Podcasts about ironically

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 2: 4:05pm- According to a new report from The New York Post, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett “terrorizes” her staff—even making them rent Cadillac Escalades to drive her around in because she refuses to be seen in less expensive vehicles. 4:15pm- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) reacted to the Trump Administration's attempt to crackdown on crime in Washington D.C. explaining that this could lead to a second Civil War! Ironically, as Rep. Waters claimed the nation's capital was perfectly safe without federal assistance, she was drowned out by police sirens blaring in the background! 4:25pm- While speaking with reporters, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro was asked if she would investigate the “root causes of crime in D.C.” Pirro made clear that her job is to hold criminals accountable for their actions and attain justice for victims. 4:30pm- Brett Eagleson—President of 9/11 Justice, he lost his father in the terrorist attacks on September 11th—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss being featured in a recent Wall Street Journal article: “9/11 Families See Lutnick, Who Lost Brother in Attack, as Last Hope for Justice.” You can read the full article here: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/howard-lutnick-9-11-saudi-arabia-lawsuit-a384b9c6.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (08/12/2025): 3:05pm- In a post to Truth Social, President Donald Trump announced that he would be nominating Dr. EJ Antoni to run the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Rich jokes that Trump is selecting all of our regular guests to serve in positions within the federal government—Dr. Marty Makary, Tulsi Gabbard, and now EJ! 3:10pm- According to a Democratic whistleblower, Senator Adam Schiff authorized the leak of classified information related to the Russian collusion hoax in 2017 as part of an effort to destroy President Donald Trump's credibility. The whistleblower worked for the House Intelligence Committee which, at the time, was led by Schiff. 3:15pm- On Monday, President Donald Trump announced a 30-day federal takeover of Washington D.C.'s police department—while simultaneously deploying 800 National Guard troops—to fight violent crime in the nation's capital. At the White House press briefing, Trump announced Attorney General Pam Bondi will oversee the federal takeover—while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will provide military support “if needed.” Additionally, the administration will assign 120 F.B.I. agents to conduct nighttime patrols throughout Washington D.C. 3:40pm- While appearing on Newsmax, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said former President Bill Clinton is a “prime suspect” in the Jeffrey Epstein case. The House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed Bill and Hillary Clinton—seeking testimony for the committee's Epstein investigation. Hillary has been asked to appear for testimony on October 9th, while Bill has been asked to appear on October 14th. 4:05pm- According to a new report from The New York Post, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett “terrorizes” her staff—even making them rent Cadillac Escalades to drive her around in because she refuses to be seen in less expensive vehicles. 4:15pm- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) reacted to the Trump Administration's attempt to crackdown on crime in Washington D.C. explaining that this could lead to a second Civil War! Ironically, as Rep. Waters claimed the nation's capital was perfectly safe without federal assistance, she was drowned out by police sirens blaring in the background! 4:25pm- While speaking with reporters, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro was asked if she would investigate the “root causes of crime in D.C.” Pirro made clear that her job is to hold criminals accountable for their actions and attain justice for victims. 4:30pm- Brett Eagleson—President of 9/11 Justice, he lost his father in the terrorist attacks on September 11th—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss being featured in a recent Wall Street Journal article: “9/11 Families See Lutnick, Who Lost Brother in Attack, as Last Hope for Justice.” You can read the full article here: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/howard-lutnick-9-11-saudi-arabia-lawsuit-a384b9c6. 5:00pm- During Monday's briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed that in Washington D.C. last night “approximately 850 officers and agents were surged across the city. They made a total of 23 arrests.” 5:15pm- According to a Democratic whistleblower, Senator Adam Schiff authorized the leak of classified information related to the Russian collusion hoax in 2017 as part of an effort to destroy President Donald Trump's credibility. The whistleblower worked for the House Intelligence Committee which, at the time, was led by Schiff. 5:20pm- Speaking of leaks, Matt finds exclusive audio of Rep. Eric Swalwell “leaking”… 5:40pm- Did Rich mention he was on Fox News with Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer earlier today? 6:05pm- In a post to Truth Social, President Donald Trump announced that he would be nominating Dr. EJ Antoni to run the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Rich jokes that Trump is selecting all of our regular guests to serve in positions within the federal government—Dr. Marty Makary, Tulsi Gabbard, and now EJ! 6:15pm- In a ...

In today's teaching, Pastor Ricky speaks about doing things in our own power. You may be listening today and thinking yes, I am struggling with that. Well, Pastor Ricky reminds and encourages you that you are given a mighty power, a real heavenly gospel power. The Holy Spirit dwells in you to be your helper. Ironically some people say faith in Christianity is a crutch but we are sinners who need help. So to all who can humbly admit they need it, come to Jesus.

Worship at the new temple has been established and the people of Israel begin to worship the Lord with renewed vigor and zeal. The Lord honors their worship and continues to love His people by providing for them and protecting them. King Solomon's wisdom and wealth become known across the ancient world, and royalty from nearby nations come to seek his counsel and insight. Ironically, Solomon's wisdom is not passed on to his son, Rehoboam, as one of his first decrees runs in direct contradiction to the council of elders. By trusting his friends more than the advice of wise men with experience, Rehoboam serves as a catalyst for division.2 Chronicles 9 - 1:09 . 2 Chronicles 10 - 8:09 . 2 Chronicles 11 - 12:04 . 2 Chronicles 12 - 16:15 . Isaiah 3 - 19:49 . Isaiah 4 - 23:55 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Ironically, one of the most disciplined things you could ever do is go to bed on time. Want to learn about the 9 Super Habits? Click here!

Tanis Jorge opens up about a fascinating paradox in his entrepreneurial journey. After 25+ years of building successful businesses with his high school best friend and co-founder - including multiple successful exits - he found himself questioning his own abilities when he went solo for the first time. Ironically, his new venture is The Cofounder's Hub, a business focused on partnership strategies, yet he's building it alone. Jorge candidly admits he's caught between self-doubt and belief, wondering if his previous success was due to the partnership dynamic rather than his individual capabilities. He's refreshingly honest about being "in the middle of the ride" - not completely doubting himself, but not at 100% confidence either. It's a raw look at how even seasoned entrepreneurs face imposter syndrome when stepping outside their comfort zone.Watch Full Podcast- http://bit.ly/4f7g6D3

Have you ever felt like giving to your church is more of a burden than a joy?You're not alone. For many believers, the offering moment stirs up anxiety instead of worship. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”Those words—not reluctantly and not under compulsion—are key. God doesn't want us giving out of guilt. He invites us to give freely, joyfully, and with a heart aligned to His mission.But guilt is a powerful motivator. Perhaps you've felt it—when the plate passes or a giving campaign is launched. Thoughts flood in: “I haven't given enough... I'm letting God down.” That's not generosity born of grace. That's fear. And it contradicts the gospel.The Gospel Sets Us FreeRomans 8:1 declares, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”That includes condemnation over money. Christ's death covers all guilt—financial or otherwise. If we're giving to appease guilt, we're not walking in the freedom Jesus secured.And let's be clear: there's a big difference between guilt and conviction.Guilt says, “You're not good enough.”Conviction says, “Let me lead you to something better.”John 16:8 reminds us that conviction is the Spirit's loving invitation into deeper trust, not shame.Giving From Grace, Not ObligationHere's a test:Guilt says, “I must give, or else.”Grace says, “I get to give—because of all I've received.”Hebrews 9:14 says, “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ…cleanse our consciences…so that we may serve the living God!”When we live under grace, our giving becomes service, not penance. We give because we're loved, not to earn love.Ironically, guilt-fueled giving short-circuits the very transformation generosity is meant to bring. When we give cheerfully, we remember that all we have belongs to God. That reframes us as stewards, not owners—a truth that reshapes us from the inside out.When we give from grace:We declare that Jesus is enough.We reflect our trust in God's provision.We participate in the beauty of Kingdom work.What If Guilt Has Been Shaping Your Giving?Bring it to God – Confess it. Ask Him to renew your heart and reshape your motives.Practice gratitude – Reflect on how God has already provided for you. Gratitude fuels joyful generosity.Ask what joyful giving looks like now – Not compared to others, but based on your own journey with Christ.Because here's the truth: God isn't after your money. He's after your heart. And when He has your heart, generosity will follow—not from guilt, but from grace.You can explore more on giving from the right motivations in the latest issue of Faithful Steward, our quarterly magazine for FaithFi partners. When you give $35 a month or a one-time gift of $400, you'll join a community spreading biblical financial wisdom. Partners also receive early access to new devotionals, studies, and Pro access to the FaithFi app.Learn more or become a partner today at FaithFi.com/partner.On Today's Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:I'm in my early 40s with a history of cancer, but I've been cancer-free for over 10 years. Still, I'm having a hard time qualifying for life insurance. I do have some coverage through my employer, but it wouldn't be enough to support my wife and four young kids if something happened to me. Are there insurance providers more open to covering cancer survivors that I should look into?I own 10 properties and have been rehabbing them due to damage caused by COVID-19 delays and a flood. My wife is still working, and our personal expenses are much lower than our business costs. I'm trying to figure out when enough is enough. Should I continue fixing up all the properties, or would it be wiser to sell some of them as-is?We're considering taking out a loan of $20,000–$30,000 for home repairs. Our mortgage balance is over $300,000, and my husband is retired. Our lender is only offering a cash-out refinance, but we currently have a great interest rate in the 3% range. What's the best loan option for our situation?We've been debt-free for 20 years, but we recently bought a second home for our adult son with special needs. The house requires more work and furnishings than we initially expected, which is putting a strain on our finances. We've always tithed faithfully—would it be okay to pause our giving temporarily until we're more financially stable?Resources Mentioned:Faithful Steward: FaithFi's New Quarterly Magazine (Become a FaithFi Partner)Wisdom Over Wealth: 12 Lessons from Ecclesiastes on MoneyLook At The Sparrows: A 21-Day Devotional on Financial Fear and AnxietyRich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich FoolFind a Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA) or Certified Christian Financial Counselor (CertCFC)FaithFi App Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on the Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. Visit our website at FaithFi.com where you can join the FaithFi Community and give as we expand our outreach.

When Americans hear “gun deaths,” they're fed a single number that lumps together suicides, murders, accidents, and justified defensive shootings. This aggregation is misleading. Over 55% of firearm deaths in the U.S. are suicides—tragic outcomes driven by mental health, not gun policy. Around 40% are homicides, largely committed by criminals in urban environments, often gang-related. Accidental shootings are less than 2% of all firearm deaths, and justifiable homicides—law-abiding citizens or police stopping attackers—are statistically rare, even though defensive gun uses number in the hundreds of thousands annually, most ending without a shot.The fear surrounding firearms is manufactured. Every high-profile incident, like a school shooting, becomes media spectacle. Yet the odds of a child dying in a school shooting are less than one in two million per year. Schools conduct active shooter drills, not because the danger is widespread, but because fear is politically useful. These drills condition children to believe they live under constant threat, while data says otherwise.The sheer scale of U.S. gun ownership is unmatched. There are an estimated 450–500 million privately owned firearms—more guns than people. Yet despite this vast arsenal, only a microscopic fraction are ever misused. Most guns sit in safes, drawers, or holsters, owned by responsible citizens. The high number exists because multiple ownership is common; firearms are tools, each serving a different purpose, like golf clubs or a mechanic's toolbox. Collectors may own dozens or even hundreds, inflating totals without increasing danger.Since the 1980s, while the public conversation has grown more heated, laws have become more permissive. At least 27 states now allow “constitutional” or “permitless” carry. Supreme Court decisions like Heller (2008) and Bruen (2022) have dismantled restrictive regulations, affirming that the right to bear arms belongs to individuals. Federal bans, like the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban, expired in 2004 and have not returned. The courts are now increasingly hostile to sweeping gun restrictions.The Second Amendment's core purpose is often misunderstood. It does not mention hunting, target shooting, or even home defense. It exists to ensure the people retain the power to resist tyranny. The Founders understood that a disarmed populace is vulnerable to government overreach. Critics say the amendment is outdated, rooted in the age of muskets, but rights do not expire with technology. The First Amendment protects online speech as much as quill-written pamphlets; likewise, the Second adapts to modern arms. Ironically, the very muskets of the Founders' era are no longer regulated as firearms—black powder rifles can be ordered online and shipped to your door, treated as historical curiosities rather than weapons.With nearly half a billion guns in private hands, the U.S. is not the war zone gun control advocates claim. If the mere presence of guns caused violence, the country would be drowning in blood. Instead, the overwhelming majority of firearms are never involved in any crime. The real issues—mental illness, gang culture, economic despair—drive the statistics, not lawful ownership.The narrative of an “epidemic” of gun violence thrives on fear, not facts. It ignores that defensive gun uses save lives and that most owners act responsibly. It conflates suicides with homicides, domestic disputes with mass shootings, and criminals with law-abiding citizens.The truth is clear: guns themselves are not the problem. The problem lies in how numbers are framed, how fear is sold, and how policy is shaped by emotion instead of data. Far from being a menace, widespread legal firearm ownership coexists with remarkably low misuse. The Second Amendment remains what it was meant to be—a safeguard of liberty, not a pastime.

After so many years in the Down syndrome community, we've had our fair share of surprising and even disappointing experiences with other advocates. The more we put ourselves out there, the more opportunity there is for disagreement. So what happens when there's division amongst mothers in the Down syndrome community? Join us for a chat about:Unwritten rules and competition.. what happened to collaboration?Managing intellectual property.. what belongs to the individual vs the community?Social media stand-offs.. how do we engage in productive conversations?Ironically, the DS community doesn't always feel inclusive. So what can we do to support the bigger picture even if we disagree on smaller things? Lets start by assuming the BEST in each other. SHOW NOTES154. Community Over Competition ft. Chantele Holm SPONSORS National Down Syndrome SocietyiCanShine ProgramsDown for GreensRods Heroes

One of the many signs of self-realization, or spiritual progress, is a natural decline in attachment to having our desires fulfilled. Thom explored this in depth in an earlier episode on vairagya, or non-attachment.Ironically, another hallmark of self-realization is that our desires actually become more likely to be fulfilled. In this episode, Thom explores why that is, through the lens of punya, a concept from the Vedic tradition.As with most Vedic principles, punya isn't something we need to believe in, it's something we can verify directly through our own personal experience.Episode Highlights[00:45] Support of Nature for Your Desires[03:14] Degrees of Cosmic Intelligence[07:21] Only Evolution is Happening[09:16] How Big is Your Consciousness?[12:11] Who is the I?[15:26] Something Happened on the Way to Disneyland[18:43] Spoiler Alert[21:05] Leishavidya – The Faint Remains of Ignorance[24:41] Nothing is Going WrongUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Cathy Seifert breaks down Berkshire Hathaway (BRK/B) earnings. She considers them “pretty weak” and discusses her previous downgrade of the stock. “Against the peer group, these results are not quite at the same level,” she says, particularly noting weakness in insurance. “Ironically, the one bright spot were BNSF results,” she adds (BNSF is a major freight railroad company). Cathy argues organic revenue could bounce the stock back, along with share repurchases.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

Dave's Journey Back To Nature: Part 3Jill, Mike, and Penny Contrive a publicity plan.Based on posts by Big galoot, in 6 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.On Thursday, Geri phoned. She spoke with Muriel for a while before being handed back to me,"How you doing?" Geri asked."Good. A strangely odd week, very hard for poor Muriel; but we're getting there.""How's the resort looking, have you got many bookings.""I think there's a couple for this weekend and Suzi and I are going to sort out the chalets tomorrow for them. A few more next weekend, after that I don't know, why?"" Remember I said I'd ask around, see if anyone had any ideas.""Yes.""Well Freddy Spencer, one of my old chums from the Arundel Naturist Resort, is now the editor of H & E magazine."Geri sounded really excited but I didn't know what she was talking about."H & E magazine is like the naturist bible, it's run for and by naturists.""Ok and?" I pressed."Well, like me, Freddy has some fond memories of coming down there with his parents. They were lovely, innocent, naked days,""That's great, but how does that help us now?""Well Freddy would like to come and do an article about the place, promote it as a fun, welcoming place to be. He says he'll give us a four page spread, and if we can make it look fun, with a good mixture of young and old, then it should do wonders for the resort's image and bookings.""Sounds great but how are we going to do it, there's very few people booked in for the next few weeks.""They normally use professional, perfect models for their shoots, but I think we can make it more real, more natural.""How so.""I've volunteered myself, Mary, you and Suzi to be models, I'm was also thinking about Muriel, but with Jim passing away I don't know."Fine for me, Suzi or Geri, But I could never see Mary agreeing. "What doe's Mary think of it?""I haven't told her yet."I found myself shaking my head and laughing. "Good luck with that."I told Muriel about it, and she was over the moon! Her spirits immediately lifted, chattering away about where we could take the photos and such.There was a knock at the door and I said I'd get it. Mike Squires and his wife, Penny, were standing there along with two other neighbors; come to show their condolences.When the visitors entered the living room, Muriel seemed pleased as she stood to greet them."So good of you all, to come over."To make ourselves useful; Suzi and I asked if anyone wanted tea,"Maybe something a bit stronger?" Muriel said.Everyone had a drink and they were having a good old natter, telling stories about Jim and 'the good old days'.We just sat and enjoyed listening, keeping everyone's glasses topped up. The conversation eventually got around to Muriel's plans for the future and for the holiday resort."Well I hope to keep it running, although my bookings are way down on previous years. But these two lovely young people are going to help, so we might manage.""Yes; I met Dave and Suzi the other day and the place is already looking better." Mike said, smiling at Suzi.Penny, Mikes wife, said; "It's the village festival, in two weeks, you've never really been involved before; but why don't you take a booth, this year, handing out fliers and letting people know about the place. With these two good-looking ones working here, you're bound to get a good response." I think she was looking at me, the same way Mike looked at Suzi, but I could be wrong."Hold on old girl, Muriel's probably got her hands full, what with making arrangements and such.""I think it's a wonderful idea, give me something to look forward to, and all publicity helps.""Well, if it's publicity you want, then I have an idea." We all turned to look at Jill, another neighbor who had hardly said a word since she arrived, concentrating on drinking Gin instead.Jill seemed happy with her audience and continued "Well this is a nudist resort isn't it?"Muriel nodded. "Well then what you have to do is something involving nudity."We were all just looking at her, waiting for her to continue. Once she managed to get her words straight in her head, she said; "I was reading about a village somewhere that has a Lady Godiva festival, very popular as you can imagine. Anyway, I was thinking that you could do something similar, maybe have someone ride nude through the village and into the festival center. The press would love it, maybe even the nationals."Mike was the first to say anything, "that's a bit much, I don't think the parish council would allow it.""Well, I'm on the parish council, and I think it's a marvelous idea." Penny said.We all looked at Muriel, who was just smiling; "I think it's wonderful."We all smiled, as much at Muriel's joy, as anything else. The talk soon got around to practicalities. Mike stared at Suzi as he asked, who could we get to play the lead role."I'll think of someone." Was all Muriel would say.I wasn't saying much, but an idea was starting to form in my head."Why don't we do something a bit different?" I blurted out. Everyone looked at me. "I know traditionally there was only one Lady Godiva, but why don't we have two, think up some silly reason for it. It'll definitely give us more bang for our money."I actually had a fully formed plan in my head, but didn't want to give all the details. I could see peoples' faces, thinking about what I had said."It could be interesting." Muriel said"I have two lovely mares we could use." Chipped in Mike.The chatter drifted off into matter s of Jim's funeral, and eventually it got late.When everyone had left, the three of us were sitting on the sofa."That was an interesting evening, what with H & E coming, and now Lady Godiva. I'm quite dizzy from it all." Muriel said.Suzi was looking at me and said, "I can see the cogs whirling. What are you thinking?""Lots of things. We need to decide who will be in the magazine pictures and I have a few ideas for Lady Godiva.""I bet you do.""Not what you're thinking. Things can't be too explicit, no worse than you might see on in some newspapers.""And?" Suzi pressed."Well, my idea would be to have a younger and an old Lady Godiva; hopefully you and Muriel." I stopped talking, letting my idea sink in, and waiting for reactions.Muriel was the first to respond, Suzi possibly a bit taken aback."Oh how exciting, there's a few in the village who have always disapproved of me, it'll give me a chance to rub their noses in it. What about you Suzi?""I don't know. I don't think I could, and besides I can't ride a horse.""Well we have two weeks to practice and I'm sure Mike would enjoy giving you lessons." Muriel said this with a glint in her eye and a small, knowing grin."Is there something we should know?" I asked, a smile on my face, knowing that whatever Muriel told us would be juicy."Well you'd never guess, looking at them now; but when Mike and Penny were younger they were wild, spending weekends over here, getting stoned and shagging. I don't think they ever considered themselves hippies like the rest of us. They just enjoyed the drugs and the sex. Then Mike took over the farm and they got married. They became respectable."I could sense there was more, and urged her to carry on."Over the years Mike has been a frequent visitor, ostensibly on the pretense of being neighborly, but really to see if there were any naked women he could stare at. I'm sure you made his day if not his year when he met you on Sunday."Muriel, for once, looked a little sheepish, before continuing "he would often come in the mornings when I was out for my walks and over the years we've developed a little thing.""A little thing?" I inquired.Muriel smiled, obviously wondering how much to tell us, but then decided to change the subject.Riding Like Godiva."I think you'd make a wonderful Lady Godiva, Suzi. And if you're very shy, I'm sure we can do something with your hair.""With my hair?""Yes, we can comb it so that it covers your boobs."Suzi didn't look convinced."Right, come over here and I'll show you what I mean."Both Muriel and Suzi stood up."Take your clothes off and we'll use this round ottoman as our pretend horse. Here, let me roll up a beach towel for you to place against your cunny. It's what a saddle will feel like. Plus, it'll keep this upholstery from smelling like a hussy's pussy."Suzi looked a little uncertain, but removed her jeans and t-shirt, hesitating before removing her bra, and going to sit on the ottoman."No-no, knickers as well. I want you to see how little you'll be exposing."I was enjoying the show, a raging boner in my pants and a smile on my face. When Suzi removed her knickers Muriel told her to sit astride the ottoman.Suzi sat straddling over the rolled up beach towel, facing me, spreading her legs as wide as possible, fully exposing her very moist-looking bald pussy. She was enjoying this as much as me."Now David I want you to get that thick sofa cushion and place it upwards, in front of Suzi, we'll pretend it's the horses head."As I did this Muriel was playing with Suzi's hair, bringing it over her shoulder and laying it over her boobs, the back of her hand rubbing against her nipples and causing Suzi to gasp and Muriel to smile. I was entranced and very turned on by the Suzi's nakedness, and Muriel fussing over her. My trance was only broken by Muriel's voice."Now David, come and have a look here."I moved to the back of the ottoman, beside Muriel. "All we can see is a little bit of your crack and when you're high up on the horse no one will see that, now bounce up and down for us as if the horse is moving."Suzi did as told, and it was a lovely sight, her cheeks flexing and fleeting glimpses of her puckered hole. Both Muriel and I were admiring the sight, when Suzi said, "my hair has fallen off of my boobs, we'll have to stick it down somehow."It sounded like Suzi had decided she'll do it. Muriel and I smiled at each other. "I'm sure we'll find something to keep it in place." Muriel said, smiling some more as she watched Suzi continue to bounce up and down."You can a slowly rock your hips, as if the horse is slowly walking, if you like.""Oh, this feels nice." Suzi said as she began grinding her crotch down on the plush terrycloth.Suzi was getting herself off on the cushioned ottoman. Her legs were spread wide, grinding herself against the roll. I felt my mouth going dry as I watched. Her hip action sped up as she worked herself into a frenzy. I felt Muriel rubbing my cock through my trousers. As I looked at the matriarch, she moved her other hand down to Suzi's tit. From Suzi's immediate groans, I guessed Muriel was pinching her nipple. I moved down behind Suzi, on the ottoman, kissing her neck and putting my hand on her other boob, squeezing it roughly and pinching the nipple."Oh god, this feels so good, pinch harder; oh, ah, ah, I'm gonna come, I'm gonna come." Suzi had stopped rocking, instead just pushing down harder and grinding her pelvis slowly. She shuddered as her orgasm ripped through her.I was astride the ottoman, holding Suzi and cuddling her from behind. Muriel was now in front, bending down and kissing her, Suzi's arms went up to Muriel's face returning her kisses with a passion. Both my hands pressed into Suzi's tits, while I kissed the back of her neck.As her breathing settled she gave a throaty laugh, "I think I've soiled your towel." We all laughed."He's a lovely horse, would you like a go?" Suzi offered the mount to Muriel.Muriel smiled and began to undress and as we watched. Suzi leaned back into me and said, "take your clothes off."I stripped rapidly, ripping off my t-shirt and jeans, Muriel took her time as we both watched her, the undoing of each button of her shirt drawn out exquisitely, her eyes alive and her smile teasing, as she watched us staring at her. I wish I could've seen Suzi's face, I imagine she was as transfixed as me.Muriel and I were now both standing naked. As Suzi went to stand, Muriel placed her hand gently on her shoulder, urging her to remain seated. Suzi looked around at me and nearly got poked in the eye, smiling and shaking her head, as if, 'watch where you pock that spear'.Muriel moved in closer and pulled my head to hers, in a kiss. This caused Suzi to be wedged between us. It was obvious where Suzi's head was, and what Muriel was hoping she would do. I had to see. I broke our kiss and looked down at Suzi, her head bobbing slightly and her face buried in Muriel's muff, and my cock bobbing next to her ear 'Wow'.Muriel's nipples stood out long and hard; and looked very inviting, I was going to suck them but then had the urge to bite. Muriel let out a yelp and grabbed my hair, pulling it hard but pulling me in closer as she did so. I applied more pressure and put my hand on her ass. My fingers slid between her cheeks, searching for whatever hole they could find. After a bit I stepped back behind Suzi and pushed my cock against the back of Suzi's head, and pulled Muriel closer at the same time, before releasing. I repeated and the girls caught on straight away as we found a rhythm. Me humping Suzi's head as her face fucked Muriel's cunny.

Dave's Journey Back To Nature: Part 3Jill, Mike, and Penny Contrive a publicity plan.Based on posts by Big galoot, in 6 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.On Thursday, Geri phoned. She spoke with Muriel for a while before being handed back to me,"How you doing?" Geri asked."Good. A strangely odd week, very hard for poor Muriel; but we're getting there.""How's the resort looking, have you got many bookings.""I think there's a couple for this weekend and Suzi and I are going to sort out the chalets tomorrow for them. A few more next weekend, after that I don't know, why?"" Remember I said I'd ask around, see if anyone had any ideas.""Yes.""Well Freddy Spencer, one of my old chums from the Arundel Naturist Resort, is now the editor of H & E magazine."Geri sounded really excited but I didn't know what she was talking about."H & E magazine is like the naturist bible, it's run for and by naturists.""Ok and?" I pressed."Well, like me, Freddy has some fond memories of coming down there with his parents. They were lovely, innocent, naked days,""That's great, but how does that help us now?""Well Freddy would like to come and do an article about the place, promote it as a fun, welcoming place to be. He says he'll give us a four page spread, and if we can make it look fun, with a good mixture of young and old, then it should do wonders for the resort's image and bookings.""Sounds great but how are we going to do it, there's very few people booked in for the next few weeks.""They normally use professional, perfect models for their shoots, but I think we can make it more real, more natural.""How so.""I've volunteered myself, Mary, you and Suzi to be models, I'm was also thinking about Muriel, but with Jim passing away I don't know."Fine for me, Suzi or Geri, But I could never see Mary agreeing. "What doe's Mary think of it?""I haven't told her yet."I found myself shaking my head and laughing. "Good luck with that."I told Muriel about it, and she was over the moon! Her spirits immediately lifted, chattering away about where we could take the photos and such.There was a knock at the door and I said I'd get it. Mike Squires and his wife, Penny, were standing there along with two other neighbors; come to show their condolences.When the visitors entered the living room, Muriel seemed pleased as she stood to greet them."So good of you all, to come over."To make ourselves useful; Suzi and I asked if anyone wanted tea,"Maybe something a bit stronger?" Muriel said.Everyone had a drink and they were having a good old natter, telling stories about Jim and 'the good old days'.We just sat and enjoyed listening, keeping everyone's glasses topped up. The conversation eventually got around to Muriel's plans for the future and for the holiday resort."Well I hope to keep it running, although my bookings are way down on previous years. But these two lovely young people are going to help, so we might manage.""Yes; I met Dave and Suzi the other day and the place is already looking better." Mike said, smiling at Suzi.Penny, Mikes wife, said; "It's the village festival, in two weeks, you've never really been involved before; but why don't you take a booth, this year, handing out fliers and letting people know about the place. With these two good-looking ones working here, you're bound to get a good response." I think she was looking at me, the same way Mike looked at Suzi, but I could be wrong."Hold on old girl, Muriel's probably got her hands full, what with making arrangements and such.""I think it's a wonderful idea, give me something to look forward to, and all publicity helps.""Well, if it's publicity you want, then I have an idea." We all turned to look at Jill, another neighbor who had hardly said a word since she arrived, concentrating on drinking Gin instead.Jill seemed happy with her audience and continued "Well this is a nudist resort isn't it?"Muriel nodded. "Well then what you have to do is something involving nudity."We were all just looking at her, waiting for her to continue. Once she managed to get her words straight in her head, she said; "I was reading about a village somewhere that has a Lady Godiva festival, very popular as you can imagine. Anyway, I was thinking that you could do something similar, maybe have someone ride nude through the village and into the festival center. The press would love it, maybe even the nationals."Mike was the first to say anything, "that's a bit much, I don't think the parish council would allow it.""Well, I'm on the parish council, and I think it's a marvelous idea." Penny said.We all looked at Muriel, who was just smiling; "I think it's wonderful."We all smiled, as much at Muriel's joy, as anything else. The talk soon got around to practicalities. Mike stared at Suzi as he asked, who could we get to play the lead role."I'll think of someone." Was all Muriel would say.I wasn't saying much, but an idea was starting to form in my head."Why don't we do something a bit different?" I blurted out. Everyone looked at me. "I know traditionally there was only one Lady Godiva, but why don't we have two, think up some silly reason for it. It'll definitely give us more bang for our money."I actually had a fully formed plan in my head, but didn't want to give all the details. I could see peoples' faces, thinking about what I had said."It could be interesting." Muriel said"I have two lovely mares we could use." Chipped in Mike.The chatter drifted off into matter s of Jim's funeral, and eventually it got late.When everyone had left, the three of us were sitting on the sofa."That was an interesting evening, what with H & E coming, and now Lady Godiva. I'm quite dizzy from it all." Muriel said.Suzi was looking at me and said, "I can see the cogs whirling. What are you thinking?""Lots of things. We need to decide who will be in the magazine pictures and I have a few ideas for Lady Godiva.""I bet you do.""Not what you're thinking. Things can't be too explicit, no worse than you might see on in some newspapers.""And?" Suzi pressed."Well, my idea would be to have a younger and an old Lady Godiva; hopefully you and Muriel." I stopped talking, letting my idea sink in, and waiting for reactions.Muriel was the first to respond, Suzi possibly a bit taken aback."Oh how exciting, there's a few in the village who have always disapproved of me, it'll give me a chance to rub their noses in it. What about you Suzi?""I don't know. I don't think I could, and besides I can't ride a horse.""Well we have two weeks to practice and I'm sure Mike would enjoy giving you lessons." Muriel said this with a glint in her eye and a small, knowing grin."Is there something we should know?" I asked, a smile on my face, knowing that whatever Muriel told us would be juicy."Well you'd never guess, looking at them now; but when Mike and Penny were younger they were wild, spending weekends over here, getting stoned and shagging. I don't think they ever considered themselves hippies like the rest of us. They just enjoyed the drugs and the sex. Then Mike took over the farm and they got married. They became respectable."I could sense there was more, and urged her to carry on."Over the years Mike has been a frequent visitor, ostensibly on the pretense of being neighborly, but really to see if there were any naked women he could stare at. I'm sure you made his day if not his year when he met you on Sunday."Muriel, for once, looked a little sheepish, before continuing "he would often come in the mornings when I was out for my walks and over the years we've developed a little thing.""A little thing?" I inquired.Muriel smiled, obviously wondering how much to tell us, but then decided to change the subject.Riding Like Godiva."I think you'd make a wonderful Lady Godiva, Suzi. And if you're very shy, I'm sure we can do something with your hair.""With my hair?""Yes, we can comb it so that it covers your boobs."Suzi didn't look convinced."Right, come over here and I'll show you what I mean."Both Muriel and Suzi stood up."Take your clothes off and we'll use this round ottoman as our pretend horse. Here, let me roll up a beach towel for you to place against your cunny. It's what a saddle will feel like. Plus, it'll keep this upholstery from smelling like a hussy's pussy."Suzi looked a little uncertain, but removed her jeans and t-shirt, hesitating before removing her bra, and going to sit on the ottoman."No-no, knickers as well. I want you to see how little you'll be exposing."I was enjoying the show, a raging boner in my pants and a smile on my face. When Suzi removed her knickers Muriel told her to sit astride the ottoman.Suzi sat straddling over the rolled up beach towel, facing me, spreading her legs as wide as possible, fully exposing her very moist-looking bald pussy. She was enjoying this as much as me."Now David I want you to get that thick sofa cushion and place it upwards, in front of Suzi, we'll pretend it's the horses head."As I did this Muriel was playing with Suzi's hair, bringing it over her shoulder and laying it over her boobs, the back of her hand rubbing against her nipples and causing Suzi to gasp and Muriel to smile. I was entranced and very turned on by the Suzi's nakedness, and Muriel fussing over her. My trance was only broken by Muriel's voice."Now David, come and have a look here."I moved to the back of the ottoman, beside Muriel. "All we can see is a little bit of your crack and when you're high up on the horse no one will see that, now bounce up and down for us as if the horse is moving."Suzi did as told, and it was a lovely sight, her cheeks flexing and fleeting glimpses of her puckered hole. Both Muriel and I were admiring the sight, when Suzi said, "my hair has fallen off of my boobs, we'll have to stick it down somehow."It sounded like Suzi had decided she'll do it. Muriel and I smiled at each other. "I'm sure we'll find something to keep it in place." Muriel said, smiling some more as she watched Suzi continue to bounce up and down."You can a slowly rock your hips, as if the horse is slowly walking, if you like.""Oh, this feels nice." Suzi said as she began grinding her crotch down on the plush terrycloth.Suzi was getting herself off on the cushioned ottoman. Her legs were spread wide, grinding herself against the roll. I felt my mouth going dry as I watched. Her hip action sped up as she worked herself into a frenzy. I felt Muriel rubbing my cock through my trousers. As I looked at the matriarch, she moved her other hand down to Suzi's tit. From Suzi's immediate groans, I guessed Muriel was pinching her nipple. I moved down behind Suzi, on the ottoman, kissing her neck and putting my hand on her other boob, squeezing it roughly and pinching the nipple."Oh god, this feels so good, pinch harder; oh, ah, ah, I'm gonna come, I'm gonna come." Suzi had stopped rocking, instead just pushing down harder and grinding her pelvis slowly. She shuddered as her orgasm ripped through her.I was astride the ottoman, holding Suzi and cuddling her from behind. Muriel was now in front, bending down and kissing her, Suzi's arms went up to Muriel's face returning her kisses with a passion. Both my hands pressed into Suzi's tits, while I kissed the back of her neck.As her breathing settled she gave a throaty laugh, "I think I've soiled your towel." We all laughed."He's a lovely horse, would you like a go?" Suzi offered the mount to Muriel.Muriel smiled and began to undress and as we watched. Suzi leaned back into me and said, "take your clothes off."I stripped rapidly, ripping off my t-shirt and jeans, Muriel took her time as we both watched her, the undoing of each button of her shirt drawn out exquisitely, her eyes alive and her smile teasing, as she watched us staring at her. I wish I could've seen Suzi's face, I imagine she was as transfixed as me.Muriel and I were now both standing naked. As Suzi went to stand, Muriel placed her hand gently on her shoulder, urging her to remain seated. Suzi looked around at me and nearly got poked in the eye, smiling and shaking her head, as if, 'watch where you pock that spear'.Muriel moved in closer and pulled my head to hers, in a kiss. This caused Suzi to be wedged between us. It was obvious where Suzi's head was, and what Muriel was hoping she would do. I had to see. I broke our kiss and looked down at Suzi, her head bobbing slightly and her face buried in Muriel's muff, and my cock bobbing next to her ear 'Wow'.Muriel's nipples stood out long and hard; and looked very inviting, I was going to suck them but then had the urge to bite. Muriel let out a yelp and grabbed my hair, pulling it hard but pulling me in closer as she did so. I applied more pressure and put my hand on her ass. My fingers slid between her cheeks, searching for whatever hole they could find. After a bit I stepped back behind Suzi and pushed my cock against the back of Suzi's head, and pulled Muriel closer at the same time, before releasing. I repeated and the girls caught on straight away as we found a rhythm. Me humping Suzi's head as her face fucked Muriel's cunny.

#Coldplaygate - Episode 342 of the Divorce University Online Podcast. A recent social media post from a Coldplay concert went viral. It was a video of a couple who were having an affair and attended the concert together, only to end up on the “kisscam”. Ironically, their reactions to being on the screen gave away their secret. Affairs are painful and devastating for everyone involved but many lessons on divorce, child custody and building your future can be learned from these situations if you choose to use them positively. To learn more about how I can support you in achieving success in your custody matter, please schedule a free strategy session at www.divorceuniversityonline.com/vip-coaching. Thanks for listening!

Walk As He Walked (audio) David Eells – 7/30/25 Use It or Lose It Saints, don't miss any opportunity to eat your Bread of Life from heaven every day. Partaking of the Word of God and fellowship with those who share it is of utmost importance. We're told in Exo.16:4 Then said Jehovah unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not. The Israelites didn't obey God in this, and they murmured and fell in the wilderness. When, because of worldly pursuits we pass up the chance to eat our manna today with the excuse that we will do it tomorrow, we miss the only chance we had that day to eat that manna and prepare our soul for the wilderness. 19 And Moses said unto them, Let no man leave of it till the morning. 20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and became foul: and Moses was wroth with them. All excuses aside, people do what is important to them. Our spiritual man must be fed or he dies. If the kingdom is not first in a person's life, God will find someone else who values what He has to offer. Let's read Mat.22:4 Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, Behold, I have made ready my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage feast. 5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise. 8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore unto the partings of the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage feast. And it will happen just like this. And in Luk.14:15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. 16 But he said unto him, A certain man made a great supper; and he bade many: 17 and he sent forth his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for [all] things are now ready. 18 And they all with one [consent] began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a field, and I must needs go out and see it; I pray thee have me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee have me excused. 20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21 And the servant came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor and maimed and blind and lame. 22 And the servant said, Lord, what thou didst command is done, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and constrain [them] to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say unto you, that none of those men that were bidden shall taste of my supper. 25 Now there went with him great multitudes: and he turned, and said unto them, 26 If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, (We are to hate the Psuche or soulish life that separates us from the God life of Zoe, which is provided in the manna.) he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whosoever doth not bear his own cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. I pray for you that God will be first in your life. You have the opportunity now to prepare for the wilderness. Without taking advantage of this, you will fall away and someone will take your place. Hence the warning: “Let no man take thy crown”.   Time in the Word Sanctifies https://youtu.be/wNWvxexMri0?si=WclLLtgQFUfXLynY December 27, 2019 (Davids notes in red) The following is a transcript of this short video: There was a recent study by the Center for Bible Engagement where they pulled 40,000 of the general population in the U.S. from [ages] 8- 80, and they just wanted to see how we are engaging with Scripture. They discovered something that actually became the profound discovery of the entire study. They were not even looking for this, but it became the highlight of the study. They found that when we are in the Scriptures one time a week, and that could be in church on a Sunday, where the pastor says to open your Bible, and we hear the message. One time a week had a negligible effect on some key areas of the peoples lives, which I'm going to spell out more here in a moment. Two times a week also had a negligible effect. At three times a week, there was a “blip” on the map, like there was a heartbeat; something happened. Then there was a profound discovery. When we're in the Scriptures four times a week, it literally spikes off the chart. You would expect that it would be like 1, 2, 3…. I mean that there would be a gradual incline on the effect and impact that would have in your life, but it was literally, 1, 2, 3, 4 – then something radical happens. (How much more powerful it is to obey the Word and get your portion of the Manna every day like the bride.) What kind of behavior is being affected to this extent? At four times a week in the Scriptures, feeling lonely dropped 30%. Anger issues dropped 32%. Bitterness in relationships, such as the marriage relationship, and that with your kids, and so on, drops 40%. Alcoholism drops 57%. Feeling spiritually stagnant—you know, if there was one area when I'm talking with people, that they'll be honest about, is they just feel spiritually stagnant when I ask them the question: “How much time do you spend in the Scriptures?” If they're in the Scriptures four times a week or more, that dropped 60%. Viewing pornography drops 61%. Now, look at this: sharing your faith jumps 200% because you have confidence in God's Word. And discipling others jumps 230%. Wow! That's Amazing! (So, what happens when you get your manna every day since the Word is our manna? Christ in you! And if we seek first the Kingdom everything else will be taken care of.)   Let No One Take Thy Crown David Eells Rev.3:10 Because thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that [hour] which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11 I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown. Once, for the purpose of crucifixion, I was being judged by some people who had not gone through the suffering, nor had they made the sacrifices that I had made to serve the Lord. I asked the Lord why He was not chastening these people as He had clearly done in the past with others who had done the same thing. He told me that He had chastened them. Then He showed me several ways He had done this. Not wanting to think or say something that was also false judgment, I asked the Lord to give me a sign that what I heard was truly from Him. He gave me the sign as confirmation. One thing that He showed me was that He gives the opportunity for many to walk in the light that they are given. Then, after a trial period, if they refuse to walk in this light, God takes it away, and they walk in a lesser glory, a lower position in the Kingdom. The deeper discernment they once had is taken from them, and they go back, deeper into Babylon and walk less in His temple and more in the world. Verse 12 He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name (Greek word meaning nature, character and authority) of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem (the Bride), which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name. God pointed out to me several people whom I had taught deeper things. They rejoiced to see these things. Yet, after continuing to walk in willful disobedience in areas that were shown to them, the deeper understanding was taken out of their minds. They fell back into foolish Babylonish churches and doctrines that they would not have considered before. The same happened to Jesus' disciples in John 6:66, although the 12 stayed saying “thou hast the Words of life”. Over the years, I have watched as some people in this situation have left my care, and others have come to take their place in order to be tried by the Word in the same way. Again, verse 11 I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown. We are always being tried to prove whether we are worthy to walk in greater glory, which of course, is walking in more light and purity. Those who walk by faith will find power to obey and will grow from glory to glory. We have this by faith in 2Co.3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. All of the people of God are at this time manifesting one of these glories. Joseph shared a dream that clearly showed this. Starting as a star glory, he went to his cross in Egypt and was promoted in glory above his brethren, the children of Israel. We grow from star glory to moon glory and then to sun glory as we continue to walk in the light that God continues to give us. Joseph shared a dream in Gen.37:9 ... behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars made obeisance to me. 10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren; and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? The answer was, Yes. As we walk in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, we manifest more and more glory. This is true of physical death, burial, and resurrection. It is also true of spiritual death, burial, and resurrection as we walk in this world and come into the Zoe life of Christ. Paul gives this revelation in 1Co.15:41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: (And so it was with Jesus and the saints raised at the out resurrection.) 44 it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual [body]. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall (Greek; “Let us”) also bear the image of the heavenly. So by faith we reckon ourselves to be dead unto sin and alive unto God. But the glory of our resurrection bodies will be different as he says. Friends, to whom much is given much is expected, as Jesus said in Luk.12:48 ... And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more. The moral of this story is that if you want to keep the light you have, or if you want to receive more light, you must walk in the light you have. The time always comes when those who have eyes to perceive and ears to understand have abundance and restoration. Those who do not value this perception and understanding enough to walk in it will lose even what they have. Jesus teaches this in Mat.13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 And he answered and said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath (understanding), to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand; And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive. Because Israel did not walk in the light given to them, God took it away and gave it to the Gentiles. In the coming days, the reverse of this will happen. We read this in Rom.11:15 For if the casting away of them [is] the reconciling of the world, what [shall] the receiving [of them be], but life from the dead? 16 And if the firstfruit is holy, so is the lump: and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive, wast grafted in among them, and didst become partaker with them of the root of the fatness of the olive tree; 18 glory not over the branches: but if thou gloriest, it is not thou that bearest the root, but the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. 20 Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 for if God spared not the natural branches, neither will he spare thee. Uh, oh! No unconditional security. 22 Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if thou wast cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and wast grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree; how much more shall these, which are the natural [branches], be grafted into their own olive tree? 25 For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; 26 and so all Israel shall be saved (Meaning the physical Jews and the spiritual Jews who are circumcised in heart.): even as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer (Jesus in the Man-child Reformers); He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. On an individual basis this happens too. So, as we have seen, let “no one take thy crown.”   Overcome Evil with Good “Warriors of Truth” Victoria Boyson - 10/26/2008 (David's notes in red) (Keep in mind that Victoria's revelation is true of the elect only.) While in prayer, I was shown a vision. I saw misguided people who were the enemies of Truth, rallying together to deceive the saints; they were being guided by demonic forces that used them like toys. Great effort was being made by the realms of darkness to bring confusion and to stir up strife among the brethren to break up friendships that gave strength and encouragement to the saints. (From God's perspective, this is to test the strength of the body and remove the spots and blemishes.) I saw the enemies of Truth entering the lives of those who have been wounded by rejection and held in bondage by fear. (These spirits must be removed, many times through faction, for this makes one unstable and a danger to the body.) They spoke demonically induced lies with great power to deceive them in their weakened condition. (slander) Ironically, the lies of darkness actually seemed like “real truth” to them, and the enemies of Truth seemed like great saints. They appeared as though they were God's answer for the loneliness and pain they were feeling, so they opened their hearts to them. Because they came into agreement with their lies and their love grew painfully cold, they began to attack their brothers and sisters in Christ with accusation and judgment. (The spirit of faction moves in them.) Consequently, their attacks against them unleashed powers of destruction on the Church. Just when it seemed that the saints would falter under the heavy assault, I saw the great warriors of heaven rally their armies in preparation to invade Earth and dispel the enemies of Truth. (Including the wicked among men) They only awaited the command to do so by the saints -- for their cry for help. Under the weight of accusation, the saints began to weep. Their tears unleashed the army of heaven to attack the realms of darkness. (The warriors born of heaven are the Man-child reformers who bring both judgment and grace. And also the mighty angels.) It was then that I saw a heavenly warrior filled with great power, radiating a glorious light, entering the home of my enemy. This man had been used by the realms of darkness to rain down curses on my head; he was very jealous and filled with hatred toward me. However, even though I knew his dislike for me was great, I feared for him because the power of the heavenly warrior was great. I saw the warrior standing before him and drawing his sword, which was enormous and gave off a great light. I wondered at the sight of what was about to occur and thought, “Can it be God's will to destroy my enemy?” I heard the warrior speak in answer to the question of my heart and say, “I have been given authority to execute the judgments of the Lord”. Then the warrior, standing over my enemy, raised the sword and thrust it into his heart. It was difficult for me to watch because I truly loved my enemy and had prayed for him for a long time. I did not want to see him destroyed. Indeed, I had wept and prayed that he would completely surrender his life to the Lord and not allow the enemy to use him any longer. The warrior knew the thoughts of my heart and spoke again to me saying, “This sword is the Sword of Truth, and will dispel the lies of darkness that have taken over his heart”. (Ultimately, this will only work for the elect as we have seen for God himself sends delusion to some. 2Th 2:10-12 and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.) Then I looked at the sword and saw that, in its radiance, it seemed to be alive and pulsating. As its large blade rested in my enemy's heart, the Light it held began to fill his body; like melting gold, the Light seeped into his chest. At first, he lay motionless as if the sword had no effect on him, but then I saw his face cringe as if in pain, and I sensed brokenness enter his heart. Sorrow was invading his soul as the truth of his actions was shown to him. The spirit of repentance was dispelling the demonic lies, and darkness was fleeing from him as tears ran down his face. I looked again to watch the heavenly warrior who had come to execute the judgments of the Lord on my enemy. He watched with determined anticipation as the sword did its work on the man. (This will work for the elect, but no one had this sword more than Jesus and Judas had rejection, yet Jesus said, “One of you is a devil.” I have heard the Lord say to me that certain persons were not elect also. In this case the body was cleansed of Judas' who was not saved.) Turning to me, the warrior told me, “Your love for this man made this possible for him. I came to him only because you chose to love him despite his attacks against you and your family. You chose to love him, and because your Father loves you, He was compelled to touch the man for your sake”. (If a person has faction and witchcraft, which always comes with slander that is supernatural to deceive, you must obey scripture or you will be taken out. Tit 3:10-11 A factious man after a first and second admonition refuse; 11 knowing that such a one is perverted, and sinneth, being self-condemned. Rom 16:17-18 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent.) I was shocked! I wept at the words the warrior spoke because I knew that it was only because of my love for Christ that I loved my enemy. In myself, I wanted to hate him. Indeed, I wanted him to suffer as he had made me suffer. My first thoughts at the onslaught of his attacks against me were to call upon God to execute vengeance against the man. But I saw that the longer I clung to thoughts of judgment toward him, the more distant Christ became to me. It was only because of my desperate need and love for Christ that I forced myself to pray for him. I asked God to give me love for him because I simply had none of my own. I had no desire to forgive, but I asked God to give me that as well. And when He had changed my heart, I could honestly say, “I love him” and mean it. (Jesus said that We must forgive from the heart or be tormented.) It scared me to remember how easy it would have been for me to condemn the man and how close I came to doing it. It was truly only because Christ loved me that I felt the need to love this man. Could that one small decision to love and forgive him have brought about his redemption and activated the armies of heaven to fight for him? (Yes!) I was astonished to think that his deliverance at this moment came only because of that one small choice I made to stand with Christ. Now, I stand in awe as I see the transformation of someone I thought was unredeemable. (Even though Judas was not elect he was treated with Love by Jesus who was innocent. We are commanded to love our enemies whether they become friends or not. Psa 109:3-5 They have compassed me about also with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause. 4 For my love they are my adversaries: But I give myself unto prayer. 5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, And hatred for my love. As Jesus said, “Many are called but few are chosen” [Greek - elect]. Pro 29:1 He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck Shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.) I had, in the past, desperately pleaded with God to remove him from my life, so he would no longer have the power to hurt me. I couldn't understand why He wouldn't do it. It was, however, because He wanted to use me to change this man's life, and in the process of helping him, my own heart was transformed as well. (Yes, true) Yes, his redemption has truly changed us both. My earthly enemy was not my enemy after all; he was the treasure that the Lord had longed to uncover, if only I were willing to help Him. Now I see the warriors of Truth have invaded other lives across the earth as the hearts of the saints have cried out for the souls of men. They are liberating the lost from the darkness that bound them as these saints of Christ cling to the cross of love and hold it high above them in a defiant reply to the attacks of the accuser of the brethren. The treasured friendships among the saints that seemed hopelessly broken are being miraculously restored, and they have received a greater level of appreciation for one another. The cold love that had tried to force them to fear one another has been flung aside and radical, selfless love has become their war cry! Darkness had them bound, but THE TRUTH Himself has set them free, and whom the SON sets free is free indeed! (When a person has rejection and fear of rejection, they can be saved by love, but when faction grows to a level that they cannot resist it even deliverance usually does not last as it was with Jesus dealing with Judas and the Pharisees.)   Spiritual Warfare for Souls David Eells - 08/21/2016 Salt is known as a preservative, which we should be to mankind. What Jesus is to us, we should be to others, but He said, Mat.5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. (Because Christians have not been salt, they are now being trampled under the feet of the Beast army. This is what happens to those who don't seek to bring salvation in all its forms to mankind. For such a time as this have we come to the Kingdom. Let us intercede to the King and do His warfare against His enemies.) We can see a time of war in these verses, which represents the David ministry. Then we see a time of peace under the Soloman ministry. Jer.48:10 Cursed be he that doeth the work of Jehovah negligently; and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood. Heb.4:12 For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Unless we swing the sword of the Word, our enemy will win against us. We must do this on the personal front against the enemies of our souls and the souls of others. We must do this on the political front against the DS satanists who would take us and the nation we live in into captivity physically. We must do this on a personal front against those principalities who would poison our bodies with their chemtrails, plagues, or diseases, or send other curses upon us.) Here is a Sword. Isa.54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of Jehovah, and their righteousness which is of me, saith Jehovah. Luk.9:1 And he called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. And 10:19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. 2Co.2:14 But thanks be unto God, who always leadeth us in triumph (meaning celebration of the victory) in Christ, and maketh manifest through us the savor of his knowledge in every place. Mar.11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. (Greek: Have the faith of God.) 23 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it. 24 Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye received them, and ye shall have them. 25 And whensoever ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any one; that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Psa.103:20 Bless Jehovah, ye his angels, That are mighty in strength, that fulfil his word, Hearkening unto the voice of his word. 21 Bless Jehovah, all ye his hosts, Ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Psa 2:1 Why do the nations rage, And the peoples meditate a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord, and against his anointed, … (Who is the Lord's anointed? 2Co.1:21 Now he that establisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God; 22 who also sealed us, and gave us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.) Back to our text: saying Psa.2:3 Let us break their bonds asunder, And cast away their cords from us. 4 He that sitteth in the heavens will laugh: The Lord will have them in derision. 5 Then will he speak unto them in his wrath, And vex them in his sore displeasure: 6 Yet I have set my king Upon my holy hill of Zion. 7 I will tell of the decree: the Lord said unto me, Thou art my son; This day have I begotten thee. 8 Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. 10 Now therefore be wise, O ye kings: Be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, For his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all they that take refuge in him. Eph.6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. Psa.144:1 A Psalm of David. Blessed be Jehovah my rock, Who teacheth my hands to war, And my fingers to fight: 2 My lovingkindness, and my fortress, My high tower, and my deliverer; My shield, and he in whom I take refuge; Who subdueth my people under me.  

The phrase “as American as mom and apple pie” once described something wholesome and unquestioned. It evoked family, community, and tradition. Today, critics recast those same images as coded language for oppression. The cultural consensus of the 1980s and 1990s is no longer neutral. Under the modern lens, it is marked as racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, and even fascist. When normal life is reframed as oppressive, nearly everyone outside a narrow ideology is implicated. There is no neutral ground.This new moral order assumes that redefining words and policing behavior can control hearts and minds. But humans resist control. They push back when cornered, often out of spite. This explains why cultural campaigns produce backlash. Boycotts of brands like Bud Light or Target were not about products. They were expressions of rebellion against being told nostalgia for one's own culture is immoral. Ironically, by declaring traditional symbols dangerous, activists turn them into emblems of resistance. The harder the effort to erase them, the more stubbornly they endure.The Sydney Sweeney controversy makes this clear. American Eagle ran an ad with the slogan “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.” A simple pun was read as promoting eugenics because the actress is blonde and blue-eyed. Some labeled it fascist-coded. Others mocked the outrage. Sales rose. Even harmless ads are now treated as ideological tests. Extreme marketing thrives in this environment. Outrage spreads faster than approval, and controversy drives profit. Every purchase feels like a political vote.The same dynamic plays out in policy. When police are framed as fascists, enforcement is weakened. Sanctuary cities, meant to protect, often signal weakness. Game theory predicts predators will exploit these gaps. Crime rises where enforcement falls. Meanwhile, suburban and rural residents watch calmly from a distance. They are armed, skeptical, and detached, expecting failure.The paradox deepens. Sanctuaries meant to shield undocumented immigrants often concentrate them where they are easiest to target. Federal agencies treat these cities as stocked ponds. Publicly, city leaders condemn enforcement. Privately, they cooperate to maintain order. Businesses notice instability and leave, hollowing out local economies.These policies resemble United Nations mandates: bold in language, weak in power. They depend on the very systems they oppose to keep functioning. They are more about virtue signaling than effective governance. The result is a cycle. Redefining normality breeds resentment. Resentment fuels backlash. Backlash drives polarization. Ideological policies create chaos, forcing quiet compromises that expose their limits.This conflict plays out like an old film gag. The cigar burns, everyone smiles, and the explosion is inevitable. Attempts to control culture through moral pressure do not end as expected. The backlash is already here, seen in quiet decisions, empty storefronts, and eroding trust. The old symbols of America persist—not because they are flawless, but because they are human and resistant to erasure.Mom and apple pie remain. Not as propaganda, but as things people hold onto when everything else is called into question.

My guest today is Sava Riaskoff.Sava is a Performance & Wellbeing Coach, TEDxSpeaker, and Associate Professor at the ESADE MBA in Barcelona. Over the past seven years, he's worked with leaders and next-gen talent through 1:1 coaching, in-company trainings, and immersive retreats in Europe and Patagonia.His work is deeply shaped by his own journey — from following a path that looked right on paper but left him quietly burning out, to being forced to face some of the hard questions we tend to avoid: What do I actually want? And who am I really, when I stop trying to fit in or live up to other people's expectations?Today, he helps others explore those same questions — and navigate the uncertainty, self-doubt, and pressure that tend to come with choosing a new path or stepping into leadership.I met Sava through the kind introduction of Adela Warkentin (thank you, Adela!!).  This is a beautiful and inspiring conversation where we explore the intersection of emotional safety and authenticity or vulnerability.  What changes when we choose to be vulnerable and risk the unknown?  Ironically enough, as Sava shares… we find safety, despite it feeling so scary.Sava, thank you for jumping into the deep end of the conversational pool with me!  Thank you for choosing authenticity and vulnerability.  You are an inspiration!  Keep being you and adding such beautiful light to the world!!To learn more about Sava and the work he does in the world, you'll find links below: Sava's Website: https://www.inwardpath.comGrowth Week Retreats: https://growthweek.coWatch Sava's TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WelzFFA0TMlinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/savariaskoffMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

Pastor Doug Link delves into the pervasive issue of loneliness in our modern lives. Ironically, technology, which was touted as a means of enhancing connectivity, has only contributed to our isolation and may not offer a solution to this pressing problem. The post We Get Lonely appeared first on Grace Church of Tallahassee.

Jennifer Todd has been a nurse for 30 years, and she's throwing her hat into the ring to face Congresswoman Mary Miller. She joins Megan Lynch to explain how her expertise is needed in Washington. Ironically, both Miller and Todd live outside the district, which is allowed under Illinois law.

Jeff B. rose to very top of major league baseball, only to find alcoholism waiting to take him down. For years, his extraordinary achievements on the field thrilled millions of fans. Off the field, his growing consumption of alcohol set the stage for the disease to take over when a painful and career-ending injury forced him to retire years before he was ready. As Jeff experienced relentless daily pain, the heart-breaking loss of his beloved profession, and the boredom of retirement, he sought relief through the bottle. Instead of relief, heavy drinking only numbed the pain, while it fractured his marriage, upset his children, and self-isolated him from the people in his life who cared most. His first attempt at treatment was to appease his wife and children, but the absence of a honest desire to stay sober took him out shortly thereafter. Subsequent treatment programs and therapy did little to effect a long-term solution, but they did open Jeff's eyes to Alcoholics Anonymous. The following years found him in and out of AA, collecting nine desire chips, along with lots of self-recrimination, shame, and disappointment in the process. But the men in the Program never gave up on him, and “12th- Stepped” him time and time again. When he finally picked up his last desire chip nearly five years ago, Jeff had been totally beaten by the disease and he was ready to do the hard, but necessary, work to stay sober. Ironically, his spiritual awakening came with the realization that might seem counterintuitive to an elite professional athlete: Jeff had to surrender to win. That surrender was the ticket to lasting and contented sobriety for Jeff, sustained by his constant involvement in AA. Choosing to remain in the middle of the program, he attends regular meetings, works the Steps, reads the Big Book, calls his sponsor, and carries the message to other alcoholics. His local and national renown allows him a wide sphere in which to help others, while his humble nature, quiet demeanor, and total confidence in the Program, has allowed him to touch many lives. I'm honored to have Jeff as my 75th interview. His story embodies many of the same experiences of other AA members I've interviewed. His extraordinary career notwithstanding, his place as an active member of AA is as vital and significant as every other member of the fellowship. His love for and accountability to the Program is both admirable and attractive. I believe you will enjoy the next hour and ten minutes with my good friend and AA Brother, Jeff B. [This is an encore of Episode 75 originally released March 27, 2022.] If you've enjoyed my AA Recovery Interviews series, have a listen to “Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism”. This is the word-for-word, cover-to-cover reading of the First Edition of the Big Book, published in 1939. It's a comfortable, meaningful, and engaging way to listen to the Big Book anytime, anyplace. Have a free listen at Audible, Apple Books, or Amazon.  I also invite you to check out my latest audio book, Lost Stories of the Big Book, 30 Original Stories Missing from the 3rd and 4th Editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. It's an engaging audiobook I narrated to bring these stories to life for AA members who've never seen them. These timeless testimonials were originally cut to make room for newer stories in the 3rd and 4th Editions. But their vitally important messages of hope are as meaningful today as when they were first published. Many listeners will hear these stories for the first time. Lost Stories of the Big Book is available on Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books. It's also available as a Kindle book and in Paperback from Amazon if you'd like to read along with the audio. [Disclaimer: AA Recovery Interviews podcast strictly adheres to AA's 12 Traditions and all General Service Office guidelines for safe-guarding anonymity on-line. I pay all podcast production costs.

Many of us, myself included, are focused on success.  And while this is understandable and important, sometimes we erroneously think that greater success will lead to greater fulfillment, which often isn't the case.  On this episode, I talk about the paradox of success and fulfillment.  I share some specific things we can do to both redefine success and enhance our capacity for fulfillment.  Ironically, when we're more authentically fulfilled, true success becomes much easier to achieve.     Resources: We're All in This Together (book), by Mike Robbins Mike Robbins Website Mike Robbins Blog Mike Robbins Podcast Mike Robbins on LinkedIn Mike Robbins on Instagram Mike Robbins on Facebook Mike Robbins YouTube Channel Mike Robbins on TikTok Mike Robbins on X Mike Robbins on BlueSky Scottie Scheffler interview Oprah interview with Raz Iggrasci about the Hoffman Process Hoffman Institute Website

LA Mayor Karen Bass said ICE was conducting a “reign of terror” in Los Angeles. Ironically, it was the War on Terror that produced ICE in the first place.  A proposed housing authority to help people affected by Palisades and Eaton Fires is on hold after some residents, like reality TV personality Spencer Pratt, complained. The 2025 California Biennial at the OC Museum of Art features works and artifacts from teen artists and adults reflecting on their teen years. It’s called “Desperate, Scared, but Social.” Ozzy Osbourne died on Tuesday at age 76. He transformed his image from Black Sabbath frontman to irascible TV dad. “The Osbournes” set the scene for the glut of celebrity TV family shows that followed. 

LA Mayor Karen Bass said ICE was conducting a “reign of terror” in Los Angeles. Ironically, it was the War on Terror that produced ICE in the first place.  A proposed housing authority to help people affected by Palisades and Eaton Fires is on hold after some residents, like reality TV personality Spencer Pratt, complained. The 2025 California Biennial at the OC Museum of Art features works and artifacts from teen artists and adults reflecting on their teen years. It's called “Desperate, Scared, but Social.” Ozzy Osbourne died on Tuesday at age 76. He transformed his image from Black Sabbath frontman to irascible TV dad. “The Osbournes” set the scene for the glut of celebrity TV family shows that followed. 

Oh god, it's true. I went into 4 different, maybe 5 different restaurants/coffee shops this week and none of them had air. Now that I think about it, even a Walgreens downtown had fans blowing. WTF!! Ironically, going from extreme heat to extreme cold did get me sick so, I guess I'll just have to move. This week, going to see Sam Morril and Rachel Feinstein in Red Bank with the Mayor of Red Bank of course AND a big Comedy Cellar birthday party. Also, seeing the off broadway (smash, I guess), Ginger Twinsies (based on The Parent Trap). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There was a time when being a member of the ACLU meant defending the speech of people you despised—not because you endorsed them, but because the principle of liberty mattered more than comfort. I joined for that reason. I wasn't virtue signaling. I was pledging allegiance to the Constitution, the real one—not the cosplay version people wave when it suits them.Now? The ACLU defends speech selectively. The Human Rights Campaign operates more like a branding arm of one political party. And free speech? Somehow that's been redefined as violence. Ironically, actual violence is often written off as passion or protest.I'm not saying this in a red hat. I'm saying this as someone who remembers when progressives stood for open discourse. I grew up in Hawai‘i surrounded by every possible kind of person—different skin, different languages, different politics. They were still mine. I worked with Frank Burns, the general who wrote “Be All You Can Be.” I was close to his son, Scott. I loved Hope O'Keeffe, a brilliant constitutional lawyer. These people weren't footnotes. They shaped my beliefs.Someone once said I was trying to get myself on the SPLC watchlist. It hurt because it felt a little true. I've been next to too many counternarratives for too long—from New Media Strategies to memes.org to spelunking rabbit holes on forums nobody talks about in polite company. I don't think I'm flagged. But I'm filtered—soft-shadowbanned, algorithmically sidelined, quietly removed from the conversation without anyone needing to tell me so.And the language—God, the language. I watched “racist” morph from describing segregationists to being tossed like a beer can at people like me: 55, white, straight, Christian, gun-owning, ex-ACLU donor. “Fascist” now applies to suburban parents who speak up at school board meetings. These words used to be magic spells. Now they're wallpaper.And when every act is fascism, when every opinion is white supremacy, the terms lose meaning. The public square becomes a theater of accusation. And many of us? We quietly walked away. The left won the culture war, sure. The right didn't argue. They built something else.While the activist class raged on TikTok and MSNBC, the right unplugged. They stopped donating. They stopped attending. They didn't march. They starved the beast. Defund NPR? You don't need a vote—just stop the grants that trickle in through CPB, NEA, USAID, and other soft-funding channels. NPR says it only receives 2% of its budget from the federal government. But insiders know better—those streams run deep.Same for universities. You can't shut them down outright—it would look authoritarian. But redefine their worst excesses (and many now qualify) as violations of civil rights law—like antisemitism—and you can cut off Title VI funding. You don't need bayonets. You need bean counters.The left made everything sacred: identity, language, tone, even silence. The right made nothing sacred except autonomy. The right didn't want to control cities. They wanted to starve them—cut off food, fuel, infrastructure—and watch the bloated coastlines retreat. The right doesn't dream of invading blue cities. They plan to outlast them.And still, the same spells are being cast: bigot, fascist, hater, Hitler. But the spell is broken. Because I see the restaurant going dark. I see the check left unpaid. I see the waiter backing away. And I see the activists arguing about the pronouns on the dessert menu.I'm not here to storm anything. I'm not calling for a new party, a movement, or revolt. I'm just the watcher. I was here when speech was sacred. I was here when dissent wasn't pathology. And I'll still be here when the lights go out and the last credit card gets declined.

There are two quotes that have stuck with me that have helped me over the years: The first is from AW Tozer who said, It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until he has hurt him deeply. The second is from John Bunyan who said, Conversion is not the smooth, easy-going process some men seem to think... It is wounding work, this breaking of the hearts, but without wounding there is no saving... Where there is grafting there will always be a cutting, the graft must be let in with a wound; to stick it onto the outside or to tie it on with a string would be of no use. Heart must be set to heart and back to back or there will be no sap from root to branch. And this, I say, must be done by a wound, by a cut.[1] Throughout the Bible, I see the wisdom of Tozer and Bunyans counsel as it relates to the hard stuff we experience in life. As much as God has used AW Tozer and John Bunyan, the real question is this: What has God said about the trials that will come and do we trust and believe Him enough to turn to Him even when we do not understand how He will work it out of our good? It is to James that we now turn our attention to discover what God has said about it. Gods Will for the Christians Life is to Finish Well Gods will for the life of the Christian is to receive the crown of life. What is the crown of life you ask? Ironically, it is a type of victors crown that the Christian will receive after he/she has died. During the Isthmian games a crown in the form of a wreath would be awarded the victor who finished whatever event a Greek male athlete participated in. Like the Olympics of today, only the best of the best would compete after training harder than anything else in their lives in the hope that they could receive the coveted crown. Borrowing language from the games, Paul wrote of the Christian life: Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. So they do it to obtain a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way as not to run aimlessly; I box in such a way, as to avoid hitting air; but I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified (1 Cor 9:2527). Just before he was executed, Paul wrote to Timothy: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing (2 Tim. 4:7-8). The crown of life is eternal life with Jesus. At first glance, it sounds like James is telling us that in order to receive the crown of life, we have got to dig deep and persevere. This makes our salvation sound like we have to work for our salvation. This is not what James is saying at all, and we know this because of verse 18, which states: In the exercise of His will He gave us birth by the word of truth... The word of truth is the gospel of Jesus Christ that saves. It is of this gospel that Paul wrote in Romans, For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes... (Rom. 1:16). It was because of Gods will that we went from spiritual death to spiritual life, and the evidence that we are now spiritually alive is with the life we are living today. Listen to what Jesus said in John 1:12-13, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God. In John 10:16, Jesus said that the evidence of those who belong to Him is in how they respond to Him: And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock, with one shepherd (John 10:16). So here is the rub that is very important that you not only hear me say, but that you take it to heart. The one who perseveres to the end... even under and through various trials, is the one who was truly born again when they heard the gospel of Jesus Christ; it was in the moment that you were born again that you went from being spiritually dead to being alive with Christ! The crown of life is given not based on your merit, but because of your relationship with Jesus. It was His sinless life, His sacrificial death, and His victory over death that secured, secures, and will secure your salvation. The crown of life is awarded on the basis of your relationship with Jesus with the understanding that His merit is all that you need! The crown of life is not given to those who have good intentions, it is not given to those who are religious, it is not given because of some prayer you said, it is not given because you started out well, for it is given because you have been born again! Here is what the apostle John said of those who do not persevere until the end: They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be evident that they all are not of us (1 John 2:19). If you are wondering how you can know that you belong to Jesus and that you are indeed born again, James provides us with four words: ...those who love Him. The evidence that you have been born again besides the fact that you will persevere under trial, is that you love Him. This is why Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed (1 Cor. 16:22). If you have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and have been born again as a result, you will love Jesus... which is evidence that God first loved you (1 John 4:9-19). Now, when it comes to the trials in life (v. 12) and the temptation(s) we all face, what purpose do they serve in the Christian life? James seems to indicate that trials are both allowed and designed by God while temptation comes from within and is used by the devil and his demons. What you cannot see in your English Bible is that the root of the Greek word for trial (peirasmos) and the root for temptation (peirazō) comes from the same Greek root and both words can be translated test or tempt. Trials are Designed by God to Ultimately Bless the Christian (vv. 12-13) So how do we make sense of these verses? Permit me to offer you an alternate translation of verse 13 that I think will open these verses up for you in a way that ought to help. Here is what I think is a better and more helpful way to translate James 1:13, No one is to say when he is tested, I am being tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. How do we know that God does not tempt us? We know because He is a God of love, we know because He is good, and we know because He is holy! Because God is infinitely good, James states in verse 17, Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. Not only is God good, but because He is God, He has not, does not, and will not change. Because God is good, every trial that God brings or allows into your life is designed to strengthen your faith... not destroy your it. This is why James can say in verse 12 that when the trials do come, you can receive them knowing that such trials will ultimately serve for your blessing. How do I know that? For starters, it is the pattern we see with God in the way that He has always dealt with His people. Consider Abraham as one example of how God will use and bring trials into the lives of His people to do the kind of thing that needs to happen in the life of the one who belongs to Him. After Issac was born and old enough to know better, God told Abraham to take his only son and to offer him as a burnt offering (Gen. 22). What was the purpose of the testing? For starters, to show Abraham that his identity was not to be found in the son he and Sarah had longed for and prayed for their entire lives. Did God make Abraham go through with the slaughtering of his only son? Nope. Abraham would have done it, but God stopped him and then said to him: For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me (v. 12). For most of Abrahams life, he struggled to trust God. All throughout Abrahams life God used the various trials in Abraham and Sarahs lives that God brought, allowed, and even the trials Abraham brought upon himself to temper his faith to the point that by the time we come to Genesis 22, he knew he could trust God even when doing so did not make sense, such as Gods instructions to sacrifice Isaac. How do I know this, besides the fact that Abraham was so committed to obeying God that God had to stop him from following through with sacrificing Isaac? Here is how I know: When Abraham, Isaac, and his servants arrived at the mountain where Abraham was to follow through with Gods instructions, Abraham said to his servants something that reveals that something had changed in his heart; here is what he said: Abraham said to his young men, Stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go over there; and we will worship and return to you (Gen. 22:5). God told him to sacrifice Isaac, and the reason why Abraham was willing to go through with it was because over the years God was tempering Abrahams faith to the point that he knew God well enough to know that the God who told him to kill his son was both good and able to raise the dead. Abrahams action was the evidence that his faith in God was not just lip service (see Jas. 2:20-23). Temptation to Sin Comes from Within and Is Used by Satan to Destroy the Christian When the trials come, the primary danger we face in such moments is from within. Suffering can serve as a catalyst to deepen your relationship with God, or it can cause you to doubt the wisdom, goodness, and sovereignty of God. To be tempted is not sin, but it is what you do with the temptation. Notice what James says in verses 14-15, But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death (Jas. 1:1415). God does not tempt, but He does test. His testing often comes in the form of trials that serve to temper our faith for the purpose of making it stronger. Sin comes from within us, and whatever forms the temptation is that we are faced gives birth to sin when we are carried away and enticed by our own sin nature. Facing the temptation is not the sin, but giving into the temptation is. James tells us that when temptation comes (and it will), the downward progression leading to the act of sinning begins with a decision that involves both the mind and the heart. Giving into the temptation to sin begins when you decide to dwell on the temptation instead of run from it. The next step is to be carried away and enticed by your own lust (this is when both your heart and mind are lured by your own lust). Our lust comes from the sin nature that is within all of us, and when left unchecked... it gives birth to sin. Robert Plummer put it this way in his commentary on James: ...just as conception leads naturally to childbirth, giving free rein to sinful inclinations naturally results in discrete moral transgressions. Just as water runs downhill, so evil desire, if allowed to pursue its gravitational inclination, runs down into sinful activity.[2] Where does unchecked sin inevitably lead? It leads to death. Listen, most of the temptation we face comes by way of our own doing because of our own lustful desires. The devil is just one person and can only be at one place at a time. His demons are many, but they are also limited by their number and ability. However, Satan is also known as the Tempter for a reason. He is real and he wants to use temptation as a way to destroy your faith. The greater threat you face through is not the devil but your own heart and passions. To follow your passion is horrible advice if it is not tethered to the will of God for your life that you can only know and discern through His word and prayer. Conclusion Every time Abraham trusted his own heart or caved to his own fears, he was carried away and enticed by his own lust. The same can be said about Adam and Eve, the Hebrews in the wilderness, King David, and every other person we read about in the Bible. It wasnt until Abraham trusted in a good and sovereign God to lead him that he experienced the blessing God wanted for him. For Abraham, that blessing did not come when he wanted, but arrived when God knew Abraham was ready for it. All sin comes by way of trusting what you think is right, instead of believing God and trusting Him for what He has declared is right. So, how do we face the trials of life and at the same time resist the temptation to sin? James offers us some help in verses 16-17. Dont be deceived. Instead of trusting in what you desire, trust in the goodness of God and what He had declared to be good. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above... (v. 17a), so trust the One who is good and wants good for you. Focus on Gods unchanging character instead of your desires. James tells us that all that is good comes from, the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow (v. 17b). We change all the time, our emotions ebb and flow, what we think is right one day may change the next day, but God does not change!His character remains the same. Instead of being carried away by your sin, turn to the God who does not change and trust Him. Trust Gods Word. It is because of His word that you have been born again when you heard the gospel. Tony Evens put it this way: For many, the Bible is like the queen of England. Its held in high esteem but wields no power over them personally. What Scripture accomplished for your salvation, though, it can accomplish for your sanctification.[3] When faced by temptation, Jesus used the Word of God to combat the devil; you can and ought to do the same. Know that God loves you. God called you by the word of truth, and He did it because He loves you. According to James 1:18, God gave you a new birth for the purpose of being His first fruits among His creatures. God instructed His people to give the first fruits of their possessions back to Him; for the Hebrew people, the first fruits were the best and first from their harvest. To be Gods first fruits among His creatures means that you are loved and treasured by Him! What He is doing in your life today, is for the purpose of something greater tomorrow that will ultimately lead to your sanctification and then glorification as His son/daughter. His no from His Word is for your good, your joy, and ultimately your thriving. [1] John Piper, The Hidden Smile of God (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books; 2001), 65. [2] Robert L. Plummer, James, in HebrewsRevelation, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, vol. XII, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018), 234. [3] Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019), 1339.

This is an outstanding discussion of my post, How To Use AI To Reclaim Deep Work.  It is a great discussion and I encourage you to listen to it.  Ironically, it's roughly  the "8 minutes" we talk about in the post.  Enjoy. Here is the link to the original post:  https://partnersinexcellenceblog.com/how-to-use-ai-to-reclaim-deep-work/

The last two weeks DJ Dove and JJ Wang have shared their TOP GUYS.  This week they discuss their NOT top guys, guys who they think will not live up to their current draft position.  (Ironically, they really like all their guys!)  They also spend time talking about looming NFL suspension, JJ Wang's recent trip, and catch up after not getting to talk for a few weeks due to vacation.  So, enjoy the extended episode! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3JgcXENPRnlcX5RMgwsNlO Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fantasy-couriers/id1573810445?mt=2&id=1573810445⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCenPosjOxg1MYQ8TFd5RP1A⁠ Website with Links & DJ Dove's Rankings:  ⁠https://www.thefantasycouriers.com/⁠ JOIN COURIER NATION on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/thefantasycouriers⁠ #DJDove79 #JJwang79 #TheFantasyCouriers #fantasyfootballadvice #football #nflnews  #nflfantasy #fantasysports #fantasyfootballtips #fantasypros #footballseason #spotify #IHeartRadio #TuneInpodcasts #AmazonPodcasts #applepodcasts #youtubemusic #Fantasyfootball #podcast #nfl #fantasy #touchdown #fantasyfootballtips #nfl #fantasypros #trendingpodcast #trending #disappointment #NOT #suspension #draft #vacation #dui #suspension

How will you Respond to Jesus' Miracles? What will you do with what you've seen?John 11:45-57Takes place Right after Jesus raised Lazarus from the deadEverything from this point forward in the Gospel of John focuses on the cross.The raising of Lazarus from the dead assures us of Jesus' power over death before He even goes to thecross to die.John 11:45-57 NIVThe Plot to Kill Jesus45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed inhim. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chiefpriests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him goon like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our templeand our nation.”49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing atall! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the wholenation perish.”51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for theJewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring themtogether and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to aregion near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem fortheir ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in thetemple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn't he coming to the festival at all?” 57 Butthe chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was shouldreport it so that they might arrest him.- There were 2 reactions from those who witnessed Jesus raising Lazarus from the deado 45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesusdid, believed in him.  Who else but God can raise a man who had been in the tomb for 4 days?- 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. o It's amazing that 2 groups of people can witness the same event and come away withcompletely different reactions The way people see miracles depends on their moral condition Somehow, it isn't a guarantee that someone will come to Christ just because theywitness a miracle If a person is filled with unbelief, it might not make a difference if they've seen amiracleRather than worship Jesus in reverence for what they saw, they had to report itJesus becomes Israel's most wanted for the crime of raising a man from the dead. Herestored Lazarus' life, but many Jews want to take Jesus' life. Pretty ironic, right?47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.- The Sanhedrin was the highest judicial body in Israelo They had the political and spiritual power, but served under Roman authorityo In their point of view this was devastatingo Any time the star witness is a resurrected corpse – you have a pretty good case for thevalidity of Jesus as the Messiah.47 Continued “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing manysigns. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans willcome and take away both our temple and our nation.”- Jesus' enemies admit that He is doing miraculous works (many signs)o They didn't protest the authenticity of the healingso Too many miracles to deny the reality of the works- We see this later, when some of the disciples were performing miracles in Jesus name, and werebrought before the Sanhedrin…- Acts 4:15-17- 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What arewe going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they haveperformed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any furtheramong the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”o “Don't confuse me with the facts – I've made up my mind”o How do we explain their failure to see the truth? It wasn't lack of information Jesus actually gave the answer back in Chapter 9 when He told them they wereblinded by their sin. All of this religion and all of this biblical knowledge represented by the Sanhedrin,yet they were unable to see the glory of God's Son – because of sin. Some of the things we can take away from the Sanhedrin… You can be religious, but lost. You can memorize scripture but still be ignorant of its truth. You can say all the right things, but still have a heart that hasn't been transformedby the power of Jesus Christ.o They also had questioned the source of the miracles: demonic in origin- Matthew 9:3434 But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”- They were just trying to justify their positiono And so we see their unbelief play out in an interesting way that even applies to us todaytoo: unbelief will encourage you to protect your idols (vv. 45-48).- 1. Unbelief encourages you to protect your idols 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come andtake away both our temple and our nation.”Their primary concern was maintaining control – Jesus threatened their position and influence –their idolso They are afraid that the Romans will come in and take away their nation Their concern wasn't for the people, but for themselves They believe that if people worship Jesus as the Messiah, then the Jews will comeand crown Him King of the Jews They were afraid - They knew the Romans would come in and destroy the templeand Jerusalem, and scatter the people - if everyone believed in Him The Jews, Caiaphas, and the Sanhedrin weren't interested in doing the right or justthing. Instead, their top priority was retaining their power and influence. Ironically – that which they were so afraid of happening – did happen… In AD 70 the Romans did that very thing It wasn't because the people believed in Jesus – it was most likely becausethey didn't We see in them a clear and striking picture of the self-centeredness of emptyreligion.- Empty Religion – these days, practiced by people who come to church, give money, say and do theright thing and are moral, but have no relationship with Jesus Christ – they haven't given their livesto Jesus Empty religion is always revealed by a person's focus What is your focus? If someone is truly following Jesus, their focus will be first on Jesus, then on othersand finally on themselves. – Empty religion always focuses first on me. It's based on MY effort It's about maintaining MY good works It's concerned primarily with MY blessing and MY safety – so others canlook on at “all the good choices I've made” Empty religion evaluates spiritual realities by how WE will be affected. – When ourdecisions are not based on clear biblical standards of holiness, but how they willaffect our own comfort and convenience. The Pharisees and Sadducees fear of loss of influence, power and income pushedthem to disobey God's will.o People want to protect their lifestyle (their idol) from Jesuso He always has and he always will be a threat to our idols. And when Jesus threatens idolsyou can expect hostility.o For someone who doesn't believe in Jesus, the idol always wins – Unfortunately, this is true for us too, isn't it? What are some of the idols you have been protecting from Jesus? Popularity – approval of others – your lifestyle – your habits We need to reserve the thrown in our lives for Jesus For the Pharisees, power and control were their idol, and blinded them to themiracle that so many had witnessed. They were more concerned about their place and their power than whetheror not this was really the Messiah Are we more committed to our own power, position, your possessions, your pridethan Jesus? Do you see Jesus as someone you can use for your own plans, or someone who isfree to use you for His?- At the same time Jesus is aware of the plot to kill Him, He longed to shelter and protect thepeople of Jerusalem.- But even though Jesus longed to gather His people under His wings, they just weren't interested.-Matthew 23:37-3937 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I havelonged to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you werenot willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again untilyou say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.' [a] ”Yes, He was speaking to Jerusalem – but how often has He said to each of us “How often I have wantedto be your number one focus, but you were not willing”49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing atall! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the wholenation perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesuswould die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God,to bring them together and make them one. John credits the prophesy to the office of High Priest, and not to the man- Interesting notes on Caiaphas:o He was a Sadducee, which means he didn't believe in the resurrection under anycircumstanceso As a Sadducee, he collaborated with the Romanso He didn't want anyone rocking the boato Having been high priest for 16 years, he was highly educated and intelligent, but also cynicaland ruthless.What we read in verses 49-50 is a great example of the irony that John builds into his gospel. Becauseclearly, Caiaphas is thinking only of political expediency, but the Lord intended for us to see somethingelse entirely.It's obviously ironic because what Caiaphas says in those verses is the gospel message in a nutshell!Jesus' death would save his people. “The nation” is a reference to the nation of Israel, but remember,Paul tells us that the people of faith are true people of God.- The death of Jesus Christ was going to accomplish what God intended. It was going to save those itwas intended to save, and it was going to gather them into one people.-o Though Caiphas said it – It's a great note of unmistakable certainty.- Caiaphas' didn't understand his own prophecy- He was so obsessed with his own political power, he only sees everything through that lens. He failsto understand that the Lord revealed something of spiritual significance through him – but he wasblind to it.o One thing to learn from that is that being obsessed with political power can force you tosee everything only through that lens – and miss the point of what God is actually doing. It's a lesson for all of us in this politically charged day.- Because it wasn't Caiaphas' plan that was ultimately carried out - it was God's plan for redemption!- For evil reasons they sought to put Jesus to death, but unbeknownst to them they wereaccomplishing God's sovereign will all along. What they meant for evil, God intended for good.- Caiphas' words, though said to fulfill his own purpose, held greater meaning than he could haveplanned. Peter makes this point during his sermon on the day of Pentacost.- Acts 2:2323 This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you,with the help of wicked men, [a] put him to death by nailing him to the cross.- This doesn't get Caiphas off the hook – he wasn't an unwilling puppet. God just turned his wickedwords into truth.o His speech must have been convincing, because in verse 53:53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.It's gone beyond impulsive attempts to stone Jesus, and become premeditated murder.It is noteworthy that some religious people, who claim to know God and to love and serve God don'trecognize their God when He shows up.- Amazing what darkness produces in the heart of the unbeliever – the blindnesso It's a good example of pragmatic thinking. Pragmatism is the fundamental belief thateverything is subservient to achieving results and success.o If your only goal is to achieve results, it won't be long before you find yourselfcompromising your own moral integrity.o Unfortunately, this way of thinking has even crept into the church. So many churches arewilling to do whatever it takes to grow. But if that's your only guiding principle it won't belong before your pragmatism puts you at odds with Biblical standards. What you win them with is what you win them to…- Jesus avoided them until the appropriate time:54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to aregion near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.- He would not die because of the whims and wished of the religious establishment.- His death was not the tragic death of a religious zealot. He would die at the time chosen by HisFather. His life would not be taken from Him. But He would willingly sacrifice it.55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem fortheir ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in thetemple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn't he coming to the festival at all?” They were wondering if Jesus was even going to come to the Passover57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus wasshould report it so that they might arrest him.So - How will you Respond to Jesus' Miracles?Will you waiver?- There is no neutrality, when it comes to Jesus – no middle ground when it comes to Jesuso Middle ground is illogical – if you believe Jesus is who He says He is, then you believe whatHe says and you obey Him. Jesus never claimed to occupy the middle ground either…infact…John 14:66 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except throughme.o There are only two options when it comes to Jesus Christ: trust in Him for the salvation ofyour soul, or reject him in unbelief.o One path – the wide path leased to destruction, and eternity away from Godo The path to Jesus is narrow…eternal life with himWill you fight against it?- Will your idols of wealth, independence, politics, power, control, pride, popularity or approval blindyou to what Jesus wants to do in your life? Does the lifestyle you want to have…or maybe the oneyou already have conflict with God's will for your life?o God's will like a stream…or water coming in at the beach- Part 2 of the title: What will you do with what you've seen?o You can try to justify unbelief by saying “I didn't see any miracles with my own eyes” Sure you have! Do you have a mirror? You're made in His image.Genesis 1:27So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.Life itself is a miracle. Ever been outside?Romans 1:2020 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divinenature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people arewithout excuse.Can you see me?- 5 year celebration of surviving a cardiac arrest.The same God that raised Lazarus from the dead, and was murdered by the religious leaders for everysin we commit, and was raised from the dead himself 3 days later still performs miracles today. This allpoints to Jesus…every story in this room points to Jesus…or at least should.What will you do with what you've seen?You can't unsee it now…You can't unhear what you've heard…so you have to make a choice

When the comprehensive history of electronic music is written, the period from the arrival of playable synthesizers in the 1960s and the introduction of drum machines in the 1970s until now will seem particularly disruptive. Synthesizers propelled the music out of academic laboratories and on the road to the diverse electronic space, ambient, and atmospheric genres of today. At the same time, drum machines propelled popular music out of the recording studio and onto the dance floor, where DJs produced an endless variety of complex beats that paved the road to EDM—Electronic Dance Music, and IDM—Intelligent Dance Music. When the summer heat arrives, it stimulates rhythmic activity everywhere. Ironically, ambient is one of the few genres that can live without rhythm, but percussion is so fundamental to popular music that many ambient artists can't resist using it. On this transmission of Hearts of Space, percussion-powered ambient for early summer, on a program called (with due respect to the song by Peter Gabriel) 'RHYTHM OF THE HEAT.' Music is by AES DANA, VIR UNIS, STEVE ROACH, CHRIS MEYER'S ALIAS ZONE, EXTRAWORLD, BIFF JOHNSON, JOYSTICK, and THIERRY DAVID. [ view playlist ] [ view Flickr image gallery ] [ play 30 second MP3 promo ]

According to President Trump, he encouraged the Coca-Cola company to start using real sugar in their flagship product. This probably has nothing to do with the 2017 sugar trade deal and the 2025 restrictions on sugar imports from other countries, or rather the lifeline the White House just tossed Big Sugar. The announcement follows RFK Jr's advocacy of beef tallow for fast food and processed meals from Mom's Meals. It all makes sense considering the White House Chief of Staff is Susie Wiles, former lobbyist for Big Tobacco, the very industry which destroyed what was left of the possible benefits of processed foods. Ironically the President has also been diagnosed with CVI, which although not a serious health issue, indicates a lifestyle of little movement and poor diet. The White House and DOJ are also going along with an appeal from the EPA on the historic fluoride ruling last year by a federal court ordering the agency to address the risks of water fluoridation. In other words, it's business as usual. This is the new boss, who not only is the same as the old boss but much fatter too. *The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. If you want an ad-free experience, you can subscribe below underneath the show description.-FREE ARCHIVE (w. ads)SUBSCRIPTION ARCHIVEX / TWITTER FACEBOOKWEBSITECashApp: $rdgable EMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / TSTRadio@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-secret-teachings--5328407/support.

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training We've been talking about AI on this podcast for years — not just as the next shiny tool, but as the biggest shift agencies will face this decade. Yet most agencies still haven't done more than dabble. Meanwhile, their competitors (or even their clients) are using AI to move faster, make sharper decisions, and drive results that leave everyone else scrambling to catch up. If you're still on the sidelines, you're already behind. Today's guest is clear about the game-changing role of AI in the agency world. He argues it's not just about making your shop more efficient — it's about driving better client results, delivering faster, deeper insights, and adding to your bottom line. Agencies that fail to embrace AI risk being outpaced by clients who bring it in-house or by competitors already using it to gain an edge. To stay competitive, you have to take a forward-thinking approach that uses AI to scale operations, increase client value, and keep your best people. Phil Parrish is the co-founder & President of PrograMetrix, a boutique programmatic advertising agency that also crushes it in paid search and paid social. Celebrating their 10-year anniversary this past April, Phil's team has stayed nimble, focused, and mighty — helping clients dominate their digital paid media while driving real, measurable results. He'll discuss his vision on AI, how he's using it as a multiplier, and why that are not already adapting their processes to include this technology, will be exposed. In this episode, we'll discuss: Navigating pipeline churn anxiety. Delivering quick wins with AI. Why agencies that don't adapt will get exposed. Focus on the wins, not just the tasks. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service. Betting on Yourself (And Getting Clients to Bet on You Too) Phil didn't stumble into agency ownership by accident, but he didn't overcomplicate it either. He built strong client relationships over the years, recognized the moment when he thought, “I can do what this company does — why not do it for myself?” and took the leap. With clients ready to follow, he launched PrograMetrix and started generating revenue quickly, sidestepping much of the risk that keeps many would-be agency owners stuck. The takeaway? If you've built trust and consistently delivered, clients will follow when you launch your own shop. Relationships and results are your best startup capital. Navigating Uncertainty Without Panic Every agency owner hits moments of chaos—those “Are we going under?” nightmares that keep you up at 3 AM. So far, Phil's journey hasn't quite hit the “we can't make payroll” panic, but pipeline uncertainty and client churn anxiety were very real, especially during COVID-19. Ironically, the pandemic ended up being a huge growth driver. As trade shows and in-person events vanished, clients who were spending six figures on live events had to redeploy budgets digitally. PrograMetrix was perfectly positioned to catch that wave. “You've got to have a good business plan, offer strategic value, make smart bets, and stay laser-focused when your back's against the wall.” It's a solid reminder: when chaos hits, the cream rises. The agencies that pivot fast come out stronger.   AI: Beyond Social Posts and Rocket Emojis Let's get real: most agencies are looking at AI like it's a shortcut to crank out social posts and blog content (and yes, that's part of it). But Phil's approach is a level above—he's integrating AI deeply into PrograMetrix's operations to enhance speed, insights, and performance, not just save a few hours per week. In his view, agencies that have depended on time as their inventory and work on the basis that the more time they can utilize the more revenue they can drive will struggle unless they modernize operations using AI. For its part, Phil's agency is building a proprietary product using a licensed data warehouse, pulling data from all their platforms (The Trade Desk, Meta, Google, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.), and using AI to run advanced queries and develop unique optimization techniques. The end goal would be to deliver faster, clearer, and more impactful insights that clients can't get by simply logging into their ad accounts. The bottom line: If your agency isn't embedding AI into how you operate and deliver, not just as a tool to “save time,” clients will either bring it in-house or go with an agency that does. The market is moving, and speed and value are non-negotiables if you want to win and retain serious clients. Delivering Quick Wins and Story-Driven Insights Mid-market and enterprise clients dropping six to seven figures on ad spend need to feel your authority and your velocity from day one. They need to breathe easier knowing your agency has it handled, and they need to see progress fast, or they'll be out. Using AI, Phil's agency uncovers insights like: Path to conversion (impressions and touchpoints before a sale) Channel impact across the funnel Audience segment insights Messaging that drives real ROI They're not just sending reports but turning complex data into actionable stories for their clients. If you're still measuring your agency's success by how much time you can bill rather than how much impact you can deliver, it's time to rethink your model before your clients rethink you. Why Agencies That Don't Adapt Will Get Exposed Look, AI isn't going to wipe out agencies. But it will wipe out agencies that are stuck operating like it's 2015, coasting on outdated processes, and sending the same recycled reports clients can pull themselves. AI is like the giant scoreboard in baseball, showing every advanced stat in real-time. Agencies that are half-assing delivery can't hide anymore. If you're running bad ads, AI will show your client you suck, and you'll get fired. (Like the agency I just fired.) AI won't kill the agency model, but it will expose agencies not using best-of-breed tools to deliver value faster. AI as a Multiplier, Not a Threat — and Saves Him $200K Phil is using AI as a force multiplier to: Deliver faster, clearer insights for clients Optimize campaigns for even a 2-3% lift that compounds over time And they're doing this without having to invest in new talent at the rate they otherwise would have. As Phil says, “if we can skip hiring one or two traders, that's a $200K swing to the bottom line.” And it's not because he doesn't value his team—he's investing in making his team better. AI helps smart people do better work, get better results, and actually enjoy their jobs. Clients see more value, your agency scales efficiently, and your team sticks around longer, reducing churn and recruitment costs. It's About Buying Wins, Not Just Doing Tasks If you've seen Moneyball, know Billy Beane reinvented baseball by focusing on “getting on base,” not vanity stats. Agencies should think the same way: What are your “get on base” moves that drive client results? Are you outcome-driven and problem-solving, or are you a task rabbit waiting to be replaced by AI? When clients have big challenges, do they come to you first, or are you stuck doing low-value production work? If it's the latter, it's a sign to reposition your agency now. If you don't, you're writing your own exit letter from the industry. Make AI Use Mandatory, Not Optional As an agency leader, it's time to go all-in on integrating AI across all SOPs, not just as an add-on for the leadership team. Why? Because this tech: Makes employees more valuable in the marketplace Makes them happier by removing annoying, low-leverage tasks Keeps your team aligned with your agency's growth goals Before they started using AI prompts to understand how to optimize a campaign or improve performance, their campaign managers were conducting huge Excel exports. Now they can focus on strategy. If you're the only one using AI in your agency, you're toast. You need to lead, train, and require your team to use these tools to become outcome-focused problem solvers rather than task executors. Stop Being Fearful. Start Doing If you're feeling fear around AI, that's normal. But you'll stay scared if you don't start using it. Phil's team didn't wait for a perfect moment; they're actively building, testing, and refining AI use across their delivery and ops. The agencies that will win over the next 3-5 years aren't the ones worrying about AI—they're the ones using it to solve bigger problems faster for their clients. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.

(July 15, 2025 - Hour One)9:14pm - The 3rd Tuesday of July brings a visit from the hosts of the famed "Baseball and BBQ" podcast, Len Aberman and Jeff Cohen. Ironically, the mid-point of the baseball season is upon us TONIGHT. We will discuss the first half of the year, the Mets, The Guardians and some other items as well. We might even talk about some BBQ stuff...who knows!9:35pm - After the Baseball and BBQ boys, I will be joined by Wes Wright from Cookout News. We missed Wes last month so, tonight, we will recap the past 60 days of BBQ business and take a quick look ahead to the next 30 days.The BBQ Central Show SponsorsPrimo GrillsPitts & Spitts BBQ Pits - Use "bbqcentral" at checkout for a free spice pack.Big Poppa Smokers – Use promo code “REMPE15” for 15% off your entire purchase!FireboardPit Barrel CookerMicallef Cigars – Premium Hand Rolled Cigars

Hi, everyone. Here's an audio version of yesterday's post…MWThe big-beautiful-actually-big-ugly bill that passed through Congress and hit the President's desk on July 4th will cause untold damage to our country. Ironically, the pain will be felt most acutely by those who have supported the President most. Many legislators who voted for the 940-page bill have admitted they didn't actually read it, but rather took other people's (namely Trump's) word for it that it didn't, for instance, cut Medicaid - which it decidedly did, and to the tune of a trillion dollars.As if depriving almost 12 million people of their healthcare isn't enough, that's not even the most dastardly thing about this bill. The most dangerous piece of the legislation, one that cuts into the very heart of our Constitutional system, is its expansion of ICE. The 2024 ICE budget was $9.7 Billion; it now will be increased to an annual expenditure of $48 Billion. Over the next four years ICE will receive $170 Billion, making it bigger than most of the militaries of the world. The ICE budget will now be more than the FBI, the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm), the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), US Marshalls, and the Bureau of Prisons combined. The bill orders 10,000 new ICE agents, adding to the 20,000 agents already on the streets. The annual budget for detentions now rise from $3.4 billion to $45 billion a year, constituting a 365% increase. While ICE is currently holding around 59,000 detainees - nearly half of whom have no criminal records - the new bill calls for adding 100,000 more. And the power of ICE lies not only in its size. It operates outside of due process and the judicial system, meaning the administration has effectively hired its own private police force to do whatever it is they want it to do. Just as Trump forces have managed to effectively neuter the U.S. Congress and our Supreme Court, with the latest changes to ICE they have effectively neutered the regulatory statutes that protect us from police overreach as well. This is not normal.The President campaigned on getting violent criminals off our streets - a goal no one would argue with - but what's happening now is much bigger than that. The administration is not going after criminals; if that were the case, it wouldn't be pardoning some of the biggest while collar criminals in America. They're not just going for criminals; they're going for numbers. Stephen Miller is demanding 3,000 arrests be made per day, even suggesting ICE agents stand outside Home Depots and see who they can round up. They might target one person, then just pick up whoever is standing near them whether they're on a target list or not. This is not about helping America, it's about reshaping it. E Pluribus Unum - the “Out of many, One” First Principle of the United States - provides for a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society united by common principles of liberty and justice for all. Yet those principles are considered anathema to the White Nationalists, Christian Nationalists, and techno fascists who are behind all this. Their goal is to shred the Constitution and demolish our democracy; Victor Orban didn't hang out at Mar-a-Lago just for the scones. Between Project 2025, this Big Bad Ugly bill, and a militarized ICE, they're following a specific blueprint for war on our basic institutions.Paul Dans, former director of the Heritage Foundation and one of the authors of Project 2025 , has said it's succeeding “beyond our wildest dreams.”Millions are asking, “My God, how did all this happen?” There are complicated answers to that question, but what should not be underestimated is the role of Trump's propaganda machine. As with Hitler's Nuremberg Rallies, he has mesmerized millions with the performative power of his lies. In both my campaigns for President, I stated often: “Trump has ushered in an age of political theatre, and we will not be going back.”Using the biggest megaphone in the world, Donald Trump gained the power to do the hateful things he is doing by propagating hateful ideas. He then injected them like poison into the veins of our body politic.Remember when he rode down his elevator and announced about Mexico, ‘They're not sending us their best people?” That was the first shot not in a war against Mexico, but in a war against the United States. Now he's gone all the way to suggesting that immigrants have “criminal genes.” This is more than fear-mongering; it's strategy. The biggest mistake we can make is to laugh at anything he says.Without the President's strategy of demonizing our immigrant community, none of this could have occurred. Those who so often said, “Take him seriously, but do not take him literally,” were seriously wrong. He's not just trolling. He says he hates you today, and he comes after you tomorrow.And he's not done. He now calls liberals and progressives “left wing lunatics” and he says Senators who disagree with him are people who “hate their country.” He went so far in fact as to say he hates Democrats. “Don't you?” he asked his audience. He actually said that he “can't stand” us. When a reporter asked a reasonable question about the the Camp Mystic tragedy, the President said that only an “evil person” would ask such a question.What is being perpetrated here is grand plan to transform the United States from a flawed democracy to an authoritarian dictatorship. It's unwise to assume that the forces behind all this have any intention of stopping with immigrants.Yesterday the President said he's “giving serious consideration” to taking away Rosie O'Donnell's citizenship because she's “a Threat to Humanity.” This is something the Constitution does not give the President the authority to do, of course. But Donald Trump has obvious disdain for anything the Constitution says that might limit his power. Already he has called for ICE to go after American citizens, and both Trump and Pam Bondi have called for a plan to denaturalize some who have become American citizens. The fact that an idea is deranged doesn't make it less dangerous. DOGE has worked with ICE to create the federal government's first “national citizenship data bank.”If all of this feels to you profoundly Un-American, it's because it is. If it bothers you, rankles you, and infuriates you, that means you're a patriot. And you are not alone.The good news is that the American people do not like what's going on. In a new Gallup poll, only 35% of Americans approve Trump's immigration policies now, which means that 27% more people disapprove of them. 79% of Americans now say they believe that immigration is good for the country. Even Joe Rogan is now going after the President about this, unhappy at all the innocent people who have been arrested in the ICE raids. But none of this should surprise him; it's not like all of a sudden the President became a pathological liar. None of it is new. The only thing new is that he doesn't even try any more to cover his tracks. From crypto deals to taking bribes from Middle East power brokers to suing media companies to selling his own brand of unisex fragrance, the President's corruption knows no end. He has increased his personal fortune by billions since he was inaugurated in November. At this point, the question isn't “What will he do next?” The most important question is, “What will we do next?”The only thing that can save us now is for the American people to wake up. A spiritual awakening, mocked and derided by America's pseudo-sophisticated political class (you know, the guys who lost to Trump twice) is the most powerful antidote to the forces of hate. If we allow them to, those forces will kidnap more than our bodies; they will kidnap our spirits. But if we're truly dedicated to love, the purveyors of hatred cannot snatch our soul. From there it follows that they cannot snatch our mind, and then they cannot snatch our country.Love does not make us weaker, it makes us stronger. It makes us stronger because it makes us smarter. It restores reason and not the other way around. Evil is the mental energy of love when inverted and turned into something else. Recognizing the existence of evil, the loving mind understands how to prevent it (start by not allowing tens of millions of people to live for years in chronic economic anxiety, lacking health care, economic or educational opportunity) and knows what it takes to override it (provide those things now). It recognizes the anger and despair which people lacking such things feel, making them vulnerable to all manner of societal dysfunction. Disease doesn't start on the level of symptoms; it starts on the level of feeling and thought.And that's where we must counter it. We must meet the forces of hate with the force of our love. Today's “arsenal of democracy” begins in the mind. No one can take away your conscience unless you are willing to surrender it. Do not allow anyone to limit your willingness to love your fellow man.That is not woo woo; it is the salvation of the human race. Totalitarianism is an extreme and perverse consequence of a world in which we've been taught to think that the needs and interests of others should be seen as secondary to our own. It is the opposite of “love thy neighbor as thyself.” Let's not forget Elon Musk told Joe Rogan that “empathy is the biggest weakness in Western civilization.” And damn right that was a Nazi salute. He didn't even deny it; I don't know why anyone else would.Hannah Arendt, premier political philosopher of the 20th Century, said “the death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism.” She said that a lack of empathy, as well as a lack of critical thought, could lead people otherwise not inherently evil to acquiesce to atrocities.Arendt said the modern mind's obsession with itself led to what she called the “loss of the world.” We become so self-referential that we stop caring about one another, seeing the notion of a “common good” as some quaint relic of former times. This has disunited the United States, endangering us as a country and weakening the gates to the city. It became inevitable then that barbarians would come in.Hitler himself said this: "They refer to me as an uneducated barbarian. Yes we are barbarians. We want to be barbarians; it is an honored title to us. We shall rejuvenate the world.”So much for “It could never happen here.” In our arrogance, our complacency, our distractedness, and our social and political immaturity we made it way too easy for the barbarians to enter. Now that they are here, they are sacking the city. Latino immigrants are just first on their list.So what do we do now? There are some who are seriously focused on the political externalities of the 2026 and 2028 elections, and well they should be. This will include countering all efforts on the part of the administration to rig or even suppress all upcoming elections. TrumpWorld's forces have already begun with plans to further gerrymander Texas, criminalize the behavior of election officials who don't “safeguard” our elections, and so forth.Traditional political and legal efforts are needed, and they are needed badly. But they alone will not be enough to compensate for the lack of moral clarity that made us vulnerable to all this to begin with. That is what we lost, and what we must regain if we are to defeat fascism in our time.Reclaiming that power is up to each of us. No matter what happens, do not allow yourself to lose your own commitment to the humane treatment of other human beings. Do not let them take from you your own moral compass. Do not pass up any opportunity to speak your truth. Do not compromise and do not surrender to the administration's excuses, much less glorification, of sadism and human cruelty. No, “Alligator Alcatraz” is not funny. It is sick and it is inhumane. It is not hyperbole to call it a modern internment camp, and the savage conditions described by those who have been inside the facility are merciless. What is happening in America today is barbaric.To those who say “Well, this is what we voted for,” I do not believe that. I know good people who voted for Trump, and I don't believe that in their hearts they thought they were voting for human cruelty, or masked goons disappearing people, or any of the trauma or terror that our government is now inflicting on innocent men, women and children.I think many of those who voted for Trump do not know what is actually happening, because many of his voters who I've spoken to, when I show them evidence of certain things, make comments like, “Well that wouldn't be right.” And I've realized that our opponent here is algorithms. Their algorithms are so different than ours - we're not just seeing different content, we're being shown different universes. Greedy, sociopathic elements in our society have fostered those differences. Media and social media giants who could care less about providing an honest, objective presentation of facts, and care only about their already multibillion dollar profits, will one day be looked back on as some of the biggest villians in this story. At the end of all this we will have a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and it will be a doozy.Others who voted for Trump were simply reacting in anger to a system that had failed them, and had the Democratic party responded to their despair in more fundamental ways - universal health care, a guaranteed living wage, repealing the 2017 tax cut when we had the chance, increasing access to higher education and tech school - the rise of a political strongman would have been far less likely. As it is, the political elite in America chose to ignore every lesson in history and allow this scourge to fester. The Republican party lost its mind over the last few years, but it didn't help that Democrats lost their spine.The institutions we have lived our entire lives thinking would protect us from any enemies of democracy have either fallen, or been deeply compromised. The message of history is now this: “American people: over to you.” I know in my heart we have what it takes to rise to the occasion, to handle this moment, and to save our dying democracy. In the words of Winston Churchill, "Never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.”That's our charge today. This isn't an easy time, in fact it's heartbreaking and infuriating. But dark chapters challenged our ancestors too, and they responded with strength and courage. Now so must we. We are called to be deep and serious and mature and wise, and all those things we were born to be. I have no doubt in my mind that we have it in us. The choice whether to become the people we need to be, in order to do the things we need to do, is up to each of us.It's an inside job. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.transformarticles.com/subscribe

In a recent video, Gavin Ortlund argues that the universal Church's understanding of infant baptism is largely built on Augustine's influence, suggesting that earlier views were inconsistent and unstable. In this episode, I challenge that claim head-on. By examining Pelagius's letter to Pope Innocent I and the Council of Carthage's response to the Donatists, we'll see that the Church's commitment to infant baptism was already clear and theologically grounded. Ironically, even Pelagius, Augustine's theological opponent, affirms the necessity of infant baptism and that arrogant heretics wouldn't even deny the redemptive necessity of issuing baptism to children. If you'd like to donate to our ministry or be a monthly partner that receives newsletters and one on one discussions with Dr. Boyce, here's a link: https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=6381a2ee-b82f-42a7-809e-6b733cec05a7 Here is a link to Gavin's video: https://youtu.be/3WE0Ea2ke_c?si=iVcISjh7AVoesgJG #Pelagius #Augustine #InfantBaptism #ChurchHistory #GavinOrtlund #BaptismDebate #EarlyChurch #CouncilOfCarthage #PopeInnocent #CatholicTheology #Patristics #BaptismMatters #UniversalChurch #ContraGavin #PelagianControversy #ApostolicFaith #theFACTSPodcast

Dave Brisbin 7.13.25 How many times have you asked God for a sign? Desperately cried out for any toehold you could get on some certainty…imploring, making bargains. Great scene in the movie Bruce Almighty, begging for a sign but too focused on his pain to see all the signs along the road until he's finally stopped in his tracks, forced to admit his loss of control. Art imitating life. When religious authorities ask Jesus for a sign, he refuses, calling them an evil generation—bisha in Aramaic—literally unripe, unready, unprepared. He knows as with almighty Bruce, no sign will be enough to convince them of anything until they are prepared to see. Except for the sign of Jonah. We all know Jonah: God asks him to preach to the people of Nineveh but he hates them so much, wants to see them burn, that he runs away aboard a ship only to be swallowed by a great fish. He camps in the fish for three days, until he can finally admit his loss of control. Ironically, Jonah is the only Old Testament prophet who successfully preaches a people to repentance, but when God spares the city, Jonah is not happy. This is why he ran away. He knew his God, the extent of God's love and compassion. But his own love was still tribal. His God should not be their God. God's love should not extend to those he hated. The descent of his three days in the belly of the beast brought him to the gates of Nineveh, but he'd need another descent before he could extend his love all the way to the enemy. This is the way of it. No sign will ever be enough to overcome our human fears and need for tribal certainty. But the sign of Jonah, descending deep enough, long enough to implode our narrow view of life and love, is the only way to become free enough to see a greater expanse. Whether through external trauma and loss, or internally through intentional spiritual formation, if we're willing to surrender to the beast, we still won't find certainty—that's impossible. But in stripping off illusion, the reality of love extending everywhere, filling every crack, can convince us our borders are artificial, our tribes too small, and our identity defined only in each other.

Dave Brisbin 7.13.25 How many times have you asked God for a sign? Desperately cried out for any toehold you could get on some certainty…imploring, making bargains. Great scene in the movie Bruce Almighty, begging for a sign but too focused on his pain to see all the signs along the road until he's finally stopped in his tracks, forced to admit his loss of control. Art imitating life. When religious authorities ask Jesus for a sign, he refuses, calling them an evil generation—bisha in Aramaic—literally unripe, unready, unprepared. He knows as with almighty Bruce, no sign will be enough to convince them of anything until they are prepared to see. Except for the sign of Jonah. We all know Jonah: God asks him to preach to the people of Nineveh but he hates them so much, wants to see them burn, that he runs away aboard a ship only to be swallowed by a great fish. He camps in the fish for three days, until he can finally admit his loss of control. Ironically, Jonah is the only Old Testament prophet who successfully preaches a people to repentance, but when God spares the city, Jonah is not happy. This is why he ran away. He knew his God, the extent of God's love and compassion. But his own love was still tribal. His God should not be their God. God's love should not extend to those he hated. The descent of his three days in the belly of the beast brought him to the gates of Nineveh, but he'd need another descent before he could extend his love all the way to the enemy. This is the way of it. No sign will ever be enough to overcome our human fears and need for tribal certainty. But the sign of Jonah, descending deep enough, long enough to implode our narrow view of life and love, is the only way to become free enough to see a greater expanse. Whether through external trauma and loss, or internally through intentional spiritual formation, if we're willing to surrender to the beast, we still won't find certainty—that's impossible. But in stripping off illusion, the reality of love extending everywhere, filling every crack, can convince us our borders are artificial, our tribes too small, and our identity defined only in each other.

Here is the AI generated discussion of my post:  AI Isn't Taking Our Jobs, We're Handing Them Over To AI!  To be honest, I'm struggling a little with posting this discussion.  They get it--but not quite.  Ironically, because of the content of this post, they are capturing some of the mechanics, but losing the meaning.  And, perhaps, the only reason to listen to this, is that it vividly illustrates what I am talking about in this post.  But to be fair, towards the end, they do start getting on track.  So be forewarned, it is an intriguing discussion to listen to, perhaps not for what I had originally hoped.  Enjoy! Here is the link to the original post:  https://partnersinexcellenceblog.com/ai-isnt-taking-our-jobs-were-handing-them-over-to-ai/

Shoot us a Text.Episode #1092: We unpack how Rivian views legacy OEMs as “adversaries”, Elon's plan to put Grok in your Tesla, and why your next Starbucks smiley face might be powered by pressure, not personality.Show Notes with links:​​Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe came out swinging against recent federal policy changes that gut EV incentives. But while the industry might stall, Rivian could gain room to thrive as legacy players backpedal.Scaringe called the rollback of EV tax credits and subsidies “bad for the world, bad for the U.S.,” and a blow to U.S. tech leadership.Ironically, fewer incentives could benefit Rivian, opening space for it's R2 and R3 rollouts.Scaringe didn't blame Congress alone—he sees legacy automakers like GM and Toyota, and their lobbyists, as Rivian's “biggest adversaries” on everything from EV registration fees to direct sales bans.He accused them of resisting change to protect outdated business models: “It's reflective of their desire that this whole EV thing would just go away. [They can suddenly say], “fine, I just won't sell those EVs.”“The folks we spend the most energy fighting against in D.C. are actual car companies,” Scaringe said. “It's very telling.”Elon Musk has confirmed that Tesla vehicles will get a native dose of his irreverent AI chatbot, Grok, starting next week “at the latest,” merging Tesla's in-car computing power with conversational AI.Grok 4, the latest model from Musk's AI startup xAI, was just released.Tesla vehicles will run a smaller version of Grok locally using their onboard computers.Musk previously teased Grok integration but had not set a firm timeline—until now.This comes amid backlash after Grok shared posts on X containing antisemitic content.“Tesla will probably have the most amount of true usable inference compute on Earth,” Musk posted on X.Those cheerful messages on your Starbucks cup might not be as heartfelt as they seem. A push for personalized notes is raising questions about authenticity and pressure on baristas.New CEO Brian Niccol wants to bring back cozy, in-store vibes by reversing mobile-heavy trends.Cup messages are now a “standard” meant to create human connection—but not all employees are thrilled.Baristas say it slows them down, especially during rush hours, and some report pressure from managers to comply.A few enjoy the creativity, but many feel it's another task disguised as joy.One Redditor shared, “I was told I'd get a final warning if I didn't write on cups.” Starbucks disputes this claim.0:00 Intro with Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier1:01 What a sarcastic car might sound like1:55 Announcements2:20 Rivian CEO Goes After Legacy Automakers and US Tax Policies6:35 Tesla To Get Grok AI Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.Get the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/

It's natural to want to help a child when you see that they're upset. But sometimes our attempts to soothe their big feelings and calm them down actually makes things worse, leaving us feeling confused and helpless. Ironically, doing less in those situations – not saying much! – actually does more to make the situation better.   In this episode, you'll learn:  What happens when we do and don't try to make our child feel better  How to handle a child who questions why we're not doing more  How this simple strategy sets kids up to be more resilient in the long run --  FREE RESOURCE: How to help someone when they're "in Yuck" (on the Yuck Curve) Join Rachel's Facebook group  

"Strange Kind Of Paradise" Formed in Leeds at the dawn of the '80s, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry were weaned on the MC5 and Wire, but their brooding melodies and dark and churning instrumentation got them lumped in with the Goth scene. Their 1985 debut Talk About The Weather went to #3 on the NME indie chart and to this day remains an undisputed classic. With John Peel a huge fan and their own fans affectionately referring to them as the Lorries, they quickly followed that up with fabulous albums like Paint Your Wagon, Nothing Wrong, Blow and Blasting Off. Ironically, 1992's Blasting Off sounded like a band taking flight, but at that point they were a band breaking up. Well, not really breaking up, but heading into a deep hiatus. The band's braintrust Chris Reed surfaced in 2004 with a few new tracks and the Lorries did tour that year and into 2005. But aside from the Thunder In A Black Cave live DVD and Reed's acoustic record Minimal Animal, the Lorries were silent for more than twenty more years. Until now. Long considered to be a holy grail of sorts for Lorries fans, Strange Kind Of Paradise is the band's sixth and final album. Brewing for two decades, the band completed work on the album and it'll be the last word for the Lorries. A wicked blast of angular beauty, dark melodicism and grinding intensity, Strange Kind Of Paradise is a brilliant final chapter that ends with an artful and deeply satisfying crescendo. I hope you'll feel the same way about this chat--it's a good one. https://www.red-lorry-yellow-lorry.com https://redlorryyellowlorry.bandcamp.com/album/strange-kind-of-paradise www.stereoembersmagazine.com (http://www.stereoembersmagazine.com) www.bombshellradio.com www.alexgreenbooks.com (http://www.alexgreenbooks.com) Stereo Embers The Podcast BLUESKY + IG: @emberspodcast Email: editor@stereoembersmagazine.com

It's Friday, July 4th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Muslim mob disrupts Christian retreat in Indonesia On June 27, a mob of 200 Muslims stormed a Christian youth retreat at a home in Indonesia, driving out participants and damaging property, as police and soldiers looked on reports Morning Star News. Ironically, after praying at the mosque that Friday, they carried banners and shouted, “Destroy that house, destroy that house.” – referring to the home in Cidahu District in the West Java Province. They damaged windows, toilets, a gazebo, and garden. Claiming that a house should not be used as a place of worship, the Muslim mob also threw a motorbike into a nearby river and damaged the main gate. Videos circulating online show a man climbing a wall and removing a wooden cross attached to it, which he then uses to break a window. House sends Big Beautiful Bill to Trump's desk On July 3, the House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill to implement President Donald Trump's agenda, sending it to the president's desk, reports The Epoch Times. The bill cleared the House in a 218–214 vote, following an all-night session as Republicans scrambled to win over holdouts who had derailed an earlier attempt to advance the 940-page measure. House Speaker Mike Johnson was exuberant. JOHNSON: “This is the vote tally card. We're gonna frame this one. Okay? 218-214.” The vote also came after Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries held the floor — for what C-SPAN confirmed was a new length record — to lambast the bill for more than eight hours. The only two Republicans who voted against it were Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, alongside the entire House Democratic Caucus. House Speaker Johnson said the Republicans knew they had to get Trump's bill passed in light of the gift of unified government. JOHNSON: “We believed in the election cycle last fall that we were going to be given this great blessing of unified government, that we would have the White House and the Senate and the House aligned -- unified government. “We had a tough four years before this last election cycle. America was in, we were in deep trouble. We knew that if we won, and we believed we would, we knew that if we got unified government, we'd have to quite literally fix every area of public policy. Everything was an absolute disaster under the Biden-Harris radical, woke, progressive Democrat regime.” The legislation enacts many of Trump's domestic policy initiatives, including tax cuts as well as boosting spending for the border and defense. The passage marks a major victory for Republican leadership and Trump, who had to contend with a diverse group of holdouts who objected to the Senate's version of the bill for various reasons, including its effect on the deficit and deeper cuts to Medicaid. House Speaker Johnson, an Evangelical Christian, expressed his gratitude to God. JOHNSON: “We took the best effort that we could, in One Big, Beautiful Bill, to fix as much of it as we could. And I am so grateful to God that we got that done as we did. “I do believe in God. I believe in that motto that is what has made our nation the greatest in the history of the world. And some people shake their heads and they think that's old fashioned or something. That is a fact. “When the framers put this together. They stepped out in faith. They did something that no nation had ever done before. The great statesman, philosopher G.K. Chesterton of Great Britain, said, ‘America is the only nation in the world that was founded upon a creed. And he said it's listed with almost theological lucidity [or clarity] in the nation's birth certificate: the Declaration of Independence.' “We hold these truths to be self-evident. We recognize, we boldly proclaim the self-evident truth that her rights do not come from the government. They come from God Himself.” Psalm 9:1 says, “I will give thanks to You, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonderful deeds.” The bill will head to Trump's desk ahead of a self-imposed July 4 deadline. He is expected to sign it at 5 p.m. ET today. 4 killed and 14 wounded in Chicago drive-by at rapper party On Wednesday night, four people died from gunshot wounds and 14 others were hospitalized following a drive-by shooting in Chicago, reports The Associated Press. At least three were in critical condition. Three shooters fired out of the SUV before they drove away. No suspect is in custody. Pastor Donovan Price talked to Channel 8 News. PRICE:  “An SUV pulls up and just opens fire on a crowd of people. It was absolute chaos, from people screaming to blood on the streets to people laying on the streets. Just a massive police presence. Horrific. More than I've ever seen.” The shooting took place in Chicago's River North neighborhood, a popular nightlife destination with many restaurants and bars. It was outside a restaurant and lounge that hosted an album release party for a profane rapper named Mello Buckzz, whose actual name is Melanie Doyle. Hip hop lyrics are filled with calls to violence. Ironically, her boyfriend was one of those shot. Thirteen women and five men, ranging in age from 21 to 32, were shot. The dead included two men and two women. On his X account, Pastor Price wrote, “Just sitting in my car crying for some of the people I held tonight.” Psalm 11:5 says, “The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, He hates with a passion.” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said that the violence “has left our city in a state of grief.” RFK Jr. cites link between Hepatitis vaccine and autism Appearing on Tucker Carlson's podcast, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. talked about the link between the Hepatitis vaccine for babies and autism, reports LifeSiteNews.com. He referenced a Centers for Disease Control study that was buried. KENNEDY: “They looked at children who had received the hepatitis vaccine within their first 30 days of life, and compared those children to a children who had received the vaccine later or not at all, and they found a 1,135% elevated risk of autism among the vaccinated children. It shocked them. They kept the study secret, and they manipulated it through five different iterations to try to bury the link.” Secretary Kennedy also referenced 100 other studies and the new studies at the Health and Human Services Department which will be completed by September. KENNEDY: “The external literature is showing over 100 studies that indicate that there is a link. “But we're going to do real science. The way that we're going to do that is we're going to make the databases public for the first time. We have already put out grant requests. Any scientists with credentials can apply for a grant and tell us how they want to go about studying these. We're going to get real studies done for the first time.” (You can watch the entire 90-minute interview on a variety of topics here) Worldview listeners in Nicaragua and Mexico speak up And finally, Bob Kelly wrote me at Adam@TheWorldview.com. He said, “Hello from rural Nicaragua [in Central America,] the 30th most difficult country worldwide to be a Christian, [according to Open Doors.] We like your emphasis on our brothers and sisters who are suffering for Christ.” And Hannah Van Kirk in Mexico said, “My three kids -- Tessa, Reese, and Lincoln -- and I have been listening to The Worldview for a year. We include it as part of our homeschool day. We enjoy the update and prayer reports about the persecuted Christians. And we appreciate that you occasionally suggest that we send get well cards to Christian leaders who are sick or cards of encouragement to others who are standing up against the world. We also enjoy the uplifting stories.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Friday, July 4th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Sanctuary cities are now targeted because we do NOT keep track of the illegal immigrants. As a result the illegal citizens get to vote simply because they are residents. This is the key problem! They are not American citizens yet they are voting! This is a master stroke in deception by the deep state Democrat regime. The DEMS cannot boast about merit or successful performance. As a result they must try to control the immigrant vote. (a/k/a; 'Vote the way I tell you and I will give you more free things!'). What a way to build a political party. Sounds like Communism to me! Ironically, immigrants are not dumb. They see the deceptions upon them from the luring, demonic, and flirtatious Democrats. As a result track the number of Democrats and legal immigrants who are becoming Republicans! Stunning.Sanctuary Cities Failed Illegal Immigrants! Now What?!Gene Valentino on Newsmax Wake Up America WeekendORIGINAL MEDIA SOURCE(S):Originally Recorded on June 14, 2025America Beyond the Noise: Season 5, Episode 592Image courtesy of: Newsmax➡️ Join the Conversation: https://GeneValentino.com➡️ WMXI Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NewsRadio981➡️ More WMXI Interviews: https://genevalentino.com/wmxi-interviews/➡️ More GrassRoots TruthCast Episodes: https://genevalentino.com/grassroots-truthcast-with-gene-valentino/➡️ More Broadcasts with Gene as the Guest: https://genevalentino.com/america-beyond-the-noise/ ➡️ More About Gene Valentino: https://genevalentino.com/about-gene-valentino/

It's Wednesday, July 2nd, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Hundreds of Hindus attacked Christians in India Hundreds of Hindu nationalists attacked a group of Christian families in eastern India last month. The 20 families were eating lunch together before the mob attacked them. Eight of the Christians had to be hospitalized.  A Christian leader in the area told International Christian Concern, “Hindu right-wing activists continued to threaten people to change their religion and accept Hinduism.”  However, the Christians resisted. India is ranked 11th on the Open Doors' World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian.  Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Trump brokered peace deal between Congo and Rwanda The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda signed a peace deal last Friday in Washington, D.C.  The United States brokered the agreement which will allow American companies to access minerals in the region. Armed groups across the two East African nations have been in conflict since the 1990s. The violence has left millions of people dead. Christians in the area have been especially vulnerable.   Listen to comments from President Donald Trump on the conflict. TRUMP: “It's displaced countless people and claimed the lives of thousands and thousands. But today, the violence and destruction comes to an end. And the entire region begins a new chapter of hope and opportunity, harmony, prosperity and peace.” Senate passed Trump's Big Beautiful Bill with Vance's tie-breaking vote The U.S. Senate passed President Trump's “One Big Beautiful Bill” yesterday. Vice President J.D. Vance cast the tie-breaking vote to approve it 51-50. The three Republican Senators who defected include Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. The spending bill extends Trump's tax cuts from 2017. It provides more funding for defense and immigration enforcement while cutting Medicaid spending. Appearing on Fox News Channel, Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff, outlined the highlights of Trump's Big Beautiful Bill. MILLER: “Each and every one of the individual titles in this bill would be considered one of the great achievements in the history of the conservative movement. “Building the missile defense shield. Our children can be safe from foreign adversaries in this growing era of intercontinental ballistic missiles as nation's race for supremacy. “The section on this bill enshrining border and homeland security. This is the most far reaching Border Security proposal, Homeland Security proposal in my lifetime. I stood by the families whose kids have been murdered by illegal aliens. We made them a promise. Most importantly, the American people voted to fulfill that promise in the last election. This bill fulfills it. “It is the largest tax cut and reform in American history. No tax on tips. No tax on Social Security. No tax on overtime. 100% expensing for new factories. Think about that. Every single business owner with a dream of manufacturing in America can deduct 100% of that cost to make the American dream come true. “The largest welfare reform in American history. Work requirements on food stamps. Work requirements on Medicaid. “This is the most conservative bill in my lifetime. Tax cuts, defense, Border Security, Homeland Security, welfare reform and the largest spending cut in one bill that has ever been enacted. Let's pass this bill.” The bill does raise the debt ceiling by $5 trillion. The U.S. national debt currently stands at $37 trillion. The bill heads back to the U.S. House of Representatives for final approval. Trump hopes to sign the bill by July 4. Senate votes to defund Planned Parenthood The Senate version of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” would also defund Planned Parenthood. A provision in the bill cuts abortion funding through Medicaid for one year. Originally, the provision would have cut the funding for 10 years.   Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington offered an amendment to strike the provision defunding Planned Parenthood from the bill. Thankfully, the Republicans rejected her pro-abortion amendment. Marjorie Dannenfelser with SBA Pro-Life America said, “Taxpayers should never be forced to funnel their hard-earned dollars to Big Abortion. This funding currently hits almost $800 million annually.” 58% of Americans say public schools should have religious chaplains A new poll from the Associated Press found Americans are divided on their views of religion in public schools. Fifty-eight percent of U.S. adults think religious chaplains should be allowed to provide support services in public schools. Only 44% are in favor of teachers leading a class in prayer. And 39% support a mandatory period during school for private prayer and religious reading.  Also, 38% of Americans think religion has too little influence on what children are taught in schools while 32% think religion has too much influence.  Arsonist shot and killed 2 firefighters, injured another A man armed with a rifle started a wildfire Sunday and then began shooting at first responders in a northern Idaho mountain community, killing two firefighters and wounding a third during a barrage of gunfire over several hours, reports The Associated Press. Crews responded to a fire at Canfield Mountain, just north of Coeur d'Alene around 1:30 p.m., and gunshots were reported about a half hour later. The gunman, identified as 20-year-old Wess Roley, committed suicide at the scene. Sheriff Bob Norris said, “We do believe that the suspect started the fire, and we do believe that it was an ambush and it was intentional. These firefighters did not have a chance.” The deaths of Frank Harwood, a 42-year-old firefighter, and John Morrison, a 52-year-old firefighter, have left their colleagues reeling. David Tysdal, age 47, a Coeur d'Alene fire department fire engineer. sustained gunshot wounds and was in critical condition. Authorities said he had two successful surgeries. Ironically, the dead gunman, Wess Roley, had once aspired to be a firefighter and had only minor contacts with area police, reports The Guardian. Rare Indonesian fish is thorn in evolutionists' side Ocean explorers recently captured a rare Indonesian fish on camera for the first time. Marine biologist Alexis Chappuis encountered an Indonesian coelacanth nearly 500 feet below the ocean's surface in the Maluku Islands.  The Indonesian species of the fish has been spotted before but never photographed underwater.  The coelacanth has been called a living fossil. Scientists believed they were extinct until one was spotted in 1938.  Frank Sherwin with the Institute for Creation Research wrote that the fish “continues to be a thorn in the evolutionists' side. Paleontologists can only say these amazing fish evolved from a vague, unidentified ‘. . . ancestor.' Creationists say there have always been coelacanth fish since their creation thousands of years ago.” Psalm 104:23-24 says, “O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom have You made them all; the Earth is full of Your creatures. Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great.” 7 Worldview listeners gave $1,246.50 to fund the newscast Even though our fundraiser officially concluded on June 30th, 7 final donations came in on July 1st. Our thanks to Tony and Jenny in Palmdale, California who gave $5.50, Julia in Wellsburg, Iowa who gave $20, and Christopher in Dubois, Pennsylvania who gave $25. And we're grateful to God for Leticia in Blum, Texas who pledged $15/month for 12 months for a gift of $180, siblings in Wellsburg, Iowa who pledged $20/month for 12 months for a gift of $240, Ed in Wellsburg, Iowa who pledged $25/month for 12 months for a gift of $300, and Geral in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada who gave $476. Those 7 Worldview listeners gave $1,246.50. Ready for our final grand total? Drum roll please.  (Drum roll sound effect) $126,741!  (People clapping and cheering sound effect)   That means we exceeded our $123,500 goal to fund the 6-member Worldview newscast team by $3,241. Thanks again for your sacrifice and your kindness. Psalm 145:3 says, “Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom." Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, July 2nd, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

People have many questions about life after death, including questions about hell. Ironically, while many people claim that they don't believe in hell, more questions are asked about hell than about heaven. In this podcast, we'll look at what the Bible has to say about hell, as we answer some of those questions.

One of the most common questions chiropractors ask is, “How much should I be spending on marketing?” Unfortunately, there's no one-size-fits-all answer. Your marketing budget depends on your goals, experience, available time, and financial situation. In this episode of the Rocket Chiro Podcast, Jerry Kennedy breaks down what chiropractors need to consider when setting a smart, sustainable marketing budget. What's Normal? Most small businesses spend 5–10% of gross revenue on marketing. Growth-focused businesses often spend 10–20%. Chiropractors? Usually far less. Many operate with 2–3%, and some don't spend anything on external marketing at all. However, even if you think you're not spending on marketing, you probably are. Website hosting, domain names, print materials, business cards—it all counts. The real difference is whether you're intentionally investing in marketing or passively coasting. Why Chiropractors Often Underspend Chiropractors—especially new ones—typically have limited budgets. There's often pride in “doing it all yourself” or “growing by referral,” but this mindset can hold you back. Ironically, the time you most need to invest in marketing (early in practice) is when you usually have the least money and the least experience making smart marketing decisions. Jerry shares his own experience of starting out with a large loan. While the money helped him get set up, it also created false security and delayed asking for help. Too much money, too soon, without a strategy, can lead to poor choices. So, What Should You Spend? There's no exact number. Your marketing budget should be based on: Your practice goals Your available time and money Your marketing skills Your current momentum Don't make zero spending the goal. At the same time, don't fall for high-ticket gimmicks that promise the moon. Be intentional and strategic. Budgeting Basics for Chiropractors Do: Invest in low-cost, high-impact strategies if you're tight on funds. Understand that marketing takes either time or money—often both. Prioritize foundational strategies first (see below). Spend money when it saves you meaningful time. Don't: Gamble on expensive marketing hoping it'll “just work.” Spend money you don't have or overcommit time you can't spare. Lie to yourself about your situation. Be honest so you can plan wisely. Start with the Essentials Before jumping into fancy ads or shiny marketing campaigns, focus on your foundational marketing: A professional, patient-focused website Local SEO and Google Business Profile optimization Generating and managing online reviews Community outreach and networking Custom social media content (if you're willing to create it) These strategies are more affordable, sustainable, and effective over time. Big-ticket ads, print campaigns, and radio spots can come later—if they make sense for your goals and budget. Time vs. Money As your practice grows, your available money increases and time becomes more limited. That's when outsourcing makes more sense. For example, a new chiropractor might build their own website, while a seasoned doc is more likely to outsource that task to save time. Social media tip: Avoid paying for canned content. If you want results, you'll need to share your own personality, voice, and expertise. You can create simple content and pass it off to someone for editing and posting—but generic content won't move the needle. Short-Term vs. Long-Term Strategy Understand the type of marketing you're doing: Short-term marketing (like Google Ads or in-person networking) can generate fast results. Long-term marketing (like SEO or relationship building) builds momentum over time. Ideally, your strategy should include both. Just be clear about your goals so you can match your budget and efforts accordingly. Avoid the Comparison Trap Don't compare your marketing budget or practice stats to other chiropractors without context. Chiropractors often exaggerate their numbers. Even if the numbers are real, you don't know the whole story. Jerry shares a story about a friend with a big, multi-doc practice who grossed 3–4x what Jerry did. But after expenses, the friend only brought home a few thousand more per month—and carried far more stress. Bigger isn't always better. Final Thoughts There's no magic number. The right marketing budget for your chiropractic practice is the one that fits your situation, supports your goals, and delivers a positive return on investment. Start with foundational strategies. Be realistic about where you are. Invest smart, not just big. Don't spend money to impress anyone—especially not other chiropractors. Smart chiropractors make intentional decisions, track ROI, and stay focused on long-term success—not short-term ego boosts.   Want Help Growing Your Practice? Jerry offers business coaching, website design, SEO, and Google Ads services specifically for chiropractors. If you're ready for less stress and more momentum, visit RocketChiro.com. Free Website/SEO Review: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-practice-assessment Best chiropractic websites: https://rocketchiro.com/best-chiropractic-websites Chiropractic SEO: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-seo Coaching for Chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/join

We’re starting our Speed Block in the periodized Annual Training Plan. It’s time to go fast, safely and effectively. I’m very pleased that speed training is finally getting the attention it deserves from the fitness and longevity crowd. Ironically, it’s always been a part of what we do here at TLA because comprehensive athleticism requires speed. That’s why we have…

Matthew 27:22-34

Don't let it be said that the superrich care only about themselves, always taking from society and giving nothing back.Consider the generous billionaires who live on an island in Florida's Biscayne Bay. Amazon kingpin Jeff Bezos lives there, as do Ivanka Trump and her hubby, Jared Kushner. Actually, their so-called island is fake, built in the bay so a few dozen absurdly rich sparklies don't have to mix with commoners living in the adjacent town of Surfside.Snootiness aside, though, the billionaires have literally been giving “of themselves” to Surfside's people. Specifically, their bodily waste has long been leaking from the septic systems of their mansions, polluting the town's environment. Yes, the rich are actually defecating on commoners.Facing public scorn, the Bezos-Trump-Kushner clan proposed piping their excrement into Surfside's sewer system. Okay, but when the city asked for $10 million to help cover the pipe's cost, the billionaires squealed like stuck hogs!Come on! Ten million for them is like 10 dollars for you and me. Of course, moneyed elites didn't get rich by playing fair, but by playing the system. So, they dispatched their lobbyists and lawyers to Gov. Ron DeSantis. Sure enough – BAM! – Republican officials suddenly and secretly approved a new state provision decreeing that local communities like Surfside cannot interfere with or even demand payment for such special-interest sewer projects as the Bezos-Trump-Kushner hookup. Then, again with no publicity, DeSantis signed the billionaires' corrupt law – no doubt assured that they would reward his kindness later on.Ironically, the word “defecate” is derived from a Latin verb meaning “to cleanse.” But there's not enough soap in Florida to clean the hands of these dirty dealers.Jim Hightower's Lowdown is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimhightower.substack.com/subscribe

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Jonah 1-4; 2 Timothy 2 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! On this June 26th episode, Hunter guides us through a powerful journey in the Scriptures, reading the entire book of Jonah and diving into 2 Timothy 2. Today's reflection centers on Jonah's honest struggle with God's mercy and compassion, both for himself and for the people of Nineveh. Hunter draws out the profound truth that God is actively arranging our stories, extending grace and love not just to Jonah and the Ninevites, but to all of us—right where we are. Together, we'll explore how God's mercy sometimes confounds our expectations, yet invites us into transformation and mission. The episode wraps with heartfelt prayers for peace and gratitude, honest encouragement through life's challenges, and a reminder that no matter what you're facing, you are deeply loved. Grab your Bible and join us for another day of faithful reading, reflection, and community! TODAY'S DEVOTION: Jonah knew something truly important about God. And what Jonah knew—it caused him to run. We might expect that Jonah's knowledge would have made him eager to follow, but instead, it pushed him the other way. Jonah knew that God was merciful, compassionate, slow to anger, and filled with unfailing love. He knew that God was ready—eager, even—to forgive, to show mercy, to extend compassion. Ironically, it was the goodness of God that made Jonah run. He confesses it himself: “I knew you would do this, Lord! That's why I ran.” Jonah didn't want God's mercy to fall on Nineveh. He would rather run than see God share mercy with those he disliked. But God was not done with Jonah. God was arranging his story—just as he arranges ours. He arranged for storms, for a great fish, for a plant and for a worm; he arranged all things so that Jonah, and the city of Nineveh, might come to know his love. God is the arranger. He is weaving mercy into our stories, into the lives of people and nations. He is making all things new. Jonah knew God's character, but he struggled to embrace it for others. The Ninevites, on the other hand, learned that even the worst of us are not beyond the reach of God's compassion and grace. God invites us, like Jonah, to join him in his arrangement—to see, to know, to trust that he loves all people, everywhere, and is at work, often in unexpected ways, to make all things new. Do you know this? Do you know that God is merciful and compassionate toward you? That when your heart feels far, he's already working to draw you near? That, even now, he is arranging your story, weaving his love and grace into your days? Let's discover, and actively participate, with this God— the God revealed in Jesus—whose love sets us free, whose presence remakes our lives. May this be the prayer of our hearts, the prayer for our families, and for all who listen: may we come to know and trust the God who is arranging all things in love. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Loving God, you have knit us together in the body of Christ from every nation and tongue. Make us a vessel of your peace today. Make us a vessel of your peace today. Where hatred stirs, let us bear your love. Where wounds run deep, let us be agents of pardon. Where fear grips hearts, may we speak faith. Where sorrow hangs heavy, may we carry joy. Teach us to listen more than we speak. To understand before we are understood. To love. For in surrender we find abundance. In mercy, we discover grace. And in dying, we rise into your life. In the name of Jesus. Amen. And now, as our Lord has taught us, we are bold to pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. If you would like a compilation of daily prayers for other dates or want this formatted as a recurring segment, let me know! OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL