Podcasts about Advent

This year, Advent begins on Sunday, November 30. Advent is a season of waiting and preparation that marks the beginning of the Church's liturgical year. For four weeks, Christians around the world set aside time to slow down, reflect, and prepare their hearts for the coming of Christ. In a culture that rushes toward Christmas, Advent calls us to a different posture—one of quiet expectation and holy anticipation. As you light Advent candles, participate in events like Advent Morning Prayer, and engage in our Advent Guides; we hope we will all make room for Christ—in our homes, in our hearts, and in our world.Find ways to participate in the season at atltrinity.org/advent.

Joy Pullmann of The Federalist Joy Pullmann's Columns at The Federalist False Flag: Why Queer Politics Mean the End of America The Education Invasion: How Common Core Fights Parents for Control of American Kids The post Preparing for Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas – Joy Pullmann, 11/13/25 (3172) first appeared on Issues, Etc..

 Wow, do we have a conversation for you! My filmmaker-theologian friend Sarey Martin Concepción and I sat down with director Lofty Nathan about his wild new film "The Carpenter's Son"—and let me tell you, this isn't your Sunday school Jesus. We're talking Nicholas Cage as Joseph (yes, he's a national treasure), FKA twigs bringing something totally unconventional to Mary, and demon snakes that literally made my phone start searching when I mentioned them. The film pulls from the Infancy Gospel of Thomas—one of those apocryphal texts that didn't make the canonical cut but the Coptic Orthodox Church has preserved—and asks the question nobody really wants to ask: what was it actually like for Jesus to figure out he was, you know, God? Nathan, who grew up Coptic Christian himself, doesn't sanitize anything here. We dig into all the big stuff: identity crises, divine vocation, the problem of suffering, and what happens when your kid can perform miracles but doesn't quite get the whole "with great power" thing yet. Fair warning: I watched this alone in the dark and those demon snakes freaked me out. But underneath the horror elements, there's this sincere, thoughtful wrestling with what incarnation really means. November 17th, folks—see it in theaters where you can properly freak out with other people. Sign up HERE to stay up to date on Theology Beer Camp 2026 & get EARLY ACCESS to the cheapest tickets.⁠⁠ ⁠⁠UPCOMING ONLINE ADVENT CLASS w/ Diana Butler Bass⁠⁠⁠ Join us for a transformative four-week Advent journey exploring how the four gospels speak their own revolutionary word against empire—both in their ancient context under Roman occupation and for our contemporary world shaped by capitalism, militarism, and nationalism.  Advent marks the beginning of the church year—an invitation to step out of the empire's time and into God's time, where the last are first, the mighty are scattered, and a child born in occupied territory changes everything. This course invites you into an alternative calendar and rhythm. While our modern world races through December toward consumption and productivity, Advent calls us to a different time—a counter-imperial waiting, a subversive hope, a radical reimagining of how God enters the world. What will we experience? Each week, we'll hear one gospel's unique vision of the birth narrative, allowing Matthew, Luke, John, and Mark to speak in their own voices about what it means for God to show up when empires think they're in control. We'll discover how these ancient texts of resistance offer wisdom for our own moment of political turmoil, economic inequality, and ecological crisis. This class is donation-based, including 0. You can sign-up at ⁠⁠⁠www.HomebrewedClasses.com⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is a ⁠⁠⁠⁠Homebrewed Christianity ⁠⁠⁠⁠production. Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠the Homebrewed Christianity⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Theology Nerd Throwdown⁠⁠⁠⁠, & ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Rise of Bonhoeffer⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 70,000other people by joining our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack - Process This!⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get instant access to over 50 classes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.TheologyClass.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow the podcast, drop a review⁠⁠⁠⁠, send ⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback/questions⁠⁠⁠⁠ or become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠member of the HBC Community⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On November 12, our church family gathered to hear from Christopher Watkin, author of Biblical Critical Theory. Over the course of the evening, Dr. Watkin helped us rethink one of culture's most persistent questions: Who am I? Drawing on everything from Star Wars to Viktor Frankl to the biblical narrative itself, he showed us why the stories we live in shape us far more than we realize, and why the gospel offers a truer, richer, and more hope-filled story than any we could possibly write for ourselves.ABOUT CHRISTOPHER WATKINChristopher joined us from Melbourne, Australia, where he is a Senior Lecturer in French Studies at Monash University. He is a Fellow of The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics, a leading voice at the intersection of philosophy, theology, and cultural critique, and recently authored Biblical Critical Theory. His writing traces how individuals and societies make sense of the world—especially when confronted with contrasting beliefs and ideas. As a Christian thinker and teacher, Dr. Watkin brings deep intellectual rigor to bear on questions of meaning, culture, and faith in contemporary life.

As we start to anticipate the time of Advent and ultimately the birth of Jesus, what are some of the contextual things we should be aware of? Each historical period had an influence on God's people. To kick off the "Advent of Advent" mini-series, we are going back to a conversation I had last year with Dr. George Athas. He is a professor at Moore College and the author of an excellent book Bridging the Testaments. Today we revisit his overview of the major time periods leading up to the Roman Empire's arrival on the scene along with his explanation of Jewish thought that makes the gospels' claim that Jesus is from the line of David so explosive.Listen to the original podcast with Dr. Athas Here:  Part 1  and Part 2Find out more about Dr. Athas HERERead more about his book HERESee his many other writings HEREContact Cyndi Parker through Narrative of Place.Join Cyndi Parker's  Patreon Team!

This is the Thursday evening liturgy during the Fall season of Ordinary Time for the Compline podcast from the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University. For more about the Center for Worship and the Arts, as well as the resources we provide, visit us at https://www.samford.edu/worship-arts/.CREDITS:© 2021 Center for Worship and the Arts, Samford University.Engineered and produced by Wen Reagan for the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University.SPOKEN WORD:Wen Reagan, Stacy Love, Tracy Hanrahan, Meagan Kennedy, Pierce Moffett, Eden Walker.MUSIC:“Compline #5” by Wen Reagan, © 2020 Sursum Corda Music (BMI).“Wishing Elsewhere” by Emily Hanrahan, © 2020 Emily Hanrahan.“My Savior Left His Throne Above” by Julie Anne Vargas and Zac Hicks, © 2015 Unbudding Fig Music (ASCAP) & Julie Anne Vargas, CCLI #7056910.TEXTS:The liturgical words for this podcast series include original phrasings, but were primarily curated and designed from several public domain sources, including “An Order for Compline” from the Anglican and Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and collects collected from Grace Cathedral and the University of Notre Dame.SOUNDS:The following sound effects were used in this podcast series and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA."Door, Front, Opening, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org."Door, Front, Closing, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org.“06 – Crackling Candle.wav” by 14GPanskaLetko_Dominik of Freesound.org.“Lights a Candle Light with a Match” by straget of Freesound.org.The following sound effects were used in this podcast series and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.“Soft Shoes Walking on a Dirt Road” by Nagwense of Freesound.org.“Match Being Lit.wav” by Jeanet_Henning of Freesound.org.“Candle Blow.wav” by Bee09 of Freesound.org.Mentioned in this episode:Discover Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts - the creator...

What happens when your passion project becomes so successful that you have to shut it down? Advent of Code creator Eric Wastl announced he was scaling back from 25 days to 12 and removing the global leaderboard. The reason? People were feeling bad at their jobs because they couldn't solve puzzles in 45 seconds like the leaderboard speedrunners.Quiet UI launched with excitement, garnered incredible buzz, and shut down three weeks later when the demands became overwhelming.This week, the hosts explore how good intentions collide with bad behavior—where success becomes punishment, communities ruin what was made for them, and the people who just wanted to share something cool are forced to walk away.Follow the show and be sure to join the discussion on Discord! Our website is workingcode.dev and we're @workingcode.dev on Bluesky. New episodes drop weekly on Wednesday.And, if you're feeling the love, support us on Patreon.With audio editing and engineering by ZCross Media.Full show notes and transcript here.

This is the Wednesday evening liturgy during the Fall season of Ordinary Time for the Compline podcast from the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University. For more about the Center for Worship and the Arts, as well as the resources we provide, visit us at https://www.samford.edu/worship-arts/.CREDITS:© 2021 Center for Worship and the Arts, Samford University.Engineered and produced by Wen Reagan for the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University.SPOKEN WORD:Wen Reagan, Stacy Love, Tracy Hanrahan, Meagan Kennedy, Pierce Moffett, Eden Walker.MUSIC:“Compline #5” by Wen Reagan, © 2020 Sursum Corda Music (BMI).“Wishing Elsewhere” by Emily Hanrahan, © 2020 Emily Hanrahan.“My Savior Left His Throne Above” by Julie Anne Vargas and Zac Hicks, © 2015 Unbudding Fig Music (ASCAP) & Julie Anne Vargas, CCLI #7056910.TEXTS:The liturgical words for this podcast series include original phrasings, but were primarily curated and designed from several public domain sources, including “An Order for Compline” from the Anglican and Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and collects collected from Grace Cathedral and the University of Notre Dame.SOUNDS:The following sound effects were used in this podcast series and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA."Door, Front, Opening, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org."Door, Front, Closing, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org.“06 – Crackling Candle.wav” by 14GPanskaLetko_Dominik of Freesound.org.“Lights a Candle Light with a Match” by straget of Freesound.org.The following sound effects were used in this podcast series and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.“Soft Shoes Walking on a Dirt Road” by Nagwense of Freesound.org.“Match Being Lit.wav” by Jeanet_Henning of Freesound.org.“Candle Blow.wav” by Bee09 of Freesound.org.Mentioned in this episode:Discover Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts - the creator...

Find a Christ-centered resource for your family's holidays.   Episode 275 // Sometimes, we find our greatest motivation in a reality check about life. And that is my goal in today's episode: not to discourage, but to encourage all of us to work intentionally on our grumbling hearts.    And we'll find that encouragement with a reality check about how our grumbling - and our gratitude! - impacts the people we love the most.   Last week, we looked at a biblical basis for working on this issue in our lives. But today, we're going to look around us. At our families. Our homes. Our kids. Our marriages.    Because the reality is, our grumbling is impacting our families. We don't need to beat ourselves up about it, but we can find motivation to address this issue in our hearts when we realize the impact it can have (that we might not even realize).    Join me in Part 2 of our series on Gratitude Over Grumbling. Let's dive in.   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Build a daily Bible and prayer habit with this free 45-day guide.   DEVOTIONAL: Find a Christmas devotional or Advent calendar for yourself or the whole family!   RELATED ON THE PODCAST: Yes, Your Emotional Struggles Are Impacting Your Family: How, Why, And What To Do (EP 243)   RELATED ON THE BLOG: 12 Easy Ways To Give More Positive Attention To Your Family   GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   Support the show on Patreon for just a few dollars a month, and grab access to our 2025 perk of daily(ish) devotionals!    Please leave a 5-star review and share the link to this episode with a friend who needs encouragement today!   FIND EXACTLY THE RESOURCE YOU NEED: Faith | Marriage | Parenting | Emotions | Communication | Home & Family | Freebies | Devotionals | Blog | Pinterest   DISCLAIMERS    I am a licensed therapist in South Carolina, but this podcast is not therapy. I may use affiliate links and earn a small commission if you purchase through my links. Read my full disclaimers here.   MISSION   Love Your People Well is all about helping you ENJOY family life as you build healthy, happy, and holy family relationships. Keep Jesus at the center of it all and joy at the center of your days.   Find your resources, devotionals, and more support at www.LoveYourPeopleWell.com

The season of Advent is right around the corner. Danny Quanstrum joins the Jasons to talk Advent, a new devotional, and why repetition is a good thing.--Advent is just a few weeks away! On this episode of the Sacred & Small Podcast, the Jasons are joined by Danny Quanstrum, who recently accepted a call to pastor Trinity Church of the Nazarene in Florissant, MO. In this episode…Danny talks about approaching Advent in a new place that is not as liturgical as his previous pastoring environment.Jason Buckwalter talks about the development of his Advent devotional, We Wait.Jason Hill talks about preaching Advent for the 16th year. How can you freshen up the scriptures? And do you need to as a pastor?

Welcome to the podcast of Saint Patrick's Anglican Church in Lexington, KY. We meet Sundays at 4:30 p.m. at 200 Colony Blvd., Lexington, KY 40502. This podcast contains sermons and teaching for spiritual formation. Explore our church at www.saintpatrickschurch.org

The Revd Catherine Williams leads a service of Morning Prayer for Wednesday during All Saints' to Advent. With music from St Martin's Voices. Find the service and join in via the free Daily Prayer app or online via the Church of England website: www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/morning-prayer-contemporary-wednesday-12-november-2025

The Revd Catherine Williams leads a service of Evening Prayer for Wednesday during All Saints' to Advent. With music from St Martin's Voices. Find the service and join in via the free Daily Prayer app or online via the Church of England website: www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/evening-prayer-contemporary-wednesday-12-november-2025

The Revd Catherine Williams leads a short service of Night Prayer for Wednesday during All Saints' to Advent. With music from St Martin's Voices. Find the service and join in via the free Time to Pray app or online via the Church of England website: www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/night-prayer-contemporary-wednesday-12-november-2025

The Revd Catherine Williams leads a short service of Prayer During the Day for Wednesday during All Saints' to Advent. With music from St Martin's Voices. Find the service and join in via the free Time to Pray app or online via the Church of England website: www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/prayer-during-day-contemporary-wednesday-12-november-2025

⚡Y'all, this one's a classic. Father Patrick joins us once again to dive into all the things—prayer, Advent, and more...and of course, he brings his signature puns and contagious joy.There's truly no one who can make you laugh and grow holier in the same breath quite like Fr. Patrick. His lighthearted wisdom and authentic faith remind us that holiness is filled with humor and hope.So grab your Checkers french fries

I've noticed a theme in the Bible. God sets up different celebrations for his people. It becomes undeniable that God intends celebration to be a key part of discipleship. The great thing for us is we don't have to write celebrations from scratch, though if you have milestones in your family's faith story, absolutely celebrate those! I grew up knowing nothing about the church calendar, but have slowly started to learn a big appreciation for the guided celebrations. Traditions, smells, special colors, and décor prompt us to remember over and over Christ's beautiful work in our lives. Danielle Hitchen has talked about this most consistently over the past couple of years, and I'm excited to have her answer more of my questions specifically.-What is the church calendar? -How does the church calendar help us remember Jesus? -How do you celebrate Advent? -What are some foods you associate with the church calendar?You can find Danielle Hitchen's book "Sacred Seasons" HERE, and her shop Catichisis Books HEREYou can find Elizabeth writing helpful hints ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on the blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Helping you love Jesus and disciple your kids ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Or get access to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Additional study resources here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Original Music written and recorded by Jonathan Camenisch *affiliate links are used when appropriate. Thank you for supporting Sunshine in My Nest

This is the Tuesday evening liturgy during the Fall season of Ordinary Time for the Compline podcast from the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University. For more about the Center for Worship and the Arts, as well as the resources we provide, visit us at https://www.samford.edu/worship-arts/.CREDITS:© 2021 Center for Worship and the Arts, Samford University.Engineered and produced by Wen Reagan for the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University.SPOKEN WORD:Wen Reagan, Stacy Love, Tracy Hanrahan, Meagan Kennedy, Pierce Moffett, Eden Walker.MUSIC:“Compline #5” by Wen Reagan, © 2020 Sursum Corda Music (BMI).“Wishing Elsewhere” by Emily Hanrahan, © 2020 Emily Hanrahan.“My Savior Left His Throne Above” by Julie Anne Vargas and Zac Hicks, © 2015 Unbudding Fig Music (ASCAP) & Julie Anne Vargas, CCLI #7056910.TEXTS:The liturgical words for this podcast series include original phrasings, but were primarily curated and designed from several public domain sources, including “An Order for Compline” from the Anglican and Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and collects collected from Grace Cathedral and the University of Notre Dame.SOUNDS:The following sound effects were used in this podcast series and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA."Door, Front, Opening, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org."Door, Front, Closing, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org.“06 – Crackling Candle.wav” by 14GPanskaLetko_Dominik of Freesound.org.“Lights a Candle Light with a Match” by straget of Freesound.org.The following sound effects were used in this podcast series and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.“Soft Shoes Walking on a Dirt Road” by Nagwense of Freesound.org.“Match Being Lit.wav” by Jeanet_Henning of Freesound.org.“Candle Blow.wav” by Bee09 of Freesound.org.Mentioned in this episode:Discover Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts - the creator of

In this Advent teaching on O Sapientia — O Wisdom — we explore what it means to grow in godly discernment. Wisdom in Scripture isn't just knowledge but the ability to taste and recognize what leads to life. Isaiah points to the One who embodies perfect wisdom—Jesus, the shoot from the stump of Jesse. In Him, we learn to perceive, practice, and proclaim wisdom, allowing His Spirit to shape our desires, decisions, and way of life.

Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:1: We begin our midweek Advent series, “Unto Us a Son,” by considering the gift of the Son of Abraham and what he teaches us about the promise and blessing of God.

Advent is a four-week season of preparation that began in the 6th century when the church realized one day wasn't enough to celebrate Christ's birth. The word comes from Latin meaning 'the coming' and represents a time to anticipate Jesus rather than just go through holiday motions. Mary exemplifies true anticipation - when the angel announced God's plan, she responded with faith and made room for Jesus to dwell within her. Today, we often anticipate everything except Jesus, missing His presence just like the people of Bethlehem missed His arrival. True anticipation of Christ leads to spiritual preparation and transformation in our daily lives.Support the show

In this week's Alive reflection, Fr. Jonathan Meyer reminds us of a truth Christians have known for 2,000 years: the world will end — and we won't know when. So how do we live ready? Fr. Meyer breaks it down beautifully: pray daily, receive the sacraments, stay rooted in silence, rest, serve, and live your life fully in Christ. He also continues the REBOOT rules of life, focusing this week on: ✅ Rest ✅ Serve Live with joy. Live with purpose. Live ready. Sign up for Peace on Earth daily Advent reflections: Text PEACE2025 to 84576

The Spirit of Anti-Christ comes in many forms and guises. Rudolf Steiner described one specific aspect of this as the Spirit of Ahriman. The incarnation of the Spirit of Ahriman in some physical form marks a dark period for humanity. But what exactly is the form that this aspect of the Anti-Christ "Beast System" will take? An examination of Revelation Chapter 13 gives us some important clues, especially when cross-referenced to the topics discussed by Steiner. Reading excerpts from, "The Advent of Ahriman", by Robert Mason for some important contextual evidence...This one is a barn-burner...www.alchemicaltechrevolution.comMake a donation to the broadcast here:https://buymeacoffee.com/alchemicaltechrevolution

Welcome to the podcast of Saint Patrick's Anglican Church in Lexington, KY. We meet Sundays at 4:30 p.m. at 200 Colony Blvd., Lexington, KY 40502. This podcast contains sermons and teaching for spiritual formation. Explore our church at www.saintpatrickschurch.org

The Revd Catherine Williams leads a service of Morning Prayer for Tuesday during All Saints' to Advent. With music from St Martin's Voices. Find the service and join in via the free Daily Prayer app or online via the Church of England website: www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/morning-prayer-contemporary-tuesday-11-november-2025

The Revd Catherine Williams leads a service of Evening Prayer for Tuesday during All Saints' to Advent. With music from St Martin's Voices. Find the service and join in via the free Daily Prayer app or online via the Church of England website: www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/evening-prayer-contemporary-tuesday-11-november-2025

Send us a textSeason 4, Episode 20 - Leading with Light: Preparing Your Spirit for Advent: Staying Curious About God's Work in You.Today, we begin a 3-part series on getting ready for Advent. It's not too early to get ready by becoming curious about what God is doing in your life and ministry.Put your name in the Clergy Wellness Holiday Basket - email me or find me on social media.  Let me know a bit about you too! 

The Revd Catherine Williams leads a short service of Night Prayer for Tuesday during All Saints' to Advent. With music from St Martin's Voices. Find the service and join in via the free Time to Pray app or online via the Church of England website: www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/night-prayer-contemporary-tuesday-11-november-2025

The Revd Catherine Williams leads a short service of Prayer During the Day for Tuesday during All Saints' to Advent. With music from St Martin's Voices. Find the service and join in via the free Time to Pray app or online via the Church of England website: www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/prayer-during-day-contemporary-tuesday-11-november-2025

In this episode, we continue our series on the Garden of Our Hearts and talk about the cultivation of beauty. Beauty has the power to transform, heal, and lift us into communion with God, but it must be cultivated with care and intention. We discuss what it means to co-create with God, slow down and savor little moments, and rediscover beauty in the people closest to us. Even when the world around us feels barren or artificial, the Lord invites us to see beauty with new eyes and let the Holy Spirit reveal His presence in unexpected ways.   Heather's One Thing - The Catechism of the Catholic Church designed by Every Sacred Sunday Heather's Other One Thing - I Am Held by Pat Barrett Sister Miriam's One Thing - The Carmelite Monks' New Monastery in Wyoming Michelle's One Thing - Word on Fire's Evangelization and Culture Journal - Issue 25 on Beauty Michelle's Other One Thing - The Story of All Stories: A Story Bible for Young Catholics by Emily Stimpson Chapman   Other Resources Mentioned:  Passion and Purpose Podcast Episode 5 with Jon Tyson and Louie Giglio Word on Fire and Ascension will publish the new English edition of the Liturgy of the Hours   Journal Questions: How am I uniquely gifted at cultivating beauty? When have you had an experience with beauty that transformed your heart? What lies and limitations do I believe about my own creativity? How does God want to play with me in the dirt this week? In what ways am I too busy for creativity and beauty? What beauty does the Lord want to show you - both within you and outside of you?   Discussion Questions: Have you come across AI art recently? How did you respond to it? In what ways have you limited your own creativity? Who or what inspires you to be more creative? How will you cultivate beauty and express creativity in your life?   Quotes to Ponder:  "Every expression of true beauty can thus be acknowledged as a path leading to an encounter with the Lord Jesus."  -Pope Francis    "We must wonder! We must create an environment of wonder! We must create a climate of wonder! This task is closest to the family. . . . Wonder is needed so that beauty might enter into human life, into society and the nation. This beauty is the foundation and the creative moment of the culture. It is impossible to create culture by administrative means. These means can only destroy it. . . . We need to marvel at everything that is found in man." (Saint Pope John Paul II)   Scripture for Lectio: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4:8) Sponsor - The Inspired Living: The Inspired Living is your one-stop shop for meaningful Advent and Christmas gifts this season! As an online shop sourcing Catholic home decor, books, and gifts, we believe that our spiritual lives begin at home, and should be a reflection of that which is eternally beautiful, God Himself. At The Inspired Living we have intentionally curated and sourced into one place the best Catholic products - whether that be decor for your home, gifts for sacraments, or books and sacramentals that will enhance your domestic church. We offer a unique array of handcrafted goods and exquisite gifts made by artisans not only in the United States, but around the world. Head to our website to find: Kids stocking stuffers Gifts for St. Nicholas Day Beautiful fine jewelry Hostess gifts for Holiday Parties Advent candles and devotionals Catholic home decor And so much more Explore our shop at theinspiredliving.net or visit us on instagram @the_inspiredliving  Use the code ABIDING15 for an exclusive 15% off discount at checkout!   Chapters:  00:00 The Inspired Living 00:57 Intro 01:47 Welcome 02:50 Scripture Verse and Guiding Quote 03:34 When We Don't See Beauty 05:02 Cultivating Beauty in an Artificial World 10:06 Co-Creating with God 16:24 Discovering Beauty in the Small Things 18:20 Slowing Down to Receive Beauty 23:57 Seeing Beauty in Others and Ourselves 27:25 One Things

Open your Bibles with us this week! This episode corresponds to Week 1 of She Reads Truth's Revelation reading plan. You can read with the She Reads Truth community on our site, in our app, or with our Revelation printed or digital Daily Reading Guide.In this Episode:Use code ADVENT20 for 20% off the Advent collection at ShopSheReadsTruth.com.A Theology of Revelation by J. Scott DuvallThe Heart of Revelation by J. Scott DuvallThe Sermons to the Seven Churches of Revelation: A Commentary and Guide by Jeffrey A. D. WeimaThe Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in Their Local Setting by Colin J. HemerWorthy of It All/I Exalt Thee: Jeremy and Adrienne Camp versionShe Reads Truth on Instagram & FacebookRaechel Myers on InstagramAmanda Bible Williams on Instagram

Did you know there's a church holy day to declare that there are no kings but Christ? It's coming up on November 23rd, but we thought we'd give you a couple of weeks to prepare for it this year. Emmy and Natalia welcome special guest Meta Herrick Carlson so we can all nerd out together on this holy day and why it matters more than ever this year.  www.patreon.com/cafeteriachristian www.metaherrickcarlson.com Join us this Advent!

Kelly King and Tina Boesch share how incorporating missions—both locally and globally—can help women live out their faith. From practical ways to serve through prayer and giving, to powerful stories of God's provision around the world, this episode reminds us that missions isn't just one part of ministry—it's part of our spiritual DNA. LINKSMinistry to Women AliveCatherine Renfro's episode Prayer resourcesSend ReliefWMU: WorldCrafts Being Elisabeth ElliotBecoming Elisabeth ElliotKatharine Barnwell 10 Women Who Changed the WorldRECOMMENDED: Danny Akin's episode. Marked is a podcast from Lifeway Women: https://women.lifeway.com/blog/podcasts/.CONNECT WITH US!Follow Lifeway Women on Instagram.Learn more about the Anchored Bible study at lifeway.com/anchored. Learn how to celebrate Advent with your whole church at lifeway.com/advent.

Send us a textThis one's for the loud girl — the one who laughs too hard, talks too much, and sometimes wonders if she's too much. In this episode, Courtney and Jane dive into the beauty and chaos of being bold, outspoken, and authentic — especially in the world of dating. From confidence and calling to the art of holy boldness and navigating relationships with grace, this conversation reminds every “loud girl” that her voice has a purpose — and it's meant to be heard.Discussion Questions:Have you ever felt like you had to “tone yourself down” to be more likable or approachable? Why do you think so many women feel that pressure?How can being confident and outspoken actually reflect God's design for femininity?What does it look like to honor who God made you to be—in friendships, work, and relationships—without apologizing for it?Tan Digital: Coming from Tan Books is a new app, that is basically an online Catholic bookstore, that you can find in the app store! Just search "Tan Digital" and download today to start your free trial!Bible Across America: From the St. Paul Center, enter into Advent this year with Bible Across America! Sign up here: stpaulcenter.com/adventReceive EXTRA content by joining our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/TheDailyNothingsPodcast Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://youtube.com/@thedailynothingspodcast?si=zxKuNgKossdwHvQhThanks for listening to The Daily Nothings Podcast! Be sure to subscribe and leave a rate and review.

Send me a one-way text about this episode! I'll give you a shout out or answer your question on a future episode.Welcome to the first Holiday edition of Monday Motivation!For the next few Monday's I will be sharing with you some inspirational Advent themed articles written by past guests of The Art of Home. These ladies are homemakers just like you who are sharing their reflections on the four themes of Advent; hope, peace, joy and love.In this episode, you'll hear 2 articles reflecting on the first theme of Advent-Hope. First, Tiffany Harris lights a Flame of Hope for the homemaker. Then, Amber Davis encourages us to focus on the Advent of Hope, the birth of Jesus the Messiah, our Living Hope.FREE 2025 Daily Advent Guide: theartofhomepodcast.com/christmasCompanion Blog Post with Full Articles, Flame of Hope & Advent of HopeBe Our Guest! Apply or Nominate Through 11.23.25 or before all spots are filled. theartofhomepodcast.com/guestSupport the showHOMEMAKING RESOURCES Private Facebook Group, Homemaker Forum Newsletter Archive JR Miller's Homemaking Study Guide SUPPORT & CONNECT Review | Love The Podcast Contact | Voicemail |Instagram | Facebook | Website | Email Follow | Follow The Podcast Support | theartofhomepodcast.com/support **Buy | as an Amazon affiliate, AoH receives a small commission at no extra cost to you when you use our links to purchase items we recommend

As we enter the Advent season, I've been longing for a way to slow down. To step away from the rush of December and make a little more room for stillness and wonder. And I thought… maybe you've been craving that, too. So this December, we'll be walking through one of my all-time favorite Advent books: Making Room in Advent by Bette Dickinson. If you've never read it, this book beautifully weaves together Scripture, art, and reflection in a way that helps you connect not just with the story of Jesus' coming, but with your own story, too. Through the Advent season, we'll journey together through the devotional, week by week, creating space to pause, to breathe, and to open our hearts to the ways God is already at work—even in the waiting. Check out Bette Dickinson's devotional Making Room in Advent Get Faith & Feeling's weekly resource email Watch this episode on YouTube Grab a copy of my book Stop Saying I'm Fine Connect with me on my website Find me on Instagram @__taylorjoy__ Key words: Advent season, devotional, Bette Dickinson, spiritual formation, creativity, emotions, vulnerability,, curiosity, presence, reflection, process, courage, self-awareness, Stop Saying I'm Fine, emotional health, personal growth, art, waiting, hope

This is the Monday evening liturgy during the Fall season of Ordinary Time for the Compline podcast from the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University. For more about the Center for Worship and the Arts, as well as the resources we provide, visit us at https://www.samford.edu/worship-arts/.CREDITS:© 2021 Center for Worship and the Arts, Samford University.Engineered and produced by Wen Reagan for the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University.SPOKEN WORD:Wen Reagan, Stacy Love, Tracy Hanrahan, Meagan Kennedy, Pierce Moffett, Eden Walker.MUSIC:“Compline #5” by Wen Reagan, © 2020 Sursum Corda Music (BMI).“Wishing Elsewhere” by Emily Hanrahan, © 2020 Emily Hanrahan.“My Savior Left His Throne Above” by Julie Anne Vargas and Zac Hicks, © 2015 Unbudding Fig Music (ASCAP) & Julie Anne Vargas, CCLI #7056910.TEXTS:The liturgical words for this podcast series include original phrasings, but were primarily curated and designed from several public domain sources, including “An Order for Compline” from the Anglican and Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and collects collected from Grace Cathedral and the University of Notre Dame.SOUNDS:The following sound effects were used in this podcast series and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA."Door, Front, Opening, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org."Door, Front, Closing, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org.“06 – Crackling Candle.wav” by 14GPanskaLetko_Dominik of Freesound.org.“Lights a Candle Light with a Match” by straget of Freesound.org.The following sound effects were used in this podcast series and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.“Soft Shoes Walking on a Dirt Road” by Nagwense of Freesound.org.“Match Being Lit.wav” by Jeanet_Henning of Freesound.org.“Candle Blow.wav” by Bee09 of Freesound.org.Mentioned in this episode:Discover Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts - the creator of...

They've survived another live show! Nat's third and Marc's first, live in Luton, the night before this ep was recorded. How much of the end of the night does Marc remember? Or is he too busy thinking about The Traitors train and how many train places we can book for future tour shows? Enjoy! xx Please subscribe, follow, and leave a review. xxx You can find us in all places here; ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podfollow.com/lifewithnat/view⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We're on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/lifewithnatpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Nat's insta: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natcass1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Neice's insta: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natsnieces⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tony's insta: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@tonycass68⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Linny's insta: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@auntielinny.lwn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ THE BIG CHRISTMAS LIVE SHOW 7th December ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- claphamgrand.com/event/live-with-nat-at-christmas/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The tiny warm-up shows 4th Nov - Dixon Studio, Palace Theatre, Southend - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.trafalgartickets.com/palace-theatre-southend/en-GB/event/other/live-with-nat-work-in-progress-tickets⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 6th Nov - Hat Factory, Luton - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.culturetrust.com/whats-on/live-nat-work-progress⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 16th Nov - Hawth Studio, The Hawth Theatre, Crawley - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/the-hawth/whats-on/live-with-nat-work-in-progress⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book Club: November's book - All Together for Christmas by Sarah Morgan & December's book (optional extra for the speedy readers) - A Heart for Christmas: Advent Romance by Sophie Jomain Nat's solo chats - any rants always welcome!  Scraping the Barrel - SCAN AND SHOP VIRGIN NO LONGER! Bonce vs list! - Are you a list maker? Always collecting for Nostalgia Fest! What's brewing with the Nieces - are we all skipping the end of summer, all of autumn and going straight to Christmas - Nat's door is! Group chat ettiquette & pranks. Nice Lorraines… get in touch! Advent calendars & gift recommendations v. welcome! Things we're nagging with Linny about - More lateness stories and some cleaning questions, please! The Tony talks chatter - Keep your DIY questions coming, also open to some saucy two paragraph stories for Tony to read out at the Southend show - think cheeky postcards (both in tone and length)! Can we make Tony an influencer and get him any freebies?  TBC Cultural differences ep - inspired by Linny's Mediterranean heritage and her & Ellia's Italian trip, we'd love to hear about the cultural differences you've noticed between the UK and basically ANYWHERE else!  A 'Keep It Light Media' Production Sales, advertising, and general enquiries: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@keepitlightmedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Revd Catherine Williams leads a service of Morning Prayer for Monday during All Saints' to Advent. With music from St Martin's Voices. Find the service and join in via the free Daily Prayer app or online via the Church of England website: www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/morning-prayer-contemporary-monday-10-november-2025

The Revd Catherine Williams leads a service of Evening Prayer for Monday during All Saints' to Advent. With music from St Martin's Voices. Find the service and join in via the free Daily Prayer app or online via the Church of England website: www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/evening-prayer-contemporary-monday-10-november-2025

What if cultivating joy in your homeschool could be as simple as saying "good morning" with intention or creating one silly family tradition? In this conversation with Amber Smith (mom of 10!), we're exploring how gratitude practices transform not just your homeschool, but your relationships with your kids and your ability to handle the overwhelming seasons.From speaking life over a strong-willed child to filling your own tank when you feel depleted, Amber shares honest, practical wisdom that will help you step back and see the beautiful life you're actually building.In this episode:✅How cultivating joy through simple habits like "good morning" changes your family atmosphere✅The power of speaking life over difficult children instead of defeat✅Why remembering where you've come from creates gratitude in overwhelming seasons✅Practical gift-giving traditions that build thankfulness (including a hilarious "most beautiful of women" story!)✅How to find community and fill your tank when you're running on emptyReady to practice gratitude with your family? Grab the FREE 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge hyperlink mentioned in this episode and join hundreds of families starting November 1st!Recommended Resources:30 Days of Gratitude ChallengeGrand Prize GiveawayThe Six Keys to Your Successful Homeschool Year: Self-paced Course & Guided Journal. Book available on AmazonIn Due Season CoursesAmber Smith Amber Smith and her chef husband of 28 years raised ten wild children in southern Iowa. Her desire to help homeschool parents avoid burnout and build their best lives with strong relationships led her to start blogging at 200 Fingers & Toes. That is where you can find the latest articles, product reviews, and new In Due Season Homeschool Podcast episodes.Show Notes:Why Gratitude Can Give You PeaceWe are talking about a topic that I really think can slow you down and move you to a little bit of peace and joy, and a chance to maybe take that coffee break, or a bathroom break, or whatever you need to just get some peace. We are talking about gratitude today.My friend Amber Smith is here, and she's gonna be able to just bless you in your homeschool and in your family.Amber: I really enjoy getting to share with you and connect with the audience, and I'm looking forward to this 30 Days of Gratitude. I feel like it's such a good and important season to remind moms to just kind of step back and evaluate and assess kind of where we're at, and bring back an attitude of gratitude so we can kind of go forward into the holiday season realigned.Y'all, I'm gonna tell you right now, if Amber can focus on gratitude, and she has 10 kids, she calls herself 200 Fingers and Toes, then any homeschool family, any family at all, can take a step back and not get into the pressure.Meet Amber Smith: Homeschool Courage LenderAmber: One of the reasons why I started the blog was because so many people were hesitant to homeschool, and thought they weren't capable or equipped, and didn't have enough of X, Y, or Z. Really the main reason that I started sharing my story was because I wanted to show people that anybody could homeschool.Really, the desire to homeschool was the most important thing. Beyond that, it's just skills that you could learn. I was a high school dropout, I was involuntarily homeschooled for my last two years of high school. I got a job and took some classes at the community college.Coming forward as a homeschooling mom, I really didn't have a view of homeschooling and kind of had to find my own way. I have a heart for moms who are jumping into homeschooling and discovering it for themselves, and kind of making a roadmap for themselves that makes the most sense.I call myself a homeschool courage lender. I want to lend the courage to moms who are starting, so that they can get that for themselves, and then take that and start building homeschool that really fits them and is personalized to their life and family.We have 10 kids. I have graduated 7, and I have the last 3 at home right now. I am kind of on the downward slide. We're all down to high schoolers, and it's a very exciting time at our house, because I get to see the fruits of that, and I get to see the fruits of all of our children's lives, and how homeschooling has provided them with some skills.Cultivating Joy Must Be PracticedYou have made a comment that gratitude must be cultivated, nurtured, and practiced. What does that really look like in a real family life, especially when you have 10 children, or you still have those 3 at home?Amber: I was thinking back, what were the things I had to reset my brain to imagine me back at the table with 7 children, 7 and under, starting our first day of homeschool. Even that just makes my heart just so excited to see it was just an idea at the time, and we weren't really confident about what it was going to look like long-term in the future.One of those things that I think is so important about practicing gratitude is kind of looking at where you've come from and looking at what you have accomplished so far. I think so many times, we get to this certain place, and there's so many obligations and so many things we need to do, but sometimes it's just to sit back and be like, hey, you know what? This was the struggle we started with this year, and we really have come a long way, and we really have overcome that challenge.We kind of do yearly evaluations, and we talk about the skills that we want to build with our kids, or maybe character things that we want to address. At the end of the year, we go back over that list, and we see what we wanted to work on at the beginning of the year.Some years we've missed the mark completely, and we just put that on the list for next year. But oftentimes, as we go back and look at the things that we've wanted to learn or establish with our family, we can see that, oh wow, actually, we did make a lot of groundwork.The Power of Simple Daily HabitsOne of the things as a homeschooling mom is your job is never done. Never. The dishes will always be there, laundry will always be there, school will always need to be done. Without a finish line, I think it's really important to set some artificial places where we can stop and kind of evaluate what we've done personally.Amber: With our kids, a few really small ways we've established gratitude—I think it was a quote from Little House on the Prairie, but Pa said, good morning is one of the best words. I deeply feel that. Good morning is probably the most important thing that we can say to each other every day.That's just a tiny habit that we've established. When you wake up in the morning, when you see that first person, we greet each other, and we say good morning, and we usually give each other a hug. We're a huge I love you family, so we obnoxiously say I love you in our house, and we say it to our friends, and we say it to people's parents.That's just a habit that we've created, because we do love each other, and we want to acknowledge that. Taking the time to acknowledge the people in the room, taking the time to stop and say hello and how are you—those are little things that sometimes we just think are niceties, but actually they're establishing a heart that looks at other people and sees them.That is so good. When you started, you were talking about homeschooling just keeps continuing, sometimes you need to take a stop and look at what's happened. It made me think of the word remember, and it's a word in the Bible that's used over and over.God was telling the Israelites, remember when I did this, and remember this. Now, whenever I see it, I use colors in my Bible. I put an orange rectangle around it, and it just pops out. That idea is used over and over in the Bible, and I think we do need to remember all the good things that God has done.I also like that you didn't say, we failed in this. You said, we missed the mark, and I was like, what a great way to say, okay, we missed the mark, but we're going to keep moving forward.Gift-Giving Traditions That Build GratitudeLet's sort of take that gratitude. We're in the holidays, the Thanksgiving holiday, which is all about thanks. How do you use gift-giving and your family traditions to build gratitude during the holidays?Amber: The first holiday I thought of, was we actually have a tradition for Valentine's Day. I buy a little cup, and I fill it with candy, and we put them all around the table, but I always put a card and pens. I make all of the children write a little note, so each person has their name on the card, and then all of the other kids go around the table and just write a little message to their siblings, just what they love about them.I just think it's just one of those times—we can create different opportunities. I just felt like Valentine's Day is about love, and so it was a great opportunity to tell our siblings what we love about each other.Now my oldest daughter's married, and my son-in-law came over for Valentine's Day, and he got a card with all of the things that the kids love about him. About a month later, I went to their house, and it's on the fridge. Those are actually really meaningful things.I'm a words of affirmation person, and so sometimes maybe our gifts and our love languages we can use to kind of bring out things in other people. You can create your own holidays, you don't have to wait.Definitely at Thanksgiving, it's busy, and so I really try to create some intentional opportunities that we don't bypass and forget. We try to just create some times where we sit together, because the holiday I host, it's 30 people plus at our house.When She Forgot to Actually Give ThanksI know we had one Thanksgiving where everybody left, and I thought, oh my gosh, we did no actual Thanksgiving things. We just ate. We ate, and we visited, we played games, and we moved on, and I just remember feeling like a check in my spirit that I don't want to do this again. I don't want to miss the opportunity of having gratitude and sharing with each other what we value about each other and what we're thankful for.So we try to set a time that we can say what we're grateful for. For me, Christmas is really busy, and so the same thing kind of happens. We host, we have family come in, it's just a swamped, crazy house over here.Amber: I bought—I can't remember who it was—but they had a Christmas tree fold-out book that just did an Advent every day, and it was an ornament that you got out of the little book, and you hung up, and it had a little card. I just thought, I just need a crutch. I need something to help me become grateful. I need something to help me practice gratitude.I love how the Lord had the Israelites build pillars, and build remembrances, and build things that they physically saw in front of them to help remind them of that moment, and to help them be grateful for what happened. When they passed the river, they had them put the pillar of stone so they would remember their crossing and remember what God did.I think it's very on task to say, let's use tools that we have in front of us to help us be in the front of our mind about gratitude. If you find a devotional—the She Reads Truth had some kids cards that had a little Advent plan all the way to Christmas.Finding a tool that helps you be intentional, I think, is a great way to just help you all focus. The kids loved it, so if the kids like it, they will make you do it, and I think that's a great way to have your kids involved, because they will make you remember.Kids will remind you. When I was at my daughter's last January, she just had a baby, and I had the other two. She was at the hospital longer than was expected for various reasons. I was going through this devotional that I had given the kids.By the end of the week, they come home with the baby on Friday or Saturday, and the little 3-year-old at the time, he's like, GG, Bible book, Bible book, Bible book, because every day we were doing this little devotional. Even a 3-year-old, they're like, we've been doing this for 4 days, so get us going.You said something I think is really important, and that is you need crutches. I think crutches are not bad. You don't feel like, I'm not good enough, so I've got to use this other stuff. That's why God's given us a lot of different gifts, to be able to be intentional. Sometimes we have to think ahead, and then we need to choose what might help us the best.The "Most Beautiful of Women" StoryLet's talk about self-care and taking care of ourselves. If moms are struggling to sort of take care of themselves, or to just feel grateful about what God's doing in their life, what would you suggest to them? I know some of them are overwhelmed and not appreciated, and they got a lot going on.Amber: First of all, I thought of a funny memory. I had a period of time where I am a words of affirmation mother, and I felt very empty in the gas tank. I had 7 little ones, and just a high-intensity need life. I just felt like I was not getting enough positive words fed back to me.So I made a rule that the oldest boys, whenever they answered me, they had to say, yes, mother, most beautiful of women.It was hilarious. It went on for a year. For a year, every time I said, boys, go do this, yes, mother, most beautiful of women. I tell you what, it was kind of a joke, but it filled my tank, and it made me—it just really did. It filled my heart.Sometimes a silly game—sometimes just take the stress and anxiety and horribleness out of it, and just try to be fun, and create some silly ways that you can maybe communicate things that you need to hear, or that your kid needs to hear.It was very funny, but it was at a really hard time in life for me, and I really needed positive words. It was such a great season that the kids answered me that way, and they would do it at church, they would do it at the store. It was very, very entertaining, and it just became a fun little habit. Sometimes you can be creative, and you can fill your own tank in ways that maybe just are silly and cute.Building Community That Fills Your TankAmber: I have a book, Six Keys to Your Homeschooling Success, and one of the chapters is about community, and building community. I really think that in seasons where we are the sole person at home with our kids, and carrying the responsibility of homeschooling, we need support.It's really, really important to find people that are maybe in your same life area, people that you can talk to, and people that can support you, and also people who can reflect back to you the same situations or what's going on.I have probably changed friends groups 3 times. My early friends who had kids that were my oldest kids' ages stopped having kids. Then we kind of outgrew those friendships, because then I had a whole bunch of little kids again, so we made some new friends.Each time that we have come to a place where I had a different set of needs, and I had a different set of situations that I was dealing with—when I moved to having high schoolers, our church had closed. We really forcibly lost our community because we were a very rural church, and so when it closed, all of those people lived 70 miles outside of our circle.I remember hitting a place where it was about a year that we didn't go to church because we were kind of in a place where we weren't sure where we wanted to go. I remember just telling my husband, I need people. I'm gonna find somewhere, because I have high schoolers, I am in the middle of just all of these things, and I need support.I think it's really good for us to kind of maybe evaluate and say, where do I need support? If that's joining a women's group, if that's getting involved in your church community, if that's joining a homeschool co-op, wherever it is that you can maybe find a place that fills your tank.Even if that's something outside. I started blogging and writing because that was one of the things I really wanted to do. I wanted to be a writer when I grow up. Working with other writers and bloggers—something that filled my tank so that then when I had to give out and homeschool and do all those things, I had some things that I looked forward to.In whatever capacity that is, looking at somewhere that fills your tank and can kind of give back to you, but I think in building community, it's one of the best places where you can get human interaction that feeds your soul and fills you up.I love that story with your kids. We should have fun together as a family. You do need to fill your tank. I also think sometimes when I write down things that I'm grateful for, that actually lowers my stress and gives me peace and joy, because it's like, get your mind off your problems and get it on to God.Laughing and having fun together—when you just have that really deep belly laugh, it just feels so good. Find ways to add some fun to your family, even if you're a really serious, somber person. Everyone needs to laugh as well.We do have different seasons of life. You might need to find some new people. You want to find people that will encourage you in your season of wherever you are right now.Speaking Life Over Strong-Willed ChildrenI know you also mentioned how gratitude changed your relationships with your kids. Is there anything that you could say about gratitude, about how maybe it changed your marriage, your relationships with your kids, or maybe even the way that you homeschooled?Amber: One of the ways that gratitude has really helped me in my relationship with my kids—I am not a controlling person, and I'm a pretty mellow, even-keeled person. I have some intensely control-oriented children. That can be a conflict, and it can be really hard.There are personality things that we have to resolve as homeschooling mothers that can feel all-consuming, and can feel really difficult. I remember going through a really difficult time with my oldest daughter. It was hard, and her personality is very different than mine, and it can feel personal.When you're dealing with a child who just doesn't think like you think, and maybe challenges you and your parenting, it can feel like they're out to hurt you. That's just because our mother hearts are tender. We want to love our kids, we want to do best by them, and so when things are hard, that can be really difficult.I remember going to my best friend, and I was just complaining. I just needed somebody to hear me. I remember she just kind of called me out, and said, hey, you know what? I'm hearing the words that you're saying about your daughter, and what a brave, beautiful friend to say this. She just said, I think that you should really think about the words that you're speaking, and maybe look at that and see if you could speak life over your situation.For half a second, I was deeply offended, because your friend should hear you, and should hear your heart, and let you complain, but you know what? God bless that she loved me so much that she called my attention to that. I was being really negative, and in my negativity, I was being defeated about that situation. I was really giving up my power and claiming that I was powerless.In that check that she gave me, I really became intentional and started to speak life over my daughter. Even though she was very strong-willed, I just said, you know what? God made this child this strong-willed. That means that he has a purpose for her that is so great that she needs all of this tenacity to be able to accomplish that.If I destroy that, she will never be able to do what God has called her to do. My job as her mother and the person who's helping her hone these skills and talents is to help her use this power well. I started being like, I'm a partner with God in helping this child create her purpose.I just started to speak life over her, and I think that is gratitude. When we can look at a situation and step back and call out what is true and what is real, because we know who God created us to be, we know who God called our children to be, and speak life.That was just one of the ways, and that really was a turning point in our relationship. As I began speaking life over her, we went from screaming at each other in the living room. It was a hard season. Now, she's 25, and I will say that child is my best friend.All of her siblings are kind of shocked that we are so closely knit together, but we did the work. We worked really hard on our relationship, and really worked on being grateful and kind and forgiving and grace-filled to one another, even in difficult situations.Sometimes stepping outside of what you see and just shaping your view of your family, your view of your situation—sometimes husbands can be frustrating. They live in a different world, and they come home with different mindsets and different things that they've got on their mind, and so we can battle, but also we can step back, and we can be like, you know what, I'm so thankful for the things that my husband does so that I can be here in this place and in this position I am now. We're a team.I think gratitude kind of puts us back on the same level again and gives us a heart where, hey, we're equals in this place. Sometimes my husband and I will sit in bed at night, and we just talk about when we first met, or the funny things that brought us together. I think that's one of the ways that we practice gratitude, is by remembering all of the ways we've succeeded, and all of the hard things we've gone through.I think it's important in our relationships to remember the struggles and the difficulties and the overcoming, so that we can get back to this place where our hearts are knit together and we're on the same team.The Power of WordsWords are so important. Words can cut you down, but they can build you up. Too often, I can get really negative and start saying things, even about—I love my children, but they could do something that sort of grinds on me.I have a statistic—something like, kids hear 300-something negative words a day and 17 positive. That applies to probably our marriages, our kids. We need to—you don't do false positive words. You don't just say good things to say them. You need to speak truth to them and speak life.Words are so effective, and even if they aren't acting like it, you can speak the truth of who they are. Like, you're a strong-willed child. God's got things in her life that she's got to be strong. My mom would have told you I'm a strong-willed child, too, and my husband would say I was stubborn.Yet, that stubbornness can be used to be faithful for years and years and years, despite bad things going on in our family and our lives. Use even things that grind on you—speak life to them, and really focus on speaking truth, and building them up, and noticing. You gotta pay attention to when they're actually doing something that you can praise them for as well.The other word you used was forgiveness. We were talking about this at Bible study, because we were going through Ephesians 5 on husbands and wives. We need to forgive, and they're going to get on our nerves. Forgive and go on and let God take care of that. He's the only one that can change anyone.Six Keys to Homeschooling SuccessYou mentioned your book, Six Keys to Homeschooling Success. Can you tell people a little bit more about that, and where they could get it if they're interested?Amber: Actually, it started off as a course, and so I have a full course online that basically helps parents build their own roadmap, because I think so many people are trying to fit themselves into homeschooling, and trying to fit a model or the school.I think if we step back and really ask some deeper questions, we can personalize our homeschool to fit, A, our goals, but B, our kids' needs the best way. It started as a course, but then I thought, you know what, I need this to be accessible to people in a broader sense.We took it to Kindle KDP, and now it's available on Amazon as well. It's the 6 Keys to Your Successful Homeschool Year. I just wanted every parent to have access to ask the right questions before they start.It's just a course and a guided journal in the back, and it asks questions each week. As you answer those questions, you build a roadmap for you. I remember reading online, somebody asked the question, hey, I'm in a homeschool, what curriculum should I use?I just thought, that is a crazy question. Anybody who answers that question to you right now is doing you a disservice. There are a whole bunch of questions that we should ask before that, so that you know exactly what you want.I think if we could help parents ask better questions, then they know exactly what they're looking for, and I want people to start their homeschool year knowing exactly what they're looking for and what they want to accomplish.I have a ton of articles and things, 200 Fingers and Toes, because I had 200 fingers and toes to clean up after for a lot of years. One thing that people always remembered about me was that I had 10 kids, so I thought, I'm gonna capitalize on this.The blog is 200 Fingers and Toes, and there we have probably 300 articles that are reviews, devotionals, curriculum ideas, and just life situations that we've shared about what our homeschool looks like, and maybe problems that we've overcome. You can search by topic, you can search by questions. We've done graduations and college prep, and just lots of things that we've covered over all the years that we've been homeschooling. Just a resource to get information and answer questions.You make a good point, because you need to do what's best for your family, not the family next door. Amber has 10 kids. Maybe you live in downtown Chicago and have one kid in a high-rise. Your homeschool will definitely look different than Amber's.For you to say, what's the best third grade curriculum, you need to use some of these questions that Amber is providing for you, because you need to find out what's best for you, your children, your family in this season of time, and it may change.

Matt Swaim visits to highlight tonight's The Journey Home on EWTN TV. Ken Ogorek visits to talk over Year A of Breaking the Bread: A Biblical Devotional for Catholics. Father Joseph Mary Wolfe also joins to discuss preparing for Advent and new book from EWTN Publishing "Advent and Christmas with Mother Angelica". Plus, Gail Buckley-Barringer with the Scripture Verse of the Week!

After weeks of warning against rebellion and false teaching, Jude turns his attention back to the faithful. In these verses, he shows what it means to live as the Church between the Advents: a people who remember rightly, keep themselves in God's love, and extend mercy to others.    Text: Jude 17-23

The Revd Catherine Williams leads a short service of Night Prayer for Monday during All Saints' to Advent. With music from St Martin's Voices. Find the service and join in via the free Time to Pray app or online via the Church of England website: www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/night-prayer-contemporary-monday-10-november-2025

The Revd Catherine Williams leads a short service of Prayer During the Day for Monday during All Saints' to Advent. With music from St Martin's Voices. Find the service and join in via the free Time to Pray app or online via the Church of England website: www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-in-daily-prayer/prayer-during-day-contemporary-monday-10-november-2025

Deacon James Thurman is in studio to tell you about the Holy League Catholic Men's Conference coming up for the season of Advent.Holy League Men's Conference.Subscribe to the Morning Blend on your favorite podcast platform.Find this show on the free Hail Mary Media App, along with a radio live-stream, prayers, news, and more.Look through past episodes or support this podcast.The Morning Blend is a production of Mater Dei Radio in Portland, Oregon.

Hey Theology Nerds! What an absolute banger of an episode we've got for you - two live conversations straight from the wild and wonderful chaos of Theology Beer Camp 2025 in St. Paul. First up, I sit down with the incomparable Diana Butler Bass and my co-host Sarah Heath to dive into Diana's brand new book A Beautiful Year - and let me tell you, it's peak DBB, friends. We're talking about seasons and spirituality, finding God in the everyday rhythm of time, and how the church might just be walking away from us while we're walking toward it (trust me, it makes sense when Diana explains it). Then we pivot to my friends Andy and Kara Root who share killer insights from their new book A Pilgrimage into Letting Go: Helping Parents and Pastors Embrace the Uncontrollable - basically how to not completely screw up raising kids in a world that's accelerating faster than we can keep up with. Both conversations get real about control, confession, and finding those holy moments we can't manufacture but desperately need. So do yourself a favor: grab both of these books, and while you're at it, get on the list for Theology Beer Camp 2026 - because where else are you gonna find 600 theology nerds singing Bohemian Rhapsody together? Head over here to sign up for all the info. Trust me, you don't want to miss what we're cooking up for next year! You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube Sign up HERE to stay up to date on Theology Beer Camp 2026 & get EARLY ACCESS to the cheapest tickets.⁠ ⁠UPCOMING ONLINE ADVENT CLASS w/ Diana Butler Bass⁠⁠ Join us for a transformative four-week Advent journey exploring how the four gospels speak their own revolutionary word against empire—both in their ancient context under Roman occupation and for our contemporary world shaped by capitalism, militarism, and nationalism.  Advent marks the beginning of the church year—an invitation to step out of the empire's time and into God's time, where the last are first, the mighty are scattered, and a child born in occupied territory changes everything. This course invites you into an alternative calendar and rhythm. While our modern world races through December toward consumption and productivity, Advent calls us to a different time—a counter-imperial waiting, a subversive hope, a radical reimagining of how God enters the world. What will we experience? Each week, we'll hear one gospel's unique vision of the birth narrative, allowing Matthew, Luke, John, and Mark to speak in their own voices about what it means for God to show up when empires think they're in control. We'll discover how these ancient texts of resistance offer wisdom for our own moment of political turmoil, economic inequality, and ecological crisis. This class is donation-based, including 0. You can sign-up at ⁠⁠www.HomebrewedClasses.com⁠⁠ This podcast is a ⁠⁠⁠Homebrewed Christianity ⁠⁠⁠production. Follow ⁠⁠⁠the Homebrewed Christianity⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Theology Nerd Throwdown⁠⁠⁠, & ⁠⁠⁠The Rise of Bonhoeffer⁠⁠⁠ podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 70,000other people by joining our ⁠⁠⁠Substack - Process This!⁠⁠⁠ Get instant access to over 50 classes at ⁠⁠⁠www.TheologyClass.com⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Follow the podcast, drop a review⁠⁠⁠, send ⁠⁠⁠feedback/questions⁠⁠⁠ or become a ⁠⁠⁠member of the HBC Community⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeremiah 24:4–7 (Listen) 4 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 5 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. 6 I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up. 7 I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart. (ESV)Jeremiah 29:1–14 (Listen) Jeremiah's Letter to the Exiles 29:1 These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem. 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said: 4 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,1 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the LORD. 10 “For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare2 and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. Footnotes [1] 29:8 Hebrew your dreams, which you cause to dream [2] 29:11 Or peace (ESV)

Jeremiah 24:4–7 (Listen) 4 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 5 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. 6 I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up. 7 I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart. (ESV)Jeremiah 29:1–14 (Listen) Jeremiah's Letter to the Exiles 29:1 These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem. 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said: 4 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,1 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the LORD. 10 “For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare2 and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. Footnotes [1] 29:8 Hebrew your dreams, which you cause to dream [2] 29:11 Or peace (ESV)

This is the Sunday evening liturgy during the Fall season of Ordinary Time for the Compline podcast from the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University. For more about the Center for Worship and the Arts, as well as the resources we provide, visit us at https://www.samford.edu/worship-arts/.CREDITS:© 2021 Center for Worship and the Arts, Samford University.Engineered and produced by Wen Reagan for the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University.SPOKEN WORD:Wen Reagan, Stacy Love, Tracy Hanrahan, Meagan Kennedy, Pierce Moffett, Eden Walker.MUSIC:“Compline #5” by Wen Reagan, © 2020 Sursum Corda Music (BMI).“Wishing Elsewhere” by Emily Hanrahan, © 2020 Emily Hanrahan.“My Savior Left His Throne Above” by Julie Anne Vargas and Zac Hicks, © 2015 Unbudding Fig Music (ASCAP) & Julie Anne Vargas, CCLI #7056910.TEXTS:The liturgical words for this podcast series include original phrasings, but were primarily curated and designed from several public domain sources, including “An Order for Compline” from the Anglican and Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and collects collected from Grace Cathedral and the University of Notre Dame.SOUNDS:The following sound effects were used in this podcast series and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA."Door, Front, Opening, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org."Door, Front, Closing, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org.“06 – Crackling Candle.wav” by 14GPanskaLetko_Dominik of Freesound.org.“Lights a Candle Light with a Match” by straget of Freesound.org.The following sound effects were used in this podcast series and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.“Soft Shoes Walking on a Dirt Road” by Nagwense of Freesound.org.“Match Being Lit.wav” by Jeanet_Henning of Freesound.org.“Candle Blow.wav” by Bee09 of Freesound.org.Mentioned in this episode:Discover Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts - the creator of...