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In this episode of the Velvet Machete Leadership Podcast, host Amber Hurdle interviews Jake Jacobs, founder of Jake Jacobs Consulting and author of Leverage Change: 27 Ways to Achieve Faster, Easier, Better Results...Immediately. James helps people and organizations through the change process and the problems they encounter along the way. With the right tools, any person or organization can make a successful change. Together they discuss:  *Some of the most common problems organizations and people encounter when making changes *The 8 strategic actions, or levers, any organization can put into place to affect any change *How to engage in effective change work that prepares you and your organization for the future  *Our recent experience facing and embracing the changes brought on by COVID-19  This episode takes a deep dive into organizational change and exactly what it takes to make it happen. Don't miss Jake's 35+ years of wisdom and insight into the issues organizations face before, during, and after change, and how to overcome these issues while successfully transforming! He shares valuable insights into leading through change, so you won't want to miss this episode. Links and Mentioned Resources  Visit Jake's website, Jake Jacobs Consulting, to learn more about his services, or take a look at his book, Leverage Change. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn and Twitter.  -- Follow @thevelvetmachete on Instagram for inspiration and free business advice.  About Jake  Jake Jacobs supports people who lead change work, and are frustrated when the results they achieve are too difficult, slow, or disappointing. He has distilled his 35 years of consulting experience into 8 strategic actions, or levers, that he has developed across the most common problems people and organizations encounter when trying to successfully make changes. These levers, outlined in his new book, Leverage Change: 27 Ways to Achieve Faster, Easier, Better Results...Immediately, can be used by anyone, in any organization, for any change.  Get Social:  Website | Book | LinkedIn | Twitter  Want More of the Good Stuff? *Subscribe to the podcast: Be sure to subscribe in iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Amazon Music, or your favorite podcasting app. Prefer to watch? Subscribe on YouTube. Or simply ask Amazon Alexa, "Play Velvet Machete Leadership Podcast with Amber Hurdle." Easy. *Read the book: The Bombshell Business Woman: How to Become a Bold, Brave, Female Entrepreneur on Amazon, Books-a-Million, Barnes & Noble & other retailers.

Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 1:3-7"Why, God?" Alaina whispered angrily under her breath. "It's just not fair." She collapsed in a heap on her bed and began sobbing.In just a minute's time, Alaina's beloved pet dog had been taken from her. Kiki had been hit by a car and killed. Alaina was devastated. If Jesus loved her, why had He allowed this to happen? As Alaina lay sobbing on her bed, her mom came in. "Alaina, I know you're upset, and my heart hurts too. But you know who else feels our sadness?" Mom didn't wait for an answer. "Jesus does. He cares about all our feelings, and He feels our pain."Alaina's body tensed, and she could feel bitterness spring up inside of her. "If Jesus really cares so much, why did He let Kiki die? He could have kept it from happening."Mom thought for a moment. "Honestly, Alaina, I don't know why Kiki died the way she did. Bad things happen, and sometimes we don't know why God would allow something sad or tragic into our lives. But you mustn't make the mistake of blaming God for every tragedy. We live in a sin-cursed world, but God sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue us from sin and brokenness. Jesus became human and lived in our world, and He went through terrible things, including death, so we could be saved. He understands our feelings. He knows we hurt. And He cares. Sometimes things happen and we don't know why, but we have to trust Him." Mom gave Alaina a hug, and before she left, she wrote something on a slip of paper and handed it to her.After her mom walked out, Alaina looked at the slip of paper. It was a Bible reference: Psalm 56:8. Slowly, she picked up her Bible and found the verse. She began to read it aloud. "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." Immediately, she felt comforted. God must care a lot if He bothered to put her tears into a bottle!Even though she was still sad, the bitterness had left her spirit. She knew that Jesus cared for her, and no matter what happened, He was in control. -Madison BlizzardHow About You?Has something bad happened in your life that's made you sad and upset? Do you wonder why God would allow such a thing to happen? We don't know why He allows some things to happen, but we do know He cares about us. Jesus became human and suffered and died to save us, and He understands our feelings. When you feel sad, go to Him. He cares about you. Today's Key Verse:You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. (NLT) (Psalm 56:8)Today's Key Thought:Jesus cares about you

INTRO -More censorship, 8 violations on FaceLikeTheSun channel overnight -Macron slapped in face (Clip) -Kamala bla bla bla border (Clip 2x)   FLIPPY -Cyborg cockroach can help find bodies under rubble (New Scientist)   CYBERPANDEMIC -Global “Glitch” Takes down internet (AP) -Colonial CEO did NOT consult FBI before paying ransomware attack (The Hill)   NEW WORLD ORDER -FBI 3 year sting operation, hundreds of arrests (NY Times)   MONEY -Secret IRS Files Revealed, how wealthy don't pay taxes (ProPublica)   WACCINE/PANDEMIC SPECIAL -UK News vs National Health Action Party, never-ending lockdowns (Clip) -Former UK PM, Gordon Brown, they decide “who lives and who dies.” (Clip, SkyNews) -How to address Jab hesitancy in young people (WDZX Fox) -Jab - cardiac illness connection clearer (CNN, Yahoo on Israel)   BREAK (producer party)   POLYTICK -British Army new vehicle Ajax making soldiers sick (Pop. Mech.) -Markle and Harry introduce Lilibet to Queen in video chat (People) -France sending second statue of liberty to US (CNN) -Hunter Biden Text are racist and vulgar (DailyMail)   ALIENS -NASA New Boss says they will study UFOs “Immediately” (NY Post)  

Kibbe invented a product! Well, a team of buddies and Kibbe invented a product...and finally launched it. It only took 10 years and it's not for cars at all. It's for baseball! Check it out: https://www.magictee.io Click to join our super secret KF Show Only listener email list..just in case we get blocked from every social and podcast platform! https://forms.aweber.com/form/48/1311263948.htm Presented with Holley! The fall Holley events of LS Fest, MoParty, and Intergalactic Ford Festival are all going to happen...and registration will open soon. Visit http://bit.ly/KAFS_Holley_Events to read up on all three events. Book your vacation time off work NOW! Also - Holley is HIRING! Here's your chance to play in the car world by working for Holley in the social media and influencer sphere. Click here to check out their all new Influencer Relations Coordinator position! http://bit.ly/KF_Holley_Jobs Dukes Review: The preview alone showed two movie-quality camera shots of the General that have been burned into my brain since the age of 8. Hell yes. Let's be clear. The Dukes was once a show about race car driving ex-moonshiners, but it morphed itself into a classic Western with bad guys and good guys. And kick ass camera shots of sliding Chargers. And jumping Chargers. And people sliding in the windows of Chargers. And this one is the first feature of WHOGG Radio (obviously, we like any reference that shows radio being important and relevant.) The RidgeRunners are back. The Dukes pull a trick that will inspire the resolution to the movie Three Amigo with the art of confusion. And Daisy drives like a banshee in this one, proving a hot chick that can drive hot is extra hot….and she is on Enos's jock like static cling (quote "Tone Loc" on that one). 10 Corndogs. Patreon Peeps, the year 2021 will be an important one for Patreon specifically, and if you'd consider jumping up to the $5 level it would sure help. The $10 level will remain and we now have a brand new $20 level as well! All members who join at that level will receive a sticker swag pack in the mail, you'll be IMMEDIATELY entered in the monthly prize grab, and you'll receive a phone call from one (or all) of us to chat up whatever you want for 30 minutes! Thank you SO MUCH to those of you who have joined in for the extra content that is only for Patreon supporters. To get in on the action and support the show with a minor financial contribution just click the link below to sign up. http://www.patreon.com/kfshow. The post K&F Show #190: Finnegan, Crown Vic Chargers, and NOS CB-Antennas; Dukes of Hazzard S6E10 Review “Enos's Last Chance” first appeared on The Muscle Car Place.

Immediately following the Jazz's Game 1 victory over the Clippers, Verno and KOC discuss Donovan Mitchell's 45-point performance and whether the Jazz can win the series without Mike Conley (1:49). The guys then recap Joel Embiid and the Sixers' bounce-back win vs. the Hawks (20:07) before discussing how the Bucks can put up a better fight vs. KD and the Nets (37:35). Plus, are the Suns simply too deep for the Nuggets (1:00:59) and did the voters get the MVP and COTY awards right (1:11:53)? Hosts: Chris Vernon and Kevin O'Connor Associate Producer: Carlos Chiriboga Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode begins with an author interview, Jesse Q. Sutanto, is today's guest. Immediately following is your guide to new book releases coming out the week of June 8, 2021 For more information on the titles mentioned in this podcast, pleas visit: https://www.facebook.com/BookBistroPodcast/ You can always contact the Book Bistro team by searching @BookBistroPodcast on facebook, or visiting: https://www.facebook.com/BookBistroPodcast/ You can also send an email to: TheBookBistroPodcast@gmail.com For more information on the podcast and the team behind it, please visit: http://anchor.fm/book-bistro

Stryker Spurlock returns to the show to talk all about his film PART TIME. We talk about Stryker's work writing and directing the film, some of our very talented friends that helped bring the work to life and exclusive opportunity to be a part of the screening this week.  See PART TIME June 10th at Arkadin Theatre in St.Louis, MO, located next to Heavy Anchor. Immediately following the film will be a Q + A with Styker. Snag your tickets today!  Follow along with Stryker on Instagram for more updates. @strykerspurlock Want to help support the show? Grab a shirt, tank top or hat today at http://www.byjack.com/rockpaperpodcast Big THANK YOU to my friends at Roughneck Beard Company for their continued support. Shop locally in Maplewood, MO or shop 24/7 at http://www.roughneckbeardcompany.com Use my code RPP15 for 15% off all your favorite beard oils, balms, junk powder or Roughneck Beard Batter! 

Job 32:15-16 "They were amazed, they answered no more: they left off speaking. When I had waited, (for they spake not, but stood still, and answered no more;)" This sermon from American Pastor J.D. Montieth highlights the most foundational and important lessons in life from the oldest book in the Bible, the Book of Job. This sermon, the eleventh in the series on the Book of Job, Elihu: Job 32:15 to Job 33:3 examines the characteristics between true and false prophets and whether they have been sent by the Lord to speak on His behalf: "Immediately we see the effectiveness of Elihu's spiritual ministry. As Job's friends were: 1) amazed, 2) ceased to formulate reasons in their minds to refute any of his words, and 3) left off, no longer speaking. Teaching us that there is hardly anything more effective in stopping men's mouths from presuming they know, than when one sent from God, begins to deliver revelation from God. Then, even the most imperceptive men seem to be able to detect that God has entered the room. "Where human wisdom is anything but pure, heavenly wisdom is. And because the wisdom from above has as its source in God, it will be felt to possess the very same holy attributes as the Lord. Hence, where carnal and human wisdom will agitate further the confused, the Lord's wisdom will promote peace. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar's words had done nothing but to provoke Job and cause him internal unrest. Yet now Elihu's message would do just the opposite. Having its origin from above, it would prove itself as easy to be entreated. Elihu therefore would become a breath of fresh air to Job, whereas previously debate and strife had ruled the day. Job's friends had spoken of their own will, but Elihu would speak under the direction of God's will. "Job's friends, unintentionally, had carried themselves no differently than false prophets. God did not send them to speak for Himself, yet they ran, egotistically thinking they could perform service for the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:21) "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied." It is easy to see why Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar's words manifestly failed, simply because they spoke to Job, things not of the truth, and focused on arguments devoid of God's Spirit leading them. It is not enough then to claim that we come in God's name, if God has not commissioned us to speak for Him. Job's friends, unintentionally, had carried themselves no differently than false prophets. God did not send them to speak for Himself, yet they ran, egotistically thinking they could perform service for the Lord. It is easy to see why Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar's words manifestly failed, simply because they spoke to Job, things not of the truth, and focused on arguments devoid of God's Spirit leading them." This sermon was preached live at Castle Grace in the At the Mouth of Two or Three Witnesses Series. Other sections of Scriptures highlighted in this sermon: Job 32:15-Job 33:2-3. Broadcast live from Castle Grace 05/30/2021

Robina Courtin grew up in Melbourne, Australia. As a teenager attending Catholic school she felt she was both holy and a rebel. Eventually she became a hippie, then a radical feminist, and then got into marital arts. One day, after a car accident meant she couldn't practice karate, she came across some Buddhist monks. Immediately she knew following Buddhism would be her path. Many years after she was ordained a Buddhist nun, she got an unexpected letter from a prisoner in the US. That led to her corresponding with other inmates and even befriending people on death row. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Saskia Edwards Picture: Robina Courtin in 2005 Credit: Fairfax Media via Getty Images

BECOME A PRODUCER! http://www.patreon.com/themidnighttrainpodcast   Find The Midnight Train Podcast: www.themidnighttrainpodcast.com www.facebook.com/themidnighttrainpodcast www.twitter.com/themidnighttrainpc www.instagram.com/themidnighttrainpodcast www.discord.com/themidnighttrainpodcast www.tiktok.com/themidnighttrainp   And wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.   Subscribe to our official YouTube channel: OUR YOUTUBE   Ep. 104 The Rendlesham Forest Incident   Tonight we talk about what is perhaps the most well documented ufo sighting, and depending on who you talk to, one of the best examples that aliens have been to earth! Hot damn! Not only is it well documented, the credibility of those involved, with a few exceptions which have weeded out, is pretty much as good as it gets. Not only that, but... it wasn't just a couple of people that witnessed part of this event. At least 80 people saw it, first hand, and that doesn't include people from the town and area surrounding where this incident took place. We're of course talking about the one, the only, the Rendlesham forest incident!!       Most of our story and info today comes from an amazing book we found called Encounter in Rendlesham Forest written by Nick Pope with assistance from two of the main players in the incident, John Burroughs and Jim Penniston, both retired from the United States air force. Nick Pope actually worked for the British ministry of defense investigating UFOs, alien abductions, crop circles and more. So, basically Moody's dream job.   So, the Rendlesham forest incident was actually composed of two, count em two, sightings in just a couple of days span. We'll discuss both incidents and then talk about theories and such. So let's dive into it.   The Rendlesham area was home to two military bases, Bentwater and Woodbridge. The two bases were separated by roughly 300-400 yards of forest… The, you guessed it, Rendlesham forest. The forest itself was pretty thick and dense. Both bases were run by the US. Both bases were speculated to house nuclear weapons. It was never confirmed or denied. Many people believe that's the reason for this UFO visit. Nuclear power seeking aliens! Amazing. Also it gives even more credibility to those involved being that they were in charge of a pile of nukes. Or were they?   On the night of December 26 1980, John Burroughs, who was an airman first class, saw strange red and blue lights on Rendlesham forest outside of the gates of the base  while patrolling the east gate of the Woodbridge base. At first Burroughs thought the lights may have been a civilian aircraft that crashed. He began the prices of running the report through the proper channels to investigate the lights. First he reported to staff sergeant Bud Stefans, who then ran it too sergeant Crash McCabe, who in turn got a hold of sergeant John Coffey, who then ran it up to the on duty flight chief which was staff sergeant Jim Penniston.    At this point Penniston decided to head out and check out the situation himself. He headed out to the east gate with his driver Edward Cabansag. As they arrived at the east gate, Bud Stefans would make a strange remark. He said "it didn't crash… It landed." White this was going on they had the control tower check around with their radar and also contact other air force bases in the area as well as Heathrow airport to see if they saw anything. Turns out about 15 minutes before the lights were seen, a "bogey" was seen on radar but disappeared as it got directly over Woodbridge. Penniston, Burroughs, and another dude named master sergeant Chandler headed into the forest while Cabansag hung bag. As they got closer to the lights all of their radios began to malfunction. It was as if something was trying to interfere with the radio signal. In order to trust messages back to the base, Chandler went back to the Jeep while Penniston and Burroughs pressed on. As they walked further into the forest they described a change in the air as they drew closer to the lights. They said it felt like the air was charged with electricity and the hairs on the back of their necks and arms stood up. After this they said it became hard to walk, as if they were wading through deep water. They finally made it to the source of the light in a small clearing. They say there was a sudden explosion of bright light except that it was completely silent. Both men hit the deck and waited for a minute to be sure it was safe. When the men stood up they saw something unbelievable. Penniston claims they were looking at a small triangular craft roughly 9 ft tall by 9ft wide resting on tripod-like legs. He said the way it looked was similar to our lunar lander. On the side of the craft he says there were a bunch of blue lights while a white light was on top. The craft was completely silent. Penniston decided to approach closer. He described the area around the craft as a "bubble field". As he entered the field he claims that all of the ambient noise in the area ceased. He described it like the air was dead. The static charge he had felt earlier was even stronger. He claimed to turn and yell to Burroughs but Burroughs was just standing and staring at the object. Penniston said he thought he was going to die. In his head he thought this object a weapon. He didn't know if his radio was working so he decided to pull out his notebook and start documenting the incident that way. As he got nearer to the object he said he saw strange symbols on the side of the craft. They appeared to be etched into the side of the craft. Penniston said the symbols were not recognizable. He said at best there was a passing resemblance to Egyptian hieroglyphs.         Being a real man's man, Penniston then decided it would be a great idea to touch the object. He said that it was smooth like running your hand over glass but the symbols were rough like sandpaper. He then claims that as he touched the symbols the lights became blindingly bright and when he took his hand back the light went back to normal. After this Penniston stood there and just tried to document the situation as much as he could in his notebook.   After a bit the craft began to lift off the ground. Penniston said everything seemed to move in slow motion. After a few minutes the craft made it over the top of the trees. After clearing the trees it silently flew away at what was described as an impossible speed. Literally…Penniston wrote in his notebook "speed-impossible".    So you may be asking yourself… What about Burroughs… What the hell was with him? Well, despite standing only about ten feet from Penniston his recollection of the event was completely different. Burroughs maintains he saw something. He claims that after the silent explosion of light and he hit the deck, he saw no craft whatsoever. He said he saw a red oval sun like object in the field. He also claims that unlike the up close encounter that Penniston had, his encounter lasted only seconds. Oddly enough this was his official statement. In his original statement taken roughly 72 hours after the incident occurred, he had included a speech of a craft that looked very similar to Pennistons sketches from his encounters. Since people will point to this as a sign that this was definitely a real event and that his official statement was cleaned up a bit to try and cover up the true nature of what happened.    At this point both men agreed that after the initial silent light explosion they saw a light rise into the sky and headed ready over the coast. After the craft took off the two men noticed something else. Although this was the middle of winter and the ground was essentially frozen, they were able to see three indentations on the ground. This told them that something extremely heavy had been there. On top of that the indentations created an almost perfect equilateral triangle, claimed Penniston. As they looked around more they noticed that there were many broken branches on the trees around the clearing where the supposed craft had landed. These branches were broken from low on the trees all the way to the tops!   When they returned to the Jeep to meet up with Cabansag and Chandler, the two men would find out something else that's pretty crazy. The two men figured they were gone for five or ten minutes out of radio contact. In all actuality they were out of radio contact for a whopping 45 minutes!  What's more, not only was there lost time, the two men's watching were running 45 minutes slow, it's like time stopped for them during the incident.  Cabansag and Chandler had been in contact with the base checking in, which was even more proof the men had been gone much longer than they thought.   On top of all this they found that others had seen something crazy as well. We'll talk about the things they might actually have seen later when talking about possible explanations!    That night there was another incident reported. Two other men reported seeing lights in the forest as well. They claim that when they went to check it out a bright light engulfed them and their jeep stalled out. They could not get the Jeep to start again.    The USAF was obligated to call British authorities to report that they had gone off base to investigate the incident. So instead of informing the military they called the local police for some reason. The police in their official report that upon receiving the call they had found a place where it appears that a craft had landed.    As one would expect the next day the men involved were getting quite the ribbing from everyone else. At this point another major player would enter the picture. That morning Colonel Charles Halt reported for duty at 5am. The aforementioned Sergeant Crash McCabe, when asked by Halt what was going on, said "Penniston and Burroughs were out chasing UFOs all night. Halt recommended that they use the term unexplained lights instead of UFO so that things would not get out of hand. Immediately paperwork concerning the night's escapades were pulled and classified as secret. This included indecent and complaint reports as well as security blotters. The off thing about this is that normally this would have to go through Colonel Halt, but he was not made aware of any of this when it happened. They were pulled by base commander Ted Conrad.    Major Edward Drury thought that the entire thing was just a Christmas prank, but after talking to Penniston and Burroughs, and getting more of the story, as well as hearing about the bogey on the radar, he decided to investigate a bit. He took some guys with him and went and took some pictures and checked out the site. They kind of figured this would be the end of the whole situation but in actuality it was only the end of the first of the two incidents!   The next day on the 27th, there was a combat support group awards ceremony scheduled for the evening at the on base bar called Woody's. That night during the festivities lieutenant Bruce England who was on duty came in and grabbed Colonel Halt, pulled him aside and told him that the UFO had returned.  Halt decided that he would check this out for himself. He gathered a team of men that were still sober and called in sergeant Monroe Neville's and Master sergeant Bobby Ball to join the group. Halt had the men grab some floodlights. But mysteriously the floodlights were not working. Now while it must be said that some of the portable flood lights were out of gas, not all of them were. The ones that had gas and by all accounts should work were simply just… Not. At this point Halt took his team to the original landing site instead of where the men were setting up the lights and where the new sighting was. While all of this was going down Halt was recording everything with his portable tape recorder. They used Geiger counters on the area to see if they could detect any kind of radioactivity in the original landing area. While they did find a little bit of a spike in the reading it was definitely not a significant sign regardless of what some people would have you believe. Another issue is that they were actually using the wrong type of Geiger counter to get the readings they got. Now you can hear this on the 18 minutes of recordings that were made available to the public.    Also in the recordings you can hear the point when the men again see a strange light. One man refers to how there's light that is there and gone then returns again. The men sound legitimately dumbfounded by what they are witnessing. Halt behind to describe what is going on on the tape. The last roughly 4 minutes of audio available is this prob of the encounter. Halt at one point describes the light as shooting a break of lights to the ground, which you can hear on the recordings. Later, according to Halt's memo, three star-like lights were seen in the sky, two to the north and one to the south, about 10 degrees above the horizon. Halt said that the brightest of these hovered for two to three hours and seemed to beam down a stream of light from time to time. The other strange thing about Halt's recordings is that while only 18 minutes of recordings were made available Halt supposedly had around 4 hours or more of recordings from that night which he claims will probably never be released for us to hear.    Not really knowing what to do with all of this the Halt sent a memo to the Ministry of Defense and tried to get the British involved but they were not having it. The memo can be found online and we will post a picture of. Halt claims that the U.S got rid of the copy her head sent to the higher ups as they deemed the incident did not warrant further investigation.    So what the fuck happened in Rendlesham forest. Well it depends on who you want to believe. There's a ton of skeptics obviously, then there's guys like Moody who are fully on board for the UFO theory. This incident is rude with theories, detractors, conspiracies, people who claim they were the ones perpetrating the hoax… It's kind of crazy. Let's look at some of the theories on what happened and what the skeptics say.       There's one story that we can put to rest for you right off the top. In December 2018, David Clarke, a British UFO researcher, reported a claim that the incident was a set-up by the SAS as a revenge plot on the USAF. According to this story, in August 1980, the SAS parachuted into RAF Woodbridge to test the security at the nuclear site. The USAF had recently upgraded their radar and detected the black parachutes of the SAS men as they descended to the base. The SAS troops were interrogated and beaten up, with the ultimate insult that they were called "unidentified aliens". To enact their revenge, the SAS "gave" the USAF their own version of an alien event; "....as December approached, lights and coloured flares were rigged in the woods. Black helium balloons were also coupled to remote-controlled kites to carry suspended materials into the sky, activated by radio-controls." However, Clarke's investigation concluded that the story was itself a hoax. This story still gets tossed around in some circles even though there is absolutely nothing to back it up.     That's were several locations that claimed they had a hand in the hoax. One man claims he rigged an old cop car with  lights and sound equipment and drove around in the forest to essentially fuck with people. No evidence of this was ever proven. Another man that local people described as "a character" claims that he was driving his truck around with a load of manure in the back and what the men saw that night was… Wait for it…. Burning shit. Also no evidence of this being true was found. As far as these two cases go… We would like to think that if you're approaching this case, that either way you believe, real or fake, you would at least agree that these airmen would be able to tell if it was a car driving around or burning manure In the back of a truck!    Speaking of knowing the difference between things… Some skeptics like to blame this whole incident on a lighthouse. Y day that the strange lights were actually the beacon from a lighthouse on the coast. Now we can concede that on the second night, some of those guys probably mistook the lighthouse beacon for something more. In the Halt recording you can hear someone say that he sees a light, then a short time later it's gone, then a short time later it's back. The intervals actually live up with the revolving time of the lighthouse beacon. So at that moment in time yes it's likely that those men saw the lighthouse beacon but the lighthouse didn't account for the rest of the witnessed phenomena.    As far as the lights in the sky that Halt said they watch in the sky…the skeptics say nothing more than stars. The bright lights off in the distance are often blamed on stars when talking to people looking to disprove the incident. But what of the beams of light coming from the stars? According to many it was atmospheric distortion causing it to merely look like a beam of light coming from a craft. As far as the scientific basis of these arguments, we can't speak to that. While they sound good we don't know. Could be plausible explanations for sure. But again it feels like a high ranking long serving airman  would be able to tell the difference between a star and a strange light.   Another explanation often offered for the lights seen the first night is the debris from a Russian satellite falling to earth. This is confirmed to actually have taken place on the night Penniston and Burroughs had their experience. This could definitely explain lights in the sky but how did it explain the craft they saw and the speed and maneuverability of what they reportedly saw.  Granted that's if you believe the men. Also that same night there was some meteoric activity which some point to what the men saw in the sky. This activity was also confirmed to have been actually taking place at the time.    So while these explanations all seem like possibilities to explain perhaps some of what was seen, they don't really explain everything.    Then there's the  cover up talk. Many of the witnesses have conflicting statements. The statements they made the night of the first incident are different from the official statements the government has on file. Burroughs' original statement included a sketch of a craft that very closely resembled what Penniston also sketched and described. Only problem is in his official statement he claimed to see no craft, only the ball of light. Edward Cabansag, who was there with the other gentleman that night, would later claim that his official statement wasn't actually his. He said that as he was waiting to give his statement officials came to him with an already prepared statement that he was persuaded to sign. He claims he never even read the statement. Then there are the missing reports and paperwork the next morning when Halt had arrived. Why did they take them so quickly and mark them as secret without him being informed as he was usually a part of that sort of thing on the base? Were they trying to hide something or, as some would say, prevent embarrassment. Another odd thing is that Penniston and Burroughs have been fighting to get health records released for years. They have been blocked at every turn. We have a picture of one request sent to then president Barack Obama, asking for the records to please be turned over to the men. Why will they not let these men have these medical records? We could go into some of these things in much more detail but for now we just want to get these things in here without making a 4 hour episode. Maybe a bonus will get into all of these little side quests.    As the years went by both men have stood by their stories. Some say that Pennistons story had become inconsistent throughout the years. And while some things may be a little different from here to there the bulk is consistent according to most. A couple of things about Penniston. Penniston usually refers to what he allegedly encountered as being ‘a craft of unknown origin' but has specifically and repeatedly denied that it was extraterrestrial. So where was it from? After undergoing regression hypnosis in September 1994 he seems to have become convinced that it was a craft from tens of thousands of years in the Earth's future. According to what Penniston told the hypnotist, it contained our distant descendants returning to obtain genetic material to keep their ailing species alive: ‘They are time travellers. They are us,' he said. There's Jon's favorite theory! Another thing is his binary code. He had filled many many pages in his notebook with binary code that he claimed was being sent to him telepathically. Penniston claims to know nothing about binary code. And from what we've read, they were supposedly able to date the pages and writings to the right time frame as people claimed that he wrote this much later in his notebook as a hoax to further his story. The crazy thing is when he finally had the binary decoded it did reveal a message. It is supposedly as follows :   EXPLORATION OF HUMANITY unclear 8100   52 0942532 N 13131269 W   CONTINUOUS FOR PLANETARY ADVANC(E)   FOURTH COO(R)DINATE CONTINUOUS unclear   BEFORE   16 763177 or 26 763177 N 89 117768 W   34 800272 N 111 843567 W   29 977836 N 31 131649 E   14 701505 S 75 167043 W   P   37 110195 N 25 372281 E   EYES OF YOUR EYES   ORIGIN 52 0942532 N 13131269 W   ORIGIN YEAR 8100   So where are these coordinates?   They are as follows: Caracol, Belize) (Sedona, Arizona) (Great Pyramid in Giza, Egypt) (Nazca Lines in Peru) (Tai Shan Qu, China) (Portara at Temple of Apollo in Naxos, Greece) (Hy Brasil)    Brasil, also known as Hy-Brasil or several other variants, is a phantom island said to lie in the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland. Irish myths described it as cloaked in mist except for one day every seven years, when it becomes visible but still cannot be reached. So what does it all mean? Well if you're up on ancient aliens theory these sites hold some water… If you are not a believer then it doesn't matter that much but still very compelling. The origin year 8100, did that mean this craft was from the future?    To this day there is no shortage of people constantly calling Penniston a liar and trying to poke holes in his stories and pointing out any type of inconsistency they can. That is all to be expected. You can dig deep into this incident and find support for whatever side you believe in. We wanted to present the facts as told by the men who lived it. Whether they were lying, saw something and extrapolated things from there, or truly had an extraterrestrial experience isn't ours to say. None of us were there so we'll never truly know. But given the amount of people that witnessed something that night and who since of these people were out measures for a very compelling tale.   

In 2006, Lee Woodruff's husband Bob Woodruff —a prominent ABC news anchor at the time— was severely injured while reporting on the war in Iraq. Immediately, life changed for their family and Lee began to document everything, partially as a recounting of events for Bob if he survived and partially as a history for their four children if he didn't. Lee talks with Zibby about what life was like while writing her 2007 book, In An Instant, and what life has been like for her, Bob, and their family in the years since its publication.Purchase a copy on Amazon or Bookshop.Amazon: https://amzn.to/3cbEOTJBookshop: https://bit.ly/3wMXqRQ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kibbe invented a product! Well, a team of buddies and Kibbe invented a product...and finally launched it. It only took 10 years and it's not for cars at all. It's for baseball! Check it out: https://www.magictee.io Click to join our super secret KF Show Only listener email list..just in case we get blocked from every social and podcast platform! https://forms.aweber.com/form/48/1311263948.htm Presented with Holley! The fall Holley events of LS Fest, MoParty, and Intergalactic Ford Festival are all going to happen...and registration will open soon. Visit http://bit.ly/KAFS_Holley_Events to read up on all three events. Book your vacation time off work NOW! Dukes Review: To quote the great Dwight Schrute, I love a good set of twins. Randi and Candi Brough make their return to the Dukes to - once again - play the role of identical twin sisters for the Dukes to love on. This time they lay characters that are named Cindy and Sandy. Last time they were on it was Floralee and Francee. Apparently rhyming first names is important when establishing that people are identical twins. Anyway, this time they are thieves and use their identicalness to cast the art of deception on Bo and Luke Duke. The rest of the plot is irrelevant, but entertaining nonetheless. 6 Dogs. Patreon Peeps, the year 2021 will be an important one for Patreon specifically, and if you'd consider jumping up to the $5 level it would sure help. The $10 level will remain and we now have a brand new $20 level as well! All members who join at that level will receive a sticker swag pack in the mail, you'll be IMMEDIATELY entered in the monthly prize grab, and you'll receive a phone call from one (or all) of us to chat up whatever you want for 30 minutes! Thank you SO MUCH to those of you who have joined in for the extra content that is only for Patreon supporters. To get in on the action and support the show with a minor financial contribution just click the link below to sign up. http://www.patreon.com/kfshow. The post K&F Show #189: Kibbe’s Zany New Invention Story, Auto Industry News, and Dukes of Hazzard S6E08 Review “Twin Trouble” first appeared on The Muscle Car Place.

Davi's husband was excited to book his first show since the pandemic started. He asked her to join him, but she decided to hang out with her friends.She and her friends got lit, and they ended up MOONING the highway! Immediately after, Davi got a notification that she was tagged in a video.She just knew that someone had spotted her butt. But this is what really happened... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In today's episode, Dr. Siohvaughn Funches continues this series and dives deeper into the Word, continuing on the topic of “No More Condemnation.” Dr. Funches first recaps last week's message that for the New Covenant believer, there is no more condemnation. Dr. Funches reviews John 3:16–17 and ties it to the account of Adam and Eve. Dr. Funches invites the listener to review the message from last week to learn more about the sacrifice Jesus made for the remission of sins.   Dr. Funches shows in the Word of God the Law concerning leprosy and the mercy Jesus showed in cleansing the leper. Dr. Funches compares the leper asking for a blessing in the midst of breaking the Law to our own condition. She also examines through the Word the law concerning adultery and the way Jesus treated the woman caught in adultery. Dr. Funches explains that adultery represents all sin. The Lord Jesus does not condemn the born again child of God.   Please listen as Dr. Funches dives deeper into the blessings of having no more condemnation after getting to know God through His Word.   KEY BIBLE VERSES [3:51] John 3:16–17, NKJV 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. [14:39] Leviticus 13:1–3, NKJV 1 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 “When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes on the skin of his body like a leprous sore, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. 3 The priest shall examine the sore on the skin of the body; and if the hair on the sore has turned white, and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a leprous sore. Then the priest shall examine him, and pronounce him unclean.” [16:01] Numbers 5:2, NKJV 2 “Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever becomes defiled by a corpse. “ [17:19] Luke 5:12, NKJV 12 And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 13 Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him. [22:57] Jeremiah 2, 3 (full chapters) [24:18] Exodus 20:14, NKJV 14 “You shall not commit adultery.” [24:49] Leviticus 20:10, NKJV 10 ‘The man who commits adultery with another man's wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.” [25:41] John 8:1–12, NKJV 1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. 7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” 12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” [31:26] Psalm 36:9, NKJV 9 For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Please visit DrFunches.com for books, blogs and more helpful resources from Dr. Funches and for ways to get involved with this ministry, A Woman's Worth Foundation.

Immediately following the success of WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier released on Disney+, adding another great series for Marvel fans to enjoy. Join us this week as we recap Season 1 and talk about our favorite moments from the season and what we think could be next for the show.

This episode begins with an author interview, Amy E Reichert, is today's guest. Immediately following is your guide to new book releases coming out the week of June 1, 2021 For more information on the titles mentioned in this podcast, pleas visit: https://www.facebook.com/BookBistroPodcast/ You can always contact the Book Bistro team by searching @BookBistroPodcast on facebook, or visiting: https://www.facebook.com/BookBistroPodcast/ You can also send an email to: TheBookBistroPodcast@gmail.com For more information on the podcast and the team behind it, please visit: http://anchor.fm/book-bistro

Acts 13:4-12 - So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. Not A Needy Person is now LIVE - Submit needs or meet the needs of others  https://NotANeedyPerson.org  Join me for "Scripture Sketches" - weekly video teaching on my YouTube channel - SUBSCRIBE SO YOU DON'T MISS ANY OF THESE STUDIES:  https://careygreen.com/youtube  SUBMIT YOUR PRAYER REQUEST OR PRAISE:  https://careygreen.com/prayer  BECOME A MORNING MINDSET PARTNER: 1) monthly partner: https://mm-partners.supercast.tech/ 2) Give a one-time gift: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/yourmorningmindset

Partakers Bible Thought 29 May 2021 Paul Is Sent 10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. 11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.(Acts 9:10-22)   From the conversion of Paul, we go to the consequences of his conversion. The first consequence was that he changed his name: changed from Saul of Tarsus to Paul of Tarsus. Paul's conversion was seemingly a total transformation. His attitudes, character & relationships with God, fellow believers and the unbelieving world were utterly transformed. As we have seen, a changed life is the ultimate proof that conversion is real and the Holy Spirit is working. Now that through Jesus and his cross, Paul had been put right with God, Paul, as with all believers, enjoyed direct access to the Father. The Spirit witnessed with his spirit that he was the Father's child (Romans 8:16). The mouth that had breathed murderous threats like a roaring lion against Jesus’ followers, was now breathing prayers & praises to God like a lamb. Paul's life was changed from self-righteousness to righteousness through Jesus. The evidence of this was a change in the way he lived his life. Ananias went to meet Paul, after having been sent by God. Upon Ananias laying hands upon Paul and identifying with him (Acts 9:17), calling him brother, and ministering the love of Jesus to his former enemy, the Holy Spirit entered Paul (Acts 9:17), and Paul could see again (Acts 9:18). Whenever he preached to the unbelieving Jews, they were confused. Paul however did not settle down in Damascus, and according to Galatians 1:17-18, spent 3 years in Arabia. Paul then returned to Damascus and while there, the Jewish leaders plotted to kill him. So he escaped with the help of the other believers back to the city of Jerusalem. Download or listen to the Podcast to discover more. Click or tap here to download this podcast as a MP3 Click or tap here to visit our Amazon site and purchase our book on the early Church - paperback and Kindle.  

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.” He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus told him, ‘Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

In today's episode, Dr. Siohvaughn Funches continues this series and delves into the topic of No More Condemnation. Dr. Funches stresses the importance of seeing this truth in the Word of God and of letting God establish it and settle it in our hearts. We have been made righteous by the blood of Jesus. God does not condemn us and we should not condemn ourselves.   Dr. Funches shows in the Word of God that it was God's idea to send Jesus. God loved us before Jesus went to the cross. God's love came first. It is unconditional. God is love, no matter what we do or don't do. God sent Jesus to redeem us from sin, once and for all. God says He will remember lawless deeds no more. As we learned in the previous weeks, as New Covenant believers, we are no longer living under the law and are no longer under the condemnation of the law. Dr. Funches reviews the account of the woman with an issue of blood to illustrate the mercy and grace that Jesus showed to her by healing her when she demonstrated her faith in Him.   Please listen as Dr. Funches examines the blessings of no more condemnation after getting to know God through His Word.   KEY BIBLE VERSES [3:08] John 3:16–17, NKJV 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. [6:23] Genesis 1–4, (full chapters; Adam and Eve) [9:12] 1 John 2:12, NKJV 12 I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. [10:03] Romans 8:1, NKJV 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. [15:27] Hebrews 8:12, NKJV 12 “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” [16:30] Isaiah 43:25, NKJV 25  “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.” [27:04] Leviticus 15:19–21, NKJV 19 "If a woman has a discharge, and the discharge from her body is blood, she shall be set apart seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. 20 Everything that she lies on during her impurity shall be unclean; also everything that she sits on shall be unclean. 21 Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. [28:27] Mark 5:25:34, NKJV 25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” 29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” 31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?'” 32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Please visit DrFunches.com for books, blogs and more helpful resources from Dr. Funches and for ways to get involved with this ministry, A Woman's Worth Foundation.

- Press the PLAY button to listen to the catechesis of the day and share if you like -+ A reading from the holy Gospel, according to Mark +As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,          Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,          sat by the roadside begging.On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,          he began to cry out and say,          “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.”Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”So they called the blind man, saying to him,          “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.”He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?”The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.”Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.”Immediately he received his sightand followed him on the way.The Gospel of the Lord.

When Laura Gassner Otting was in fourth grade, her teacher said, “you’re pretty argumentative… you should become a lawyer.” Laura says she was a serious young person. At only nine years old, she would watch the news every night and with righteous indignation, make a mark on a pad each day the hostages were still in Iran. Determined, she decided that she would have to solve all the problems. Laura reasoned that politicians were charged with problem-solving and since most politicians were lawyers, then she knew what she had to do.  Fast forward, Laura goes to law school. Immediately, she realizes it was a mistake. Laura had no interest in the classes nor in being there. A month later she heard about this “dude” running for President named Bill Clinton. Laura volunteered for the campaign and a few weeks later, she helped to organize a rally that drew 36,000 people. Soon after, Laura dropped out of law school and headed out on the campaign trail. Everyone told her she was making a terrible mistake. Laura disagreed. Clinton ended up in the White House, and so did Laura. As a presidential appointee during Bill Clinton’s first term in the White House, Laura helped to shape the AmeriCorps program. She moved on to the nonprofit search firm, Isaacson, Miller to expand the startup ExecSearches.com. Laura then founded and ran the Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group, which partnered with mission-driven nonprofit executives. In 2015, Laura sold NPAG to the team that helped her build it, to pursue her next chapter, and to serve on Hillary Clinton’s National Finance Committee. Today, she speaks, coaches, and inspires entrepreneurs, investors, leaders, and donors to get them past the doubt and indecision to seek new ways of leading, managing and mentoring others. In this week’s Work From The Inside Out podcast, learn more about Laura’s  journey: Laura has spoken across the United States and internationally to universities, companies, conferences, accelerators, TEDx, and the US Military.  She is the author of the Washington Post Best Seller Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life (2019) and Mission-Driven: Moving from Profit to Purpose (2015). Learn more and connect with Laura here: https://www.facebook.com/heylgo https://www.linkedin.com/in/heylgo https://www.facebook.com/laura.gassner.otting @heylgo www.heylgo.com

1 Samuel 1:27 “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.” Asking in the Name of Jesus pt 3We have been studying from John 14:10-14 and John 16:23-24. We've learned the actual Greek translation of the word “ask” in these verses indicates a DEMAND. Not begging. We've learned that it is the devil that is withholding the answer to your prayers, not God. We've learned that when you DEMAND the answer to your prayer, in the Name of Jesus, you are actually talking to the devil that is hindering your prayer, not to God. In John 14:13-14, the believer is actually standing against Satan and circumstances that do not line up with the Word of God. The believer is exercising his or her Spiritual authority over Satan and the adverse circumstances. We are commanding that Satan bow his knee to the Name of Jesus. At the same time we are praying like this, we are demonstrating and exercising our Faith in the Name of Jesus. Amen! John 14:13-14 is not talking about prayer as is John 16:23-24.  In chapter 14, John is explaining the believers RIGHT to exercise authority over Satan in the Name of Jesus. It is a DEMAND or COMMAND of something due to the believer because of the rights and privileges God has already provided for, in and through Christ Jesus. In John 16, Jesus is giving us the PRINCIPLE for New Testament prayer. Jesus is telling us that all prayer must be addressed to the Father, in Jesus Name. “Whatsoever you ask the Father, in my Name, He will give to you.” Here, in John 16:23-24, Jesus is talking about praying to the FATHER in the Name of Jesus. We discussed this type of prayer at length before. But in John 14:13-14, Jesus is not talking about prayer. It is based on a DEMAND that Satan loose his hold on whatever it is he has tried to bind in your life. Healing, finances, life of loved ones, etc. “Whatsoever you ask (or DEMAND) in my Name, that will I DO!”  This is Jesus making a promise to us. Amen! In the Book of Acts, we see this principle of using Jesus Name, not as a prayer, but as a demand and a command of Faith. At the Name of Jesus – sickness had to flee! Amen! Acts 3:1-8  One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. Peter exercised his authority, in the Name of Jesus, and made a DEMAND that the cripple man be freed and to get up and walk. Immediately, the devil that was binding him had to comply – the man jumped up and walked and started rejoicing. This served as a testimony to those standing all around that the Name of Jesus carried power and authority! Amen! Let's Pray! Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com/ (https://podcastersforchrist.com). And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today. You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at...

Join your host Andrew Tisser and guest Matt Seefeld as they talk about the role you need to play and the responsibilities that revolve around revenue cycles. For Matt, professionals like him aren’t exposed to the technicalities of how they get paid in residency. Matt tells us that in private practice, doctors that take an interest in analytics only accumulate to less than 10% and sometimes even 5%—which is a problem. As you listen to the episode, tune to Matt as he talks about collection, the difference it makes if you’re paid right at the right time, and the app he created that brings common ground to those facing the struggles of addiction.In this episode you will learn:·       What is a Revenue Cycle?·       Your expertise warrants its worth.·       What moves the ecosystem of healthcare forward?·       Your administrative team is responsible.·       On myLifeLink App; Broadening the definition of addiction.About Matt Seefeld:Matt Seefeld is Executive Vice President at MedEvolve, responsible for all RCM operations, data science, workflow automation solutions, and business development. He brings over 20 years of management consulting experience in the healthcare industry with extensive expertise in process improvement programs and technology across the entire revenue cycle. Matt began his career with Stockamp & Associates, Inc. and worked for both PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and Deloitte Consulting LLP in their healthcare and life sciences practice lines. In 2007, he developed a business intelligence solution and founded Interpoint Partners, LLC, where he served as Chairman and CEO. In 2011, he sold his business to Streamline Health Solutions, where he then served as Chief Strategist of Revenue Cycle and SVP of Solutions Strategy until 2014. Immediately prior to joining MedEvolve, Matt ran global sales for NantHealth. Additionally, Matt is the founder of myLifeLink, a virtual, global addiction and recovery community, and mobile application. He is also a board member and strategic advisor for a number of healthcare technology companies. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California-San Diego, where he also achieved NCAA All-American honors three times during his collegiate track and field career.Connect with Matt Seefeld on:LinkedIn:            https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-seefeld-521319/Twitter:               https://twitter.com/mseefeld?lang=enEmail:                  matt.seefeld@medevolve.com Article: Is Your Revenue Cycle Ready for 2021? By Matt Seefeldhttps://www.healthitanswers.net/is-your-revenue-cycle-ready-for-2021/ Video: Physician Practice Billing: Transparency and Accountability in the Business Officehttps://youtu.be/OtUm5bIGOGs MedEvolve Resources page with videos, articles, case studies, etc.https://medevolve.com/resources/ MyLifeLinkhttps://www.mylifelinkapp.com/ Connect with Talk2Medoc on:https://www.andrewtisserdo.com/

Each week the NZ Herald's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's how to write a budget that doesn't make you miserable. Hosted by Frances Cook. Budget. Did you just get a shiver down your spine? Immediately clutch your takeaway coffee cup a little closer to your chest? Have a vision of yourself sitting on the couch on a Friday night, watching your friends on social media having fun without you? To say budgeting has an image problem is an understatement. It's actually the key to feeling happy with our money, and often the key to getting those things in life that really will make us happy. Far from cutting out what we enjoy, I'm a strong believer that a good budget is about figuring out what you need, what you want, and then stopping all the other little things that could get in the way of that. But I admit that can be easier said than done. We're also sometimes our own worst enemies on this. When it comes time to sit down and thrash it out, it can be tempting to write the "perfect" budget for the person we want to be. But we have to be honest with ourselves or it just won't work.For the latest podcast I talked to Jason Leong from PocketSmith.If you have a question about this podcast, or question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook

This episode begins with an author interview, Karen White, is today's guest. Immediately following is your guide to new book releases coming out the week of May 25, 2021 For more information on the titles mentioned in this podcast, pleas visit: https://www.facebook.com/BookBistroPodcast/ You can always contact the Book Bistro team by searching @BookBistroPodcast on facebook, or visiting: https://www.facebook.com/BookBistroPodcast/ You can also send an email to: TheBookBistroPodcast@gmail.com For more information on the podcast and the team behind it, please visit: http://anchor.fm/book-bistro

You know the call...it goes something like this, "Hey Max, I'm calling to give you the heads up that they're doing a reorg, and you'll now be reporting to Jocelyn." Immediately you think, 'I don't have the energy to impress yet another new boss. I just really got into a groove with my current boss!' Well, the good news is that there is a better way to approach your "new boss" situations. In this episode, Erin and Nicole discuss a fresh (and more authentic) way to tackle your infinity boss situation. Hint: the key is in the questions, not the answers. Erin and Nicole kick off another authentic catch-up discussing their favorite summer wine - Vinho Verde. With things slowly beginning to open up again, they also discuss their feelings about going back out into the world. They decide that it should be a "rager" of a summer (however you define "rager") and also declare it the year of no shoulds. Erin then announces that they're creating the first-ever National Authenticity Day, which will be held annually on August 16th. They move on to their WTFs of the week. Nicole refinances her house, which can be a stressful time, but after seeing the five digits when out in front of her she...well shall we ay she was extremely proud of herself and may have slightly lost control of her bodily functions.  Erin has a story about an old boss, who she had for only three weeks and she was convinced was firing her one day. This leads into a discussion on bosses, how to approach them, including how to mentally prepare yourself for organizational change at work. Erin coaches Nicole, and the listeners, that it's all about asking powerful questions and connecting.  If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Here are some options... Follow Nicole on LinkedIn:   Follow Erin on LinkedIn:   Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @   b Cause Podcast Facebook group @   We even share more crazy stuff here (you probably thought that was impossible). Get your own copy of Erin's book by searching "You Do You Ish" in amazon or going to   Take our simple, fun and insightful "What Kind of Dog Are You At Work?" by going to   We have so much fun stuff going on...we wouldn't want you to miss out - join the authenticity movement and our community by adding your email just about anywhere @   Check out our blog for more of our no-BS career advice @   We have fun and inspiring t-shirts @ DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsustainable for younger audiences.  Tweetable Comments: "I'm socially conscious, but also fashionable and ready for anything - that's sort of my party mantra." "It's not the year of yes it's the year of no-shoulds." "Obviously, Authenticity Day will be me, behind the snack-shack at your place, making snow cones." "There's only one rule for National Authenticity Day; there are no rules." "Unfortunately, this revolving door of bosses is not uncommon." "Authenticity isn't about you. It's about creating connections and trust exponentially faster than going through the motions." "When people care about what you think, there's not much people love more than that." Don't come at it as if you're a risk, come at it like you're a reward." "Don't beat around the bush." "In an interview, it's not about answering questions, it's about HOW you answer them."

Keith Keller is one of the leading experts on Twitter marketing, especially Twitter video marketing. He has his own podcast series on iTunes called Crack the Twitter Code and now offers one-on-one consulting to clients all over the world via Zoom. In today's episode, Keith will share three power hacks he has learned about Twitter video marketing.    Keith's Story   Keith didn't want to go to work on his 35th birthday. But he did because he had to. It ended up being the worst day of his life, but it made him realize he wanted to get out of there. He needed to get out of there.    Keith didn't want to go to work on his 40th birthday. He was at a new company, with a new boss, but he didn't want to be there. But he went because had to. And after that, after those five years, he realized he had to just take the risk.    Keith quit his job without a plan. “It was really scary. We bought a house, we owed money, but I couldn't go to that job anymore,” Keith said. “I thought the only way I'm going to do this is if I just jump.”    After he quit, he booked an appointment with a career counselor, and she told him he would be great at what she did. So, he went back to university and studied to become a career counselor and eventually got a job helping kids with their careers.    Then he did a podcast on it, and while he was doing the podcast, he thought he would send it out to other places. One of those places was Twitter. When he did that, he discovered that Twitter was 10 times more efficient for the same effort than other social media platforms. People started asking him to teach him about “cracking the Twitter code,” and he became the Twitter dude. So, he flipped the switch and started a new company on Twitter.    Since then, Keith has been sharing his knowledge on how to use Twitter effectively, especially in videos.   3 Twitter Video Marketing Power Hacks   Keith gave us his three power hacks to market Twitter videos.    The 2 Minute Video   On Twitter, a video can only be two minutes and 20 seconds long. This time constraint may seem restricting, but it is actually a benefit. Since the video is shorter and quicker to watch, more people are willing to press play.    “By actually creating a video that's two minutes and 20 seconds, you're already distilling the wisdom of a longer video into a much shorter video. So the chances of that getting more views are exponential,” Keith said.    If we film an interview that's 15 minutes long, we can extract the most important part and put it into a shorter video to make it easier for our consumers and save them time.    With a 10-minute or even a five-minute video, our audience has to commit to sitting down and spending their time watching our video. People become a bit more reluctant to watch a longer video since they aren't sure if it will be worth their time. However, with a short, two-minute video our audience doesn't have to commit too much and will be more likely to watch our content.    According to a Microsoft study, the average consumer has an attention span of only eight seconds, compared to 12 seconds in 2000 (Source: Forbes). With such a low attention span, think of how difficult it can be to get someone to watch a two-minute video, let alone a 10-minute video.    For example, Keith had a friend who interviewed him. The actual interview only got 202 views, but the short snippet on Twitter got more than 2000 views. It was the same content, but the extracted, shorter version did better because the audience only had to commit a little bit of time to watch it.    If we can capture the attention of our viewers with our short video, we can feed them to a longer story. If they watch the short clip and find that they enjoyed it, they will be more willing to commit to spending more of their time watching our content. We can provide them with a longer video on other platforms such as YouTube.     “You can make a really lovely story, and put a little bit of theme music or a little bit of a graphic at the front, a little bit of a graphic at the back, and two minutes in total in the middle, and you've got this lovely little sequence. Now, in itself, [the short video] will go well, but more importantly, it will feed people to the longer story,” Keith said.    Repurposing Content   Repurposing content saves time and resources. We can put the same video on every social media channel but alter it to fit the needs of the audience on that channel.    For example, a viewer on YouTube will be more willing to watch a 20-minute video compared to someone on Facebook. A viewer on Facebook will be more willing to watch a five-minute video than someone on Instagram. And on Instagram, a viewer will be more willing to watch a one-minute video than on Tik Tok. Once we understand the needs of the consumers on different channels, we will be able to effectively repurpose content.    We also need to understand the limits of each channel. On Instagram, a video can range from 3 seconds to 60 minutes. A video posted on the feed can be up to 60 seconds, a story video can be up to 15 seconds, and a live video and an IGTV can be up to 60 minutes.    On Facebook, videos must be less than 240 minutes or 10 GB. On YouTube, videos must be less than 12 hours or 128 GB. On LinkedIn, videos can't be more than 10 minutes or 5 GB. And on Tik Tok, videos can't be longer than 60 seconds, however, they previously couldn't be longer than 15 seconds. Often the length restrictions of the social media platforms correlate to the attention span of the users.    Once we have our Twitter video, we can start to look at more sharing options. “You can create a really rich story out of your videos and then put them on LinkedIn, which is an additional market of [about] 719 million users,” Keith said. The more platforms our video is on, the more reach it will have. We can even take our initial Twitter video, and take a quote from it, and turn it into a photograph to post, or we could write a blog post about it.    The last thing we want to do when repurposing content is simply taking the exact same video and posting it on every social media channel. Each channel has a different audience and different formats or requirements, so it is essential to alter the content to fit each channel. Make it a little bit different every time.    The Less Than 60 Second Video   If our video is less than 60 seconds on Twitter, our views will most likely go up. Kieth explained that our number one takeaway from his interview should be to create videos that are under 60 seconds. When a video is less than 60 seconds on Twitter, it loops. Immediately after our consumer finishes our video, it plays again, capturing their attention for just a bit longer. And in this world, every single second count.    “Since I started introducing the 60-second rule, my video views were just going through the roof, because what I'm pondering is the fact that people are busy,” Keith said. “Make [your video] less than 60 seconds and your video views will go up.” By shortening a longer clip into 60 seconds, we are respecting and honoring our viewers' time.   Key Takeaways   Thank you so much Keith for sharing your stories and knowledge with us today. Here are some of my key takeaways from this episode:   Often the shorter the video, the more people are willing to press play.  The human attention span decreases every year so our videos need to be more and more interesting and captivating.  If we can capture the attention of our viewers with our short video, we can feed them to a longer story. Repurposing content saves time and resources. To effectively repurpose content, we need to understand the needs of the consumers on different channels.  The length restrictions of the social media platforms correlate to the attention span of the users.  If our video is less than 60 seconds on Twitter, our views will most likely go up.   Connect with Keith   If you enjoyed this interview and want to learn more about Keith, connect with him on his Twitter or website, globalsocialmediacoaching.com.   Want to be a Better Digital Monetizer?   Did you like today's episode? Then please follow these channels to receive free digital monetization content:   Get a free Monetization Assessment of your business Subscribe to the free Monetization eMagazine. Subscribe to the Monetization Nation YouTube channel. Subscribe to the Monetization Nation podcast on Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher.  Follow Monetization Nation on Instagram and Twitter.   Share Your Story    Have you tried creating and sharing videos in less than 60 seconds? If so, what were the results? Please join our private Monetization Nation Facebook group and share your insights with other digital monetizers.   Read at: https://monetizationnation.com/blog/109-3-twitter-video-marketing-power-hacks/ 

Diabetics who received 1 g of vitamin C daily showed improvements in blood pressure, oxidative stress Khon Kaen University (Thailand), May 21, 2021 Findings from a randomized, double-blind, cross-over trial reported on February 25, 2021 in the Chinese Journal of Physiology revealed an association between intake of vitamin C and a reduction in blood pressure before and after exercise among men and women with type 2 diabetes. “During exercise, mechanical stress on the arterial wall is increased, leading to an increased release of vasodilators by the endothelium (e.g., nitric oxide, bradykinin, etc.),” explained authors C. Boonthongkaew and colleagues at Khon Kaen University in Thailand. “This response can attenuate blood pressure (BP) after acute exercise at low, moderate, and high intensity in normotensive individuals. However, the magnitude of this effect seems to decline in type 2 diabetes patients because of endothelial dysfunction.” The trial included 24 type 2 diabetics with poorly controlled disease who received 1,000 milligrams vitamin C or a placebo daily for six weeks, followed by a six-week washout period, followed by six weeks of the alternate intervention. For inclusion in the study, participants were required to have a blood pressure of ≤140/90 mmHg or less, maintained if necessary with antihypertensive treatment.  Twenty-minute low-intensity exercise sessions were conducted on the day before and the last day of each treatment period. Blood pressure was measured before, immediately after and 60 minutes after the exercise sessions. Blood samples collected before and after exercise were analyzed for plasma vitamin C levels, markers of lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide concentration.  Compared to pre-intake, participants who received vitamin C experienced an average 12.8 mmHg reduction in systolic BP and an 8.9 mmHg reduction in diastolic BP when at rest before exercise. Immediately after exercise, systolic and diastolic BP were lower by 11.4 mmHg and 6.8 mmHg, and an hour after exercise, systolic and diastolic BP were lower by 12.5 mmHg and 8.9 mmHg in the vitamin C group compared to baseline values. No significant differences between pre- and post-treatment measurements occurred in the placebo group. When compared to the placebo, participants who received vitamin C also had lower systolic and diastolic BP before and after the post-supplementation exercise sessions.  Post-intake, plasma vitamin C and nitric oxide levels were higher, and markers of lipid peroxidation were lower among vitamin C patients before and immediately after exercise compared to baseline, while the placebo group experienced no significant changes. And when compared to the placebo, vitamin C and nitric oxide were higher and lipid peroxidation markers were lower before and after the exercise session among participants who had received the vitamin. In their discussion of the findings, the authors remarked that vitamin C’s ability to decrease oxidative stress helps prevent nitric oxide from being degraded by free radicals, which results in higher nitric oxide levels that benefit endothelial function and BP. They announced that the study is the first to report the effect of vitamin C compared to a placebo on BP before and within an hour after exercise. “This study suggests that 6‑week vitamin C [intake] decreased pre-exercise and postexercise blood pressures, possibly due to improved oxidative stress and nitric oxide release,” they concluded.       Making mindfulness meditation more helpful starts with understanding how it can be harmful Brown University, May 18, 2021 Mindfulness-based meditation programs have emerged as a promising treatment for conditions ranging from stress to sleeplessness to depression. In some cases, they're even offered to people—schoolkids or employees, for example—who aren't actively seeking help or who haven't been screened for suitability. Yet most research and discourse about these programs focuses only on their benefits, with little investigation of the risks or the potential for adverse effects. A recent review of nearly 7,000 studies of meditation practices found that less than 1% of them measured adverse effects. Willoughby Britton, an associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, said that this is largely because assessing adverse effects (a process known as "harms monitoring") in non-pharmacological treatments like mindfulness-based meditation programs is difficult to do well. To address that gap, Britton conducted a new study on adverse effects in mindfulness-based programs that identified common obstacles to harms monitoring and, importantly, showed how to address them. The study also found that the rates of adverse effects from mindfulness were similar to those found in other psychological treatments. The study was published on May 18 in Clinical Psychological Science. "Our ultimate goal is to maximize the efficacy of mindfulness-based meditation while minimizing harms," said Britton, who directs the Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory at Brown. "In order to address risks and modify treatment accordingly, you need thorough and detailed knowledge about potential harms. Our study, the most comprehensive of its kind, provides a blueprint for how to accurately assess the risks of mindfulness-based meditation programs." Why no one wants to talk about meditation's adverse effects The adverse effects of mindfulness-based meditation programs are often an unpleasant topic for providers and participants alike, Britton said. For the study, she and her colleagues reviewed the most current harms monitoring best practices from regulatory agencies like the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In the paper, they outlined the key considerations around assessing adverse effects, including hesitancy of participants to report negative reactions to treatment because of feelings of shame or a desire to please the researcher or instructor. Researchers and mindfulness teachers (Britton is both) are understandably more focused on the help they can provide than any harm they could cause. As a result, a lack of negative feedback from participants is often interpreted as evidence of absence of harm. "It's very easy for our enthusiasm and desire to help to become a kind of blindness," Britton explained. Another complicating factor, she said, is the lack of knowledge of proper harms assessment. "Often the mindfulness teacher will ask the class, 'Did anyone have any challenges with your meditation practice this week?'" Britton said. "But participants, in general, tend to avoid answering open-ended questions asked by the teacher in a public setting. Research has shown that having someone other than the teacher ask specific questions in a private setting will increase the likelihood of honest reporting." Finally, she highlighted the fact that term "adverse" is a highly subjective judgment that can vary across people and even across the same person in different contexts. "The re-living of a previous trauma may be healing for some and destabilizing for others, in the same way that the drowsiness caused by cold medicine—or meditation—may be undesirable or 'adverse' in the morning but highly desirable before bed," she said. What's more, Britton added, the literature shows that mental health treatment providers (like therapists or doctors) may dismiss patient complaints or reframe them as a sign that the therapy is working. Designing a model assessment Britton's research team followed 24 current harms monitoring guidelines to assess the nature and frequency of meditation-related adverse effects in mindfulness-based programs. The study participants were representative of typical meditators in the U.S.: predominantly middle-age women seeking methods to self-manage mild to severe levels of anxiety, depression and stress. After completing one of three versions of an eight-week mindfulness meditation program, participants were interviewed by a researcher unaffiliated with the treatment about their experiences, with 44 questions based on previous research of meditation-related challenges. To more accurately and thoroughly capture patient perspectives, this study allowed each participant to evaluate the emotional tone or "valence" of each of 44 meditation-related experiences as well as the impact it had on their life and functioning. By asking participants specific questions about duration and impact, researchers were able to differentiate temporary distress, negative-impact side effects and "lasting bad effects." In this way, the researchers sought to clarify which effects were experienced as "adverse" on a case-by-case basis. To accommodate the varying definitions of harm, results were reported in tiers of severity ranging from "transient distress during meditation" (i.e., temporary) to "enduring impairment in functioning"—or "lasting bad effects." The "what" is as important as the "how" The significance of the study, Britton said, has as much to do with what it found as how it found it. "The fact that meditation can cause altered states, for example, isn't news: It's something that people have been talking about for centuries," Britton said. "What we haven't been very good about is measuring the impact and significance of these states on individual participants." Of the 96 participants, 58% reported at least one meditation-related adverse effect, which ranged from perpetual hypersensitivity to nightmares to traumatic re-experiencing. Meditation-related adverse effects with negative impacts on functioning occurred in 37% of the sample. Six percent of the sample had "lasting bad effects," or impairments in functioning lasting more than one month. Notably, the researchers say, this rate is similar to those of other psychological treatments. In the study, meditation-related effects with negative impacts tended to be associated with signs of what's called dysregulated arousal—for example, the participants reported feeling anxious, hyper-stimulated or emotionally flat or disconnected after meditating. This is important for instructors and participants to note, Britton said, because unlike the experiences of anxiety or insomnia, a feeling of being dissociated or emotionally checked-out is not always experienced as unpleasant and can provide some relief, especially for a person suffering from intense anxiety. Yet in the study, this feeling of dissociation tended to predict more significant and lasting impairment in functioning. "This is where the differentiation between valence and impact becomes important, because the valence, or emotional tone, of an experience might be not particularly distressing at the time," Britton said. "Meditators are often taught to reappraise their experience as not being problematic, and to accept it for what it is. Our results are basically saying that when it comes to dissociation, this approach isn't going to work." Britton and colleagues also found that the open-ended question "Have you had any unexpected, unpleasant, adverse or challenging experiences as a result of mindfulness meditation practice during or following the program?" underestimated the true rate by 70%, confirming the inadequacy of open-ended questions compared to specific ones. The study concludes that the active ingredient of these therapeutic programs, which is mindfulness meditation practice, can be associated with both transient distress and enduring negative impacts on life and functioning. Britton said that it is important to note that adverse effects and benefits are not mutually exclusive: many of the same participants who reported adverse effects also reported improvements in depression. Britton noted that the intent of the study, as well as of her broader research, is not to discourage mindfulness-based meditation programs—rather, it is to generate findings on both the positive and negative effects so that providers and meditators can make informed decisions. She compared mindfulness to aspirin, as an example. This medicine-cabinet staple can cause nausea, heartburn and stomach cramps—and taking a daily aspirin can cause gastrointestinal bleeding in some people. But these potential adverse effects do not take away from aspirin's many benefits. Instead, detailed knowledge about the benefits and risks allows practitioners to make educated, effective and safe recommendations to specific patients. "That's where we need to get with mindfulness, too," Britton said. "Our study is an attempt to bring harms monitoring up to the standards of other treatments so that providers can identify events that require monitoring and intervention in order to maximize the safety and efficacy of mindfulness-based meditation."   Vitamin B6, vitamin D and green tea compound could improve uterine fibroids Sandro Pertini Hospital (Italy), May 19, 2021 In an article whose title asks the question, “Uterine fibroids treatment: do we have new valid alternative?” findings from researchers from Sandro Pertini Hospital in Rome suggest the answer may be “yes.” The article, published in the April 2021 issue of the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences reported a benefit for intake of vitamin B6, vitamin D and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG, a flavonoid that occurs in green tea) in women with uterine fibroids (myomas), benign tumors of the uterus that affect a significant percentage of reproductive-aged women. Uterine fibroids adversely impact fertility, and unfortunately, there are few treatment options for women who desire to become pregnant. The study included 95 women who had between one and five fibroids. Forty-one participants received 5 milligrams (mg) vitamin B6, 25 micrograms (1,000 international units) vitamin D and 150 mg EGCG twice daily for four months, while a control group of 54 women were monitored without receiving the vitamin B6, vitamin D and EGCG. The number and volume of fibroids was measured using ultrasound before and after the treatment period. Fibroid vascularization was measured by color flow Doppler ultrasound, which color codes blood flow to indicate the direction of flow and/or the presence of high blood turbulence. Other factors assessed at these time points included the presence of heavy bleeding, pelvic pain and health/quality of life. Overall improvement was assessed by a questionnaire, the Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I), administered to participants who completed the four-month study. After four months, total fibroid volume significantly decreased by 37.9% among participants who received vitamins B6 and D, plus ECGC, while increasing by 5.5% among women who did not receive the nutrients. Similar results were observed in a subgroup of participants who were smokers – fibroid volume was significantly reduced with the supplement combination.  Doppler visualization of blood flow to the myomas suggested reduced vascularization in the intervention group and increased vascularization in the control group. Pelvic pain and health, including the participants’ all-over impressions of improvement, significantly improved in comparison with pretreatment levels in the group that received the nutrients while no change occurred in the control group. Specifically, 85.4% of women taking the supplement reported improvements in their PGI-I score, with 73.2% reporting their symptoms were “very much better”.  No side effects were reported.  Authors Donatella Miriello and colleagues concluded that the study’s findings “showed the effectiveness and safety of a 4-month oral [intake of] a combination of vitamin D, EGCG and vitamin B6 in reducing uterine fibroids’ volume and improving the quality of life of childbearing women. Thus, this…may represent a valid alternative to the classic ‘wait and see’ approach and, at the same time, an adjuvant treatment that could be administered along with pharmacological therapies, even before surgery to reduce the occurrence of possible complications.”       Nitrate-Rich Vegetables Increase Plasma Nitrate and Nitrite Concentrations and Lower Blood Pressure in Healthy Adults Maastricht University (Netherlands), May 21, 2021   Background: Dietary nitrate is receiving increased attention due to its reported ergogenic and cardioprotective properties. The extent to which ingestion of various nitrate-rich vegetables increases postprandial plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations and lowers blood pressure is currently unknown.   Objective: We aimed to assess the impact of ingesting different nitrate-rich vegetables on subsequent plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations and resting blood pressure in healthy normotensive individuals.   Methods: With the use of a semirandomized crossover design, 11 men and 7 women [mean ± SEM age: 28 ± 1 y; mean ± SEM body mass index (BMI, in kg/m2): 23 ± 1; exercise: 1–10 h/wk] ingested 4 different beverages, each containing 800 mg (∼12.9 mmol) nitrate: sodium nitrate (NaNO3), concentrated beetroot juice, a rocket salad beverage, and a spinach beverage. Plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations and blood pressure were determined before and up to 300 min after beverage ingestion. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: Plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations increased after ingestion of all 4 beverages (P < 0.001). Peak plasma nitrate concentrations were similar for all treatments (all values presented as means ± SEMs: NaNO3: 583 ± 29 μmol/L; beetroot juice: 597 ± 23 μmol/L; rocket salad beverage: 584 ± 24 μmol/L; spinach beverage: 584 ± 23 μmol/L). Peak plasma nitrite concentrations were different between treatments (NaNO3: 580 ± 58 nmol/L; beetroot juice: 557 ± 57 nmol/L; rocket salad beverage: 643 ± 63 nmol/L; spinach beverage: 980 ± 160 nmol/L; P = 0.016). When compared with baseline, systolic blood pressure declined 150 min after ingestion of beetroot juice (from 118 ± 2 to 113 ± 2 mm Hg; P < 0.001) and rocket salad beverage (from 122 ± 3 to 116 ± 2 mm Hg; P = 0.007) and 300 min after ingestion of spinach beverage (from 118 ± 2 to 111 ± 3 mm Hg; P < 0.001), but did not change with NaNO3. Diastolic blood pressure declined 150 min after ingestion of all beverages (P < 0.05) and remained lower at 300 min after ingestion of rocket salad (P = 0.045) and spinach (P = 0.001) beverages.   Conclusions: Ingestion of nitrate-rich beetroot juice, rocket salad beverage, and spinach beverage effectively increases plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations and lowers blood pressure to a greater extent than sodium nitrate. These findings show that nitrate-rich vegetables can be used as dietary nitrate supplements.       High-intensity interval training improves spatial memory in rats   University of Tsukuba (Japan), May 17, 2021 Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have found that, despite only covering about one-third of the distance in HIIT compared with that covered in endurance training, similar improvements in exercise capacity and brain function were observed for both forms of exercise. "We investigated how rats' muscles and brains—specifically, the region of the brain involved in spatial learning called the hippocampus—adapted to these types of exercise, and how the rats consequently learned and remembered navigating mazes," explains Professor Hideaki Soya, the principal investigator. In the experiment, rats were assigned to one of three groups—resting, endurance running, or alternating intervals (short sprints and rest)—during training sessions on treadmills five days/week for four weeks. Both endurance running and HIIT resulted in weight loss, greater muscle mass, and the ability to exercise longer compared with controls; however, increased cellular aerobic capacity was found in the soleus (a muscle with predominantly slow-twitch fibers that makes it functionally well suited to endurance) and in the plantaris (a muscle with predominantly fast-twitch fibers for meeting high-energy functional demands) in the endurance-running and HIIT groups, respectively. Rats in both groups demonstrated better memory of spatial learning trials in searching for an escape platform in a water maze. In the hippocampus, increased cell development—neurogenesis—was also observed for both forms of exercise; however, levels of a signaling protein that promotes neurogenesis (BDNF) were increased by HIIT but not by endurance running, whereas the levels of its receptor (TrkB) were increased by both. Given that BDNF expression is known to be affected by exercise, why didn't endurance running increase BDNF expression? The answer may lie in the mediating role of stress on BDNF expression; exercise is a type of stress. While stress indicators in both exercise groups were found to be similar, this line of enquiry may lead to future studies: "In this study, we showed that an HIIT exercise regimen with a low exercise volume nevertheless improves spatial memory, and we demonstrated that these improvements are supported by changes in neuronal plasticity in the hippocampus. In a previous study, we found that continuous light-intensity training had a similar beneficial effect, whereas continuous high-intensity training did not," Professor Soya summarizes. "Thus, it seems that the benefits yielded by exercise may actually depend on optimization, that is, a trade-off between exercise time and intensity." A future where exercise regimens can be tailored to improve both physical and cognitive features may be on the horizon.   Hygiene rules are also effective against new coronavirus variants Ruhr-University Bochum (Germany), May 21, 2021 The researchers found that the variants have a similar surface stability as the wild type virus under laboratory conditions, but can be effectively eliminated by disinfection and thorough hand washing, heat or alcohol treatment. They report their results in the Journal of Infectious Diseases from 16 May 2021. For this study, the team from the Department for Molecular and Medical Virology and the Chair of Materials Discovery and Interfaces at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) cooperated with the European Virus Bioinformatics Center Jena, the University Hospital Duisburg-Essen and Paracelsus Medical University Nuremberg. The fact that viruses change genetically over time is well known. Variants of concern are those that give the virus an advantage, for example by allowing it to replicate faster, become more infectious or enable it to evade the immune response. The British and South African variants have accumulated several mutations which result in an increased transmission and, in some cases, lead to more severe courses of disease. "Therefore, the question arose whether they also differ from the original variant in terms of their sensitivity to hygiene measures," explains Toni Meister from Ruhr-Universität Bochum. Heat, soap, alcohol For this reason, the team analysed how long the variants remain infectious on surfaces made of steel, silver, copper and on face masks and how they can be rendered harmless by means of soap, heat or alcohol. It turned out that both variants, as well as the wild type virus, could be inactivated when treated with at least 30 percent alcohol for at least 30 seconds. "Common disinfectants are therefore effective against all these variants," says Stephanie Pfänder from RUB. Thorough hand washing with soap could also lower the risk of infection. Heat also works against the virus: after 30 minutes at 56 degrees Celsius, all variants were rendered harmless. To find out whether the stability of the different mutant variants on surfaces differs from each other, they analyzed the amount of infectious virus particles on surfaces made of steel, copper, silver and on surgical and FFP2 masks over 48 hours. "The surface stability did not differ between the virus variants," points out Eike Steinmann from the Department for Molecular and Medical Virology at RUB. "As described several times before, copper in particular has a very strong antiviral effect". In conclusion, the team did not detect any differences between the different mutants in terms of their sensitivity to different hygiene measures.     Pink drinks can help you run faster and further, study finds University of Westminster, May 12, 2021         A new study led by the Centre for Nutraceuticals in the University of Westminster shows that pink drinks can help to make you run faster and further compared to clear drinks. The researchers found that a pink drink can increase exercise performance by 4.4 per cent and can also increase a 'feel good' effect which can make exercise seem easier.  The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, is the first investigation to assess the effect of drink colour on exercise performance and provides the potential to open a new avenue of future research in the field of sports drinks and exercise. During the study participants were asked to run on a treadmill for 30 minutes at a self-selected speed ensuring their rate of exertion remained consistent. Throughout the exercise they rinsed their mouths with either a pink artificially sweetened drink that was low in calories or a clear drink which was also artificially sweetened and low in calories. Both drinks were exactly the same and only differed in appearance - the researchers added food dye to the pink drink to change the colour.  The researchers chose pink as it is associated with perceived sweetness and therefore increases expectations of sugar and carbohydrate intake. Previous studies have also shown that rinsing the mouth with carbohydrates can improve exercise performance by reducing the perceived intensity of the exercise, so the researchers wanted to assess whether rinsing with a pink drink that had no carbohydrate stimulus could elicit similar benefits through a potential placebo effect.  The results show that the participants ran an average 212 metres further with the pink drink while their mean speed during the exercise test also increased by 4.4 per cent. Feelings of pleasure were also enhanced meaning participants found running more enjoyable. Future exploratory research is necessary to find out whether the proposed placebo effect causes a similar activation to the reward areas of the brain that are commonly reported when rinsing the mouth with carbohydrates.  Talking about the study, Dr Sanjoy Deb, corresponding author on the paper from the University of Westminster, said: "The influence of colour on athletic performance has received interest previously, from its effect on a sportsperson's kit to its impact on testosterone and muscular power. Similarly, the role of colour in gastronomy has received widespread interest, with research published on how visual cues or colour can affect subsequent flavour perception when eating and drinking.  "The findings from our study combine the art of gastronomy with performance nutrition, as adding a pink colourant to an artificially sweetened solution not only enhanced the perception of sweetness, but also enhanced feelings of pleasure, self-selected running speed and distance covered during a run."

Tuesday marks one year since George Floyd walked into a store to buy cigarettes and ended up dying at the hands of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Immediately afterward, people nationwide pushed for defunding the police. But now with gun violence up, LA’s police budget is going up too. The LA City Council voted last week to hire about 250 more officers, which is the opposite of what activists have been demanding for the last year. KCRW looks at the state of policing with LA City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Andrea Headley, a scholar of racial equity and criminal justice policy at Georgetown University.

After a long hiatus, we return to Matthew's Gospel chapter 11! Immediately we find this question to Jesus from John the Baptist: 'Are you the one?' There is no question more important in our lives and for all eternity than this one. Listen to hear Jesus' response as He deals with doubt, discontentment and disbelief. 

BOY WAS THIS A HIGHLY ANTICIPATED EPISODE. And it certainly delivered. Today on the podcast Landyn has on the one and only JUSTIN ANDERSON. We're sure you know his name (if you don’t, follow him IMMEDIATELY), but Justin is the BEST of the BEST in the hair world. As one of the most coveted celebrity hair colorists in Hollywood, he is the wizard behind our favorite blondes - we’re talking Jennifer Aniston, Miley Cyrus, Kristin Cavallari, Gwyneth Paltrow...the list could go on. In their conversation, they cover: How Justin is always so happy!  How to keep our blondes BRIGHT (yes, he’s spilling all the secrets) When + how he told his parents he was gay All things his dpHue brand + products that he continues to grow His empathetic approach to cyber bullying   This episode will be the light in your week! Follow Justin here! https://www.instagram.com/justinanderson/ For full show notes, check out: https://www.livingwithlandyn.com/all-things-hair-authenticity-and-being-a-nice-person

Having now taken you to the end of Mongol rule in China, we move westwards in our histories of the Mongol Khanates. Our next stop is the middle Khanate: the ulus of Chagatai. Encompassing much of Central Asia, the Khanate ruled by the descendants of Chinggis Khan’s second son Chagatai is perhaps the most poorly known. In our first episode on the Chagatais, we’ll take you through their history in the 13th century, touched on often in previous episodes but now recieving its own focus. From efforts at reconstruction by Mahmud Yalavach and his son Mas’ud Beg, to stability under the regeny of the widow Orghina Khatun, to disasters  in battle at Herat to domination under Qaidu and the rise of Du’a Khan. I’m your host David, and this is Kings and Generals: Ages of Conquest.       The territory which became the Ulus of Chagatai was conquered by the Mongols in two stages. The eastern half of the ulus, in what is now southeastern Kazakhstan and northwest Xinjiang, was taken largely peacefully when Jebe Noyan overran the empire of Qara-Khitai in 1218-1219. As covered back in episode 8, the fleeing Naiman prince Kuchlug had fled to Qara-Khitai and usurped power there. When Jebe invaded, Kuchlug ran for his life, leaving the cities of his new empire defenseless. The lack of defense was ironically beneficial, as they largely submitted peacefully, and the former Qara-Khitai troops joined their new Mongol overlords. The more densely populated western half of the empire was not so lucky. This region, including Transoxania and the Ferghana valley in modern southern Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan down to Turkmenistan, was controlled by  the Khwarezmian Empire, and was violently crushed by Chinggis Khan in the first years of the 1220s, as we saw in episode 9.        Each site that put up resistance fell victim to the Khan’s wrath. The destruction not just of cities, but of agriculture and irrigation canals. The toll on the population was horrific. Perhaps millions were killed in the course of the conquest. Perhaps as many died from the ensuing starvation, spread of disease and banditry. Thousands upon thousands were displaced from their  homes, or transported elsewhere on Mongol order. The initial governors set over the region and cities did little to help, simply bringing more taxation and material demands onto the population.       Chinggis Khan’s second son, Chagatai, stayed in the region after the conquest. Contrary to popular belief, Chinggis did not divide his empire among his sons in order for them to become distinct states. Rather, they were each allotted territory within the empire in order to support themselves. Chagatai was granted much of the former Khwarezmian and Qara-Khitai realms, becoming the basis of the ulus of Chagatai. Stern and demanding, Chagatai had little care for city life or  the cultures of the people he ruled over. He was a man of the steppe, and his reign was spent in the steppe. Though he maintained a quasi-capital at Almaliq, near modern Kulja, northwestern Xinjiang on the Ili River, Chagatai resided in his summer and winter pastures. Almaliq served to collect tribute and house his treasures, his officials and received messengers from the court. Reconstruction of the conquered territories was not his concern. His engineers were used to build large pools for water fowl to flock to for Chagatai to hunt.       This is not to say Chagatai had no interaction with his subjects. Chagatai was a strict upholder of the yassa and the yosun, the laws and customs of his father Chinggis Khan. We have mentioned in previous episodes that there was conflict on who these laws should apply to; that is, just nomads, or to the sedentarized populations of the empire as well. Well, Chagatai was of the opinion that everyone was subject to the laws, which were to be enforced as strictly as possible. Laws against theft were violently enforced. The Persian historian Juvaini, writing in the mid 1250s, who worked for the Mongols and spent quite some time in the Chagatai realm, wrote this famous passage you may have heard variations of:        “For fear of his yasa and punishment his followers were so well disciplined that during his reign no traveller, so long as he was near his army, had need of guard or patrol on any stretch of road; and, as is said by way of hyperbole, a woman with a golden vessel on her head might walk alone without fear or dread.”       The presence of Chagatai was enough to discourage thievery, although the quote has often been taken out of context to suggest a woman could walk across all of Asia under Mongol rule and not face any  danger. While a strict enforcer of the yassa’s promulgations against theft, Chagatai was more infamous in the Muslim world for the anti-Islamic aspects of the yassa. Though the Mongols have a popular image as a beacon of religious liberty, this has been overstated. Though often tolerant in the most literal sense, as in they just tolerated certain religions seen as useful, the Mongols were less accommodating when they found that a religion conflicted with their own customs. The yassa, for instance, mandated the method in which an animal must be slaughtered: crushing the heart, and not letting any blood spill. Needlessly spilling blood on the ground was a great offense to the spirits. The halal method of slaughter perscribed by Islam though, requires cutting the throat and draining the blood. The two methods were inherently contradictory, and conflicts often arose from Mongols attempting to ban halal slaughter. Immediately after describing how Chagatai’s army dissuaded theft, Juvaini wrote the following:   “And he enacted minute yasa that were an intolerable imposition upon such as the Taziks, [so] that none might slaughter meat in the Moslem fashion nor sit by day in running water, and so on. The yasa forbidding the slaughter of sheep in the lawful manner he sent to every land; and for a time no man slaughtered sheep openly in Khorasan, and Moslems were forced to eat carrion.”   Chagatai may not have specifically hated Muslims or been a man of constantly boling rage, as he is often portrayed  by modern authors.  He certainly employed Muslims in the top ranks of his bureacracy. We should probably imagine him better as an uncomprosiming figure seeking to stringently enforce his father’s laws; it just so happened that this enforcement was quite harmful to Muslims caught in the crosshairs. From the Mongol point of view, you could still be a Muslim as long as you did not practice these certain customs the Mongols disliked, such as spilling blood or washing dirty things in running water.   The nuance made little difference to the Muslims of Central Asia, to whom Chagatai consistently appears as a tormenter in the sources. Juzjani, a Khwarezmian refugee to the Delhi Sultanate in India, wrote in the 1250s and describes Chagatai as a demonic figure who wanted to exterminate the Muslims. Often, Chagatai is used in these sources as a contrast to Ogedai, usually depicted as generous and a friend to Islam.    Ogedai’s  enthronement as Khan of Khans in 1229 certainly was a benefit to the Muslims of the empire. At  the start of his reign Ogedai created another governmental layer, the Secretariat system- check out episode 13 for more on this. While the North China Branch Secretariat has received greater attention in our series, at  the same time a Branch Secretariat for Turkestan, or Central Asia, was established to oversee the populations under Chagatai’s rule, and strengthen the Great Khan’s authority there. The man  chosen to head the department was a good choice, a native of Khwarezm called Mahmud Yalavach.   Mahmud Yalavach, and his son Mas’ud Beg, were perhaps the two longest serving ministers of the Mongols, and the two have often weaved their way in and out of our series. Mahmud Yalavach’s early life is unknown, other than that he hailed from Khwarezm. The great Russian orientalist Vasili Bartold suggested that Mahmud Yalavach is identical to Mahmud Bey, the vizier of the final Gur-Khan of the Qara-Khitai. Yalavach first reliably appears as a part of Chinggis Khan’s 1218 embassy to the Khwarezmian Empire, where he is identified as Mahmud Khwarezmi. Taken aside by the Khwarezm-Shah Muhammad II, Mahmud deftly handled their interaction, and for the mission he earned the title of Yalavach, Turkic for messenger or ambassador. Staying in Mongol service, in 1229 Ogedai appointed him manager of the Branch Secretariat for Central Asia.   Yalavach, assisted by his son Mas’ud Beg, proved a very capable man, and under him the first genuine reconstruction efforts after the Mongol conquest were implemented. At his direction with the backing of Great Khan Ogedai, cities and irrigation systems were rebuilt, agriculture encouraged and revitalized, a new tax system implemented and efforts to clamp down on extra-ordinary levies on the part of Chagatai and his sons were enacted. His efforts were successful. Several contemporary sources agree to the restoration of prosperity to the region, corroborated by numismatic evidence.   Yalavach’s first decade in charge of the Central Asian Branch Secretariat was a much needed salve for the region, though he faced competition from Chagatai, who did not take kindly to his brother’s officer’s  interference. At the first opportunity he would get, Chagatai would undermine Yalavach.   In 1238, an unexpected crisis emerged from one of the chief cities of Transoxania, Bukhara. There, a sieve-maker named Mahmud Tarabi became a popular  figure on account of his supposed magical capabilities and ability to communicate with djinn. Juvaini says that, according to reputable individuals with whom he spoke with in Bukhara, one of Tarabi’s spells included making a medicine from dog feces and blowing it into the eyes of the blind, which restored their sight. Juvaini did not have a high opinion of him,  also remarking that in regards to his stupidity and ignorance Tarabi had no equal.   Tarabi developed quite a reputation for magic and miracles, encouraged by a local notable named Shams-ad-Din Mahbubi, who through his personal vendetta against Bukhara’s leadership and the Mongols, encouraged Tarabi’s pretensions. How the very planets were aligning in his favour! Mahbubi told him, even going as far, Juvaini says, speaking of a prophecy that a man from Tarabi’s home village of Tarab would conquer the world. Unfortunately for Tarabi, there was some very stiff competition for such a claim.   Mahmud Yalavach was alerted to the bubbling unrest in Bukhara gathering around Tarabi, and sought to lure the man out and kill him. Tarabi saw through the trap and evaded it, which escalated his troublemaking. His inflammatory speeches to the people of Bukhara riled them up, and his claims of support from the invisible hosts of heaven seemed to have been given some merit when a merchant with a shipment of swords had his wares fall into Tarabi’s hands. With his followers now armed, Tarabi, as all good prophets do, collected around himself riches and women. Convinced of their power, they killed or drove out the Bukharan government and Mongolian representatives.   A response force was rallied- likely local militia under the command of regional darughachi. Mahbubi and Tarabi marched out of Bukhara at the head of their army, convinced of their divine protection. Neither wore armour or weapon, and spread rumours that whoever rose a hand against them would be struck down parrarlyed. The response force was worried, and only set off a volley of arrows when the wind picked up a dust storm. Frightened that this was some trick of Tarabi, the response force fled, and Tarabi’s army doggedly pursued. They caught up to the response force and killed a great many. Upon returning to Bukhara, they were unable to find either Tarabi or Mahbubi. Juvaini asserts that both were struck by arrows in the volley set off by the government forces and killed, though it went unnoticed by both the Bukharan and the government forces. Regardless, under new local leadership, Tarabi’s army turned to looting and pillaging the countryside.   So they remained occupied for a week until a proper Mongol army arrived, either imperial troops or sent by Chagatai. The Bukharan forces went up confident towards them, believing defeating local  militia was the same as defeating the horsemen of the Great Khan.  The first volley of arrows killed  the leadership of the Bukharan forces, and within hours 20,000 of the late-Tarabi’s followers had joined them.  The following day, the Mongols were leading the citizens of Bukhara onto the plain before the city, preparing to unleash a horrific massacre as punishment. Only at the intervention of Mahmud Yalavach, with approval of Great Khan Ogedai, was this averted, and the population spared, probably to the displeasure of Chagatai.    The Tarabi revolt however had undermined Yalavach’s credibility. Later in 1239 when Chagatai sought to transfer territory under Yalavach’s  supervision to another official -something which under the secretariat system, Chagatai lacked the power to do- Yalavach complained to Ogedai. Ogedai agreed with Yalavach’s complaint, but to smooth things over with his brother, removed Yalavach from his office. But to demonstrate that he was not doing this to allow imperial perogative to slip,  Ogedai immediaely appointed Yalavach’s  son Mas’ud Beg to his father’s position at head of the Central Asian Secretariat, while Yalavach would, in the final months of Ogedai’s life in 1241, be appointed to head the Secretariat in North China after Yelu Chucai’s [choots-eye’s] demotion.    Mas’ud Beg was just as capable as his father, and dedicated himself to the reconstruction of Central Asia, but with little progress over the 1240s. Ogedai had little energy for governance in his final years, and when he died in December 1241, Chagatai was the chief figure of the empire, the senior Chinggisid. Chagatai’s support for the regency of Ogedai’s widow  Torogene helped ensure her position, but the last son of Chinggis Khan soon died of illness in 1242.     Chagatai’s favourite son, Motugen, had died during the Khwarezmian campaign. He moved his choice of heir to another young son, but he too died early. Finally, Chagatai decided on a son of Motugen, Qara-Hulegu to be his heir. Qara-Hulegu was quickly confirmed into his father’s position in 1242, and largely cooperated in both financial policy and personnel with the regent Torogene Khatun. Therefore, Mas’ud Beg had to flee to Batu, chief of the Jochids, as Torogene threatened both him and his father Yalavach, men she saw as her enemies. This period we covered back in episode 20. Torogene’s son Guyuk became Great Khan in 1246, welcoming Mas’ud Beg and Mahmud Yalavach back to their positions, but deposing Qara-Hulegu. Instead, Guyuk Khan appointed his friend, a son of Chagatai named Yesu-Mongke, as the new Khan of the Chagatais.  Yesu-Mongke was good at exactly one thing, the sources agree: drinking.    After Guyuk’s  death in 1248, the former Khan Qara-Hulegu and his clever wife Orghina wisely backed the new contender for the throne, Tolui’s son Mongke. When Mongke became the Khan of Khans in 1251, he undertook a massacre of princes of the line of Ogedai and Chagatai who had opposed him and plotted against him. As we saw in episode 21, Mongke essentially dissolved the ulus of Ogedai, and while the territory of the Chagatais remained intact, their ranks were thinned. Guyuk’s appointed Chagatai Khan Yesu-Mongke was deposed and eventually killed on Mongke’s order, and Qara-Hulegu was rewarded for his loyalty with the khanate again. Mas’ud beg and Mahmud Yalavach were reconfirmed in their positions in Central Asia and China. Everyone set out from Karakorum to return to their posts, except for Qara-Hulegu, who died en route. His young son Mubarak-Shah was duly enthroned as Khan of the Chagatais, with his mother, Qara-Hulegu’s widow Orghina Khatun, as regent.    She was a good choice, an intelligent and shrewd woman who understood the dynamics of the Chagatai realm well. She was well respected, as she had been held in esteem by Chagatai himself, and as a granddaughter of Chinggis Khan via his daughter Checheyigen and a prince of the Oirats, she was of distinguished lineage. Over the 1250s, Orghina Khatun in cooperation with Mas’ud Beg furthered the reconstruction of Central Asia. According to Juvaini in the 1250s Transoxania finally reached the level of prosperity it had before the Mongol conquest. Fully backed by Mongke Khan, who also married her aunt, strengthening their connection, Orghina may as well have been the Chagatai Khan herself. The Mongol Empire saw a number of female regents  over the 1240s and 50s, and Orghina may well have been the most capable. She gave Mas’ud Beg full support and materials to restore the economic power of the region. Both became quite wealthy through their efforts, as they had enough money to persoally endow madrassas. When Mongke Khaan’s brother Hulegu passed through the region in 1253 en route to his Iran campaign, Orghina Khatun hosted lavish banquets for Hulegu and his wives, who happened to be Orghina’s sister and half-sister.    The height of the Chagatai Khanate was probably this decade under Orghina Khatun and Mas’ud Beg’s governance. The Chagatayids enjoyed their best relationship with the imperial government, having the full backing of Grand Khan Mongke, the trade routes prospered, cities were rebuilt, their economies restored and the region had a period of relative peace, and the horrors of the  conquest began to slip into the past. There is some indication that the realm may have been, in this time, called something like the ulus of Oghina. The Franciscan Friar William of Rubruck, who passed through the region in the early 1250s, reported that he heard it called Organum. The term is of uncertain origin. Rubruck himself didn’t know where it came from, and there is debate in the scholarship if it actually refers to Orghina, with a number of alternative suggestions made, such as it coming from the name of Urgench, the capital of Khwarezm. But it is terribly coincidental though, that Rubruck would use such a rare term with more than a passing similarity to the name of the lady ruling the area skillfully at the exact same time.    As with so many things, this came to a crash with Mongke Khan’s death on campaign in 1259. Orghina Khatun and her kinsmen supported Mongke’s brother, Ariq Boke, in his declaration as Khan of Khans, which put them at odds with Mongke’s other brother, Khubilai. Khubilai in 1260 sought to place a more amenable figure on the Chagatayid throne in order to deny Ariq an ally, and sent a great-grandson of Chagatai named Abishqa to depose or marry Orghina Khatun. Ariq Boke arrested and executed Khubilai’s Chagatai prince, but soon decided he needed his own man leading the Chagatayids. Orghina was a skilled administrator, but no miltiary leader, and she may not have been willing to allow Ariq to use her realm as a supply depot for war against Khubilai, who had access to all the materials of north China. In 1261 Ariq had Orghina removed and placed Alghu, another grandson of Chagatai, onto the throne. Orghina came to Ariq’s  court and basically spent the next two years criticizing him for the action.    As you undoubtedly know by now, as we covered it in episode 32, the war between Ariq Boke and Khubilai did not go well for Ariq. Alghu turned out to be unreliable, denying Ariq his supplies and backing Khubilai. Soon after, Orghina Khatun left Ariq Boke, returning to the Chagatai Khanate where Alghu forced her into marriage. Orghina was very popular among the Chagatayids, and it seems Alghu struggled for legitimacy. Marrying the influential Orghina was Alghu’s best solution. To seal the agreement, Alghu made her young son Mubarak-Shah his designated heir and once more confirmed the great administrator Mas’ud Beg over Transoxania.    Ariq Boke was furious at Alghu’s  betrayal, and in his frustration invaded the Chagatai Khanate, attacking Almaliq, but was soon, due to famine and desertion, forced to surrender to Khubilai. His victory complete, Khubilai confirmed Alghu and Orghina as the masters of the Chagatayids. With the war between the Toluids settled but the Great Khan’s influence severely curtailed in Central Asia, Alghu was free to strengthen himself as an independent monarch. He had to deal with an upstart Ogedeid prince on his northern border, however, a young man named Qaidu. Qaidu managed to defeat Alghu’s forces in a first battle, but Alghu regrouped and defeated Qaidu late in 1265. Poised to invade Qaidu’s small dominion, matters seemed bleak for Qaidu until Alghu suddenly died at the start of 1266. This much needed reprieve for Qaidu would define the Chagatais for the rest of the 13th century.   As per their agreement, on Alghu’s death Orghina Khatun finally placed her son Mubarak-Shah on the Chagatayid throne in March 1266. This is the last known event of Orghina Khatun’s life, and it seems she died soon after enthroning her son. Apparently this was done without the approval of Khubilai Khan, as when Khubilai learned of this he sent another grandson of Chagatai from his court, Baraq. Only months into his reign, and some 15 years since his father’s death, Mubarak-Shah Khan was captured by Baraq and made his prisoner.        The new Chagatai Khan, Baraq, won his first victory over Qaidu, but when Qaidu returned backed with troops from the Golden Horde sent by the Jochid Khan Mongke-Temur, Baraq was sent onto the backfoot. He pillaged Bukhara and Samarkand to fund  a new army, starting the first round of undoing Mahmud Yalavach and Mas’ud Beg’s work. Even worse, it was for naught; Qaidu and Mongke-Temur sent emissaries for a truce. And so, either in 1267 on the Qatwan Steppe, or in 1269 at Talas, Chagatai Khan Baraq, the Ogedeid Prince Qaidu and representatives of the Jochid Khan Mongke-Temur made peace. They divivded the revenue of Transoxania between them, with ⅔ going to Baraq and ⅓ to be split between Qaidu and Mongke-Temur. Pastures were divided between them, princes and troops were forbidden to enter cities, Mas’ud Beg was to be placed in control of administering the sedentary population and Baraq and Qaidu became anda, blood brothers. Promising to support Baraq in an invasion of the Ilkhanate, they apparently also sent a joint letter to Khubilai criticizing his sinicization. The peace of Talas can be considered a definitive end to Mongol imperial unity, for now the princes ignored divided the empire between themselves.       Though a  peace, it was an uneasy one, and one dependent on turning their energies against other Mongols. Late in 1269 in preparation for his invasion of the Ilkhanate, Baraq encouraged a Chagatayid prince who served the Ilkhans to desert. Ilkhan Abaqa, son of Hulegu, swiftly crushed the prince’s attempt near Derband.        In 1270 Baraq entered Ilkhanid territory in Khurasan, in what is now northeastern Iran and Afghanistan. Accompanying him were a large body of soldiers from Qaidu. Baraq’s army devastated much of Khurasan, overruning Badakhshan, Shaburghan, Taliqan, Merv and Nishapur in the first months of 1270, undoing much of the recovery these places had had since the invasion of Chinggis fifty years prior. Baraq won a victory over Abaqa Ilkhan’s  brother Tubshin and the long serving governor of the region, Arghun Aqa, causing them to flee to Abaqa and warn him of the danger. But Qaidu had given explicit orders to his own men; after the victory over Tubshin, a disagreement between Qaidu’s commanders and Baraq’s was used as pretext for Qaidu’s men to abandon Baraq. Baraq was incensed and sent some men to pursue, all the while giving valuable time for Abaqa Ilkhan to mobilize his forces.   Baraq then turned his attention on Herat in northern Aghanista in July of 1270. But Abaqa, was already on the march, and  the Georgian forces in Abaqa’s vanguard surprised and destroyed Baraq’s advance force. Baraq pulled his men back after the brief clash, with Abaqa keeping his large army mostly hidden. Abaqa then sent a peace embassy to Baraq, and Baraq seems to have momentarily considered; then promptly sent a small group of spies to find and track Abaqa’s army.       Abaqa captured the spies, executing all but one when he had a terribly clever idea. Absolutely devious, in fact. Leaving one spy tied up but near feasting troops, Abaqa had his troops in a panic abandon their camp and make much noise that an army of the Golden Horde had crossed the Caucasus and Abaqa needed to pull back to deal with it. The spy was allowed to escape and report his news back to Baraq, who was positively delighted. He quickly advanced, crossing the Herat river and plundered Abaqa’s deserted camp then moved leisurely onto a nearby plain… where he found Abaqa’s larger army drawn up for battle. Baraq had fallen into the trap, but he was not going to roll over for Abaqa. Baraq’s Chagatayid horsemen led the first charge, unleashing a volley of arrows into the Ilkhanid forces.  Devastating cycle charges of a thousand  horse archers ravaged the Ilkhanid lines, the apparently lighter equipped Chagatais too mobile for the heavier Ilkhanid cavalry. One of Baraq’s chief commanders was struck down by an arrow, but they resumed the attack and their repeated charges pushed back the Ilkhan’s centre and left.       Abaqa considered retreating, but was encouraged by his generals to stick to the field. Redeploying his forces, gradually the Ilkhan encircled Baraq’s army. In a last attempt, Baraq personally led charges against the Ilkhan, until knocked from his horse. According to Rashid al-din, the grounded Baraq shouted at his men, “I am Baraq, give me a horse!” until finally acquiring a horse and riding off the field, pursued by the Ilkhanid troops for two days. One of Baraq’s commanders continued to fight, holding off the Ilkhans long enough to allow a number of Chagatayid troops to escape as well. So ended the battle of Herat, July 1270, ensuring Ilkhanid dominaion of Khurasan. Abaqa’s preoccupation with Baraq allowed the Mamluks to take Tripoli, and the defeat of Baraq ended up allowing Qaidu to dominate Central Asia for the next 30 years.       Baraq reached Bukhara, where he soon fell deadly ill. Qaidu sent troops to capture Baraq, but in August 1271 found that Baraq had succumbed to his illness. The captive Mubarak-Shah used this opprounity to plunder Baraq’s camp and steal his possessions, even the jewelry of his widows, before fleeing to the Ilkhanate with his sister.       Qaidu was now the dominant power in the Chagatai Khanate, a period we largely covered in episode 41. Only a month after Baraq’s death, Qaidu was declared Khan of the Ogedeids, and appointed his first Chagatai Khan. His initiall efforts to instill control were difficult, as sons of Alghu, Baraq and the puppet Chagatai khan himself rebelled. It would not be until 1282 when Qaidu was able to impose his authority,  placing Du’a, a son of Baraq, onto the throne of Chagatai. Du’a and Qaidu had a very effective partnership, and channeled the energies of their combined khanates against the Yuan Dynasty, Ilkhanate and even India. It brought much needed peace to the region internally, even if the overland trade routes, the famed silk roads, were disrupted by their warfare. The aging Mas’ud Beg was heart broken when Abaqa Ilkhan preemptively attacked and sacked Bukhara in 1273, and the city was sacked again in 1276 by the rebellious sons of Alghu and Baraq. Mas’ud Beg must have been pleased for some sense of stability with Du’a and Qaidu’s partnership, and continued to do what he could to rebuild until his death in 1289. So honoured was he that Qaidu and Du’a had Mas’ud’s son immediately take his stead. Du’a and Qaidu certainly did what they could to encourage trade and growth, and even constructed cities, though they did not live in them. Their direction of the energies of their warriors against their foes must have helped keep  rapacious nomads away from the fragile economic centres within the khanates.       It certainly allowed for expansion of their influence. In the 1290s Du’a with Qaidu’s support exerted his authority over Ghazna in Afghanistan, and the fearsome Neguderis there. His eldest son Qutlugh Khwaja was appointed to head them, and from that base conducted raids on northern India at the same time as Du’a and Qaidu led their armies into Yuan territory in northwestern China. Chagatai raids on the Ilkhanate in the 1290s reached as far as Mazandaran, Fars and Kirman, and they even tried to put their own claimant on the throne of the Blue Horde, between the Caspian and Aral Seas.     The final years of this effective partnership, as we covered in quite some detail in episode 41, ended in 1301 with Qaidu’s death against Yuan forces. At the start of the 14th century, Du’a was master of Central Asia and the Chagatai Khanate. Our next episode picks up with Du’a’s reign and the long shadow he cast over the Chagatais, namely in the form of all of his sons who basically each took a turn being Khan. So be sure to subscribe to the Kings and Generals podcast to follow. If you enjoyed this, and would like to help us continue bringing you great content, please consider supporting us on patreon at www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. This episode and researched and written by our series historian, Jack Wilson. I’m your host David, and we’ll catch you on the next one!

Full Text of ReadingsMemorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church Lectionary: 572AAll podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint Mary Magdalene de PazziMystical ecstasy is the elevation of the spirit to God in such a way that the person is aware of this union with God while both internal and external senses are detached from the sensible world. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi was so generously given this special gift of God that she is called the “ecstatic saint.” Catherine de’ Pazzi was born into a noble family in Florence in 1566. The normal course would have been for her to have married into wealth and enjoyed comfort, but Catherine chose to follow her own path. At 9, she learned to meditate from the family confessor. She made her first Communion at the then-early age of 10, and made a vow of virginity one month later. At 16, Catherine entered the Carmelite convent in Florence because she could receive Communion daily there. Catherine had taken the name Mary Magdalene and had been a novice for a year when she became critically ill. Death seemed near, so her superiors let her make her profession of vows in a private ceremony from a cot in the chapel. Immediately after, Mary Magdalene fell into an ecstasy that lasted about two hours. This was repeated after Communion on the following 40 mornings. These ecstasies were rich experiences of union with God and contained marvelous insights into divine truths. As a safeguard against deception and to preserve the revelations, her confessor asked Mary Magdalene to dictate her experiences to sister secretaries. Over the next six years, five large volumes were filled. The first three books record ecstasies from May of 1584 through Pentecost week the following year. This week was a preparation for a severe five-year trial. The fourth book records that trial and the fifth is a collection of letters concerning reform and renewal. Another book, Admonitions, is a collection of her sayings arising from her experiences in the formation of women religious. The extraordinary was ordinary for this saint. She read the thoughts of others and predicted future events. During her lifetime, Mary Magdalene appeared to several persons in distant places and cured a number of sick people. It would be easy to dwell on the ecstasies and pretend that Mary Magdalene only had spiritual highs. This is far from true. It seems that God permitted her this special closeness to prepare her for the five years of desolation that followed when she experienced spiritual dryness. She was plunged into a state of darkness in which she saw nothing but what was horrible in herself and all around her. She had violent temptations and endured great physical suffering. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi died in 1607 at age 41, and was canonized in 1669. Her liturgical feast is celebrated on May 25. Reflection Intimate union, God’s gift to mystics, is a reminder to all of us of the eternal happiness of union he wishes to give us. The cause of mystical ecstasy in this life is the Holy Spirit, working through spiritual gifts. The ecstasy occurs because of the weakness of the body and its powers to withstand the divine illumination, but as the body is purified and strengthened, ecstasy no longer occurs. See Teresa of Avila’s Interior Castle, and John of the Cross’ Dark Night of the Soul, for more about various aspects of ecstasies. Saint of the Day Copyright Franciscan Media

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 29–31 1 Samuel 29–31 (Listen) The Philistines Reject David 29 Now the Philistines had gathered all their forces at Aphek. And the Israelites were encamped by the spring that is in Jezreel. 2 As the lords of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing on in the rear with Achish, 3 the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me now for days and years, and since he deserted to me I have found no fault in him to this day.” 4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him. And the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here? 5 Is not this David, of whom they sing to one another in dances,   ‘Saul has struck down his thousands,    and David his ten thousands’?” 6 Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the LORD lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and in with me in the campaign. For I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you. 7 So go back now; and go peaceably, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.” 8 And David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” 9 And Achish answered David and said, “I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God. Nevertheless, the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ 10 Now then rise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who came with you, and start early in the morning, and depart as soon as you have light.” 11 So David set out with his men early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel. David’s Wives Are Captured 30 Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire 2 and taken captive the women and all1 who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. 3 And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. 5 David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul,2 each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. 7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.” 9 So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men. Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor. 11 They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink, 12 and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago. 14 We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.” 15 And David said to him, “Will you take me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band.” David Defeats the Amalekites 16 And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled. 18 David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all. 20 David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him,3 and said, “This is David’s spoil.” 21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.” 23 But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. 24 Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.” 25 And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day. 26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD.” 27 It was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir, 28 in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa, 29 in Racal, in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of the Kenites, 30 in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach, 31 in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed. The Death of Saul 31 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. 3 The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 6 Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together. 7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them. 8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 11 But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 13 And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days. Footnotes [1] 30:2 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks and all [2] 30:6 Compare 22:2 [3] 30:20 The meaning of the Hebrew clause is uncertain (ESV) New Testament: Acts 13–14 Acts 13–14 (Listen) Barnabas and Saul Sent Off 13 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger,1 Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. Barnabas and Saul on Cyprus 4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. Paul and Barnabas at Antioch in Pisidia 13 Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, 14 but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.” 16 So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. 17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. 18 And for about forty years he put up with2 them in the wilderness. 19 And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. 21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ 23 Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. 24 Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ 26 “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. 27 For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28 And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. 32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, 33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm,   “‘You are my Son,    today I have begotten you.’ 34 And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,   “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ 35 Therefore he says also in another psalm,   “‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ 36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, 37 but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. 38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed3 from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. 40 Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: 41   “‘Look, you scoffers,    be astounded and perish;  for I am doing a work in your days,    a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’” 42 As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. 43 And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God. 44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 But when the Jews4 saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,   “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,    that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” 48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Paul and Barnabas at Iconium 14 Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.5 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. 5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel. Paul and Barnabas at Lystra 8 Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well,6 10 said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking. 11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” 18 Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them. Paul Stoned at Lystra 19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch in Syria 24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26 and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. 27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they remained no little time with the disciples. Footnotes [1] 13:1 Niger is a Latin word meaning black, or dark [2] 13:18 Some manuscripts he carried (compare Deuteronomy 1:31) [3] 13:39 Greek justified; twice in this verse [4] 13:45 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verse 50 [5] 14:2 Or brothers and sisters [6] 14:9 Or be saved (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 119:97–104 Psalm 119:97–104 (Listen) Mem 97   Oh how I love your law!    It is my meditation all the day.98   Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,    for it is ever with me.99   I have more understanding than all my teachers,    for your testimonies are my meditation.100   I understand more than the aged,1    for I keep your precepts.101   I hold back my feet from every evil way,    in order to keep your word.102   I do not turn aside from your rules,    for you have taught me.103   How sweet are your words to my taste,    sweeter than honey to my mouth!104   Through your precepts I get understanding;    therefore I hate every false way. Footnotes [1] 119:100 Or the elders (ESV) Proverb: Proverbs 16:10–11 Proverbs 16:10–11 (Listen) 10   An oracle is on the lips of a king;    his mouth does not sin in judgment.11   A just balance and scales are the LORD’s;    all the weights in the bag are his work. (ESV)

What a week in terms of Royal Family news. A pregnancy announcement;  a wedding anniversary;  a Royal Tour; TV interviews,  and then the scandal of the week showing that almost 24 years after her death, Princess Diana still has the capacity to generate world-wide news headlines.The big story of the week was undoubtedly the revelation that the BBC journalist Martin Bashir had, back in 1995, used dodgy tactics to secure the exclusive tell all interview with Princess Diana. The 1995 interview was watched by 20 million viewers back in 1995 and it was huge news, not least of which because of all the jaw-dropping revelations that Diana made about her marriage and about her life in the Royal Family. The interview came 3 years after Diana and Charles had separated. Immediately after its airing,   the Queen wrote to both Diana and Charles and recommended that they immediately divorce. When we think of how huge Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah was, Diana’s was bigger still.So, what is the current scandal all about? In a nutshell, Martin Bashir, a relatively new journalist back in 1995, faked some bank statements. The bank statements falsely showed that Rupert Murdoch’s News International was paying a few of Diana’s aides for gossip about her. Bashir also alleged that Diana was being spied upon by Palace staff and people working for Prince Charles. The false statements were not shown to Diana but to her Brother Earl Spencer. Earl Spencer was duped by Bashir and believed what he was told. Earl Spencer in turn made the introduction of Bashir to Diana, and encouraged her to be interviewed by Bashir.Role forward to 2020 and Earl Spencer and journalists from the UK Times and Daily Mail newspapers revisited the story which eventually led to the BBC appointing retired Judge Lord Dyson to properly investigate. Lord Dyson’s findings were the ones released in the news this week, and which concluded that the journalist, Bashir, deceived Earl Spencer with fake bank statements to gain access to the Princess Diana and then lied about it before finally telling the truth. Lord Dyson panned the executives at the BBC for doing a poor investigation back in 1996 and basically covering up what had happened.The more complicated question is what part did this interview play, in anything, in Diana’s ultimate death. A very tricky question to answer.None of what Diana said in the interview back in 1995 has been discredited as being untrue. Take a look at comments on social media and you will see many many of her supporters are saying that no matter how the interview was procured, Diana spoke her truth, including about her depression and self harming, and nothing about the current scandal should undermine that.I printed off the transcript of the Bashir / Diana interview and there are a few statements that Diana made about press coverage of her then, that are just as relevant today, 24 years later.The crux of the issue in terms of press coverage of the Royals, is that the Royals want the press to cover them as they go about their work and bring attention to all of their good causes, but don’t want the press covering their private lives. The press really really want to cover the private lives of the Royals and the dirt as this sells more,  and the press suck up having to cover the work that the Royals are doing.Keep listening for future podcasts on all things Meghan, Harry and Archie. And check out other stories or reach out to me through my blog at https://www.kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle.com/ or on Twitter Jeanette Songolo @kindthoughtsformeghanmarkle (@JeanetteSongolo) / Twitter

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 26–28 1 Samuel 26–28 (Listen) David Spares Saul Again 26 Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding himself on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the east of Jeshimon?” 2 So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph with three thousand chosen men of Israel to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. 3 And Saul encamped on the hill of Hachilah, which is beside the road on the east of Jeshimon. But David remained in the wilderness. When he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness, 4 David sent out spies and learned that Saul had indeed come. 5 Then David rose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Saul was lying within the encampment, while the army was encamped around him. 6 Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Joab’s brother Abishai the son of Zeruiah, “Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” 7 So David and Abishai went to the army by night. And there lay Saul sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the army lay around him. 8 Then Abishai said to David, “God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.” 9 But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?” 10 And David said, “As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. 11 The LORD forbid that I should put out my hand against the LORD’s anointed. But take now the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go.” 12 So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen upon them. 13 Then David went over to the other side and stood far off on the top of the hill, with a great space between them. 14 And David called to the army, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Will you not answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered, “Who are you who calls to the king?” 15 And David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy the king your lord. 16 This thing that you have done is not good. As the LORD lives, you deserve to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the LORD’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is and the jar of water that was at his head.” 17 Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.” 18 And he said, “Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? What evil is on my hands? 19 Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the LORD who has stirred you up against me, may he accept an offering, but if it is men, may they be cursed before the LORD, for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ 20 Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the LORD, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.” 21 Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have acted foolishly, and have made a great mistake.” 22 And David answered and said, “Here is the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and take it. 23 The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the LORD gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the LORD’s anointed. 24 Behold, as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the LORD, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation.” 25 Then Saul said to David, “Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them.” So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place. David Flees to the Philistines 27 Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.” 2 So David arose and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal’s widow. 4 And when it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer sought him. 5 Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be given me in one of the country towns, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” 6 So that day Achish gave him Ziklag. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. 7 And the number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months. 8 Now David and his men went up and made raids against the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for these were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as far as Shur, to the land of Egypt. 9 And David would strike the land and would leave neither man nor woman alive, but would take away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the garments, and come back to Achish. 10 When Achish asked, “Where have you made a raid today?” David would say, “Against the Negeb of Judah,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Jerahmeelites,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Kenites.” 11 And David would leave neither man nor woman alive to bring news to Gath, thinking, “lest they should tell about us and say, ‘So David has done.’” Such was his custom all the while he lived in the country of the Philistines. 12 And Achish trusted David, thinking, “He has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel; therefore he shall always be my servant.” Saul and the Medium of En-dor 28 In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Understand that you and your men are to go out with me in the army.” 2 David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.” 3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land. 4 The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. 7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.” 8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other garments and went, he and two men with him. And they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Divine for me by a spirit and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you.” 9 The woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?” 10 But Saul swore to her by the LORD, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” 11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul.” 13 The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.” 14 He said to her, “What is his appearance?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage. 15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do.” 16 And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy? 17 The LORD has done to you as he spoke by me, for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. 18 Because you did not obey the voice of the LORD and did not carry out his fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the LORD has done this thing to you this day. 19 Moreover, the LORD will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me. The LORD will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.” 20 Then Saul fell at once full length on the ground, filled with fear because of the words of Samuel. And there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night. 21 And the woman came to Saul, and when she saw that he was terrified, she said to him, “Behold, your servant has obeyed you. I have taken my life in my hand and have listened to what you have said to me. 22 Now therefore, you also obey your servant. Let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.” 23 He refused and said, “I will not eat.” But his servants, together with the woman, urged him, and he listened to their words. So he arose from the earth and sat on the bed. 24 Now the woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly killed it, and she took flour and kneaded it and baked unleavened bread of it, 25 and she put it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they rose and went away that night. (ESV) New Testament: Acts 12 Acts 12 (Listen) James Killed and Peter Imprisoned 12 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword, 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. Peter Is Rescued 6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” 12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.”1 Then he departed and went to another place. 18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there. The Death of Herod 20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain,2 they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. 24 But the word of God increased and multiplied. 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from3 Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark. Footnotes [1] 12:17 Or brothers and sisters [2] 12:20 That is, trusted personal attendant [3] 12:25 Some manuscripts to (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 119:89–96 Psalm 119:89–96 (Listen) Lamedh 89   Forever, O LORD, your word    is firmly fixed in the heavens.90   Your faithfulness endures to all generations;    you have established the earth, and it stands fast.91   By your appointment they stand this day,    for all things are your servants.92   If your law had not been my delight,    I would have perished in my affliction.93   I will never forget your precepts,    for by them you have given me life.94   I am yours; save me,    for I have sought your precepts.95   The wicked lie in wait to destroy me,    but I consider your testimonies.96   I have seen a limit to all perfection,    but your commandment is exceedingly broad. (ESV) Proverb: Proverbs 16:9 Proverbs 16:9 (Listen) 9   The heart of man plans his way,    but the LORD establishes his steps. (ESV)

If you're here then I will assume you are, at a minimum, a fan of good photography. Perhaps it interests you as a craft, or an art, or more likely you are a photographer that wants to improve their skill set. That means you and I have something in common. I love the art of photography, the skill it takes to not only freeze a moment in time, but to know what moment to freeze and how best to freeze it. I am constantly trying to learn more about photography, and in that endeavor I watch a lot of videos and read a lot of articles, only to be disappointed in the quality of both the content and the person delivering it. So, when you find someone that consistently delivers fantastic content, and delivers it in a way that it can be understood by photographers of every skill level, that is special. That is Ant Pruitt. It seems like a recurring theme that an I.T. Pro gets into photography. That describes me, and so many others I know, and I am not entirely sure why it happens. Still, I have an idea. As a geek myself, I often say that if I'd known photography was geeky when I was younger I would have gotten into it way sooner in life - and I wish I had. Photography is tech, and if you don't believe me just check out my friend Don Komarechka's Photo Geek Weekly podcast. I met Ant because I am a fan of podcasts. The first podcasts I every subscribed to, and some of the ones I still never miss, were This Week in Tech, or TWiT, and MacBreak Weekly. In fact, when I started podcasting my dream was always to be on tech podcasts like those. These are two of the many podcasts on the TWiT network created by 'The Tech Guy' Leo Laporte. Early on it was obvious Leo was into photography. He has a photo segment on his radio show, and when I started taking pictures I used to join in the weekly challenges. Years later the TWiT network started a show called Focus on Photography, and knowing the network I had to check it out. The host was Ant Pruitt, a technology professional-turned photographer, videographer, and content creator. Immediately there was something different, a calmness in the storm that is photography education in the tech age. Over time that show was retired to make way for TWiT's current photography show Hands on Photography, where Ant shares tips, tricks, and techniques that can help creatives at every level. Again, it's hard to describe a show beyond the content, but if I could explain the brilliance of this show it would go to Ant's ability to share knowledge in a way that can be absorbed. Ant was born and raised in South Carolina, and was an enterprise I.T. pro for more than ten years in North Carolina, where he spent most of his adult life. I don't know if his ability is tied to his Southern Charm, but everything about Ant feels like home, like family. Eventually, he turned his creativity into a small business, providing writing, photography, video, and post-production services. He handled a range of assignments, including portraits, event photography, social media marketing, and interview videos. He also worked as a freelance writer for TechRepublic, covering consumer tech, enterprise IT, and tips for beginner content creators. A few weeks ago I was editing a show and, having recently had Ant on a Behind the Shot critique show as a panelist, started thinking about the normal Behind the Shot episode he had been on.... except there wasn't one. I emailed him about 30 seconds later to correct that mistake, and here we go... Join photographer, I.T. pro, writer, blogger, YouTuber, educator and all around creative Ant Pruitt and me as we dive into one of his long exposure images, and the life of being a creative, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Connect with Ant Website: antpruitt.com Instagram: @ant_pruitt Twitter: @ant_pruitt YouTube: @antpruitt Hands on Photography Podcast Website: twit.tv Wanderers Photographic Cultural Experiences Workshops - New Orleans Website: wanderersphoto.com

If you're here then I will assume you are, at a minimum, a fan of good photography. Perhaps it interests you as a craft, or an art, or more likely you are a photographer that wants to improve their skill set. That means you and I have something in common. I love the art of photography, the skill it takes to not only freeze a moment in time, but to know what moment to freeze and how best to freeze it. I am constantly trying to learn more about photography, and in that endeavor I watch a lot of videos and read a lot of articles, only to be disappointed in the quality of both the content and the person delivering it. So, when you find someone that consistently delivers fantastic content, and delivers it in a way that it can be understood by photographers of every skill level, that is special. That is Ant Pruitt. It seems like a recurring theme that an I.T. Pro gets into photography. That describes me, and so many others I know, and I am not entirely sure why it happens. Still, I have an idea. As a geek myself, I often say that if I'd known photography was geeky when I was younger I would have gotten into it way sooner in life - and I wish I had. Photography is tech, and if you don't believe me just check out my friend Don Komarechka's Photo Geek Weekly podcast. I met Ant because I am a fan of podcasts. The first podcasts I every subscribed to, and some of the ones I still never miss, were This Week in Tech, or TWiT, and MacBreak Weekly. In fact, when I started podcasting my dream was always to be on tech podcasts like those. These are two of the many podcasts on the TWiT network created by 'The Tech Guy' Leo Laporte. Early on it was obvious Leo was into photography. He has a photo segment on his radio show, and when I started taking pictures I used to join in the weekly challenges. Years later the TWiT network started a show called Focus on Photography, and knowing the network I had to check it out. The host was Ant Pruitt, a technology professional-turned photographer, videographer, and content creator. Immediately there was something different, a calmness in the storm that is photography education in the tech age. Over time that show was retired to make way for TWiT's current photography show Hands on Photography, where Ant shares tips, tricks, and techniques that can help creatives at every level. Again, it's hard to describe a show beyond the content, but if I could explain the brilliance of this show it would go to Ant's ability to share knowledge in a way that can be absorbed. Ant was born and raised in South Carolina, and was an enterprise I.T. pro for more than ten years in North Carolina, where he spent most of his adult life. I don't know if his ability is tied to his Southern Charm, but everything about Ant feels like home, like family. Eventually, he turned his creativity into a small business, providing writing, photography, video, and post-production services. He handled a range of assignments, including portraits, event photography, social media marketing, and interview videos. He also worked as a freelance writer for TechRepublic, covering consumer tech, enterprise IT, and tips for beginner content creators. A few weeks ago I was editing a show and, having recently had Ant on a Behind the Shot critique show as a panelist, started thinking about the normal Behind the Shot episode he had been on.... except there wasn't one. I emailed him about 30 seconds later to correct that mistake, and here we go... Join photographer, I.T. pro, writer, blogger, YouTuber, educator and all around creative Ant Pruitt and me as we dive into one of his long exposure images, and the life of being a creative, on this episode of Behind the Shot. Connect with Ant Website: antpruitt.com Instagram: @ant_pruitt Twitter: @ant_pruitt YouTube: @antpruitt Hands on Photography Podcast Website: twit.tv Wanderers Photographic Cultural Experiences Workshops - New Orleans Website: wanderersphoto.com

Western diet found to impair function of immune cells in the gut Cleveland Clinic, May 18, 2021 According to new study results, a team of researchers led by Cleveland Clinic's Thaddeus Stappenbeck, M.D., Ph.D., have found that a diet high in fat and sugar is associated with impaired intestinal immune cell function in mice. The findings, published in Cell Host & Microbe, provide novel insights into pathways linking obesity and disease-driving gut inflammation, and have implications for developing targets to treat inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in patients. Using data from more than 900 patients, the researchers found that elevated body mass index is associated with abnormal Paneth cells among patients with Crohn's disease and non-IBD patients. Paneth cells are a type of anti-inflammatory immune cell found in the intestines that helps to protect against microbial imbalances and infectious pathogens. Dysfunction of these cells is driven by a combination of genetic mutations and environmental factors. Dr. Stappenbeck and others have previously linked Paneth cell dysfunction to gut changes indicative of IBD in preclinical models and a subset of Crohn's disease patients from multiple cohorts around the world. "With this understanding, we set out to investigate whether diet-induced obesity--specifically caused by a diet high in fat and sugar, or a 'western diet'--is one of the environmental factors that can lead to impaired Paneth cell function," said Dr. Stappenbeck, chair of Lerner Research Institute's Department of Inflammation & Immunity. The researchers compared the effects of a western diet versus a standard diet. The team's western diet contained about 40 percent fat and an elevated level of simple carbohydrates, which better resembles the diet of an average U.S. adult than regimens prescribed in other preclinical studies. After eight weeks, the group that ate the western diet had more abnormal Paneth cells than the group that ate a standard diet. In the western diet group, other changes become apparent two months after the Paneth cell defects, including increased gut permeability, where bacteria and toxins can enter the gut and which is well-linked with chronic inflammation. Notably, however, switching to a standard diet from the western diet completely reversed the Paneth cell dysfunction. "When we started to look into large-scale datasets for the specific mechanisms that might connect the high-fat, high-sugar diet with the Paneth cell dysfunction, a secondary bile acid called deoxycholic acid caught our attention," said Dr. Stappenbeck.  Deoxycholic acid is a metabolic byproduct of intestinal bacteria. Researchers found that consuming a western diet increased the bile acid in a region of the intestines called the ileum and, as a result, increased the expression of two downstream molecules, farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and type I interferon (IFN). "For the first time, we showed how coordinated elevation of FXR and type I IFN signals in multiple cell types contribute to Paneth cell defects in response to a diet high in fat and sugar. In previous research, stimulating FXR has shown to help treat other diseases, including fatty liver disease, so we are hopeful that with additional research we can interrogate how the combination of elevated FXR and IFN signals can be targeted to help treat diet-induced gut infections and chronic inflammation." Dr. Stappenbeck also explained that while the team was interested to learn that changing the diet regimen reversed the pathological changes, more research would be needed to determine if these changes also occur in patients.     Count your blessings: Short gratitude intervention can increase academic motivation Ritsumeikan University (Japan), May 17, 2021   Because of the ongoing pandemic, lifestyles have been subjected to drastic and dynamic changes, and many work- and study-related activities are now carried out online exclusively. This, among other complex factors, has made it difficult for some people to stay focused and motivated, and psychology researchers are trying to find effective and widely applicable solutions to address such problems. In a recent study published in BMC Psychology, researchers from Ritsumeikan University and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Japan, have explored a simple strategy to increase motivation in college students by nurturing a positive emotion: gratitude. Many studies have shown that even short "gratitude interventions," which are activities that increase an individual's awareness of feelings of gratitude, can have a lasting positive effect on that person's mood, satisfaction and well-being. However, based on previous studies, the available evidence on the effect of such interventions on academic motivation is inconclusive. This prompted the researchers to test the effects of a different type of gratitude intervention: daily gratitude journaling. "Our main hypothesis was that engaging in an online gratitude journal by writing down up to five things one felt grateful for each day could make students be more aware of their academic opportunities—their 'blessings'—and help them re-evaluate their motives and goals, ultimately improving their motivation," explains Dr. Norberto Eiji Nawa from NICT, first author of the study. They recruited 84 participants, all Japanese college students, and divided them into a control group and an intervention group. Over the course of two weeks, students in both groups had to evaluate aspects of their daily life through online questionnaires each day, but only the intervention group had to keep the online daily gratitude journal. At the start of the intervention and after one and two weeks, and one and three months, the participants had to complete the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS), a tried-and-tested tool for measuring different aspects of academic motivation. The results were promising; through statistical analyses, the researchers found that the gratitude intervention through daily journaling significantly increased the students' academic motivation. Most notably, this robust positive effect was not restricted only to the two-week period of the intervention, as the increased level of academic motivation was maintained even after three months. In addition, through an exploratory analysis, the researchers established that the enhancement in academic motivation was mostly driven by a decrease in "amotivation scores." Amotivation, in this context, refers to the state in which a person perceives that their own actions are irrelevant to the resulting outcomes, leading to feelings of helplessness and incompetence. Academic motivation can be one of the primary determinants of both academic achievements and satisfaction with school life, and developing widely applicable intervention strategies is critical to foster student growth. "Online interventions have the advantage of being more accessible, scalable and affordable to large portions of the population. Gathering solid evidence to support their deployment will be essential to unleash their true potential in the future," concludes Professor Noriko Yamagishi from Ritsumeikan University. It appears that the positive impact of gratitude interventions extends well beyond the already documented effects on individual well-being. This study was partly supported by a research grant from the Ritsumeikan Inamori Philosophy Research Center. This Center aims to promote multidisciplinary research on the management philosophy advocated by Dr. Kazuo Inamori, a prominent Japanese entrepreneur and renowned philanthropist. With this major goal in mind, Professor Yamagishi, alongside Dr. Nawa, have been working on the scientific elucidation of the emotions of "altruism" and "gratitude" from the perspective of cognitive psychology and neuroscience. This particular study was conducted as part of this more overarching research. Until the day these human emotions become clearer, we can safely give this piece of advice: remember to count your blessings.   How Quickly Do We Become Unfit?   Anglia Ruskin University, May 14, 2021 Getting in shape isn’t easy. But after all that hard work, how long do we actually maintain it? Turns out that even the great effort we put into training, taking a bit of time off can mean that we become “unfit” much faster than it took us to actually get in shape. To understand how the body becomes “unfit”, we first need to understand how we become fit. The key to becoming fitter – whether that’s improving cardiovascular fitness or muscular strength – is to exceed “habitual load”. This means doing more than our body is used to. The stress that this has on our body makes us adapt and become more tolerant, leading to higher fitness levels. The time it takes to get fit depends on a number of factors, including fitness levels, age, how hard you work, and even environment. But some studies do indicate that even just six sessions of interval trainingcan lead to increases in maximal oxygen uptake (V02 max) – a measure of overall fitness — and improve how efficiently our body is able to fuel itself using the sugar stored in our cells during exercise. For strength training, some gains in muscle force can be shown in as little as two weeks, but changes in muscle size won’t be seen until around 8-12 weeks. Cardiovascular fitness When we stop training, how quickly we lose fitness also depends on many factors – including the type of fitness we’re talking about (such as strength or cardiovascular fitness). As an example, let’s look at a marathon runner, who is in peak athletic fitness and can run a marathon in two hours and 30 minutes. This person spends five to six days a week training, running a total of 90km. They’ve also spent the last 15 years developing this level of fitness. Now let’s say they stopped training completely. Because the body no longer has the stresses of training forcing it to stay fit, the runner will start to lose fitness within a few weeks. Cardiorespiratory fitness – indicated by a person’s V02 max (the amount of oxygen a person can use during exericse) – will decrease around 10% in the first four weeksafter a person stops training. This rate of decline continues, but at a slower rate over longer periods. Intriguingly, though highly trained athletes (like our marathon runner) see a sharp decline in V02 max in the first four weeks, this decline eventually evens out, and they actually maintain a V02 higher than the average person’s. But for the average person, V02 max falls sharply, back to pre-training levels, in less than eight weeks.   The reason V02 max declines is due to reductions in blood and plasma volumes – which decrease by as much as 12% in the first four weeks after a person stops training. Plasma and blood volume decrease due to the lack of stress being put on our heart and muscles. Plasma volume may even decrease by around 5% within the first 48 hours of stopping training. The effect of decreased blood and plasma volume leads to less blood being pumped around the body each heart beat. But these levels only drop to where we started – meaning we won’t get worse. Of course, most of us aren’t marathon runners – but we’re also not immune to these effects. As soon as we stop exercising the body will start to lose these key cardiovascular adaptations at a very similar rate as highly trained athletes. Strength training When it comes to strength, evidence shows that in the average person, 12 weeks without training causes a significant decrease in the amount of weight we can lift. Thankfully, research shows that you maintain some of the strength you gained before you stopped training. What is intriguing is that despite the significant decrease in strength, there’s only a minimal decrease in the size of the muscle fibres. The reason we lose muscle strength largely has to do with the fact that we’re no longer putting our muscles under stress. So when we’re no longer working our muscles hard, the muscles become “lazy”, leading the number of our muscle fibres to decrease, and fewer muscles being recruited during an activity – making us less able to lift the heavy loads we used to. The number of muscle fibres used during exercise decreases by around 13% after just two weeks of no training – though this appears not to be accompanied by a decline in muscular force. This implies that the losses observed across the longer periods of detraining are a combination of both this initial decline in the number of muscle fibres we use, but also the slower decline in muscle mass. For the average gym goer who lifts weights, they would experience a drop in the size of their muscles – over time finding it harder to lift heavy loads as they have less muscle fibres being recruited. So even after all that effort to get fit, we start losing cardiovascular fitness and strength within 48 hours of stopping. But we don’t start to feel these effects for at least two to three weeks for cardiovascular fitness and around 6-10 weeks for strength. Rates of “de-training” are similar for men and women, and even for older athletes. But the fitter you are, the slower you’ll lose your gains.   Non-drug therapies as good as or better than drugs for treating depression in people with dementia St Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, University of Calgary May 17, 2021   Doctors should consider more "social" prescribing of non-drug approaches for depression and loneliness, say researchers Non-drug therapies, such as exercise, appear to be as, or more, effective than drugs for reducing symptoms of depression in people with dementia, suggests research published online in The BMJ. The findings suggest that people with dementia will derive a clinically meaningful benefit from non-drug interventions, and the researchers say doctors should consider more "social" prescribing of non-drug approaches to treat symptoms of depression and loneliness. Fifty million people worldwide have a diagnosis of dementia. About 16% of these people also have a diagnosed major depressive disorder, and 32% will experience symptoms of depression without a formal diagnosis. Previous trials have shown that non-drug approaches, such as exercise, alleviate symptoms of depression in people with dementia, but it's not clear how effective they are compared with drugs to reduce symptoms of depression. To address this uncertainty, researchers analysed the results of existing trials to compare the effectiveness of drug and non-drug interventions with usual care or any other intervention targeting symptoms of depression in people with dementia. After screening 22,138 records, they focused on and reviewed 256 studies involving 28,483 people with dementia, with or without a diagnosed major depressive disorder. Drug approaches alone were no more effective than usual care, but they found 10 interventions associated with a greater reduction in symptoms of depression compared with usual care. These were cognitive stimulation, exercise, reminiscence therapy (a treatment to help people with dementia remember events, people and places from their lives), cognitive stimulation with a cholinesterase inhibitor (a drug used to treat dementia), massage and touch therapy, multidisciplinary care, psychotherapy combined with reminiscence therapy and environmental modification, occupational therapy, exercise combined with social interaction and cognitive stimulation, and animal therapy. Three interventions -- massage and touch therapy, cognitive stimulation with a cholinesterase inhibitor, and cognitive stimulation combined with exercise and social interaction -- were found to be more effective than some drugs. The authors acknowledge some study limitations, such as being unable to explore severity of depression symptoms or effects on different types of dementia. Nor did they look at the potential costs or harms of implementing drug and non-drug interventions. However, notable strengths included the large number of articles reviewed and use of a recognised clinical scale for capturing symptoms of depression. As such, they say in this systematic review, "non-drug approaches were associated with a meaningful reduction in symptoms of depression in people with dementia and without a diagnosis of a major depressive disorder. And they add that everyone -- patients, caregivers, clinicians and policy makers -- have a role in translating these findings into practice     Omega-3 lowers childhood aggression in short term, Penn research shows University of Pennsylvania, May 13, 2021 Incorporating omega-3, vitamins and mineral supplements into the diets of children with extreme aggression can reduce this problem behavior in the short term, especially its more impulsive, emotional form, according to University of Pennsylvania researchers who published their findings in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Adrian Raine, the Richard Perry University Professor of Criminology, Psychology and Psychiatry, has spent his career looking at how the brain's biological functioning affects antisocial behavior. He focuses specifically on understanding these actions and learning how to modify them, whether with something benign like a child acting out or with something extreme, in the case of a homicidal killer. "How do you change the brain to make people better?" he asked. "How can we improve brain functioning to improve behavior?" These questions formed the foundation for work Raine had previously done with adolescents on the African island of Mauritius. In a randomized control trial, one group received omega-3 supplements for six months, the other didn't. Those taking the fish oil saw a reduction in aggressive and antisocial behavior. "That was my starting point," he said. "I was really excited about the results we published there." Mauritius, however, is a tropical climate and a different culture from the United States, so Raine, a Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor, decided to test a new version of the study in Philadelphia, to aim for more broadly applicable outcomes. He partnered with Therese Richmond, the Andrea B. Laporte Professor of Nursing and associate dean for research and innovation, and several other Penn faculty, including Rose Cheney of the Perelman School of Medicine and Jill Portnoy of the Criminology Department in the School of Arts & Sciences. The Philadelphia randomized control study placed 290 11- and 12-year-olds with a history of violence into four groups: The first received omega-3 in the form of juice, as well as multivitamins and calcium for three months. For that same duration, a second group participated in cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, which included meeting weekly for an hour, with time split between the child, the parent and with both together. "Sessions focused on the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviors and also practicing alternative actions the children could take to deal with difficult situations rather than to emotionally react to something," said Richmond, who supervised the clinical trial. "It's helping the child build a toolbox of ways to interact with others. For example, if I'm angry, how might I cope with anger other than physically striking out?"All participants got homework, too. A third group in the study took the supplements and participated in CBT, and a fourth received resources and information targeted at reducing aggressive behavior. Blood samples at the experiment's start and conclusion measured omega-3 levels in each child. "Immediately after three months of the nutritional intervention rich in omega-3s, we found a decrease in the children's reporting of their aggressive behavior," Richmond said. The team also followed up three and six months later. At the first check-in, participants getting the combination of CBT and omega-3s reported less aggression than the control group and the therapy-only group. By the final check-in, however, any positive effects had dissipated. What remains unknown is whether continued use of omega-3s would lead to a long-term reduction in antisocial behavior. There were other minor limitations to the research. For one, self-reporting completed by parents and children didn't line up. The 11- and 12-year-olds in the omega-3 and CBT-supplement groups noted fewer aggressive behaviors; their parents said such tendencies hadn't changed. Also, some participants dropped out before the study had finished. Despite these challenges, Raine, Richmond and their colleagues said the findings provide some important insight. "No matter what program you use, could adding omega-3s to your treatment help?" Raine asked. "This suggests it could." And though the work answers some questions, it also creates new ones, which returns to a larger point regarding the mind-action connection: It's complicated. "We can't oversimplify the complexity of antisocial behavior. There are many causes," Raine said. "It's not just the brain. Is it a piece of the jigsaw puzzle? I think it is."     Lockdown led to positive lifestyle changes in older people University of Stirling (Scotland), May 17, 2021 The COVID-19 lockdown was a catalyst for many older people to embrace technology, reconnect with friends and build new relationships with neighbours, according to University of Stirling research. Understanding the coping mechanisms adopted by some over 60s during the pandemic will play a key role in developing interventions to help tackle loneliness, isolation and wellbeing in the future. The study, led by the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, surveyed 1,429 participants - 84 percent (1,198) of whom were over 60 - and found many had adapted to video conferencing technology to increase online contact with existing social networks, while others reconnected with previous networks. Participants reported that lockdown had led them to engage with neighbours and other members of their communities for the first time, while several said social distancing had brought an additional meaning to life, by highlighting what was important to them. Published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the paper comes six months after the study - funded under the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office's Rapid Research in COVID-19 programme - reported in its preliminary findings that social distancing had increased feelings of loneliness in older people. Professor of Behavioural Medicine, Anna Whittaker, who led the study, said: "Our research found that the COVID-19 lockdown triggered feelings of loneliness in older people - with many experiencing less social contact and support. However, the study also highlighted positive outcomes, for example, lockdown encouraged some older people to embrace and engage with technology - such as Zoom, Whatsapp or FaceTime - to stay in touch with loved-ones or participate in exercise classes or religious groups. Those who engaged in such activity were able to prevent high levels of loneliness, therefore, helping older adults to increase their digital literacy and use of remote social interactions could be a really important tool for addressing loneliness. "Participants also reported actively looking for new social contact while restrictions were in place - such as contacting friends who they had not spoken to in years and increasing interactions with neighbours and other members of their communities. Significantly, many of our participants reported that social distancing has actually led them to find new sources of satisfaction in life. "Our study also highlighted that encouraging safe social contact through physical activity and engaging with people in the community may be an effective way to reduce loneliness, improve wellbeing, increase social activity, and improve social support." The study - which involved a survey conducted between May and July 2020 - examined the impact of social distancing during the pandemic on loneliness, wellbeing and social activity, including social support, in Scottish older adults. Participants were asked about the strategies they adopted to increase social interaction during this time and reported that the way they interacted with their friends and family, faith, chosen group activities and, to a lesser extent, their employer and colleagues, had changed. More than 300 participants mentioned 'Zoom' - the video conferencing tool - in their answers. More than 150 participants reported that their religious gatherings had moved online - replacing face-to-face gatherings - while 91 said that social gatherings with family and friends had changed in favour of online 'games nights'. New activities included bingo and quiz nights, while other activities moved online - such as bridge nights, book clubs, choir rehearsals, and dance and exercise classes. The role of community - particularly neighbours - was mentioned by more than 300 participants and some reported the common experience of getting to know previously unknown neighbours and increase interaction with others in the community at local shops or parks. A pleasant Scottish summer also supported such interactions, several said. At least 100 people said social interactions were linked to their physical activities - such as time spent outdoors while walking for exercise, walking the dogs or active commuting. Professor Whittaker added: "Our research underlines the importance of addressing loneliness and social support in older adults - but particularly during situations where risk of isolation is high. Although specific to the pandemic, this study has wider implications of helping us to understand the impact of social distancing and social isolation on older people. "The findings may be applicable in the future - both in and outwith pandemic situations. In Scotland, the recommendations for improvement may be through encouraging older adults to get to know their neighbours better, getting involved with local buddying systems and community initiatives, including via digital means, and engaging in physical activity, such as daily walks in the community." Brian Sloan, Chief Executive of Age Scotland, said: "While it may prove difficult to consider any aspect of the pandemic positive as such, it is important and worthwhile to reflect on what it has taught us, both about ourselves and society and about the necessary tools to tackle Scotland's increased levels of loneliness and isolation. "For example, we've seen first-hand how important the community response has been in terms of supporting older people throughout lockdown and it has been inspiring to witness how people across the country stepped in and stepped forward to help those in need around them. Even as restrictions ease, we hope to see this sense of community spirit continue.  "The ongoing impact of COVID-19 has also demonstrated just how important increased digital inclusion is and how easily those without access to technology can feel out of the loop. It's reassuring to see so many older people reporting that they have been able to embrace and engage with technology to stay connected and active.  "However, it's equally important to ensure those who are unable or do not wish to use the internet have alternative ways to stay connected to their communities and support networks. "As we take steps towards recovery together, it is vital that no one is left behind and those most impacted are supported to play a full part in society again.  "We know we will be living with the ongoing effects of lockdown loneliness for a long time to come, and this research will be incredibly valuable when considering how best to tackle loneliness and isolation and to improve the wellbeing of older people going forward."     Signs of Vitamin B12 Deficiency World Health Net,  May 1, 2021 Modern nutritional research offers much more information about which nutrients are required for optimal health than in years past. The general opinion of most health care providers has been that patients should eat a balanced diet in order to make sure their nutritional needs are being met. Until the past few decades this was good advice, but the nutrients contained in most foods sold in grocery stores has been depleted, due to the way they were grown and processed. This means the nutrients most important to the proper functioning of the human body are best ingested through supplementation. Those who have a deficiency of vitamin B12 may be experiencing some serious health problems that they are not even aware of. Food Sources of Vitamin B12 Food products that come from animals are the only sources of the vitamin, so someone who follows a vegetarian or vegan diet would most likely need to supplement B12. It is also good to supplement if one has a diet that restricts the consumption of meat, dairy, eggs because of the relatively high levels of cholesterol and fat.  Health Problems Caused by a Vitamin B12 Deficiency Some of these health issues are easily mistaken as symptoms of other diseases, such as diabetes. Others may be confused with common aging problems. Weakness Fatigue Tingling and/or numbness in the extremeties Memory loss and cognitive difficulties Difficulty in walking, because of staggering or balance problems Health care providers may not be able to identify these problems as a deficiency of Vitamin B12, so a blood test may be needed, in order to reach a correct diagnosis. There are a few other less common symptoms that indicate a deficiency of the vitamin. Paranoia and hallucinations Anemia Jaundiced skin An inflamed and swollen tongue Many people are not very well educated about their nutritional needs and the problems they may experience from various deficiencies. Most people have too much stress in their lives and struggle to find enough time in the day to get everything done. People often naturally think whatever fatigue or weakness they feel is the result of not enough time and rest, but symptoms could well be due to a Vitamin B12 deficiency.  Although seniors are most at risk for nutritional deficiencies due to dietary restrictions, a depressed appetite and medications, younger women also experience anemia due to monthly menstruation. The average person is often surprised how much better they feel once they begin a regime of Vitamin B12 supplementation. It is important to note that not all B12 supplements are the same, so if adding the vitamin to a diet it would be wise to research all the options available. One common B12 supplement actually contains arsenic and should be avoided. Since the best source of B12 is found in foods, eating more meat, eggs, dairy and especially poultry is a good choice. Poultry is relatively low in fat and cholesterol, so it is safer for those who are at risk for heart disease.

Ilya Muromets comes home after his harrowing encounter with Svyatogor in the mountains. After receiving a blessing from his parents, he goes out into the world for the first time. Immediately, he saves a city from an army, to the acclaim of everyone. But a sinister force lies between him and Kiev, the capital city of Rus. In the analysis section, Deacon Nicholas discusses the need for a new heroic paradigm in stories for our time. Perhaps neither Tolkien nor George R R Martin can provide us with the heroes we need now. It's time to look to a different, and maybe unexpected, source for heroism.

Sudip Parikh, Ph.D. is the 19th chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and executive publisher of the Science family of journal.  Parikh has spent two decades at the nexus of science, policy, and business.Immediately prior to joining AAAS, Parikh was senior vice president and managing director at DIA Global, a neutral, multidisciplinary organization bringing together regulators, industry, academia, patients, and other stakeholders interested in healthcare product development.  Sudip was also general manager of the Health and Consumer Solutions business unit and vice president at Battelle, a multibillion-dollar research and development organization. From 2001 to 2009, Parikh served as science advisor and professional staff to the United States Senate Appropriations Committee, where he was responsible for negotiating budgets for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, and other scientific and health agencies.

Click to join our super secret KF Show Only listener email list..just in case we get blocked from every social and podcast platform! https://forms.aweber.com/form/48/1311263948.htm Presented with Holley! Holley's Wheel Set Giveaway Contest is also running! Click here for your chance to win! http://bit.ly/KAKF_Holley_Wheels. The fall Holley events of LS Fest, MoParty, and Intergalactic Ford Festival are all going to happen...and registration will open soon. Visit http://bit.ly/KAFS_Holley_Events to read up on all three events. Nook your vacation time off work NOW! Ask Corndog Anything! Kibbe is out this week, so Corndog and Bern have taken over. If you submitted a question via Instagram or Facebook, it was covered! Think of this as a sneak preview of a Patreon show. Or think of it as the one episode where Bernie and C-Dog ate a bag of sugar and then recorded it. Either way, be prepared for a crap ton of weirdness, happiness, and Dukes of Hazzard insider knowledge! Patreon Peeps, the year 2021 will be an important one for Patreon specifically, and if you'd consider jumping up to the $5 level it would sure help. The $10 level will remain and we now have a brand new $20 level as well! All members who join at that level will receive a sticker swag pack in the mail, you'll be IMMEDIATELY entered in the monthly prize grab, and you'll receive a phone call from one (or all) of us to chat up whatever you want for 30 minutes! Thank you SO MUCH to those of you who have joined in for the extra content that is only for Patreon supporters. To get in on the action and support the show with a minor financial contribution just click the link below to sign up. http://www.patreon.com/kfshow. The post K&F Show #188: Corndog And Bernie Answer Everyone About Everything! first appeared on The Muscle Car Place.

Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea (Mark 6:45-48a). For more Christian podcasts like this, visit www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts.

Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea (Mark 6:45-48) For more Christian podcasts like this, visit www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts.

This episode I discuss the science and practice of learning physical skills: what it involves at a biological level, and what to focus on during skill learning at each stage to maximize learning speed and depth. I also describe what to do immediately after a training session (note: this is different than the optimal protocol for cognitive skill training) and as you progress to more advanced levels of performance. I also cover the science of skill-based visualization which does have benefits, but only if done correctly and at the correct times. I discuss auto-replay of skill learning in the brain during sleep and the value of adding in post-training ‘deliberately idle’ sessions. I cover how to immediately improve limb-range-of-motion by leveraging cerebellum function, error generation, optimal repetition numbers for learning and more. As always, scientific mechanism, peer-reviewed studies and science-based protocols are discussed.   Thank you to our sponsors: Belcampo - https://belcampo.com/huberman InsideTracker - https://insidetracker.com/huberman Athletic Greens - https://athleticgreens.com/huberman   Our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/andrewhuberman   Supplements from Thorne: http://www.thorne.com/u/huberman   Social: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Twitter - https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab   Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:06:28 Skill Acquisition: Mental & Physical 00:08:40 Clarification About Cold, Heat & Caffeine 00:12:45 Tool: How To Quickly Eliminate the Side-Stitch ‘Cramp’ & BoostHRV Entrainment 00:16:08 Physical Skills: Open-Loop Versus Closed-Loop 00:18:50 Three Key Components To Any Skill 00:21:00 Sources of Control for Movement: 1) CPGs Govern Rhythmic Learned Behavior 00:23:30 Upper Motor Neurons for Deliberate Movement & Learning 00:25:00 Lower Motor Neurons Control Action Execution 00:25:26 What To Focus On While Learning 00:27:10 The Reality of Skill Learning & the 10,000 Hours Myth 00:28:30 Repetitions & The Super Mario Effect: Error Signals vs. Error Signals + Punishment 00:34:00 Learning To Win, Every Time 00:39:26 Errors Solve the Problem of What Focus On While Trying to Learn Skills 00:43:00 Why Increasing Baseline Levels of Dopamine Prior To Learning Is Bad 00:44:40 The Framing Effect (& Protocol Defined) 00:46:10 A Note & Warning To Coaches 00:48:30 What To Do Immediately After Your Physical Skill Learning Practice 00:53:48 Leveraging Uncertainty 00:56:59 What to Pay Attention To While Striving To Improve 01:04:45 Protocol Synthesis Part One 01:07:10 Super-Slow-Motion Learning Training: Only Useful After Some Proficiency Is Attained 01:11:06 How To Move From Intermediate To Advanced Skill Execution faster: Metronomes 01:16:44 Increasing Speed Even If It Means More Errors: Training Central Pattern Generators 01:19:12 Integrated Learning: Leveraging Your Cerebellum (“Mini-Brain”) 01:22:02 Protocol For Increasing Limb Range of Motion, Immediately 01:28:30 Visualization/ Mental Rehearsal: How To Do It Correctly 01:33:50 Results From 15 Minutes Per Day, 5 Days Per Week Visualization (vs. Actual Training) 01:35:34 Imagining Something Is Very Different Than Actually Experiencing It 01:37:58 Cadence Training & Learning “Carryover” 01:39:00 Ingestible Compounds That Support Skill Learning: Motivation, Repetitions, Alpha-GPC 01:43:39 Summary & Sequencing Tools: Reps, Fails, Idle Time, Sleep, Metronome, Visualization 01:46:20 Density Training: Comparing Ultradian- & Non-Ultradian Training Sessions 01:49:24 Cost-Free Ways to Support Us, Sponsors & Alternate Channels, Closing Remarks   Please note that The Huberman Lab Podcast is distinct from Dr. Huberman's teaching and research roles at Stanford University School of Medicine. The information provided in this show is not medical advice, nor should it be taken or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The Huberman Lab Podcast, its employees, guests and affiliates assume no liability for the application of the information discussed. Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac - https://www.blabacphoto.com

Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them (Mark 6:45-48a). For more Christian podcasts like this, visit www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts.

Click to join our super secret KF Show Only listener email list..just in case we get blocked from every social and podcast platform! https://forms.aweber.com/form/48/1311263948.htm Presented with Holley! Holley's Wheel Set Giveaway Contest is also running! Click here for your chance to win! http://bit.ly/KAKF_Holley_Wheels. The fall Holley events of LS Fest, MoParty, and Intergalactic Ford Festival are all going to happen...and registration will open soon. Visit http://bit.ly/KAFS_Holley_Events to read up on all three events. Nook your vacation time off work NOW! Movie Review: This is it! If you have been waiting months or years for us to finally review this movie, your days of suffering are now over. Here it is in all it's glory. This may be the perfect movie for a show like ours to actually review because,  #1 - it’s dumb,  #2 - it’s funny, #3 - it has great cars, and #4 - this movie is told, in audio story form, from a radio station, with everyone glued to their audio listening device.  This was a time when real stars were on the radio....which we're just going to claim as old-school form of a podcast.  It may also be (in a way) the redneck cousin sequel to our favorite movie Tommy Boy as well (listen in for details). Patreon Peeps, the year 2021 will be an important one for Patreon specifically, and if you'd consider jumping up to the $5 level it would sure help. The $10 level will remain and we now have a brand new $20 level as well! All members who join at that level will receive a sticker swag pack in the mail, you'll be IMMEDIATELY entered in the monthly prize grab, and you'll receive a phone call from one (or all) of us to chat up whatever you want for 30 minutes! Thank you SO MUCH to those of you who have joined in for the extra content that is only for Patreon supporters. To get in on the action and support the show with a minor financial contribution just click the link below to sign up. http://www.patreon.com/kfshow. The post K&F Show #187: The Full Glorious Review of Joe Dirt – The Mopars, Kid Rock’s Firebird, Gut Busters, Zippity Do Das, and Crap Flappers! first appeared on The Muscle Car Place.

Davi's husband was excited to book his first show since the pandemic started. He asked her to join him, but she decided to hang out with her friends.She and her friends got lit, and they ended up MOONING the highway! Immediately after, Davi got a notification that she was tagged in a video.She just knew that someone had spotted her butt. But this is what really happened... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.