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Advent E4 — We're ending our short Advent series with a reflection on love. In the Hebrew Bible, the word “ahavah” involves faithfulness to God and living by his wisdom, but it also means showing practical care to others—especially the vulnerable. Jesus views this love for God and neighbor as the greatest command, and he expands it to be indiscriminate, radical kindness and generosity even toward our enemies. The New Testament authors were so blown away by this kind of love that they adopted an obscure Greek word for love, “agape,” and redefined it to be a self-giving, sacrificial love that Jesus demonstrates in his life, teaching, death, and resurrection. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the main biblical words for love, showing how the story of Advent characterizes agape as God's own essence and our calling. FULL SHOW NOTESFor chapter-by-chapter notes including summaries, referenced Scriptures, biblical words, and reflection questions, check out the full show notes for this episode.CHAPTERSThe Hebrew Bible's Understanding of Love (0:00–13:17)Agape and Jesus' Redefinition of Love (13:17–21:25)God Is Love (21:25–31:10)Reflections on Love With JoDee (31:10-36:12)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESThe Affections of Christ Jesus: Love at the Heart of Paul's Theology by Nijay GuptaAhavah / Love: Though not referenced directly in the episode, this 2017 video explores the same biblical word ahavah.Agape / Love: Also not referenced directly in the episode, this 2017 video explores the same biblical word, agape.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Clouds ft. ahmo” by Lofi Sunday“Warm Hugs” by Lofi Sunday & Cassidy Godwin“Snowflakes” by AvesBibleProject theme song by TENTS SHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today's episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Special thanks to our guest JoDee Atherton.Powered and distributed by Simplecast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
When the original hearers of John's gospel—the Jews and the Greeks—heard the term, “the Word became flesh,” it was revolutionary. Many scholars have said it marked a complete revolution in the history of human thought. But I'd like us to think about the fact that Christmas doesn't change our lives like it ought to. John says the Word of God became a flesh and blood human being. This is a life-transforming truth. Let's look at three ways this truth should change our lives. If Christmas happened, and it did, 1) we have infinite comfort in the face of suffering, 2) we have infinite powerful conviction and incentive to serve, and 3) we have a hope that is both realistic and infallible. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on December 11, 2016. Series: Jesus, Mission, and Glory: Advent. Scripture: John 1:14-18. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
Dr. Lyman Montgomery is a renowned clarity and culture strategist, author, coach, and business leader with decades of experience empowering organizations and individuals to turn chaos into clarity. As the architect of the “5S Framework” and a globe-trotting consultant, Dr. Montgomery has guided over 60,000 leaders, built multiple businesses, and become a powerful voice for faith, focus, and cultural transformation. His latest work, "Sacred, Not Sinful," explores the intersection of Greek life and Christian discipleship, while his digital hub, CoachLyman.com, serves as a gateway for leaders seeking personal and professional growth. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Dr. Lyman joins Robert Plank to unpack his actionable 5S Framework Structure: Systems, Strategies, Simplicity, and Sustainability, which helps businesses and individuals thrive amidst distraction and overwhelm. The conversation traces Dr. Lyman's journey from humble beginnings to global influence, explores how leaders can overcome resistance to new tools and documentation (including leveraging AI for business efficiency), and examines the shift from an “I can't” to an “I will” mindset. Discussion topics include building strong foundational systems, driving business results with clarity, embracing collaboration, leveraging automation, and nurturing the habits that support sustainable growth both in the boardroom and at home. Quotes: "Simplicity drives business... The more simplistic you can make it, the more users will use it." "Everything we do is designed to get a result within 24 to 48 hours—otherwise, it's too complicated." "There's a difference between an 'I can't' mentality and an 'I will' mentality. Which are you choosing?" Resources: Connect with Dr. Lyman Montgomery on LinkedIn Transform chaos into clarity—grab Dr. Montgomery's book on Amazon. Learn more about how to navigate complex compliance challenges on their website Follow Dr. Lyman Montgomery on Facebook
Rabbi Menashe Reizman shared a beautiful idea from the Or HaChaim that we can take with us as the days of Chanukah come to an end. One of the central components of lighting the Nerot Chanukah is pirsumei nisa—publicizing the miracle. But this raises a question. The miracle that the oil lasted for eight days is common knowledge among Jews. Why, then, is there such an emphasis on publicizing it? Usually, the need to publicize something is when the message is not yet well known. The Ramban, at the end of Parashat Bo, explains that when Hashem performs open miracles, the purpose is not only the miracle itself, but what we are meant to learn from it. We are meant to internalize that just as Hashem performs revealed miracles, He is equally behind all the hidden miracles that take place every second of our lives. That is the true message we are meant to publicize. Not merely that oil burned for eight days, but that Hashem is behind everything that happens in this world, at every moment. In this week's Parashah, Vayigash, when Yaakov Avinu hears that Yosef is still alive, the pasuk says וַיָּפָג לִבּוֹ כִּי לֹא הֶאֱמִין - that his heart did not believe them. Rashi explains that although Yaakov physically heard the words, his heart was not yet ready to internalize the reality. This happens to us very often. With our mouths, we say that we believe Hashem is in charge of everything that happens in the world. But when we look honestly at the way we live, it becomes clear that our hearts have not fully internalized that belief. If we truly believed that only Hashem runs everything, why do we get so angry when things don't go our way? Why do we become upset at people when they hurt us? Why don't we invest more effort into tefillah? Why are we late to tefillah? If Hashem is the only One in control, then He is the only One we need to impress. If HaKadosh Baruch Hu alone decides our parnassah, then why do we feel pressured to run out of davening for a business meeting? The Nerot Chanukah are there to remind us that Hashem's presence fills every detail of life. Hashem decided that a small amount of oil would burn for eight days. Oil does not burn on its own—it burns only because Hashem wills it to burn. He also made a small group of Jews defeat the mighty Greek army. The Greeks wanted us to believe that the world runs on autopilot, that everything happens naturally. Unfortunately, this belief still exists today. People see weather patterns and global warming, but they don't see Hashem behind every raindrop, every gust of wind, and every change in temperature. When someone loses a business deal, he sees the person who took it away, not Hashem. When someone gains a good opportunity, he credits the person who gave it, not Hashem. We must know with absolute clarity that no human being has any power to help or harm us. No one can use their free will to affect our lives unless Hashem decrees it. But because we are constantly involved in hishtadlut—searching for the best doctor, the best shadchan, the best deal—we easily become absorbed in the effort itself. We begin to believe that success comes from our actions or from the people we rely on, and we forget Who is truly running everything. The message of the Nerot Chanukah is that Hashem alone is behind it all. Someone who has not yet married off his children may still believe that shidduchim depend on shadchanim and networking. But someone who has already married off his children knows with absolute clarity and without the slightest doubt that HaKadosh Baruch Hu alone does everything. There are people who send their children to one yeshivah instead of another out of fear that it might, quote-unquote, "damage shidduchim." But what does that really mean? Hashem brings the shidduch, and He would never want us to do something that is not truly beneficial for our child. One of the clearest indicators of whether we truly believe in Hashem's control is the way we engage in hishtadlut. May we be zocheh to take the light of the Nerot Chanukah with us throughout the year—to move our emunah from our lips into our hearts—and to live with a deep, internalized belief in Hashem's absolute control over everything that happens.
The David Alliance TDAGiantSlayer@gmail.com Garth Heckman Expectations Craig Randall drives a garbage truck in Peabody, Massachusetts. in a garbage container one day, he noticed a Wendy's soft drink cup bearing a contest sticker. Having won a chicken sandwich the week before, Randall checked it, hoping for some french fries or a soft drink. Instead, he peeled a sticker worth $200,000 toward the construction of a new home, reports U.S. News and World Report (11/6/95). What we get out of life depends a lot on what we look for. Are we more likely to see each experience as trash or a potential treasure? Maybe you've played this game before… Look around and find everything green. Now close your eyes and tell me what is blue. **What are you looking for? Puppy watching is a life of expectation… is he going to chew my chair, poop on my chair, pee on my chair, jump from my chair… every move he makes is a move of expectation on my part. Christmas is a time of EXPECTATION Children expecting… waiting… knowing there will be presents under the tree. I used to get up Christmas morning at 4am! **have you lost that loving feeling… of expectation FAITH, HOPE, EXPECTATION Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith… you have faith that in the future you will get married and have a family. YOU GET MARRIED: You now hope to have a baby. YOU GET PREGNANT: you are expecting. There are signs/evidence you are pregnant. **Living in a state of signs… building expectation. Eager Anticipation of the Future Romans 8:19 (NIV): "For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.” FULLY REDEEMED. *(This highlights the intense, longing nature of the anticipation for the final redemption.) Earnest expectation--A single word in the Greek, and a very striking one. It means, literally, a straining forward with outstretched head, just as we might imagine the crowds outside a race-course straining over the ropes to catch a sight of the runners; an eager, intent expectation. The same word is used once again in the New Testament (Philippians 1:20). God expects us to expect! Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Expectation creates participation… Expectation creates participation in Gods plan Jesus reveals a principle here: If we truly expect God to act for us, we must be willing to let Him act through us. If I claim to trust God for provision, favor, and breakthrough, but refuse to be a vessel of those same things to others, then I am not operating in expectation—I am operating in self-interest. If my faith stops at “God, do for me,” but never reaches “God, flow through me,” then I am not trusting God—I am trusting my own control. Real faith doesn't just ask; it allows. Option 4: Illustrative and Relational The Golden Rule is not just about behavior—it's about belief. If I expect God to respond when I call, I must also be willing to respond when He calls on me. Faith that only receives but never releases isn't faith at all—it's spiritual entitlement. But when I allow God to use me for others, I demonstrate that I truly trust Him to take care of me. Expectation without participation in Gods plan is not faith. **Remember whatever you look for you see, you find- and you can enter into - expectation is looking through Gods spirit. VERSE 12 “For This Is the Law and the Prophets” This is massive. Jesus is saying: The entire Old Testament ethical vision Every command about justice, mercy, love, and holiness …can be summed up in this one relational principle. In other words: If you get this right, you are living out the heart of God's law. This aligns with Jesus' later words: “Love the Lord your God… and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt. 22:37–40)
In this episode we get to explore Greece through the eyes of beautiful ass*es and donkey's! Check out the visual on YouTube! The ladies spend Mother's Day in Greece and they were certainly acting like some Mutha's! And I enjoyed EVERY minute! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
From the Inside Out: With Rivkah Krinsky and Eda Schottenstein
Send us a textFinding Light in Darkness: A Chanukah Special with Esther SitbonIn this Chanukah episode of 'From The Inside Out with Rivkah Krinsky and Eda Schottenstein, we discuss the profound themes of light, purpose, and resilience in the face of darkness. Joined by special guest Esther Sitbon, founder and director of Lahaalot, the conversation delves into the challenges and emotional journeys that define their spiritual lives. The episode reflects on the impact of recent tragic events in Sydney and how the teachings of Chanukah can guide us through difficult times. Esther shares her personal journey of discovering her Jewish identity, the importance of Bitachon (trust in Hashem), and the transformative power of bringing light into the world. This inspiring discussion is dedicated to empowering women to elevate their consciousness and live meaningful, connected lives.EPISODE SPONSORSKOSHER TRAVELERSAs Jews around the world are starting to think about the upcoming Pesach, we're grateful to have Kosher Travelers as the sponsor of this episode and to spotlight their Pesach 2026 experience on the Greek island of Rhodes. This thoughtfully curated program combines authentic Yiddishkeit with a breathtaking Mediterranean setting, offering a warm, Chabad-friendly environment that feels soulful, personal, and deeply meaningful. The Rhodes program attracts a diverse, thoughtful crowd of families, couples, and individuals who value depth and quality, alongside an exceptional gourmet culinary experience, outstanding speakers, and engaging Yom Tov programming. One of the major advantages is peace of mind—multiple Sedarim, full Yom Tov coverage, and a strong kids and teen program allow guests to truly be present without the stress of Pesach preparation. With pricing based on double occupancy rather than per person, it also offers outstanding value, along with the kind of personal attention that makes you feel part of a community, not just a guest. To learn more about Pesach 2026 in Rhodes, and get their current special price of 12 nights for the price of 10, visit koshertravelers.com.View Kosher Travelers upcoming trips and learn more here: https://koshertravelers.com/GUEST BIOEsther Sitbon is a teacher, speaker, and community builder based in Miami, and the founder of OT (Orot Torah), a global platform dedicated to helping Jewish women reconnect to their inner light through Torah, trust, and purpose. With over 17 years of experience guiding women from diverse backgrounds, Esther is known for her warmth, depth, and ability to bridge spiritual wisdom with real life. Through her Torah classes, women's midrasha, podcast, and magazine, she empowers women to become lamplighters—revealing their own light and helping others do the same.Follow along with Esther and hear her message here: https://www.instagram.com/esther_sitbon/CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction to Purpose and Light01:31 Sydney Massacre and Chanukah Reflections05:35 This Pesach!08:51 Meet Esther Sitbon11:09 Esther's Journey and Mission15:38 Challenges and Trust in Hashem27:37COMMUNITYJoin the Community! Connect with us on socials to discuss Episode 101, share insights, and continue the conversations you want to have:
Looking for NFL picks and predictions for Week 16 action? We have you covered! We only have a handful of NFL Sunday betting slates left and today we have a loaded one! We discuss what the market moves have been, are ongoing and where can we take advantage to win our NFL bets!Join Ariel Epstein, Gianni the Greek, John Murray and Marco D'Angelo as they give their best picks and critical steam moves! Drop your questions in the chat to have them answered during the live stream!
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing Agencies
Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training What would you do if the merger you believed would change everything suddenly collapsed? Agency owners often dream of the big exit: the acquisition, the payday, the validation. But if you've been in this industry long enough, you know the story rarely goes as planned. Today's guest lived through the dot-com boom, a merger gone sideways, a rare "un-merger," and multiple reinventions across three decades. Today's featured guest is an agency owner who lived through the dot com boom, a merger gone sideways, an unmerger (a rare event), and multiple reinventions over three decades. He'll talk about his journey and the lessons he's gained in resilience, clarity, and what it means to build a business that lasts. Tom Snyder is the founder and CEO of Trivera, a Milwaukee-based agency that originally launched in 1996 under the name Website Solutions. He got his start back when tables ruled the web, Netscape Navigator was leading the browser war, and you had to explain to clients what the internet even was. Tom's agency grew quickly through the dot com boom, became part of an early multi-agency rollup, unmerged after the dot com crash, and later rebuilt itself around strategic services, recurring revenue, and emerging technologies. Thirty years later, he has seen nearly every high and low this industry can deliver and has the scars and wisdom to match. In this episode, we'll discuss: The roll up that seemed like a dream and the subsequent meltdown. The rare chance to unmerger. Learning to adapt to new technologies. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources This episode is brought to you by Wix Studio: If you're leveling up your team and your client experience, your site builder should keep up too. That's why successful agencies use Wix Studio — built to adapt the way your agency does: AI-powered site mapping, responsive design, flexible workflows, and scalable CMS tools so you spend less on plugins and more on growth. Ready to design faster and smarter? Go to wix.com/studio to get started. The Early Days of the Web: A Front Row Seat to Digital History Tom got into websites before most people even understood what a web browser was. He recalls visiting a friend in 1995 who showed him a website for a local jeweler. The fact that someone in Milwaukee could suddenly sell jewelry to anyone in the world blew his mind. That spark soon became Website Solutions, a one-man shop in his duplex basement that grew into a million-dollar agency within three years. These early days were defined by scrappiness. There were no WordPress installs, no Mailchimp, no Shopify. Agencies wrote their own CMS platforms, email tools, and ecommerce systems. For years, Trivera worked on project-based engagements. Sell a website. Build it. Launch it. Then hunt for the next one. It created a revenue roller coaster that made it hard to grow. Then the breakthrough came when someone asked a simple question: Why are you not offering annual retained services? Once they shifted the model, everything changed. Retainers gave them predictable cash flow, stability during downturns, and the ability to build deeper, longer-term partnerships. Inside the Dot-Com Boom and the Rollup That Promised Millions By the late nineties, agency rollups were happening everywhere. Big groups on the West Coast were buying smaller shops at high valuations, promising stock payouts that would multiply as the group grew. Tom's agency was acquired by one of these rollups. The offer was attractive: $1 million in stock with the expectation that it could balloon into ten million within a couple of years. For Tom, this was more than a payday. It felt like a way to secure better opportunities for his team. Higher salaries, better benefits, more resources. All the things agency owners often think a larger parent company can provide. But as the ink dried on the deal, the dot com crash hit. Internal battles erupted among the agency owners inside the rollup. Some wanted to scale fast and sell. Others were emotionally attached to their agencies and resisted change. As the economy collapsed, so did the plan. When an Agency Merger Falls Apart Tom describes the internal environment as chaos. Agencies within the rollup started blaming one another for the downturn. Some owners viewed Tom's Midwest operation as a weak link and argued it was a mistake to acquire them. Then came the breaking point. At a Las Vegas meeting that was supposed to chart a path forward, Tom learned that he would lose control of his agency. His wife, who served as CFO, would be dismissed. His team would report to another agency owner. This happened on September 10th. The next morning, as they sat in their hotel room trying to process what to do, the news broke that planes had hit the World Trade Center. The world changed, and so did their priorities. In that moment of clarity, they made the decision to walk away and unmerge. How a Rare Un-Merge Saved the Agency Unmerging from an agency rollup almost never happens. But because the rollup was already fracturing, the leadership was surprisingly open to it. They returned most of the shares, let Tom keep a small portion, and released the original agency name. From there, Tom and his wife rebuilt everything from scratch under a new identity. Although it felt like the right decision to make, they were still exiting what was still a financially stable operation to start from scratch, which was a scary but necessary step to take. They brainstormed names that felt Greek or Latin until they arrived at Trivera. The name itself was available only because the previous owner had just let the domain lapse. It felt like a small sign that starting over was the right move. This reset allowed Tom to build the agency the right way. No irrational exuberance, burn rates, or pressure to sell. Just strong culture, smart financial discipline, and an eye on durable business fundamentals. How Adapting to New Technology Helped Survive in Crisis After the dot com crash, new technologies created fresh opportunities. SEO, email marketing, mobile, and social opened new revenue streams that helped Trivera rebound each time the economy dipped. Tom noticed a pattern. Every downturn was followed by a brand new marketing wave that rewarded the agencies willing to embrace it early. One of the most pivotal moments came during the 2009 recession. The agency had lost clients, payroll was tight, and they needed a breakthrough. Everyone was asking about social media at the time, so Tom and his team built an event called Social Media University. They hustled for two months and ended up selling 400 tickets. The sales and sponsorship revenue kept their payroll alive and catapulted them into a new service category. Events like this do more than create revenue. They cement authority, give an agency a story in the market, and in Tom's case, it opened doors to new clients and positioned them for the next evolution of the agency. Letting Go of Comparison to Stay Focused on the Journey Despite the wins, Tom admits there were years he compared his agency to others and wondered why they scaled or sold faster, especially some that got the tools from his very social media event. It is easy to feel behind when you see competitors raising money, getting acquired, or shouting big revenue numbers. However, there's very little one can actually know about other agency's purchase deals. These stories are incomplete. You never know what the real terms were. You never know the headaches behind the scenes. And you definitely never know if they actually took money home. Success in the agency world is rarely a straight line. It is more often a messy, winding path filled with reinventions, hard conversations, and moments when you question everything. So agency owners struggling and watching others reach new milestones should remind themselves that longevity comes from resilience, not a perfect upward curve. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.
Sunday Service (12/14/25) // Revelation 12:1-6 (ESV) // The Woman and the Dragon 12 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule[a] all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.Footnotesa. Revelation 12:5 Greek shepherd#DanielBatarseh #Revelation #BookofRevelation #BibleStudy #mbchicago #mbcchicago #Bible #versebyverse #sermon #sermons #sermononline #bookofrevelation #bookofrevelations #revelation #revelations #newtestament #scripture #verses #lessons #church #chicago #livechurch #churchlive #chicagochurch #chicagochurches #prophecy #prophetic #jesus #jesuschrist #israel #jerusalemWebsite: https://mbchicago.org FOLLOW US Facebook: / mbc.chicago Instagram: / mbc.chicago TikTok: / mbc.chicago Podcasts: Listen on Apple, Spotify & others TO SUPPORT US Zelle to: info@mbchicago.org Web: https://mbchicago.org/give Venmo: https://venmo.com/mbchurch DAF Donations: https://every.org/mbc.chicago PayPal/Credit: https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_but...
Please hit Subscribe and Tell a friend about the show. Click here to go to our Facebook Page. https://www.facebook.com/222paranormal Click here to see Jen's book. https://a.co/d/0vhtMer Click here to see Joe's book. https://a.co/d/87lTeTk Click here to see Jens Poshmark Closet. https://poshmark.com/closet/happie22 Click here to see Joe's Poshmark closet. https://poshmark.com/closet/toledojoe In this chilling episode of the 222 Paranormal Podcast, Jen and Joe Shortridge journey into the shadowy edges of history to uncover some of the world's weirdest discoveries—finds so strange, so unsettling, that they blur the line between science, the supernatural, and the unknown. We begin with the Antikythera Mechanism, an ancient device pulled from a Greek shipwreck that behaves like a ghost in the archaeological record. This intricate system of gears could predict eclipses, planetary movements, and cosmic cycles thousands of years before such knowledge should have existed. Some believe its creators were guided by lost knowledge, celestial beings, or even spirits of ancient astronomers who understood the universe far better than we do today. Was this device a tool… or a message from a forgotten intelligence? Next, we explore the haunting mystery of the Atacama Humanoid, a tiny six-inch body discovered in the Chilean desert. With an elongated skull, unnerving facial features, and bones aged far beyond its size, this being has sparked whispers of alien hybrids, interdimensional entities, and spirits bound to the land. Locals in the Atacama have long spoken of "star people" and desert guardians—was this discovery physical proof of those legends, or something far more unsettling? From the desert, we descend into darkness at Lovelock Cave in Nevada, where ancient legends tell of red-haired giants known as the Si-Te-Cah. Oversized tools, massive footprints, and burned remains suggest a violent end to these towering beings. Paranormal researchers believe the cave may be spiritually charged, possibly haunted by the restless spirits of giants who perished in fire, leaving behind echoes that still linger in the stone. The mystery deepens with the Voynich Manuscript, a centuries-old book written in an unrecognizable language and filled with illustrations that feel more dreamlike than earthly. Some psychics claim the manuscript carries residual energy—that it was created through automatic writing or channeled knowledge from nonhuman sources. Is it a spellbook, a coded grimoire, or a guide meant for minds not yet ready to understand it? We then turn to modern mystery with the Montauk Monster, a bizarre creature that washed ashore near a location infamous for secret experiments and paranormal lore. Was this an undiscovered cryptid, a biological experiment gone wrong, or something that slipped through from another realm? Its sudden disappearance only adds to the fear that we weren't meant to examine it too closely. Throughout the episode, Jen and Joe also touch on other eerie discoveries—the Baghdad Battery, impossible maps, ancient tools trapped in stone—each one whispering the same chilling message: history is not what we've been told. Join us as we question reality, explore haunted discoveries, and uncover the unsettling truth that some things were never meant to be found. Discover the world of the supernatural with the 222 Paranormal Podcast, your ultimate source for spine-chilling tales and expert insights into the unknown. Each episode delves into a variety of paranormal phenomena, from ghostly hauntings and cryptid encounters to unexplained mysteries and psychic phenomena. Join us as we interview leading experts, investigate haunted locations, and share true stories that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Our podcast covers everything from the latest in ghost hunting technology to historical accounts of paranormal events. Whether you're a seasoned investigator or just fascinated by the supernatural, our content is designed to captivate and inform. Tune in to our Paranormal Podcast for engaging discussions, detailed investigations, and thought-provoking theories that challenge the boundaries of reality. We also offer practical tips for aspiring ghost hunters and reviews of essential paranormal equipment. Don't miss out on our exclusive episodes that explore the most haunted places and the most enigmatic phenomena. Subscribe now to stay updated with our latest content and join a community of paranormal enthusiasts eager to explore the mysteries of the beyond. Experience the thrill of the unknown with the 222 Paranormal Podcast today!
NB: Man, I so wanted to call this episode All Hail the Nuptial Fuck Chamber but out of respect for Elijah and his family, I gave it a nice title instead. Also, Chris followed up with an additional note: “Looking at (rather than just vaguely recalling) the bit from Catullus 62, the poem is amoebaean (the girls sing in answer to the boys). It opens with the boys claiming that the evening star, Venus, is shining over Olympus, understood as simply meaning that it's in the sky—that is, it is night, time for marriage (and consummation). The girls echo this claim, but they swap out Mount Oeta for Olympus, Oeta being close to Olympus and interchangeable with it. When Housman says that ‘the star from Oeta's steep / calls to bed but not to sleep,' I think he's just echoing this evocative, poeticizing way of saying ‘the ceremony's done, now it's time for fun.' Of course, if it is about MJ [Moses Jackson], the real emotion of the poem is in the speaker's self-abnegation, his giving the groom to the girl who loves him less than he does, his blessing on and defense of (hand on sword) the conjugal jollifications, and his own exclusion from bliss. But I wouldn't take any of the geography too literally! the main point is just that it's night time, and night time is the right time.” SLEERICKETS is a podcast about poetry and other intractable problems. My book Midlife now exists. Buy it here, or leave it a rating here or hereFor more SLEERICKETS, subscribe to SECRET SHOW, join the group chat, and send me a poem for Listener Crit!Leave the show a rating here (actually, just do it on your phone, it's easier). Thanks!Wear SLEERICKETS t-shirts and hoodies. They look good!SLEERICKETS is now on YouTube!For a frank, anonymous critique on SLEERICKETS, subscribe to the SECRET SHOW and send a poem of no more 25 lines to sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com Some of the topics mentioned in this episode:– Pre-order Brian's book The Optimists! It's so good!– Let me know if you'd like a review copy of my forthcoming chapbook The Soft Black Stars: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] com– Secret Show Ep 29. Eyes! Nose! Throat!– Musical Order and New Babel: on Apocalypse Dance by Ethan McGuire by D. W. Baker– Six of my poems at The New Stylus– Epithalamium by A. E. Housman– To my Comrade, Moses J. Jackson, Scoffer at my Scholarship by A. E. Housman, trans. A. E. Stallings– The Penguin Book of Greek and Latin Lyric Verse, trans. & ed. Christopher ChildersFrequently mentioned names:– Joshua Mehigan– Shane McCrae– A. E. Stallings– Ryan Wilson– Morri Creech– Austin Allen– Jonathan Farmer– Zara Raab– Amit Majmudar– Ethan McGuire– Coleman Glenn– Chris Childers– Alexis Sears– JP Gritton– Alex Pepple– Ernie Hilbert– Joanna Pearson– Matt Wall– Steve Knepper – Helena Feder– David YezziOther Ratbag Poetry Pods:Poetry Says by Alice AllanI Hate Matt Wall by Matt WallVersecraft by Elijah Perseus BlumovRatbag Poetics By David Jalal MotamedAlice: In Future PostsBrian: @BPlatzerCameron: Minor TiresiasMatthew: sleerickets [at] gmail [dot] comMusic by ETRNLArt by Daniel Alexander Smith
How can a baby be an "Everlasting Father?" In this message, Lead Pastor Jamie Nunnally shares about this name given to our Savior before His birth. The name Jesus in Hebrew is Yeshua (Joshua). Yeshua in Greek is Iēsoûs. Translated from Greek to English, it becomes Jesus.Joshua, Yeshua, Iēsoûs, and Jesus are the same name in different languages, all meaning "Yahweh is salvation.""Christ" comes from the Greek word Christos, meaning "anointed one." Christ is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Mashiach or "Messiah." It's not Jesus' last name—it's His title. In the end, it doesn't matter which language you use to call on the Savior; what matters is that you call on Him.Isaiah 9:6 tells us that His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.In Hebrew culture, names don't just identify a person; they declare purpose, describe ability, and reveal character. So why is a baby—who grows into a man with no natural-born children—called Everlasting Father?Everlasting means "from here on out." From this point forward, Jesus is the perfect and final representation of God the Father.Jesus made this clear in John 14: "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." He wasn't just a prophet bringing God's message—He was bringing God Himself to us.He said, "The Father and I are one" (John 10).Scripture declares that Christ is "the visible image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15) and "the exact imprint of his nature" (Hebrews 1:3).Five ways Jesus displayed the Father to us:A father protects. When danger came, Jesus stepped forward so His disciples could go free (John 18). Protection is love in action.A father provides. God meets your needs through your relationship with the Son (Philippians 4:19). Jesus didn't just preach to the 5,000—He fed them.A father is approachable. We come boldly to God's throne to receive mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16). In Christ, the throne room isn't a courtroom—it's a living room.A father disciplines. God's correction is proof that we belong to Him (Hebrews 12). Discipline is formative, not punitive—it's about who you are becoming.A father loves unconditionally. God loved us first and sent His Son because He is love (1 John 4).You may not have had a father in the home, but you have a Father in heaven who wants to be the Father of your heart.Humanity misunderstood God's heart, so God didn't shout louder from heaven—He translated Himself into flesh.Jesus is God, translated into our language.At Christmas, God didn't just send a message—He sent us one of us.Some of us believe in Jesus but still relate to God through fear or distance. Let God translate Himself through the Son. Receive Jesus as your Everlasting Father.Are you letting Jesus be your Everlasting Father?
Advent Love 2025 Mark 12:26-27 ESV 26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong." Mark 12:28-31 ESV 28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" 29 Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Galatians 5:22-23 ESV 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. John 13:34-35 ESV 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 8:48b ESV "Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?" Luke 6:27-28, 32, 35-36 ESV 27 "But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 32 "If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them… 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. John 3:16 ESV 16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 1 John 4:8 ESV 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love James 2:14-17 ESV 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Galatians 5:6 ESV 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. 1 John 3:16-18 ESV 16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. "Agape love is the greatest virtue of the Christian life. Yet that type of love was rare in pagan Greek literature. That's because the traits agape portrays—unselfishness, self-giving, willful devotion, concern for the welfare of others—were mostly disdained in ancient Greek culture as signs of weakness. However, the New Testament declares agape to be the character trait around which all others revolve. (MacArthur, J. The Power of Integrity : Building a Life Without Compromise, page 133. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books) 1 Corinthians 13:1-7, 13 NIV If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Here is your Disney News for Sunday, December 21st, 2025 - Disneyland Tokyo introduces a new nighttime spectacular "Tokyo Dreams," featuring pyrotechnics and projections on Cinderella Castle, highlighting the harmony between dreams and reality. - Disney's Animal Kingdom unveils "Wildlife Explorers," an interactive experience promoting conservation and wildlife protection, great for family engagement. - Disney Cruise Line reveals a 2026 Greek Isles itinerary including Santorini, Mykonos, and Athens, complemented by Greek-themed onboard activities. - Disney+ launches "Walt's Legacy: The Imagineering Story Continues," offering insights into the creation and innovation of Disney parks and attractions. Have a magical day and tune in again tomorrow for more updates.
Looking for college football, NFL & CBB picks and predictions for today? We have you covered! We have an absolutely loaded betting slate with College Football Playoffs, Eagles vs Commanders, Packers vs Bears & CBB on tap for today. We discuss what the market moves have been and where can we take advantage to win.Join Kelly Stewart, Gianni the Greek & Steve Merril as they give their best picks and critical steam moves! Drop your questions in the chat to have them answered during the live stream!
Before the Scientific Revolution, Western medicine was thought in terms of humors: cheerful people were sanguine and had a lot of blood, fiery cholerics had an excess of yellow bile, gloomy Melancholics had black bile, and mellow phlegmatics had phlegm of course. And the balancing of humors—hot and cold, wet and dry—was the key to a healthy life. It sounds medieval, it is, rooted in ancient Greeks, but we Catholics like medieval things, and some of us—especially Juan Domínguez, author: Knight, Monk, King, Prophet: A Christian Man's Guide to the Four Temperaments—has found wisdom in this way of thinking. And it's a way of thinking that we hear in some more conservative, or traditional, Catholic circles, so it's something I've been wondering about for some time. I've also been interesting in archetypes for since I first read Joseph Campbell and The Hero of a Thousand Faces many years ago. We also talk a bit about how one's role changes over time and also whether these models are applicable to women as well as men. I really enjoyed the conversation; I think you will too. Juan Domínguez's book, Knight, Monk, King, Prophet, on Amazon. Juan Domínguez: ‘Simple Men' on Substack. Juan's description of the book on Substack. Juan Domínguez with Steven Caswell on Missio Dei. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Send us a textWinter brings more than candles and carols; it brings a question about light, place, and purpose. We walk the Feast of Dedication in John 10 where Jesus moves through Solomon's Porch, then follow that light into the contested ground of the Temple Mount, the timing of October 7, and the long memory of names that tried to erase Israel. Jonathan Cahn's teaching draws a straight line from Hanukkah's rededication to today's headlines, showing how desecration targets sacred time and space—and why that same struggle shows up in our own hearts.We explore why Hanukkah is eight days by returning to the Feast of Tabernacles, not the later oil legend, and how reclaiming a missed holy day became an act of resistance. We trace how “Palestine” emerged from Philistia after the Bar Kokhba revolt and how Hadrian's renaming of Jerusalem echoed the Greek desecration tied to Zeus. Along the way, we connect Al-Aqsa, Operation naming, and the Temple Mount to a much older conflict over worship and identity. The thread continues through Revelation 12, where the dragon aims to devour before the promise is born. That preemptive tactic explains both ancient persecutions and modern campaigns—and it explains why your calling faces its fiercest pushback just before fruit appears.The most personal turn arrives when we remember that we are now the temple. Rededication is not seasonal; it is daily. Clearing idols looks like silencing hurry, shedding religious busywork, and letting Jesus reign from the center. If you're following God and the pressure spikes, read it as a signal, not a sentence: the enemy does not waste ammunition on empty futures. Pray, return to the Word, and rekindle first love. Light spreads from the center out, and even in the darkest season, a dedicated heart shines.If this resonates, subscribe and share it with someone who needs fresh courage. Leave a review with one insight you're acting on this week—what will you rededicate today?Support the showThank you for listening! Please help us by sharing this podcast with your friends and telling someone about what Jesus has done for you. If you would like to share your story, visit our website https://thepromoter.org/
We are told in 2 Timothy 3verses16 that "all Scripture has been breathed out by God". This includes the book of Revelation which is known in the Greek as 'the Apocalypse'. It was as its first verse tells us given to the Lord Jesus Christ by his Father who showed our Lord the matters "revealed" in that book. But having received those wonderful matters Jesus 'reveals' those matters via his angel through John the Apostle to all believers. In Revelation we have the only book in the Bible directly given to believers by the Lord Jesus Christ (1verses1) and encompassing blessings on the diligent readers (v3). It contains letters of advice in chapters 2-3 from the Lord which are portrayed in the opening vision of 1verses9-20,. Each of the seven ecclesias in Turkey are told what's wrong with their attitude, and also they receive commendation for their successes. The 7 letters all emphasise faithful works that are necessary to please our Father and His Son. These works are seen in the faithful lives of His children as they strive to walk to the Father's kingdom guided daily by the energy drawn from the love of the Father and His Son and given to us through the Word of the Almighty. From this amalgam of instructions, we are to be both warned and encouraged; in order for us to, like our Lord 'overcome' the world (2verses26-27) and so be blessed to inherit the Kingdom.Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow
Todaywe are continuing our study in Ephesians chapter 4, focusing specifically onverses 22 through 24. The Apostle Paul has been explaining that because we nowhave a new position in Christ as believers, we should no longer walk the way weonce did—or the way the Gentiles around us walk. In other words, the worldwalks one way, but we are called to walk differently. As believers in Christ,we should live differently, speak differently, and have a different attitude.Why? Because we are now in Christ. Paulexplains it this way in verse 22: We are to put off our former conduct—the oldman—which grows corrupt according to deceitful lusts. Then, in verse 23, we areto be renewed in the spirit of our minds. Finally, in verse 24, we are to puton the new man, which was created according to God in true righteousness andholiness. Whatdoes this mean? To put off the old man means that, as believers, weintentionally reject the sinful nature we inherited from Adam. The old self iscorrupted by deceitful desires, as Paul describes here in Ephesians. This isnot merely about changing bad habits; it is about our core identity beforeChrist. Prior to salvation, we were enslaved to sin. InColossians 3:1–11, Paul gives specific examples of the old life—immorality,greed, anger, and lying. These practices once defined us, but they lead tospiritual death and bring about God's wrath. Spiritually speaking, putting offthe old man is like taking off filthy clothes after a long, grimy day. It is adecisive act of faith. When we trusted Christ, our old self was crucified withHim. Paul teaches this clearly in Romans chapter 6. We do not reform the oldman—we put him off, because in God's eyes he is already dead. This truth bringsreal freedom as we choose righteousness. I encourage you to read Romans 6,because it reminds us that we are no longer enslaved to sin. We are now free tolive a righteous life as followers of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:11-18). Conversely,when we put off the old man, we are also called to put on the new man. Thismeans we actively embrace our new identity in Christ. The new self is createdin Christ's likeness and is renewed in mind, spirit, and life. Ephesians tellsus this new man is characterized by true righteousness and holiness. The bookof Colossians adds that this new self is renewed in the image of our Creator,where divisions such as race, background, or status fade away—because Christ isall and in all. As Paul says, “Where there is neither Greek nor Jew,circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christis all and in all.” (Colossians 3:9-11). Spiritually,putting off the old man is like taking off dirty clothes, and putting on thenew man is like being clothed with something entirely new. We do thisconsciously—daily, even moment by moment—remembering that Christ is our lifeand our all in all. When we practice this as we should, it becomes a lifestyleof godliness. As Brother Lawrence spoke of practicing the presence of God, wemight also say we are practicing holiness—choosing Christ over the flesh, overthe old ways. We choose to read the Word of God, to follow Him, to love Him, tolive for Him, and to witness for Him. Oh,my friend, when this becomes our reality, we are truly free—free to do what weought to do: to love the Lord and to live a life of holiness and righteousnessbefore Him. That is exactly what Paul is teaching us here: put off the old man,put on the new man, and live in freedom for the glory of God. MayGod bless you as you dedicate and consecrate your life to Him. As Romans 12:1–2reminds us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by therenewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable andperfect will of God.” Godbless!
John Granger Attempts to Convince Nick (and You!) That The Hallmarked Man will be Considered the Best of the Series.We review our take-away impressions from our initial reading of The Hallmarked Man. Although we enjoyed it, especially John's incredible prediction of Robin's ectopic pregnancy, neither of us came away thinking this was the finest book in the series. For Nick, this was a surprise, as enthusiastic J. K. Rowling fan that he is other than Career of Evil every book he has read has been his favourite. Using an innovative analysis of the character pairs surrounding both Cormoran and Robin, John argues that we can't really appreciate the artistry of book number eight until we consider its place in the series. Join John and Nick as they review the mysteries that remain to be resolved and how The Hallmarked Man sets readers up for shocking reveals in Strike 9 and 10!Why Troubled Blood is the Best Strike Novel:* The Pillar Post Collection of Troubled Blood Posts at HogwartsProfessor by John Granger, Elizabeth Baird-Hardy, Louise Freeman, Beatrice Groves, and Nick JefferyTroubled Blood and Faerie Queene: The Kanreki ConversationBut What If We Judge Strike Novels by a Different Standard than Shed Artifice? What About Setting Up the ‘Biggest Twist' in Detective Fiction History?* If Rowling is to be judged by the ‘shock' of the reveals in Strike 10, then The Hallmarked Man, the most disappointing book in the series even to many Serious Strikers, will almost certainly be remembered as the book that set up the finale with the greatest technical misdirection while playing fair.* The ending must be a shock, one that readers do not see coming, BUT* The author must provide the necessary clues and pointers repeatedly and emphatically lest the reader feel cheated at the point of revelation.* If the Big Mysteries of the series are to be solved with the necessary shock per both Russian Formalist and Perennialist understanding, then the answers to be revealed in the final two Strike novels, Books Two and Three of the finale trilogy, should be embedded in The Hallmarked Man.* Rowling on Playing Fair with Readers:The writer says that she wanted to extend the shelf of detective fiction without breaking it. “Part of the appeal and fascination of the genre is that it has clear rules. I'm intrigued by those rules and I like playing with them. Your detective should always lay out the information fairly for the reader, but he will always be ahead of the game. In terms of creating a character, I think Cormoran Strike conforms to certain universal rules but he is very much of this time.* On the Virtue of ‘Penetration' in Austen, Dickens, and Rowling* Rowling on the Big Twist' in Austen's Emma:“I have never set up a surprise ending in a Harry Potter book without knowing I can never, and will never, do it anywhere near as well as Austen did in Emma.”What are the Key Mysteries of the Strike series?Nancarrow FamilyWhy did Leda and Ted leave home in Cornwall as they did?Why did Ted and Joan not “save” Strike and Lucy?Was Leda murdered or did she commit suicide?If she was murdered, who dunit?If she commited suicide, why did she do it?What happened to Switch Whittaker?Cormoran StrikeIs Jonny Rokeby his biological father?What SIB case was he investigating when he was blown up?Was he the father of Charlotte's lost baby? If not, then who was?Why has he been so unstable in his relations with women post Charlotte Campbell?Charlotte CampbellWhy did her mother hate her so much?What was her relationship with her three step-fathers? Especially Dino LongcasterWho was the father of her lost child?Was the child intentionally aborted or was it a miscarriage?What was written in her “suicide note”?Was Charlotte murdered or did she commit suicide?If she was murdered, who done it?If she committed suicide, why did she do it?What happened to the billionaire lover?What clues do we get in Hallmarked Man that would answer these questions?- Strike 8 - Greatest Hits of Strikes 1-7: compilation, concentration of perumbration in series as whole* Decima/Lion - incest* Rupert's biological father not his father of record (Dino)* Sacha Legard a liar with secrets* Ryan Murphy working a plan off-stage - Charlotte's long gameStrike about ‘Pairings' in Lethal WhiteStrike continued to pore over the list of names as though he might suddenly see something emerging out of his dense, spiky handwriting, the way unfocused eyes may spot the 3D image hidden in a series of brightly colored dots. All that occurred to him, however, was the fact that there was an unusual number of pairs connected to Chiswell's death: couples—Geraint and Della, Jimmy and Flick; pairs of full siblings—Izzy and Fizzy, Jimmy and Billy; the duo of blackmailing collaborators—Jimmy and Geraint; and the subsets of each blackmailer and his deputy—Flick and Aamir. There was even the quasi-parental pairing of Della and Aamir. This left two people who formed a pair in being isolated within the otherwise close-knit family: the widowed Kinvara and Raphael, the unsatisfactory, outsider son.Strike tapped his pen unconsciously against the notebook, thinking. Pairs. The whole business had begun with a pair of crimes: Chiswell's blackmail and Billy's allegation of infanticide. He had been trying to find the connection between them from the start, unable to believe that they could be entirely separate cases, even if on the face of it their only link was in the blood tie between the Knight brothers.Part Two, Chapter 52Key Relationship Pairings in Cormoran Strike:Who Killed Leda Strike?To Rowling-Galbraith's credit, credible arguments in dedicated posts have been made that every person in the list below was the one who murdered Leda Strike. Who do you think did it?* Jonny Rokeby and the Harringay Crime Syndicate (Heroin Dark Lord 2.0),* Ted Nancarrow (Uncle Ted Did It),* Dave Polworth,* Leda Strike (!),* Lucy Fantoni (Lucy and Joan Did It and here),* Sir Randolph Whittaker,* Nick Herbert,* Peter Gillespie, and* Charlotte Campbell-RossScripted Ten Questions:1. So, Nick, back when we first read Hallmarked Man we said that there were four things we knew for sure would be said about Strike 8 in the future. Do you remember what they were?2. And, John, you've been thinking about the ‘Set-Up' idea and how future Rowling Readers will think of Hallmarked Man, even that they will think of it as the best Strike novel. I thought that was Troubled Blood by consensus. What's made you change your mind?3. So, Nick, yes, Troubled Blood I suspect will be ranked as the best of series, even best book written by Rowling ever, but, if looked at as the book that served the most critical place in setting up the finale, I think Hallmarked Man has to be considered better in that crucial way than Strike 5, better than any Strike novel. Can you think of another Strike mystery that reviews specific plot points and raises new aspects of characters and relationships the way Strike 8 does?4. Are you giving Hallmarked Man a specific function with respect to the last three books than any of the others? If so, John, what is that exactly and what evidence do we have that in Rowling's comments about reader-writer obligations and writer ambitions?5. Nick, I think Hallmarked Man sets us up to answer the Key mysteries that remain, that the first seven books left for the final three to answer. I'm going to organize those unresolved questions into three groups and challenge you to think of the ones I'm missing, especially if I'm missing a category.6. If I understand the intention of your listing these remaining questions, John, your saying that the restatement of specific plot points and characters from the first seven Strike novels in Hallmarked Man points to the possible, even probable answers to those questions. What specifically are the hallmarks in this respect of Hallmarked Man?7. If you take those four points, Nick, and revisit the mysteries lists in three categories, do you see how Rowling hits a fairness point with respect to clueing readers into what will no doubt be shocking answers to them if they're not looking for the set-ups?8. That's fun, Nick, but there's another way at reaching the same conclusions, namely, charting the key relationships of Strike and Ellacott to the key family, friends, and foes in their lives and how they run in pairs or parallel couplets (cue PPoint slides).9. Can we review incest and violence against or trafficking of young women in the Strike series? Are those the underpinning of the majority of the mysteries that remain in the books?10. Many Serious Strikers and Gonzo Galbraithians hated Striuke 8 because Hallmarked Man failed to meet expectations. In conclusion, do you think, Nick, that this argument that the most recent Strike-Ellacott adventure is the best because of how it sets us up for the wild finish to come will be persuasive -- or just annoying?On Imagination as Transpersonal Faculty and Non-Liturgical Sacred ArtThe Neo-Iconoclasm of Film (and Other Screened Adaptations): Justin requested within his question for an expansion of my allusion to story adaptations into screened media as a “neo-iconoclasm.” I can do that here briefly in two parts. First, by urging you to read my review of the first Hunger Games movie adaptation, ‘Gamesmakers Hijack Story: Capitol Wins Again,' in which I discussed at post's end how ‘Watching Movies is a a Near Sure Means to Being Hijacked by Movie Makers.' In that, I explain via an excerpt from Jerry Mander's Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television, the soul corrosive effects of screened images.Second, here is a brief introduction to the substance of the book I am working on.Rowling is a woman of profound contradictions. On the one hand, like all of us she is the walking incarnation of her Freudian family romance per Paglia, the ideas and blindspots of the age in which we live, with the peculiar individual prejudices and preferences and politics of her upbringing, education, and life experiences, especially the experiences we can call crises and consequent core beliefs, aversions, and desires. Rowling acknowledges all this, and, due to her CBT exercises and one assumes further talking therapy, she is more conscious of the elephant she is riding and pretending to steer than most of her readers.She points to this both in asides she make in her tweets and public comments but also in her descriptive metaphor of how she writes. The ‘Lake' of that metaphor, the alocal place within her from her story ideas and inspiration spring, is her “muse,” the word for superconscious rather than subconscious ideas that she used in her 2007 de la Cruz interview. She consciously recognizes that, despite her deliberate reflection on her PTSD, daddy drama, and idiosyncratic likes and dislikes, she still has unresolved issues that her non-conscious mind presents to her as story conflict for imaginative resolution.Her Lake is her persona well, the depths of her individual identity and a mask she wears.The Shed, in contrast, is the metaphorical place where Rowling takes the “stuff” given her by the creature in her Lake, the blobs of molten glass inspiration, to work it into proper story. The tools in this Shed are unusual, to say the least, and are the great markers of what makes Rowling unique among contemporary writers and a departure from, close to a contradiction of the artist you would expect to be born of her life experiences, formative crises, and education.Out of a cauldron potion made from listening to the Smiths, Siouxie and the Banshees, and The Clash, reading and loving Val McDermid, Roddy Doyle, and Jessica Mitford, and surviving a lower middle class upbringing with an emotionally barren homelife and Comprehensive education on the England-Wales border, you'd expect a Voldemort figure at Goblet of Fire's climax to rise rather than a writer who weaves archetypally rich myths of the soul's journey to perfection in the spirit with alchemical coloring and sequences, ornate chiastic structures, and a bevy of symbols visible only to the eye of the Heart.To understand Rowling, as she all but says in her Lake and Shed metaphor, one has to know her life story and experiences to “get” from where her inspiration bubbles up and, as important, you need a strong grasp of the traditionalist worldview and place of literature in it to appreciate the power of the tools she uses, especially how she uses them in combination.The biggest part of that is understanding the Perennialist definition of “Sacred Art.” I touched on this in a post about Rowling's beloved Christmas story, ‘Dante, Sacred Art, and The Christmas Pig.'Rowling has been publicly modest about the aims of her work, allowing that it would be nice to think that readers will be more empathetic after reading her imaginative fiction. Dante was anything but modest or secretive in sharing his self-understanding in the letter he wrote to Cangrande about The Divine Comedy: “The purpose of the whole work is to remove those living in this life from the state of wretchedness and to lead them to the state of blessedness.” His aim, point blank, was to create a work of sacred art, a category of writing and experience that largely exists outside our understanding as profane postmoderns, but, given Rowling's esoteric artistry and clear debts to Dante, deserves serious consideration as what she is writing as well.Sacred art, in brief, is representational work — painting, statuary, liturgical vessels and instruments, and the folk art of theocentric cultures in which even cutlery and furniture are means to reflection and transcendence of the world — that employ revealed forms and symbols to bring the noetic faculty or heart into contact with the supra-sensible realities each depicts. It is not synonymous with religious art; most of the art today that has a religious subject is naturalist and sentimental rather than noetic and iconographic, which is to say, contemporary artists imitate the creation of God as perceived by human senses rather than the operation of God in creation or, worse, create abstractions of their own internally or infernally generated ideas.Story as sacred art, in black to white contrast, is edifying literature and drama in which the soul's journey to spiritual perfection is portrayed for the reader or the audience's participation within for transformation from wretchedness to blessedness, as Dante said. As with the plastic arts, these stories employ traditional symbols of the revealed traditions in conformity with their understanding of cosmology, soteriology, and spiritual anthropology. The myths and folklore of the world's various traditions, ancient Greek drama, the epic poetry of Greece, Rome, and Medieval Europe, the parables of Christ, the plays of Shakespeare's later period, and the English high fantasy tradition from Coleridge to the Inklings speak this same symbolic language and relay the psychomachia experience of the human victory over death.Dante is a sacred artist of this type. As difficult as it may be to understand Rowling as a writer akin to Dante, Shakespeare, Homer, Virgil, Aeschylus, Spenser, Lewis, and Tolkien, her deployment of traditional symbolism and the success she enjoys almost uniquely in engaging and edifying readers of all ages, beliefs, and circumstances suggests this is the best way of understanding her work. Christmas Pig is the most obviously sacred art piece that Rowling has created to date. It is the marriage of Dantean depths and the Estecean lightness of Lewis Carroll's Alice books, about which more later.[For an introduction to reading poems, plays, and stories as sacred art, that is, allegorical depictions of the soul's journey to spiritual perfection that are rich in traditional symbolism, Ray Livingston's The Traditional Theory of Literature is the only book length text in print. Kenneth Oldmeadow's ‘Symbolism and Sacred Art' in his Traditionalism: Religion in the light of the Perennial Philosophy(102-113), ‘Traditional Art' in The Essential Seyyed Hossein Nasr(203-214), and ‘The Christian and Oriental, or True Philosophy of Art' in The Essential Ananda K. Coomaraswamy(123-152) explain in depth the distinctions between sacred and religious, natural, and humanist art. Martin Lings' The Sacred Art of Shakespeare: To Take Upon Us the Mystery of Things and Jennifer Doane Upton's two books on The Divine Comedy, Dark Way to Paradise and The Ordeal of Mercy are the best examples I know of reading specific works of literature as sacred art rather than as ‘stories with symbolic meaning' read through a profane and analytic lens.]‘Profane Art' from this view is “art for art's sake,” an expression of individual genius and subjective meaning that is more or less powerful. The Perennialist concern with art is less about gauging an artist's success in expressing his or her perception or its audience's response than with its conformity to traditional rules and its utility, both in the sense of practical everyday use and in being a means by which to be more human. Insofar as a work of art is good with respect to this conformity and edifying utility, it is “sacred art;” so much as it fails, it is “profane.” The best of modern art, even that with religious subject matter or superficially beautiful and in that respect edifying, is from this view necessarily profane.Sacred art differs from modern and postmodern conceptions of art most specifically, though, in what it is representing. Sacred art is not representing the natural world as the senses perceive it or abstractions of what the individual and subjective mind “sees,” but is an imitation of the Divine art of creation. The artist “therefore imitates nature not in its external forms but in its manner of operation as asserted so categorically by St. Thomas Aquinas [who] insists that the artist must not imitate nature but must be accomplished in ‘imitating nature in her manner of operation'” (Nasr 2007, 206, cf. “Art is the imitation of Nature in her manner of operation: Art is the principle of manufacture” (Summa Theologia Q. 117, a. I). Schuon described naturalist art which imitates God's creation in nature by faithful depiction of it, consequently, as “clearly luciferian.” “Man must imitate the creative act, not the thing created,” Aquinas' “manner of operation” rather than God's operation manifested in created things in order to produce ‘creations'which are not would-be duplications of those of God, but rather a reflection of them according to a real analogy, revealing the transcendental aspect of things; and this revelation is the only sufficient reason of art, apart from any practical uses such and such objects may serve. There is here a metaphysical inversion of relation [the inverse analogy connecting the principial and manifested orders in consequence of which the highest realities are manifested in their remotest reflections[1]]: for God, His creature is a reflection or an ‘exteriorized' aspect of Himself; for the artist, on the contrary, the work is a reflection of an inner reality of which he himself is only an outward aspect; God creates His own image, while man, so to speak, fashions his own essence, at least symbolically. On the principial plane, the inner manifests the outer, but on the manifested plane, the outer fashions the inner (Schuon 1953, 81, 96).The traditional artist, then, in imitation of God's “exteriorizing” His interior Logos in the manifested space-time plane, that is, nature, instead of depicting imitations of nature in his craft, submits to creating within the revealed forms of his craft, which forms qua intellections correspond to his inner essence or logos.[2] The work produced in imitation of God's “manner of operation” then resembles the symbolic or iconographic quality of everything existent in being a transparency whose allegorical and anagogical content within its traditional forms is relatively easy to access and a consequent support and edifying shock-reminder to man on his spiritual journey. The spiritual function of art is that “it exteriorizes truths and beauties in view of our interiorization… or simply, so that the human soul might, through given phenomena, make contact with the heavenly archetypes, and thereby with its own archetype” (Schuon 1995a, 45-46).Rowling in her novels, crafted with tools all taken from the chest of a traditional Sacred Artist, is writing non-liturgical Sacred Art. Films and all the story experiences derived of adaptations of imaginative literature to screened images, are by necessity Profane Art, which is to say per the meaning of “profane,” outside the temple or not edifying spiritually. Film making is the depiction of how human beings encounter the time-space world through the senses, not an imitation of how God creates and a depiction of the spiritual aspect of the world, a liminal point of entry to its spiritual dimension. Whence my describing it as a “neo-iconoclasm.”The original iconoclasts or “icon bashers” were believers who treasured sacred art but did not believe it could use images of what is divine without necessarily being blasphemous; after the incarnation of God as Man, this was no longer true, but traditional Christian iconography is anything but naturalistic. It could not be without becoming subjective and profane rather than being a means to spiritual growth and encounters. Western religious art from the Renaissance and Reformation forward, however, embraces profane imitation of the sense perceived world, which is to say naturalistic and as such the antithesis of sacred art. Film making, on religious and non-religious subjects, is the apogee of this profane art which is a denial of any and all of the parameters of Sacred art per Aquinas, traditional civilizations, and the Perennialists.It is a neo-iconoclasm and a much more pervasive and successful destruction of the traditional world-view, so much so that to even point out the profanity inherent to film making is to insure dismissal as some kind of “fundamentalist,” “Puritan,” or “religious fanatic.”Screened images, then, are a type of iconoclasm, albeit the inverse and much more subtle kind than the relatively traditional and theocentric denial of sacred images (the iconoclasm still prevalent in certain Reform Church cults, Judaism, and Islam). This neo-iconoclasm of moving pictures depicts everything in realistic, life-like images, everything, that is, except the sacred which cannot be depicted as we see and experience things. This exclusion of the sacred turns upside down the anti-naturalistic depictions of sacred persons and events in iconography and sacred art. The effect of this flood of natural pictures akin to what we see with our eyes is to compel the flooded mind to accept time and space created nature as the ‘most real,' even ‘the only real.' The sacred, by never being depicted in conformity with accepted supernatural forms, is effectively denied.Few of us spend much time in live drama theaters today. Everyone watches screened images on cineplex screens, home computers, and smart phones. And we are all, consequently, iconoclasts and de facto agnostics, I'm afraid, to greater and lesser degrees because of this immersion and repetitive learning from the predominant art of our secular culture and its implicit atheism.Contrast that with the imaginative experience of a novel that is not pornographic or primarily a vehicle of perversion and violence. We are obliged to generate images of the story in the transpersonal faculty within each of us called the imagination, one I think that is very much akin to conscience or the biblical ‘heart.' This is in essence an edifying exercise, unlike viewing photographic images on screens. That the novel appears at the dawn of the Modern Age and the beginning of the end of Western corporate spirituality, I think is no accident but a providential advent. Moving pictures, the de facto regime artistry of the materialist civilization in which we live, are the counter-blow to the novel's spiritual oxygen.That's the best I can manage tonight to offer something to Justin in response to more about the “neo-iconoclasm” of film This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe
Study session scripture: Romans 2:1-11Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.Study session topics:The unrighteousness of the JewsNone of us has room to judge the unrighteousness of anotherThis does not mean we must be silent in the face of sin, but that we must point to God's judgment rather than our ownWe will all stand before God as righteous judgeGod's current leniency is not an excuse to keep living as you do, but an opportunity to heed His call to repentance God will judge us all according to our worksStudy session audio:
Before the Scientific Revolution, Western medicine was thought in terms of humors: cheerful people were sanguine and had a lot of blood, fiery cholerics had an excess of yellow bile, gloomy Melancholics had black bile, and mellow phlegmatics had phlegm of course. And the balancing of humors—hot and cold, wet and dry—was the key to a healthy life. It sounds medieval, it is, rooted in ancient Greeks, but we Catholics like medieval things, and some of us—especially Juan Domínguez, author: Knight, Monk, King, Prophet: A Christian Man's Guide to the Four Temperaments—has found wisdom in this way of thinking. And it's a way of thinking that we hear in some more conservative, or traditional, Catholic circles, so it's something I've been wondering about for some time. I've also been interesting in archetypes for since I first read Joseph Campbell and The Hero of a Thousand Faces many years ago. We also talk a bit about how one's role changes over time and also whether these models are applicable to women as well as men. I really enjoyed the conversation; I think you will too. Juan Domínguez's book, Knight, Monk, King, Prophet, on Amazon. Juan Domínguez: ‘Simple Men' on Substack. Juan's description of the book on Substack. Juan Domínguez with Steven Caswell on Missio Dei. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Whilst many of us are decking the halls and merrily celebrating, spare a thought for those who suffer from Christougenniatikophobia. Literally translated from Greek means Christ-related-birth-fear i.e., a phobia of Christmas. Is it a real phobia? Not really. Dougal Sutherland of Umbrella Wellbeing talked to Jack Tame about the discomfort and anxiety that surrounds Christmas for some people. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Before the Scientific Revolution, Western medicine was thought in terms of humors: cheerful people were sanguine and had a lot of blood, fiery cholerics had an excess of yellow bile, gloomy Melancholics had black bile, and mellow phlegmatics had phlegm of course. And the balancing of humors—hot and cold, wet and dry—was the key to a healthy life. It sounds medieval, it is, rooted in ancient Greeks, but we Catholics like medieval things, and some of us—especially Juan Domínguez, author: Knight, Monk, King, Prophet: A Christian Man's Guide to the Four Temperaments—has found wisdom in this way of thinking. And it's a way of thinking that we hear in some more conservative, or traditional, Catholic circles, so it's something I've been wondering about for some time. I've also been interesting in archetypes for since I first read Joseph Campbell and The Hero of a Thousand Faces many years ago. We also talk a bit about how one's role changes over time and also whether these models are applicable to women as well as men. I really enjoyed the conversation; I think you will too. Juan Domínguez's book, Knight, Monk, King, Prophet, on Amazon. Juan Domínguez: ‘Simple Men' on Substack. Juan's description of the book on Substack. Juan Domínguez with Steven Caswell on Missio Dei. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies
A Holiday Haunting: Part 4 A unique relationship paradigm. Based on a post by zeon 67. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels. He had asked Erin what kind of food she wanted to try, and she said something new, with lots of flavor. Walking into the orange glow of the Thai restaurant and getting the scent of the food, Jack knew he had picked the right place. Erin looked so excited, her eyes darting to every plate as they got seated. "So, Siam is now Thailand?" Erin asked as soon as the waiter poured the waters and left the menus. "Yeah." Jack nodded. "I'm sorry, but I have to ask; are you okay?" "What? Why?" She lowered the menu, and her eyes widened. "Just want to make sure that you're not gonna fall asleep on me." Erin smiled and said, "I'm getting my eight hours. Can you help me with this menu?" Jack leaned over and tried his best to explain everything to Erin. He remembered her telling him that the food she used to eat in the 1880s was bland and boring. He got the idea she wanted something spicy but didn't want to scare her. He suggested Pad Thai, and picked something hotter for himself, a couple of appetizers and wine. "So, what did you do all day?" Erin asked as soon as they were alone again. "Nothing really. Replied to some emails, watched TV with my sisters, argued with my parents about politics ; a typical holiday." "What would you be doing if you were back in Boston?" "Don't know. Maybe watch basketball, gym, go on the PlayStation, hit a couple of bars with friends." "PlayStation ; that's the machine that you can play computer cartoons." "Close enough," Jack smiled, "What about you? How did you used to spend your free time?" "Working for the Franklins took up most of my time. I would be in that house for hours, sometimes the whole day. Any time I had to myself, I'd read or maybe go for a walk. Not really that entertaining. But now I can't wait to experience new things." "I know, I saw your list. What about today?" "Me and Lucy watched more movies. We watched some ones with a lot of action, which was terrifying. But I got through it." Jack wanted to quickly interject and ask what film that she saw, but let her carry on. "I tried to use Lucy's computer. But it was so hard and nothing worked. It looked so easier when you were using yours. I kept on forgetting about the Start button." "And I got this." Erin reached into her jacket pocket and showed Jack a red cellphone. It looked a little small compared to most modern phones and had some scratches around the sides. "I got from a store nearby and a prepaid plan. We can talk to each other now." "That's awesome," Jack said. He knew that there was something that he had forgotten to do for Erin. "Lucy helped me take a couple of selfies. I guess that's what girls like me do now. I created a Spotify account and I'm trying to find my taste in music. But I'm not joining Instagram or Facebook yet. Lucy said it's too early." "Yeah." Jack nodded, thinking if he should tell her the horror stories of social media. "Also, I know Beth is going to be trawling for your account and will immediately follow you." The food then arrived, and Erin's attention was drawn instantly to the plate set in front of her. Jack watched her, a mix of confusion and excitement at the various plates. He should probably try to explain everything. "These are the appetizers, that's pork gyozas ; dough wrapped around a filling. Those are chicken satays ; grilled chicken with sauce." Erin pointed to her dish and asked, "And I ordered; ?" "Pad Thai. A typical Thai dish ; everyone should try it at least once. I got drunken noodles, there are hotter." Erin reached for a chopstick; her fingers and thumbs fumbled around the utensil. But to Jack's surprise, she got used to quickly them and tried everything in front of them. Seeing her face light up with every bite, he just grinned, like he was enjoying the food through her. "This all tastes amazing. So many spices and different flavors." "I thought food was better back in your time. Fresher, no chemicals or hormones." "Maybe. But we just boiled everything. And there was no taste." Jack carefully ate his noodles, making sure not to make a mess as he listened to Erin. She talked more about her plans; she was thinking about starting yoga. He didn't see it in Lucy's apartment but now could tell she was wearing makeup and looked even better. Her eyeliner made her green eyes pop, and she had a bold shade on her lips, making it so enticing. He needed to be alone with her. Erin caught him staring and smiled. She then said, "Me and Lucy were talking. And I think we got a story I can tell people." "Okay." "We got this idea after watching a true crime television show ; Lucy loves those. So, I tell people I came from Ireland but I moved here when I was twelve. I lived with a very religious aunt and uncle. The Franklins. We lived away from other people and had a simple life." "So, you were in a fundamentalist sect?" "Yes. I didn't have a TV, no internet or modern music. I only interacted with the Franklins and other people in the community." "Okay. But why did you leave?" "The Franklins died." "And what happened between then and now?" Erin paused, looking like she was thinking of an answer. She took a sip of wine and said, "After I decided to leave, I travel to Boston and stay there, for some time? But; but it's too expensive and I meet Lucy and she lets me stay with her. I then meet you and; you know?" "That's perfect." After finishing their food, Jack ordered more wine and asked Erin what she thought about the meal. "I loved it." Erin said, wiping her lips with the napkin. "I always wanted to try something like this. Before I left Boston, there was this Chinese neighborhood. Just walking pass, I would be enticed by the aroma. But I could never walk into the neighborhood." He asked why but saw Erin go quiet and look nervous. It took Jack a moment before he understood, going to a Chinese block would be a major no-no for a white woman in 1890s Boston. "I lived in what is now called South End. Then it was a mix of Irish, Lebanese, Jewish, African-American, Greek. It was okay to speak with them and visit their stores. But the Chinese was a different story. I never understood why." "Do you miss Boston?" "Yes. When I arrived in the city, after weeks on that boat, I couldn't believe such a place could exist. So big, so many people. Visiting the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, getting lost in alleys exploring the city, having picnics at the Common." Looking at her, Jack thought about asking her something that he had been on his mind for a while. "Do you want to come to Boston with me?" "I would like that." They both leaned over the table and kissed, just a quick peck. But they stared in each other's eyes, a tension rapidly developing between them. Jack thought about asking about dessert, there was the Chocolate Bar a couple of blocks away, or that they go for another drink. But watching Erin, it felt she wanted to be alone with him. "Lucy told me something," Erin said in a hushed tone. "She will be working late and will be spending the night at a friend's." Jack nodded and flagged down the waiter. A human Copulation. "Lucy!" Erin called out as soon as they opened the door. Hearing no response, she turned and faced Jack. They both shared knowing smirks and quickly kissed. Erin moaned in his mouth as the kiss grew more lustful. She pressed herself against him and wrapped an arm around his neck. Erin wanted to feel closer to him. Jack loved every moment; having a gorgeous girlfriend draped over him would make any man ecstatic. Erin then took his hand and pulled it down to her ass. It was amazing how much she had changed in the last couple of days; the modest, sexually-na ve girl from the nineteenth century had disappeared. Erin moaned again as Jack cupped her ass. She broke their kiss and tilted her head towards Lucy's bedroom, Erin's green eyes sparkling as she grinned at him. Jack let her take the lead, pulling him into the bedroom. Erin slammed the door shut and quickly went to work on undressing Jack. She clumsily tried to unbutton his shirt but got nowhere and groaned. "You're wearing too many layers," Erin said, flashing him a half-smile. He pushed her back and immediately corrected his dress code. His jeans and the rest of his clothes then fell to the floor, and Jack then wrapped his arms back around her, kissing Erin's neck as he tugged on the zip. Her dress loosened, and Erin effortlessly slipped out of it, revealing her perky tits clad in a black bra. He didn't do it on purpose, but Jack moaned at the sight of her. How could he not? Erin stood in front of him wearing a black lace bra that just covered her bust, revealing a hint of her areolas. Below, she wore a matching lace thong. Super fucking sexy. Looking up, Erin had this smug smile on her face; she knew the effect she was having on Jack. She swayed her hips as she moved to him; Jack stayed slack-jawed as Erin pushed on the bed and straddled him. She lowered her head, and they resumed fervently kissing, writhing together. Jack reached around and unclasped her bra. Erin shimmied her body and slipped her hands out, tossing her bra away. Jack instantly grasped her free tits, enjoying the feeling of the soft flesh in his palm. Their lips still locked, he gently squeezed them, his thumb teasing her sensitive nipples. Erin responded by moaning into his mouth, egging him on. Jack pinched and pulled her erect bud, eliciting more moans from Erin. It got too much for her, and Erin pulled back. "Jack, I; I need you; inside me," she said, breathless. She rolled off him and got on all fours. There was something perverse in being fucked like an animal; Erin really wanted to feel that way again. She shuddered as she felt Jack's lips brush down her back as he carefully pulled down her panties, biting her lip and burning in anticipation. He slipped his hand between her thighs and found a very wet pussy. Erin trembled at his touch and moaned again. She begged for more and was ecstatic at having her cunt be invaded by Jack's finger. He then slid another one in, pushing them into her pussy. She gritted her teeth and hummed. Jack pulled his hand back, disappointing his panting girlfriend. His fingers oozed with her slick juices; shit, she's horny. He pressed his tip on the wet folds of her pussy and waited for a moan. Erin shook her head and whimpered as he thrust his cock in one slow push. "Oh yes;" Erin whispered, rolling her back and letting out another moan. Shuddering, her cunt muscles welcomed his cock, tightening around the shaft. Erin felt his hands on her ass, squeezing her cheeks as Jack slowly fucked, in long, gentle movements. It was just like being in the Franklin's bed, Erin going through the same electric sensations and loving every second of it. Erin threw her ass back, demanding his cock faster and harder. " more, more, more," she whimpered, matching his rhythm. Hearing her moans, Jack pumped his cock harder, watching his girlfriend's ass shake with every thrust. She pleaded for more and faster Jack went, pounding his cock. He loved how loud she was being. It was such an intensely erotic feeling, having a gorgeous woman cry for your cock. It urged him on, and the bedroom echoed with the sounds of their flesh slapping. Erin slammed her head on the pillow, stifling her cries as her body tightened, edging closer. She pressed down on the mattress and lifted her chest up, arching her back. Her right hand went for her left tit, clamping her fingertips around her erect nipple. While she pinched and pulled, her left hand slipped between her legs and found her engorged clit. "Oh; CHRIST!" She screamed. Erin dropped her mouth wide open, her limbs twitching as she hurtled to an incredible and intense climax. She inhaled sharply, gritted her teeth, close, so very close. Jack stopped and went still. He wrapped his arms around her waist and slammed his cock in slow, hard thrusts. It was too much for her. Erin shrieked, and her whole body shuddered; her fingers gripped the sheets, and her eyes rolled back into her skull, riding out an earth-shattering orgasm. "Oh; that felt good," Erin whispered, coming in down. Jack fell back, hitting the headboard. That was something. His still-hard cock slid out of Erin's drenched cunt. His throbbing shaft dripped with her slick juices. Taking a couple of deep breaths, his eyes focused on Erin and he used every ounce of willpower not to cum. She had this small, content smile on her face that looked so cute and yet very sexy. She grinned back at him, knowing what he was thinking. Her eyes drifted down to his glistening cock, and her smile went wider. She instantly regained her composure, getting on her back. Their eyes met again, and Erin wiped the sweat from her forehead before cupping her tits. Biting her lip, she pinched her nipples and spread her legs, eager for his cock, "Please." Jack quickly responded, shuffling forward with his cock in his hand. He leaned over her, feeling the heat from Erin's post-orgasmic glow. His throbbing tip brushed up against the soaked openings of her pussy. He rested his hands by her waist; she felt warm and slowly pushed his cock back in. Erin groaned and exhaled, her body vibrating, enjoying the incredibly fulfilling sensation of having Jack's cock back inside her. Intense heat rippled out from her cunt; her pussy muscles kneaded his pulsing shaft. Erin looked up at him, her eyes filled with lust and love. "Oh, yes;" Erin moaned as Jack bottomed out. She then wrapped her hand around his neck, pulling him down; Erin needed to kiss him again. The mouths instantly parted, and their tongues met again. Moaning into his mouth while twirling her tongue, Erin hooked her legs around Jack's waist, pulling him closer. She let out an animalistic grunt like she had been penetrated by another inch of cock. Erin or Jack, or both, broke their embrace and locked eyes. Watching each other's faces contort while they rhythmically fucked each other senseless. "Oh, God!" Erin screamed, getting closer and closer. She fucked him right back, meeting every vigorous thrust by throwing her hips forward, slamming her pussy at his cock. Jack pushed her up and lowered his head, nestling his face in the crook of Erin's neck. He slowly kissed down her soft white flesh, reaching her tits. He enthusiastically sucked on her nipple while slipping his cock out, waited a moment, then rammed it back into her drenched pussy. His free hand eagerly groped her other tit. "Oh, Jack!" It was getting too much for Erin. She tightened her grip around Jack's waist and went stiff. She fucked him hard, hyperventilating and shaking. Erin hissed and cried his name out as she rode through another orgasm. She frantically thrust her hips, trying to extend her climax and begged Jack for more. He replied by pressing his teeth down her nipple, and that was it. Her pussy spasmed around his raging cock and she let out a long cry. "Yes; yes; Oh Lord; Jesus Christ!" She yelled. As Erin went limp in his arms, Jack could feel the familiar tingling sensation coming from his balls. He tried to put it off, still plunging his cock furiously. Both of them moaned and gasped for air, covered in sweat, wanting more. But Jack couldn't take it anymore; he threw his head back, roared as he shot a torrid of cum into her. His body jerked uncontrollably from the needed orgasmic release, each movement causing another shot of jizz. Erin sighed and moaned, feeling Jack's cock explode deep inside her, making her tremble in ecstasy. Another rope of his jizz filled her womb, followed by another. As Jack collapsed on top of her, his brain mushed in a post-climax daze, Erin held him tightly. She had a broad grin, smugly satisfied that her pussy was filled by her lover's cum. Quietly moaning, feeling the hot cum seep down her thighs, Erin leaned forward. Her tits pressed against Jack's chest as she kissed him. Recovering from the intensity of their orgasm, they passionately kissed before breaking, pressing their foreheads together. Their eyes were closed, and they slowly breathed. "I love you," they said in unison, before exchanging more kisses. Erin smiled back at Jack. Her hands trembled, and sweat flooded her face. It was happening again. She remembered her breathing exercises, focusing on five things in the room. It didn't work, and Erin sunk through the mattress, her hands phasing past Jack's body. His mouth dropped as he watched her go. She hit the floor of the room, thankful that she didn't go any further. Jack immediately jumped off the bed and checked underneath, finding her sprawled out on the carpet. "Are you okay?" Erin stared at the underneath of Lucy's bed and just whimpered, "; no." New Years Eve. Jack tried to pay attention to the conversation; he knew it was important. It was about Erin's condition and what they should do next. But when he saw Erin walkout, wearing a black lace dress, Jack struggled to pay attention to Lucy and her friend. Erin just looked too sexy. She caught him staring, and Erin responded with a smirk. "Circe; Circe; Circe!" Lucy yelled, "We already got the dirt." Jack quickly turned back to Lucy and her phone. She had been Facetiming with a witch, who supposedly knew what was happening to Erin. They hadn't completed the resurrection ritual properly. Lucy's witch friend said they had done around ninety percent of it. The remaining ten percent involved Jedidiah Franklin's grave dirt and New Year's Eve. "Shut up, bitch!" Circe shouted at Lucy. Glancing back at Erin, she and Jack exchanged another look. This didn't sound like it was going well. Lucy and Circe had spent around twenty minutes just name-calling, bringing up boyfriends they had shared and generally being dismissive at each other. What he understood was that Circe wanted them to do another ritual, while Lucy wanted to do something different. Anything, it didn't matter. "What is it with you witches and wizards? Sex magic all the time. Sprained your ankle ; sex magic. Car won't start ; sex magic. Have to go to small claims court ; sex magic. Don't you have a book of spells?" "Aw the poor medium is stuck. God, you're so basic. You just repeat what spirits say, like a parrot with tits." "Shut up, Claire, you giant poser!" Lucy yelled. The raven-haired witch went quiet and completely still. Lucy even called out her name to check if the call had frozen. Jack got the sense that Lucy had crossed some line and should apologize. Seeing Circe's bulging eyes, he figured the apology should be sooner than later. But the call ended, and he let it go. "What do we do next?" Erin asked. "We still go out. It's New Year's Eve." Lucy said, her phone then buzzed, and she read the message. "It's Circe. She says that as Jedidiah Franklin was the one who killed you, he needs to be punished. We have to burn the dirt, evoke Frigga, you two get freaking with some mistletoe above the bed. When the dirt turns white ; we're good. Then she called me; the c-word. She called me a cunt" Erin looked embarrassed on her behalf, looking at her feet and said, "Oh." Lucy shrugged it off. "I will make it up to her later." She stood up and checked the time; it was getting close to eight, they had some time to kill. "Jack, you call a cab. Me and Erin will get ready." Erin followed the blonde in her bedroom, taking careful steps as she hadn't gotten used to wearing heels. In the bedroom, a silver bucket sat next to the window with a tub filled with dirt lying next to it. Erin had joined Jack this time, driving to a graveyard near the coast. Lucy gave them instructions while working, listening to her transparently flirt with a customer for tips while they waited to be told what to do next. Lucy opened a drawer and pulled out two sticks of white chalk. Handing Erin one, she bent down and drew a circle around the bed. "You okay with another sex ritual?" Erin chuckled and said, "It's getting repetitive." She placed the grave dirt in the bucket and set it down in front of the bed, drawing a circle around it. "Will you be there ; watching?" "I have to." Lucy laughed. "Do we have to do it today? I was looking forward to celebrating the New Year." "It has to be a special day like New Year's Day or say, February 1. Then there's the Spring Equinox, Midsummer, Halloween, the Winter Solstice. You want to wait until February to make sure you never walk through a door?" "Of course, no." Erin replied, "I want to move on with my life and forget about protective circles, sex magic, the Franklins." Wiping the chalk from her hands, Erin checked herself out in the mirror. The dress showed off a lot of her bare skin, and she didn't know what to feel about it. Seeing Jack's face, Erin knew she looked hot and loved the feeling. But then there were Mrs. Franklin's words, telling her that she looked like a Catholic succubus. At least her legs were covered; it was too cold to go without tights. Lucy then joined her by the mirror. She wore a more revealing outfit, a silver sequined V-neck dress, her large tits up for display. Seeing her like that, Erin could only imagine the reaction in the nineteenth century. This was the new normal now, and she had to get used to it. Lucy raised her phone up and took some photos, saying, "We look hot." Erin laughed and then did the same. They took a couple of photos of their reflections, then some selfies. It was kind of pointless, and no one was going to see it, but checking out the photos, Erin really liked how she looked. "You said we had to do it tonight. Should we still go out?" "Yeah." Lucy smirked, putting away her phone. She said, "One, whenever we do it, it has to happen at the witching hour ; that's like at three in the morning. Two, it's your first New Year's Eve, you gotta celebrate it." Jack then knocked on the door and said, "The cab is coming in ten minutes." Approaching Normalcy. Erin liked how it felt having Jack's arm wrapped around, comforting. They were in a bar, a busy bar, sitting alone and waiting for Lucy. There were many people around her, and it took Erin some time to get used to being in a crowd. It wasn't like she was frightened or agoraphobic. She just got anxious about saying the wrong thing, letting people know that she didn't belong in this time. Then was the whole becoming incorporeal whenever she became nervous. Finishing a glass of wine helped Erin from phasing through the chair. The alcohol also helped her make small talk. A girl in the restroom had asked about her dress, wanting to know where she got it from. They talked for a bit more, and Erin returned to Jack, full of confidence. "Hey guys." Lucy sat down in front of them and placed a white plastic bag on the table. "I got the mistletoe for Frigga. I need a drink." Jack ordered another beer and two glasses of ros for them. "So, what is the plan for tonight?" Erin asked. "Drink here then go to a couple of bars and see what happens." Lucy then glanced at Jack, who shrugged a 'that sounds good' response. "What did you do all day?" "Nothing," Jack said, "Just emailed my boss and about me moving back to Boston." "Cool. Did Erin tell you what she did today?" Jack shook his head and turned to his girlfriend. "I went grocery shopping by myself." "That's really great," Jack said. "Once this thing goes away and I'm not afraid of passing through a bed, there's things that I want to do. I already got a plan." "Like what?" Lucy leaned in, finishing her wine. "First, I need a job, something that I can do and that's not far from Jack's apartment. And I'm looking at GED courses. Then a community college course." Lucy grinned and said, "That's fucking cool. We need some tequila to celebrate." Jack and Lucy showed Erin how to take a shot of tequila. She let out a long moan as the burn of the alcohol shocked her throat and quickly bit into the lime slice. They slowed down their drinking, Jack saying that they shouldn't be wasted for the ritual. Lucy agreed, worrying out loud that she could mess up and make Erin a ghost again. They talked for a while, trying to predict what would happen in the new year, before going to another bar. Then quickly another one, eventually ending up at the Cord & Rifle. It was more of a high-end hipster bar, which annoyed Jack and Lucy, and she worked there. The bartenders wore white shirts, suspenders and each had handlebar mustaches, looking like Civil War surgeons. This just confused Erin, wondering why people were pretending to be like that. "It's just; the trend," Jack said, sighing. Erin glanced at Lucy, and she was rolling her eyes but also nodding. They ordered more drinks, and Erin moved away from wine, trying what the bartenders said were authentic cocktails from her time. They were lying to her. Her eyes flickered to other patrons; they were all ordering expensive drinks, taking photos, deleting them, then retaking them. Their lips were stretched out in the smile, but their eyes stayed unmoved. This is what modern life is? Expensive drinks and pretending to be happy. She and Lucy were then in the bathroom, touching up their makeup. Erin turned her and asked, "Is New Year's Eve supposed to be; like this?" "Are you asking if New Year's Eve always this mediocre?" Lucy said, smirking. "Yeah. It's always a massive let-down. You got this pressure to have this epic night, everything is expensive, then there's that bullshit about getting a kiss at midnight." "A midnight kiss?" "It's some bullshit. Something that Hollywood and Hallmark love. I think it's real tradition behind it, probably something farming related. But now it's been romanticized to insane levels. If someone doesn't kiss you when the clock strikes twelve, then life is over." "Really?" "Stupid, isn't it?" Lucy sighed, "At least you got Jack." "You are not interested in meeting someone?" Erin asked, "There were some men that were checking you out?" She narrowed her eyes as she spoke, wondering if she used the right word. "I wasn't feeling it." Lucy shrugged. "Too many desperate creeps and fake-ass nice guys. You know that tavern-like bar we quickly left because of the vibe? Some girl tried to hit on me in the bathroom. It's been a while since I've been with a girl;" They then went quiet and stared at each other. A group of ladies woke them up, and they quickly left the bathroom. They had never discussed the kiss at the s ance, and Erin didn't know how she could ever bring it up organically. She couldn't make sense of it herself; why did she kiss her? It wasn't like she had this attraction to Lucy. Erin just rationalized that the s ance messed with her emotions, and that was it. Jack was waiting for them at the booth. He stopped them before they could sit. "Some guy was looking for Lucy. Lloyd?" "Lloyd? Oh, snap. Where is he?" "Outside. Said near the 7-Eleven." "We should get out of here." "Why?" Erin asked. "He's got the final stuff we need to for tonight." Lucy replied. "Oh," Jack smiled and handed them their jackets. They got outside and walked to the meeting point. He turned to Erin and said, "We're meeting Lucy's weed dealer." "Weed?" Erin asked. Lucy jumped in before Jack could open his mouth, saying, "It's marijuana, cannabis. You probably heard it as hash. We need it for the ritual." "Oh. Do you normally partake?" Nodding her head, Lucy smiled and said, "Yeah. It makes things less boring. Also, marijuana has been used in so many sacred and spooky things." "I do as well." Jack felt Erin give him a quick look, knowing that she was about to ask him the same thing. "Weed is legal in Boston. I smoke it time to time. Shame we don't have any dispensaries." "Same," Lucy quickly jumped in. "They say we might get dispensaries in Portland by summer." Erin stayed quiet, giving them both a long stare. "Are we supposed to just burn it?" She eventually asked, "Or we do smoke it?" "Both," Lucy replied. Erin remembered hash from when she first arrived in America, that weird feeling block of greenish-brown that her father would take as medicine. There was also a time when she was given cannabis fluid for an illness. The idea that people now took cannabis for fun interested her. "I would like to try some." Erin said, nodding her head. Both Lucy and Jack looked at each other, silently conversing before turning back to Erin, asking if she was sure. They mention PSAs, peer pressure and not wanting to force her into something she might not be ready for. Erin replied with a blank look, nodding her head but not really listening. "Before I was a char-girl, I worked in a factory. The fumes from the vats would give me migraines. Do you know what the druggist gave me?" Erin asked, slowly smiling. Both Jack and Lucy shook their heads. "Heroin," Erin said, "They used to give that to fussy babies as well. Also, the man who owned the house before you, Jack. I once saw him inhale white powder and act loony. I feel marijuana is safer." Lucy shrugged and walked away. She was back with a baggie filled with dark brown herbs a minute later. "All set?" Jack asked. "Yeah. Lloyd was pretty nervous and wanted to know who you guys are." "What did you say?" "Just a couple I had a quasi-threesome with." Erin was still blushing by the time they got to the final bar. It had more of an old-school look about it, reminding her of Ireland and the taverns where she would be sent to fetch her father. They got in just before the countdown. While everyone started counting down and looking at the screens, Erin lost her cocktail. The glass phased through her hand and smashed against the floor. Was it nerves? That the ritual wasn't going to work, or she could say to herself that she was excited, looking forward to the new year. While everyone celebrated, Erin ignored the lost drink and grabbed Jack, kissing him hard. If this wasn't going to work, she would at least have some fun. She quickly ended their embrace and then lunged at Lucy, giving the medium a long hug. After tonight, she needed to do something for Lucy, something to show her appreciation. Lucy broke their hug and smirked back at her. "Let's get out of here. Time for you to be human." More Dark Arts. Jack thanked that the burning pot was giving him a gentle high, otherwise he would be embarrassed. He, like Erin, sat in his underwear on Lucy's bed. A sprig of mistletoe was taped to the headboard behind them while white candles circled the bed. They watched Lucy burn some incense sticks while reading out of the grimoire. But every once in a while, Jack would catch the medium look up from the book and steal glances, her eyes focusing on the bulge between his legs. Erin did the same but acting a lot more obvious than Lucy. It was this weird horny circle. Jack tried to stay unaroused, which was getting more difficult with every passing second. Erin and her lacy bra would draw him in, and his cock throbbed with every look. "Are you okay?" Jack asked. Erin grinned and said, "Yeah." Looking at her, it was clear that she was getting a buzz from the pot. It was also affecting him, that or whatever Lucy was burning. He felt warm and eager. Jack needed to move, jump off this bed and do something. He looked at Lucy; she was still reading the grimoire and glancing up at them. Was she checking Erin out? Her attention had moved away from his bulge, focusing on Erin's heaving chest and her tits. Jack closed his eyes and shook his head; all the pot and incense made him think he was in a porno. Lucy then slammed the book shut and stood in front of them. Still wearing her sequin dress, she said, "It's time." "What do you want us to do?" Erin asked. "Yeah, you're the director." Jack added, smirking. "You guys start fucking. I will chant Frigga's name while you do it." Jack turned back to Erin; her green eyes told him she was ready. He pulled her close to him and kissed her passionately. Their lips parted, and they both moaned, also gasping for air. Erin grinned back at him, making Jack chuckle at the ridiculousness of the situation. He placed his hand on each side of Erin's face and pressed his lips back on hers. Jack thrusted his tongue into her mouth, suppressing a groan as he felt her hand cup his bulge. There was a moan ; it may have come from Lucy as Erin freed Jack's cock. He couldn't explain it, but his cock was a stiff and hard as it ever had been. Maybe the stuff that Lucy had burned is what they make Viagra out of? Jack could feel his tip oozing copious amounts of precum and coating Erin's fingers. She broke from their kiss and looked down in amazement, drooling at the sight of his pulsating member. Erin desperately needed that cock inside her. She grabbed Jack and roughly pulled him down onto the mattress. He looked shocked at her sudden assertiveness. But before he could say a word, Erin sat between his legs and took his cock deep into her mouth. Both he and Lucy moaned their approval as Erin swirled her tongue along the underside of Jack's shaft. "Oh Frigga; Oh Frigga; Oh Frigga; oh fuck," Lucy said. She paced around the room, burning a bundle of sage while invoking a Norse goddess. She lost her focus as she saw Erin strip off her bra and bob her head on a massive cock. This was insane. Jack was stunned by Erin's drive and how badly she wanted his cock. Her naked tits bounced against his crotch, and Jack had to feel them again. Taking her perky tits in his hands, Erin moaned on his cock while Lucy had stopped speaking and just stared at them. Erin shuddered and then pulled her head from Jack's cock. She could have more fun blowing him, but right now, they needed to have sex. Erin looked up at him, replying with a big, content smile. She then stood up on the bed and wriggled out of her panties, giving Jack and Lucy a little show. She rested her left leg on the other side of his crotch and slowly sank. Erin grabbed his slick, throbbing cock and pressed against her pussy. "Jack; this is so wicked," she said with a big smile. She let out a long, deep exhale as she bent her knees and became impaled on Jack's cock. Erin's body involuntary shook as her eyes rolled back. Something was different this time, there was this raw, lewd feeling, but Erin wasn't complaining as Jack's cock pulsed against the walls of her pussy. She remained still, her eyelids down, and she breathed rapidly. Seeing Erin and Jack acting like there were in a porno, Lucy had forgotten what she was supposed to do. She stared at her friend's body or, more accurately, ogled Erin's nakedness. She looked hot. So did Jack. She didn't want to think about that now; that would be later when Lucy was alone with her vibrator. She stood in front of the silver bucket and lit a match. "Oh Frigga. Please take fortune on Erin and punish the man who wronged her," she said, looking up. Lucy flicked the match into the dirt, it burned into a bright white flame and went back to enjoy the show. Erin rested her palms on Jack's chest and slammed herself up and down on his cock. She had thrown her head back; her eyes were closed, and she hummed to herself as she forcefully rode Jack. Her tits bounced to Lucy's and Jack's delight, eager to be touched. Those herbs that Claire picked had really fucked with her head; she knew she was never this bi-like. Erin then arched her back and squeezed her tits, pulling on her erect nipples. "Oh Lord; yes!" Erin cried, nearly sending herself off to her first orgasm of the night. Seeing her moan and cry for more was an incredible sight for Jack. It was love. Seeing his girlfriend ride his cock with such passion was unbelievable. He wrapped his arms around her firm ass and raised his hips. He saw Erin appreciate the slight change, his cock thrusting deeper into her slick pussy. She was getting close; he could sense it. But then Erin slowed down, and Jack had to yawn. Turning his head, Lucy was down, sleeping on the floor. He felt weak, and his eyes were heavy. Erin collapsed on top of him ; in a deep sleep like before. Jack shook his head, thinking that it would help. He then prodded Erin and yelled her name, but nothing. He couldn't fight it anymore and slowly drifted asleep. The Attic, Again. Jack's eyes opened, and he knew something was different. This isn't Lucy's bedroom. Sitting up, he knew where he had been transported to, the attic. It wasn't was like the other week when he woke up in 1897 and watched Erin die. There was nothing in the attic this time, no lanterns, steamer trunks or the presence of anyone, just exposed brick and worn floorboards. Something had happened. Sitting up, he noticed that he had been on Lucy's bed. Looking to his side, Erin lay in a deep sleep. Weirdly enough, she was wearing the same black lace dress. To his left, he heard snoring. Turning his head, Lucy slept, also wearing the same dress she had on from earlier. Seeing her was surprising; Jack expected it would be just him and Erin transported back in time. That's what would make sense. He reached over to his right, gently rubbing Erin's arm. "Erin? Erin?" Nothing. Jack then turned to Lucy and called out her name. Again, nothing. Getting up, Jack walked around the attic. There had to be something they needed to do. Or something they did wrong. He raised his hand up; there was something different. There was a dry heat coming from somewhere in the room. Jack tried to ignore it, focusing on the door. He pushed it a couple of times, it didn't move. He slammed his shoulder against it; the door didn't budge; there's no give. "Ah; ," a female voice moaned. Jack rushed back to the bed, seeing Erin stirring. She slowly opened her eyes and said, "Jack?" Erin then sat up, turning her head, taking in the change. "No." "It's okay. It's not like it was before. Something is different," Jack said. He then pointed to Lucy, who was still asleep, "She's also here." "Lucy," Erin said, her eyes widening. She jumped to her feet and moved to the blonde medium. She shook Lucy, yelling her name. "Fuck; leave me alone. Shit." Lucy groaned, pushing away Erin. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. With one eye open, she scanned their surroundings. "Where the fuck are we?" "The attic," Jack said. "It's weird. There's a door but it's not opening. And, I don't hear anyone." "No Franklins?" Erin asked, wrapping her arms around herself. Jack extended out his hand and gently rubbed Erin's shoulder. "No. We're alone." He slipped off his blazer; it was getting too hot, and then sat back on the bed. He glanced at Lucy, waiting for her to think of something. She stood up and paced in front of the bed. "Okay. Remind me again. What happened last time? Was it the same?" Jack shook his head, "No. Not like this. I was watching the Franklins and Erin going through their day. It was like when Scrooge goes back to the past. They couldn't hear me or see me. But I could go anywhere. Not just this attic." "Same for me. I just woke up," Erin said, "And I thought everything went back to how it was. But then I saw myself; as a maid. Then Jack." "Okay, let me think." Lucy said, still pacing. Watching the blonde walk back and forth, Jack rolled his eyes and undid the top button of his shirt. He looked down at his feet, realizing he was tapping his foot. There was something about this attic; it was making him feel hot and restless. Erin joined him on the bed, and Jack quickly got distracted by her. She just looked so sexy; he was desperate to continue what they were doing back in Lucy's apartment. Looking at Erin, Jack noticed that she had the same problem. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. Her fingers drummed against the mattress and her legs jiggled. Lucy rushed back to them, her skin glossy and her face flush. "I think Frigga wanted something else. Like you have to be here for the final bit." "Yeah okay. But why did the spirits or Frigga or whatever drag you here as well?" Jack asked. Lucy shrugged, "I'm part of this." "How?" Erin said, slowly playing with her hair. "I mean you did use my body to have sex. And remember when we first summoned you? You kissed me." Jack glanced at Erin; her face was crimson. Turning back to Lucy, "Do you think the kiss had effect something." "No. I think whatever force, being, god, kept Erin in your home and then made her corporeal for real; they must think I am part of it. That's why I was taken here as well." Lucy said. Jack let out a long sigh and then said, "I'm so glad that I called you instead of that Starry guy from Dover." "His real name is Stan and he's a big piece of shit," Lucy said, rolling her eyes. She turned to Erin, asking, "I need to know more about the kiss. Why did you do it?" Erin stayed quiet. She stared at her feet but eventually looked up. "I just felt so overwhelmed when I found myself back in Jack's room." "Overwhelmed?" Lucy repeated. "Yes. Becoming a body again, there were so many emotions. Confusion, love, jealousy, lust." "But you kissed me, right?" Lucy asked, arching an eyebrow. "Nothing forced you to?" Erin buried her head in the hand, going red again. She took a deep breath and said, "No. It was me. I don't know why. I was angry at you but also, I was thankful. Possessing you ; twice! A feeling lingered." She paused and then added, "I felt you liked it." Hearing this, Jack covered his mouth, muffling a moan. "Hell yeah, I did," Lucy said, "It was like you're reading my mind ; you probably did. Haven't been kissed like that in ages. No offence Jack." "None taken," Jack said, just whispering. "Maybe that's why I'm here. Let me think," Lucy said again, her tone breathless and weak. She then sat back on the bed, next to Jack. They went quiet. The only sound that filled the room was the creaking of the bed as all three fidgeted. Lucy tightly gripped the sheets, forcing herself to stay still. Erin instead rested her head on Jack's shoulder, running her hand over his chest. He responded by slowly stroking her thigh. The sound of fidgeting disappeared, replaced with heavy breathing. "You should fuck already," Lucy shouted. She looked at them, her face flush and with deep desperation in her eyes. "You sure?" Jack asked. "It will please Frigga," the medium quickly said, "Like you complete the final ritual in the room where Erin died. So, you should do it now. I will just watch. And you should fuck." Jack looked back at Erin; she had this mischievous grin that told him yes. He kissed her, driving his tongue into her mouth, pulling her in. She moaned, her eyes shut, and she trembled as Jack pulled on the dress zipper. She went limped, letting him quickly undress her. Christ, she wanted him. Pulling the straps down, Jack smirked and marveled at his girlfriend's lingerie-clothed body. She wore that sexy lace bra again, and she looked amazing. Immediately, his hands were on her tits, squeezing them through the thin fabric. Erin then swatted his hands away and reached behind, unhooking her bra. He thought he heard Lucy moan, but Jack ignored it. He leaned his head down and gently kissed Erin's tits, his hands caressing her pale flesh. He ran his tongue around her sensitive nipples, teasing her with a quick flick. Erin pushed down on his head as Jack sucked on her tits, moaning and throwing her head back, waiting for more. Jack ignored her and pushed Erin back. He kissed down her body, loving how soft her skin felt on his lips. He stopped when he felt the hairs of her pussy. Pulling her panties down, Erin hadn't shaved anything yet; thin rust-colored strands surrounded her lips. He lowered his head and poked the dewy folds of her pussy with his tongue. Erin cried and covered her mouth. After that night with the s ance, Erin craved the sensation of his tongue driving her pussy wild. She then felt an arm wrapped around her from behind; Lucy. She was hugging Erin; the blonde medium's hands were dangerously closed to her tits. This felt wrong, completely against the teachings of the Church, but Erin didn't care. Over the sounds of Erin's moans, Jack moved his tongue to her clit. Just by giving the engorged bud a couple flicks, Erin cried and shuddered. He stopped and looked up, she was breathing heavily, and her lips were trembling. Also, she and Lucy were in this embrace that looked hot. Jack dropped his head back and kissed her clit as he slid two fingers deep into her wet folds. Erin's eyes bulged. She gasped for air. "More; please more;" Erin cried; she didn't want Jack's attack to stop. Lucy's eyes widened as she carefully watched every movement Jack made with his tongue. A deep heat quickly enveloped her. Her hand dropped from Erin's side and onto her own thigh. The couple was too wrapped up in themselves; they wouldn't notice her, right? Also, they were about to fuck in front of her, she would be well in her right to play with herself. But then Erin shuddered, and Lucy focused her energy on keeping the former spirit steady. "Oh Lord yes," Erin screamed. Her thighs clamped around Jack's head, and she bucked her hips. She let another intense cry and then went rigid. Erin shuddered on the bed as the coming orgasm thundered through her body. Sweet juices dripped from her pussy, and Jack hungrily ran his tongue over her folds, loving the taste. Erin soon stopped trembling and released her grip around his neck, letting Jack up. Erin wiped the drops of sweat on her forehead and then looked at Jack, "I need; you. Please." Jack smirked and slowly started to strip. She didn't want to relax, take a breath or stop sweating. As he fiddled with the buttons, he felt two hands on him. Turning to his right, Lucy stood next to him. She gave him an intense stare, and his mind flicked back to when they were on the sofa together. Erin didn't seem to notice or maybe didn't even care. She had a big smile on her face, giving Jack the thought that if he kissed Lucy, Erin wouldn't mind. Lucy nodded at him and gave him a small smile. She battered his hands away and quickly stripped Jack of his shirt. She ran her hand down his chest, accidentally or not. Jack helped her out by slipping out of his shoes while Lucy played with his buckle. She pulled his jeans down and looked at his bulge, then back up at him. Jack wondered if she was going to touch it or not. But instead, Lucy yanked down his boxer-briefs, joining Erin in moaning at the sight of his erection springing free. She mumbled something at him. Jack heard it as showtime, and Lucy pushed forward on the bed and back into Erin's arms. She pulled him down on top of her and into a long, passionate kiss, their tongues twisting together. Erin spread her legs as Jack centered the tip to her opening. Again, he felt another hand, this time around his shaft. His eyes were close and remained that way, not wanting to know if it was Erin or Lucy who was guiding his cock. It was hotter that way. They all moaned as Jack sank his cock deep into Erin's wonderful pussy. He heard his girlfriend whimper as he was entirely buried in her cunt. She then shocked Jack by raising her hips and wrapping her legs around his waist, constricting him. Something felt different. As Erin's pussy caressed and massaged his shaft, she felt tighter, wetter and a lot hotter. Erin looked up at him, her eyes half open and her lips pursed. She felt the muscles of her pussy ripple around his shaft. Jack hadn't moved, letting his thick cock pulsate in her cunt as she whimpered. Erin needed it; there was an aura around her, desperate and very energetic. She then loosened her grip around his waist and nodded her head, trembling at the first slow thrusts. "yes, yes, yes," she moaned. While they fucked, Lucy laid next to them. She needed to be naked. Pulling on the thin straps of her dress, Lucy stripped down to her underwear. She saw both Jack and Erin turn to her as she exposed her large tits. She gave them a wink and slid a hand underneath her panties, feeling her slick pussy. Having two attractive people fucking right in front of her was making her wet with lust. "Yeah;" Lucy said, rubbing her pussy lips with the palm of her hand. Jack held on to Erin, pinning her arms back and thrust his cock harder. He grunted while she whimpered at every stroke. Erin then threw herself at him, slamming her crotch on his piston-like cock. He then released her hands and went for Erin's shaking perky tits. With his fingers wrapped around her nipples, Jack stabbed his cock in long, sharp thrusts as he pinched "Yes! Yes! Oh Lord; Jesus Christ!" Erin cried. She could feel herself getting stiff and very hot. Her moans were overlapped by Lucy's. She turned her head and saw her friend staring at her, biting her lip and trying not to come. Her panties were gone, and she had two fingers stuck deep in her pussy while also playing with her clit. They were at the same stage. Their eyes stayed glued to one another's as Erin started to shudder. Jack held onto her waist, frantically driving his cock deep into her dripping pussy. Erin alternated from either gasping for air or groaning. Lucy was the same. Her eyes lowered to the blonde's lips, and Erin's mind threw back to when the s ance and how she needed to kiss her. Trembling, Erin pressed her lips against Lucy's full pink lips. The blonde medium moaned and immediately opened her mouth, slipping her tongue past Erin's parted lips. She and Lucy had their eyes closed as they got more into it, and quickly, their soft moans turned to muffled cries, both cumming immediately. "Ah!" Erin and Lucy screamed at each other, the sound dampened by their glued together mouths. Erin broke away from the medium and turned back to Jack. Her pussy spasmed over his pounding cock, while bucking her hips as she thrashed, prolonging her climax. Watching her, Lucy cupped her own tits, tugging her nipples with her free hand while ramming her fingers hard and deep in her cunt. She shuddered then jerked forward, letting a long shriek and writhed on the bed. Coming down, they laid on the mattress, drenched in sweat and panting. Erin looked at Lucy, ignoring her boyfriend and the fact he was plowing his throbbing cock in and out of her pussy. Lucy smiled back, and they kissed again. Their tongues outstretched and twisted together. Jack couldn't hold back anymore. All lesbian action is incredibly erotic, but when it involves someone who you love, it's out of this world, and he came immediately. He tried to warn her, but just a satisfied groan left his lips. Jack then shuddered at each pulse of his cock, his cum filling his gorgeous girlfriend. She wrapped her legs back around him and worked the muscles of her pussy, wanting more cum. His cock stopped twitching, and Jack went weak, struggling to stay upright and not collapse on top of her. He crashed back on his ass and arched his back, looking to the ceiling. The pounding of his heart had gone, replaced by a gentle beat. The same restless came over him. Looking at Erin, seeing his cum leak out of her cunt, he was desperate for another round. Lucy crawled in front of him, gripped his slick cock and said, "Let me clean you up." Her tongue probed his tip, lapping up the cocktail of his cum and Erin's pussy juices. Before Jack could react, Lucy opened her mouth and swallowed his head. She bobbed her head, resurrecting his cock back to life. Making eye contact with Erin, she just smiled; it was okay. Jack looked back down, running his hand through Lucy's hair. The blonde slid her lips up and down his shaft, mouth-fucking Jack with intense, otherworldly pressure. Lucy then ran her tongue up and down his shaft, licking the entire length. Jack stared at Erin, his eyes bulging as the medium drove his cock down her throat, his tip pushing further and deeper. She hummed in delight before releasing her grip, her teeth scraping against his sensitive skin as Lucy pulled her head back. Jack then watched her and Erin exchange looks, Lucy letting her mouth drop and biting her bottom lip. Her eyes widened, and Erin just responded with a nod and a small smile. Lucy gave his cock one last kiss and then crawled up the mattress. She laid on her back, her knees bent and thighs spread open, displaying her shaved crotch and delectable pussy. "You need to fuck her," Erin said, kneeling by Lucy, her face blank. Nodding his head, Jack shuffled forward and rested his hands on Lucy's knees. His cock was painfully hard, pointing directly to the blonde's dripping pussy. With complete ease, Jack slid his cock deep into her. She felt so tight. Just like Erin, Lucy's pussy felt snugger around his cock, also blazing hot and slippery with juices. Jack moved his hips, long deep thrusts while he grunted. He grabbed her legs, holding them together as he pounded Lucy's cunt. "Fuck; Jack; you cock feels so good," Lucy sighed. She moaned again and bit her lip, then rolled her head side to side. Erin was on her knees, in a trance, while she watched them. Lucy could see her friend's pussy, wet and needed to be kissed. They had kissed before; this is just a natural progression. Lucy reached up and pulled Erin's hand away from massaging her tits. "Get on top of me," she said in a whisper. Erin trembled at her touch, and Lucy needed to repeat herself before she understood what to do. She nodded her head and swung her legs over Lucy's head. She looked to the sky, ignoring Jack and lowered her crotch down. She shook and yelped, a very high pitch cry as her pussy touched Lucy's already parted lips and her extended tongue. It wasn't that wrong to have another woman feel her. Lowering her head, Erin made eye contact with her boyfriend and said, "Jack; she's licking my pussy!" She writhed and grounded her crotch on Lucy's mouth. The blonde kissed her throbbing lips, making her twitch with delight. Erin then felt Lucy grab onto her thighs and push her powerful tongue deep inside her pussy, her juices coating the medium's face. Erin moaned again; this felt different from Jack eating her out, a lot more wicked. Her hands reached, and she lewdly pinched on her erect nipples, moaning with a jolt of pain. Jack still held onto Lucy's legs, furiously pumping his cock as he watched Erin go crazy with lust. His eyes stayed glued on Erin, watching her squirm and whimper. He imagined what Lucy was doing to his girlfriend, exploring Erin's dripping pussy with her tongue, moaning at the taste of her hot, sweet juices. It overwhelmed Jack, and he slammed fuck the medium. Erin couldn't take it anymore. As Lucy thrust her tongue deep inside Erin's pussy, she felt something brush against her sensitive clit. That was it for Erin. She arched her back and then spasmed, wailing a scream of pure ecstasy. She could hear Lucy moan, maybe begging for more. Erin grinded her cunt against Lucy's rolling tongue, riding out her climax until she finally stopped, collapsing against the headboard. With Erin off her, Lucy gasped for air. Her face was wet with slick pussy cum. She made eyes with Jack, who had let go of her legs and was just staring back at her with a piercing look. He dropped down and licked his girlfriend's juices off her. Lucy felt his hands on her large tits, kneading them as he pounded her cunt. He then planted his lips on her neck, kissing up to Lucy's ear lobe. She shuddered as she felt Jack's breath ag
Lara and Carey discuss pop star Bebe Rexha outsourcing fans for help on locking down a baby daddy, then head back to Greece for another chapter in RHOSLC.After their first boozy dinner in Santorini, the ladies wake up to a child-free Mother's Day, to the joy of most but the heartbreak of Meredith. Angie splits the group up for the day's activities: a Greek cooking class and donkey rides to the various vistas. Meredith — still reeling from her ongoing battle with Whitney and now Heather — laments a phone call with Brooks cut short by her cast mates, leading to her abandoning her culinary comrades for a bona fide walkabout around the island in a pair of heels. After a positively transatlantic confrontation upon her return, Meredith agrees to call a truce with the cousins and opt for poolside fun with her newly adopted personality. But the peace in the group is brief, as Angie launches into a full attack on Britani — her peacock feathers ruffled by Britani's reveal of a certain patent she recently filed.Chapters:00:00:00 Kaliméra! Schedule updates from the stu! 00:02:46 Bron and Mr. Farts are divorcing00:07:14 Bebe Rexha is outsourcing finding a baby daddy to her fans00:19:31 RHOSLC RecapListen to this episode ad-free AND get access to weekly bonus episodes + video bonus episodes by joining the SUP Patreon. Watch video episodes of the pod on Thursdays by subscribing to the SUP YouTube. Relive the best moments of this iconic podcast by following the SUP TikTok. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout… would all be worthy advice for our co-hosts on this episode of The Cycling Podcast Féminin. Yes, quizmaster Rose Manley, defending champion Rebecca Charlton and perennial quiz loser Denny Gray are back for another humdinger of a quiz. Join in as they take on such rounds as Blankety Bonk, the Sound Round and the now infamous Cryptic Criterium. No genuine cycling knowledge required but an enjoyment of puns is advisable. Before all the ugly competitiveness sets in, the team look back at some of their top racing moments of 2025. Tantalising rivalries, career-changing breakthroughs and some French flair all make the list. And we hear from a few familiar friends to find out their top picks from the season too. And of course no Christmas is complete without a little homespun festive music and some Cycling Podcast themed gifting. Keep listening right to the end for a very special exclusive treat from Paul Carella, the musician extraordinaire who also happens to be Rebecca Charlton's partner. Also on the agenda, Greek rising star Flyinthesoupis, more allegations of quiz fixing and could that be the sound of Rebecca really enjoying Nienke Vinke's white jersey win? Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it's after 11am). The Cannibal & Badger Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. The Cycling Podcast is on Strava The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.
Read OnlineIn the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.” Luke 1:26–29The phrase “full of grace” is a translation of the Greek word kecharitomene. It can be translated more literally as “having been graced” or “you who have been fully graced.” The tense of the word indicates that Mary has been graced by God in a unique and ongoing way, implying that this grace was not a one-time event but something encompassing her entire being and continuing to have effect.What was the Blessed Virgin Mary's response to this amazing greeting? She pondered the archangel's greeting with humility and initially responded with silence and in awe. Gabriel, aware of Mary's humility in her silence, says, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God…” Gabriel then goes on to tell her she will conceive the Son of God within her womb.Given her immaculate nature and the fullness of grace within her soul, Mary immediately obeyed the archangel's command and did not give into fear. Yet her “greatly troubled” heart led her to ongoing pondering and contemplation of all that was said to her.As we draw closer to the Solemnity of Christmas, we are invited to share in the Blessed Mother's contemplation of the mystery of the Incarnation. We can be certain that as Gabriel departed from her, her prayerful pondering did not cease. The ongoing fullness of grace within her soul led her to the deepest contemplation of this divine mystery that was humanly possible. Her mind would have penetrated the words spoken to her and perceived the mystery of the Incarnation taking place within her womb in ways that even she could not explain. With the fullness of grace came the fullness of infused knowledge, which is beyond human articulation.In our lives, we often fail to humbly ponder the profound reality of the Incarnation. We must have a “troubled heart” in the sense of remaining in awe of what God has done for us by taking on our human nature. We must allow Mary's pondering to become our own so that we enter more deeply into the great mystery we celebrate.As we prepare for the celebration of Christmas, reflect upon Mary's pondering mind and heart. Though we will never engage in her depth of contemplative prayer, she is our model. We must accept every divine mystery revealed to us with faith and then grapple with each mystery on a deeper level that can only be accomplished by contemplative prayer. Those who attain this depth of prayer are drawn exceptionally close to God Who uses them to continue the effect of the Incarnation by spiritually giving birth to Christ in their lives. Immaculate Mother of God, you were called “full of grace” by the Archangel Gabriel. You humbly listened to all that was spoken to you and accepted it with faith, surrender, and humility. Please pray for me, that I will imitate your pondering Immaculate Heart so that I will be better prepared for the great Solemnity of Christmas Day. Mother Mary, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Fra Angelico, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.
In many cultures, stories passed down through the generations explain how the world got to be the way it is. The Haudenosaunee people of Northeastern North America have a story about how the star cluster known as the Pleiades came to be, told by Perry Ground, Turtle Clan member of the Onondaga Nation of the Haudenosaunee. Also, a Cherokee myth, told here by storyteller Diane Edgecomb, explains why pines, spruces and firs stay green year-round. She joins us to talk about the value of bringing old stories alive for people -- what she calls “living myth” – and how stories have accumulated around this time of year, the winter Solstice, when in the Northern Hemisphere the Sun stands still on the horizon for three short days and three long nights. And Diane Edgecomb performs the Greek myth “Ceyx and Alcyone” about the origin of Halcyon birds, also known as kingfishers, which the ancients noticed would appear during the “Halcyon Days” when the seas became calm, around the time of the winter Solstice. She also shares how stories can help illuminate why we take part in old traditions at this time of year such as putting up lights, decorating evergreens, and hanging mistletoe. Happy holidays from all of us at Living on Earth! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How do three college friends go from a Greek food cart to nearly $50 million in revenue selling hemp-derived THC products—all while being blocked from traditional advertising channels? In this episode, I sit down with Andy Gould, co-founder of Batch, to unpack one of the most explosive growth stories in the history of this podcast. Listen in as Andy breaks down how Batch scaled in a restricted category using Meta ads, bulk content creation, and a powerful creative flywheel. We also dig into bootstrapping vs. outside funding, co-founder dynamics, and what the sudden federal hemp prohibition means for the future of Andy's $50M business. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3MnRQ5g Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners? Learn more here. Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups? Subscribe via email.
Santorini: 1 | Meredith Marks: 0Lauren Ashley Smith (Radio Andy's Smith Sisters Live) is here to help me dive into the happenings on Bravo, Kyle Richards coming out, Vanderpump reboot, Todd and Bronwynn split, Shrimp worms, Heather's reality TV mojo, and MORE!FOLLOW DUMPSTER DIVE ON SOCIALS/POD PLATFORM
IT'S FOOTBALL FRIDAY! On Friday's LOADED edition of WagerTalk Today, Teddy Covers talks Saturday's Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears matchup and gives a best bet in the Alabama vs Oklahoma CFP Round 1 matchup. Marco D'Angelo shares how he's betting the Pittsburgh Steelers vs Detroit Lions game and give his favorite play for the Miami vs Texas A&M CFB tilt. Hosts Andy Lang & Dan Alexander provide props, survivor picks and givs daily betting advice while Gianni the Greek gives his daily Steam Report - don't miss out!Intro 00:00Gianni the Greek 1:41Steam Report 2:27Patriots vs Ravens 5:30CFB Bowl Action 10:10Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua 13:00Thoughts on Round betting? 15:45Teddy Covers 21:24NBA Thoughts: Betting NBA Cup Finalists? 21:34Alabama vs Oklahoma 24:41Packers vs Bears 29:11Sell Me New York Jets vs New Orleans Saints 35:00Marco D'Angelo 41:00Pittsburgh Steelers vs Detroit Lions 42:00Miami vs Texas A&M 45:50Wing Sauce of the Week: Phillip Rivers 51:59WTF or LFG: Follow or Fade This Bet? 55:00Andy's All Around the World (NFL Prop Picks) 57:09Dan & Andy's NFL Week 16 Pick 5 59:00
Have you lost hope? Have you resigned yourself to an UNhappy ending? There's a shift we see in this story of Ruth—and our own—when a baby is born to "outsiders." Join me for the second part of a conversation with Katy Morgan from the Good Book Company on the Live Like It's True Podcast.Guest: Katy MorganGet your Free Resource: Pray the PromisesRecommended Resources: Check out Shannon's Amazon Storefront HERE which features Katy's book, The Outsider. Katy MorganKaty Morgan is the award-winning author of Songs of a Warrior and a Senior Editor at The Good Book Company. She likes climbing hills and exploring new places—both in books and in real life! Before Katy joined TGBC, she used to work in a school, and now she teaches the Bible every week to children at her church. She also reads ancient Greek and has a master's degree in Classics from Cambridge University.Check out more episodes in the Judgy Series.Get your Free Live Like It's True Workbook.Check out Resound Media. Check out my nine week study, Control Girl: Lessons on Surrendering Your Burden of Control from Seven Women in the Bible.We've got leader's guides, free bonuses and more for you at ControlGirl.com. Learn more at ShannonPopkin.com.
Do you long to belong? Do you still feel like the "outsider"? I'm talking with Katy Morgan, author of "The Outsider" about the beautiful story of a girl named Ruth—an outsider, who is brought to the very center of the story. How is this possible? It starts with her meeting a "kinsman redeemer" named Boaz. Free Resource: Pray the PromisesRecommended Resources: Check out Shannon's Amazon Storefront HERE which features Katy's book and Control Girl by Shannon.Katy MorganKaty Morgan is the award-winning author of Songs of a Warrior and a Senior Editor at The Good Book Company. She likes climbing hills and exploring new places—both in books and in real life! Before Katy joined TGBC, she used to work in a school, and now she teaches the Bible every week to children at her church. She also reads ancient Greek and has a master's degree in Classics from Cambridge University.Check out more episodes in the Judgy Series.Get your Free Live Like It's True Workbook.Check out Resound Media. Check out my nine week study, Control Girl: Lessons on Surrendering Your Burden of Control from Seven Women in the Bible.We've got leader's guides, free bonuses and more for you at ControlGirl.com. Learn more at ShannonPopkin.com.
Coming from a Greek family with deep restaurant roots, Dino Katris tried to escape his ultimate destiny – but he always came back to restaurants. In just a short time, Dino has become recognized for honoring the legacy of classic eateries while giving them renewed energy. Most recently he helped bring a downtown restaurant back with Mr. Yee's, 5030 Sixth Ave., he is also involved in Yogi's Pud'n, 2302 52nd St – and coming in Spring 2026 - Melkat's, 7943 Sheridan Road. We talk to Dino about his past, present and future ventures, and his connection to Kenosha! This episode was recorded on November 23rd, 2025 at the Better Call Parise Recording Studio in Downtown Kenosha – call on the Law Offices of Frank J. Parise when your bad day gets even worse! The Ktown Connects hotline is open! Visit us at ktownconnects.com, click on the phone and leave us a message telling us about the last great meal you had in Kenosha! Theme song performed by Dropping Daisies, written by James “Red” McLeod. Your hosts are Donny Stancato and Jason Hedman Get your Ktown Connects merchandise at The Lettering Machine, 725 50th St. Drop us an email at ktownconnects@yahoo.com Get additional episodes early and ad-free, along with bonus material with this week's guest and more great exclusive material by becoming a patreon supporter! Click here for more! Ktown Connects is brought to you by: Union Park Tavern, 4520 Eighth Ave. About Time Moving Systems Casey Family Options Funerals & Cremations, 3016 75th St Dickow Czak Tile Carpet One, 6403 75th St Shannyn Franklin – ReMax Elite Carbox, 1750 22nd Ave Franks Diner, 508 58th St Aaron Hunzinger of AHDidIt White Lilac, 5029 Sixth Ave Sallese & Co, 709 56th St Wink Beauty Boutique, 10909 Sheridan Rd A+ Mobility, 2324 18th St The Port of Kenosha Beverage House, 705 50th St Faded Barbershop for Men, 4807 7th Ave Lakeshore Pedal Tours, 5001 Simmons Island Dr Alpaca Art, 4326 Seventh Ave Public Brewing Company 628 58th St
Brian From moves from timely headlines about stolen packages, cash gifts, and aging bodies to deeper reflections on faith, passion, and purpose. Along the way, he contrasts the darkness of greed, cynicism, and exhaustion with the Advent promise that Christ is the light no darkness can overcome. As Christmas approaches, Brian invites listeners to ask a piercing question of their own lives: are we living with passion—and are we stepping fully into the marvelous light of Christ? 250,000 packages stolen per day, study finds, as lawmakers push stiffer penalties - CBS News Denny Burk on X: "Dane Ortlund’s 39 rules for preaching. Really good stuff. Here’s number 38: “Preach every sermon like your son is sitting on the last row and giving church one last chance."" / X Long-term study reveals physical ability peaks at age 35 Jared C. Wilson on X: "“You know, the Greeks didn’t write obituaries. They only asked one question when a man died: Did he have passion?” https://t.co/Aqg4dPI97Y" / X Most Americans think cash gifts are acceptable, poll shows | AP News Former Harvard morgue manager sentenced for selling body parts - CBS News The Light of Life - Christianity Today See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How did ancient Greek culture accomplish so much? Especially across so many different fields, and in such a comparatively short period of time?It turns out, having a good debate every now and then is VERY important.Today Anya is joined by Reviel Netz, the Patrick Suppes Professor of Greek Mathematics and Astronomy in the Department of Classics at Stanford University.He is the author of many celebrated books, including the bestselling The Archimedes Codex: Revealing the Secret of the World's Greatest Palimpsest, The Shaping of Deduction in Greek Mathematics, as well as his most recent,Why the Ancient Greeks Matter: The Problematic Miracle that was Greece. You can buy it here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/why-the-ancient-greeks-matter/6C08DD345E62246E02BC0AAD89C3D37CHosted by Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom. To learn more about Classical Wisdom, and sign up for our free newsletter, please go to https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/
In this Parshas Miketz review—always read on Shabbos Chanukah—Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe uncovers the profound link between Pharaoh's disturbing dreams and the miracle of Chanukah. Pharaoh dreams of seven gaunt cows devouring seven robust ones, and seven thin, scorched ears swallowing seven healthy stalks—images that shatter his worldview where the strong always overpower the weak, the many dominate the few, and the beautiful prevail. This reversal terrifies him, as it defies the "laws of nature" he knows.The rabbi explains that Pharaoh's nightmare encapsulates Jewish history: the Jewish people, perpetually the few, the weak, and the persecuted, miraculously overcome mighty empires—from Greece in the Chanukah story to countless assaults over 2,000 years (with scarcely a decade without pogroms, expulsions, or blood libels). Chanukah celebrates precisely this reversal: the weak Maccabees defeating the vast Greek army, the pure overcoming the impure, and a single cruse of oil burning for eight days.Just as Pharaoh's dream disturbed the natural order, Jewish survival and triumph defy logic—proving Hashem's direct intervention. Our mission is not physical conquest but spiritual illumination: proudly displaying the menorah, living Torah values openly, and thanking Hashem ceaselessly for both light and darkness, success and challenge. Shabbos candles even take precedence over Chanukah lights for the sake of shalom bayis (peace in the home), underscoring that harmony is the foundation for all miracles._____________This episode of the Parsha Review Podcast is dedicated in honor of Lenny & Teresa FriedmanDownload & Print the Parsha Review Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ncaRyoH5iJmGGoMZs9y82Hz2ofViVouv?usp=sharingRecorded at TORCH Meyerland in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on December 19, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on December 19, 2025_____________Subscribe: Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/parsha-review-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1651930083)Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/22lv1kXJob5ZNLaAl6CHTQ) to stay inspired! Share your questions at awolbe@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content. _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life. To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Help us share Jewish wisdom globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org. Your support makes a difference!_____________Subscribe and Listen to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#Torah, #Parsha, #Genesis, #Joseph, #Chanukah #Miketz #Pharaoh, #Dreams, #Miracles, #Weak, #Strong, #Hanukkah, #JewishHistory, #Divine, #Light, #Darkness, #ShalomBayis ★ Support this podcast ★
In this Parshas Miketz review—always read on Shabbos Chanukah—Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe uncovers the profound link between Pharaoh's disturbing dreams and the miracle of Chanukah. Pharaoh dreams of seven gaunt cows devouring seven robust ones, and seven thin, scorched ears swallowing seven healthy stalks—images that shatter his worldview where the strong always overpower the weak, the many dominate the few, and the beautiful prevail. This reversal terrifies him, as it defies the "laws of nature" he knows.The rabbi explains that Pharaoh's nightmare encapsulates Jewish history: the Jewish people, perpetually the few, the weak, and the persecuted, miraculously overcome mighty empires—from Greece in the Chanukah story to countless assaults over 2,000 years (with scarcely a decade without pogroms, expulsions, or blood libels). Chanukah celebrates precisely this reversal: the weak Maccabees defeating the vast Greek army, the pure overcoming the impure, and a single cruse of oil burning for eight days.Just as Pharaoh's dream disturbed the natural order, Jewish survival and triumph defy logic—proving Hashem's direct intervention. Our mission is not physical conquest but spiritual illumination: proudly displaying the menorah, living Torah values openly, and thanking Hashem ceaselessly for both light and darkness, success and challenge. Shabbos candles even take precedence over Chanukah lights for the sake of shalom bayis (peace in the home), underscoring that harmony is the foundation for all miracles._____________This episode of the Parsha Review Podcast is dedicated in honor of Lenny & Teresa FriedmanDownload & Print the Parsha Review Notes:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ncaRyoH5iJmGGoMZs9y82Hz2ofViVouv?usp=sharingRecorded at TORCH Meyerland in the Levin Family Studios (B) to a live audience on December 19, 2025, in Houston, Texas.Released as Podcast on December 19, 2025_____________Subscribe: Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/parsha-review-podcast-rabbi-aryeh-wolbe/id1651930083)Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/22lv1kXJob5ZNLaAl6CHTQ) to stay inspired! Share your questions at awolbe@torchweb.org or visit torchweb.org for more Torah content. _____________About the Host:Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH in Houston, brings decades of Torah scholarship to guide listeners in applying Jewish wisdom to daily life. To directly send your questions, comments, and feedback: awolbe@torchweb.org_____________Support Our Mission:Help us share Jewish wisdom globally by sponsoring an episode at torchweb.org. Your support makes a difference!_____________Subscribe and Listen to other podcasts by Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe: NEW!! Prayer Podcast: https://prayerpodcast.transistor.fm/episodesJewish Inspiration Podcast: https://inspiration.transistor.fm/episodesParsha Review Podcast: https://parsha.transistor.fm/episodesLiving Jewishly Podcast: https://jewishly.transistor.fm/episodesThinking Talmudist Podcast: https://talmud.transistor.fm/episodesUnboxing Judaism Podcast: https://unboxing.transistor.fm/episodesRabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection: https://collection.transistor.fm/episodesFor a full listing of podcasts available by TORCH at http://podcast.torchweb.org_____________Keywords:#Torah, #Parsha, #Genesis, #Joseph, #Chanukah #Miketz #Pharaoh, #Dreams, #Miracles, #Weak, #Strong, #Hanukkah, #JewishHistory, #Divine, #Light, #Darkness, #ShalomBayis ★ Support this podcast ★
"Nostalgia" is a portmanteau coined in 1688 by Johannes Hofer, combining the Greek nostros (homecoming) and algos (pain, ache). Hofer was a medical student, and he invented this term to describe a kind of melancholia, a somewhat depressive state–- and so, from its inception, "nostalgia" was viewed as a mood disorder. For the Romantics, it was a sentimentality for the past, the good old days of yore, combining the sadness of loss with a joy that that loss is not complete or total. Nostalgia is also paradoxical, because the past we long for and re-member is a past that was never present. If it is a "homecoming," what one discovers in returning home, as Odysseus does, is that there is no "there" there. That is, nostalgia is always unheimlich ("unhomely") or more accurately, "uncanny." It always involves a manner of self-deception about what was by distorting or idealizing the past. This can often have negative, even dangerous consequences: individually, socially, and politically. More than just a "mood," nostalgia is a vector of philosophical investigation par excellence that opens onto a wide range of themes: memory, time, the hermeneutics of personal identity, and even reality itself. So, pour a drink, and let's see what might be problematic about what we "fondly remember"!Full episode notes available at this link:https://hotelbarpodcast.com/nostalgia---------------------SUBSCRIBE to the podcast now to automatically download new episodes!SUPPORT Hotel Bar Sessions podcast on Patreon here! (Or by contributing one-time donations here!)BOOKMARK the Hotel Bar Sessions website here for detailed show notes and reading lists, and contact any of our co-hosts here.Hotel Bar Sessions is also on Facebook, YouTube, BlueSky, and TikTok. Like, follow, share, duet, whatever... just make sure your friends know about us! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
The Gospel of John Week 25 Scripture: John 19:25-20:19 Today's study will take us from the depths of hell to the heights of heaven! We start at verse 25 of John chapter 19 and it starts with who is at the foot of the cross: His mother, His aunt, His cousin (John the author of this gospel) and another aunt who was the wife of His step-father's brother - all family. The disciples have all run except John and this group of women. Family. Verse 28 we read, "Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." By saying this Jesus again fulfilled prophecy from Psalm 69:21 and from Psalm 22:15. But also let's remember what Jesus said in John 18:18 when He told Peter to put his sword away and said, "Will I not drink the cup my Father has given me?" And here we see Jesus drinking the cup because as verse 28 says, He knew that everything had now been finished. He took all the judgement of human sin upon Himself and then verse 30, "When He had received the drink, Jesus said, 'It is finished.' And with that He bowed His head and gave up His spirit." Pastor spends time digging into how the drink was given to Jesus and the correlation between the hyssop plant used at Passover and the hyssop plant used to give Jesus a drink. And we see …. God is in control. Our discussion turns to Jesus as the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb - He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Pastor talks about the Greek word for "finished" and its secondary meaning of an accountant's terminology for a debt "Paid in Full." Jesus paid in full for every sin, every rebellion against God, everything we have done and ever will do, all paid for in full by the Lord Jesus on the cross. Pastor shares interesting information about what was going on in the Temple at 3pm - the time of Jesus' death. What he shares emphasizes what Jesus had said earlier, "No one takes my life from me. I have the power to lay it down and the power to take it up again." And He chooses the exact time when He bows His head and gives up His spirit. It is Friday. The Passover went for 8 days. On the first day of the week, Sunday, following the first Sabbath of Passover (Saturday) the Jewish people celebrated the Festival of First Fruits. And this is the day - Sunday - that Jesus rises from the grave. Paul writes, "He (Jesus) is the first fruits of those who rise from the dead." Because Jesus rose, He is the guarantee that we will be raised when He returns! As we continue with the story of what John witnessed. A soldier goes to break Jesus' legs, but He's already dead so the soldier pierced Jesus' side with a spear. Pastor shares some medical information and the way the Roman spear was used to give a death blow - aimed right at the heart. Jesus not getting his legs broken and being pierced with a spear all fulfill prophecy and show God is in the details, He is in control, always has been and always is. Next Joseph of Arimathea - a Jesus follower, asks for Jesus' body. Nicodemus is with Joseph. He brings a mixture of myrrh and aloes, and the two of them wrapped Jesus body with the spices, in strips of linen as was the Jewish burial custom. In a garden there was a new tomb, it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. Pastor shares the possibility that we may know where Jesus was buried. The history surrounding the location and where it can be found today, sharing the information about the current church built on what may be the actual site of Jesus' tomb. We continue with John 20:1 with several women going to the tomb and finding the stone moved away from the entrance. Mary shares with several disciples and they discover the strips of linen lying there inside along with the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head. They leave the tomb with many questions. Mary Magdalene comes again to the empty tomb and is crying outside it and she looks in the tomb and there are two angels and then she meets a man she thinks is the gardener, and then recognizes Him as Jesus! Jesus is alive! He is risen from the grave! Jesus tells her to tell the others. She goes and tells the others the news, "I have seen the Lord!" Our website – https://www.awakeusnow.com Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01 ⁃ The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. ⁃ The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible. Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most "Gentile/Greek" of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before. Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!
Survivor 49 has come to an end! We're excited to talk through this finale and a little tease at Survivor 50! While our housewives are still enjoying their Greek vacation the natural order is restored! Meredith chills it and everyone dog pills on Britani.
Tristan Hughes visits his favourite ancient site in Italy; Paestum, an ancient site renowned for its impressive Greek temples dedicated to Poseidon, Athena and Hera. Tristan is guided through Paestum's tumultuous history from the city's Greek origins in 480 BC to its eventual takeover by the Romans, painting a vivid picture of the interactions between the Greeks, Lucan, and the ever-present Romans.MOREFall of the EtruscansListen on AppleListen on SpotifyRoman RoadsListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPresented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic SoundsThe Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Join your darling host Amy Phillips and co-host Deanna Cheng in this hilariously detailed breakdown of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City! They dive into Bronwyn's outlandish reverse sticker chart, Meredith's emotional rollercoaster and denim skirt drama, and Heather's dramatic confrontations. Get ready for sticker chart hilarity, intense bus tears, and the dangers of solo walks in Greece. They also discuss the chaotic dynamic of housewives ganging up on Meredith, the battle of the cool girls, and Heather's quest for acknowledgment. Plus, they explore trademark fights, Mary's candid moments, and a recap of a glamorous holiday party encounter with Crystal. Everything you love about Salt Lake City's housewives wrapped in one entertaining episode. Don't miss it!For more Drama, Darling, and exclusive content, subscribe to: http://Patreon.com/dramadarling Follow Drama, Darling on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dramadarlingshow/ Email Drama, Darling with YOUR comments, questions and drama: DramaDarlingz@gmail.com Follow Amy Phillips on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dramadarlingshow/ MERCH Drama Darling Shop https://drama-darling-shop.printify.me/LATHER. Natural care for skin and hair. Get 50% off with Code: Dramahttps://www.lather.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqvsVMcGSzY_p0OhkoE-Luvl_9a6oDGw4k8ltr5o7O34yIjPiAJ ONE SKIN Get 15% off OneSkin, go to:https://www.oneskin.co/Code: DRAMATRUE CLASSIC So forget overpriced designer brands. Skip the cheap, throwaway stuff. True Classic is built for comfort, built to last, and built to give back.TrueClassic.com/DRAMALUMI GUMMIES Lumi Gummies are available nationwide! For 30% off your order go to: https://lumigummies.com/Code: DRAMA
This week on Skytalkers, we're diving deep into the one of the best Star Wars novelizations and our all time favorite: Revenge of the Sith! Tune in to hear us break down our favorite parts of the Deluxe Edition of Matthew Stover's beloved novel. This week we talk about: What is our relationship to this novel and why does it mean so much to us? Which of Matthew's annotations were our favorites to uncover in this edition? How does the novel talk about Palpatine in the Force? Between Anakin and Obi-Wan, who has stronger emotions towards the other? How does Matthew write about Greek tragedy and how it relates to Star Wars? …and much, much more! Listen to our older episode on the Revenge of the Sith novelization. Join our Patreon community and unlock bonus episodes + more! Our website! Follow us on Twitter/X @skytalkerspod Follow us on TikTok @skytalkers Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram @skytalkerspodcast Follow Charlotte on Twitter/X @crerrity Follow Caitlin on Twitter/X @caitlinplesher Email us! hello@skytalkers.com For ad inquiries please email: skytalkers@58ember.com Please note this Episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this Episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The tales that describe many of the ancient constellations can be romantic, tragic, heroic, or majestic. Some, on the other hand, are just weird. An example is Auriga. The constellation is low in the eastern sky at nightfall, and climbs high across the sky later on. It’s marked by a pentagon of stars. It’s easy to pick out thanks to the brightest member of that figure, Capella – one of the brighter stars in the entire night sky. Although Auriga is described as a charioteer, the character usually isn’t depicted with a chariot. But he is shown with a goat and her two kids on his shoulder. There are several versions of his story. In one, he was an early king of Athens. He was raised by the goddess Athena. Among other things, she taught him how to tame horses. He was so good at it that he became the first person to harness four horses to a chariot, like the chariot that carried the Sun across the sky. Zeus, the king of the gods, was so impressed that he placed the charioteer in the stars. The goat is represented by Capella. It isn’t a part of any of the legends of Auriga from Greek or Roman mythology. It may represent the goat that suckled the infant Zeus, who placed her and her children in the sky in gratitude. The goat and kids may once have formed their own small constellation. Today, though, they ride on the shoulder of the charioteer – who rides on nothing at all. More about the charioteer tomorrow. Script by Damond Benningfield
On Thursday's edition of WagerTalk Today, Steve Merril shares his favorite betting angles for tonight's Los Angeles Rams vs Seattle Seahawks Thursday Night Football game in NFL and gives best bets in the Magic vs Nuggets & Warriors vs Suns in NBA action & shares thoughts on round 1 of the CFP Playoffs!. Hosts, Andy Lang & Dan Alexander, provide props and share free picks & Gianni the Greek gives out Las Vegas steam moves and sports betting tips – don't miss out!Intro 00:00Gianni the Greek 2:00Gianni on TNF - Los Angeles Rams vs Seattle Seahawks 4:00Gianni CFB Bowls & College Football Playoff Steam 13:15College Basketball & NBA Steam 18:00WTF or LFG? - Follow or Fade this TNF Prop Bet? 22:00Steve Merril 26:45Los Angeles Rams vs Seattle Seahawks 27:40NBA Double Header - Orlando Magic vs Denver Nuggets 32:00Golden State Warriors vs Denver Nuggets 35:10Steve on College Football Playoffs 38:12Andy Darts Update 41:57Andy All Around the World Free Plays 43:24Is Dan Lord Farquaad? 46:00Andy Thursday Night Football: Rams vs Seahawks Same Game Parlay 48:15
A 3rd-century Christian hymn was discovered among the Oxyrhynchus papyri, and the hymn contains worship offered to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This episode explores the Greek hymn, examines how it illustrates the one God, and demonstrates why it is not evidence for belief in the Trinity during the late 200s. Instead, the hymn appears to best fit a modalistic understanding of God. To view the video version of this episode, go here: https://youtu.be/F7E5rf6Cpq4 Visit Amazon to buy your copy of A Systematic Theology of the Early Church: https://amzn.to/47jldOc Visit Amazon to buy your copy of Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John: https://amzn.to/3JBflHb Visit Amazon to buy your copy of The Son of God: Three Views of the Identity of Jesus: https://amzn.to/43DPYey To support this podcast, donate here: https://www.paypal.me/10mintruthtalks Episode notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11At1ZRu50GM_UrFdSN29NqV5XwXJRQjirATLPN8vCyQ/edit?usp=sharing Subscribe to me on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@BiblicalUnitarianPodcast Follow me on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/OneGodPodcast
It's Mother's Day in Santorini and Meredith's mood sours after missing a chance to speak with her son; tensions linger after the previous night's dinner; the group shares laughs poolside before heading out for the night. #RHOSLC #LisaBarlow #MeredithMarks Thank you for your support of this channel
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