like relentless enemy fire. As war zone commander, he first thought of the troops. Upon taking office, Xue implemented a policy to restrict market rice prices for military grain procurement, proposing "flat prices" to acquire grain cheaply, forcing merchants underground. Upon hearing this, Xue angrily summoned major rice merchants, reprimanded them, and ordered them to deliver quotas. The result: insufficient low-price rice, with black market prices rising daily. After half a year, sharp-tongued Hunanese nicknamed him "Xue Pinggui," a name that became household, a mocking whisper that cut deeper than any blade.   Coincidentally, his father passed away. Whether Xue instructed it or subordinates "handled it," obituaries flew everywhere, sent to county-level units across the province. Each county had at least 20 units sending condolences, and higher-level cities and provincial units all sent, leading some to secretly calculate. After Xue Yue took charge in Hunan, his family members were transferred from other provinces, and arranging work according to their abilities was reasonable in that old society. His uncle-in-law Fang Xuefen became head of the Provincial Grain Bureau, brother-in-law Qiu Weiyi head of the Provincial Bank. His brother continued business, transporting Hunan rice to Guangdong for barter.   Xue Yue's talents shone not in officialdom. Only before military maps, on battlefields of gunfire and flying shells, could one find the general-like Xue Yue; "heaven-born talent" was for warfare. This descendant of an ordinary farming family in Lechang County, Guangdong, who entered Huangpu Army Primary School at 10, became commander of Sun Yat-sen's bodyguard regiment's 1st Battalion at 24, and once carried a machine gun through hails of bullets to protect Madame Sun Soong Ching-ling from rebel encirclement, earned the nickname "Tiger Cub" in blood and fire. What propelled him to life's peak was the Battle of Changsha.   On August 21, 1939, with war clouds over Changsha thickening like a noose, Xue Yue received telegrams and calls from Chiang Kai-shek, Bai Chongxi, and Chen Cheng. Chiang's telegram required immediate deployment according to "Plan A." Bai and Chen urged resolute implementation of the Chairman's instructions. Xue Yue stood motionless before the map, his mind a whirlwind of strategy and defiance.   Many articles recalling Xue Yue mentioned his daily habit, or hobby, of studying maps; he could do so all day. With battles, he looked; without, he still studied avidly. Perhaps map-reading had evolved from a commander's work need to a professional soldier's spiritual requirement, a way to express emotions, dispel worries, a soldier's way of existence. After Chiang's order to execute "Plan A," rather than comparing plans on the map for stronger bases for his preferred view, he was organizing thoughts, adjusting emotions, and gathering courage in this soul's sanctuary. Hours later, he turned and called Chief of Staff Zhao Zili, dictating three reasons to persist with "Plan B," instructing him to draft a telegram directly to Chiang Kai-shek.   He reminded Zhao that the wording should be forceful yet resilient, making the Chairman clearly feel his firm determination. The Ninth War Zone has sufficient forces and confidence to annihilate the Japanese north of Changsha. If our forces retreat to Hengyang, the Japanese 21st Army under Ando Toshikichi in Guangzhou (with 18th and 104th Divisions, Taiwan Brigade, and attached air units) might advance north along the Yue-Han Railway in support, forming a pincer on us, making the battle hard to control. Following Plan A and allowing the Japanese south would lead to Changsha's fall, exploited by enemy propaganda, causing adverse effects domestically and internationally. These three points presented the potential military and political disadvantages of Plan A as tangible, imminent dangers, more argumentative and unyieldingly firm than his original inclination toward "Plan B."   Zhao Zili quickly noted the points, his pen flying across the page with the precision of a seasoned warrior, before retreating to the staff office to draft the telegram that could alter the course of battle. A top student of Huangpu's 6th Class, quick-witted and resourceful, Zhao had risen like a comet through the ranks after a few blistering campaigns, pinning the insignia of major general to his shoulders at the tender age of 31, a feat that stirred envy among his classmates like a storm in their hearts. Zhao Zili, of course, understood Xue Yue's true intent, piercing through the layers of strategy to the raw undercurrent of determination and unresolved fury.   In May 1938, to avenge the stinging triumph at Taierzhuang, the Japanese had massed their forces in a vengeful storm, aiming to encircle and annihilate the Chinese main forces east of the Longhai Railway, striking from both east and north with ruthless precision. The northern route's 14th Division, under the cunning Dobashi Kenji, found itself surrounded in Lanfeng by a pantheon of fierce Chinese generals, Song Xilian, Yu Jishi, Hu Zongnan, Qiu Qingquan, Wang Yaowu, Li Hanlun, Gui Yongqing, Sun Tongxuan, and Shang Zhen, warriors whose names echoed like thunder across the battlefields. Chiang Kai-shek himself descended upon Zhengzhou to supervise the carnage, appointing Xue Yue as 1st Corps Commander to orchestrate the generals in a full-throttle offensive on the morning of May 25, with the ironclad goal of obliterating that longtime scourge of China and his 14th Division before the dawn of the 26th shattered the night.   The odds were a gambler's dream: 150,000 elite Chinese troops against a mere 20,000 second-rate Japanese soldiers. Victory seemed not just possible, but inevitable; Chiang invited journalists to the front lines for live dispatches, while the Wuhan Political Department feverishly prepared celebrations for the "second great Taierzhuang victory." Chiang Kai-shek was exceptionally angry, his rage boiling over in orders that scorched the ranks, reprimanding army commanders for "inept command, cowardly actions, leading to low morale and hesitation," and that "most army, division, and brigade commanders lacked courage and self-motivation, prolonging the battle." After the Lanfeng Battle, Chiang ordered the dismissal and investigation of future Nationalist Navy Commander Gui Yongqing and 1950s Taiwan Army Commander and Provincial Chairman Huang Jie, and executed 88th Division Commander Long Muhan. But he did not hold Xue Yue accountable for leadership responsibility. For a highly self-respecting person, self-blame is more painful than others' blame. Thereafter, Xue Yue spent more time buried in maps, his eyes tracing lines of terrain like a man possessed, seeking a monumental battle to avenge his wounded pride and redeem his tarnished honor.   On March 8, 1939, shortly after Xue Yue assumed the mantle of acting Ninth War Zone Commander, Chiang telegraphed him with urgent resolve: "To secure Nanchang and its rear lines, decide to strike first, take the offensive to thwart the enemy's intentions." Chiang valued Nanchang's strategic position, as did Okamura Yasuji, but Chiang was a step slow, his hesitation a fatal crack. The Japanese, wielding two divisions bolstered by the bulk of their army's tanks and artillery, seized the initiative like predators in the night, storming Nanchang before the Chinese heavy forces could muster. Chen Cheng remained the nominal Ninth War Zone Commander, relegating Xue Yue to a watchful perch in Changsha while entrusting the Nanchang front to his confidant Luo Zhuoying. Xue Yue haunted the command room day and night, monitoring the inferno through frantic phone calls and telegrams, his discomfort gnawing at him like an unhealed wound. He bore witness to Nanchang's fall and the counterattack's agonizing collapse.   The Nanchang Battle loss was not Xue's fault, but it scarred the Ninth War Zone under his watch, with generals' whispers spreading like venom, knotting his heart in a tangle of regret and resolve. Months of intense map study and on-site inspections had etched Hunan's terrain into Xue Yue's very soul, birthing a strategy that was bold, unique, and brimming with promise—a phoenix rising from the ashes of defeat. But as Zhao Zili understood with crystal clarity, Commander Xue's telegram to Chiang, a forceful plea to reverse the decision, sprang less from cold military "strategy" than from the seething "resentment" accumulated through repeated failures and humiliations, a fire that demanded reckoning. With Chen Cheng's help, Chiang finally agreed to change the plan, bending to the tide of persuasion. Xue Yue was delighted, his spirit soaring like a liberated eagle; Bai Chongxi was angry, his frustration simmering like a storm held at bay. After the battle erupted, Bai, dispatched by Chiang to assist Xue Yue, arrived at the war zone headquarters on Yuelu Mountain atop the Xiang River's west bank in Changsha but remained silent like a mute bodhisattva, his words locked away in disapproval. Even decades later, in his Memoirs of Bai Chongxi, discussing the First Battle of Changsha, he still did not consider it a victory, saying the Japanese "conducted a planned retreat without much loss, which is a fact."   I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In 1939, amid the Second Sino-Japanese War's stalemate phase, Chiang Kai-shek received intelligence on Japan's Xiang-Gan Operation, aimed at pressuring Chongqing through military advances in Hunan. Deputy Chief Bai Chongxi proposed Plan A for a deep-lure annihilation south of Changsha, while Chen Cheng and Xue Yue favored Plan B for resistance north of the city. After tense debates, Chiang approved Plan B, influenced by Xue's insistence to avoid Changsha's fall and counter Japanese propaganda.   

Welcome to Paranormal Spectrum, where we illuminate the enigmatic corners of the supernatural world. I'm your host, Barnaby Jones, and today we have a very special guest joining us:Zach is the visionary behind CE-5, a business dedicated to teaching the CE-5 protocol. CE-5, which stands for "Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind." CE-5 is a process that facilitates human-initiated contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. Zach's passion and expertise in this field make him a leading figure in the growing community of individuals seeking to explore and understand the profound implications of these encounters. Zach offers workshops, seminars, and one-on-one sessions to those interested in learning the CE-5 protocol.Wisconsin CE5 Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/324278040160147Email ZachWisconsinCE5@proton.meClick that play button, and let's unravel the mysteries of the UNTOLD! Remember to like, share, and subscribe to our channel to stay updated on all the latest discoveries and adventures. See you there!Join Barnaby Jones on the Paranormal Spectrum every Thursday on the Untold Radio Network Live at 12pm Central – 10am Pacific and 1pm Eastern. Come and Join the live discussion next week. Please subscribe.We have twelve different Professional Podcasts on all the things you like. New favorite shows drop each day only on the UNTOLD RADIO NETWORK.To find out more about Barnaby Jones and his team, (Cryptids, Anomalies, and the Paranormal Society) visit their website www.WisconsinCAPS.comMake sure you share and Subscribe to the CAPS YouTube Channel as wellhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs7ifB9Ur7x2C3VqTzVmjNQ

Theologian Bo Karen Lee joins Ryan McAnnally-Linz to explore how the multiple layers of trauma—pandemic grief, racialized violence, intergenerational wounding, vicarious suffering—can be met by the resources of Ignatian spirituality and contemplative prayer. Writing and teaching at the intersection of Christian formation and social justice, Lee brings both scholarly precision and uncommon personal candor to one of the most urgent conversations in theology today. "Trauma tends to isolate and alienate us from our siblings, our human siblings. But ironically, this witnessing of one another's pain is the source of healing. So it has the very opposite effect of what is needed for it to be healed." In this conversation, Lee reflects on the spiritual journey from what one author calls "alarmed aloneness" toward becoming beloved—seen, held, and gazed upon with love. Together they discuss the overlapping layers of collective, personal, racialized, and intergenerational trauma shaping contemporary life; attachment theory and its parallels with spiritual formation; the Ignatian tradition of imaginative, contemplative prayer; the still face experiment and the theology of the loving gaze; and why the church has something singular to offer the trauma crisis of our time. Episode Highlights "We are quite sure we're alone in the world and no one really sees us, no one truly cares and no one can be trusted. You're alone, overwhelmed, and helpless." "Trauma tends to isolate and alienate us from our siblings, our human siblings. But ironically, this witnessing of one another's pain is the source of healing. So it has the very opposite effect of what is needed for it to be healed." "I need to be held, but it's this illusory figure that holds me, because I have shut myself off to the very things that could help me, because no one is to be trusted." "I've seen too much hope, and too much beauty, and too much healing walking through the spiritual exercises that I can no longer despair that trauma has the final word." "Gazing upon the God who gazes upon me with love. That is contemplative prayer." About Bo Karen Lee Bo Karen Lee is Associate Professor of Spiritual Theology and Christian Formation at Princeton Theological Seminary, where she teaches contemplative theology, Ignatian spirituality, and the relationship between prayer and social justice. A leading voice in the integration of trauma studies and Christian formation, she brings the Ignatian tradition into conversation with psychology, attachment theory, and the lived experience of racialized communities. Her work draws on the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola to offer resources for healing that are both theologically grounded and pastorally immediate. She directs retreatants in the nineteenth annotation of the Spiritual Exercises and works regularly with spiritual directors trained in the Ignatian tradition. Helpful Links and Resources Bessel van der Kolk, Traumatic Stress: The Effects of Overwhelming Experience on Mind, Body, and Society https://www.amazon.com/Traumatic-Stress-Overwhelming-Experience-Society/dp/1572300485 Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score Resmaa Menakem, My Grandmother's Hands https://www.resmaa.com/resources Kathy Weingarten, Common Shock: Witnessing Violence Every Day https://www.kathyweingarten.com David Fleming SJ, Draw Me Into Your Friendship https://www.amazon.com/Draw-Me-Into-Your-Friendship/dp/0912422904 Ignatius of Loyola, The Spiritual Exercises https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-spiritual-exercises/ Edward Tronick, Still Face Experiment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apzXGEbZht0 Find a Spiritual Director https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/making-good-decisions/find-a-spiritual-director/ Show Notes Trauma defined: "terror triggered by an inescapably stressful event that overwhelms existing coping mechanisms" — Bessel van der Kolk Layers of trauma: collective pandemic grief, personal wounding, racialized violence, intergenerational encoding, vicarious/secondary trauma Global pandemic as collective trauma — threat of death, forced isolation, planetary-scale overwhelm Racialized trauma and AAPI hate incidents — one in five AAPI individuals reported a hate incident in the U.S. in a 15-month window (as of late 2021) My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem — racialized trauma encoded in bodies and communities https://www.resmaa.com/resources Cumulative microaggressions — daily small injuries can produce PTSD-level effects over time; growing body of clinical literature Secondary/vicarious trauma — hearing others' suffering reactivates unresolved wounds in caregivers and companions "Double jeopardy" — Kathy Weingarten's term for caregivers whose own past traumas are reactivated while supporting others Five professions at highest risk: clergy, health workers, teachers, police, journalists — context for the Great Resignation "Alarmed aloneness" — the net effect of trauma: certainty that no one sees you, no one cares, no one can be trusted "Trauma tends to isolate and alienate us from our siblings, our human siblings. But ironically, this witnessing of one another's pain is the source of healing." The orphan image: a girl in a Middle Eastern orphanage draws a chalk mother around her fetal body — illusory comfort as portrait of traumatic isolation Intergenerational trauma — encoded in DNA; personal testimony about learning her own mother was nearly killed as an infant, its echo across generations Kintsugi as healing metaphor — the Japanese art of mending broken pottery with gold; grief before repair, not a race to be fixed Robert Stolorow's concept: finding a "relational home" for traumatic suffering — the necessity of being witnessed Ignatius of Loyola — 16th-century Spanish soldier wounded by cannonball; encountered the living Christ through Ludolph of Saxony's Vita Christi during convalescence The Spiritual Exercises: a four-week manual for imaginative prayer — beloved and broken, walking with Christ through ministry, suffering, resurrection https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-spiritual-exercises/ Ignatian contemplative prayer defined: "gazing upon the God who gazes upon me with love" — kataphatic, embodied, not requiring stillness or silence Still Face Experiment (Edward Tronick) — infant distress when a loving mother goes blank; evidence that the gaze of love is neurologically and psychologically foundational https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apzXGEbZht0 Attachment theory and spiritual formation — earned secure attachment: what unhealthy early bonding cannot provide, sustained relationship with God can "I've seen too much hope, and too much beauty, and too much healing walking through the spiritual exercises that I can no longer despair that trauma has the final word." Personal testimony: AAPI hate crimes, night terrors, contemplative prayer with a spiritual director; a vision of Mary, the wailing women, and the crucified Christ "Bo, they killed me too" — Christ's words in a contemplative vision; solidarity as the beginning of bearable grief Sartre's "hell is other people" reframed — parasitic dependence on others' approval vs. the freedom of knowing how God gazes upon you Resources for beginning: David Fleming's Draw Me Into Your Friendship; finding a spiritual director trained in Ignatian spirituality; Jesuit retreat centers #TraumaHealing #IgnatianSpirituality #ContemplativePrayer #ChristianFormation #SpiritualTheology #MentalHealthAndFaith #RacializedTrauma #AttachmentTheory #ForTheLifeOfTheWorld #YaleDivinity Production Notes This podcast featured Bo Karen Lee Edited and Produced by Evan Rosa Hosted by Evan Rosa Production Assistance by Annie Trowbridge and Luke Stringer A Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/about Support For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give

We live in a culture that constantly urges us—and our daughters—to "find ourselves." To chase affirmation. To define our identity by looking inward. But when our gaze is fixed on the mirror, comparison, anxiety, and exhaustion often follow. For many girls growing up today, the pressure to curate a self can feel relentless. And for moms? The weight of modeling confidence while secretly wrestling with their own identity struggles can feel just as heavy.    Yet Scripture offers a radically different invitation. In Matthew 16:24, Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. Paradoxically, it's in self-forgetfulness—not self-obsession—that we discover true freedom. When we lift our eyes from ourselves and fix them on the character, goodness, and glory of God, something shifts. Peace replaces pressure. Joy displaces comparison. Identity becomes received rather than achieved.    In this special weekend conversation, Patti Garibay welcomes bestselling author and pastor Sharon Hodde Miller to the Raising Godly Girls Podcast. Sharon's newest devotional, Gazing at God, gently guides readers toward a life of humility, surrender, and sacred freedom. Together, Patti and Sharon explore what "self-forgetfulness" actually looks like in everyday motherhood, how comparison silently steals our daughters' joy, and how families can build rhythms that help everyone in the home look up instead of inward.    This episode is for the mom who sees her daughter growing weary from trying to measure up. It's for the girl who feels like she must define herself before she can belong. And it's for every parent longing to create a home atmosphere where identity is anchored not in performance, but in the steadfast love of Christ.    You'll walk away encouraged to model humility, practice surrender in the unseen work of motherhood, and help your daughter experience the deep freedom that comes from fixing her eyes on the Savior rather than on herself.      Scriptures Referenced in This Episode:    Matthew 16:24  Hebrews 12:2  Psalm 34:5  Colossians 3:1–2      To learn more about Sharon Hodde Miller and her books, including Gazing at God, visit sharonhoddemiller.com.    Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.          Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.     

Imagine a group of ancient humans, crafting stone tools at the dawn of humankind. What did these creatures look like? To find out, we can stare at the skulls in museums or glance at reconstructions made by paleo-artists. Not a bad start. But what if we move the lens and zoom into their surroundings? What was the scientific “Garden of Eden” like? Was it a lush forest, a dry savanna, or an icy cave? And what can the answer tell us about human nature more broadly?Denise Su is a world-leading expert on these questions. A paleoecologist at Arizona State University's Institute of Human Origins, she uses ever-more imaginative ways to get a glimpse into the nature and the weather that set the stage for the human story.In this episode, we focus on two kinds of “changes” in the ecology of human evolution: both the actual climate change that drummed the beat of human origins, and the theoretical changes in the views of scientists thinking about these topics. Indeed, this episode digs deep into one of the hotly contested questions about the reasons why humans evolved: "the savanna hypothesis".According to the savanna hypothesis, our naked, upright species evolved because African forests were shrinking and dry savannas emerged instead. Other apes stayed in the shrinking forests, but our brave ancestors took the shot, conquering the vast flatlands. As they did so, they started standing upright to better walk on the savanna and lost their fur, to sweat away the heat of the scorching sun. I have told versions of this story on the show, and so have many senior guests. Yet even a brief Google search will give you plenty of critics telling that the savanna hypothesis is nothing but a convenient myth.⁠ Articles by Denise Su⁠ are often included in the evidence. So what's going on? Listen to the episode to find out! TIMELINE Last common ancestor with humans and chimpanzees: 6–7 million years ago Ardipithecus ramidus: 4.5–4.2 million years ago Australopithecus anamnesis: 4.2–3.8 million years ago Austrolopithecus afarensis (e.g. Lucy): 3.9–2.9 million years ago Australopithecus deyiremeda: 3.5–3.3 million years ago Earliest Homo: about 2.8 million years ago Homo erectus: 1.9 million–112,000 years ago Homo sapiens: 300,000 years ago till present FACT-CHECKINGNo factual errors have been detected so far. However, timing estimates and species names are still debated. Furthermore, the “hours” in the metaphorical clock can shift a fair amount based on the “midnight”: our last common ancestor with chimpanzees lived 6 to 7 million years ago, with some estimates pushing the date as far as 8 million. In the episode, our clock is tuned to 6 million years ago. If you see an error, you can get in touch using the form below.LINKSSupport: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/OnHumans⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Articles & newsletter: OnHumans/Substack.comGet in touch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/h5wcmefuwvD6asos8⁠⁠⁠⁠KEY WORDSanthropology | archaeology | paleontology | human origins | human behavioural ecology | savanna hypothesis | paleolithic | paleoecology | hominid fossils | carbon isotopes C3/C4 | human evolution | human biology | climate change | human futures

Philippians 3:17-21 It's a joy to look up into the heavens with you all each Sunday as we sing and proclaim the mysteries of the gospel, the gospel that assures us there is a kingdom above that God has granted us access to by His mercy and grace. It's a realm our souls long for and one that Paul assures us has the capacity to provide meaning and energy for every single day we pursue it here on earth. I can't wait to unpack all these kingdom dynamics present at the end of chapter 3 together.

Philippians 3:17-21 It's a joy to look up into the heavens with you all each Sunday as we sing and proclaim the mysteries of the gospel, the gospel that assures us there is a kingdom above that God has granted us access to by His mercy and grace. It's a realm our souls long for and one that Paul assures us has the capacity to provide meaning and energy for every single day we pursue it here on earth. I can't wait to unpack all these kingdom dynamics present at the end of chapter 3 together.

Philippians 3:17-21 It's a joy to look up into the heavens with you all each Sunday as we sing and proclaim the mysteries of the gospel, the gospel that assures us there is a kingdom above that God has granted us access to by His mercy and grace. It's a realm our souls long for and one that Paul assures us has the capacity to provide meaning and energy for every single day we pursue it here on earth. I can't wait to unpack all these kingdom dynamics present at the end of chapter 3 together.

Ed, Nick, and Tom discuss the need for Network Address Translation v6 to v6 (NAT66). While Network Prefix Translation (NPTv6) exists, its limitations make it insufficient for real-world business needs. They also highlight that without a standardized NAT66, the market is forcing vendors to implement their own, hindering widespread IPv6 adoption. Episode Links: IPv6-to-IPv6 Network... Read more »

How often do you stop and reflect on who God is—not just what He's done for you, but His very nature and character? In this episode, Shelby is joined by author Sharon Hodde Miller to talk about her new devotional, Gazing at God. In a world that constantly turns our eyes inward, Sharon invites us to lift our gaze upward—to behold the beauty, holiness, and faithfulness of God. Every Woman's Bible Connect with Sharon: Website | Instagram | Gazing at God Subscribe to our Podcast Newsletter! Connect with us:  The Daily Grace Co. | Facebook | Instagram | Daily Grace Blog |  The opinions of guests on the Daily Grace podcast do not represent the opinions of The Daily Grace Co., and we do not necessarily endorse the resources that they recommend or mention on the show. We believe it is valuable to hear from a variety of guests, even if we do not agree in all areas. As always, the statements made by hosts and guests on the show should be tested against God's Word, the only authority on truth.

Gazing Upon His Love - Megan Ashley by Ebenezer Endiryas

The Fat One returns with a full report on his day in Fat Acres which included a Book Club report, the coupon, a gentleman caller, some window shopping and some Apple Snack updates. Happy National Corn Chip Day.

What if you could speak to your deceased loved ones one more time? What if grief didn't have to mean letting go?What if you could speak to your deceased loved ones one more time? What if grief didn't have to mean letting go?For over twenty years, Dr. Irene Blinston has guided grieving individuals through a remarkable healing process using an ancient Greek ritual adapted for modern use. In this groundbreaking book, she reveals the power of the psychomanteum, a darkened chamber designed to facilitate contact with the deceased-and its profound ability to reduce the symptoms of grief.Drawing from landmark research at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Dr. Blinston shares compelling case studies of participants who experienced dramatic reductions in grief symptoms after just three hours using the psychomanteum process. Whether or not they made "contact" with their loved ones, 92 out of 100 participants reported lasting healing.Gazing into the Afterlife explores:• The history and science behind mirror-gazing and limited sensory stimuli for grief healing• Detailed protocols for the psychomanteum process, from preparation through integration• Moving accounts of transformative encounters including visual, auditory, and deeply emotional• Applications beyond grief due to death, including trauma, loss of identity, and life transitions• The crucial role of trained facilitators in creating safe, sacred healing spacesThis isn't about proving life after death. It's about discovering a pathway to peace and healing. The research shows that the psychomanteum helps the bereaved maintain healthy continuing bonds with the deceased while moving forward with their lives. From sudden deaths and complicated grief to ambiguous loss and disenfranchised grief, this innovative approach offers hope where traditional methods fall short.Whether you're a mental health professional interested in new tools for grief work, a bereaved individual looking for healing, or simply curious about consciousness and human potential, this book provides both scientific rigor and compassionate guidance. Dr. Blinston's unique combination of research expertise, facilitator experience, and personal transformation makes this an essential resource for understanding grief in the 21st century.The psychomanteum isn't magic-it's a carefully structured process that creates space for what the grieving heart most needs: connection, expression, and peace.Discover how this ancient practice, backed by modern research, is transforming grief work and offering relief to those who carry the weight of loss.BioIrene Blinston is an independent researcher who studies the impact and aftereffects of supernatural and paranormal experiences, with special interest in encounter experiences. She earned her PhD in transpersonal psychology with specializations in spiritual guidance, creative expression, and transpersonal education and research. While still a student, Dr. Blinston was recognized as a rising figure in the field of transpersonal psychology. She conducted her doctoral dissertation research studying the impact and life-long aftereffects of religious apparitions experienced in childhood.She was also part of the psychomanteum bereavement project, in which participants were facilitated to make contact with their deceased loved ones in order to reduce grief symptoms. She is also a professional astrologer, Human Design for Business and Profit Potential Analyst, and is certified in a variety of money and business coaching models. Her other areas of interest include miracles, mysticism, religions, altered states of consciousness, consciousness studies, the power of the mind, and all areas that encompass the vast human potential.Free chapter link https://chapter.portaltohealinggrief.com/chapterhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FX1JJPLM https://www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/https://www.patreon.com/ourparanormalafterlifeMy book 'Verified Near Death Experiences' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXKRGDFP Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Author of the devotional, "Gazing at God: A 40-Day Journey to Greater Freedom of Self," Pastor Sharon Hodde Miller joins the podcast to discuss the power and the freedom found in turning away from self-centeredness and turning toward God. Pastor Sharon incorporates her personal story into the conversation as she explores self-esteem, ambition, and how one balances an "others-centered life" while also maintaining healthy self-care.  At the top of the episode, hosts Ciarrah Lindsay, Bri McLeod, Lynne Stroy, and Joey Svendsen discuss the terminology "moral failure" and whether it's a fitting term for pastors who make significant, immoral mistakes. On this EpisodeSharon Hodde Miller | Web | Instagram | Book Hosts:  Tara Banks | Ciarrah Lindsay | Bri McLeod | Lynne Stroy | Joey SvendsenBe a Patron of the podcast We have a YouTube Channel for videos of all episodes since Jan. 2024. Also we have a Facebook Page for listeners to keep up with the latest news on "Things You Won't Hear on Sunday" Podcast. Producer/Editor/host: Joey SvendsenSound Engineer/Editor: Katelyn Vandiver

The iconic photographer, chef and marketing guru is facing worrisome health diagnoses this year, but is keeping his spirits up. Deputy Editor Lauren McCutcheon called up Big Rube to talk about his contributions to Philadelphia and his most memorable photo subjects.

This week I'm talking to Irene Blinston about her book 'Gazing into the Afterlife: Unlocking the Mystery of the Psychomanteum for Healing Grief in All Its Forms'What if you could speak to your deceased loved ones one more time? What if grief didn't have to mean letting go?What if you could speak to your deceased loved ones one more time? What if grief didn't have to mean letting go?For over twenty years, Dr. Irene Blinston has guided grieving individuals through a remarkable healing process using an ancient Greek ritual adapted for modern use. In this groundbreaking book, she reveals the power of the psychomanteum, a darkened chamber designed to facilitate contact with the deceased-and its profound ability to reduce the symptoms of grief.Drawing from landmark research at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Dr. Blinston shares compelling case studies of participants who experienced dramatic reductions in grief symptoms after just three hours using the psychomanteum process. Whether or not they made "contact" with their loved ones, 92 out of 100 participants reported lasting healing.Gazing into the Afterlife explores:• The history and science behind mirror-gazing and limited sensory stimuli for grief healing• Detailed protocols for the psychomanteum process, from preparation through integration• Moving accounts of transformative encounters including visual, auditory, and deeply emotional• Applications beyond grief due to death, including trauma, loss of identity, and life transitions• The crucial role of trained facilitators in creating safe, sacred healing spacesThis isn't about proving life after death. It's about discovering a pathway to peace and healing. The research shows that the psychomanteum helps the bereaved maintain healthy continuing bonds with the deceased while moving forward with their lives. From sudden deaths and complicated grief to ambiguous loss and disenfranchised grief, this innovative approach offers hope where traditional methods fall short.Whether you're a mental health professional interested in new tools for grief work, a bereaved individual looking for healing, or simply curious about consciousness and human potential, this book provides both scientific rigor and compassionate guidance. Dr. Blinston's unique combination of research expertise, facilitator experience, and personal transformation makes this an essential resource for understanding grief in the 21st century.The psychomanteum isn't magic-it's a carefully structured process that creates space for what the grieving heart most needs: connection, expression, and peace.Discover how this ancient practice, backed by modern research, is transforming grief work and offering relief to those who carry the weight of loss.BioIrene Blinston is an independent researcher who studies the impact and aftereffects of supernatural and paranormal experiences, with special interest in encounter experiences. She earned her PhD in transpersonal psychology with specializations in spiritual guidance, creative expression, and transpersonal education and research. While still a student, Dr. Blinston was recognized as a rising figure in the field of transpersonal psychology. She conducted her doctoral dissertation research studying the impact and life-long aftereffects of religious apparitions experienced in childhood.She was also part of the psychomanteum bereavement project, in which participants were facilitated to make contact with their deceased loved ones in order to reduce grief symptoms. She is also a professional astrologer, Human Design for Business and Profit Potential Analyst, and is certified in a variety of money and business coaching models. Her other areas of interest include miracles, mysticism, religions, altered states of consciousness, consciousness studies, the power of the mind, and all areas that encompass the vast human potential.Free chapter link https://chapter.portaltohealinggrief.com/chapterhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FX1JJPLM https://www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/https://www.patreon.com/ourparanormalafterlifeMy book 'Verified Near Death Experiences' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXKRGDFP Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gazing out at the magnificent coastline of Big Sur, Justin Krompier realized his day job wasn't going to cut it.  Following a decades long battle with drug addiction, Justin decided to take a leap of faith, leaving the stability of a 9-5 for a life of adventure on the road with his camera.  Support comes from ⁠Darn Tough⁠ Free shipping on any order with code DIRTBAG Kuat Racks  Oboz  Ka'Chava New customers get $20 off an order of 2 bags or more at https://kachava.com  Diaries+ Members-- Their support is powering the Diaries- thank you! You can join today.

In 15 years, Earth will lose thousands of glaciers every year. New science on 'Peak glacier extinction” – Swiss glaciologist Lander Van Tricht. Australia over 45 degrees C, 113 F. – and burning again. “Gazing into the Flames” – wildfire expert Hamish Clarke.  …

This talk was given by Gil Fronsdal on 2026.01.14 at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. ******* A machine generated transcript of this talk is available. It has not been edited by a human, so errors will exist. Download Transcript: https://www.audiodharma.org/transcripts/24336/download ******* For more talks like this, visit AudioDharma.org ******* If you have enjoyed this talk, please consider supporting AudioDharma with a donation at https://www.audiodharma.org/donate/. ******* This talk is licensed by a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License

This talk was given by Gil Fronsdal on 2026.01.14 at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. ******* A machine generated transcript of this talk is available. It has not been edited by a human, so errors will exist. Download Transcript: https://www.audiodharma.org/transcripts/24336/download ******* For more talks like this, visit AudioDharma.org ******* If you have enjoyed this talk, please consider supporting AudioDharma with a donation at https://www.audiodharma.org/donate/. ******* This talk is licensed by a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License

What does the future hold? In this week's Midweek Memo podcast, host Mike Maharrey polishes up his crystal ball and talks about what 2026 may have in store for gold and silver.  Along the way, he emphasizes the difficulty of economic and market forecasting and provides an example of why people should be cautious about making bold predictions. However, he is willing to examine some of the macroeconomic and market dynamics that appear to be in place as we enter the new year and explain how they may impact the precious metals markets. 

In This Hour:-- What's it like to be part of the Gun Talk Family?  Well, it's often a bit goofy, as shown by Ryan, Chris and KJ.--  This past year was filled with new guns, and some of them were terrific.  Here's the Best of 2025.-- Gazing into the ballistic crystal ball.  What's ahead for the gun world in 2026?Gun Talk 12.28.25 Hour 1 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gun-talk--6185159/support.

Brilliant Breville Brings Browning Breakthroughs.  Blow-Away Buy: The Mini Desk Blower That Clears Crumbs and Keyboards.  Circuitry in the Kitchen: A Geeky Glass Gadget for Gourmet Gurus.  Crowd-Connecting Compass: A Festival-Friendly Finder.  Glowing Gestures or Goading Gadgets?  Bright and Bold: Bike-Light Boost with Unit1 Smart Light Pro Dual.  Galactic Gravity-Defying Gadget: Hoverpen Interstellar.  Glowing GoChess: Guiding Gamers to Grandmastery.  Hovering Household Hype: The Shinning Kick Sparks Sporting Spirit.  Focus Fad or Fantastic Fix? Adjustable Eyewear's Allure and Alarms.  G-SHOCK's Small but Strong: The Sturdy Square Style Shrunk.  Backyard Birdfy: Clever Camera Feeder for Curious Creatures.  Galactic Gadget: Star Wars Sound-Effect Speaker for Storytime.  Gripping Gadgets: Getting to Grips with a Great DIY Robot Arm.  Groovy Gourmet Gadget: Gift Republic's Retro Record Timer.  Stealthy Spy Specs for Sunset Sleuths.  Sneaky Sounds and Secret Sleuthing: The SpyX Speaker Switch-Up.  Goggles for Greater Good: Therabody's Tranquil Tech Takes Tension Down.  Gomi's Green Gadget: Gorgeous, Guilt-Free Power Bank.  Gazing, Guarding, Greeting: The EBO Air 2 Plus Companion Bot. 

Today's self-care practice is a fire-gazing, or a candle-gazing, meditation. All you need is a dark room and a lit candle! Rachel will guide you through the practice, from set up to completion, and all you have to do is take in the light. How does it feel? How does your breath respond? Tune in to see. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a culture that trains children to perform their lives instead of live them, Sharon Hodde Miller returns to explore why so many young people feel fragile, insecure, and exhausted and why the solution isn't more confidence, but a bigger purpose. Drawing from Free of Me and her new devotional Gazing at God, Sharon explains the overlooked root of modern insecurity: we've taught kids to evaluate their worth through constant self-focus, endless mirrors, and the metrics of the attention economy. Together, Sharon and Ginny uncover how shrinking our children's purpose down to “finding themselves” has left them anxious, isolated, and unsure of who they are apart from an audience. This conversation offers a hopeful, deeply practical way forward. Sharon shares how hiddenness, beauty, and turning our gaze toward God free us from the heaviness of self-preoccupation and how parents can help kids grow up rooted in something far larger than likes, identity quests, or online performance. From navigating rejection to reimagining purpose, this episode invites families to step out of the spotlight, rediscover joy, and remember that the healthiest life isn't the one constantly seen…but the one securely grounded in love, calling, and connection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Visit donate.accessmore.com and give today to help fund more episodes and shows like this. We live in a culture obsessed with self-care and personal branding.  But what if freedom and happiness is found more in forgetting ourselves and remembering God instead? Sharon Hodde Miller shares from her new devotional, Gazing at God: A 40 Day Journey to Greater Freedom from Self.  On today's episode, you'll learn:  3:25 What does it mean to gaze at God  10:36 How to help your kids avoid being self-centered  15:57 How to avoid harming your children with your own insecurity  22:10 Why we should practice self-forgetfulness 25:30 The journey of getting out of a scarcity mindset Sharon Hodde MIller PhD is the co-founder and leader of Bright City Church in Durham, North Carolina.  She teaches about faith, culture and the Bible, and her books include Nice, The Cost of Control, and Gazing at God.  Learn more about Sharon Hodde Miller on her website https://sheworships.com/ Follow Sharon on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sharonhmiller/ Subscribe to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week". https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe How did Arlene's kids adapt to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words.  https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/film Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast?  Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show!  Email speaking @ arlenepellicane.com

S9 E4 — What if real freedom doesn't come from more self-esteem—but from self-forgetfulness? Amy Julia Becker and author and pastor Sharon Hodde Miller explore the difference between the false self and the true self—and how thinking about ourselves less without thinking less of ourselves leads to healing, humility, and purpose.00:00 Introduction01:58 Defining Self and Self-Forgetfulness07:33 Understanding the Self and Healing09:50 Noticing Ourselves14:12 False Self vs. True Self16:31 The Concept of Self-Denial19:18 The Role of the Body in Self-Understanding22:08 Embracing Insecurity, Humility, and Limitations29:33 The Role of Self in Parenting31:34 Beyond Self: Purpose and Community38:12 Practicing Humility in Daily LifeMENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Free of Me and Gazing at God • Books by Sharon Hodde MillerThe Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim KellerTo Be Made Well and White Picket Fences by Amy Julia BeckerAmy Julia's new podcast: Take the Next Step amyjuliabecker.com/step/_WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTubeSUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.comJOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabeckerLISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/_ABOUT OUR GUEST:Sharon Hodde Miller (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) leads Bright City Church in Durham, NC with her husband, Ike. She writes, travels around the country speaking at churches and conferences each year, and holds a PhD on women and calling. Sharon is the author of three books: Gazing at God, Free of Me, and Nice. Sharon lives in North Carolina with her husband and 3 young children. To read more of her writing, you can visit her site, SheWorships.com, and you can connect with her on Instagram at @sharonhmiller. We want to hear your thoughts. Send us a text!Connect with me: Instagram Facebook YouTube Website Thanks for listening!

This week’s episode is a little different. We’re pulling back the curtain on one of our BJDW Community Masterclasses, the kind of deep, beautiful, heart-level conversations we host each month with special guests to encourage our community gals on the journey to freedom. We’re joined by Sharon Hodde Miller, author of Free of Me and Gazing at God, to unpack the root of insecurity, and why we often feel insecure when we’re standing on something shaky. Sharon shares how our culture has taught us to treat insecurity by focusing more on ourselves… when the real freedom comes from shifting our gaze to God. She talks about why self-focus is exhausting, what true biblical self-denial looks like (hint: it’s not self-rejection), and how to spot when we’ve made something about us that was never meant to be. If you’ve ever found yourself striving for validation, wrestling with comparison, or feeling “not enough” in your faith, parenting, or purpose, this conversation is going to offer you so much encouragement!.

When insecurity takes over, most of us double down on self-improvement. But what if freedom doesn't come from focusing more on yourself - but less? In this powerful conversation, Dr. Alison and author of Free of Me and Gazing at God, Sharon Hodde Miller, discuss the promises and pitfalls of self-esteem culture - and why a bigger story of belovedness, stewardship, and connection sets us free.  We talk about how self-preoccupation doesn't improve self-esteem, why “just love yourself more” can reinforce the problem, and how beholding God (not abandoning yourself) recenters your life with humility and purpose. In this episode, we cover: Why self-focus can erode your confidence and joy The difference between self-esteem and self-preoccupation What it means to de-center yourself without losing your worth How wounds can masquerade as pride or insecurity The freedom that comes from remembering: you are not the hero of the story Get your hands on a copy of Sharon's books! You can find them here: