Podcasts about good god

As fear and tension rise around immigration enforcement in North Texas, Rev. Eric Folkerth has helped lead an interfaith clergy vigil outside the Dallas ICE field office—an act of prayerful presence in the face of injustice.In this episode of Good God, George Mason talks with Rev. Folkerth about what happens at these weekly gatherings, how they began, and why he believes prayer can be both faithful and prophetic. Together they discuss the growing anxiety among immigrants, the tragic shooting that drew national attention to the Dallas ICE facility, and the moral toll of policies that harm both migrants and public servants.Grounded in scripture and compassion, their conversation calls people of faith to resist fear, welcome the stranger, and embody moral courage in public life.Rev. Eric Folkerth is senior pastor of Kessler Park United Methodist Church in Dallas. A longtime minister, musician, and activist, he's known for his work at the intersection of faith and justice.

Psalm 119:65-72 - Speaker: Josh MacAvoy - Psalm 119 is the longest song in the entire Bible; it has more verses than the entire book of Philippians, Ephesians or Galatians! This Psalm is a well-known acrostic poem, broken into 22 distinct segments (one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet) with each segment being eight verses long and each verse in Hebrew starting with that associated letter. This Psalm is skillfully crafted and arranged to make it memorable as a teaching aide in communicating it's two dominant themes – (1) the call to delight in God's good word (2) in the middle of real-life struggles. In our time together tomorrow, we will look at one of these eight-verse segments, from verses 65-72, taking special note of the good from God and the good describing God in these verses.

In this message from our Reasons for God series, Andrew Chisholm explores the difficult question of suffering.

This week we share some good news from the SCCA Autocross community and are amazed by a wild 'Murican Mali-Mino. We love you!

On this episode, my guest is Stephen Jenkinson, culture activist and ceremonialist advocating a handmade life and eloquence. He is an author, a storyteller, a musician, sculptor and off-grid organic farmer. Stephen is the founder/ principal instructor of the Orphan Wisdom School in Canada, co-founded with his wife Nathalie Roy in 2010. Also a sought-after workshop leader, articulating matters of the heart, human suffering, confusions through ceremony.He is the author of several influential books, including Money and the Soul's Desires, Die Wise: A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul (2015), Come of Age: The Case for Elderhood in a Time of Trouble (2018), A Generation's Worth: Spirit Work While the Crisis Reigns (2021), and Reckoning (2022), co-written with Kimberly Ann Johnson. His most recent book, Matrimony: Ritual, Culture, and the Heart's Work, was released in August 2025. He is also involved in the musical project Nights of Grief & Mystery with singer-songwriter Gregory Hoskins, which has toured across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.Show Notes:* The Bone House of the Orphan Wisdom Enterprise* Matrimony: Ritual, Culture and the Heart's Work* The Wedding Industry* Romantic Sameness and Psychic Withering* The Two Tribes* The Roots of Hospitality* The Pompous Ending of Hospitality* Debt, And the Estrangement of the Stranger* More Than Human Hospitality* The Alchemy of the Orphan Wisdom SchoolHomework:Matrimony: Ritual, Culture, and the Heart's Work | PurchaseOrphan WisdomThe Scriptorium: Echoes of an Orphan WisdomTranscription:Chris: This is an interview that I've been wondering about for a long time in part, because Stephen was the first person I ever interviewed for the End of Tourism Podcast. In Oaxaca, Mexico, where I live Stephen and Natalie were visiting and were incredibly, incredibly generous. Stephen, in offering his voice as a way to raise up my questions to a level that deserve to be contended with.We spoke for about two and a half hours, if I remember correctly. And there was a lot in what you spoke to towards the second half of the interview that I think we're the first kind of iterations of the Matrimony book.We spoke a little bit about the stranger and trade, and it was kind of startling as someone trying to offer their first interview and suddenly hearing something [00:01:00] that I'd never heard before from Stephen. Right. And so it was quite impressive. And I'm grateful to be here now with y'all and to get to wonder about this a little more deeply with you Stephen.Stephen: Mm-hmm. Hmm.Chris: This is also a special occasion for the fact that for the first time in the history of the podcast, we have a live audience among us today. Strange doings. Some scholars and some stewards and caretakers of the Orphan Wisdom enterprise. So, thank you all as well for coming tonight and being willing to listen and put your ears to this.And so to begin, Stephen, I'm wondering if you'd be willing to let those who will be listening to this recording later on know where we're gathered in tonight?Stephen: Well, we're in... what's the name of this township?Nathalie: North Algona.Stephen: North Algona township on the borders, an eastern gate [00:02:00] of Algonquin Park. Strangely named place, given the fact that they were the first casualties of the park being established. And we're in a place that never should have been cleared - my farm. It should never have been cleared of the talls, the white pines that were here, but the admiralty was in need back in the day. And that's what happened there. And we're in a place that the Irish immigrants who came here after the famine called "Tramore," which more or less means "good-frigging luck farming."It doesn't technically mean that, but it absolutely means that. It actually means "sandy shore," which about covers the joint, and it's the only thing that covers the joint - would be sand. You have to import clay. Now, that's a joke in many farming places in the world, but if we wanted any clay, we'd have to bring it in and pay for the privilege.And the farm has been in [00:03:00] my, my responsibility for about 25 years now, pretty close to that. And the sheep, or those of them left because the coyotes have been around for the first time in their casualty-making way... They're just out here, I'm facing the field where they're milling around.And it's the very, very beginnings of the long cooling into cold, into frigid, which is our lot in this northern part of the hemisphere, even though it's still August, but it's clear that things have changed. And then, we're on a top of a little hill, which was the first place that I think that we may have convened a School here.It was a tipi, which is really worked very well considering we didn't live here, so we could put it up and put it down in the same weekend. [00:04:00] And right on this very hill, we were, in the early days, and we've replaced that tipi with another kind of wooden structure. A lot more wood in this one.This has been known as "The Teaching Hall" or "The Great Hall," or "The Hall" or "The Money Pit, as it was known for a little while, but it actually worked out pretty well. And it was I mean, people who've come from Scandinavia are knocked out by the kind of old-style, old-world visitation that the place seems to be to them.And I'd never really been before I had the idea what this should look like, but I just went from a kind of ancestral memory that was knocking about, which is a little different than your preferences, you know. You have different kinds of preferences you pass through stylistically through your life, but the ones that lay claim to you are the ones that are not interested in your [00:05:00] preferences. They're interested in your kind of inheritance and your lineage.So I'm more or less from the northern climes of Northern Europe, and so the place looks that way and I was lucky enough to still have my carving tools from the old days. And I've carved most of the beams and most of the posts that keep the place upright with a sort of sequence of beasts and dragons and ne'er-do-wells and very, very few humans, I think two, maybe, in the whole joint. Something like that. And then, mostly what festoons a deeply running human life is depicted here. And there's all kinds of stories, which I've never really sat down and spoken to at great length with anybody, but they're here.And I do deeply favour the idea that one day [00:06:00] somebody will stumble into this field, and I suppose, upon the remains of where we sit right now, and wonder "What the hell got into somebody?" That they made this mountain of timber moldering away, and that for a while what must have been, and when they finally find the footprint of, you know, its original dimensions and sort of do the wild math and what must have been going on in this sandy field, a million miles in away from its home.And wherever I am at that time, I'll be wondering the same thing.Audience: Hmm.Stephen: "What went on there?" Even though I was here for almost all of it. So, this was the home of the Orphan Wisdom School for more than a decade and still is the home of the Orphan Wisdom School, even if it's in advance, or in retreat [00:07:00] or in its doldrums. We'll see.And many things besides, we've had weddings in here, which is wherein I discovered "old-order matrimony," as I've come to call it, was having its way with me in the same way that the design of the place did. And it's also a grainery for our storage of corn. Keep it up off the ground and out of the hands of the varmints, you know, for a while.Well that's the beginning.Chris: Hmm. Hmm. Thank you Stephen.Stephen: Mm-hmm.Chris: You were mentioning the tipi where the school began. I remember sleeping in there the first time I came here. Never would I have thought for a million years that I'd be sitting here with you.Stephen: It's wild, isn't it?Chris: 12 years later.?: Yeah.Chris: And so next, I'd like to do my best in part over the course of the next perhaps hour or two to congratulate you on the release of [00:08:00] your new book, Matrimony: Ritual, Culture, and the Heart's Work.Stephen: Thank you.Chris: Mm-hmm. I'm grateful to say like many others that I've received a copy and have lent my eyes to your good words, and what is really an incredible achievement.For those who haven't had a chance to lay their eyes on it just yet, I'm wondering if you could let us in on why you wrote a book about matrimony in our time and where it stands a week out from its publication.Stephen: Well, maybe the answer begins with the question, "why did you write a book, having done so before?" And you would imagine that the stuff that goes into writing a book, you'd think that the author has hopes for some kind of redemptive, redeeming outcome, some kind of superlative that drops out the back end of the enterprise.And you know, this is [00:09:00] the seventh I've written. And I would have to say that's not really how it goes, and you don't really know what becomes of what you've written, even with the kind people who do respond, and the odd non-monetary prize that comes your way, which Die Wise gamed that.But I suppose, I wrote, at all partly to see what was there. You know, I had done these weddings and I was a little bit loathe to let go, to let the weddings turn entirely into something historical, something that was past, even though I probably sensed pretty clearly that I was at the end of my willingness to subject myself to the slings and arrows that came along with the enterprise, but it's a sweet sorrow, or there's a [00:10:00] wonder that goes along with the tangle of it all. And so, I wrote to find out what happened, as strange as that might sound to you. You can say, "well, you were there, you kind of knew what happened." But yes, I was witness to the thing, but there's the act of writing a book gives you the opportunity to sort of wonder in three-dimensions and well, the other thing I should say is I was naive and figured that the outfit who had published the, more or less prior two books to this one, would kind of inevitably be drawn to the fact that same guy. Basically, same voice, new articulation. And I was dumbfounded to find out that they weren't. And so, it's sort of smarted, you know?And I think what I did was I just set the whole [00:11:00] enterprise aside, partly to contend with the the depths of the disappointment in that regard, and also not wanting to get into the terrible fray of having to parse or paraphrase the book in some kind of elevator pitch-style to see if anybody else wanted to look at it. You know, such as my touchy sense of nobility sometimes, you know, that I just rather not be involved in the snarl of the marketplace any longer.So, I withdrew and I just set it aside but it wasn't that content to be set, set aside. And you know, to the book's credit, it bothered me every once in a while. It wasn't a book at the point where I was actually trying to engineer it, you know, and, and give it some kind of structure. I had piles of paper on the floor representing the allegation of chapters, trying to figure out what the relationship was [00:12:00] between any of these things.What conceivably should come before what. What the names of any of these things might be. Did they have an identity? Was I just imposing it? And all of that stuff I was going through at the same time as I was contending with a kind of reversal in fortune, personally. And so in part, it was a bit of a life raft to give me something to work on that I wouldn't have to research or dig around in the backyard for it and give me some sort of self-administered occupation for a while.Finally, I think there's a parallel with the Die Wise book, in that when it came to Die Wise, I came up with what I came up with largely because, in their absolute darkest, most unpromising hours, an awful lot of dying people, all of whom are dead now, [00:13:00] let me in on some sort of breach in the, the house of their lives.And I did feel that I had some obligation to them long-term, and that part of that obligation turned into writing Die Wise and touring and talking about that stuff for years and years, and making a real fuss as if I'd met them all, as if what happened is really true. Not just factually accurate, but deeply, abidingly, mandatorily true.So, although it may be the situation doesn't sound as extreme, but the truth is, when a number of younger - than me - people came to me and asked me to do their weddings, I, over the kind of medium-term thereafter, felt a not dissimilar obligation that the events that ensued from all of that not [00:14:00] be entrusted entirely to those relatively few people who attended. You know, you can call them "an audience," although I hope I changed that. Or you could call them "witnesses," which I hope I made them that.And see to it that there could be, not the authorized or official version of what happened, but to the view from here, so to speak, which is, as I sit where I am in the hall right now, I can look at the spot where I conducted much of this when I wasn't sacheting up and down the middle aisle where the trestle tables now are.And I wanted to give a kind of concerted voice to that enterprise. And I say "concerted voice" to give you a feel for the fact that I don't think this is a really an artifact. It's not a record. It's a exhortation that employs the things that happened to suggest that even though it is the way it is [00:15:00] ritually, impoverished as it is in our time and place, it has been otherwise within recoverable time and history. It has.And if that's true, and it is, then it seems to me at least is true that it could be otherwise again. And so, I made a fuss and I made a case based on that conviction.There's probably other reasons I can't think of right now. Oh, being not 25 anymore, and not having that many more books in me, the kind of wear and tear on your psyche of imposing order on the ramble, which is your recollection, which has only so many visitations available in it. Right? You can only do that so many times, I think. And I'm not a born writing person, you know, I come to it maniacally when I [00:16:00] do, and then when it's done, I don't linger over it so much.So then, when it's time to talk about it, I actually have to have a look, because the act of writing it is not the act of reading it. The act of writing is a huge delivery and deliverance at the same time. It's a huge gestation. And you can't do that to yourself, you know, over and over again, but you can take some chances, and look the thing in the eye. So, and I think some people who are there, they're kind of well-intended amongst them, will recognize themselves in the details of the book, beyond "this is what happened and so on." You know, they'll recognize themselves in the advocacy that's there, and the exhortations that are there, and the [00:17:00] case-making that I made and, and probably the praying because there's a good degree of prayerfulness in there, too.That's why.Chris: Thank you. bless this new one in the world. And what's the sense for you?Stephen: Oh, yes.Chris: It being a one-week old newborn. How's that landing in your days?Stephen: Well, it's still damp, you know. It's still squeaky, squeaky and damp. It's walking around like a newborn primate, you know, kind of swaying in the breeze and listening to port or to starboard according to whatever's going on.I don't know that it's so very self-conscious in the best sense of that term, yet. Even though I recorded the audio version, I don't think [00:18:00] it's my voice is found every nook and cranny at this point, yet. So, it's kind of new. It's not "news," but it is new to me, you know, and it's very early in terms of anybody responding to it.I mean, nobody around me has really taken me aside and say, "look, now I want to tell you about this book you wrote." It hasn't happened, and we'll see if it does, but I've done a few events on the other side of the ocean and hear so far, very few, maybe handful of interviews. And those are wonderful opportunities to hear something of what you came up with mismanaged by others, you know, misapprehend, you could say by others.No problem. I mean, it's absolutely no problem. And if you don't want that to happen, don't talk, don't write anything down. So, I don't mind a bit, you know, and the chances are very good that it'll turn into things I didn't have in mind [00:19:00] as people take it up, and regard their own weddings and marriages and plans and schemes and fears and, you know, family mishigas and all the rest of it through this particular lens, you know. They may pick up a pen or a computer (it's an odd expression, "pick up a computer"), and be in touch with me and let me know. "Yeah, that was, we tried it" or whatever they're going to do, because, I mean, maybe Die Wise provided a bit of an inkling of how one might be able to proceed otherwise in their dying time or in their families or their loved ones dying time.This is the book that most readily lends itself to people translating into something they could actually do, without a huge kind of psychic revolution or revolt stirring in them, at least not initially. This is as close as I come, probably, to writing a sequence of things [00:20:00] that could be considered "add-ons" to what people are already thinking about, that I don't force everybody else outta the house in order to make room for the ideas that are in the book. That may happen, anyway, but it wasn't really the intent. The intent was to say, you know, we are in those days when we're insanely preoccupied with the notion of a special event. We are on the receiving end of a considerable number of shards showing up without any notion really about what these shards remember or are memories of. And that's the principle contention I think that runs down the spine of the book, is that when we undertake matrimony, however indelicately, however by rote, you know, however mindlessly we may do it, [00:21:00] inadvertently, we call upon those shards nonetheless.And they're pretty unspectacular if you don't think about them very deeply, like the rice or confetti, like the aisle, like the procession up the aisle, like the giving away of someone, like the seating arrangement, like the spectacle seating arrangement rather than the ritual seating arrangement.And I mean, there's a fistful of them. And they're around and scholars aside maybe, nobody knows why they do them. Everybody just knows, "this is what a wedding is," but nobody knows why. And because nobody knows why, nobody really seems to know what a wedding is for, although they do proceed like they would know a wedding if they saw one. So, I make this a question to be really wondered about, and the shards are a way in. They're the kind of [00:22:00] breadcrumb trail through the forest. They're the little bits of broken something, which if you begin to handle just three or four of them, and kind of fit them together, and find something of the original shape and inflection of the original vessel, kind of enunciates, begins to murmur in your hands, and from it you can begin to infer some three-dimensionality to the original shape. And from the sense of the shape, you get a set sense of contour, and from the sense of contour, you get a sense of scale or size. And from that you get a sense of purpose, or function, or design. And from that you get a sense of some kind of serious magisterial insight into some of the fundament of human being that was manifest in the "old-order matrimony," [00:23:00] as I came to call it.So, who wouldn't wanna read that book?Chris: Mm-hmm.Thank you. Mm-hmm. Thank you, Stephen. Yeah. It reminds me, just before coming up here, maybe two weeks ago, I was in attending a wedding. And there was a host or mc, and initially just given what I was hearing over the microphone, it was hard to tell if he was hired or family or friends. And it turned out he was, in fact, a friend of the groom. And throughout the night he proceeded to take up that role as a kind of comedian.Audience: Mm-hmm.Chris: This was the idea, I guess. Mm-hmm. And he was buzzing and mumbling and swearing into the microphone, [00:24:00] and then finally minimizing the only remnant of traditional culture that showed up in the wedding. And his thing was, okay, so when can we get to the part where it's boom, boom, boom, right. And shot, shot, shot, whatever.Stephen: Right.Chris: There was so much that came up in my memories in part because I worked about a decade in Toronto in the wedding industry.Mm-hmm. Hospitality industry. Maybe a contradiction in terms, there. And there was one moment that really kind of summed it up. I kept coming back to this reading the book because it was everything that you wrote seemed to not only antithetical to this moment, but also an antidote.Anyways, it was in North Toronto and the [00:25:00] owner of the venue - it was a kind of movie theatre turned event venue - and there was a couple who was eventually going to get married there. They came in to do their tasting menu to see what they wanted to put on the menu for the dinner, for their wedding.And the owner was kind of this mafioso type. And he comes in and he sees them and he walks over and he says, "so, you're gonna get married at my wedding factory."Audience: Mm-hmm.Chris: In all sincerity.Stephen: Mm-hmm.Chris: Right.Without skipping a beat. Could you imagine?Stephen: Yeah.I could. I sure could.Chris: Yeah. Yeah.Stephen: I mean, don't forget, if these people weren't doing what the people wanted, they'd be outta business.Audience: Mm-hmm.Stephen: No, that's the thing. This is aiding and abetting. This is sleeping with the enemy, stylistically-speaking. [00:26:00] The fact that people "settle" (that's the term I would use for it), settle for this, the idea being that this somehow constitutes the most honest and authentic through line available to us is just jaw dropping. When you consider what allegedly this thing is supposed to be for. I mean, maybe we'll get into this, but I'll just leave this as a question for now. What is that moment allegedly doing?Not, what are the people in it allegedly doing? The moment itself, what is it? How is it different from us sitting here now talking about it? And how is it different from the gory frigging jet-fuelled aftermath of excess. And how's it different from the cursing alleged master of ceremonies? How can you [00:27:00] tell none of those things belong to this thing?And why do you have such a hard time imagining what doesAudience: Hmm mmChris: Well that leads me to my next question.Stephen: Ah, you're welcome.Chris: So, I've pulled a number of quotes from the book to read from over the course of the interview. And this one for anyone who's listening is on page 150. And you write Stephen,"Spiritually-speaking, most of the weddings in our corner of the world are endogamous affairs, inward-looking. What is, to me, most unnerving is that they can be spiritually-incestuous. The withering of psychic difference between people is the program of globalization. It is in the architecture of most things partaking of the internet, and it is in the homogeneity of our matrimony. [00:28:00] It is this very incestuous that matrimony was once crafted and entered into to avoid and subvert. Now, it grinds upon our differences until they are details.And so, this paragraph reminded me of a time in my youth when I seemed to be meeting couples who very eerily looked like each other. No blood or extended kin relation whatsoever, and yet they had very similar faces. And so as I get older, this kind of face fidelity aside, I continue to notice that people looking for companionship tend to base their search on similitude, on shared interests, customs, experiences, shared anything and everything. This, specifically, in opposition to those on the other side of the aisle or spectrum, to difference or divergence. And so, opposites don't attract anymore. I'm curious what you think this psychic [00:29:00] withering does to an achieve understanding of matrimony.Stephen: Well, I mean, let's wonder what it does to us, generally, first before we get to matrimony, let's say. It demonizes. Maybe that's too strong, but it certainly reconstitutes difference as some kind of affliction, some kind of not quite good enough, some kind of something that has to be overcome or overwhelmed on the road to, to what? On the road to sameness? So, if that's the goal, then are all of the differences between us, aberrations of some kind, if that's the goal? If that's the goal, are all the [00:30:00] differences between us, not God-given, but humanly misconstrued or worse? Humanly wrought? Do the differences between us conceivably then belong at all? Or is the principle object of the entire endeavor to marry yourself, trying to put up with the vague differences that the other person represents to you?I mean, I not very jokingly said years ago, that I coined a phrase that went something like "the compromise of infinity, which is other people." What does that mean? "The compromise of infinity, which is other people." Not to mention it's a pretty nice T-shirt. But what I meant by the [00:31:00] phrase is this: when you demonize difference in this fashion or when you go the other direction and lionize sameness, then one of the things that happens is that compromise becomes demonized, too. Compromise, by definition, is something you never should have done, right? Compromise is how much you surrender of yourself in order to get by. That's what all these things become. And before you know it, you're just beaten about the head and shoulders about "codependence" and you know, not being "true to yourself" as if being true to yourself is some kind of magic.I mean, the notion that "yourself is the best part of you" is just hilarious. I mean, when you think about it, like who's running amuck if yourself is what you're supposed to be? I ask you. Like, who's [00:32:00] doing the harm? Who's going mental if the self is such a good idea? So, of course, I'm maintaining here that I'm not persuaded that there is such a thing.I think it's a momentary lapse in judgment to have a self and to stick to it. That's the point I'm really making to kind of reify it until it turns ossified and dusty and bizarrely adamant like that estranged relative that lives in the basement of your house. Bizarrely, foreignly adamant, right? Like the house guest who just won't f**k off kind of thing.Okay, so "to thine own self be true," is it? Well, try being true to somebody else's self for ten minutes. Try that. [00:33:00] That's good at exercise for matrimony - being true to somebody else's self. You'll discover that their selves are not made in heaven, either. Either. I underscore it - either. I've completely lost track of the question you asked me.Chris: What are the consequences of the sameness on this anti-cultural sameness, and the program of it for an achieved understanding of matrimony.Stephen: Thank you. Well, I will fess up right now. I do so in the book. That's a terrible phrase. I swear I'd never say such a thing. "In my book... I say the following," but in this case, it's true. I did say this. I realized during the writing of it that I had made a tremendous tactical error in the convening of the event as I did it over the years, [00:34:00] and this is what it came to.I was very persuaded at the time of the story that appears in the chapter called "Salt and Indigo" in the book. I was very, very persuaded. I mean, listen, I made up the story (for what it's worth), okay, but I didn't make it up out of nothing. I made it up out of a kind of tribal memory that wouldn't quite let go.And in it, I was basically saying, here's these two tribes known principally for what they trade in and what they love most emphatically. They turn out to be the same thing. And I describe a circumstance in which they exchange things in a trade scenario, not a commerce scenario. And I'm using the chapter basically to make the case that matrimony's architecture derives in large measure from the sacraments of trade as manifest in that story. [00:35:00] Okay. And this is gonna sound obvious, but the fundamental requirement of the whole conceit that I came up with is that there are two tribes. Well, I thought to myself, "of course, there's always two tribes" at the time. And the two tribe-ness is reflected in when you come to the wedding site, you're typically asked (I hope you're still asked) " Are you family or friend of the groom or friend of the bride?" And you're seated "accordingly," right? That's the nominal, vestigial shard of this old tribal affiliation, that people came from over the rise, basically unknown to each other, to arrive at the kind of no man's land of matrimony, and proceeded accordingly. So, I put these things into motion in this very room and I sat people accordingly facing each other, not facing the alleged front of the room. [00:36:00] And of course, man, nobody knew where to look, because you raised your eyes and s**t. There's just humans across from you, just scads of them who you don't freaking know. And there's something about doing that to North Americas that just throws them. So, they're just looking at each other and then looking away, and looking at each other and looking away, and wondering what they're doing here and what it's for. And I'm going back and forth for three hours, orienting them as to what is is coming.Okay, so what's the miscalculation that I make? The miscalculation I made was assuming that by virtue of the seating arrangement, by virtue of me reminding them of the salt and indigo times, by virtue of the fact that they had a kind of allegiance of some sort or another to the people who are, for the moment, betrothed, that those distinctions and those affiliations together would congeal them, and constitute a [00:37:00] kind of tribal affiliation that they would intuitively be drawn towards as you would be drawn to heat on a cold winter's night.Only to discover, as I put the thing into motion that I was completely wrong about everything I just told you about. The nature of my error was this, virtually all of those people on one side of the room were fundamentally of the same tribe as the people on the other side of the room, apropos of your question, you see. They were card carrying members of the gray dominant culture of North America. Wow. The bleached, kind of amorphous, kind of rootless, ancestor-free... even regardless of whether their people came over in the last generation from the alleged old country. It doesn't really claim them.[00:38:00]There were two tribes, but I was wrong about who they were. That was one tribe. Virtually everybody sitting in the room was one tribe.So, who's the other tribe? Answer is: me and the four or five people who were in on the structural delivery of this endeavour with me. We were the other tribe.We didn't stand a chance, you see?And I didn't pick up on that, and I didn't cast it accordingly and employ that, instead. I employed the conceit that I insisted was manifest and mobilized in the thing, instead of the manifest dilemma, which is that everybody who came knew what a wedding was, and me and four or five other people were yet to know if this could be one. That was the tribal difference, if you [00:39:00] will.So, it was kind of invisible, wasn't it? Even to me at the time. Or, I say, maybe especially to me at the time. And so, things often went the way they went, which was for however much fascination and willingness to consider that there might have been in the room, there was quite a bit more either flat affect and kind of lack of real fascination, or curiosity, or sometimes downright hostility and pushback. Yeah.So, all of that comes from the fact that I didn't credit as thoroughly as I should have done, the persistence in Anglo-North America of a kind of generic sameness that turned out to be what most people came here ancestrally to become. "Starting again" is recipe for culture [00:40:00] loss of a catastrophic order. The fantasy of starting again. Right?And we've talked about that in your podcast, and you and I have talked about it privately, apropos of your own family and everybody's sitting in this room knows what I'm talking about. And when does this show up? Does it show up, oh, when you're walking down the street? Does it show up when you're on the mountaintop? Does it show up in your peak experiences? And the answer is "maybe." It probably shows up most emphatically in those times when you have a feeling that something special is supposed to be so, and all you can get from the "supposed to" is the allegation of specialness.Audience: Mm-hmm.Stephen: And then, you look around in the context of matrimony and you see a kind of febral, kind of strained, the famous bridezilla stuff, all of that stuff. [00:41:00] You saw it in the hospitality industry, no doubt. You know, the kind of mania for perfection, as if perfection constitutes culture. Right? With every detail checked off in the checkbox, that's culture. You know, as if everything goes off without a hitch and there's no guffaws. And in fact, anybody could reasonably make the case, "Where do you think culture appears when the script finally goes f*****g sideways?" That's when. And when you find out what you're capable of, ceremonially.And generally speaking, I think most people discovered that their ceremonial illiteracy bordered on the bottomless.That's when you find out. Hmm.Chris: Wow.Stephen: Yeah. And that's why people, you know, in speech time, they reach in there and get that piece of paper, and just look at it. Mm-hmm. They don't even look up, terrified that they're gonna go off script for a minute as [00:42:00] if the Gods of Matrimony are a scripted proposition.Chris: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Thank you for sharing that with us, that degree of deep reflection and humility that I'm sure comes with it.Stephen: Mea Culpa, baby. Yeah, I was, I got that one totally wrong. Mm-hmm. And I didn't know it at the time. Meanwhile, like, how much can you transgress and have the consequences of doing so like spill out across the floor like a broken thermometer's mercury and not wise up.But of course, I was as driven as anybody. I was as driven to see if I could come through with what I promised to do the year before. And keeping your promise can make you into a maniac.Audience: Hmm hmm.Chris: But I imagine that, you [00:43:00] know, you wouldn't have been able to see that even years later if you didn't say yes in the first place.Stephen: Oh, yeah. Yeah. And I wouldn't have been able to make the errors.Chris: Right.Stephen: Right. Yeah. I mean, as errors go, this is not a mortal sin. Right, right. And you could chalk it up to being a legitimate miscalculation. Well, so? All I'm saying is, it turns out I was there too, and it turns out, even though I was allegedly the circus master of the enterprise, I wasn't free and clear of the things we were all contending with, the kind of mortality and sort of cultural ricketiness that were all heirs to. That's how I translated it, as it turns out.So, PS there was a moment, [00:44:00] which I don't remember which setting it was now, but there was a moment when the "maybe we'll see if she becomes a bride" bride's mother slid up to me during the course of the proceedings, and in a kind of stage whisper more or less hissed me as follows."Is this a real wedding?"I mean, that's not a question. Not in that setting, obviously not. That is an accusation. Right. And a withering one at that. And there was a tremendous amount of throw-down involved.So, was it? I mean, what we do know is that she did not go to any of the weddings [00:45:00] that she was thinking of at the time, and go to the front of the room where the celebrant is austerely standing there with the book, or the script, or the well-intentioned, or the self-penned vows and never hissed at him or her, "is this a real wedding?"Never once did she do that. We know that.Right.And I think we know why. But she was fairly persuaded she knew what a real wedding was. And all she was really persuaded by was the poverty of the weddings that she'd attended before that one. Well, I was as informed in that respect as she was, wasn't I? I just probably hadn't gone to as many reprobate weddings as she had, so she had more to deal with than I did, even though I was in the position of the line of fire.And I didn't respond too well to the question, I have to say. At the moment, I was rather combative. But I mean, you try to do [00:46:00] what I tried to do and not have a degree of fierceness to go along with your discernment, you know, just to see if you can drag this carcass across the threshold. Anyway, that happened too.Chris: Wow. Yeah. Dominant culture of North America.Stephen: Heard of it.Chris: Yeah. Well, in Matrimony, there's quite a bit in which you write about hospitality and radical hospitality. And I wanted to move in that direction a little bit, because in terms of these kind of marketplace rituals or ceremonies that you were mentioning you know, it's something that we might wonder, I think, as you have, how did it come to be this [00:47:00] way?And so I'd like to, if I can once again, quote from matrimony in which you speak to the etymology of hospitality. And so for those interested on page 88,"the word hospitality comes from hospitaller, meaning 'one who cares for the afflicted, the infirm, the needy.' There's that thread of our misgivings about being on the receiving end of hospitality. Pull on it. For the written history of the word, at least, it has meant, 'being on the receiving end of a kind of care you'd rather not need.'"End quote.Stephen: That's so great. I mean, before you go on with the quote. It's so great to know that the word, unexamined, just kind of leaks upside, doesn't it? Hospitality, I mean, nobody goes "Hospitality, ew." [00:48:00] And then, if you just quietly do the obvious math to yourself, there's so much awkwardness around hospitality.This awkwardness must have an origin, have a home. There must be some misgiving that goes along with the giving of hospitality, mustn't there be? How else to understand where that kind of ickiness is to be found. Right? And it turns out that the etymology is giving you the beginnings of a way of figuring it out what it is that you're on the receiving end of - a kind of succor that you wish you didn't need, which is why it's the root word for "hospital."Chris: Hmm hmm. Wow.Audience: Hmm.Chris: May I repeat that sentence please? Once more."For the written history of the word, at least, it has meant, [00:49:00] 'being on the receiving end of a kind of care you'd rather not need.'"And so this last part hits home for me as I imagine it does for many.And it feels like the orthodoxy of hospitality in our time is one based not only in transaction, but in debt. And if you offer hospitality to me, then I owe you hospitality.Stephen: Right.Chris: I'm indebted to you. And we are taught, in our time, that the worst thing to be in is in debt.Stephen: Right?Chris: And so people refuse both the desire to give as well as the learning skill of receiving. And this is continuing on page 88 now."But there's mystery afoot with this word. In its old Latin form, hospice meant both 'host' and 'guest.'"Stephen: Amazing. One. Either one, This is absolutely amazing. We're fairly sure that there's a [00:50:00] acres of difference between the giver of hospitality and the receiver that the repertoire is entirely different, that the skew between them is almost insurmountable, that they're not interchangeable in any way. But the history of the word immediately says, "really?" The history of the word, without question, says that "host" and "guest" are virtually the same, sitting in different places, being different people, more or less joined at the hip. I'll say more, but you go ahead with what you were gonna do. Sure.Chris: "In it's proto Indo-European origins, hospitality and hospice is a compound word: gosh + pot. And it meant something like [00:51:00] 'stranger/guest/host + powerful Lord.'It is amazing to me that ancestrally, the old word for guest, host, and stranger were all the same word. Potent ceremonial business, this is. In those days, the server and the serve were partners in something mysterious. This could be confusing, but only if you think of guest, host, and stranger as fixed identities.If you think of them as functions, as verbs, the confusion softens and begins to clear. The word hospice in its ancient root is telling us that each of the people gathered together in hospitality is bound to the others by formal etiquette, yes, but the bond is transacted through a subtle scheme of graces.Hospitality, it tells us, is a web of longing and belonging that binds people for a time, some hithereto unknown to each other is a clutch of mutually-binding elegances, you could say. In its ancient practice, [00:52:00] hospitality was a covenant. According to that accord, however we were with each other. That was how the Gods would be with us. We learn our hospitality by being on the receiving end of Godly administration. That's what giving thanks for members. We proceed with our kin in imitation of that example and in gratitude for it."Mm-hmm.And so today, among "secular" people, with the Gods ignored, this old-time hospitality seems endangered, if not fugitive. I'm curious how you imagine that this rupture arose, the ones that separated and commercialized the radical relationships between hosts and guests, that turned them from verbs to nouns and something like strangers to marketplace functions.[00:53:00]Stephen: Well, of course this is a huge question you've asked, and I'll see if I can unhuge it a bit.Chris: Uhhuh.Stephen: Let's go right to the heart of what happened. Just no preliminaries, just right to it.So, to underscore again, the beauty of the etymology. I've told you over and over again, the words will not fail you. And this is just a shining example, isn't it? That the fraternization is a matter of ceremonial alacrity that the affiliation between host and guest, which makes them partners in something, that something is the [00:54:00] evocation of a third thing that's neither one of them. It's the thing they've lent themselves to by virtue of submitting to being either a host or a guest. One.Two. You could say that in circumstances of high culture or highly-functioning culture, one of the principle attributes of that culture is that the fundament of its understanding, is that only with the advent of the stranger in their midst that the best of them comes forward.Okay, follow that. Yeah.So, this is a little counterintuitive for those of us who don't come from such places. We imagine that the advent of strangers in the midst of the people I'm describing would be an occasion where people hide their [00:55:00] best stuff away until the stranger disappears, and upon the disappearance of the stranger, the good stuff comes out again.You know?So, I'm just remembering just now, there's a moment in the New Testament where Jesus says something about the best wine and he's coming from exactly this page that we're talking about - not the page in the book, but this understanding. He said, you know, "serve your best wine first," unlike the standard, that prevails, right?So again, what a stranger does in real culture is call upon the cultural treasure of the host's culture, and provides the opportunity for that to come forward, right? By which you can understand... Let's say for simplicity's sake, there's two kinds of hospitality. There's probably all kinds of gradations, [00:56:00] but for the purposes of responding to what you've asked, there's two.One of them is based on kinship. Okay? So, family meal. So, everybody knows whose place is whose around the table, or it doesn't matter - you sit wherever you want. Or, when we're together, we speak shorthand. That's the shorthand of familiarity and affinity, right?Everybody knows what everybody's talking about. A lot of things get half-said or less, isn't it? And there's a certain fineness, isn't it? That comes with that kind of affinity. Of course, there is, and I'm not diminishing it at all. I'm just characterizing it as being of a certain frequency or calibre or charge. And the charge is that it trades on familiarity. It requires that. There's that kind of hospitality."Oh, sit wherever you want."Remember this one?[00:57:00]"We don't stand on ceremony here.""Oh, you're one of the family now." I just got here. What, what?But, of course, you can hear in the protestations the understanding, in that circumstance, that formality is an enemy to feeling good in this moment, isn't it? It feels stiff and starched and uncalled for or worse.It feels imported from elsewhere. It doesn't feel friendly. So, I'm giving you now beginnings of a differentiation between how cultures who really function as cultures understand what it means to be hospitable and what often prevails today, trading is a kind of low-grade warfare conducted against the strangeness of the stranger.The whole purpose of treating somebody like their family is to mitigate, and finally neutralize their [00:58:00] strangeness, so that for the purposes of the few hours in front of us all, there are no strangers here. Right? Okay.Then there's another kind, and intuitively you can feel what I'm saying. You've been there, you know exactly what I mean.There's another kind of circumstance where the etiquette that prevails is almost more emphatic, more tangible to you than the familiar one. That's the one where your mother or your weird aunt or whoever she might be, brings out certain kind of stuff that doesn't come out every day. And maybe you sit in a room that you don't often sit in. And maybe what gets cooked is stuff you haven't seen in a long time. And some part of you might be thinking, "What the hell is all this about?" And the answer is: it's about that guy in the [00:59:00] corner that you don't know.And your own ancestral culture told acres of stories whose central purpose was to convey to outsiders their understanding of what hospitality was. That is fundamentally what The Iliad and The Odyssey are often returning to and returning to and returning to.They even had a word for the ending of the formal hospitality that accrued, that arose around the care and treatment of strangers. It was called pomp or pompe, from which we get the word "pompous." And you think about what the word "pompous" means today.It means "nose in the air," doesn't it? Mm-hmm. It means "thinks really highly of oneself," isn't it? And it means "useless, encumbering, kind of [01:00:00] artificial kind of going through the motions stuff with a kind of aggrandizement for fun." That's what "pompous" means. Well, the people who gave us the word didn't mean that at all. This word was the word they used to describe the particular moment of hospitality when it was time for the stranger to leave.And when it was mutually acknowledged that the time for hospitality has come to an end, and the final act of hospitality is to accompany the stranger out of the house, out of the compound, out into the street, and provision them accordingly, and wish them well, and as is oftentimes practiced around here, standing in the street and waving them long after they disappear from view.This is pompous. This is what it actually means. Pretty frigging cool when you get corrected once in a while, isn't it? [01:01:00] Yeah.So, as I said, to be simplistic about it, there's at least a couple of kinds, and one of them treasures the advent of the stranger, understanding it to be the detonation point for the most elegant part of us to come forward.Now, those of us who don't come from such a place, we're just bamboozled and Shanghai'ed by the notion of formality, which we kind of eschew. You don't like formality when it comes to celebration, as if these two things are hostile, one to the other. But I'd like you to consider the real possibility that formality is grace under pressure, and that formality is there to give you a repertoire of response that rescues you from the gross limitations of your autobiography.[01:02:00]Next question. I mean, that's the beginning.Chris: Absolutely. Absolutely. Mm-hmm. Thank you once again, Stephen. So alongside the term or concept of "pompe," in which the the guest or stranger was led out of the house or to the entrance of the village, there was also the consideration around the enforcement of hospitality, which you write about in the book. And you write that"the enforcement of hospitality runs the palpable risk of violating or undoing the cultural value it is there to advocate for. Forcing people to share their good fortune with the less fortunate stretches, to the point of undoing the generosity of spirit that the culture holds dear. Enforcement of hospitality is a sign of the eclipse of hospitality, typically spawned by insecurity, contracted self-definition, and the darkening of the [01:03:00] stranger at the door.Instead, such places and times are more likely to encourage the practice of hospitality in subtle generous ways, often by generously treating the ungenerous."And so there seems to be a need for limits placed on hospitality, in terms of the "pompe," the maximum three days in which a stranger can be given hospitality, and concurrently a need to resist enforcing hospitality. This seems like a kind of high-wire act that hospitable cultures have to balance in order to recognize and realize an honorable way of being with a stranger. And so I'm wondering if you could speak to the possibility of how these limits might be practiced without being enforced. What might that look like in a culture that engages with, with such limits, but without prohibitions?Stephen: Mm-hmm. That's a very good question. [01:04:00] Well, I think your previous question was what happened? I think, in a nutshell, and I didn't really answer that, so maybe see how I can use this question to answer the one that you asked before: what happened? So, there's no doubt in my mind that something happened that it's kind of demonstrable, if only with the benefit of hindsight.Audience: Right.Stephen: Or we can feel our way around the edges of the absence of the goneness of that thing that gives us some feel for the original shape of that thing.So you could say I'm trafficking in "ideals," here, and after a fashion, maybe, yeah. But the notion of "ideals," when it's used in this slanderous way suggests that "it was never like that."Chris: Mm-hmm.Stephen: And I suggest to you it's been like that in a lot of places, and there's a lot of places where it's still like that, although globalization [01:05:00] may be the coup de grâce performed upon this capacity. Okay. But anyway.Okay. So what happened? Well, you see in the circumstance that I described, apropos of the stranger, the stranger is in on it. The stranger's principle responsibility is to be the vector for this sort of grandiose generosity coming forward, and to experience that in a burdensome and unreciprocated fashion, until you realize that their willingness to do that is their reciprocity. Everybody doesn't get to do everything at once. You can't give and receive at the same time. You know what that's called? "Secret Santa at school," isn't it?That's where nobody owes nobody nothing at the end. That's what we're all after. I mean, one of your questions, you know, pointed to that, that there's a kind of, [01:06:00] what do you call that, teeter-totter balance between what people did for each other and what they received for each other. Right. And nobody feels slighted in any way, perfect balance, et cetera.Well, the circumstance here has nothing of the kind going with it. The circumstance we're describing now is one in which the hospitality is clearly unequal in terms of who's eating whose food, for example, in terms of the absolutely frustrated notion of reciprocity, that in fact you undo your end of the hospitality by trying to pay back, or give back, or pay at all, or break even, or not feel the burden of "God, you've been on the take for fricking hours here now." And if you really look in the face of the host, I mean, they're just getting started and you can't, you can't take it anymore.[01:07:00]So, one of the ways that we contend with this is through habits of speech. So, if somebody comes around with seconds. They say, "would you like a little more?"And you say, "I'm good. I'm good. I'm good." You see, "I'm good" is code for what? "F**k off." That's what it's code for. It's a little strong. It's a little strong. What I mean is, when "I'm good" comes to town, it means I don't need you and what you have. Good God, you're not there because you need it you knucklehead. You're there because they need it, because their culture needs an opportunity to remember itself. Right?Okay. So what happened? Because you're making it sound like a pretty good thing, really. Like who would say, "I think we've had enough of this hospitality thing, don't you? Let's try, oh, [01:08:00] keeping our s**t to ourselves. That sounds like a good alternative. Let's give it a week or two, see how it rolls." Never happened. Nobody decided to do this - this change, I don't think. I think the change happened, and sometime long after people realized that the change had had taken place. And it's very simple. The change, I think, went something like this.As long as the guest is in on it, there's a shared and mutually-held understanding that doesn't make them the same. It makes them to use the quote from the book "partners," okay, with different tasks to bring this thing to light, to make it so. What does that require? A mutually-held understanding in vivo as it's happening, what it is.Okay. [01:09:00] So, that the stranger who's not part of the host culture... sorry, let me say this differently.The culture of the stranger has made the culture of the host available to the stranger no matter how personally adept he or she may be at receiving. Did you follow that?Audience: A little.Stephen: Okay. Say it again?Audience: Yes, please.Stephen: Okay. The acculturation, the cultured sophistication of the stranger is at work in his or her strangerhood. Okay. He or she's not at home, but their cultural training helps them understand what their obligations are in terms of this arrangement we've been describing here.Okay, so I think the rupture takes place [01:10:00] when the culturation of one side or the other fails to make the other discernible to the one.One more time?When something happens whereby the acculturation of one of the partners makes the identity, the presence, and the valence of the other one untranslatable. Untranslatable.I could give you an example from what I call " the etiquette of trade," or the... what was the word? Not etiquette. What's the other word?Chris: The covenant?Stephen: Okay, " covenant of trade" we'll call it. So, imagine that people are sitting across from each other, two partners in a trade. Okay? [01:11:00] Imagine that they have one thing to sell or move or exchange and somebody has something else.How does this work? Not "what are the mechanics?" That can be another discussion, but, if this works, how does it work? Not "how does it happen?" How does it actually achieve what they're after? Maybe it's something like this.I have this pottery, and even though you're not a potter, but somebody in your extended family back home was, and you watched what they went through to make a fricking pot, okay?You watched how their hands seized up, because the clay leached all the moisture out of the hands. You distinctly remember that - how the old lady's hands looked cracked and worn, and so from the work of making vessels of hospitality, okay? [01:12:00] It doesn't matter that you didn't make it yourself. The point is you recognize in the item something we could call "cultural patrimony."You recognize the deep-runningness of the culture opposite you as manifest and embodied in this item for trade. Okay? So, the person doesn't have to "sell you" because your cultural sophistication makes this pot on the other side available to you for the deeply venerable thing that it is. Follow what I'm saying?Okay. So, you know what I'm gonna say next? When something happens, the items across from you cease to speak, cease to have their stories come along with them, cease to be available. There's something about your cultural atrophy that you project onto the [01:13:00] item that you don't recognize.You don't recognize it's valence, it's proprieties, it's value, it's deep-running worth and so on. Something happened, okay? And because you're not making your own stuff back home or any part of it. And so now, when you're in a circumstance like this and you're just trying to get this pot, but you know nothing about it, then the enterprise becomes, "Okay, so what do you have to part with to obtain the pot?"And the next thing is, you pretend you're not interested in obtaining the pot to obtain the pot. That becomes part of the deal. And then, the person on the making end feels the deep running slight of your disinterest, or your vague involvement in the proceedings, or maybe the worst: when it's not things you're going back and forth with, but there's a third thing called money, which nobody makes, [01:14:00] which you're not reminded of your grandma or anyone else's with the money. And then, money becomes the ghost of the original understanding of the cultural patrimony that sat between you. That's what happened, I'm fairly sure: the advent, the estrangement that comes with the stranger, instead of the opportunity to be your cultural best when the stranger comes.And then of course, it bleeds through all kinds of transactions beyond the "obvious material ones." So, it's a rupture in translatability, isn't it?Chris: You understand this to happen or have happened historically, culturally, et cetera, with matrimony as well?Stephen: Oh, absolutely. Yeah.Yeah. This is why, for example, things like the fetishization of virginity.Audience: Mm-hmm. [01:15:00]Stephen: I think it's traceable directly to what we're talking about. How so? Oh, this is a whole other long thing, but the very short version would be this.Do you really believe that through all of human history until the recent liberation, that people have forever fetishized the virginity of a young woman and jealously defended it, the "men" in particular, and that it became a commodity to trade back and forth in, and that it had to be prodded and poked at to determine its intactness? And this was deemed to be, you know, honourable behavior?Do you really think that's the people you come from, that they would've do that to the most cherished of their [01:16:00] own, barely pubescent girls? Come on now. I'm not saying it didn't happen and doesn't still happen. I'm not saying that. I'm saying, God almighty, something happened for that to be so.And I'm trying to allude to you now what I think took place. Then all of a sudden, the hymen takes the place of the pottery, doesn't it? And it becomes universally translatable. Doesn't it? It becomes a kind of a ghosted artifact of a culturally-intact time. It's as close as you can get.Hence, this allegation of its purity, or the association with purity, and so on. [01:17:00] I mean, there's lots to say, but that gives you a feel for what might have happened there.Chris: Thank you, Stephen. Thank you for being so generous with your considerations here.Stephen: You see why I had to write a book, eh?Audience: Mm-hmm.Stephen: There was too much bouncing around. Like I had to just keep track of my own thoughts on the matter.But can you imagine all of this at play in the year, oh, I don't know, 2022, trying to put into motion a redemptive passion play called "matrimony," with all of this at play? Not with all of this in my mind, but with all of this actually disfiguring the anticipation of the proceedings for the people who came.Can you imagine? Can you imagine trying to pull it off, and [01:18:00] contending overtly with all these things and trying to make room for them in a moment that's supposed to be allegedly - get ready for it - happy.I should have raised my rates on the first day, trying to pull that off.But anyway.Okay, you go now,Chris: Maybe now you'll have the opportunity.Stephen: No, man. No. I'm out of the running for that. "Pompe" has come and come and gone. Mm.Chris: So, in matrimony, Stephen, you write that"the brevity, the brevity of modern ceremonies is really there to make sure that nothing happens, nothing of substance, nothing of consequence, no alchemy, no mystery, no crazy other world stuff. That overreach there in its scripted heart tells me that deep in the rayon-wrapped bosom of that special day, the modern wedding is scared [01:19:00] silly of something happening. That's because it has an ages-old abandoned memory of a time when a wedding was a place where the Gods came around, where human testing and trying and making was at hand, when the dead lingered in the wings awaiting their turn to testify and inveigh."Gorgeous. Gorgeous.Audience: Mm-hmm.Chris: And so I'm curious ifStephen: "Rayon-wrapped bosom." That's not, that's not shabby.Chris: "Rayon-wrapped bosom of that special day." Yeah.So, I'm curious do you think the more-than-human world practices matrimony, and if so, what, if anything, might you have learned about matrimony from the more-than-human world?Stephen: I would say the reverse. I would say, we practice the more-than-human world in matrimony, not that the more-than-human world practices matrimony. We practice them, [01:20:00] matrimonially.Next. Okay. Or no? I just gonna say that, that's pretty good.Well, where do we get our best stuff from? Let's just wonder that. Do we get our best stuff from being our best? Well, where does that come from? And this is a bit of a barbershop mirrors situation here, isn't it? To, to back, back, back, back.If you're thinking of time, you can kind of get lost in that generation before, or before, before, before. And it starts to sound like one of them biblical genealogies. But if you think of it as sort of the flash point of multiple presences, if you think of it that way, then you come to [01:21:00] credit the real possibility that your best stuff comes from you being remembered by those who came before you.Audience: Hmm.Stephen: Now just let that sit for a second, because what I just said is logically-incompatible.Okay? You're being remembered by people who came before you. That's not supposed to work. It doesn't work that way. Right?"Anticipated," maybe, but "remembered?" How? Well, if you credit the possibility of multiple beginnings, that's how. Okay. I'm saying that your best stuff, your best thoughts, not the most noble necessarily. I would mean the most timely, [01:22:00] the ones that seem most needed, suddenly.You could take credit and sure. Why, why not? Because ostensibly, it arrives here through you, but if you're frank with yourself, you know that you didn't do that on command, right? I mean, you could say, I just thought of it, but you know in your heart that it was thought of and came to you.I don't think there's any difference between saying that and saying you were thought of.Audience: Mm-hmm.Stephen: So, that's what I think the rudiments of old-order matrimony are. They are old people and their benefactors in the food chain and spiritually speaking. Old people and their benefactors, the best part of them [01:23:00] willed to us, entrusted and willed to us. So, when you are willing to enter into the notion that old-order matrimony is older than you, older than your feelings for the other person, older than your love, and your commitment, and your willingness to make the vows and all that stuff, then you're crediting the possibility that your love is not the beginning of anything.You see. Your love is the advent of something, and I use that word deliberately in its Christian notion, right? It's the oncomingness, the eruption into the present day of something, which turns out to be hugely needed and deeply unsuspected at the same time.I used to ask in the school, "can you [01:24:00] have a memory of something you have no lived experience of?" I think that's what the best part of you is. I'm not saying the rest of you is shite. I'm not saying that. You could say that, but I am saying that when I say "the best part of you," that needs a lot of translating, doesn't it?But the gist of it is that the best part of you is entrusted to you. It's not your creation, it's your burden, your obligation, your best chance to get it right. And that's who we are to those who came before us. We are their chance to get it right, and matrimony is one of the places where you practice the gentle art of getting it right.[01:25:00] Another decent reason to write a book.Chris: So, gorgeous. Wow. Thank you Stephen. I might have one more question.Stephen: Okay. I might have one more answer. Let's see.Chris: Alright. Would I be able to ask if dear Nathalie Roy could join us up here alongside your good man.So, returning to Matrimony: Ritual, Culture and the Heart's Work. On page 94, [01:26:00] Stephen, you write that"hospitality of the radical kind is

with Ps Josiah Wall

FAITH IS… with Pastor Rick Stevens – A significant part of the action in Revelation involves judgment. In vivid and horrifying detail, we get a glimpse of God's awesome judgment of evil. Does this mean God is vindictive, just looking for a reason to get us? Does God enjoy the terrible attacks poured out in the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments? Why would a good God do such things?

Be blessed as you enjoy this Wednesday Sermon from Brother Darrell Mercer at Faith Fellowship Church in Louisville, Kentucky.There is a Good God and a Bad Devil and they never trade places.

Send us a textWhen life shatters our expectations, where do we find God in the wreckage? This question burns at the heart of Kim Kiser's story—a journey that began with a profound spiritual vision at age 30 and culminated in becoming a widow at 43 with seven children to raise alone.Kim's transparent account of her husband Rob's unexpected death following what should have been routine heart surgery pulls back the curtain on grief's raw reality. While doctors initially diagnosed blocked arteries, they discovered multiple blood clots in his lungs during surgery. Despite medical intervention and countless prayers, Rob died ten days later, leaving Kim facing her worst fear.The authenticity with which Kim discusses her coping mechanisms resonates deeply. For six years, she pushed down her questions and pain, staying busy with raising her children and even opening a bakery with friends, all while wrestling with Romans 8:28—how could her husband's death possibly "work together for good"? This theological tension remained unresolved as she continued going through the motions of faith while harboring deep questions.The turning point came through complete surrender. In a moment of brutal honesty with God, Kim poured out her anger, confusion, and pain—and instead of the condemnation she feared, she experienced profound peace. This breakthrough revealed that the "good" promised in Scripture wasn't about improved circumstances but about transformation into Christ's image.Perhaps most surprising is Kim's revelation that her experience with loss gave her a new perspective on death itself. Having walked through that valley, she no longer fears it for herself or loved ones. Drawing parallels to biblical figures like Joseph who endured years of suffering before seeing God's purpose, Kim reminds us that when we're in the middle of our story, we can't just "turn the page" to see how it ends.Ready to discover where God is in your own struggle? Kim's book "Where is the Good God? Finding Good in Our Grief, Sorrow and Disappointment" explores these themes with depth and compassion. Join us in embracing the truth that on this broken planet, suffering might be normal—but it doesn't have to determine who we become.

Thank you for listening. To learn more about our church, visit us online at www.southsidesbc.org. To make yourself known, fill out a connect card by texting the word "CONNECT" to our church's phone number, 574-475-7291. Support the show

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In this week's message, Pastor DEJI reminds us that discovering God's plan isn't about striving or forcing His hand—it's about trusting Him. When we live righteously and sincerely seek to please God, He orders our steps and delights in every detail of our lives (Psalm 37:23–24). Just as He guided Abraham, Joseph, David, and even Adam, God is faithfully working behind the scenes to lead us into His good plan. His plan carries His presence, provision and eternal reward, and only in it will we find true fulfillment.

Geoff and Marie's Good Life: Part 15The Live Sex ShowGeoffrey performs in public.Based on posts by Only In My Mind, in 15 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.We were sitting cuddling together on the sofa when Colin arrived, with Mia in tow. Angie had offered to cook that afternoon and we were trying to decide what we fancied. I suggested a chilli con carne with rice. Angie decided otherwise."Kids," she called. They wandered in from the kitchen with glasses of milk and a chocolate biscuit each."If I go shopping for ingredients, would you two help me cook tea tonight?" The two teens shared a look and agreed. "Right," she announced, standing up. "Go and sort out your homework with grandad; I'll go shopping."I stood and went to get my wallet. She glared at me. "Go on. Do it," she challenged me. "I bloody dare you to offer me money to get food for the people I care about."I carefully closed the drawer and apologized for my insensitivity. "I just don't want you to think that we take you for granted," I explained.Her expression softened. "And if I ever feel that way, I'll say something, but right now it's my turn to give. Please allow me that."I went and pulled her into a hug. "Sorry Angie. You know I wouldn't deliberately upset you. Am I forgiven?"She returned my hug. "You were never in trouble. I was just reminding you that we're family now and I want to contribute too."She gave me another squeeze, a brief kiss and she left. I turned to the kids, who had watched our exchange, fascinated. "What?" I asked.Colin shook his head. "Not sure about this whole adult relationship stuff," he griped. "They are all weird." Mia smiled at his comment, but didn't argue. To be fair, the lad had a point."Okay." I clapped my hands. "Homework?"It turned out that they were studying climate change. Their teacher had given the class three questions and they were free to choose which one to answer. I suggested that Colin and Mia avoided answering the same question so they weren't accused of copying, and sent them off to the study.Angie was back and in the kitchen laying out her ingredients when the teens finally reappeared. Colin, ever the gentleman, had allowed Mia to use our laptop for her slides, while he had used my tablet. That was fine; it wasn't as though we regularly used our devices to cruise porn sites. Besides, I had made sure that Marie knew to use private tabs if she was viewing adult content. The kids were old enough to start learning about relationships. Images of explicit sex were not on their agenda for some years to come.I sent them in to the kitchen and, with their permission, went to check over their homework. I was reassured. If I had seen job applications written that thoughtfully, they both definitely would have qualified for an interview.I joined the others in the kitchen, only to find that I was redundant. Colin was slicing an onion, Mia was chopping mushrooms and Angie was trimming what looked like a pork fillet. She looked up and shook he head, smiling. "The sous chefs are doing fine," she explained. "I want them to feel confident that they can work without being micro-managed."I watched Colin. He was doing well. Slow, perhaps, but careful. Mia was taking equal care to have all the slices of mushroom a similar thickness."Shall I set the table then?" I suggested. The consensus was that yes, I could perhaps make myself useful that way."Set for a starter, main and dessert, please," Angie advised me. "We have a full menu planned.""Wine?""A nice white, maybe an oaked chardonnay," suggested Colin. "I checked on my phone," he explained, in response to my surprised expression.I grunted and went to set about my assigned tasks, and that was how Marie found me when she returned from work. "That's my job when you're the cook," she observed."I have been supplanted by our wicked betrothed and her evil teen minions," I sulked."That's nice, dear," she said, absently, as she bustled about putting her coat away.We went into the kitchen together once I had finished. My wife walked up behind Angie and gave her a big hug. "Geoffrey is feeling emasculated," she told her friend. The minions looked on in amusement.Angie gave a derisive snort. "It's my turn to cook with the kids because I'm here today. Geoff can take his turn any day.""There you go, Geoff," my wife reassured me. "We still enjoy your cooking, it's just that Angie gets less opportunity." Seeing as how I was only pretending to be upset, it was easy to pretend that all was forgiven. I accepted the explanation with a kiss for both of my girls and went off in search of a bottle of wine.I sat and red, while Marie and Angie caught up in the kitchen. Marie joined me ten minutes later. "Angie's bursting to tell me about her day, but all she dare say in front of the kids is that you and she had a pleasant afternoon."I glanced at the door. "I don't think we should have this conversation here and now. If one of the youngsters walks in, the guilty silence will just be uncomfortable for everyone. So how was your day?"And so we sat and I listened to her accounts of generous donors, sweet natured old ladies and the occasional twat who tried to bargain down the price on the ticket. For Fuck's sake! It's a charity shop. And Marie was clear; the worst offenders were most obviously not short of change. They were just tight bastards. Not that my beloved ever capitulated. She would just smile sweetly and remind them where they were, pointing out that they were welcome to try the same approach in John Lewis with her full support.We made the occasional foray to the kitchen but our offers of help were politely, but firmly, rebuffed. To be fair, the atmosphere was relaxed. I asked about the menu and, after looking to the chef for approval, Mia ran through it. "We are starting with cubes of baked breaded brie on a bed of salad with a lingonberry relish. Then there is pork stroganoff with green vegetables and rice. For dessert we are having individual warm pear frangipane tartlets with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream." She paused. "Oh, yes," she continued. "If anyone is still hungry there's a selection of cheeses as well as olives, and some nice bread to go with dipping oils and vinegars."I did a quick calculation in my head. "At today's prices, I reckon that meal would come in at about £50 plus per head just in a country pub." Mia just grinned at me. I carried on. "Can I afford to get used to eating like this?"I looked around the kitchen brigade and saw three unreasonably happy cooks. Angie was obviously less demanding of the children and seemed thrilled to be able to pass on her knowledge. Colin just loved cooking and Mia seemed to be determined to learn so that she could help her mum.I turned to Angie. "This all smells wonderful. Wendy and Linda should both be here well before six. Is that okay, Chef?"Angie looked at her team. "Starters on the pass for six o'clock.""Yes Chef!" They shouted in unison. We shook our heads and left them to it.Wendy arrived first. Mia had sent her a text to say that they were eating at our place again. Wendy tried to apologize for intruding but we, particularly Marie, were having none of it. "We love having Mia with us. I know she's very mature but, as Colin is here anyway, it makes no sense for her to be at home, alone," my wife told her. "In addition, Angie is doing a cookery masterclass and she is way more tolerant of the kids than she is with me, so it's easier just to let them get on with it."Mia must have heard her mum's voice because she left the kitchen, briefly, to give her mum a hug before apologizing. "Sorry mum, but I need to turn the tarts so they brown evenly." And, with that, she dashed back to the kitchen. We led a bemused Wendy to the living room, sat her down and asked about her day. Her eyes filled as she explained just how grateful she was not to come home to have to start cooking a meal, even just for one night. She had a decent job in the Civil Service so money wasn't too much of a problem. She just struggled finding time to be the wage earner, housekeeper and mum. She felt guilty too that Mia seemed to feel obliged to sacrifice her spare time to help around the house rather than being a teenager.Marie glanced at me. We're not telepathic but I was certain we were thinking the same thing. Wendy was so caught up in being the perfect single parent, she had forgotten how to be Wendy.We never really got the chance, that evening anyway, to pursue that thought as we heard the front door open to herald our daughter's arrival. What followed, by then, seemed oddly familiar. Hearing his mother greeting us, Colin emerged from the kitchen, hugged his mum, and promptly departed, shouting over his shoulder, "Sorry mum. Got to dash. I can't let the rice overcook. Love you."Linda appeared as flummoxed as Wendy had. "I don't know what it is about this house, but there always seems to be something odd going on just lately." Wendy looked at her in surprise. "What?" my daughter retorted. "How many other throuple weddings have you been invited to? Even more particularly, how many with a Star Wars dress code?" She shook her head. "Christ, I hope it isn't genetic; otherwise I'm well and truly fucked!" She put her hand to her mouth guiltily and checked to see that neither of the youngsters had overheard. "Sorry all. That just slipped out," she apologized. "I've had a weird day at work too. Some half-wit manager wanted me to;” She did the 'air-quotes' with her fingers. "; Expedite a delivery to an important client in Nice.""Let's sit down and you can vent in comfort," I suggested. I led our daughter through and Marie followed with Wendy. "Now, go on. Story so far, idiot, big words, France. New readers start here."She explained that, in order to cover his ass for something that his team had screwed up, said half-wit tried to make it Linda's problem to solve. The vehicle in question was already in France and the driver had to observe French law. The only way to 'expedite' the delivery would be to exceed his permitted hours or fly another driver out to take over; neither was going to happen. Being Marie's daughter, of course she just picked up the phone and asked the operations manager for a cost code for the air fare from Gatwick to Lyon. Apparently the idiot had just assumed that Linda, being a woman could just, who knows? Make it go away?Ops manager had obviously queried the request and Linda, quite disingenuously, told him. It was not well received. She sighed. "On the upside, I got the problem back where it belongs. On the other hand, now I have to watch my back in case he tries to retaliate." She took a deep breath and sat back. "Thank you." We must have looked puzzled. "For just listening and not telling me what I should have done," she explained. She thought for a moment. "This place is still weird though."As she finished that thought, Colin appeared from the kitchen with a white napkin over his arm, to invite us take our places at the table. Linda looked at me. "See?" She mouthed. I could only grin in reply.We took our seats as directed and were joined by Angie and Mia. Colin disappeared to the kitchen and returned with the bottle of wine I had selected and placed in the fridge earlier. Handing it to me to open he returned to the kitchen. Angie cleared her throat. "Wendy, Linda; would you be prepared to let Mia and Colin have a small glass of wine with their meal? They have put their hearts into preparing it; it seems unfair that they miss out on that one component."Mia sat, apparently startled, and watched as her mother considered Angie's request. Wendy nodded slowly. "That seems fair. I'd rather she experienced alcohol in a civilized setting like this." She looked around the table. "Rather than getting hammered at her first student party at Uni."Linda nodded in agreement. "I'll get some glasses for them." Colin reappeared carrying three plates that he placed in front of Angie, Marie and Wendy. He made the journey again, this time serving Linda, Mia and me. He made the final trip for his own starter. As he sat, I reached across and poured a half measure of wine into his glass. He looked to his mum for reassurance. She smiled in acknowledgement. I poured a similar glass for Mia and then shared the remainder amongst the adults.I picked up my glass. "Ladies, Colin, a toast to the Chef and her crew." We four non-cooks raised our glasses in tribute; the cooks acknowledged our compliment and then joined in the toast. Then we attacked the food. The brie was delicious and matched beautifully with the sweet fruit jam. I watched surreptitiously as Colin finished a mouthful and self-consciously took a sip of wine. His brow furrowed as he reconciled the flavors of the wine and the food. He went back to his food looking thoughtful. We finished the starter and complimented the cooks on the flavor and the presentation. It had looked as good as it tasted.We moved onto the main course. Angie and Mia plated up in the kitchen, while Colin worked 'front of house'. Again, the meal was delicious. Angie's version was discs of pork in an onion and mushroom sauce made with crème fraiche, Dijon mustard and smoked paprika, finished with a hint of lemon juice. The plain white rice was perfect for soaking up the sauce.Colin sipped his wine again. "It tastes different with this course," he commented. "It still works but in a different way." He looked to Mia for opinion."Is it because the lingonberry was so sweet that the wine tasted sharper?" She asked me.I shrugged. "Probably. It might even be something to do with the lactic acid in the crème fraiche. What matters is whether you like it.""I do," she smiled and turned to Angie. "Thank you;” She hesitated. "I'm sorry. But I don't know what to call you.""Grangie," offered Colin."Or Angie," suggested our fiancée.Wendy seemed uncomfortable. "Isn't that a bit familiar? Wouldn't Mrs. and your surname be more appropriate?""Technically," interjected Linda. "If you were going to insist that we stand on ceremony, Mia should address Angie as Professor Weston." She frowned at the thought. "Nope. This place is weird enough already. Angie or Grangie. He's Geoff or grandad; that's Marie or grandma and I'm Linda. We want you and Mia to be comfortable here."Mia considered. "Thank you Angie for getting mum and Linda to let us have wine with the meal.""You both earned it dear," Angie assured her. "Now. Desserts, I think."Again, the two girls plated as Colin served. The tartlets looked amazing; a light short crust pastry filled with an almond flavored sponge topped with poached pear cubes. On each plate there was a swirl of chocolate sauce over a generous quenelle of vanilla ice-cream, starting to melt where it touched the still warm tart. I knew where Angie had gone shopping for the ingredients for the meal, and the small fragrant black specks confirmed that she had not economized on cheap ice-cream. This was made with actual vanilla pods. The aroma from the plate was amazing; it was all that I could do not to dive straight in. Still, manners required that I wait until everyone was served, so that's what I did.Once Colin was seated, we began. The taste was amazing. I glanced towards Angie in inquiry. "Star anise as well as cinnamon," she clarified. I nodded, impressed, and turned back to my dessert and savored the remainder. I watched as Colin took another sip of his wine and then Mia as she followed suit. Colin actually shuddered. Mia merely looked disappointed."Have a sip of water," I suggested. "And then wait a couple of minutes after you've finished eating."After the seven plates were all but polished clean, we thanked our catering team. It had been an absolutely lovely meal and the final course had been a triumph. Linda and Marie stood to clear the table, but returned immediately to sit with our guests and chat as we finished our wine."I've never eaten like that before," Wendy admitted."At home, you mean?" Asked Linda.Wendy shook her head. "Ever. My husband didn't like 'fancy foreign muck' so it was fish and chips, takeaways or just ready meals." Her voice cracked with emotion. "Even now, most of our meals are out of the freezer. I can boil potatoes and grill sausages and reheat tinned or frozen veg. My dad just liked the same old stuff too, so that's all my mum taught me. That's about my limit. At this moment," she admitted, sadly, "Mia's almost certainly a better cook than I am."Angie surprised me. She isn't always the most diplomatic of us. "Being untutored is not the same as being a failure." She reached for Wendy's hand. "Tell us how we can help, and between us, you have a group of capable cooks here who are happy to teach you whatever we can."Marie and I finished our drinks and Linda joined us in the kitchen. The brigade had washed and tidied as they went so there was only really the crockery to deal with. That went in the dishwasher. We cleaned the hob and worktops and sorted out the saucepans then returned to the living room. The teens had disappeared, leaving Angie and Wendy talking about food.When Wendy confessed that she would struggle to even shop for a meal such as we'd just had, Linda made a contribution. "A girl I work with wanted to branch out from the same old stuff she always cooks, so she orders from one of those on-line delivery companies. She swears by them now." She picked up her phone. "I can call her and if you decide to do it and say she recommended them to you, then you'll both get a discount."Wendy looked uncertain. The poor woman had no self-confidence at all. Linda left the room and returned two minutes later scrolling on her phone. "Here," she said, passing her phone to Wendy. "Jan told me how to install their app. Pick four meals for two people from this menu list and you'll get everything you need delivered next week, along with recipe cards. Jan said the instructions are dead simple and she's actually learning to cook from doing it."Wend called for Mia to come and choose with her and, together they picked four meals that they thought they might enjoy cooking together. While they did, Colin and I chatted about his first experience of wine with a meal. "It tasted nice, except with dessert," he told me. "Would a sweeter wine have been nicer?""Probably," I acknowledged. "There's a lot of snobbery and nonsense about wine, but some types do go with some foods better than others. I didn't find it clashed to the extent that you did, so personal preference and experience play a part too."At that point Mia called him over to see what she and her mum had chosen for the following week. He pointed to one selection. "Grandma makes that sometimes. It's ace."Wendy passed the phone back to Linda and the pair completed the sign up and the first order, making sure to claim the discount. Wendy seemed conflicted. "I'm a bit nervous about having to make something I've never done before," she confessed. "But I'm excited at the same time.""Think of this," my wife suggested. "As long as you have a loaf of bread, a tin of baked beans and some cheese in the house, even if it all goes horribly wrong, at least you won't starve."The conversations about food carried on until Wendy looked at her watch. "Oh goodness," she exclaimed. "Look at the time!" And after collecting Mia and thanking us for our hospitality, within ten minutes they were gone.Linda pulled me into the kitchen. "That poor girl's husband did a proper number on her: the bastard," she spat. "She copes okay at work because she knows her job. But as a person;” She paused, speechless."I know, sweetheart. We all do. And she's such a lovely woman too."She stared at me, suspiciously. "Are you three planning something?""No," I answered, sort of honestly. "But if an opportunity presents itself, we would probably try to help her see what a worthy person she is."

Geoff and Marie's Good Life: Part 12We Go VisitingHas Geoff found the secret to their success?Based on posts by Only In My Mind, in 15 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.The girls, and Lucy in particular, wanted me to find the inner me. So I had and, as illustrated by my behavior that evening, I had found that my inner me was a bit of a twat. I still liked giving women orgasms, but the dark side of me enjoyed it even more when it was on my terms. Oh, Lucy was going to come tonight, of that there was no doubt, but it would be when and how I chose.She yelled imprecations at me, slandering my parentage, my masculinity and, for some bizarre reason, my dress sense. That offended me because Marie guides me in sartorial matters and my wife was, therefore, insulted by proxy. So I took out the flogger, the one with the forty eight leather laces, and laid it on Lucy's bare backside."Lucy, Lucy, Lucy. You've upset me now," I murmured menacingly in her ear. "You know I'll have to punish you." And I gave her a gentle stroke of the flogger across her rump. She snorted in derision. The second stroke was harder and the third harder still. The fourth generated a cry of pain so I decided that was the intensity I was aiming for. And so I laid into her, using only a little less force on her tits and genitals, for a full two minutes.She was whimpering quietly when I finished and to make amends I restarted the wand and applied it to her clit. Unfortunately for Lucy I was still in Darth Geoffrey mode, so the application was remorseless. Despite her writhing, her pleading and her threats I held it there until I was good and ready. By then my erection enhancing tablet had long since kicked in and I was hard again. I knelt behind her, slowly ran the wand one final time from her anus, between her nether lips and onto her clit and then, without warning, I penetrated her. Well, it was what she'd been shouting for after all.She was so wet inside but still delightfully snug. I grabbed her slender hips and pulled her onto my cock to meet my every thrust."That's it!" She yelled, her voice only slightly muffled by the pillow. "Fuck me! Use me! Come on you bastard! Harder!" I reached forward and grabbed her hair again, pulling her head back as I pounded. "Yes!" She cried. "You fucking love this; don't you? Pull harder! Hurt me! Make me yours!" She carried on in this vein for the next five minutes.I have to admit, in hindsight, I was lost in the moment. If we'd been playing asphyxiation games, it could have gone horribly wrong. That night, though, the pair of us shared the most brutal mindless fuck either of us had ever experienced. I'm not claiming that it was the best sex we'd ever had, but it was the rawest. Lucy came first, of course; she'd been well primed by then. Her demands now replaced by screams of, "Yes. Yes. Yes. Oh! Fuck! Yes!"Given her forced immobility, she was unable to relax after her orgasm even after I had finally, and with great satisfaction, streamed another teaspoonful of sperm onto her cervix. I knelt, hands on her hips, still pulling her ass cheeks hard into my belly, breathing hard and thanking any deity willing to listen for the privilege of having sex like that at my age.There was a tapping on the bedroom door. I grinned to myself at what we must have sounded like to the others. "Yes," I called out. "Who is it? Is there something you need?""Well, it's all of us Geoffrey," came Marie's voice, muffled through the door. "We're sort of worried and yet oddly excited by what we were hearing." She paused, presumably waiting for me to respond. No chance! I wanted them to say it out loud. "Geoff, Lucy, please may we come in?"I almost asked Lucy before I remembered. She was mine and therefore had no vote. I answered, in keeping with my adopted dark nature. "Certainly; as long as you're naked."I heard Angie's brief laugh and then the door opened, slowly, as if that alone could mitigate the horror of what they might find. My wife and Sue were first, suitably attired, nude that is: two buxom women holding hands for reassurance. Angela and Margie followed, taller, more slender but similarly undressed, leaving a small pile of dressing gowns in the passage-way behind them. They gazed at the tableau in front of them: Lucy, also naked, face down in a pillow with her hands cuffed behind her knees. Me, upright behind her, cock still embedded in her cunt, her hair gripped in my fist, both of us glistening with sweat.I smiled at our audience as my wilting dick slipped out of my spent little fuck toy. "Angela. Uncuff Lucy." I commanded, careful not to make it a request. Angie complied and, after looking to me for approval, helped Lucy stretch out on the bed. I stood and stretched, ignoring my nakedness."Are you okay, Lucy?" Asked a concerned Sue."It's like a drug," mumbled Lucy. "It's uncomfortable, it's degrading, some of it even fucking hurts, but I want more." She looked at the other women pleading for understanding. "Why?" She asked simply. "What the fuck is wrong with me?""Perhaps, Sir, if I tried it, I might be able to help her find the answer," Angela suggested, trying to look innocent."You'll get your turn, my pet," I promised. "But first I'll need to think of a way for you to earn it." I turned my attention to Sue and Margie. "Does this appeal to either of you?" I offered.Margie looked horrified at the thought and I knew my wife found the prospect unthinkable following an unresolved unpleasant event in her childhood. Sue, however, seemed intrigued. "Lucy seems to find the experience addictive. I have to admit that I'd like to feel the way she does now, but I'm not sure I have the nerve to go through with it.""It's like a white knuckle ride," Lucy contributed from the bed. "It takes nerve to get on and, once the ride starts, you're committed." She gave a huge, shuddering sigh. "But the adrenaline rush is amazing.""She certainly sounded; exhilarated," Sue observed, thoughtfully. "Do you have the capacity to tone this down, you know, for beginners?""Lucy is my test bench," I replied, ignoring the aggrieved complaint from the bed. "I'm sure that I could offer a bespoke experience to those who wanted to explore that side of their sexuality." I left the bed and crossed to where Sue stood, still holding Marie's hand. I reached up to caress Sue's cheek. She tried not to flinch. I moved my hand, slowly, under her chin, down where I paused to gently grip her throat and then on to her tits. "Your body betrays you, Sue," I taunted her. "Your lips say, 'no' but your nipples say 'yes please'." She swallowed nervously."I won't offer," I told her. "If this is what you want, you'll have to beg. And." I thought this might add an extra frisson. "There will be no safe words. If you ask for this, once the door is closed everything that happens to you until I open it again, is entirely at my whim."Sue's neck and chest began to flush. Marie noticed and shook her head in fake despair. "Have we lost you to the Dark Side, Geoff? Is there still good in you?"I leant across to kiss her gently. "I told you. I'll be whoever you need me to be. Look at Sue." She did. "Sue is as aroused now as I've ever seen her." Sue tried to protest but the truth was obvious. "Take her back to bed now and enjoy her. Ask her tomorrow how she feels."The four women left, leaving Lucy and I together again. I sat in one of the bedroom chairs and pulled onto my lap. "Remember this, Lucy?" I asked. "Our first intimate moment?"She leant her head against my chest. "You were so kind and gentle then," she said, reminiscing. "You told me that my snatch was: Oh!" She stopped speaking as my finger slipped between her thighs and into that moist little channel that I had once pronounced to be delightful. My other arm circled her slender body allowing me to caress her tit while I bent to kiss her ear. She responded just as she had in the pub; with a quiet intensity. Her eventual orgasm was similar too. Not noisy, the way she was when I was tormenting her, but serene and beautiful. Her body twitched twice, then three times and she slumped against me until the aftershocks subsided."I love you, Geoff," she breathed. "And Marie. You give without expectation and you just care. My husband takes and ignores." She wriggled to get comfy and little Geoff started to recover. She burrowed into me. "Here, I'm warm and safe and loved; at home I'm ignored, exploited and insulted. Thank you for showing me how my life should be.""I love you too, Lucy." I kissed her, tenderly. "Now, can I put Dark Geoffrey back in his cage and actually make love to you?""I think that would be very nice," she replied softly. And she was right.The next morning was one of the best wake-ups I'd ever had. Marie joined me and Lucy in bed, shortly followed by Sue and then Angie and Margie. Now, even a king-sized bed gets crowded with six people in it, but all the women were in a playful mood and it wasn't long before they got rather caught up in the game of 'Whose Vagina'. I assume you've already guessed the rules. For those of a slower uptake; I had to lay on my back, blindfolded, while the girls took turns to mount me. I had to guess who it was, using only my cock.Now, though I say so myself, I was rather good at it, though I did get Margie and Angie muddled up. It was also very enjoyable. The first round lasted about fifteen minutes until I ejaculated into a birth canal that I correctly recognized as my wife's. Actually, it was the only round because Margie and Sue had to leave after breakfast and we had some things to discuss first.It was just after nine when we all finally assembled in our dining room. Angie and Lucy had been first downstairs and had started breakfast. By the time I appeared, the table was set for six people and there were platters of toast, scrambled eggs, bacon and black pudding in the middle for us to help ourselves. As I sat down, Marie appeared carrying a pot of tea and another of coffee; Sue followed with a plate full of croissants and pain au chocolat.We all piled in and ate and chatted and discussed our plans for the weekend and, eventually, Lucy described being bound and tortured the night before.It was delightful to sit and listen to the ribald conversations taking place around me. Marie reached over and squeezed my hand affectionately. "You seem more content today, my love," she observed, quietly.I returned her gesture. "I, in fact we, have had sex with all of these women." I gestured around the table. "Most wives would be incandescent with jealousy, the more so because, as fond as I am of Margie and Sue, you know how much I love Angie and Lucy." I paused to watch her nod in acquiescence. "And I, dear heart, am aware of your feelings for Sue." We glanced across the table at the lady in question who, hearing her name, looked across at us and shared an endearing smile.I carried on. "When you and Sue are together, do you mock me? Would you prefer it was her in your bed every night?" I saw my wife begin to protest. "No," I interrupted. "I know you don't. Any more than I do with Lucy." I stopped speaking as my mind began to assemble apparently disparate facts into an explanation of something that had been concerning me for some weeks. Indeed, since my wife had first broached the topic of inviting her friends to share our beds.Marie knew me well enough to hold her tongue as I assembled my thoughts; though a cocked eyebrow and enquiring look made it obvious that she expected me to spit it out when I was ready. "You know how uncomfortable I was when you asked if you could share me?" She nodded; I had, after all, been quite vocal about my concerns. "I think that I finally understand why it has worked, so far at least.""Do tell, Geoff," she prompted, gently.The room was quiet now; the other women picking up on the tone of our exchange. "I love you Marie. You know I would never risk losing you." It was a statement, not a question."I have never doubted that," she replied."If you had asked me which of your friends I would have liked to sleep with, I would have interpreted that as a test; a trap, even. An invitation to admit that sex with you wasn't enough." I studied her face to see if she was following me. Satisfied, I carried on. "But it was never about my desires, or yours. It was always about theirs; Angie, Lucy, Jo, Megan, Kate and then Sam. Then Margie and Sue. It worked because you wanted them to experience the intimacy that you and I still shared, the intimacy that they had lost. You didn't procure these women for me, you selflessly agreed to share what we had with them."I thought a moment longer, our guests remaining silent. "That's why you swore that you would never ask me to let you fuck another man. That's why I was so uncomfortable when you suggested that you might invite Jane to join us. I felt you would see Jane as an object of my desire that you were allowing me to have, rather than a woman, widowed at an early age, who sacrificed any love life in order to focus on her son. It's about us sharing with those we care about rather than us looking for new experiences for ourselves.""He got there eventually didn't he, babe?" Angie commented."He did," my wife agreed. "Does that mean that I can invite Jane now?" She asked me. "She has a massive crush on you and she's nice really. I think she only gossips because she's lonely."My answer was interrupted by my phone; it was my friend, Mike. I excused myself and went into the living room to take the call."Hi Mike, what can I do for you?""Hi Geoff, I'm not disturbing you am I?""No, but you might have got me out of washing the breakfast pots.""Then you are going to be doubly blessed."I was intrigued. "Go on. You have my attention.""My ladies were at a concert last night so I was at a loose end." Mike was married but had recently, at his wife's request, accepted his Sister in Law, Ruth, into their marriage. Despite my initial misgivings, it seemed to be working. "Well," he continued. "I thought that I might go back to the Fox and Hounds where we'd been spying on your friend, Eddie. Anyway, I got talking to the barmaid and I commented that it was quieter than the last time I'd been in and she immediately realized I was talking about Eddie and his crew. I let her vent; she really doesn't like them. It seems she's a little transphobic." Mike paused there, waiting for the implication to percolate through my brain."Eddie's not; Oh!" The realization hit me."Yes," Mike confirmed. "Eddie's special friend, Cherie, is very special. Her parents originally named her Frank." I pondered on that, but Mike hadn't finished. "Apparently, or at least according to the barmaid, Eddie and Cherie have been a couple for a few months now.""Thanks, Mike. Did the barmaid twig that you had a particular interest in them?""Can't see why she would," he replied. "I commented on how quiet it was and she went off on a rant. I just sat and listened. Anyway, she can't stand either of them so it's hardly likely to come up in conversation."I thanked him again and went back to the table. The discussion there had moved on to the new rostering system for Wednesday evenings. As a throuple, we were now in a position where Angie having sex as part of the cycle with the other women made no sense. They were considering alternative strategies, but the process was further complicated by Lucy's insistence that, as my free-use sex toy, I could have her whenever, wherever and however I wanted.I let the debate wash over me; they would eventually tell me what they had decided. Meanwhile, I brooded over Mike's intelligence briefing. I knew that I had to tell Lucy; but now, in front of the others, or should I wait?My wife must have noticed that I was distracted. "Who was it, Geoff? Is something wrong?" The conversation faltered again, all eyes turned on me."That was my friend Mike," I admitted. "He was at a loose end yesterday evening so he went to The Fox and Hounds for a pint.""Was Eddie there with that tart?" Lucy asked quietly."No, but the barmaid obviously isn't a fan of their little clique," I conceded."Well, I can't see why Eddie would leave Lucy at home for that lump." Marie was obviously angry at his betrayal of her friend, because it wasn't like her to be that judgmental of women's bodies. "What has she got that Lucy hasn't?"There it was. The moment was now. You can't pass up an invitation like that, can you. "A cock?" I ventured."What?" Marie seemed confused.Angie got it first. Then I saw the realization hit Lucy. "No fucking way. She's trans? Eddie's cheating on me with a chick with a dick?"I held my hands up. "Cherie was known as Frank for the first part of, I suppose, her life. How far through transition she's gone, I have no idea. I'm just repeating what the barmaid told Mike. Apparently they have been close for a while."Everyone looked sympathetically towards Lucy. She shook her head. "If he'd said he had met someone else: if he'd said there was someone who could do things that I couldn't;” She seemed more frustrated than annoyed. "But I can't: I won't, forgive him for gaslighting me. Making me doubt myself as a wife, as a woman for fuck's sake. No! That crossed the line and I won't stand for it."She gazed levelly at me. "You know me well enough by now, Geoff. What would I have said if he'd admitted that he was fascinated by a trans woman?"I thought for a moment. "Honestly?" Lucy nodded in reply. "Then based on recent personal experience," I suggested. "You would probably have told him to bring her home one night for a threesome and banged her brains out.""I would," she asserted. "He was my husband and we were supposed to be there for each other. The way that you are." She waved her hand to include us all. "I was intending to move my things out on Monday. Now I am more determined than ever; and I shall not be going back.""We'll be there to help you, Lucy," Marie told her. "Has Megan somewhere prepared for all your stuff?"Lucy looked a bit nonplussed. "Oh. I assume so," she said, her voice lacking any certainty.At that moment, I realized there was something that needed to be done, and this was my opportunity. "I'll ring Charles to see if we can treat him and Megan to lunch and afterwards we can help Megan make room for Lucy's belongings."The women seemed to approve, so I retreated back to the living room while the girls returned to scheduling their cock time with me. I had an interesting chat with Charles and an even better one with Megan when he passed the phone over to her.By the time I re-joined the women in the kitchen, some consensus seemed to have been reached and Sue and Margie were preparing to leave. They both thanked us effusively for our hospitality before swapping some lingering kisses with each of us before they left.I told the three remaining women, my wife, our betrothed and my sex toy, that Megan had invited us all to Sunday dinner, insisting it would be no imposition because she would have it catered by a local restaurant. Apparently this was something she discovered during lockdown and decided that it was easier to continue compared to cooking by herself just for the two of them. Not being short of a pound or two probably helped."So," I began. And something in my voice must have warned them that Dark Geoffrey had come out to play, because they all looked rather uncertain as to where this was going. "I suggested to Megan that it would be a nice gesture towards Charles, for being so understanding, if all of my girls made a special effort when choosing what to wear." I leered at them. "Would you like to go shopping?"Marie understood immediately. Last time we had visited Megan and Charles, the two women had gone shopping for lingerie which they had modelled for us when they got back. I felt I owed another sample of this token gesture to Charles for allowing his wife to join us in bed. The man's poor health had rendered him impotent, but there was nothing wrong with his eyesight."Come on girls," she exclaimed. "Get ready to go shopping. Geoffrey's taking us to Seductress for some mucky underwear. Then tomorrow we can flash him and Charles before dinner."

Geoff and Marie's Good Life: Part 11Going DancingThey meet Mia's mum and rethink their terms and conditions.Based on posts by Only In My Mind, in 15 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.My name is Geoff. If you are reading my stories in chronological order you will know that my wife and I are both retired and involved, sexually, with several of her friends. One in particular, Angie, is so close to us that we have invited her to be a third person in our relationship and, to that end, we are planning a Star Wars themed ceremony to celebrate our union in front of family and friends.Gone Dancing.This account begins one Thursday, when our grandson had invited a friend's mum to visit us after school. Colin, said grandson, had asked us if he could invite Mia, a school friend, to our wedding as his plus-one. I agreed, on condition that her mum was okay with Mia attending and approved of her choice of outfit. As we were having our costumes designed and made by students at the local university's fashion design faculty, at our expense, I had veto rights and I thought Mia's choice was fine. But still, if Mia's mum thought that her daughter's costume would be inappropriate, they would have to agree on something else. That was why I wanted to meet them both.Mia's mum, well, she had told Colin that she wanted to talk to us because she was a little confused. I assumed that was because Colin had asked her daughter to accompany him to a wedding involving three people, with the participants and guests dressed in Sci-Fi characters' costumes. I respected the lady for wanting to know a little more about us under the circumstances, before she consented.Anyway, that was only one issue I faced that Thursday. The other was that the previous evening Lucy, an unhappily married artist in her early sixties, had offered herself to me as a free-use fuck-toy. Oddly enough, it took the three women to persuade me to accept her offer; I know; You would have snapped her hand off if it had been you; I'm a worrier, so I didn't.The thing is, the girls (their words) suggested that Lucy wanted to help me to explore my inner self. As a retired materials science researcher, that wasn't something that came naturally to me: as an artist, it was what Lucy tried to do whenever she could. Eventually, of course, I caved and the following hour or so found her bound and gagged, tortured with vibrators, nipple clamps, heat, cold and whips before I finally had sex with her, twice. Fortunately, she loved it. Unfortunately Marie, my wife, found my apparent excesses disturbing. That morning, she seemed as though she was still trying to come to terms with why.Marie seemed subdued as we ate breakfast. "Are we okay?" I asked, hesitantly, uncertain as to whether I'd strayed over some obvious boundary the previous evening."WE are fine," she tried to reassure me. "I, on the other hand, am finding that I'm not nearly as sexually secure as I try to try to pretend."I took a leaf out of Ronan Keating's book, or his songbook anyway. Oh, come on; 'You say it best when you say nothing at all'. Surely? Never mind. I sat quietly waiting for my wife to gather her thoughts.Her eyes filled with tears. I stood, took her hand and led her to the living room. I sat her on the sofa and cuddled up next to her. "When you're ready, I'm here for you," I told her. "You don't have to, but I hope you trust me enough to share whatever it is that's troubling you."She gave a brave little smile as she took a tissue from the box on the coffee table. "It's such a long time ago. It felt like it happened to someone else, until Lucy described what you did to her: Then something just felt so wrong. I realized, only this morning, what it was."I didn't feel so flippant now. But she was happy to talk without prompting, so I let her set her own pace.Taking a deep breath, she resumed her explanation. "We were both about ten or eleven. My cousin Paul and me. We were just playing together in the garden one summer and he found some twine. We were comfortable with each other so I let him tie my hands behind my back and he tickled me. It was awful. I cried. Then he touched me, because he could. I couldn't stop him. I was bound and totally helpless. I started to scream and he let me go. I never told anyone and, by the time I met you, he was dead. He had joined the forces; a Para. He died in the Falklands."Marie wiped her eyes. "It was wrong but, if he'd said he was sorry, I'd have forgiven him. We were only kids. But, without realizing it, I've carried that memory, buried, for years." She look apologetically at me. "I'm sorry, Geoff. When Lucy described how helpless she felt, it reminded me of that experience. I don't think I can do it."I shook my head. She didn't understand. "Marie. What I did with Lucy was for her. Yes, I went further than I would usually have been comfortable with, but I made sure that she had opportunities to back out or stop at any time. She didn't." This was important to me. I knelt in front of Marie and looked her in the eye. "If I never do that again, I won't care. If it disturbs you, it will never be repeated. But I will never ask any of you to let me do anything that would hurt you. Lucy wants to do it again. Angie is desperate to try. Sam might enjoy something similar, so might Megan. But you, my love, you don't, so I don't want you to. It's that simple.""You aren't disappointed?" She seemed surprised."Not at all." I thought for a moment. "Well, yes; a little." Marie's eyes started to fill up again so I carried on, hurriedly. "I'm disappointed that you think I'd feel like that. I will never expect you to do anything you don't want to. I will always accept "No" as a complete answer. No need to justify or explain. Are you reassured?""I think so. I think that I feel better for telling you too.""What about the others?" I decided that while we were having this conversation it was the right time to set boundaries.She understood. "I think I was worried that you doing this, with them, would normalize it. That you'd do it to me without thinking, or worse, resent me for rejecting you." She looked at with genuine concern. "You wouldn't; would you?""Never. I know who you are and I think I've come to know what you like. By all means let's test our limits, but never to the point where one of us is unhappy. Are we agreed?"She seemed much happier. "Agreed. And, to be clear, you are free to do anything the other girls ask you to. It was Lucy who bragged about what you did, not you. And she obviously relished every second." Marie pondered for a moment. "Well, afterwards, possibly not during," she grinned.We sat for a little while then went back to the kitchen, where I made us both a fresh cup of tea to replace the drinks that had cooled while we'd talked. We were just finishing the washing up when my phone rang. It was Mike. I'd offered to pay for him to take his wife and sister in law to the pub the previous night to spy on Lucy's fuckwit husband. I'd forgotten that he'd promised an update that morning. I told my wife that I'd explain later and hit the 'Answer call' icon. As Lucy was Marie's friend it seemed only fair she heard our conversation. I switched my phone to speaker."Good morning Mike. Marie is here with me and you are on speaker. Hung over at all?" We heard a snort of laughter."You should know, when you're involved with two women then obviously you get twice as much supervision. So no," he replied.Marie looked enquiringly at me. "Mike, Marie is just finding out that I asked you to do some spying for me. Tell us, was Eddie there?""He was. And the group he was with were an obnoxious crew. Loud, foul mouthed boors the lot of them. Not just the men either."Marie and I shared a look. "So he plays darts with women too?""Darts?" Mike sounded surprised. "Who mentioned darts? They don't even have a dartboard in The Fox and Hounds.""Well," I explained. "Eddie told his wife, a friend of ours, that Wednesday night is now his darts night.""Sorry Geoff," Mike replied. "The only double top your mate was interested in was bulging out of the low cut blouse belonging to the tarty looking slapper he was buying drinks for all night."Whatever vestiges of guilt I'd felt for including Lucy in our 'language classes' evaporated instantly.I needed to be certain. "Are you sure it was Eddie?""I thought you might ask, so I took a photo of my two best girls and made sure that my target was clearly visible behind them. I'm sending it now." A picture of two pleasant looking women in their forties popped on my screen. Marie and I both recognized Lucy's husband in the background. We didn't recognize the plain, big titted woman with her arm around his neck."Asshole!" Marie growled. I was puzzled. Lucy was admittedly at least fifteen years older than the woman with her arm around Eddie but she (Lucy) was slimmer, prettier and, from personal experience, a sexual dynamo. Why the Hell was Eddie rejecting sex with Lucy while he's all over the pooch in the pub?I reminded Mike that he and his ladies were invited to our wedding and suggested that they look on-line for costume ideas. I warned him that some had already been chosen but they had all of the film and TV franchises to choose from, so duplication shouldn't be an issue. He promised to send me images once they'd made their minds up. Becky, his wife, was excited to be invited and wanted to do something similar for their shared lover, Ruth, though Harry Potter was more their style.I reminded him to text his bank details so that I could pay my dues and, after we said our goodbyes, I turned to Marie. "Why?" Was all I said. She understood perfectly."I know Lucy is my friend but; That other woman, she's;” I was impressed. It takes a lot to render my wife speechless.I had to ask. "Has Lucy ever said anything to make you think that there are some er, activities, that are off limits?""For God's sake, Geoff!" She retorted. "Only last night she offered herself to you as a free-use fuck-doll. She's always been sexually adventurous." She looked puzzled. "I can't begin to imagine what that busty blob has that Lucy hasn't."Neither could I, so we shelved that conversation for later and turned our attention to preparing for our guests that evening. After changing the bedding from the previous evening's entertainment, we sat and decided on our menus for the coming week. A quick check to see if any store-cupboard items needed replenishing and we were off to our local supermarket. Marie hit the sea-food counter while I dawdled in the wine aisle. There was an offer on, so I loaded up on some old favorites and added a couple of bottles I'd not tried before. An Alvarinho vinho verde from Portugal caught my eye. It seemed an ideal partner for that evening's seafood dish. Into the trolley it went."What?" I tried to look innocent when Marie caught up with me. "There's twenty percent off. The more I buy, the more we save." She shook her head and guided me gently, but firmly, to the produce aisle. We returned home without further incident.Angie joined us after lunch and we worked happily together prepping for our evening meal. There would be six of us at the table, but we made sure that there would be some leftovers for Linda, our daughter. She was taking the opportunity to use her early finish to get her hair done while Colin ate with us.Short grain rice, seafood, onion, peppers, garlic and peas. Fish stock, tomatoes, chorizo and a pinch of saffron. All laid out ready for Marie to cook. It was her turn, once we'd had a chat with our visitors."Angie?" I asked, to get her attention.She looked up from cleaning a piece of squid. "Yes dear?" We were being unusually domesticated so her mischievous grin was probably warranted.I know you helped me cook breakfast, but you've never invited us to eat at your place. Do you cook or what?"I noticed that my wife was now concentrating very intently on de-veining a prawn, suspiciously so."I can cook," Angie admitted. I could tell that there was a 'but' about to make an appearance. "Quite well, in fact. But." Yes! I knew it was coming. "I get really bitchy if someone is helping in my kitchen and they don't do exactly as I say.""But you're okay doing this?" I persisted."Of course." She seemed to find the question rather ridiculous. "You ask me to rinse this; I'll rinse it. We're fine. But: In my kitchen, if I ask you to brown some onion in a pan, I expect you to use the correct pan, the right amount of the right sort of oil and to produce perfectly sliced onion cooked to precisely the right color exactly when I need it. Otherwise I tend to get a bit cross." She looked a little uncomfortable. "I know. That makes me sound like Gordon Ramsey with tits, but it's how I am."Marie was trying to keep a straight face but eventually surrendered. "I once tried to help her prepare a meal to impress her first husband's boss and his wife. I was slicing some carrots and the julienne were slightly different sizes. She threw them in the bin and we nearly came to blows. In the end I just did the washing up and let her highness rule the kitchen. It wasn't worth the grief." Marie reached across and hugged her friend. "I still love you though. Even after that." They were both laughing as we finished off and tidied up.We sat and watched some more of our Star Wars episodes while we waited for Mia's mum to arrive with the two teens. Exactly on schedule, the front door burst open and Colin bawled, "Hi everybody. We're here!" Marie went to greet our visitors while Angie and I turned off the TV and stood ready to meet Mia and her mum for the first time.Colin booled in first, dragging a tall, pretty teenage girl by the hand. "This is Mia," he informed us. "This is my grandad," he pointed me out to his friend. "And this is Grangie," he said proudly. "They're all really clever, but Grangie is especially smart." He dropped his voice to a hoarse whisper. "She's why your mum wants to meet. I think we're best off keeping out of the way." He dragged her away to the study giving her little chance to say anything but a squeaked, "Hi" before they disappeared.Marie ushered a buxom woman in her late thirties, an amazon, think Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones, into the room and they both stood for a moment, presumably wondering where the kids were. Marie collected her wits. "Wendy, this is my husband Geoff." I nodded a welcome. "And this is our special friend Angie." Angie copied my greeting. "Obviously, this is Mia's mum, Wendy."Now the introductions were done, Marie asked if Wendy wanted a drink and we all decided on a cup of tea. Angie was anxious to help, she isn't at her best in situations like this, so it fell to me to entertain our guest. We chatted about the two kids and I took the opportunity to size up our new acquaintance. That was probably a rather Freudian slip. Wendy was a big lady. Not obese, even plump would be a misdescription; it just seemed as though there was a lot of her. She seemed to relax as we spoke. Colin was obviously comfortable in our home, the noises from the kitchen were reassuringly domestic and I made it a point not to stare at her magnificent bosom.She was, in fact, a rather attractive woman. Pleasant, open features, a nice smile, long brown hair past her shoulders and, as I may have implied, spectacularly large tits. I made a mental note to ask Marie what cup size she thought Wendy required: purely for reporting purposes, of course. The other thing of note was that she was at least as tall as me; probably an inch or more taller.Marie bustled in carrying a tray with four cups and Angie followed with a plate bearing biscuits and cakes. Marie excused herself for a moment while she went to remind Colin to make sure his guest was properly catered for. Apparently they assured her that they were fine and would raid the kitchen once homework was done.Marie looked to me. Right; I was elected spokesman. "So Wendy," I began, settling back in my seat to seem less intense. "Colin has invited Mia to be his plus one at our ceremony and you are wondering what's going on. Is that a fair summary?"She took a sip of her tea before she replied. "I'm sure you can see why that is. I don't mean to pry but Mia's welfare has to be my priority."Neither of the girls seemed inclined to contribute yet so I soldiered on. "Angie here has been my wife's closest friend, since before we were married. I've always been fond of her too. But recently," I looked at the girls, they seemed happy with my approach. "Our feelings have intensified and we both regard her as being more than just a friend. We realized that we are both emotionally attached to her, and her to us." I paused to make sure that Wendy was on the same page, or at least not stricken with horror. In the absence of any expression of disgust, I continued. "We want to declare our affection publicly and formalize, as best we can within the law, our new relationship. Marie and I have already had a traditional wedding; so has Angela; twice, in fact. We decided that a themed ceremony might be more entertaining for us and our guests."She seemed interested rather than appalled so I kept going. "Hence Colin's invitation to Mia to accompany him in a costume to fit in with our Star Wars theme." I decided that was a good place to stop for feedback."So this 'ceremony' that Colin has invited my daughter to is to acknowledge you two, a legally married couple, inviting you, Angela, into your relationship?" She paused, gazing thoughtfully at us all. "That's so lovely. I wish more people would open themselves up to their feelings like that." Her smile as she spoke illuminated the room."Does that mean you are okay with Mia attending with Colin?" Marie asked. "They will be the youngest ones there."Wendy was dismissive. "Colin is a lovely polite lad. His mother seems nice and I'm not getting any worrying vibes from any of you. I'm happy and Mia seems keen to be there.""Has she discussed her outfit?" That was me."Her dad was a fan of the films, so I think I've seen them all. Most of the costumes are fairly tame, and the one Mia showed me, the white stretch suit, is no more revealing than the tight joggers and crop tops girls her age wear every weekend to go shopping." She looked a little wistful.I glanced at my wife and got an almost imperceptible nod in reply. "Wendy. If you'd like, we'd be happy to extend the invitation to you too; if you don't think Mia would think you were being a third wheel on their date.""Who would I go as?" She snorted. "Jabba the Hutt? I mean, look at me."We did. She was tall, broad shouldered but proportioned, with an actual waistline. Her long hair and feminine features rather mitigated her size. Did I mention her boobs? She had a lovely complexion too. All in all she was a big sexy woman who didn't see what we did.Angie said what I was just beginning to consider. "Cara Dune," she blurted out. Then, putting her hand to her mouth, she looked to me to rescue her. Wendy seemed nonplussed."We're part way through watching some TV spinoffs," I explained. "Angie and I admit to being Sci-Fi nerds. One of the female characters, Cara Dune, is a powerfully built woman. Let Marie show you the costume she has chosen already while Angie finds some Cara images. Meanwhile, I'll go and check on the kids."I left the three women scrolling through their phones and sought out the two teenagers in the study. I made sure they heard me coming; I wasn't trying to catch them having a quiet cuddle. In reality, they were both reading studiously when I opened the door. I smiled to myself. Colin's book was upside down. I pointed and made circle motion with my finger. He looked puzzled then down at his book and blushed. "Drat! Mia, we've been busted."I shook my head and tapped the side of my nose. "Be sensible and be discreet. That's all we expect. Now do you want anything in the kitchen?"They both declined so I left them to their 'reading'. I left the door open, just to make a point.Back in the living room, the three women were happily comparing notes. Wendy loved the idea of Mia in white and Colin in black. She was amazed at the warrior costume Marie had chosen and how similar in principle it was to Cara Dune's. She was obviously intrigued by our idea."The thing is," Wendy said, hesitantly. "I'm not sure that I can really afford two costumes. Not this intricate, anyway.""Sweetheart, that's not your problem," Angie reassured her. "I'm paying for everyone's costume. We're having them all individually made at my expense. You just have to turn up to get measured."Wendy wasn't convinced. "You don't want

Hi. On today's episode, Katy, Cody, and Jonathan discuss the Supreme Court legalizing racial profiling, ICE raiding a Hyundai plant, and the peace administration making a Department of War, doing war crimes, and declaring war on American cities.As always, we recorded right before that big thing that happened.PATREON: https://patreon.com/somemorenewsMERCH: https://shop.somemorenews.comYOUTUBE MEMBERSHIP: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvlj0IzjSnNoduQF0l3VGng/join#SupremeCourt #DepartmentOfWar #evenmorenewsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Geoff and Marie's Good Life: Part 9Lucy's TurnGeoff finally gets more quality time with Lucy.Based on posts by Only In My Mind, in 15 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.I was bringing in the bedsheets from the washing line when my lovelies got home. Colin was inside doing his art homework alone as I'm afraid that art isn't my forté. From the way Angie bounced up the path like a tall, supple Tigger, I assumed that their mission had been successful. Marie followed behind at a more stately pace, but I could tell by her expression that she was pleased."Geoff! It's perfect," Angie enthused. "Show him, Marie!"Marie finally caught up with our friend. "She's not wrong, Geoffrey," she admitted. "The moment we saw it, we knew that was the one." She felt into her handbag and took out a small square box."Just like you and me then," I reminded her, kissing the top of her head."You'll get anywhere saying things like that, you smooth devil," my wife smiled as she showed me our purchase."So what happens now?" I asked. It appeared that they were in the dark too. Did we give her it now, like an engagement ring? Or wait until the ceremony, like a wedding ring?I decided. I took Angie's left hand and dropped to one knee. "Angela, you have added a new thread to the tapestry of our lives. Will you agree to be my betrothed?"Marie was quick to respond. She took her friend's hand from me and turned Angie towards her. "Angela, you have been my closest friend for decades, will you now be my betrothed?""Oh! God! Yes! Thank you. I love you both so much," wailed Angie, hopping up and down in floods of happy tears.Marie held out the ring they had chosen and bought together and together my wife and I slipped it onto the fourth finger of Angie's left hand. As I'd suggested, they had chosen something called a Russian Ring, made of three interwoven strands of different shades of gold. It was perfect. I resolved to get my little Mediterranean goddess a matching necklace.There was the sound of applause from behind us and we turned, rather startled, truth to be told, to find Colin beaming at us, the drawing in his hand forgotten."I think you're supposed to kiss her now, Grandma, Grandad," he observed. We couldn't fault his grasp of etiquette so we did; very chastely and properly with no tongues."Mum's gonna go proper monkey poo this time," he predicted, quite astutely. "Glad I'm not the one that has to tell her." He smiled, congratulated us all and then asked for our opinions of his drawing. We were all impressed, both by his artwork and his attitude and told him so. He disappeared happily back inside to put his drawing safely in his bag."He's not wrong about Linda," I pointed out. "I was thinking about this while I was running and I think I should take her out for tea tomorrow and tell her about our, er; does 'new situation' sound about right?""Thank God!" Marie breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't think she'd accept this updated version of 'the talk' from me. Anyway, I did the one about boys, boobs and periods, now it's your turn."I went and switched the oven on and chose a bottle of wine as I waited for it to reach 180°C. I'd picked up a bottle of Ribeiro in our local supermarket and a Spanish white seemed to fit nicely with the ingredients so I parked it in the fridge to chill.I got the tray with the onions, tomatoes, garlic cloves and potatoes and glugged over a little olive oil before putting it all in the oven for twenty minutes and then went off to see my girls. Angie had calmed down and they were trying to decide her outfit for our ceremony."What about Padme's rainbow dress?" I suggested. I'd had nothing urgent after lunch and had done some research. Angie gave me a long appraising look and typed 'padme rainbow' into the search engine on her phone. She selected 'images' and then studied the screen intently for longer than I expected. Still silent, she showed Marie the dress. "He's a clever old sod, really, isn't he?" My beloved observed. "That's beautiful, and it's perfect for your body shape."Angie agreed. "That's it. I was considering Rey's outfit but this is better. This is the one I want.""You can actually buy these on-line," I offered."Not a chance!" Retorted Angie. Marie looked as puzzled as me at how emphatic Angie's response was. "I'm sure that some are okay," Angie conceded. "But I've seen too many instances on Facebook where the seller shows an image of the original but what actually arrives looks like it was sewn in the dark from old curtains by an arthritic chimp. I want it to look just like that picture.""But at least you'll know how much it is going to cost, dear," Marie said. "Who knows how much your student friends will have to pay to find a fabric like that?""Don't care," Said a defiant Angie. "I can afford whatever I want and it's my money after all."Marie leaned in for a kiss. "We'll contribute too. We always intended to.""No. Thank you, but no." Angie was adamant. "You bought me that beautiful ring. I realize that it would be rude to offer to pay for that, but everything else; everything," she stressed that last word, "is on me."My wife and I shared another look of surprise at our friend's determined outburst. "But Ange," Marie began."Everything, Marie. You've been so kind to me for so long. And these last few weeks;” She teared up again. "You really don't know, do you?"I shrugged. We were into Donald Rumsfeld territory here with 'unknown unknowns' and I didn't think that this was the moment to dive down that particular rabbit hole."You know that apartment I live in?" Angie asked. We did. It was in a massive, tastefully converted, Victorian building near the university. "Don't you think it's rather large and expensive for just one person?" We both just did some head wobbles, shoulder shakes and comme ci, comme ça, hand gestures to indicate that we had wondered but."It's not that expensive," she continued, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Not for me, anyway. You see." She paused for effect. "I own the entire building. A lettings management company deals with renting the other apartments; I just live off the income. I only do the consultancy work for you know who," she tapped the side of her nose. "to stop me getting bored and my brain shutting down." She was winding me up because she knew I suspected that she was some kind of spook."Don't worry about the cost," she said cheerfully. "I can afford it. Last time I checked I had over two million pounds just in my savings accounts."She looked gleefully at the expressions on our faces. "And, once we're officially joined, I'm changing my will to leave it all to you and your kids. Colin certainly won't need a student loan when he goes to Uni.""Angie, darling. There's no need," Marie protested."Who else then?" Angie challenged her. "You two are the closest I've had to a family since I ditched that last useless waste of DNA. I've had more fun, romance, sex and affection from you two lunatics in the last six weeks than from both my husbands combined over two decades."Marie looked helplessly at me. I knew exactly what to do. I leaned forward. "Angie?" I said softly, taking her hand in mine."Yes, Geoff?" She replied, returning my loving gaze."Please can I have an Aston Martin DB12?"We collapsed in each other's arms in fits of giggles. Marie swiped me fondly across the head. "You nutcase. Get back in the kitchen and get our tea ready."I checked, and the potatoes were starting to cook, so I laid the chicken and chorizo slices on top, added the herbs and spices and put the tray back in the oven. "Alexa, set a timer for twenty minutes." Then I went off in search of Colin.I told him that I needed a private chat with his mum. "You think?" Was his smart-ass response. Sometimes he makes me so proud.Anyway, he texted one of his friends and persuaded her to wangle an invite to go over straight from school the following evening to do their homework together. Linda would collect him around seven."So Colin. Mia. Is she nice?""Yes Grandad. She's nice. No Grandad, she's not my girlfriend. We're only thirteen but we get on just fine as friends." Hell. The kid's more mature than half of the lads I used to play rugby with.We chatted some more until Alexa's alarm went off and I hit the kitchen again. Dropped the sliced peppers into the tray, a good mix up and back in for the last twenty minutes.I was starting to set the table when Marie and Angie came in to take over and chased me away to watch the news on TV. Angie had already taken her ring off and had decided to keep it in its box until they were with their friends. Then Marie intended to propose again in front of them all. It sounded lovely and I would have liked to see it, but I'd agreed that this was their moment.Linda arrived on time and about ten minutes later we sat down to eat. She'd called to collect a baguette on the way home as I'd asked and we used it to mop up the juices from our plates. The wine paired well; even Colin agreed, though he only got a sip of his mum's. Perhaps, when he's sixteen, Linda will let him have a glass with his meals.After we'd finished, the ladies declared that they would clear the table as I'd done all of the cooking. It had hardly been a chore but I wasn't about to argue. Instead, I went and asked Colin if he was okay with Aunty Angie being, well, betrothed to Grandma and Grandad.He thought carefully for a while. "Is anyone going to get hurt?"It was a reasonable question. "I hope not. But it's always possible. Even two people who love each other can eventually drift apart.""But you're all happy now?" He persisted. "You all want this?""Yes. All of us." I confirmed."What will I call her then?" He asked.That hadn't occurred to me. "Whatever you and Angie decide. That seems the fairest to me."His face lit up. "When you've told mum, I'm going to ask Aunty Angie if I can call her; Grangie." He announced triumphantly. There were still tears of laughter streaming down my face when the women joined us five minutes later. They all looked suspiciously at the pair of us."You had to be there," I told them, then we cracked up again.Before Linda and Colin left I told her that, as Colin had a homework date the following day, earning a glare from him, I'd treat her to a meal after work as we'd both be on our own. I suggested a Thai in town and we agreed to meet there at five fifteen. She looked warily at me, but I'd been practicing my innocent expression and gave nothing away. Certainly, nothing had been said that evening to suggest there was a problem.Angie saw them off with us and then said her own goodbyes. I copped a feel of her bum as we kissed, well, we're engaged now, or something. Marie must have shared my sentiment only she went for a tit. I slapped her hand gently. "Enough of that. She'll never get away if you start on her nipples." They both reluctantly agreed and then there was just the two of us again."Are we being silly, Geoff? Starting a new way of living? At our age? Is this just desperation?" It wasn't like Marie to second guess herself.I hugged her to me. "I don't think so. We have time, money and our health. The kids are okay so this is our opportunity to be us. Not teacher, boss, researcher, mum or dad; just us. If this is what makes both of us happy, why fight it? You promised, if we reach a place where you're uncomfortable, then you'll tell me. I promise you the same. So let's go and see what's out there.""Tell you what," she replied pulling me closer. "Get the rest of that wine and I'll sit on your lap and we'll finish it while we cuddle then, maybe, an early night?"I was up early next morning. We did make love the night before and it was slow, sensual and fulfilling. We'd both slept like babies.When I'd finished in the bathroom, Marie was looking at her phone. "That was a text from Peter. He and Jen are coming back from Canada on Monday and thought they might stop in to see us on the way back home." She looked worried. "Do we tell them? Or just Pete? But then how do we tell Pete without Jen hearing? Do we insist he keeps it a secret from her? ""We need to make a choice," I told her. "We're telling Linda because she deserves to know the unconventional relationship that Colin will see when Angie is here. Pete isn't in that position but, I think that if Linda knows then her brother should too. And I also think that, if Pete knows, it would be unfair to expect him to keep it from Jen. I'm not sure about discussing the rest of the girls with him; I'm tempted to tell Linda because she'll get suspicious if we're never free to look after Colin on Wednesdays if she wants to go out with Mike or if she has to work late."That's fair. I'll tell Pete that they are welcome to stay and we're looking forward to seeing them. But, Geoff?""Yes?""For pity's sake, will you move the toy box out of the playroom and make sure there's no lube or condoms left in the drawers?""I'll do it now."The rest of the day was quite mundane. Breakfast, grocery shopping, coffee at home and then a walk to the park. "I think I'm happy, Geoff," my wife announced as we strolled. "Not just content; actually happy. My friends have you in their lives, I'm even closer to them than ever and Angie," Marie's voice choked. "I've never seen her so alive. Thank you."I wasn't even tempted to be flippant. "Thank you too. It's strange, but making love to your friends seems to have brought me closer to you. I'm just so relieved you aren't jealous. You aren't are you?"She considered. "No. Truthfully; not at all. What about you?""No. Me neither. In fact, I know you have a bit of a thing for Sue, and it's, I dunno, sweet."She punched me playfully. "I still like Sam though," she admitted."So, now you have both, and me and Angie too."She gave a big happy sigh and we turned and made our way home.The weather was still fine so Marie set off at ten to four to walk to the Black Swan to meet her friends. I red for half an hour and then caught the bus into town. Linda could drop me back off at home on the way to collect Colin from Mia's house.I'd reserved a table and waited at the bar for Linda. She rushed in, all flustered, only two minutes late. "It's okay," I told her. "We're not running to a timetable here."Sorry, Dad," she apologized. "Isn't there always some clown who decides that half past four on a Friday afternoon is the perfect time to start making urgent phone calls?""Is it settled?" I asked her. "Or do you need ten minutes to make some more calls of your own?""God, no!" She laughed. "I'll start working for free after finishing time when my boss stops checking her watch when folk arrive in the morning with just minutes to spare."The waiter saw that my guest had arrived and invited us to follow him to our table. The place was quiet that early so he gave us a place with a nice view over the river."Is your job getting you down?" I asked. She worked in the distribution office for a large retailer."No, the work is fine, the people are great, it's just that our boss is so insecure in her abilities that she sticks rigidly to corporate policy, and it sometimes gets in the way of actual work.""Go on," I invited her. We didn't get to chat like this as much as I'd like."Okay. So: There are six people in our office; two men, four women. We lost both of the guys for a full day on Tuesday to go on a gender harassment awareness course. One's gay and the other is a fifty year old sweetheart. They could have done effectively the same course on-line in an hour but no, she had to make sure that her boss saw our guys in person to make her look good." She gave an exaggerated sigh. "Those lads get more grief from us girls than they'd ever; Oh! It's so frustrating.""I know," I sympathized. "I regarded part of my role as lab manager as insulating the people who actually generated income from stupid policies like that. I'd do what the law required but, if an adult technician doesn't know that it's not okay to touch a colleagues bum, no matter how cute or pert it is, a course isn't enough; a dismissal is much more effective. It solves the immediate issue and also serves 'pour encourager les autres' as your Great Gran would have said. An object lesson to the others," I said in reply to her unspoken question.We chatted in the same vein as we looked through the menu and had just finished our deliberations when our waiter appeared.We ordered spring rolls and prawn toast, I ordered a pork massaman, Linda chose a chicken panang and we decided to share a green papaya salad.

Preaching: Transitional Pastor, Jack Hawkins Sermon title - Good Church, Good God Sermon text - Genesis 3:1-7 Three Questions: 1. Do you think that the general population believes that our God is good? 2. Have you ever had an experience in your life that brought that thought into your mind? 3. Do you ever find you want to be the one that decides what is good and what is evil rather than relying on God to make those decisions?

Today's podcast opens us up to the nature of the Devil. Allhis plans towards us are onto death alone, but when we choose and trust God, we are rest assured of life and His glory.Be encouraged to hold fast to your Integrity as aChristian, and as always, be transformed as you listen! Scriptures Used: Bible Verses: John 10:10 | Acts 12:4 | Acts10:38 | Acts 3:6 | Acts 14:7-10 | Job 2:9 | Romans 4:17 | Exodus 1:12 | Genesis 39: 16-20 | Genesis 40:2-5. _________Subscribe and share this podcast with your family and friends.Have questions? Send us an email via info@icgcholyghosttemple.org and we will be glad to assist you.

This sermon was preached by Tim Lambros on July 27th, 2025.

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We will continue to tell the world how Good God is and how much He loves them!faithbucks.com

Pastor Luke wraps up our 'You Asked' series by addressing God and the problem of evil.

Ralph, Monty and Desi get together to talk about the shambles that are Celtic at the moment.They ask "Just what the fuck is going on?" and try and find a few answers!They wonder "Are the fans the wean caught between 2 parents heading for a divorce?"Theres Fitbaw talk, Rants, Complaints and even some helpful suggestions through a packed 90 minutes!Maybe not one for  the Optimist CSC members mind!

In this episode of Chai Beauty, I reflect on Session Two of the When You Pray Bible study, where we dive into the Lord's Prayer and what it means for God to truly be the Alpha and Omega. I share how this study challenged me to see God's goodness in every season, examine my faith in His promises, and ask deeper questions about obedience, provision, and trust.We'll explore:Four ways Scripture describes who God isWhat Psalm 119:33–40 teaches about obedience and joyWhy fearing God matters in our daily livesThe role of the Holy Spirit as our guideHow to live a quiet life, mind your business, and work with your handsSeeing God's goodness even when life feels off track

We all have questions we're afraid to ask, but the church should be a place for our questions and the answer. For example, how can a good God allow suffering? God allows suffering because he loves us; God defeats evil because he loves us. For resources and media, visit https://vintagechurchnola.com/series/questions-you-have-(but-are-afraid-to-ask/#Welcome2Vintage #Questions #Answers #ToughTopics #ProblemofEvil #Suffering 

Thanks to Our Good God (Part 2) – Psalm 118:19–29 | Walking Through the PsalmsIn Part 2 of Psalm 118 (vv. 19–29), we move from personal testimony to a public procession of praise.We enter the gates of worship, behold the rejected stone now exalted, and rejoice in the name of the Lord.This episode highlights Christ as the Cornerstone, the Lord's marvelous saving work, and our enduring callto give thanks for His steadfast love.For more resources on God's Word, visit Psalms Archives - Servants of Grace and our YouTube.

Are you struggling to reconcile a good God with a hard life? Hosts Dave and Ann Wilson sit down with Mark Vroegop, author of "Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy" to explore the vital biblical practice of lament. Mark reveals how lament, though prevalent in Scripture (making up one-third of the Psalms!), is often missing from modern Christian life. Drawing from his own profound experiences with loss, he explains how lament provides a faith-filled language for expressing grief, pain, and doubt directly to God, preventing despair and even the deconstruction of faith. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/84/29

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    You know those certain type of guys… they always have a motive… They hold a door for a girl, they ask the woman if she needs help, they pick there young girl for their group exercise. Or the guy who is always trying to make a buck.. no matter on who or how or whom it will hurt… In a way we as followers of Christ are to be the exact same way…      Mark 10:17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Ok first off this is a very very important question… maybe the biggest question you could ask with the greatest of consequences if you get it wrong… But Jesus almost ignores it and says…  18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,' ‘Do not murder,' ‘Do not steal,' ‘Do not bear false witness,' ‘Do not defraud,' ‘Honor your father and your mother.' ” 20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” *Jesus never calls him out. I believe this guy really kept all the commandments. He was the super uber good guy. Everyone would look at him and say “I wish I could be like him”. Mothers were always saying to their sons “I wish you were more like that young man… he keeps all the commandments”… But did you miss what is going on here?  VERSE 18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. DID YOU CATCH IT… Jesus is stating in a backward way that he is God… Hey skippy, why do you call me good? Because only God is good… thus do you really think I am good? Do you really think I am God? If so, lets see if you do and test that theory. If I am good aka God, then here is what you do   21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Look there are some blatant bold and obvious things God is doing here. He is saying its not enough to follow the law. It is not enough to be good, I have to be God. I have to be God in your life which means I sit on the throne of your life and not your reputation, not your money, not your goals or your family or your job or your relationships or your whatever it is… If I am really God, then I come first in all things… it is not enough to just follow the rules.  How many of us fall into that trap - we treat God as good, but not as God. 

What does it mean to be Good with God? Life can bring some challenging moments, but how you think about yourself and the world around you will shape your experience. Genesis 1-2 explains that humanity is called to partner with a good god, bearing His image, so that all creation may flourish. How does living with a good God change your worldview? And what happens when we go looking for Good without God?MESSAGE NOTES: https://www.bible.com/events/49475304GROUP STUDY LINK HERE: https://www.canyonridge.org/studies-category/good-with-godRESOURCES: https://www.canyonridge.orgBLOG: https://canyonridge.org/blogs/

Walking Through the PsalmsThanks to Our Good God: Part 1Text: Psalm 118:1–18Host: Dave JenkinsDate: August 8, 2025 Episode SummaryPsalm 118 begins and ends with the same powerful refrain: "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever!" In this first part, Dave Jenkins walks through verses 1–18, calling us to remember God's goodness and take refuge in Him alone. From distress and discipline to strength and salvation, this psalm teaches us how to praise the Lord through both trial and triumph. Listen and Watch Audio Player: Video Player: ScripturePsalm 118:1–18 (ESV) Key ThemesGod's enduring love (hesed)Deliverance and trust through afflictionConfidence in the Lord over human powerJesus as the fulfillment of this psalmVisit The Psalms page here at Servants of Grace for more studies on the book of Psalms or at our YouTube.

The following sermon was chosen as a 'staff-pick' on SermonAudio: Title: Ultimate Good Through Drawing Near to Our Good God Subtitle: 2025 - BJU Bible Conference Speaker: Dr. Mark Minnick Broadcaster: Bob Jones University Event: Special Meeting Date: 2/20/2025 Bible: Psalm 73:28 Length: 40 min.

The condition of our hearts determines the fruit we bear. Rocky or shallow ground may produce little growth, but God desires to cultivate deep roots in us through His Word and Spirit. In this message by Eli Klimchuk he reveals what God loves, what He hates, and how we can prepare our hearts as fertile soil for His purposes. Matthew 13:3-8, 18-23, Philippians 2:6-11, Proverbs 6:16-19, John 3:16, Romans 5:8, Psalm 103:11, Psalm 37:28, 2 Peter 3:9, 1 Peter 5:8, John 10:10, Luke 6:27-31, Galatians 5:22-23, Galatians 6:9, Philippians 1:6  Don't forget to LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE for more biblical teachings!   Please follow our websites for more! = Website: http://www.newlifechurchsf.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewLifeSF/ Youtube: https://youtu.be/7Ig-qXgVAmE/ Pastor Alex Klimchuk New Life Church 500 S 1st Ave Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Welcome back to another episode of Man VS Marriage! Is there a path for redemption in this life when you hit rock bottom?This week we have Dr. Jonathan Welton back on the program talking redemption. As a public Figure he was a Leader, Pastor, Theologian, Author, Speaker, and head of a bible academy among other things. Dr. Welton crashed his entire ministry and potentially more importantly his Marriage and fatherhood in 2018. This plummet upended the entire ethos he, his family, and his team had been building and it was in many cases quite traumatic for all parties involved including himself. Where do you find yourself? Maybe you live out of the public spotlight however what is written above is something you can relate to...WHAT IF there is a road to redemption?WHAT IF.. you can take responsibility for what has happened and by the GRACE of a Good God you can make your way back? YOU CAN! It may not look the same as Dr. Welton's, it might not even look similar to what you envision when you muster the courage to make a comeback. We however have the tangible example that it is POSSIBLE and yes it is possible for you.Dr. Welton endeavored to walk the path of redemption in order that he would right the wrongs to the best of his ability and so he might be the example that by and through God's grace it is possible. SO maybe you are asking, What did this guy do? How did he do all of this? Let's get on into it! There's nothing to it but to do it! For more on Dr. Welton, his contact, his books and more checkout:jonwelton.com Yo Bro! or Sis :) Help us BUILD the brand and change lives where you are!VIST www.quincymoran.com/apparel right now! buy our clothing and represent in you local area. Let's change lives together!want to contact me?email: quincy@mvsmpodcast.com to get in touch! Check out our youtube! We are NEW on youtube and excited to grow the platform within the YT community!https://www.youtube.com/@manvsmarriagepodcast3348/videos#COMMUNICATION #pornaddiction #sex #marriedsex #marriage #mariagehelp #marriageandrelationships #relationship101 #marriagepodcast #marriagehelp #marriagebootcamp #love #lovestory #couples #faith #Relationship #relationships #Problem #Problems #CognitivePower #Opinion #Opinions #Trust #Marriage #Married #Truth #TruthTeller #Standard #Standards #Negotiate #Negotiating #Romance #romantic #reconciliation #selfimprovement #help #christian #redemption #narcissist #narcissism

Pastor Perry continues the GOD series with a sermon titled "Good God!"Psalms 100:5Support the show

Frederick Christian Fellowship Church is a non-denominational church where all people, regardless of where they are on their spiritual journey, are welcome to learn about God and how to have a relationship with him. As a Christ-centered, Bible-believing church, we exist to help people reach their full redemptive potential in Christ. ___ Subscribe to our channel for fresh daily content to keep you connected and inspired all week long. ____ Tap here to give: https://pushpay.com/g/fcfchurch?nt=YouTube&lang=en&src=pcgl ____ FCF Church Service Times: • Online: Sunday's at 9:15 AM and 11:15 AM ____ FOLLOW US Website: http://fcfchurch.com FCF Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fcfchurchfrederick FCF Church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fcfchurch/

On today's podcast Eric is joined by Michael Fulmer to discuss Bobby Heugel and Jackie Stromm uniting for a new cocktail bar concept and Michael's beef with an overused word in food media. In the Restaurants of the Week portion Good God, Nadine's and Ichijiku Neighborhood Sushi are featured. Follow Eric on Instagram/Threads @ericsandler. You can also reach Eric by emailing him at eric@culturemap.com. Check out some of his latest articles at Culturemap.com: Exclusive: New Cocktail Bar from Houston Hospitality Stars Coming to the Heights Growing Burger Chain Slides into First Houston Location Country Star Koe Wetzel Opens New Location of his Lively Bar in Houston Houston Restaurant Served Beyoncé a Southern Feast for her First Meal in H-Town Houston's Best New Restaurant Shows Off at CultureMap Tasting Table Dinner

Let's be honest—sometimes we have questions that feel too awkward or embarrassing to ask out loud. So, we hide behind the phrase, “just asking for a friend.” Most people know it's really our question, but saying it that way gives us a little cover in case it sounds silly or uncomfortable. The same thing often happens in church. We hesitate to ask tough questions about faith because we don't want to seem foolish or unspiritual. In this next series, we want to put an end to that, and for the next five weeks we are going to be in a series called Asking for a Friend.  We will be looking at some of the tough questions of the Christian faith and trying to answer them from Scripture. This week Pastor Jeff Moes leads the discussion from a question we've all had at one time: “Why would a loving God send people to Hell?”  We will dive into why God would create a place such as Hell and what the purpose behind it was.  Even more importantly, we'll talk about how you and I can have confidence that we'll never end up there.--WebsiteFacebookInstagramSunday SetlistConnect with us!

Welcome back to another episode of Man VS Marriage! Is there a path for redemption in this life when you hit rock bottom?This week we have Dr. Jonathan Welton back on the program talking redemption. As a public Figure he was a Leader, Pastor, Theologian, Author, Speaker, and head of a bible academy among other things. Dr. Welton crashed his entire ministry and potentially more importantly his Marriage and fatherhood in 2018. This plummet upended the entire ethos he, his family, and his team had been building and it was in many cases quite traumatic for all parties involved including himself. Where do you find yourself? Maybe you live out of the public spotlight however, what is written above is something you can relate to...WHAT IF there is a road to redemption?WHAT IF.. you can take responsibility for what has happened and by the GRACE of a Good God you can make your way back? YOU CAN! It may not look the same as Dr. Welton's, it might not even look similar to what you envision when you muster the courage to make a comeback. We however have the tangible example that it is POSSIBLE and yes it is possible for you.Dr. Welton endeavored to walk the path of redemption in order that he would right the wrongs to the best of his ability and so he might be the example that by and through God's grace it is possible. SO maybe you are asking, What did this guy do? How did he do all of this? Let's get on into it! There's nothing to it but to do it! For more on Dr. Welton, his contact, his books and more checkout:jonwelton.com Yo Bro! or Sis :) Help us BUILD the brand and change lives where you are!VIST www.quincymoran.com/apparel right now! buy our clothing and represent in you local area. Let's change lives together!want to contact me?email: quincy@mvsmpodcast.com to get in touch! Check out our youtube! We are NEW on youtube and excited to grow the platform within the YT community!https://www.youtube.com/@manvsmarriagepodcast3348/videos#COMMUNICATION #pornaddiction #sex #marriedsex #marriage #mariagehelp #marriageandrelationships #relationship101 #marriagepodcast #marriagehelp #marriagebootcamp #love #lovestory #couples #faith #Relationship #relationships #Problem #Problems #CognitivePower #Opinion #Opinions #Trust #Marriage #Married #Truth #TruthTeller #Standard #Standards #Negotiate #Negotiating #Romance #romantic #reconciliation #selfimprovement #help #christian #redemption #narcissist #narcissism

In this episode, Eli interacts with Dr. James Sterba's attempt at presenting a successful Logical Problem of Evil.

Jonathan Griffiths is pastor of Metropolitan Bible Church in Ottawa, Canada and leads Encounter the Truth, a media ministry that broadcasts on radio and podcasts across the U.S. and Canada. In his recent book, Gathered for Good: God's Good Design for the Local Church, he addresses the need for in-person gathering with empathy and authority, and encourages believers to commit to their local church community as a way to deepen their spiritual growth. Join the Theology in the Raw community for as little as $5/month to get access to premium content at patreon.com/theologyintheraw  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices