Podcasts about humanly

Can we “flatter” God?  Human flattery emerges out of unhealthy attitudes of mind to achieve a fleshly purpose!  There are many meaningful lessons to be gleaned from today's Psalm 78.  It surveys the whole history of God's nation and the good – and not so good – indeed the bad – in their relationship with their God.  What is a relationship with God? That's a question we each need to answer.The Psalmist draws most of his lessons from their experiences in the wilderness under Moses.  Overwhelming evidence had been given to the people – in the way of visual experiences of God in action.  Jesus said, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required ….” [Luke 12 v.48]Up to verse 16 the Psalmist makes a summary of the physical evidence they had witnessed of their God in action; of the plagues in Egypt and their exemption from all but the first three; the dramatic Passover night, the drama afterwards and the parting of the waters so they crossed on dry land and then witnessed the drowning of the Egyptians. Then came the provision of water and now, says the Psalmist, “the bread of angels … in abundance” [v.25] and “winged birds … and they ate and were well filled” [v.27,29]At this point “the anger of God rose against them … they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly” [v.31, 34]  But what is their frame of mind as they express repentance and are seeking God?  Were they motivated by a sense of love for God? Now to love someone in a genuine way one needs to be in a heartfelt and abiding relationship with them, so what was now the nature of their attitude toward God?Verses 36 & 37 tell us, “They flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues.  Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant.”   So what did God do as a result?  Humanly, we would have expected a rejection of them – or at least some form of punishment. But no!  The next verse says, “Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often …”This is the message in the New Testament – to those in the wilderness of this world.  God's all-seeing spirit surrounds us – as it did them in the wilderness.  Paul told the Ephesians to “put off your old self … (it) is corrupt through deceitful desires ..” [4 v.22]  Deceitful desires among other things use flattery to achieve deceitful purposes.  Paul next says, “and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God …  in true righteousness and holiness.”  What challenging thoughts this provokes in our minds.  In what way can our “new self” be “in the likeness of God?”   This requires the deepest meditation – and the most earnest prayer.

Seeing God Through the Lens of Materialism Matthew 19:16-30 Someone came to Jesus with this question: Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life? Why ask me about what is good? Jesus replied. There is only One who is good.But to answer your questionif you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments. Which ones? the man asked. And Jesus replied: You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honour your father and mother. Love your neighbour as yourself. Ive obeyed all these commandments, the young man replied. What else must I do? Jesus told him, If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus said to his disciples, I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24 Ill say it againit is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God! The disciples were astounded. Then who in the world can be saved? they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.Then Peter said to him, Weve given up everything to follow you. What will we get? Jesus replied, I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. We Will Be Taken Care Of, But Suffering Is A Guarantee John 16:33 Romans 8:35-37 Suffering Is Redeemable Romans 5:1-5 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Worldly Blessings Are Overrated Matthew 6:19-21 Matthew 6:24 Matthew 13:44 Mark 8:34-37

Well hey there and hello again to ya. Welcome back to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show.  Created for You Freebies at JanLBurt.com The Power of God's Will - 40 Days of God's Promises Devotional on Amazon Let's go ahead and get started. God's got good for you, and I am hopeful that this episode will remind you of that, no matter what kind of stuff life is throwing at you today.   You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show podcast, blessed to be part of the ministry of the Edifi app. That's EDIFI, and you can find it in your app store. And if the show blesses or encourages you, I'd like to formally invite you to subscribe. This is episode number 203. Today I am going to read a bunch of Bible verses to you and let the promises of God sink into your heart and also into your mind (because when the word of God gets into our mind, it literally  changes the way that we think and that, my friend, changes the way that we live). And I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to prepare you right now, before I even quote one single verse, to ready you and prepare you to believe His amazing promises to you so that you can live from here on out like they are taking place, being accomplished, in your life. Live like His promises to you are true.   Because they are! God keeps all of His promises so I want to encourage you today to live like you know He is keeping all of His promises to you. To your family. And to His people all over the world.    Okay, so let's dive into God's Word and get some encouraging news in our ears, and into our thoughts, shall we?    First let's start with some powerful and hopeful words that Jesus spoke. I am quoting the NLT for today's podcast & let's look at Mark 12:27 - Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”    Okay - this is where we are going to begin. It is so, so important to remember, when we are making the big bold decision to really, truly believe God's promises - to live a believing life - that we don't base our belief on anything other than the Lord. We don't search out something in addition to Him in order to increase our faith. We aren't mustering up more faith by trying to make ourselves have more faith. Rather, we are relying fully on Him. And we are simply deciding that we will believe what the Bible says to us. And so, this verse is just a great reminder that you don't have to make God's promises work out in your life, in your kid's lives, etc. Nope. The pressure isn't on you to make happen what God has promised. But so often we live as if the pressure is on us, somehow, to do what is impossible for us. Only God is God, and only He can keep the promises He makes. Now only you can live by faith, believing God. But you and I have no ability or power to make it happen. We cannot get it done. But what we can get done is choose to believe Him, to take Him at His word, and to abide in Him moment by moment, even while we are expecting to see His promises fulfilled.    There are actually many, many things in this life that are impossible - for mankind. For humans. For wives and for moms and for employees and so on. Humanly speaking, there is gonna be stuff that is just not possible. But not with God! Aren't these words from Jesus incredible?  Think for just a moment about what our Savior is actually saying to us. But not with God. EVERYTHING is possible with God.   So bring God into everything, then! Never intentionally leave Him out of anything. You want the God who turns the impossible into the possible  - you want that God doing all the things in your life, right?    Get a sense of Jesus, today, looking at you intently and reminding you, firmly but with great love and compassion, that it isn't about mankind's ability to make this thing fly. Because  is is God and God alone who makes everything possible.    Psalm 37:23 (NLT) says this - The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.   Okay, this is a great verse! What hope it provides! What assurance! This is quite a promise! He is promising that He will direct your steps. And guess what? You can pray this verse over your loved ones, your co-workers, your spouse, your aging parents, your neighbors. And also, pray this over yourself.    Lord, please do as You have said in Your word and direct my steps. Lord, delight in every detail of my life.   Lord, direct my steps. I know my righteousness and any godliness within me is thanks to Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit. So Father, bless me and direct each step that I take. Stop me when I am near a misstep. Thank You for this promise of Your guidance and direction over my life, from now until my last breath.    It says that He delights in every detail of our lives. So guess what that means for us? How does that relate to us living in total belief that God's promises for us are absolutely true and are being realized on the daily? Well, take every little and every big detail of your life to God in prayer. You can do that! You should do that! He cares so much - talk to Him.Talk to Him often. Like, talk to God a lot! All of the time. And remember, and keep on remembering, He delights, not tolerates or endures or notices, but delights in every detail of your life. You are not just barely tolerable. No, to the contrary, you are one in whom God takes great delight.    Oh this is a great promise. And a great prayer verse too. Quick side note here - anybody else feel kind of like we need to ramp up our praying? Just have that sense that we need to spend more time talking to the Lord, time in prayer by ourselves and maybe with others, too.  If you feel that way too, listen to the Lord as to what He is calling you to. And keep track of, write down, memorize, put in your phone verses that you can have at the ready at any moment to pray.That's just a little tip that comes in handy, having some verses saved to a note on your phone so that you can open it and start praying those verses at any time, it can be helpful to have that at hand. And maybe open that note and pray those verses rather than scroll when you have ten minutes to spare. Just a thought!  Praying God's promises is really amazing. Like, this will leave you amazed again and again. So, that's my side note. Just keep seeking to be part of whatever He is doing, where He is moving. And hey, prayer is always always a good thing, is it not?    (And maybe take a look at what it says in Habakkuk 2:3 - that is an awesome verse to start a prayer time with. I encourage you to look it up but I will read it to you from the Amplified right now - For the vision is yet for the appointed (future) time; it hurries toward the goal (or fulfillment); it will not fail. Even though it delays, wati (patiently) for it, because it will certainly come; it will not delay.)  He is always moving, and even when it seems like there is a delay, which there is at times according to the verse I just read from Habakkuk, don't lose heart. Hang your hope on the Lord who always does as He has promised, and don't unhang your hope when the wait gets long.    Okay, so this next verse is one that I think some people might feel like they just cannot seem to fully believe for themselves. Like, this isn't going to be true for me. If you've ever thought like that, let me encourage you. I am hopeful that you and I can today believe this verse for our very own situations.   Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT) says - So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.   A lot in that verse. First, God says to be strong and courageous and that sentence ends with an exclamation point. Now there weren't exactly punctuation marks in the original Hebrew, right? But the translation into modern English gives us the exclamation point so that we grasp God's meaning in this verse. The punctuation reminds us of the importance - it's to garner our attention, to make sure we're listening and reading what God has said in His word.  So - let's just do what He says to do! Be strong. Be courageous. Exclamation point. I am guessing you have one or more parts of your life right now, at this point in time, where you can apply this. So go ahead and apply it. Be strong. Be courageous. How? By resting in the Lord and knowing that He is going to keep His word.    Don't be afraid. Think on Jesus and the fear dissipates, really it does! Do not panic before them, it says. Well “them” of course refers to their enemies. Don't panic before your enemy.    And here is the reason why you don't need to be afraid, don't panic, but instead be strong and courageous. For the Lord your God WILL PERSONALLY go ahead of you.  This is profound to think about, and yet it is absolutely true.    When God says He WILL do something, He most assuredly will. You just be about the business of believing He will do all He has promised to do. Let Him be about the actual doing of it.    He will personally go ahead of you. How's that for a promise that can give you some big time faith?    And the verse ends with this - He will neither fail you nor abandon you. I'm going to say that once more - He will neither fail you nor abandon you.  He won't. That's that.   I've got a couple more verses to share with you today. And I am believing they are encouraging to you and will have you just believing by the end of this episode. If not, hey, you can listen again. Let that faith grow in you and believe more and more every single day - trust God more than the news, more than fear, more than anything. Right?   Revelation 21:4 (NLT)  - He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying of pain. All these things are gone forever.   This is such a wonderful verse for us. I'm not going to mention anything specific today - but we are living in a very tumultuous era. I'm going to say this about our current season in the history of the world: I believe we are living in the end times, the last days. And I say that based on what the Bible teaches us about how things will look in the end times. Now, many Christians will say that we have fifty or a hundred years until Jesus' return. I don't think that is possible, because it does not make sense based on what the Bible tells us the last days will be like. Let me explain what I mean - we know that in the last days no one will be able to buy or sell unless they take the mark of the beast, the mark on their hand and/or forehead. You've heard this before, I'm pretty sure. You can read about it in Revelation chapter 13, I think verses 16 through 18 specifically. A hundred years ago, was there a way for a mark to be put in your hand or in your forehead that would prevent you from buying or selling? Well, not really. How about fifty years ago? Not really. The answer is, no. It wasn't possible. How about even 25 years ago? Back in 2000? Getting closer, but the tech wasn't quite there.   So here's some food for thought. If fifty, a hundred, or even just twenty five years ago the tech wasn't ready for the mark of the beast to be implemented, and then if we just ponder the last five years or so, the changes in the tech world. It's astounding how much has changed in a handful of years. So, at the pace technology is changing and advancing, and I can tell you in my limited experience with just the podcast industry and social media, it changes so fast, a month ago things were different with some of the apps and things I use. It's quick change after quick change, all day long, right? So how does that work if we have fifty or a hundred years yet to go? Won't the tech outpace the end times at this rate? Like, we cannot fathom what technology will be capable of in fifty or a hundred years. But right now, we can fathom the mark of the beast for buying or selling, and the tech, it would work. We're right on the cusp of this being a possible and plausible reality. Since this is what we were forewarned of by Jesus Himself in the book of Revelation, is it wise to tell ourselves or to preach to others that we've got decades of quote/unquote safe time before it all happens as the Bible says? Or is it far wiser to say, hey, per the words of Jesus, we're just about to this point technology wise. It's coming, and it's not going to be in five or ten decades…because at that point, the tech would have outpaced the very word of God, the prophetic aspects of the end times, and that, we know, cannot and will not happen.    So today, this moment, is the time for you to consider Revelation 21 verse 4. Let me read it once more. Revelation 21:4 (NLT)  - He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying of pain. All these things are gone forever.   This verse is a balm for those who know Jesus. It's key. It's mission critical to remember there is a day coming when all the tears will stop. And that day is nearly here. No more death or sorrow or crying or pain. Gone forever. I don't even need to say more about this verse, this promise from Revelation, except that it is for those who know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. If you don't, you are welcome to email me at JanLBurt@outlook.com and I will reply. It's so important to know Him, not know of Him, not just attend church, but really know Him. Not talking religion here. But true relationship with the Son of God, Jesus. I really do welcome you to contact me. Totally confidential and non judgmental. Just offering Jesus and how to have Him as your best friend forever.    Last verse today - Luke 1:37 (NLT) For the word of God will never fail.   Short and sweet. Doesn't need explaining. No need for commentary. Just know that this is absolute and unchanging truth.    For the word of the Lord will never fail.   Anybody else need to know that today?   Take that thing, big and scary, and hold it up next to this verse, Luke 1:37. Does one seem bigger and one much smaller?    For the word of the Lord will - never - fail.   It won't. It just flat out will not fail. Never, no never.   Lord bless you today. I have prayed for you, all who listen to this episode, and I am going to continue to pray for you.    Live a life sold out for Jesus, believing all of His promises, and just see what God might do in and through a life lived like that.    Find me via my website JanLBurt.com and grab any one of the free items I've got on the home page-  and I have a book, a devotional, available on Amazon - The Power of God's Will - 40 Days of God's Promises - with verses that have the word “WILL” in them. God does what He says He will do, and He never doesn't do what He has said that He will do.   Have a great day & I will see ya back here next time. Be sure to subscribe to not miss future episodes. Thankful you joined me & blessed to be able to stand by faith on the promises in God's Word.   Bye bye! 

For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body (Colossians 2:9). Glory, hallelujah!

Everyone has doubted themselves at some point in time.   The most infamous doubter of all time (in the bible) was Thomas - You can read this section in John 20:24-29.   Peter climbed out of the boat and walked on the water until reality set in, and he started to doubt. You can read this in Matthew 14:29-31.   We want to believe so badly that we can be good leaders, and that we can do the right thing, which includes dealing with difficult people, speaking up in certain circumstances, and handling those battles we often just avoid because we'd rather just confrontations altogether.   But as soon as a situation arises, we doubt ourselves, our abilities, our knowledge, our experience and we believe we're just not good enough, or I can't do this!   Sometimes we forget just how unqualified ALL the disciples were. But Jesus chose them anyway, because HE knew, he knew their potential, he knew that he wanted imperfect people to lead. He is NOT looking for you to be perfect! Not by any means!   All he wants is for you to trust him, have confidence that HE put you in that position, have confidence every day that He loves you and all that He wants is just for you to be an instrument.   So, when self-doubt kicks in, why not memorise a verse that will give you courage, that will remind you that God is with you right now and that YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS because He is with you!   Matthew 19:26 reads: "Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”   Here are 5 bible verses that will help and encourage you to overcome your self-doubt with the knowledge that God knew that you were going to doubt one day, he already knew and therefore he already made provision, and He already overcame it for YOU!   1. Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."   2. Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."   3. Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."   4. Isaiah 41:13 "For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you."   5. Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."   BONUS: Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."   I pray that this encourages you today!   Know that HE is Lord and that HE's got you!   Have a listener question? Submit it at https://www.womenoffaithinleadership.com   Next steps:  1. Navigate to https://www.womenoffaithinleadership.com where you can: Join the community of like-minded female Christian leaders. This is where I will be hanging out if I'm not on the podcast chatting to you all. Come share and support each other here.  Subscribe to my newsletter so you can stay up to date with all upcoming episodes and any other exclusive or special offers. 2. If you need any support, you can get in contact with me for a 1:1 coaching session. Just email me at support@rikawhelan.com 3. Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rikawhelan

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chaya Mistry, the founder of Humanly, a leadership and communication consultancy who describes herself as a "human whisperer," reflects on her upbringing in a multicultural family in the UK, shaped by her Indian heritage, and how this foundation inspired her mission to regenerate human connections. With a background in psychology and corporate communications, Chaya shares her journey of founding Humanly, a consultancy that emphasizes emotional intelligence, leadership coaching, and creating spaces where people can connect authentically, both in work and life. She highlights the transformative power of compassion and deep listening as acts of kindness with the potential to create profound ripple effects.   Central to the conversation is Chaya's framework for transformational leadership, built around the Four Cs: Compassion, Curiosity, Courage, and Creativity. She and Maurice delve into the importance of inner work in leadership, exploring how these qualities align with the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) and their complement to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Chaya emphasizes the need for leaders to cultivate self-awareness and self-care as tools for fostering deeper connections and driving meaningful change. Drawing from her work, she illustrates how authentic leadership can inspire both personal growth and social transformation, creating a foundation for collaborative action in addressing global challenges.   Listener Engagement: Discover more about Chaya Mistry, via her website or LinkedIn. Join her online community: The Human Leadership Collective or read her latest blog Share your thoughts on this episode at innovationhub@cwsglobal.org. Your feedback is invaluable to us. Explore the songs selected by Chaya and other guests on our #walktalklisten playlist here. Follow Us: Support the Walk Talk Listen podcast and Maurice by liking and following Maurice on Blue Sky, Facebook and Instagram. Visit our website at 100mile.org for more episodes and information about our initiatives. Check out the special WTL series "Enough for All," featuring Church World Service (CWS) and the work of the Joint Learning Initiative (JLI).

The circumstances of Jesus' birth tell us about how God sees life. Humanly devised systems of status, power, and wealth mean nothing to God. So we should ask, why do they mean so much to us? God has a plan for you... salvation from death... resurrection... placement within His family... participation in the universal rule of God. And, it is not based on your material achievements, status, or wealth. A better picture of God's life priorities is found in Jesus' birth in the flesh. Nobody in this world, but set apart, to serve God's purpose, to give Himself as a sacrifice to God, and to rise up to everlasting life. With that in mind, let's review the birth of Jesus and consider the different reactions it produced in those who were on the scene. Link to article referred to in the video Was There Really "No Room in the Inn"? https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/was-there-really-no-room-in-the-inn Photos by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC.​ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/

We really hope you are enjoying this week and the amazing story of Joseph. God had given him a strange, mystical gift of being ability to hear someone's crazy-sounding dream and be able to offer a credible interpretation that applied to the person's future. And would most certainly come true. After Pharaoh had a very strange dream and no one could tell him what it meant, he was finally made aware of Joseph and called him before the throne to hear the dream, this is in Genesis 41:15 “I dreamed a dream,” Pharaoh told Joseph. “Nobody can interpret it. But I've heard that just by hearing a dream you can interpret it.”  Joseph answered, “Not I, but God. God will set Pharaoh's mind at ease.” When the dust had settled after Joseph heard, interpreted, and offered solutions for all of Pharaoh's dreams, the ruler of Egypt made a surprising declaration to everyone, but most especially to Joseph: We pick up in verse 38 Then Pharaoh said to his officials, “Isn't this the man we need? Are we going to find anyone else who has God's spirit in him like this?” So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “You're the man for us. God has given you the inside story—no one is as qualified as you in experience and wisdom. From now on, you're in charge of my affairs; all my people will report to you. Only as king will I be over you.” Every problem that humans threw at Joseph, God always in time provided a promotion for him. Ultimately, he became the second most powerful leader in the known world. This story is much like when Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 19:26: “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” God can overcome anything if we will simply place the circumstance in His hands. The handing-over can be very hard sometimes, because we feel out-of-control. But giving control of something we cannot control anyway to the God who is always in control will be the best decisions we make—every time. Like Joseph told Pharaoh: “It is beyond my power to do this, but God can …” Is there an impossible situation in your life right now that you can turn over to God? Let's pray: “Father, thank You that whatever happens, You can. What is impossible for me is always possible for You. What seems impossible to happen or not happen, You have control over. I submit my life, my purpose, my own need to be in control to You. As above, so below.”

Summary In this episode of AI Tool Report Live, host Liam Lawson interviews Prem Kumar, CEO of Humanly.io, a leading conversational platform for high-volume hiring. They discuss Prem's journey from his first job to becoming a successful entrepreneur, the importance of candidate experience in recruitment, and how Humanly blends automation with a human touch. Prem shares insights on building an inclusive company culture, the role of AI in recruitment, and the challenges of scaling a startup. He emphasizes the importance of mentorship, technical curiosity, and the need for aspiring entrepreneurs to take action and get started. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Prem Kumar and Humanly.io 02:36 Prem's Early Career and Entrepreneurial Journey 05:42 The Genesis of Humanly and Candidate Experience 08:32 Balancing Automation and Human Touch in Recruiting 11:08 Insights from Behavioral Science in Recruitment 13:53 Benefits of Humanly for Recruiting Firms 15:42 AI Infrastructure and Bias Mitigation 19:19 Building an Inclusive Company Culture 21:46 Challenges of Scaling Company Culture 23:47 Traits of a Great CEO 26:29 Self-Evaluation as a CEO 29:38 Technical Curiosity and Learning as a CEO 31:34 Future Trends in AI and Humanly's Vision 36:53 Motivation and Work-Life Balance 39:49 The Importance of Mentorship 42:12 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs in AI Connect with Prem — LinkedIn

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://seesee.podigee.io/s3e3-richard-martin-part-2 40bed36a7fcc725d8c0c7b947c051918 What is a myth? What do we get out of them? Do myths die? Do gods die? In this episode dedicated to Greek mythology, Richard P. Martin, Antony and Isabelle Raubitschek Professor of Classics at Stanford, will guide us through the story of Prometheus, the legendary rebel who defied the gods by stealing fire from Mount Olympus to give to mankind. Through his storytelling we will learn about Prometheus' own mythic torment and explore the symbolism of his eternal punishment and sacrifice and its relationship to the mysteries of divination and Zeus' scorn at Prometheus' ability to tell the future. Get ready to let your imagination run wild as we picture ourselves in the incredible theatre of Dionysus in Athens! And listen to Prof. Martin on how in Athens the people refused to bow to a tyrant. You'll also get to learn what Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound has to do with tyranny and democracy! We'll delve into the fascinating implications of the new Pandora, as represented by AI, for humanity. And will be discussing the muses, creativity and the role of the human heart! Professor Richard Martin's major publications include Healing, Sacrifice and Battle. Amechania and Related Concepts in Early Greek Poetry; The Language of Heroes: Speech and Performance in the Iliad (Myth and Poetics); and Mythologizing Performance, published in 2020. In addition to several articles on Greek, Latin and Irish literature, he's the author of publications for general audiences, such as Classical Mythology, the Basics; Bulfinch's Mythology: The Age of the Fable, The Age of Chivalry, Legends of Charlemagne (The most complete compendium of mythology ever published); and Myths of the Ancient Greeks, published in 2023. An authority on Greek poetry and myth, Prof. Richard Martin has produced an internet version of Homer's Odyssey with a team at Stanford. https://classics.stanford.edu/people/richard-p-martin https://shc.stanford.edu/stanford-humanities-center/about/people/richard-martin https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/287398/myths-of-the-ancient-greeks-by-richard-p-martin/ 3 3 full no Dr. Cecilia Ponce Rivera

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000 https://seesee.podigee.io/s3e2-richard-martin-part-1 a4a12eea777b1932e7d4626b3e4a043a What is a myth? What do we get out of them? Do myths die? Do gods die? In this episode dedicated to Greek mythology, Richard P. Martin, Antony and Isabelle Raubitschek Professor of Classics at Stanford, will guide us through the story of Prometheus, the legendary rebel who defied the gods by stealing fire from Mount Olympus to give to mankind. Through his storytelling we will learn about Prometheus' own mythic torment and explore the symbolism of his eternal punishment and sacrifice and its relationship to the mysteries of divination and Zeus' scorn at Prometheus' ability to tell the future. Get ready to let your imagination run wild as we picture ourselves in the incredible theatre of Dionysus in Athens! And listen to Prof. Martin on how in Athens the people refused to bow to a tyrant. You'll also get to learn what Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound has to do with tyranny and democracy! We'll delve into the fascinating implications of the new Pandora, as represented by AI, for humanity. And will be discussing the muses, creativity and the role of the human heart! Professor Richard Martin's major publications include Healing, Sacrifice and Battle. Amechania and Related Concepts in Early Greek Poetry; The Language of Heroes: Speech and Performance in the Iliad (Myth and Poetics); and Mythologizing Performance, published in 2020. In addition to several articles on Greek, Latin and Irish literature, he's the author of publications for general audiences, such as Classical Mythology, the Basics; Bulfinch's Mythology: The Age of the Fable, The Age of Chivalry, Legends of Charlemagne (The most complete compendium of mythology ever published); and Myths of the Ancient Greeks, published in 2023. An authority on Greek poetry and myth, Prof. Richard Martin has produced an internet version of Homer's Odyssey with a team at Stanford. https://classics.stanford.edu/people/richard-p-martin https://shc.stanford.edu/stanford-humanities-center/about/people/richard-martin https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/287398/myths-of-the-ancient-greeks-by-richard-p-martin/ 3 2 full no Princeton,Greek poetry,Prometheus Myth,Prometheus Bound,Mythology,Stanford Academia,Prometheus,Fire,Storytelling,Zeus Dr. Cecilia Ponce Rivera

Humanly speaking we can not do this! Matthew 5:38-12, Mark 10:17-22

Mt 5:17-20   1) The Commandments of God are hard  James 1:10   “Humanly speaking, it is possible to understand the sermon on the mount in a thousand different ways. But Jesus knows only one possibility: simple surrender and obedience. Not interpreting or applying it but doing and obeying it. That is the only way to gear His words. He does not mean for us to discuss it as an ideal. He really means for us to get on with it” Dietrich Bonhoeffer    2) Jesus came to FULFILL the law    Matt 5:17   Gal 3:24-26   Col 2:13-15   3) The WAY is NARROW and NON-NEGOTIABLE   Mt 7:13-14   Jn 14:6   Jn 10:9   4) The WAY is a guided tour    Jn 10:14   Jn 10:27-28

The church in Antioch of Syria gained the reputation for sending out missionaries to the uttermost parts of the earth. This was the Apostle Paul's sending church. Humanly speaking, without this church and their obedience to the great commission of Christ, Paul could not have made the status report to the church at Colossae (1:5-6) that the gospel was preached and having impact in all the world. This means that within twenty years of Pentecost, the early churches had obeyed the great commission. The believers at the church of Antioch played a significant role in the work of missions. As we begin mission weeks, lets consider the church at Antioch.

He is the Best of the Best (Song of Solomon 5:9-6:9) Welcome back to the Song of Solomon. I don't know if you have re-read it since the last time I spoke on it back in January or not. Before we continue, I am sure there is at least one person here who is wondering how Solomon could have written this and also have had 700 wives and 300 mistresses, I would like to suggest that this Shulamite woman is quite probably Naamah, his first love and bride (2 Chronicles 12v13). This obviously is before he went astray and committed idolatry - both in a physical and spiritual sense. Song of Solomon, is the book the Jews called "The Greatest Song of All Songs," and people under the age of 30 were expressly forbidden from reading it due to its suggestive content. In the Jewish year, it belonged to the group of books that were read at Passover. Martin Luther, we know called it the noblest of all songs! Perhaps it was the inspiration behind what he said when inviting a friend to the public ceremony of his wedding: "I feel neither passionate love nor burning for my spouse, but I cherish her." I am sure you will agree that was not the most romantic thing ever written but then Martin Luther and Katherine von Bora did get engaged and married on the same day! It's also a little known fact that Katie used to brew beer in the bathtub! I don't know of course if they ever bathed and drank it at the same time! I also don't know where you are at tonight. You may well be a mature Christian who has been cultivating spiritual intimacy with Jesus Christ for many years. You may well be just a new born Christian - this very day or week. You may indeed simply be seeking out Jesus Christ and do not yet know Him personally. Right mouse click and save to download the PDF file of this sermon. Right mouse click and save to download the MP3 file of this sermon. You may have been happily married for many years. I am also aware that there will be people here who are having marriage difficulties, or are divorced, estranged or widowed. Where ever you are at, whatever emotions you are feeling or trials undergoing, allow the Holy Spirit to counsel you as we look at this passage of Scripture together. I am glad you are here - it's the best place to be tonight. How & why is this lover the best? (v9) The context for this passage is that the lover has gone! He is missing! So, we start off with that amazing question! "How is he the best?" I don't know about you, but almost every day I am either asked or I read "How is your Jesus the best?" Perhaps the people you meet ask you the same question. Certainly the media ask it - a media that equates all religions as equal, valid but mostly silly. You may well be asking that very question tonight. So let us look together firstly at teasing out this portrait of the lover. Secondly, we will look at the response of the lover to His beloved. 1. Portrait of The Lover Other Biblical portraits are not too dissimilar - Daniel 7v9 talking about the "Ancient of Days" or Revelation 1v12-18 showing us a portrait of the ascended and glorified Jesus Christ. I wonder if I was to ask you how you would describe Jesus Christ and what one thing about Him you consider special, what would you say? Think about it for a minute. Perhaps it is His constant faithfulness or His compelling love? Perhaps it is that He is your friend. Perhaps, your only friend. Where ever you and I are at, our vision of Jesus is bound to be too small. We need to be constantly growing and cultivating our vision and experience of Jesus Christ. That is what we will be doing in Heaven - getting to know Him more and more. Is your vision of Jesus too small and limited? Let us take a quick look through these next 7 verses. I can see at least eight things about this person, this lover, who we now know as Jesus Christ. a. Radiant! (v10) - He glows! The man glows! His face shines! Humanly speaking He is a picture of full health. This man shines brightly - He radiates! Shining brightly signifies holiness that radiates from Him. It reminds me of Moses, when he came down from the mountain after meeting with God in Exodus 34. His face was radiant because it reflected the holiness of God! Our saviour Jesus Christ is portrayed as radiant because He is God and it radiates because of His holiness and purity. b. Unique! (v10) - He is outstanding among ten thousand! In Biblical Hebrew, ten thousand was the largest number, so this lover, this person is unique! In all of history, Jesus Christ is incomparable. Yet in human form, we read that during his earthly ministry he had no physical beauty that would draw people to him. We read that Jesus' body on the cross was so disfigured and tortured beyond that of any man and beyond human likeness. His work on the cross was what makes Jesus Christ unique. c. Majestic (v11) - His head is made of the finest gold, and He is not simply a king with a crown. His hair is shining black to symbolize His eternal ageless character. This Jesus Christ did not decay in the grave - He overcame death in the grave and was raised again in a new and resurrected body! Paul writes in Colossians 2v3, that in Jesus Christ all the majestic treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. Jesus Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who with unparalleled majesty is the head of the church. He is to be our Lord, our King and our Saviour, but will only be if we allow Him to be. Jesus Christ is majestic in power, authority, wisdom and knowledge! d. Tender (v12) - Now she describes his eyes! His eyes are shining white and his pupils pierce the darkness. Surely this signifies that Jesus looks upon people with love, adoration, tenderness and compassion. The water streams referring to the tears of love and compassion that He exhibits. This lover, this Jesus is kind and sympathetic to all - his look of love on a world that is separated from God, and to whom God is calling back into relationship. The love Jesus had when he wept in the garden as he sweated drops of blood, before he was betrayed and crucified. The eyes that sweep the earth looking for those who are eager to return into relationship with Him. e. Wise (v13) - We recall when Jesus spoke words during the three years of his earthbound ministry, people were amazed and astounded. They were astounded that He spoke with elegance and yet with authority, unlike the religious leaders of the day. They had never heard anyone speak like He did - with both grace and authority. The same is true today, if we are listening. That is why we read the Bible to find out what He would say to us. That is why we seek to hear Him speak to us and why we speak to Him. f. Almighty v14 - This would seem to give the impression that the lover's arms are rippling with muscles. This man is strong, and is willing to protect and help his beloved. Jesus has overcome the world, will protect those who are in relationship with Him and He has given help in the form of the Holy Spirit, who lives inside each believer and is the seal of the relationship between Jesus and His followers. Whatever you are going through now, Jesus will protect and guide you. g. Strong v15 - His legs are like pillars of marble, which portrays this man as strong and able to carry any burden that is laid upon Him. Jesus Christ is able to carry any burden you lay on his back. While the marble conveys a sense of strength, gold conveys a meaning of imperishability and of a solid foundation. If something has a solid foundation, it will not fall easily. Indeed Jesus Christ will never fall, such is His imperishability as the everlasting God. He is solid and strong, nobody and nothing can stand against Him, and if we are His and under his protection, then we ought not to fear anything. h. Lovely v16 - The final phrase in this chapter "He is altogether lovely" gives the sense of exultation He gives out. He is without peer and nobody can match Him. He is beyond compare for the things He has done and the things He will do are matchless. He is lovely in regard to his person, birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, ascension, exultation, glorification, grace, protection, tenderness, power, wisdom, vengeance, judgment, redemption and pardon. That is my Jesus, whom I seek to serve and seek to have contact with every minute of every day. Frequently I forget who I am as a Christian believer and fall back into old ways. Then I remember that I can go running to Him at any time to ask forgiveness and be forgiven. This Jesus who died on a Roman cross two thousand years ago. This Jesus who was raised from the dead, without decay, into newness of life and ascended to the right hand of the Father. The bride at the end of 5v16 states "This is my lover, this my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem." 2. How do we respond? What is your response to this Jesus? Is it the same as the bride's response to the lover we see in 6v3:"I am my lover's and my lover is mine; he browses among the lilies." In other words, Are you His and is He yours? The idea and concept of browsing gives a sense of intimate contact. As the fellowship bond between Jesus and His people grows, so does spiritual intimacy. Paul wrote equating the marriage between a man and a woman as a reflection of Jesus Christ's love for the Church. Perhaps he had the Song of Solomon in mind when writing such things. Sexual union, between a man and a woman in a committed married relationship, is a picture of the union of God and His people - Jesus Christ and His people. We can see that here in this book. That's why adultery and any form of sexual behavior outside the confines of a monogamous, committed marriage between one man and one woman is also idolatry. This book speaks not only on a physical level about the importance of human love and intimacy between a man and a woman, but also the intimacy that exists, blossoms and grows between a person and Jesus Christ. This holy, radiant lover - Jesus Christ calls you and calls you by name into His bride, the church. In the first part of Chapter 6, we see a bride that is also beautiful, glorious, radiant and unique. If your view of Jesus is too small, then perhaps so is your view of His bride, the Church! The chapter starts off with the group of friends saying "Where has He gone?" Not only, how is your Jesus the best but also where has he gone, we can't see him! Isn't that what people today say also? Or am I alone in having people say that to me. I will let you in on a mystery! When people see us as the Church, they should be seeing the risen radiant Jesus and not somebody just going through the motions! That is the sense of intimacy that her response in verse 3 describes. Here in the lover's response, the beloved, the Church, reflects the lover, Jesus Christ. When the lover responds, He describes her as beautiful, glorious, radiant and unique! This is not as the Church is now, but as the Church will be! The Church is being perfected for a King who is unique, all-knowing, Wise, Almighty, Altogether Lovely and Strong... The Church is being prepared as a Bride being beautifully prepared for her husband! This is a picture of a Church that has beauty in holiness, is strong in her faith, radiating holiness and is totally unique. Unique because there is only one Church! We know the Church has faults now - the media love to report it when the Church is perceived to have done something wrong. But the worldwide, universal church is being constantly changed into the very image, a reflection, of Jesus Christ, the head of the church! Each individual member of the church is being transformed into the very image of Jesus Christ by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. The more we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, mould us, change us and guide us, the more we will be transformed into the very image of Jesus Christ. Where ever you go, the Church is there. Your workplace, your school - the church is there, because Jesus Christ is there with you. Church is not just on Sunday, but every other day of the week. That does not mean however we stop attending on Sundays, because we are also commanded not to give up meeting together to worship God, coming around His word and engaging in fellowship and Holy Communion together. As Jesus Christ's bride, the church, we are to be seen as living a life that is free from disobedience to God and His commands. People outside the church watch to see how and what we do as the Church and are waiting for us to fall - both as a community and individually. We are to live a life that is blameless so that nobody can accuse us of being hypocritical. When we live a life that is holy and fully on fire for Jesus Christ, people will inevitably ask is the reason for the hope that we have. This bride, the Church is unique, and there is only one of her! Not only is there one universal Church, but that Church is to be radiant - radiant in holiness. The church is being made holy, through the combination of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and the Holy Spirit's transforming work within individual believers. The church is holy, in that it is God's separated people living in the community, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and through a perfecting faith in Jesus Christ. The church is also holy, in that every Christian believer is declared holy and righteous through a living relationship with Jesus Christ. The bride reflects the lover! This means that the church has imputed holiness and is seen as spotless and sinless. Despite being deemed holy, the New Testament church we know was also subject to much doctrinal error (1 Timothy 6v3), immorality (Revelation 2v14) and division (1 Corinthians 11v18). Dare I say, that churches today, are the same! The lover was and is holy, and so is His beloved, His bride. Augustine said that Jesus Christ's holiness is the reason for His bride the church being holy, and the church will be made perfect on the last day. To that we can say Amen! Recap! How is this lover the best of all lovers? How is this Jesus the best of all? We have seen that this lover is Jesus Christ. We saw together these things about him: Glorious in Holiness, Uniqueness, Majesty, Tenderness; Wisdom; Almighty; Strength and Loveliness. We have seen that the bride, the Church, reflects the head, Jesus Christ and is to be beautiful, holy, unique and glorious! Therefore we, as His church, are to reflect Jesus Christ in every aspect of our life as we counter people who don't know this Jesus, and who think that Jesus is merely a swear word or an insignificant, charismatic yet enigmatic anti-hero on the dusty pages of history. Conclusion! So how do we finish up? You may not be yet a follower, so I would urge you most strongly to accept His call upon you. You may not get another chance. This same Jesus Christ said he was coming back again. Not as a baby next time, but in full glory, power and majesty. He will be coming back to gather those who are in relationship with Him and to wipe the tears of suffering and joy from their eyes. Those who are found not to be in relationship with Him, will spend eternity without Him. He gives each of us, innumerable opportunities to enter into relationship with Him. This Jesus wants to connect with you in an intimate, spiritual relationship - His eyes wander the earth looking for those willing to submit themselves to His authority. If that is you, then please do see Pastor Adam, one of the leaders or the person that brought you here tonight, to find out how you can start this relationship with the Living God, Jesus Christ. He calls you by name. Lastly, if you are already in a relationship with Him, no matter if it is one hour, one day, one year or several decades, He wants to give you freedom to live a life worthy of Him. Is Jesus your life and your life in Jesus, just as the beloved and lover of this book are? That means He wants to have authority over every aspect of your life as you seek intimacy with Him. Cast your cares upon Him - He can take it. Perhaps you are caught in a trap of habitual sin. Maybe you are feeling the desolation and loneliness because of decisions made in the past. You may be happily married, struggling in your marriage, separated, divorced or single. Where ever you are at, call out to your God, expressing your fears, your worries and concerns, as well as telling Him your joys and excitements. He is the Almighty God, radiating in holiness, speaking words of wisdom and tenderness to you. Whatever you are going through, give it to Him. Jesus already has all authority - on heaven and on earth. People are scared by the word authority, but that is because they usually confuse it with the word authoritarian. By authority, I do not mean authoritarian, because Jesus will not force you to give anything up until you willingly want to give up those things that are holding you back from serving Him in freedom and fullness. Forcing as authoritarians do; would mean going against God's loving principle of free-will. By authority, I mean power. Authority to forgive sins, conquer His enemies and authority to love and care for His people, His bride. He has Authority to love and loves to show His power and majesty to those who are in a dynamic relationship with Him. His love is compelling, and is always calling you and wanting to help you, in your relationship with Him. How is Jesus better than all the rest? He is that tremendous almighty person who radiates loveliness and yearns to be in and develop an intimate relationship with you. Who do you say this Jesus is? Right mouse click and save to download the MP3 file of this sermon. Right mouse click and save to download the PDF file of this sermon.

Message for 08/01/2024 "Those Who Say Yes" by Justin McTeer. *All verses are NLT unless otherwise noted* Matthew 19:16-30 - Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.” 18 “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely.19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.'” 20 “I've obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?” 21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24 I'll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” 25 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. 26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” 27 Then Peter said to him, “We've given up everything to follow you. What will we get?” 28 Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. Matthew 20:1-16 - “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work. 3 “At nine o'clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. 4 So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. 5 So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o'clock he did the same thing. 6 “At five o'clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven't you been working today?' 7 “They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.' “The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.' 8 “That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. 9 When those hired at five o'clock were paid, each received a full day's wage.10 When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day's wage.11 When they received their pay, they protested to the owner,12 ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you've paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.' 13 “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven't been unfair! Didn't you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14 Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you.15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?' 16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.” Matthew 4:18-20 - One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 20 And they left their nets at once and followed him. Matthew 19:21 - Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Matthew 6:19-21 - “Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Matthew 13:22 - The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. Hebrews 12:1 - Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. John 21:18-23 - “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don't want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.” 20 Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will betray you?” 21 Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?” 22 Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.” 23 So the rumor spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn't die. But that isn't what Jesus said at all. He only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

"Let me teach you." Mt 11:29 NLTJesus said, "I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Mt16:18). When He spoke those words, the religious leaders of His day were plotting His death, the society in which He lived was controlled by the might of Rome, and His followers were common people. Humanly speaking, what He promised was audacious, and the possibilities of it happening were zero. Nevertheless, it came to pass. Two thousand years later, He is the most quoted author in the world, and our values are based on the principles He taught. How did He do it?By mentoring others. So when looking for a mentor, try to find someone who exemplifies the qualities and character Jesus displayed."Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light'" (Mt 11:28-30 NLT). Jesus used an agricultural illustration His listeners would understand. To get the highest productivity out of an ox, the yoke around its neck had to be a comfortable fit. And a good mentor is someone who understands you and knows what is the right fit for your temperament and talents. A mentor is an extra pair of eyes and ears and that always has your best interests at heart. When you think about it, having the right mentor is one of the best investments you can make in your future.Support the Show.Changing Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

You need to go after it, and there is a good chance you will fail. There is also a good chance you will THRIVE. Most likely, you will fail. But after listening to this episode, you will pick the pieces back up and try again and again. Don't be afraid to fail - be afraid to never try. In this conversation with Antone Wilson, Courtney dives deep into what it means to be successful, and what it means to push the boundaries of what you beleive to be possible. If you've been yearning for a reset, this is the episode for you. You said tomorrow yesterday. I believe in you, so you should believe in you. Find Antone: Website Medium (Blog) LinkedIn Find Courtney: Find Courtney: Email: ynqpod@gmail.com IG Website YouTube

In this episode of The Elite Recruiter Podcast, Benjamin Mena sits down with Prem Kumar, a thought leader in AI-driven recruiting and CEO of Humanly. They dive deep into how AI can solve specific problems within recruiting, ensuring you not only streamline your hiring process but also enhance candidate experience. This episode is tailored for recruiters, hiring managers, and recruiting technology founders who are navigating the complexities of modern hiring landscapes. 1. AI's Role in Solving Recruiting Challenges: Prem Kumar outlines how AI isn't a choice between humans and chatbots but between a chatbot and being ignored. Discover the transformative power of AI in matching candidates and managing high applicant volumes effectively. 2. Best Practices for Implementing AI: Get insights on the importance of being vigilant with AI tools, understanding the technology behind them, and ensuring data protection. Learn from Prem's experience on how to ask the right questions and scrutinize the training data behind AI to build trust and ethics in your recruitment process. 3. Practical Applications and Tools: Explore the practical tools and strategies, such as generative AI tools like chat GPT that can drastically improve communication and body language during the hiring process. Plus, gain expert advice on understanding the daily challenges of recruiters to create more effective recruiting technology solutions. Transform your recruitment strategy with the latest AI advancements by listening to this episode of *The Elite Recruiter Podcast* and unlock the full potential of AI in your hiring processes. Finish The Year Strong Summit - https://finish-the-year-strong.heysummit.com/ AI Recruiting Summit - https://ai-recruiting-summit.heysummit.com/ Signup for future emails from The Elite Recruiter Podcast: https://eliterecruiterpodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube: https://youtu.be/LKBe61Nxwp4 Prem Kumar LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/premskumar/  With your Host Benjamin Mena with Select Source Solutions: http://www.selectsourcesolutions.com/  Benjamin Mena LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminmena/  Benjamin Mena Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benlmena/

Today's Bible Verse: " David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied." 1 Samuel 17:45 Want to listen without ads? Become a BibleStudyTools.com PLUS Member today: https://www.biblestudytools.com/subscribe/ MEET OUR HOSTS at https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: Hello, thank you for listening to your daily bible verse, the podcast that examines one verse each day to learn more about God and His will for us. I'm your host Grace fox, and I am so glad you're here. I'm also excited to tell you about my new book Names of God living unafraid. If you've ever struggled with fear, then you will want to explore these seven names of God. They help us understand his character better, and by doing so help us rise above fear. The books available wherever Christian books are sold, I invite you to visit my website and subscribe to my updates to receive a printable of prayers based on the seven names in the book. You'll find me at Gracefox.com. And now, after this short word from our sponsor, we'll dive into today's Bible verse, 1 Samuel 17:45.  Today's Bible verse is 1 Samuel 17:45. "David said to the Philistine, you come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel whom you have defied."  I love watching movies or reading stories where the main character faces a challenge that seems insurmountable and wins. It does my heart good to see the little guy defeat the giant. Maybe that's why I enjoy the Bible story of David and Goliath so much. The little guy in this story was only a teenager, the youngest brother relegated to the despicable task of caring for his father's clocks. One day at his father's bidding, he took food to his brothers who were soldiers in Israel's army. That's when he witnessed a nine foot tall giant in the enemy army, intimidate his brothers and the others fighting in the same forces. The Goliath giant strutted towards the troops and hurled insults and threats, and the entire army ran away in fear. He did this twice a day for 40 days. But things changed when David showed up. Humanly speaking, David didn't stand a chance against Goliath. Like I said a moment ago the giant tower and more than nine feet tall. He was also fully armored. 1 Samuel 17:5-7 says "he wore a bronze helmet and his bronze coat of male weighed 125 pounds. He also wore bronze leg armor and he carried a bronze Javelin on his shoulder. The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver's beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds. His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield."  This guy seemed impenetrable. It's no wonder he intimidated the Israelite army. Unlike Goliath, whose bronze jacket probably weighed as much or more than David. The teenager wore no battle protection whatsoever. No helmet, no leg coverings no coat to cover his body. David carried no javelin and he certainly had no armor bearer walking ahead of him carrying a protective shield. from a human perspective. His defeat was a guarantee. But here's the thing. David face the giant with no fear. He not only stood his ground, he ran towards a giant in strength and courage because he had a weapon more powerful than a bronze javelin and body armor. He entered the battle in the power of the name of the Lord Almighty. The name Lord Almighty is translated from the compound Hebrew name. Yahweh Saba Oat. Yawei refers to the Lord creator and King over heaven and earth, who desires relationship with us. Saba means host or armies and implies the amassing of forces, sometimes within a military context. As I did research for my new book Names of God living unafraid, I found that scripture suggests three possible applications for this name. First, God is Commander in Chief of the armies of man second And he is Chief over angelic beings both good and evil. And third, he is supreme over all the heavenly hosts, sun, moon stars and planets. Theologians agree on these applications and they also agree that we needn't choose one over the other because God is God. Over all. Different Bible versions translate the name Yahweh Sabaoh in different ways. The New International Version says Lord Almighty, the New Living Translation says the Lord of Heaven's armies. The New American Standard, says, The Lord of Armies and the English Standard Version says the Lord of hosts, regardless of the translation, your way Saba Oh tells us that God is invincible in battle. He is Commander in Chief and nothing stands in his way. Nothing stops him from accomplishing His purposes. David understood this aspect of God's character. And this understanding was the weapon with which David faced the giant. We face giants to don't we not the nine foot tall type, but giants concerning our health or the health of a loved one. We face the giant of addictions, a prodigal child, a difficult marriage, a financial setback or disappointment over a detour on which life has taken us. The Giants we face don't look like Goliath, but they cast a shadow of fear across our way.  We feel outsized, and fear says we're out done. Our human bent was to turn around and run. But there's hope, my friend, when fear of uncertainty or failure or inadequacy looms before us and Tom says, Let's not let it intimidate us into running the other way. Instead, let's remember who God is. The Lord Almighty the Lord of hosts, the Lord of Heaven's Armies, Commander in Chief for whom nothing is impossible. He's invincible in battle, and he is on our side, giving us the courage and strength we need to face our giants. I love that God's given us stories about characters like David stories about little guys who faced giants and won because they trusted the Lord Almighty, and refused to succumb to fear. I also love that God gave us the ultimate example of his power to overcome giants, through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus. My friend, the power of Yahweh Saba Oat, the Lord Almighty, raised Jesus from the dead. In doing so he conquered mankind's worst enemy once and for all, who plays faith in Jesus for salvation. This is the power of Yahweh said I thought, and this is the power at your disposal.   The apostle Paul wrote about it in his letter to the believers in Ephesus. We find his words in Ephesians 1:19-20, where he wrote, "I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms."  We might feel like the little guy when we face our giant, whatever he looks like, fear might make our heart quake and our knees knock. But like David, let's remember that we don't fight our battles in human strength or wisdom. We fight in the name of Yahweh the Lord Almighty, the Lord of the heavens armies, and he is invincible.  May I pray for you? Heavenly Father, thank You for manifesting your character to us through your Hebrew names. Thank you for revealing yourself as the Lord of Heaven's army's commander in chief for whom nothing is impossible. When we feel afraid, remind us of this aspect of your nature and help us walk in its truth. As Paul prayed, help us understand the incredible greatness of your power for us who believe you In Jesus mighty name, amen. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Automating the application process is pretty popular these days. From companies like Paradox to Humanly and others, allowing job seekers to submit their information by tapping a screen or talking into a phone is becoming big business. Then along comes Germany-based Talk'n'Job who believe they've built a better mousetrap, and they've even won a competition that says they just might. CEO Markus Krampe joins the boys in a lively Q&A to get to the bottom of things and whether or not Talk'n'Job has what it takes to compete on a grand scale. Do they survive the Firing Squad? Gotta listen. 00:00 - Talk'n'Job Intro 03:20 - Market Challenges and Opportunities 13:13 - Funding and Expansion Plans 16:27 - Blue-Collar Jobs and Easy Recruitment Processes 27:44 - The Impact of AI

Many Americans work their entire lives and end up retiring with nothing. But a group of frugal obsessives is challenging that.They call their approach FIRE: “financial independence, retire early.”Amy X. Wang, the assistant managing editor of The New York Times Magazine, looks at the people behind this growing movement and their bid to rethink how long we work.Guest: Amy X. Wang, the assistant managing editor of The New York Times Magazine. Background reading: Allen Wong is one of the FIRE adherents who always knew how he wanted to live life. After decades of tolerating workaholic culture as the norm, employees are tired and unafraid to show it.FIRE started in the early 2000s with a mantra of extreme saving, but the pandemic forged new followers.For more information on today's episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

This week, the boys cover a wide range of topics, including favorite new TV shows, shoutouts, events, and industry news, including a possible meltdown at DailyPay and a day of reckoning for Joonko. They dig into the recent acquisition of Teamable by Humanly and the acquisition of SkyHive Technologies by Cornerstone OnDemand. Plus, the uncover Indeed's strategic plans for market expansion shared on a corporate video. Then, WeWork better beware, 'cause Chuck E. Cheese is coming for a piece of its pizza pie as a remote workspace of choice. 00:00 - Intro and Entertainment 03:51 - Industry News and Acquisitions 13:11 - Events and Celebrations 18:39 - Humanly Acquisition 26:26 - CornerSone Acquisition 26:52 - Indeed's Market Expansion Strategy 27:34 - Challenges of Skills-Based Hiring 43:37 - Chuck E. Cheese as a Remote Workspace

The Shred is a weekly roundup of who's raised funds, who's been acquired and who's on the move in the world of recruitment. The Shred is brought to you today by Jobcase.

The storyline of the Bible is the story of people who by faith meet God and their lives are forever changed. When we come to Joshua 2, we meet a very interesting woman named Rahab, and throughout Scripture she is most often referred to as “Rahab the Harlot”, or the “prostitute”. God choses to reveal what kind of God He is often by the people He calls and uses to fulfill His kingdom purposes. When we read the stories of these individuals, we should find tremendous hope for ourselves as we realize that God is a God of grace, mercy, and love!   I couldn't help but think about how we have been studying about the life of Joshua who was called and prepared by God to take the place of the great Moses to lead to people into the Promise Land. From being born a slave in Egypt, redeemed by the blood of a lamb, crossing the Red Sea miraculously, becoming Moses' assistant, leading the army of Israel to victory over Amalek, by faith giving a good report after spying out the land, we see God at work in his life. He is a godly worshipper. Most of this training took place in the wilderness outside the Promise Land.   But at the same time God is at work inside the Promise Land, inside the City of Jericho, the first major obstacle between the people of Israel and their inheritance. God was revealing Himself to a prostitute that He was going to use to help the people of Israel conquer this great fortress. And as we will also find out that God is going to use in another wonderful way! In one chapter we go from Joshua, a godly worshipper, to Rahab, a pagan, idol worshipping prostitute. What an amazing story!!!!   Only two women are personally named in Hebrews 11, in the "The Hall of Fame of Faith": Sarah, the wife of Abraham (v. 11), and Rahab, the harlot of Jericho (v. 31). Sarah was a godly woman, the wife of the founder of the Hebrew race; and God used her dedicated body to bring Isaac into the world. But Rahab was an ungodly Gentile who worshiped pagan gods and sold her body for money. Humanly speaking, Sarah and Rahab had nothing in common. But from the divine viewpoint, Sarah and Rahab shared the most important thing in life: They both had exercised saving faith in the true and living God.   Not only does the Bible associate Rahab with Sarah; but in James 2:21-26, it also associates her with Abraham. James used both Abraham and Rahab to illustrate the fact that true saving faith always proves itself by good works.   But there's more! The Bible associates Rahab with the Messiah! When you read the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 1, you find Rahab's name listed there (v. 5), along with Jacob, David, and the other famous people in the Messianic line. She has certainly come a long way from being a pagan prostitute to being an ancestress of the Messiah! "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Rom. 5:20).   But keep in mind that the most important thing about Rahab was her faith. That's the most important thing about any person, for "without faith it is impossible to please Him [God]" (Heb. 11:6). Not everything that is called "faith" is really true faith, the kind of faith that is described in the Bible. For the next few days, we are going to be looking at Joshua 2 and the kind of faith that Rahab had!   We so often get so accustomed to our “spiritual bubbles” that we live in, our homes, our church and fellowship groups, that we think that is the only place God is working! I'm encouraged by the story of Rahab to know that God is working even in the lives of people that are actively involved in this wicked evil world, and He is about to change them from a raging “Saul” to an Apostle Paul, that will turn the world upside down for Jesus!   Remember, God is ready to transform you today by His grace, mercy, love, and power, to be on mission with Him in changing this sinful world around us!   God bless!

Welcome to the Gospel Rant. Hebrews assumes that we Christians are, in spite of what we say, here still on planet earth for a reason only secondarily for our own success and well-being. Face it, heaven would be so much better. No we have a grand celestial eternal purpose, modeled by Jesus and Moses. We are here to be part of the salvation story of others. We don't redeem anyone. But somehow, what we do, and how we do it proclaims salvation to them. That's the good news. The bad news is that like Jesus and Moses, and Israel in the wilderness, that goal may only be achieved through our persecution, suffering and even harm. I don't like it much either. It is the big theme of Hebrews. Humanly speaking, you will shudder in fear and rather stay in your tents in the wilderness. No judgement. But you, sons and daughters of God can ask for power, through the Spirit in your inner being to access heaven-born faith (willingness to be led into temptation, confidence in God, boldness) and heaven-born righteousness (caring for others over self) so that like Jesus and Moses and at least two Jews in the wilderness, you will do it—in order to rescue and save others. We Americans hate this plan. But the template is Jesus, who willingly suffered and died and many children were saved. At one point you said, “Father, wherever you lead I will follow.” OK, he's taking you seriously—because he loves you as much as the father loves the son and the son loves the father. But don't expect life to be a rose garden. And he has something to prepare you for the struggle. You don't naturally have it. Curious? Welcome to Gospel Rant and God's Love for the Unlovable.Support The Show: https://www.gospelrant.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week on TRF Recording from the beautiful city of Toronto where we met some of the smartest TA professionals in the Country. Thank you Plum, AMS and Humanly.io for organizing a great dinner. Text message mania, first hand experience with scammers texting job offers and is legitimate recruiters. In the News LinkedIn is requiring Recruiters to verify their profile - smart move! US bans TikTok and give them 270 days or they are out Tip of the Week Best practices for in house referral success. Recruiting Insights Pros and cons of 2 major firms in the UK who publish their interview questions 94% of US business leaders surveyed “Simply wont hire GenZ” Why do they have such high demands in the workplace  We cherry pick thru Hung Lee's 10 essentials of candidate response rate. 

“Once upon a time in a faraway land…” is the language of fairy tales, and through them, a longing in the heart can well up. In this episode, Stasi shares that we identify with these stories because they speak to both our story and our identity—our longing to be pursued, fought for, and loved, and the truth that we are more than meets the eye. God's promise is the promise of restoration, and in him, we can both discover and be restored to who we are truly meant to be. There is transformative power in understanding one's true self in the heart of God, allowing his voice to be the ultimate authority in defining our identity.…..SHOW NOTES:…..VERSES: Luke 19:10 (NLT) — For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.Matthew 3:16-17 (NLT) —  After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”Isaiah 61:1-3 (NIV) — The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.John 10:10 (NIV) — The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.Ezekiel 37:1-10 (NLT) — The Valley of Dry BonesLuke 1:34-37 (NKJV) — Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. For with God nothing will be impossible.”Matthew 19:25-26 (NLT) — The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”Ecclesiastes 9:4 (NLT) — Anyone who is among the living has hope…Isaiah 62:2-4 (NIV) — …you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow. You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you,  and your land will be married.Isaiah 62:12 — (NIV)  They will be called the Holy People,  the Redeemed of the Lord; and you will be called Sought After,Song of Song 7:10 (NIV) — I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me.…..Don't Miss Out on the Next Episode – Subscribe for FreeSubscribe using your favorite podcast app:Spotify Podcasts – https://spoti.fi/42SsOipApple Podcasts – https://apple.co/42E0oZ1 Google Podcasts – http://wahe.art/3M81kxLAmazon Music & Audible – https://amzn.to/3M9u6hJ

"Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry, and Hope"

Get ready to question what's possible - this is one story that will have you believing in the strength of the human spirit.Introducing Darren Hardy; Former Soldier, Extreme Endurance Athlete & Author. Overcoming trauma, breaking records and helping others - just some of the things Darren has achieved in his remarkable journey of resilience. Tune in to hear how he battled PTSD after the military and found purpose through extreme challenges. You'll be amazed by the death-defying feats this man has accomplished, from dragging cars to conquering altitudes. But it's not just about the physical pushes - we'll also explore Darren's big heart, and how he's raised thousands for those in need. He also shares his secrets to transforming pain into progress. NOTE: This episode contains a brief, but particularly graphic description of the events behind Darren's PTSD at the 8:20-12:15 mark. Listener discretion is advised.This episode of Extrology includes:Darren's experience of PTSD after his military service and traumatic events witnessed overseasHow he discovered extreme endurance challenges as a way to manage his mental health and find purposeHis history of pushing physical limits through feats like dragging cars and altitude races Using his platform to raise money and awareness for good causes Developing resilience and mental fortitude through consistently challenging himself and overcoming obstaclesThe factors that make up a ‘bulletproof mindset'Stretching the comfort zone and reinventing failureLee Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecooperrecruiter/Darren Hardy: https://www.instagram.com/darren_hardy4/https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-hardy-mba-426aa0115/Get in touch: lee@extrology.com

Ephesians 1:19-20 I love everything about Easter. Winter has gone and we can see evidence of new life springing up all around us. It is as if creation is joining in the celebrations of Easter and confirming the promise of new life in Jesus. Easter is a happy time to share with other Christians and the services are full of confidence and hope. We are absolutely right to enjoy this wonderful time of the year, but we need to be careful that we don't leave it behind us and move on to something else, because we are always an Easter people. What happened when Jesus rose from death is an ongoing reality. It is hard to imagine a greater miracle than Jesus' resurrection! There is an absolute finality about death and from the Gospel accounts of Jesus' crucifixion there is no doubt that he died on the cross. The Romans were experienced executioners but to make doubly sure that he was dead one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side, causing a sudden flow of blood and water. Humanly speaking that was surely the end of the matter. But not when God is at work. God is the source of all life and, when he decided to raise Jesus from death, that's what happened. Every day we face situations of struggle, confusion and brokenness and, as we do so, we need to remind ourselves that God is a God of resurrection. He loves bringing new life, not just on Easter day but every day as we put our trust in him. Question In what situation are you going to pray for new life today? Prayer Loving God, I worship you because you are the God of resurrection. Help me to welcome the new life that you want to give me today. Amen

A meditation preached on March 20, 2024 at Hawthorn School for Girls. We are closing into the end of Lent. Yesterday we celebrated the solemnity of St. Joseph. We have been meditating on this figure during Lent. Sometimes seen as the silent type in the corner, who doesn't say much. He may have taught Jesus the art of carpentry, yes. But that does not mean he was silently stepping back in the background all the time. Jesus did know how to speak quite eloquently in public. He captivated people with his parables, and his images. Humanly hu must have seen that in Joseph. Perhaps Joseph was not just the silent type who doesn't say much at the cocktail party. Maybe he also learnt from him great eloquence and language, and images. Crosses are covered now so that we can integrate the meaning of the cross in our life, more interiorly. That means understanding suffering and pain. Joseph guides us. Music: 'Undertow' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com Thumbnail: Commercial print of Joseph, from Sanctified Souls Shop

Through Christ, you can be more than a conqueror over anxiety, discouragement, fears of the future, or depression. It's a good lesson to remember during Disability Awareness Month. Even if you don't have a disability, Romans 8:37 is a good lesson for you today, too. -------- Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible.   Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org.   Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

God has a calling for you, and it is better than you can ask or imagine. Will you answer in joy, trusting His wisdom and provision? Join Julie Jenkins as we study together Jesus' response to the rich, young man as told in Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, and Luke 18:18-30.   ****   Thank you for joining for the Women World Leaders podcast! My name is Julie Jenkins, and I have the honor of walking through the Bible with you today as we study scripture and ask God to tell us what He wants us to know! If you are new to Women World Leaders, we are so glad you have joined us! We are a group of women on mission to share the gospel as we empower each other to walk in our God-given purpose. If you are a Christ-follower, you are called to be a leader for Christ! God has gifted YOU with amazing talents and gifts, and we want to help you discover and use those gifts. So if you enjoy writing, music, art, teaching, encouraging others, or organizing databases, we have a place for you to grow, serve, and thrive. And if you aren't sure HOW you want to serve, that's okay – we are excited to meet you where you are! Each month, we host a Leadership Connect Zoom call that is open to the public. On the third Monday of each month at 7 pm et, we have a great time getting to know each other, finding out what is happening in the ministry, and learning different ways to serve others and grow in our leadership skills from a guest speaker. We would LOVE you to join us! To get the Zoom link, simply visit womenworldleaders.com and fill out our connect form so we can email you all the details! If you have any questions about the ministry, feel free to email us at info@womenworldleaders.com, and if you have a prayer request, email us at prayer@womenworldleaders.com.   The scripture we are going to dive into today is the story of Jesus talking to the rich young man. Three of the gospel writers give us their take on what happened that day, so we will be studying Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, and Luke 18:18-30. Before we begin, let's pray… Dear Most Holy God…we are honored to come to you today and we ask you to guide us as we open your Word. Father, thank you for providing us with your written instructions and for sending your Holy Spirit to help us understand all you want us to know – may we never take you or your written Word for granted. Bless the listener as you speak directly to her heart, and bless my thoughts and words as I humbly present what it is you would have us know today. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.   Let's begin in Mark, chapter 10, verse 17 from the New Living Translation… As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”   Let's examine what we know about the man who came and knelt before Jesus. Mark tells us simply that he was a man who called Jesus a teacher. Luke tells us that he was a religious leader, which makes sense as he was obviously eager to do EVERYTHING right, which was the hallmark of the religious leaders of the day – they operated on the idea that they must follow every jot and tittle of God's Word to get into heaven. I can relate to this man, can't you? He wanted to know what HE should do to secure his future. I have a difficult time with control…I always think that if I can just figure out the right combination of food to eat and exercises to do, I will have complete control over my weight and my health. And…by working REALLY hard and being wise with my money, I will be able to ensure a FABULOUS retirement for myself when the time comes. This man – who we find out later is rich – was used to controlling his own destiny…or at least trying to. He followed all the rules, he did everything right, but he came to Jesus wanting just ONE MORE piece of insurance of his eternity – essentially asking…is there anything I am missing? I imagine that anyone who was in listening distance would have been all ears. This man seemingly had it all together. If HE needed to do something else to ensure his ultimate destination, I'm betting everyone else wanted the SAME information. Jesus' response turns the tables a bit…verse 18 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.  In essence, Jesus was saying…hmmm…think about what you are saying…you know that ONLY God is good. So unless you believe that I AM God, you are quite openly doing something against the religion you claim as you flatter me, calling ME “good” – an adjective that can only be attributed to God Himself. Jesus continues… 19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.'[a]” It's interesting that Jesus first speaks of those commandments that are relational – those that have to do with people, not God. 20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I've obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” Isn't that a telling statement? The man was going through life on a surface level with his eyes half open. If he had taken even a moment to think more deeply, he would surely have remembered at least ONE time when he went against those commandments. Surely he had bloopers in his life…we all do! Can you imagine how quickly you and I would go down if someone were to play a video across the sky of our life's bloopers? The first clip of my life would show me stealing lipstick from my mom's purse – that was the first time I remember willfully doing something wrong. I believe that my mom and God both forgave me for that many years ago…but if we are following the “rules” of doing right versus doing wrong, we must be honest and recognize that we all have sin in our past. No one is blameless. And yet, in our culture of canceling each other, we often judge the actions of others while we explain, at least in our own minds, our own actions away. Thankfully, our God is forgiving and loving…I LOVE this next verse… 21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him.  Wow…Jesus LOVED this man who came to Him not knowing who He was and ONLY wanting to know the rules to secure eternal life. Jesus loved the man and met him where He was. Jesus did indeed guide him, on a very personal and specific level that was meant to teach the man and help him grow…Jesus said… “There is still one thing you haven't done,” … “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man's face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Matthew records it this way Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Let's break this down…Jesus said first…Go Jesus calls us to action. How wonderful would it be to sit on the mountaintop with Jesus all day long? But we are here on earth for a reason…we each have a job to do…and Jesus tells us to Go! Second…Jesus told the many to sell his possessions and give to the poor. The belief at the time was that God blessed those He was pleased with by giving them earthly riches. God DID make a way for that man to have riches, but there was a reason behind those riches! Jesus gifted the young leader by telling him HOW to use what he had been blessed with. How amazing! How often have we gone to God and asked…what should I do? And then when we hear His reply…be still, trust me, or even, do the hard thing…we think…no, I'm going to take control of things and do what I think is best. All we have to do is obey and follow God's lead…AND like the man…from our actions, we will gain treasure in heaven. What?? The man should have JUMPED at the opportunity to use all he had been given! And then, Jesus offers the man the most amazing invitation of all…He says, after you have given all you own away…THEN…COME FOLLOW ME! The man, having sold his possessions and used them for amazing good, would then be unencumbered and able to follow Jesus! By all rights, the young leader should have walked away from his encounter with Jesus skipping joyfully. His question had been answered…Jesus had told EXACTLY what he needed to know to ensure eternity…he needed to follow Jesus. But instead…that man went away sad…focused on all he would have to give up rather than on all Jesus was offering him. I wonder what ever happened to him? Like the video of my lipstick-snatching days, all we see of this guy is his blunder as he sulked away. Reading this…we assume he was doomed…but remember…Jesus loved him. Surely his story was not over. Isn't there a lesson in that? God doesn't give up on us and God doesn't judge us by our past actions. The key to eternal glory for the man was never his works…it wasn't that he would sell all his possessions and give to the poor. The key for the man, and for us, is putting God above everything else. On this side of heaven, we will never be perfect, but to GET to heaven, we must FOLLOW Jesus with our hearts…always returning to Him…even when we mess up in our deeds. And when we follow Him, He will continually show and empower us to put God above everything else. Verse 23… 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” 24 This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard[b] to enter the Kingdom of God. 25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” 26 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. 27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” You and I don't hold the key to heaven…and we can't beat down the pearly gates with our good deeds. Without Jesus…it is IMPOSSIBLE to enter heaven. When we walk by his side, however, Jesus will walk us right into eternity… As if to underscore this point, Peter IMMEDIATELY showcases the sin of pride… Verse 28… 28 Then Peter began to speak up. “We've given up everything to follow you,” he said. But Jesus doesn't focus on Peter's sin of pride…instead Jesus assures Peter of the blessings that come from walking by God's side… 29 “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, 30 will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. 31 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.[c]” Aren't we so blessed to serve a God who loves us THAT much? Sometimes, in the flesh, what He asks us to do is difficult…but all that He asks us is for our own good. Is God telling you to serve Him in some way? Does it seem too hard? I guarantee that if you listen and obey, YOU will be the one receiving the blessing! Five years ago, we at Women World Leaders encouraged Christ-followers to write their stories. Any of our authors will tell you that when God called them to write their story, there were bumps and scary places along the way. But the growth they experienced through the process and the lives they impacted with their words are blessings they never would have imagined. We publish Voice of Truth, a beautiful magazine full of God's Word, four times a year. We do it because God told us to. You'd better believe the process is difficult! But God always sees us through, and the reward is amazing! No matter what God is calling you to do…will  you let go of the reins of control and allow Him to work in your life as you respond obediently? Skip with joy into your future as you follow Jesus and all that He has for you! Let's pray… Dear Most Holy God…we say YES! Jesus….we know you are more than a good teacher, you are truly the Son of God. And we vow to follow you! Thank you for the gifts and the gifting you have given each one of us…tune our ears to your Words and give us strength and joy to honor you in all we do for your glory. In Jesus' name, we pray…Amen.

Connie Baker, LPC author of Traumatized by Religious Abuse and a therapist who works with survivors of religious trauma, joins Uncertain to discuss what thriving might look like after Spiritual Abuse. This is a nuanced subject, intended to provide hope (not pressure!). Thank you for joining us for Spiritual Abuse Awareness Month in 2024! [00:00:00] I'm Katherine Spearing, and this is Uncertain. It's Spiritual Abuse Awareness Month, and this is our last episode of January 2024. My guest today is someone who It has become very, very special to me. Her name is Connie Baker. She is a therapist. She has a book for survivors of religious abuse. And Connie was our very first guest speaker at our very first in person event.Back in October, and it was phenomenal. She can speak to the survivor experience in such a meaningful way because she is one. And she's been doing this work long before I even heard of spiritual abuse.She has so much knowledge and I trust her to address this subject of thriving after spiritual abuse with nuance and care because nobody wants to be pressured [00:01:00] into thriving when you're just trying to survive and that's not the point of this episode but this is a glimmer of hope for down the road that maybe someday maybe someday We will be here. Here is my conversation with Connie Baker.Katherine: Hello, Connie. How are you? Connie: Good. So fun to see you, Catherine. I'm so Katherine: excited to see you again. For our listeners, Connie was our guest speaker, keynote speaker at the RetreatCon, which was Terzian's very first in person event in the fall. She was phenomenal. I loved every moment of her. Connie's talks, but then also just getting to hang out with this person.So if you have a chance to buy her book and oh shoot, I'm totally blanking on the name of your book. What Connie: is it? It's right, Traumatized by Religious Abuse. Yes. Say it one more time. Traumatized by Religious Abuse. Katherine: Beautiful.Wonderful. Amazing book. Very, very, very practical. A lot of folks [00:02:00] have named your book is just very practical for survivors. And one of the things that we invited Connie to do at the retreat con was speak about. Yeah. thriving after spiritual abuse, which I think so many of us are surviving. Maybe we're healing.We don't really talk about like that moment when you get a chance to just kind of come out of that survival space and laugh. And have fun and see the sun and, and it seems impossible sometimes that we'll ever get to that place. Yes. But, but Connie, Connie is really great about making that realistic. Not, that's, that's what I think I loved about it.It's not fluffy and silver linings. It's realistic and I learned so much from your talk. So I'm really excited to get to jump into that again. to just get us started and sort of lay a [00:03:00] foundation for discussing what it's like to thrive after spiritual abuse after we've been through this. Could you paint a picture for us of what the impact of spiritual abuse feels like?Like, what does that look like to someone? Oh, Connie: yes, yes, I can. Yes, I can. And before we go there, Catherine, I just want to say, I am so thrilled that that was the first retreat. Like, in other words, others are following. It was so, and I know you probably talked about this in follow up podcasts after the retreat, but it was powerful having all those humans.And I think there was also extra power in it post, well, post late pandemic, whatever we're calling this thing for people to to. Humanly be in the same space and connect. I think, well, Terry, just remembering it, it just was so [00:04:00] powerful. And so I'm just thrilled that you are hosting. Cause we talked about this when I was there.We both have hosted big events before, you know, in our life. And I know what it takes to put something like that on. What was there 25, 30 people somewhere in that range, you know, and, and to have that. And the spaces that you. Provided anyway, I just want everybody to go to second annual. Yes, everybody to thank you so much.Yeah, no, I just I'm just reflecting thinking back just with you even, you know, yes, just being here with you. Remembering just the. Goodness. And all the things that happened there. Katherine: Yeah, I, I've, I felt all of those things too. And just was just so thrilled at, I mean, I just like picture that weekend and it's like surrounded and like sunlight and warmth in my mind.Like that's the image. It was just such a warm. Just, oh, [00:05:00] and then that whole idea of thriving after spiritual abuse, like we got to taste it, this can be real. This isn't fake. This isn't this isn't false positivity. This is genuine, you know, just joy, like an experience of joy.And the fact that like, oh, after all, all of us have been through, you know, And in this room and we're laughing together. Like it was just like, Oh, we Connie: laughed so much. Oh my gosh. And you brought a lot of that. You and your leadership team are just pretty damn funny. And we had a lot of fun with that. And so, yeah, I just wanted to say that when you're talking about that connection, because it really, it really was, I'm just like, no, y'all sign up for number two, second annual Be there.Katherine: So be there for the second one. Absolutely. Connie: Exactly. Exactly. So anyway, the question he asked me, what is it? What is the impact of spiritual [00:06:00] abuse? Oh my goodness. I think, I think a lot. In fact, we talked about this at the retreat. I think a lot in life domains. I think it helps break down sometimes. Like what is What is happening to me?Because it just feels like an avalanche. It feels like you are rolling down the mountain in an avalanche and you can't see what's up down, you know. So I guess I think about, you know, different domains of life spiritually. Oh, let's, let's take Let's take the explosion 1 right off the bat. It can not not have an impact spiritually.And that doesn't mean that you're for sure going to walk away from the faith, although that absolutely could and sometimes should be what a person does. That's it. It's not just permission. It's like, no. You find your path. But there's a big [00:07:00] range of what that means, means, but there is no way there is not huge levels of damage, spiritually.It's like existentially, let's take God out of the mix, even, if you're, it doesn't matter whether you say, Whoa, I'm not about this God thing anymore. You still have to rewrite meaning purpose. Life after death, the, the, the, what is a human being? I mean, you just gotta rewrite all that. It's just huge.So there again, spiritually, it, it can be devastating. And often is. Often, for me I think. What am I in decade? I've done, I'm over three decades past my primary spiritual abuse and there's still times I go, okay, still rewriting a little bit of this. Katherine: It went, it went deep. Connie: Yes, it goes deep. So then I'm thinking the impact on the body.Most people don't get out of it without sickness, or, or [00:08:00] injury, or, we're connected beings, so physically it can just smack ya. In so many ways, I'm not gonna elaborate, but just to help people think through what is the impact, you know? Then you've got the emotional, psychological, which most people go through.first. And it's like, right, that's true. Katherine: Yes. Yeah. I'm probably the one that makes most sense. Yes. But as you said, we're integrated and Connie: it's going to affect our bodies and our spirits and our whatever we want to call it. So, so the trauma, I mean, you and I are therapists and those listeners who've heard, you know, you, you know, your stuff and Trauma affects our neurological system, our, you know, our brain, our body, our thought process, our emotions.And so it's just, it just is so extensive and pervasive. I think is another good word. Then you get into the social realm. Yeah. What does it do to families? [00:09:00] Oh, . What does it do to friendships, to community, to parent child relationships, to marriages, to partnerships? I mean the social impact and community. Oh, how I was just telling client this, I think two days ago.It was yesterday. We were talking about, she's like, I just, I'm trying to sort out how to get community. And I could tell by how she was talking about it, there was kind of this framework, like, I'm the only one. Why, why, why is this so hard for me? I'm sure other people have it together. There was kind of this underlying implication.And I said, you just need to know something. Do you know, I have this conversation almost daily. Wow. With my clients. What? How? You're not the only one. No! Please! Rebuilding, especially if you've been raised in the church, [00:10:00] Rick, the, okay, we all know on this podcast. What the toxic streams that run through organized religion.We're clear on that. But I'm telling you, for better and for worse, they do community like nobody else. Katherine: Yeah, and that's just the reality of like how to find that type of organic community. Oh! Side of the church that that I think that's probably the biggest grief for me. And then for so many people How do I get that that's the part I miss the most Connie: besides trauma recovery I would say community especially if we're talking about thriving when people are finally Starting to put their head up above A little bit and look around to see the devastation.That's one of the first questions and it's one of the hardest. So if Those listeners If you guys are struggling to say, how do I do? Community you are not alone. It is [00:11:00] like one of the core themes after trauma recovery I would say it's number two of saying how do I get the social support and the community?Resources that I used to have in a church because it is what Organized religion does for the positive. It, it provides consistent meeting places, a common worldview, and a common purpose you're working toward. And I feel like those three things are just in reflection over three decades of trying to sort all this through.Those are the three things I've come down to. A lot of organizations have one or two of those, but the power is all three. And it, This consistent meeting time, again, the consistent meeting time, the common world, commonly held worldview, and doing something, making something together, you know, creating something together.Oh my gosh, like, it's a powerhouse, I think in a very positive way. [00:12:00] We all know it can go very toxic and all that, but there's also we, we continue our, I think our souls continue to look for that when we say, I can't do that thing anymore or in that way. Even if you stay in an organized religion in a church, almost everybody I know says, Oh, my relationship with church is completely different.Like it used to be everything. Okay. So we're getting all. Yeah. The community topic, the damage is so huge and then it can damage things like your finances. All can wipe out your finances to go through religious abuse or to be religious abuse or either one and then you've got career. It can even shift career paths for people.And so my hand, yes, right. Exactly. My career. Yeah. Oh, totally. I would never have gone into this field without without my abuse. Not never, but highly unlikely. Honestly. So, so all these different domains of [00:13:00] life, it can. It can determine where you live, you could make up and have to have a move. So I just want to just to be able to bring all that in and say, you know, the impact is monumental.Right. Katherine: And when you said at the beginning, just like addressing that spiritual part, I think that for even folks who have experienced it we'll kind of do this like compartmentalizing thing of like, it's just, I just need to figure out that part and like what I believe now. And, and then maybe, or even compartmentalizing it and like, okay, I am done with God and I'm done with church and I'm moving on.But then not recognize all the other places that that is impacting and try to address that one compartment of spirituality. And so I'm very thankful to you for pointing out all of the ways that this can impact us and that we can't just compartmentalize and just say the right [00:14:00] spiritual thing.Connie: Yeah, we can't and we can't compartmentalize any of them. Even even when you talk about mental. You know, you and I are therapists. When we talk about the mental emotional realm, you can't compartmentalize that because we're hooked to physical bodies and we're hooked to worldviews and existential ideas and money and it's like, no, you know, whatever it is, that part alone, if that, if our brains and neurological system take that hard to hit, it's going to have, it's going to have bleed over into other domains.And so, yes, but I totally agree often. Yeah. Because that's how our brains are trained to think all spiritual, to be very compartmentalized and say the spiritual is the most important. And I think that's, I think that's fine to think that, but it's not the only. You know, and, and to say, Oh, I'm just going to figure out we can cuss on here, right?Yes. In the spiritual, I'm thinking, I'm just going to say it in the [00:15:00] spiritual realm, get it gathered there. We'll just make everything. Okay. It's like, Oh. You've taken a lot harder hit than just a spiritual issue and that's huge. I'm not minimizing it. I'm just saying it's, it does not stand alone, which is what exactly what you're saying.Katherine: Yeah. And then I also appreciate you highlighting the financial part too, because I think that that's a. a place that is sort of a hidden impact of it. And, you know, maybe your career and you like switch jobs or you get a new job or you switch careers or you move or Connie: you or might have to make a physical move.Katherine: Yeah. Yeah. Or you, you didn't, or your job wasn't impacted and you weren't like on staff at a church or something and you were still able to do your job. But then. The physical impact that leads to potentially having to go on meds or, or getting ill, as you mentioned, or having to go to therapy and pay [00:16:00] for therapy.Like, I mean, I just think of like how much money I've spent on therapy in a decade. I'm like, I could have bought a house with that money. Connie: So Katherine: much money that I am very. Believe was very well spent. I don't regret spending it. But at the same time, it's like that. That is a massive one of the reasons. Yeah.And one of the reasons by tears of Eden, we offer our support groups for free because there are so many other things that people have to spend money on to recover. We don't want to give you another thing that you have to spend money on in order to recover. So yeah, I really appreciate you highlighting, highlighting all of those things for us.What are some of the initial steps that you have seen people take in that healing journey? Common, common things that people will do. Once they have come out of this really horrendous experience. What are some of the steps? Connie: Oh, that's a [00:17:00] great question. Well, you know, I'm a therapist. And so 1 of them is they're coming to therapy is 1 of them.And, you know, and let me say something. I truly don't believe that therapy is the only way to heal. I truly don't. I think there are people. And there are resources and there are online resources. There are so many things that can help us heal. And a lot of times people go, Oh Connie, you know that person.Oh my gosh, they so need to go to therapy. And, you know, and, and I'll be like, I need therapy. Yes, exactly. Well, I, I see why you're saying that. Yes, indeed. But, but really, There's also, therapy is one piece of a pie in healing, so, and sometimes it's a really essential pie, and part of the piece of the pie, and sometimes it's not that [00:18:00] essential a piece, sometimes people do a really good job of doing their own work using other resources, so what I see is people, you know, what they start doing, part of it is they start actually processing their own story in some way or another, so They're like, okay, what, what just happened to me?Like, I know I was just in an explosion or an avalanche, whatever we want to call it. But, like. What happened? How did it happen? How did it happen to me? What happened? A lot of times it's not even clear what exactly took place. All I know, I'm bleeding out an artery and I don't know exactly what happened.Was, was I in a car wreck? Or was it a tornado? Or was it an avalanche? Or how did I get here? So I think processing this story is, [00:19:00] is another thing that people really start doing when they Just like survive the first initial Blow and saying either I'm distancing myself or I'm getting out or whatever form that takes.I think those are a couple really big things right off the top. They start and to heal and thrive. They start having to make connections with other people who get it. Somehow, there may not even fully be other survivors, although I think that's super helpful and healing, but at the beginning, it just may be somebody who has a good sense and and will Katherine: validate.That was a big deal. Yes, Connie: that was really painful. Yes, exactly. And that was traumatizing and. Wow, how did you survive that the validation feels like such and and they and I think most people in some way or another start getting educated about it [00:20:00] and that's the answering what happened and I know my book I always say I wrote to me at 25 years old I wrote saying what girl what did you need to understand that you had no clue about that would have Facilitated your healing instead of taking a decade to think I was going to survive the resources we have now.It's like, you can't speed up the process, but you can help it and aid it and keep from getting from. Infected you know, re traumatized. There's certain things you can do to help healing progress. Well, and I didn't have a lot of that. So that definition of what happened, how was I vulnerable? I'm a strong, yeah, I'm a strong cognitive person.How did, how did this happen to me? I'm a leader. How did this happen? So, you know, all of those things, I think sorting out [00:21:00] the story, getting validation from other people who go, whose eyes get wide and they're like, What did you go through? And especially when you've got a whole community that's basically saying, it's your fault.You know, the whole, if you leave a community, the whole community is like, Hmm, your problem, it's your fault if it's an abusive system. And Katherine: that's a lot of people saying that about you. Connie: Oh, you're, sometimes your whole world. I mean, everybody that matters. As saying that you're Paul and I remember telling the story to other people, including my second date with my husband, who is now my husband.There was some good trauma dumping that happened there anyway. And honestly, it was also some important information both of us needed to know. And. And so I remember telling him and him being a pastor, a former pastor, he looked right at me and said, that was abuse. Nice. Oh, there were probably some abusive [00:22:00] elements, but I was, you know, it was my issue.I made some bad choices. Oh my gosh, thank God for my husband, you know, who was like calling bullshit. Yeah, this was abuse. Yeah. And to tell other people outside of the system and watch their eyes get wide and say, they did what to you? They did. And those people who don't know my story, I was sexually abused by a pastor and then blamed by the church and.kicked out for it. That's the short story. And so, you know, to hear people, to tell my story, not in those words, actually taking much more responsibility. For what happened and then look at me and say they did what and I'm like, why are you not saying? Why did you do that? Yeah And it's just so important to have those other people So those are some of the immediate things that come to mind when I think of what people are doing I'm sure there's a much better list, but those are some immediate things when Katherine: people are processing their story in the aftermath?What [00:23:00] percentage of folks or what? range of folks It's that process their story, but not just the story of the abuse, because I'm thinking of another domain that this might resuscitate is, is your past and like, Oh, what happened in your childhood that like brought you to this place and how. How are, I mean, I know that that happened for me of, of knowing that the trauma that I was experiencing in the church, because it was so similar to what I experienced in my family, that I was severely, not only traumatized in real time, but I was also being re traumatized, and having to balance that.So, yeah, what percentage of people were, were it impacts their entire life story, not just that part? Connie: I, I don't see Always, never, every, but I will say 99. 9%. Yes. Katherine: I'm not going to say every person, but I'm going to say most people. Connie: Yeah, pretty much every person. Yeah. Part of it [00:24:00] is because we bring, this is part of brain science, is we bring our paradigm, our neuropathways for positive and for negative to every situation we encounter.And so if we're, if, If power and control dynamics are already familiar, and if you're raised in conservative religion, they are. They can't not be. And the more conservative and fundamentalist, in my view, the more power and control dynamics come into play in the institution and the world view, those are deeply familiar and viewed as positive.And so you, how would you not step foot? Yeah, into a system that loves power and control and eventually misuses it. And so to me, and you don't understand those dynamics. I mean, you just don't, you don't get that when you're [00:25:00] raised like that. This is, you know, the Bible says, God says, the pastor says it's, it is.What's considered by everybody to be incredibly positive, helpful you know, the right thing. And so to bring that, the, all those neural pathways that form a worldview and you put trauma, most of us, 99. 9 percent of us have either trauma with a capital T or a lowercase T in childhood and adolescence, you don't survive this life without.Massive jolts as a child or adolescent. So then you create worldviews. Around those, you're bringing them into the next, if they're not processed well, and most of us take our lifetime to process these well, and that's not discouraging, that's just realistic, but we usually don't have it all processed at 20 years old, and, no, we don't have it all processed then, and so we're bringing even previous trauma, and the [00:26:00] familiar feel of how that got there, and, So, yes, we're, it is, I have yet to sit with a person for very long and say, Oh, this is the sole thing we're talking about.I don't even remember ever doing that. It's like, okay, we're talking about this, but they start saying, Oh, my gosh, this was a replication of this situation in my childhood. Yes, it was. It's what we do. And there's no, there's no shame in that. It's just what, it's how our brains work for better and for worse.This is, I mean, you know, us therapists deal with pathology, but our brain has also given us all kinds of survival tools, how we cope through all of that. So, Katherine: yeah, and those things can sometimes even help to like the process of just like recognizing that something is helping us recognize something is wrong or helping us helping us wake up.And that that those experiences are can also be just really Can be helpful and [00:27:00] and our resources that we can tap into as we are in that healing process, and I don't want to skip over the healing process as we jump into thriving so I just want to create a disclaimer of like when we talk about thriving.This is, this is like. A way to just provide some future hope. Not as a way to put pressure. We're not saying you need to be here or you need to be here at a certain time. Connie: In fact, some people shouldn't be here yet. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't want them to arrive yet. Right. Right. You know, it's, that would, you know, and I use physical metaphors all the time, but that's like, you know, when I was going through cancer and treatment saying you need to start training for a marathon girl.No, no, it's not Katherine: that's the need to get through your day. That's what Connie: exactly survive today. Make sure you're getting something in your stomach. Make sure your nausea meds, you know, whatever it [00:28:00] means. It's not time to do a marathon, but we're talking about a level. Of robust health in the future that's possible and that's where I just yeah, I, I remember at the retreat.I said, how many of you know, I said, how, how does us talking about thriving land or something to that effect because I knew there were going to be people that are going, Oh, shut up. I don't want to keep flagging. I'm like, and, and good for you. That's right. Because your system is telling you this is premature and.And just take it as that. Say, yeah, I'll hear this, you know, have, listen to these two yapping about thriving. But I also think it could be, it's a hopeful beacon too, to say, you're going to be able to. And, and some of you listening, I know are, are either on the verge or starting to say, I think I'm past survival mode and it will be your time to hear some of this.Yeah. And, Katherine: and one of the, the markers [00:29:00] of trauma is feeling stuck. And have this vision of like, it will not always be this way. There is a time in the future where you will laugh again, and you will thrive. That can help unstuck us. And that's the point of this. This episode not to say you should drive. No.Why aren't you thriving yet? Absolutely not. No, no. Connie: I'm so glad we're talking about that because yeah, it's like, no, some of you, and I think it'd be, it's great for people even right now to take a breath and say, how do I feel about this topic? What? And most of the time, what mixed feelings? It used to, we're not one way or the other, but what mixed feelings do I have about this topic?And to just, you know, welcome all of those feelings about it and, and honor them as we talk, Katherine: and if you, and if you feel like. This is where you, you leave us and you need to [00:30:00] pause the episode and come back in a few months or a few years. You're, you can do, you can do that. Connie: Please do that. Exactly. Katherine: Absolutely.With that, what's thriving Connie: and how do we get there? What is thriving? Well, you know, there's all kinds of ways to define it. But of course, I, MarkerConnie: a bit of a nerd, you know, just kind of, I'm thinking, what is the definition? And I went to, you know, some good old dictionary, standard dictionary definitions, and I like them.To grow or develop vigorously. Isn't that a great word? Oh, I love it. To prosper or flourish. Oh, I like the word flourish. Yes, isn't that beautiful? To do particularly well under specified conditions. That's another one I loved about. Oh, that's Yes to do particularly well under specified, you know, because then that gives us options to say [00:31:00] Kinda like a plant.What specific plant food does that plant need? Does it need more light? Less light? Does it need more water, less lot water and to, to allow ourselves, I think the individuality of healing and then thriving needs to be honored. Mm-Hmm. It is not a prescription. Okay. I mean, how often Catherine, you know, this happens.My, my clients are like, how long is it gonna take me to get better? Give me, give me a time frame. Okay, we've been doing this Katherine: for a while. Let's, let's Connie: Yeah, let's First of all, with the physical body, it's much easier to do that, and there are still, you know, doctors still fudge and say, well, you could be up and around in three days, or it could be up to like three months, you know?I mean, there's, even in the physical body, There are those, this doesn't always everybody, everybody's body doesn't do it the same and you put that in a [00:32:00] brain in a, in a neurological system and the variables are huge. So I just want everybody to, you know, be able to say, this is my journey. I mean, the downside is we can't say, okay, process your story and month one.Do this in month two, you know, it doesn't work like that. First of all life happens, right? I mean, yeah So and so to come back and just honor This is my path and something you said earlier to we often feel very stuck in trauma recovery But most of the time and I will say this is most I would say but I would say 19 out of 20 Times when my clients say I'm stuck.I'm like, oh, okay That's kind of that's important to look at are you stuck? So let's take a look. So are you? Exactly where you were a year ago. Oh, no. Not, oh gosh, [00:33:00] no. Oh. Then maybe this isn't stuck. They hate this. Cause, especially the ones who've been with me a while. I feel stuck. Don't say it. I know. Yeah, don't say it, because it's just taking longer than we want to.Yes, we would like to feel better tomorrow, thank you very much. It's like, so, so, to honor the fact that this takes time, and often if we're not moving quick enough, we say, I'm stuck. And I'm like, it feels like stuck, but let's look at actual progress and sometimes I'll say, are you exactly the same place you were even three months ago.No, Connie, I'm not, you know, I mean, they're like, whatever, but I want to honor the stuck feeling because it is there, but let's not call it actual stuck because that's actually not where we're at. So how did we get here? Catherine, Katherine: we were talking about, Oh, I don't know, but I was really chocked up. Connie: [00:34:00] Good.Good. So I just want to go driving. And Katherine: how do we get there? What is, yeah, what does driving look like? And then how do we, how do we get there? That was the original Connie: question. Good. Okay. So what's thriving? I think that looks different too, for different people. And it's going to look different than it did before.That's the other thing. I think we need to accept and kind of reconcile. In ourself, sometimes it is going to look like like the name of the treat was retreat was laugh again, and it's like eventually laughter needs to be another part of your life again, the ability to laugh hard and laugh freely, but even the laughter and what it's about the texture may feel different than it did before.And that's not all bad. Most people when they are really starting to thrive will say. Of [00:35:00] course, I hate what I had to go through, but I actually like me better now. Mm hmm. What, what bigger success is there than that? To me, that's, and I know that's my story. It took me 10 years in a very dramatic moment. I write an epilogue in my book, a very dramatic moment.For me to go, Oh, I like who I am and not that it was right that it happened, but there's, I think it was evil that what happened to me and it should never happen to anybody, but there was a part of me that said that has made me who I am and my gratitude for that was profound and I find that's pretty consistent and so it's maybe different.And it likely is going to be different, thriving, than what it used to look like. But I also think thriving is going to have greater dimension, and wealth, and color, than it did before. And that, [00:36:00] that's, to me, that's the beauty of suffering handled well. Like you actually get in suffering. I am not Again, don't hear me saying woohoo for suffering No, a lot of it is needless and should never be there and I don't wish it on anyone that said I feel like beauty can come from that and Healing and not just okay.I'm better like, okay. I got over it But a sense of oh who am I now that I really love that I didn't have Parts of me before that are here. Katherine: Yeah. Yeah. It's a, it's a a hurdle to get past this like reality of like, yes, this should have never happened. Yeah. Yes. And, and, and this is a, this is a churchy word, this is a Jesus word, but it's also just a word.I see that rather than like, Oh, justification for what happened or a reason for what happened and rather like a redemption. [00:37:00] Yes. Get to step into. And now we get to claim and we get to say this happened. Yes. But despite it, this is now who I am. Yes. Yes. Resiliency of the survival spirit and the human spirit that is ours to access.Yes. And that abuser or abusive system does not get the final word. Connie: No. We do. That's right. And that where I love that's so funny. I I was thinking I hope she's gonna use the word redemption Because you know the church has Hijacked the word and stolen in many ways and made it its own domain its own territory.It's not There's something beautiful about something that word Yes, they don't own it and for us to say no something could be redeemed something Some beauty could come out of something horrible. And I think that is, that is apart [00:38:00] from and across religious perspective. That's, that's just one of those, that's a, that's an existential life thing.And it's like, let it, let it, let it be there. So, you know, part of, we talked about this at the retreat, Catherine, but part of thriving, first of all, I think, to, we need to see our all or nothing assumptions. Around thriving, we, we often, I think, especially when we're hurting and trying to heal and trying to survive, we see thriving as a light switch.That's going to pop on 1 day. And, oh, now I'm thriving and even as I say that, most of us who live past. Probably 18 years old, we'll say probably doesn't work quite that way, but it's an underlying assumption that it's going to be. All better, that all domains of [00:39:00] life will be thriving at the same time, and that it is a steady, straight line toward thriving.This, this, this, these steps, and you're on it. It is a crazy, twisted, three dimensional graph. And it's, you know, if we're saying straight line on a graph toward thriving, It's a mess. It's a snarled mess to get there. And there are going to be areas, I would venture to say that even the people who are hurting the most listening to this right now have areas of their life that they are actually thriving.They may not be willing to look real carefully at that because it might feel invalidating, which it's not but, but to be able to actually there are certain areas of my life that are kind of on track. I mean, my husband and I started dating [00:40:00] fully recommended six months after I was went through the abuse.It actually was exactly what it should have been for us. Yeah, again, not necessarily recommended. But. We, that part of my life was very beautiful while I was bleeding out arteries in so many other domains of my life. Does that make my time with, you know, my courtship and my, even that has a lot of baggage to it, our dating years, whatever, you know, dating time less valuable?Or less than? No, it was actually quite a shining light. Does it make my other suffering less? No, it was horrific. And so, just to, just to look at that and to say, it's not an all or nothing proposition. And it does to hold that lightly and accept the fact that It's, it's not going to be an [00:41:00] all or nothing where all of a sudden one day life is just going to be all easier and all better.Yeah. Katherine: Yeah. Yeah. And I think I really appreciated that visual picture that you provided us at the retreat where you gave us domains on a piece of paper and it was just like a bunch of different blocks of different domains, family, social life, work life, spiritual life, all these different domains. Yeah.And, and you said something to the effect of you can be thriving and have a few of these domains that aren't thriving. Like you can be thriving in general and then have a few domains that aren't going so well. And that was like a relief to me because I think I pictured thriving as everything is going great all the time.Connie: Right. Well, I have 12. I think of this the cat out. We're talking about I give up 12 domains and these are very flexible. These were [00:42:00] my domains. And I said, I remember saying that retreat and people can say, that's not even a domain for me, or I got different domains. And that's great. But these 12 domains, let me.Let me go through them real quick because I want to kind of talk about this. Is that okay? Katherine: Yeah, and then maybe I could get, if you have like a PDF or something, I can put it in the newsletter. If they, if I remember, I probably won't, but no, I have Connie: it. I have it. I couldn't get that to you. Yeah. So one domain is spiritual health when they're getting, I kind of referred to some of these earlier physical health.Emotional mental health, of course, isn't that great that I'd forget that one emotional mental health. That's the third. And then it in relationships is the domain of family, your significant other friendships. That's huge. And that can include community like we're talking fun and recreation creativity.Excuse me creativity adventure are all part of the fun and recreation and then I have a set that I don't know if anybody else uses, but I [00:43:00] love learning and skill building. I loved I'm a learner my heart. So I love like, what am I doing in that domain? My environment my home, my office, my car.How's that? You know, how are things there in my environment? And then. I've got finances. How are my finances? That's a domain. Work and career. How am I making a living? How's that going? That domain. And then I have a, my last domain is life contribution. And that, that, of course these areas overlap greatly.You know, they're not separate, but just for the sake of sorting. So my life contribution, what do I do just to contribute to this world? You know, and those are ways you do it in other domains as well, but I have it for me because well, I'm in a better place Yes, and I'm an Enneagram three So I forgive me even now so it just [00:44:00] is so when I look at all of these domains I have never That I recall in my whole life on a scale from 0 to 10, 10 being best ever, 5 being neutral, 0 being in the toilet.I have never been above between a 6 and a 10 in all these domains at one given time. There's always a path, there's always, it's a Katherine: neutral. But you would say you're still thriving. You would say. Yes. Yeah. Even if that's not, not everything is a Connie: 10. Exactly. I, I've got a domain right now that is chronically painful.There's some stuff family wise, chronically, like, ow, like if it, if it gets to a 3. 5, it's a good day in that domain. So it's a painful domain. I want to honor that. Like, yeah, that is [00:45:00] real and it hurts. And it doesn't hurt less because several other parts of my life are actually above six and, and thriving.And so just to give that example, I think about a time in my life when I was going through cancer where multiple domains Were like, finances, physical health, career, trying to keep together a private practice, all these domains were like in distress. And the friend domain was just freaky rich. It was just like, Oh, I would just add such gratitude around that.So a lot of domains in that time of life, it was. Below a five, but the, the upside was the friendships were just so beautiful and good. So I guess. I want to take away the illusion that thriving means everything is in the positive. [00:46:00] Katherine: Yeah. As we wrap up, if someone is listening to this and they're like, Okay, I think I'm curling out of that survival, and I'm, you know, my head's kind of coming up and I'm able to just maybe see a little bit of sunshine.What, what are some recommendations, resources that you would recommend to that person to start moving towards coming out of that survival space?Connie: One of the first things I can think of, and there again, I don't want this to be triggering because it can have some baggage with it, but this is brain science. This is not religion. And that is gratitude. I think reinforcement of what is actually going well. First of all, to allow validation for all the stuff that's hurting, like, we have this Western mindset that it's got to be one cancels [00:47:00] out the other.It's both and, that's life. But to go with gratitude, no shoulds here, what should I be grateful for? Get that out of your head. But what are you actually grateful for and if you're moving toward that thriving, I think that can really reinforce it I have a practice every morning of writing anywhere from six to ten things that i'm thankful for right then no shoulds That's the big rule.Should I be grateful for that? If I have to ask the question, it's not going on the list like So, no, but what am I actually, and some days that means I am actually grateful for a warm house. It's supposed to have a cold snap here in the Northwest over the next couple of days. And I'm like, okay, I actually am grateful for this warm house.Great. So to, to keep facilitating that, that's one of the first things that comes to mind. And voicing those neural pathways, a traumatized brain has deeply rutted, [00:48:00] painful and negative neural pathways. It just has such, there's such ruts of just the anxiety of waiting for the next shoe to fall, to, to, for the next bomb to go off, and to start saying, I'm going to reinforce.We're not getting rid of the risk of hard things happening, it's real. But to say, actually at the same time, these positive things are very true. They're just as true as the negative. This is a little quote fight I get in with my clients sometimes. Okay, it's not a fight. But to say, you know, you're saying all this negative is true.I agree, it is. And even the possibilities of negative are the truth. I can't say that wouldn't happen. But what about all the positive as well? It's an integrating of those rather than it's not Pollyanna. It's not rose colored glasses. It's an integrating [00:49:00] of actual reality and our brains say, Nope, only the negative is true.And I'm like, let's challenge that because that eventually becomes unhelpful. For our brains, and so somehow reinforcing telling people about the positive, the ones who are also validating the negative, not ones who are pushing you, Katherine: you're going to celebrate with you and can hold the both Connie: hand with you.Exactly, without toxic positivity, we do not want that, but so to keep moving there, I think social, you know, we talked about the challenges of. Friendships and community both of those. And I think those are a little different because you can have really good individual friendships without a full sense of robust community.Yeah, but those things help reinforce positive brain function. I mean, we just do better. unisolated. We do better connected with other humans. And so those are some, and there again, be gentle, [00:50:00] take time. It's just not going to happen overnight. And that's, it's a sometimes grueling road back, but worth it.It's worth the time and effort to say, Okay, well that friendship didn't go exactly like I wanted. I'm going to keep trying to create and develop positive connections. And I think also we're talking about spiritual, you cannot push this, but I want to give hope. I'm 30 years down. And so I feel like I have this perspective and I started what they called deconstructing 20 years ago.I didn't know what was happening to me, my spiritual life, my brain, nobody had a name for it back then. I was just freaking out going, I'm pulling back, I'm pulling back. Is this bad? Oh my gosh, am I going to hell? Ah, you know, and I started. Questioning deeply all this stuff. So I've been on this process a long time and there are months and years that you are going to live in limbo in that in, and it's, it is [00:51:00] so damn uncomfortable.It is. It is so uncomfortable and it is so essential that you do not rush through it. Yes, cut the process short. Yeah, but let me say sit with it in integrity you do finally come out on the other side not not with certainty I don't think certainty, but I think I can say with some solid ground to stand on I think that's a better way to put it just personally whatever that is for you you start If you don't circumvent the process, if you don't, you know, truncate the process, then you can move on eventually to go, Oh, I think I'm finding some solid ground.For me, that was years of limbo. It was unpleasant. It isn't for everybody. My brain works slower. It had several decades to rewrite. So it took a long time, but it was so worth it to say, no, you are, there's hope for [00:52:00] some solid ground existentially slash spiritually, not they're going to, I'm not, I'm not even interested in certainty anymore but a certain definition of who I am and how I relate to life in the divine.Katherine: Absolutely. Absolutely. Oh, I feel like this, this conversation has been kind of like a, it feels like a little pep talk. I feel inspired and yeah, just, encouraged. And I want this episode to end January spiritual abuse awareness month as just kind of like hope, but not hope of trying to put pressure on anyone to be here, but just to say.One day, one day, you're gonna be able to laugh again. One day, this limbo, five years, ten years, whatever, you're gonna look back and it's gonna be over, like this part will be over, or this, this, this. Season of Connie: this part will be over. [00:53:00] Yes, exactly. Katherine: Right. Yes. This has been so wonderful. I always, always enjoy talking to you as Connie: Catherine.Yes. Katherine: And the end of the episode, let folks know how to get in touch with you or find. Stuff that you are, you are working on. Connie: Yes. So let me get my book out. So I remember the exact title. The title traumatized by spiritual abuse, courage, hope and freedom for survivors. That's it. And then another subtitle is discover the cultures and systems of religious abuse and reclaim your personal power.So that's on the front of the book. That gives a bit, a bit of a Idea a range of what is in the book and get it on Amazon. So Connie Baker my website has almost. Everything you need on there Connie A. Baker, C O N N I E A as in Ann, my middle name, then baker, B A K E R dot com, Connie A. Baker dot com.It's got resources, videos, [00:54:00] probably has this podcast, a podcast I was on before with you. So, resources for people to listen to or look up and, yeah, I think those are the main I'm I'm on Facebook. Come on. Oh, I do have here. This is important. I do have a group of probably I think it's around right above 1000 people right now and online private.Yeah, I didn't. Oh, good. Yeah. And and I post regularly. And just to right now I'm giving a lot of questions for people to process their story. So that is overcoming Yeah, yeah, yeah. Overcoming religious abuse community. And that's on Facebook and I'm also on Instagram and Connie a baker is usually the handles on those to Katherine: find it.Yes. All right. Thank you so much. I will link as many things as possible in the show notes for folks. And thank you so much for being here and Connie: always, always a privilege. Thank you, Catherine. Thank you.

Paolo Banchero did everything humanly possible to will the Orlando Magic to a win over the Miami Heat. But he and the team came up one play short as their roster continues to get stretched thin and they search for that last bit of will to scratch out victories. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Jase Medical Empower yourself when you purchase a Jase Case, providing you with a personal supply of 5 antibiotics that treat 50+ infections. Get yours today at jasemedical.com and use code LOCKEDON to get $20 off your order. BetterHelp This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDONNBA today to get 10% off your first month. PrizePicks Go to PrizePicks.com/lockedonnba and use code lockedonnba for a first deposit match up to $100! Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. FanDuel Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY in BONUS BETS – GUARANTEED when you place a FIVE DOLLAR BET. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Paolo Banchero did everything humanly possible to will the Orlando Magic to a win over the Miami Heat. But he and the team came up one play short as their roster continues to get stretched thin and they search for that last bit of will to scratch out victories.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Jase MedicalEmpower yourself when you purchase a Jase Case, providing you with a personal supply of 5 antibiotics that treat 50+ infections. Get yours today at jasemedical.com and use code LOCKEDON to get $20 off your order.BetterHelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDONNBA today to get 10% off your first month.PrizePicksGo to PrizePicks.com/lockedonnba and use code lockedonnba for a first deposit match up to $100!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.FanDuelRight now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY in BONUS BETS – GUARANTEED when you place a FIVE DOLLAR BET. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

December 2023 Dante's Old South The Boxmasters (JD Andrew and Billy Bob Thornton): As a touring band, The Boxmasters have cultivated a rabid cult fanbase across the United States and Canada. Opening for the likes of ZZ Top, Steve Miller, George Thorogood and Kid Rock, The Boxmasters have proven to win over large audiences. As a headliner, frequent stops in Kansas City at “Knuckleheads”, Springfield, Illinois at “Boondocks” and “Merrimack Hall” in Huntsville, Alabama have shown dedicated yet still growing audiences. The Boxmasters performed on “The Grand Ole Opry” in 2015, another in a growing resume of must-play venues. https://theboxmasters.com/ Andrew McFadyen-Ketchum is an author, editor, & ghostwriter. He is Author of three poetry collections, Fight or Flight, Visiting Hours, and Ghost Gear; Assistant Director of the Owsley Fork Writer & Sanctuary; Founder and Editor of PoemoftheWeek.com, The Floodgate Poetry Series, and Apocalypse Now: Poems & Prose from the End of Days; and Acquisitions Editor for Upper Rubber Boot Books. Connect with him at AndrewMK.com or via social media. www.andrewMK.com Poemoftheweek.com Susan Beckham Zurenda taught English for 33 years on the college level and at the high school level to AP students. Her debut novel, Bells for Eli (Mercer University Press, March 2020; paperback edition March 2021), garnered five awards including first place for Best First Book in the 2021 IPPY Awards. Susan has won numerous awards for her short fiction. Her second novel, The Girl From the Red Rose Motel, (Mercer University Press, September 2023) has been named a finalist in the American Book Fest Awards, is a 2023 Shelf Unbound Notable 100 book, and has been nominated for a 2024 Pushcart Prize. The author lives in Spartanburg, SC. Learn more at www.susanzurenda.com Stevie Edwards is the author of Quiet Armor, Sadness Workshop, Humanly, and Good Grief. Her poems have appeared in Poetry, American Poetry Review, The Southern Review, and elsewhere. She is a Lecturer at Clemson University and Poetry Editor of The South Carolina Review. She holds an MFA from Cornell University and a PhD from the University of North Texas. Connor Judson Garrett is a storyteller and a Co-founder of Lucid House Publishing. His obsession with words led him to treat his own life like a story, chasing experiences from Los Angeles to Beirut, Lebanon, while building brands and writing books along the way. Garrett is the author of the novel Falling Up in The City of Angels and the co-author of the Book Excellence Awards Finalist in the Young Adult genre Spellbound Under The Spanish Moss. LucidHousePublishing.com PublishProfitably.com Kevin N. Garrett is an advertising and lifestyle photographer has won awards for clients that include Audi, Google, The Coca-Cola Company, McDonald's, Nike, Westin, The Ritz-Carlton Company, the states of Georgia and New Mexico, and Norwegian Cruise Lines.  KevinGarrett.com Nicole Witt is a nationally touring, award-winning songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known for her soaring melodies and clever turns of phrase. She just released her first EP “Clear” and finished her first-ever solo European tour. www.nicolewitt.com Insta, FB, YOUTUBE, TikTok: @nicolewittmusic Additional Music by: Wilder Adkins: https://wilderadkins.com/ Special Thanks Goes to: Wild Honey Tees: www.wildhoneytees.com Lucid House Press: www.lucidhousepublishing.com UCLA Extension Writing Program: www.uclaextension.edu The Crown: www.thecrownbrasstown.com Mercer University Press: www.mupress.org The Red Phone Booth: www.redphonebooth.com The host, Clifford Brooks', The Draw of Broken Eyes & Whirling Metaphysics, Athena Departs, and Old Gods are available everywhere books are sold. His chapbook, Exiles of Eden, is only available through his website: www.cliffbrooks.com/how-to-order Check out his Teachable courses on thriving with autism and creative writing as a profession here: brooks-sessions.teachable.com/p/the-working-writer

Arif and James are back to review the loss to the Bengals for episode 500. We look back at 10 years of shows, talk all about THAT interception, and question why there are no drops all of the sudden for the Vikings receivers.    Ten years. Five hundred episodes. Seven live shows. Eight Hell Leagues. One Laquon Treadwell jersey. A few baggies of homemade candy corn. A terrible body pillow.   Thank you.    Please send any questions or feedback to  or tweet to @norsecodeDN.   If you like our show please donate to   We have merch! You can visit our shop at:   Also a special thank you to DrawPlayDave for our logo and merchandise designs! You can follow him @drawplaydave and visit his main comic page here:

Sean Paulseth, based in Canada, is the Global Head of Sales for Silicon Valley's Humanly.io. His career path is unique as he brings lived experience being a former HR professional.   High volume hiring such as The Calgary Stampede who hires 3,500 people for 10 days, can now use technology to make the process more efficient.  Conversational AI helps the job seeker experience by getting right to the heart of the matter - getting an interview.  Fear of robots taking over the recruiter's job are unfounded, AI can scale in a way that humans just can't, making recruiter's lives better.  Sean makes a well educated prediction for 2024. 

Are you ready to challenge your perceptions of power, privilege, and responsibility? In this episode of the Beauty of Conflict, Susan and CrisMarie sit down with Jason Patent to talk about leadership, power dynamics, and inclusivity, subjects he dives into in his book, "Humanly Possible: A New Model of Leadership for a More Inclusive World." He discusses the nuanced dimensions of power, emphasizing the responsibility of privilege, addressing societal complexities, and highlighting the crucial role of top leadership for successful inclusivity. Listen to this episode on the nuances of privilege, intentionality, and creating inclusive workplaces with Jason Patent! For the full transcript, show notes, and resources, visit us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thriveinc.com

The story of my short sojourn in Palestine 22 years ago and what I learned from the Palestinians. This is a slightly revised sermon that I delivered at Pasadena Mennonite Church in August of 2001.

Psalm 18:1-3 Think for a moment of the biggest success you've had in your life. It might have been a sporting, academic, business or family success but it's a moment you will never forget. In this psalm we meet David as he reflects on the incredible success that he had had over the Philistines. He had won a series of battles over his fierce enemies and, in response, he burst out in song. This song also appears in 2 Samuel 22. That book gives us a detailed account of the military successes that led to David's psalm of praise. What I find impressive is that all the glory goes to God. Humanly speaking, David had proved himself to be an incredibly wise and effective military commander. He had achieved victories that others had thought impossible. It would have been entirely understandable if David had taken some of the credit for himself but no, he was clear that it was God's victory. The psalm is an incredible personal testimony. David knew that the crucial thing that he had done was to pray. He had been in a desperate state and he described powerfully how dire the situation had been. He wrote: “The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path” (vv4-5). In this dark and desperate place, David cried out to God; he described in graphic detail the way in which God responded. “The foundation of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger. Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth.” (vv7-8). David was clear that God alone deserved the praise. When we look at our own moments of success they might not seem to be on the scale of David's military victories, but we still need to make sure that we give God the glory. He is the one who made us and enabled the successes to take place. Without him they would never have happened. Question What has been your greatest success and in what way do you praise God for making it possible? Prayer Lord God, thank you for the ways in which you bless my life. I thank you for the strength and security that you give me each day. Amen

We really hope you are enjoying this week and the amazing story of Joseph. God had given him a strange, mystical gift of being ability to hear someone's crazy-sounding dream and be able to offer a credible interpretation that applied to the person's future. And would most certainly come true. After Pharaoh had a very strange dream and no one could tell him what it meant, he was finally made aware of Joseph and called him before the throne to hear the dream, this is in Genesis 41:15 “I dreamed a dream,” Pharaoh told Joseph. “Nobody can interpret it. But I've heard that just by hearing a dream you can interpret it.”  Joseph answered, “Not I, but God. God will set Pharaoh's mind at ease.” When the dust had settled after Joseph heard, interpreted, and offered solutions for all of Pharaoh's dreams, the ruler of Egypt made a surprising declaration to everyone, but most especially to Joseph: We pick up in verse 38 Then Pharaoh said to his officials, “Isn't this the man we need? Are we going to find anyone else who has God's spirit in him like this?” So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “You're the man for us. God has given you the inside story—no one is as qualified as you in experience and wisdom. From now on, you're in charge of my affairs; all my people will report to you. Only as king will I be over you.” Every problem that humans threw at Joseph, God always in time provided a promotion for him. Ultimately, he became the second most powerful leader in the known world. This story is much like when Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 19:26: “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” God can overcome anything if we will simply place the circumstance in His hands. The handing-over can be very hard sometimes, because we feel out-of-control. But giving control of something we cannot control anyway to the God who is always in control will be the best decisions we make—every time. Like Joseph told Pharaoh: “It is beyond my power to do this, but God can …” Is there an impossible situation in your life right now that you can turn over to God? Let's pray: “Father, thank You that whatever happens, You can. What is impossible for me is always possible for You. What seems impossible to happen or not happen, You have control over. I submit my life, my purpose, my own need to be in control to You. As above, so below.”

Some friends of ours struggled with a wide variety of health issues over several years. And a while back, a trusted friend told them about a juice taken from a rare fruit that seemed to have measurably improved their health, and the health of several people that they love. Well, our friends invested in that juice, and they liked the early results. I can just imagine what would have happened, though, if some telemarketer had called them cold and tried to sell this product to them. "Hey, I have some juice for you." Click. See, I know these people. They never would have bought it from some professional salesman. But, you know, it helped when someone like them, someone they knew and trusted, was the one who told them about it. They wanted what she believed in. They wanted what was changing her. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Why You're His Best Messenger." You are divinely positioned. Yeah, because someone will believe you about Jesus that would never believe anyone else. You know, most of us are like my friends that I described. We're not going to buy from Mr. Slick Salesman. We'll buy from someone who's like us. Even when it comes to the most important choice we'll ever make in our life - our relationship with the God we will stand before when we die. Many of us have found at the cross of Jesus Christ the greatest love in the universe. And in His empty grave, we found the greatest power in the universe - the power of the only man who ever walked out of His grave under His own power. But every day we're with folks who've never experienced His love or His power and who will never experience His heaven if they don't meet Him for themselves. But whose responsibility is it to tell them? Many of us would like to leave it to someone who can do it better - like my pastor or that evangelist. He's really good. He's better at this. The problem is that in our world today, those folks are perceived as professional God-salesmen, which most lost folks aren't interested in listening to. But then, God's strategy never has been to leave spiritual rescuing just to His professional lifeguards. He works through the everyday believer; His satisfied customers. Take our word for today from the Word of God, for example, in John 4:39. Jesus wants to reach the Samaritans in a nearby village, but He's Jewish and they don't like Jews. He doesn't go into that village and have rallies there. He reaches one Samaritan woman and sends her back to her village to tell about Him. The Bible says, "Many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the woman's testimony." They listened to someone like them, and so will the people around you. Over the past twenty plus summers, I've been an eyewitness to a modern miracle. I think in 400 years of missionary effort, only about 4% of Native Americans know Jesus Christ. And yet, over the years I've seen thousands of Native young people give their lives to Christ, because our On Eagles' Wings teams - they're the ones telling about Jesus and their people just like them, young Native Americans who have lived the drinking, the drugs, the gang life, the violence, the despair and the suicide. But now they have found hope in the Creator's Son, Jesus Christ, and they're going to reservation after reservation introducing people just like them to Jesus Christ. It could be one of the greatest harvests in 400 years among Native people. Why? Because the messenger is someone like them! That's why I believe there's been a breakthrough. Do you see yourself in all of this life-saving picture? Who are the people around you going to listen to about your Jesus? Someone from their tribe, their vocation, their avocation, their generation, their location, their association. And showing them in that world - their world - the Jesus-difference. Is there someone who could say it better? Maybe. Would they listen to that person? Probably not. They'll listen to you. Jesus is sending you to your people to tell them about Him. Humanly speaking, you are their best chance.

We announce a new lawsuit to stop Oklahoma officials from creating the nation's first religious public charter school. After hearing Rupert Brooke's poem "Heaven" (from the point of view of a fish) set to music by Dan Barker, Annie Laurie questions why so many Americans still believe in angels. Then British author Sarah Bakewell tells us about her new book Humanly Possible: Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry, and Hope.