Podcasts about Thanksgiving

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Howard Stern believes sportscasters should normalize saying "penis" on air. In basketball, Kyrie Irving defended Karl-Anthony Towns from criticism as the Pacers surprisingly took a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals. Evan and Tiki debated the Knicks' situation, while the Yankees beat the Royals with a 5-run inning and an Aaron Judge homer. Marcus Stroman made a rehab start, and the Mets shut out the Nationals thanks to two Brandon Nimmo home runs and a complete game from David Peterson, though Pete Alonso getting hit angered Ron Darling. Finally, Mike Tannenbaum predicted Aaron Rodgers would be irrelevant by Thanksgiving, and Rodgers recently got married privately.

Hour 1 The Mets and Yankees are on a roll, with David Peterson throwing a complete game for the Mets. Meanwhile, the Knicks' coaching search continues to flounder, with rejections from candidates like Jason Kidd and public criticism from Charles Barkley. Elsewhere, the U.S. Open starts today, the Pacers took a 2-1 series lead over the Thunder, and an anonymous player poll named Juan Soto the hitter pitchers least want to face in a World Series Game 7. Hour 2 Howard Stern believes sportscasters should normalize saying "penis" on air. In basketball, Kyrie Irving defended Karl-Anthony Towns from criticism as the Pacers surprisingly took a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals. Evan and Tiki debated the Knicks' situation, while the Yankees beat the Royals with a 5-run inning and an Aaron Judge homer. Marcus Stroman made a rehab start, and the Mets shut out the Nationals thanks to two Brandon Nimmo home runs and a complete game from David Peterson, though Pete Alonso getting hit angered Ron Darling. Finally, Mike Tannenbaum predicted Aaron Rodgers would be irrelevant by Thanksgiving, and Rodgers recently got married privately. Hour 3 Both the Yankees and Mets are hot, building excitement for potential September playoff pushes; the Yankees' post-Juan Soto additions are thriving, while Mets pitching is so strong a caller doesn't want Sean Manaea back from injury. Boomer expects the Braves to heat up but notes Phillies' injuries. In other news, Kyrie Irving defended Karl-Anthony Towns on Twitch, leading to a discussion about "code switching" and whether New Jersey is a "tiny" state. The Yankees beat the Royals with an Aaron Judge homer, and the Mets shut out the Nationals thanks to a David Peterson complete game and two Brandon Nimmo home runs, though Pete Alonso getting hit again angered Ron Darling. Hour 4 The Knicks are still searching for a new head coach, with speculation about player input during exit interviews. A new "Roommates" podcast is due today. Jerry's final update included the Pacers' 2-1 lead over the Thunder, the Yankees' victory over the Royals (5 runs in the second), and the Mets' shutout of the Nationals, featuring a David Peterson complete game and homers from Juan Soto and Brandon Nimmo. Joe Flacco found it hard to believe adults use TikTok. The "Moment of The Day" was a funny caller interaction with Jerry, and Boomer is out tomorrow for a Maryland quarterback event.

Like most rebellious teenagers, I wasn't much for rules. But the Thanksgiving weekend of 2007, I played it by the book. My dad gave me strict instructions not to leave my hunting blind until dark, especially if I shot a deer. And, Buddy, did I keep that bucket seat warm. My ears were still ringing when I peered through the new hole in the blind's shoot-through mesh. The buck I shot dropped in its tracks, and I could see its white underbelly lying...

The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network continues its 136 team college football preview series with the Navy Midshipmen 2025 Season Preview episode. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD) & Ryan McIntyre (@Moneyline_Mac) break down the entire Navy Midshipmen roster and key in on their 2025 season and schedule. Does the return of QB Blake Horvath mean Navy Midshipmen will be a college football playoff contender? Will the run game be even better in 2025 with Eli Heidenreich, Brandon Chatman and Alex Tecza all back?Will the Navy offense be improved just with another year in Drew Cronic's offense? Is the offensive line a bit of a concern with only two starters back in 2025? Is Nathan Kent do for a big year at the wideout position? Can Brian Newberry keep the Navy Midshipmen program heading in the right direction? Should Navy perhaps be the favorite to win the American Athletic Conference?Does only returning four on the defensive side of the ball leave some room of concern for the 2025 season? Is Landon Robinson not only the best defensive linemen on the team but also a guy on the NFL radar? Is Navy Memorial Stadium one of the best kept secrets in the FBS? Does Navy get a great AAC Conference Schedule and what would it take for the Midshipmen to potentially get to the college football playoff? Is Army vs Navy the best rivalry in college football? Should the service Academies also play on Thanksgiving every year? We talk it all and more on this 2025 Navy Midshipmen edition of The College Football Experience. 00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Shoutouts 01:11 Welcome to the College Football Experience 01:58 Meet the Hosts 02:39 Midshipmen Football Overview 05:00 Coach Brian Newberry's Impact 07:05 Offensive Strategy and Key Players 11:00 Defensive Analysis 14:51 State of the Program and Stadium Review 22:21 Season Schedule Breakdown 27:39 Tide Turning and Football Memories 28:07 Analyzing Navy's Upcoming Games 29:55 Navy's Key Opponents and Predictions 31:29 Navy's Path to the Conference Championship 32:12 Navy vs. Notre Dame: A Tough Matchup 34:06 Navy's Final Stretch and Rivalry Games 39:27 Betting Insights and Season Predictions 44:52 Upcoming Previews and Closing Remarks JOIN the SGPN community #DegensOnlyExclusive Merch, Contests and Bonus Episodes ONLY on Patreon - https://sg.pn/patreonDiscuss with fellow degens on Discord - https://sg.pn/discordDownload The Free SGPN App - https://sgpn.appCheck out the Sports Gambling Podcast on YouTube - https://sg.pn/YouTubeCheck out our website - http://sportsgamblingpodcast.comSUPPORT us by supporting our partnersUnderdog Fantasy code SGPN - Up to $1000 in BONUS CASH - https://play.underdogfantasy.com/p-sgpnRithmm - Player Props and Picks - Free 7 day trial! http://sportsgamblingpodcast.com/rithmmRebet - Social sportsbook - 100% deposit match promo code SGPN in your app store! ADVERTISE with SGPNInterested in advertising? Contact sales@sgpn.io Follow The College Experience & SGPN On Social MediaTwitter - https://twitter.com/TCEonSGPNInstagram - http://www.instagram.com/TCEonSGPNTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@TCEonSGPNYoutube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheCollegeExperienceFollow The Hosts On Social MediaColby Dant - http://www.twitter.com/thecolbydPatty C - https://twitter.com/PattyC831NC Nick - https://twitter.com/NC__NicK Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER CO, DC, IL, IN, LA, MD, MS, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA)21+ to wager. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800 BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI)

On November 27, 2024, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian denied Sean "Diddy" Combs's third request for bail. Combs, facing charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, had proposed a $50 million bond and stringent conditions, including 24/7 surveillance and house arrest at a Manhattan apartment. Despite these measures, the judge expressed concerns about the potential for witness tampering and the safety of the community, citing Combs's alleged attempts to interfere with the investigation while in custody.Prosecutors argued that Combs had a history of manipulating witnesses and obstructing justice, presenting evidence of his violent behavior and efforts to influence the case from jail. They highlighted instances where Combs allegedly bribed security officers to destroy surveillance footage and contacted witnesses through unauthorized means. The judge concluded that no combination of conditions could ensure community safety or prevent obstruction of justice, leading to the denial of bail.(commercial at 8:17)Let's dive in!to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Diddy denied bail for THIRD time ahead of sex trafficking trial | Daily Mail Online

  In this episode Diana interviews Tim Thomas, a veteran from Australia, who shares his experiences with breath work for stress management and healing. Tim recounts his military service, the abuse he faced due to his faith, and his mission to help soldiers who have attempted suicide. He elaborates on the transformative power of rest, overcoming PTSD, and breaking the isolation of trauma survivors. Tim's inspiring journey from a decorated soldier to a healer and advocate for veterans' mental health is both captivating and empowering.    https://breathworkinbed.com.au/ This link gives all listeners immediate access to improved sleep using the Breathwork in Bed App. Just hit the appropriate link for your phone and you'll get a 28 day free trial.   00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message 00:47 Welcome to the Podcast 01:21 Introducing Tim Thomas 02:25 Tim's Background and Mission 05:50 Tim's Faith Journey 13:50 Military Experience and Challenges 22:05 Overcoming Isolation and Fatigue 27:08 Shark Attack Story 28:17 Conclusion and Next Episode Teaser   Bio:  Meet Tim Thomas—a man on a mission to transform lives and uplift the world, one night of quality sleep at a time. With over a decade of experience in the gritty, high-stakes world of veteran recovery, Tim brings an unparalleled depth of insight, forged through lived experiences in mental health, wellness, research, and breathwork. Alongside his team, he has raised over $1 million for impactful charities like the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation, driving advancements in veteran health, and the Queensland Brain Institute, a global leader in neuroscience and mental health research. Tim's personal passion lies in helping people access the transformative power of rest and connection, showing how they fuel resilience, clarity, and fulfillment. He's not just a storyteller—he's a catalyst for change, inspiring audiences to unlock the hidden potential that comes with better sleep and a generous heart. Tim's energy is contagious, his insights are actionable, and his message will leave you empowered and excited. Get ready to hear stories that will captivate, strategies that inspire, and a perspective that will challenge everything you thought you knew about wellness. Let Tim take you on a journey you'll never forget.   Website: https://dswministries.org Email: diana@dswministries.org Subscribe to the podcast: https://dswministries.org/subscribe-to-podcast/ Social media links: Join our Private Wounds of the Faithful FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1603903730020136 Twitter: https://twitter.com/DswMinistries YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxgIpWVQCmjqog0PMK4khDw/playlists Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dswministries/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DSW-Ministries-230135337033879 Keep in touch with me! Email subscribe to get my handpicked list of the best resources for abuse survivors! https://thoughtful-composer-4268.ck.page #abuse #trauma Affiliate links: Our Sponsor: 753 Academy: https://www.753academy.com/ Can't travel to The Holy Land right now? The next best thing is Walking The Bible Lands! Get a free video sample of the Bible lands here! https://www.walkingthebiblelands.com/a/18410/hN8u6LQP An easy way to help my ministry: https://dswministries.org/product/buy-me-a-cup-of-tea/ A donation link: https://dswministries.org/donate/   Tim Thomas Part 1 [00:00:00] Welcome to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast, brought to you by DSW Ministries. Your host is singer songwriter, speaker and domestic violence advocate, Diana Winkler. She is passionate about helping survivors in the church heal from domestic violence and abuse and trauma. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counseling or qualified medical help. Now here is Diana. Hey everyone. Welcome back to the podcast. So glad to have you with me today. We have a great episode for you and this one will be from down under. We've had some, friends on the podcast from Australia, and so today we also have a guest from Australia, Tim Thomas. We are going to talk about breath work and how that helps with stress management and healing. I myself have [00:01:00] done some breath work with my psychiatrist, and believe it or not, it has really helped me. So I'm really intrigued about hearing what he has to say about breath work. But he is also gonna tell his story about being in the military in Australia and how he suffered abuse for his faith and what he did, to overcome that. And we'll talk about his, work he's doing, to help, soldiers who have attempted suicide, which that is really, really amazing to save lives like that. I'm gonna read you a little bit about his bio. Meet Tim Thomas, A man on a mission to transform lives and uplift the world, one night of quality sleep at a time. With over a decade of experience in the gritty, high stakes world of veteran recovery. Tim brings an unparalleled depth of insight forged through lived [00:02:00] experiences in mental health, wellness, research, and breath work. Alongside his team, he has raised over 1 million or impact charities like the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation, driving advancements in veteran health and the Queensland Brain Institute, a global leader in neuroscience and mental health research. Tim's personal passion lies in helping people access the transformative power of rest and connection, showing how they fuel resilience, clarity, and fulfillment. He's not only a storyteller. He's a catalyst for change, inspiring audiences to unlock the hidden potential that comes with better sleep and a generous heart . Who doesn't need more sleep, right? Tim's energy is contagious, i'll tell you. His message will leave you empowered and excited. So get ready to hear some stories that will captivate and strategies that are going [00:03:00] to inspire. A perspective that will change everything you thought you knew about wellness. So here we go. Please welcome my guest today, Tim Thomas. Alright, welcome Tim Thomas to the show from down under and it's, uh, 11 o'clock tomorrow over there. Yep. This is coming to you live from the future. Or time travelers. So, we've had a couple guests from Australia and tell us what is a thing about Australia that maybe is a myth or something that isn't true? What, yeah, sure. Okay. So you guys have, uh, Thanksgiving Uhhuh where you, where you carve up the, the Turkey. We have Thanksgiving here as well, but we carve up a kangaroo. Really? I didn't know that. No, you don't. What do you serve with it? Oh, you don't? Oh, you're joking. I'm just, I'm just kidding you. Oh, you see my [00:04:00] eyeballs go really big. No, they're, they're too hard to catch. Yeah, I, I venture that. People think that, you know, crocodiles live in your backyard and, you have kangaroos as pets, but that's not true. Is it? No, although I was fortunate enough to grow up with my father working with the Aboriginals, and so, eating kangaroos, eating, anything that crawled or, walked on the ground was part of my, uh, diet growing up. Yeah, my dad actually worked in the church, with the indigenous, in some very low socioeconomic, circumstances. There's on the YouTube, there's those clips called Restoring Faith in Humanity, where there's these acts of kindness to people that could, you know, never potentially repay it. But that was just my day to day seeing my parents and their sincere, service, going beyond any sort of physical restraint. The older I get, the more I [00:05:00] appreciate it. I like that. Tell us how you came to know the Lord. What was your spiritual background? You mentioned your, family in the ministry. How did you know, Jesus personally? What did that look like for you? Well, having a faith based background, you think, you know, going to church every week, Sunday school, my father was the pastor, uh, that I would have a faith and I did, but I feel like it was someone else's. I didn't really own it. And the thing is, there's no bottom to the depth of the relationship. So I'm always finding this new depth of relationship, which makes the old relationship redundant. You know, letting the old self die. What you once clinging to and almost to find yourself with, you've gotta literally let that die and allow yourself to, to be transformed. And I've had, uh, quite a few deepening transformative experiences, most of which come out of, uh, [00:06:00] getting in some way, shape, or form broken. And there was something that happened. So my background is, I was a professional fighter, in the early mixed martial arts scene, which was, no rules fighting is what they called it back in the nineties. Mm-hmm. Uh, I joined the special forces and. Before you go on deployment, they get you to write a letter to your loved ones, uh, in case you die. And that was very confronting for a lot of guys. So you coming up against, you know, fear of death, uh, and, and fear in general, right? Mm-hmm. And I thought, well, there was only one time in the Bible where Jesus was afraid, and that was in the garden of Gethsemane. And he wasn't just a little scared. He was so scared he was bleeding blood. and I started thinking, why was he so scared? Why was he so fearful? And I'm like, it can't be for any fear of physical pain because I. I know guys, I can just flick [00:07:00] a switch and they can control their physical pain. And, and I'm sure he had that ability, he had power over his physical body. And I started thinking, what Jesus was really afraid about was that when he was on that cross and he was bearing our sins, he couldn't be with God. So this bond that had been there since the beginning of time, for the first time ever was actually severed. Mm-hmm. And Jesus, for the first time ever in his, in the in, since the beginning of conceivable time, he was alone. He was completely alone. So yes, he experienced everything that us humans experienced while he was here, but he did something that none of us, I. need to experience, and that is separation from God. Yeah. So when he was on that cross, that was Easter is a time of loneliness. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? You know that, it's a bit like, you've got a child, you just put 'em outta the car and drive off. There's no physical harm being done, but those golden threads get severed. So, because I saw that, [00:08:00] because Jesus experienced separation from God, we never have to, and it doesn't matter if I'm alive or I'm dead, I'm doing well, I'm doing poorly. Nothing's gonna separate us because of Jesus experiencing that separation for us. And I, I completely lost my fear of death, um, to the point where I literally had fun with it, you know? Um, I remember guy saying, Tommo, you're not supposed to be having so much fun. But, that was my detachment from, from any fear because I, I realized that nothing could separate us. Oh, I Amen. To that. Wow. So when was your faith real to you? Was there a, a particular event that happened in your life, or? Well, to be honest, I have played in both realms. You might call it the woowoo, energy, whatever you wanna call it, um, new age. But there are some principles that they have in there and they talk about, uh, lower energy frequencies or what we would call in the Christian faith sins, you know? Mm-hmm. Fear, anger, hatred, you [00:09:00] know, lower energy frequencies. And if you are stuck in those frequencies, then you can't transcend to the higher connection with the divine, and then the difference between, your lower energies and your higher energies is courage. And as a Christian you'd say letting the old self die, that which you are familiar with. Okay? I always know Tim, as this particular type of person, this is what I do. This is what I think, this is how I react. And so to. To let go of that and to let that self die. And it is essentially a death, takes a lot of courage to step into the unknown. It's that leap of faith, catch me, Jesus. And, so I found it very useful to use the, technical breakdown in the sort of woowoo space to help me access the sins that I've been hanging onto. All the poison I'd been drinking to try and help hurt [00:10:00] other people. And I'm sure I was still saved by grace, but to, I think we naturally connect with God provided the blockages are removed. But we tend to hang onto these blockages. We hang onto to that which we are familiar with. I was very familiar with going, that person wronged me and I'm angry, so I want revenge. Or I might say I forgive them in my head. And yeah. But that just means that, I've cut them outta my life and I hope God punishes them some way somehow. You know? Yeah. That's not really connecting to something higher. And the way I sort of saw it was, you can draw these wrongs or sins closer to you. Uh, and so, my pathway to a living, breathing, active relationship with God and the divine, has me understanding that it does start in this physical space. It does start with me getting forgiveness for the things that have me in fear, shame, guilt. So, I'm a big fan of breath work and if you wanna look at it from the parable of, the [00:11:00] king giving his servant talents, pieces of gold, do something with it. And then when I return , I'll see what you've done with it. So inside of us is this, let's just say gold. And my experience of my true connection with the divine is he's given me this bag of meat around this wondrous, gold. And when this bag of meat does what I've been put here to do, it's like, it lines up to, to amplify the gold that's inside of me. And that's unique to each individual. Some people get it through playing music, some people get it, with exercise, some people, me, it was combat. I have to be honest. I feel like God put me here to do the things I was made to do. Ah, when, I believe, you're on, purpose. When energy's like money, how you invest, it's how you get it back. And when you are doing the thing that you felt you've been put here to do, you get an incredible reward. So when I started tapping into, getting rid [00:12:00] of the sin, the lower energy stuff and getting into the divine, uh, that's when it became like a daily loving, abundant. I have to reconnect, realign, and, to get that power, get that abundance. We get lost. We get lost in what we can see. We're a very visual society, so we're only looking at what we can see and, what is unseen is what's, super powerful. That's the stuff that I tend to lean into because, and I don't think we say this loudly enough. A man's happiness and generosity is relative to how powerful he feels. 'cause if you wanna see an unhappy stingy guy, I they're not feeling powerful. And I believe that starts with us. So I tell my son, our power starts with us. Um, I hope that lands, so you've probably heard the phrase, you are a soul. You have a body. You heard that before? Yep. Yep. And so a lot of people, they mix it up as they have a body and my soul's here just for the ride. It's, no, we are a soul. We are spiritual. And, yeah. I think, [00:13:00] folks can relate to what you've been saying. You, mentioned your military experience in Australia. Now I'm familiar with American military 'cause I come from a military family. Uh, but what is it like in Australia? Are there any differences? What is it like being a soldier there? Well, I would say it's, I've worked with some of the US troops, and to be honest, I didn't see there was too much difference. Of course as Australians, we'd just say we're much tougher than the US troops. But, but no, I work with some really, switched on guys from the us the Navy Seals in their special forces of selection, they got a hell week. In the Australian Commandos, we have a hell 28 days. Oh, okay. So something similar. And, you mentioned that you had gone through some abuse because of your faith. Was that connected to your military service or in, other areas of your lives? Well, I will caveat this. I struggled with military, [00:14:00] culture and I was always trying to figure it out. So I was always asking questions and, asking questions was probably not encouraged, but I always did it. Uh, so I was always that guy. So insecure alpha males always need someone to, you know, kick sand in the face of, 'cause that to them there's only so much energy in the room, so they have to take it, um, from someone else. And. there was a drinking culture there hanging out with the boys. You know, I had a young family. I didn't hang out with them. And I also had a Christian faith. And I remember there was one particular sergeant that, really tried to break me. Mm-hmm. And the thing is, my physical body, you can't break. You know, my, my mind, you can't break. I'm too tough. You know, I'm connected to something so powerful. but then something happened that I didn't expect. He managed to attack the people I cared mostly about. So I was on deployment and I made a promise to my then wife. I call her my then wife, not my ex-wife. 'cause I, I stand for a positive future. and I promised my then wife that I'd write her a letter every day. And this particular [00:15:00] sergeant, , said, um, you, that's a security risk. We want to take your laptop off you. Now, my wife had given birth, uh, to our second born two weeks before deployment. Mm-hmm. And I had all the pictures of my wife giving birth, my kids in the bath on this hard drive. Mm mm-hmm. And he took the hard drive and he put it on the, the army's equivalent of the internet so anyone could see it. And I'd never been in a situation where the people I cared about most was used against me like that, you know? And obviously that freaked my then wife out, you know, and she was scared that her milk will dry up. She was so stressed. And now then that then of course freaked me the hell out, and so I'd never been. Like, I got a, armor of God man, but it was like a knife got un underneath under all of it hit my heart and I just bled out. and I, I literally, in this lucid state, I saw a bird fly out from inside of me, just jump around in a rock and then fly off. And I'm like, what is [00:16:00] that? And I was later to realize that was the bluebird of happiness leaving me, and for about a decade there, 'cause, and when I went back to Australia and I, and you know, they decompress you with psychological stuff and, and I shared that the psychologist re reacted how you react and said, that is so wrong. Right? Yeah. Um, and so I put in what's called a an ROG redress of grievance. That's when the second layer of abuse started happening, because what the army is particularly good at is if you challenge rank, and I was just a private Okay. Nothing, nobody, oh, you know? Right. So, so they all thought, well, he's an external threat. Let's all bond together and, and screw this guy over a second time. So on every level, people who are really friendly then just treated me like I was invisible. No one would talk to me on base, yeah, I was kind of dead inside for the longest time, and, it really impacted my relationship with my then wife. Um, I was, it was the classic term where my [00:17:00] husband came back from deployment a different man, you know? Mm-hmm. Yeah. Um, Out of all that because I'm, I'm the toughest guy I know, right? Yeah. No, no one can break me. But the thing is, God put me in that place because it's not so much what we do that gives us value to others. It's what we've come through. And, and I had to go through that so I could actually have a heart having empathy for other people needing healing. You know, I was one of those tough guys that, if you couldn't handle it, bugger off mate. You can't handle it. Get out. There is a time and a place for that. There is a time and a place. I think this country is made great by that, but it's not the only option that, that is in your tool belt. What I didn't know was that when I got out, something happened when I got out. So in 2011, I think it was April. And this is just a true story. So I, I'd reached rock bottom. Well, long story short, I was about to kill a man. The Australian government wasn't paying me. Uh, this is gonna be murder. Mm-hmm. [00:18:00] Um, I'd, I'd reach rock bottom. PSDI didn't even know I had, I just had to drink half a car and a grog every night before I spoke to my then wife. Family was going to hell. what do you do when you're experiencing something you've never experienced before? And you need help or you see a psychologist? And that was such a strange concept for me, Diana, because I'm hurting and I've gotta go speak to a stranger. How does that make sense? I don't know this guy. I don't trust him. So I am completely triggered just driving in there, right? And after I told him all I saw in service, all the abuse, this guy wasn't just incompetent. Incompetency I can handle. This guy was apathetic. And at the end he's like, oh, so you think it was a problem with your mom and dad? And, and everything in the room just froze. And I saw he had a glass framed, you know, psychology degree behind him. And it made a lot of sense to grab that and feed it to him because he was a healer and he was supposed to be healing people, but he wasn't just not healing people, he was harming people. And in my state of [00:19:00] disconnection it made sense to do that. So I get outta my chair to do it. And this, this is really real, right? But then I felt this hand on my chest saying, red flag, Tim, you're the toughest guy. You know how many other guys are struggling in a, in this system that doesn't seem to care or want you to get better? And that's when I sat back down, Diana. And then I saw them, I saw all these people left and right of me just willing me on saying, you know, Tim, if you can find a way forward for you, you can find a way forward for us. And, and I really need people who are listening to this to draw this question to them. ' cause I didn't just go through that for myself. All right, there's a spirit at work here. Everyone's up against something. And the the golden question I asked, I invite everyone to ask, and that is how many other people are in your situation right now? And that, that's a real question. Give it a real number. And, and when I looked to my left and my right, there was no depth of people in my space. And I thought, well, look. It doesn't [00:20:00] matter if it takes me a week, a month, a year, a decade, I've gotta find a way forward. 'cause if I can find a way forward for me, I can find a way forward for them. And if it takes me a decade, I'm pretty sure that's the amount of time I'm gonna be able to save these people. And I was pretty sure that at some point in the future there's gonna be people that possibly haven't even met yet. Really glad I made a decision to move forward positively as opposed to going to jail. I understand that you saved, what, 17 people from committing suicide? Uh, I, I stopped counting at over 40. Oh, well that's even better. Um, I'd certainly like to hear more , about that. Okay. So my lifetime goal was to say, 'cause we've lost about 40 troops to bombs and bullets in Afghanistan, in Australia. But we've lost 30 or 40 times that amount to suicide. And so I had this goal in my head that if I can, save, 40 guys from suicide, I'll die a happy man. I don't care if it takes the rest of my life. This is what I wanna do. and I had no qualifications, but God had prepared me for this. So I'm [00:21:00] dyslexic. I, failed high school, but I could see patterns. And the pattern I saw happening is, is something that the mainstream spreadsheet never saw. And that was this. And these two things enabled me to save those 40 guys within a year. All right, so this is, this is powerful stuff that I'm showing. I need everyone to listen to this. It doesn't matter if the pain's physical or emotional for us humans, it'll get to a certain duration or intensity that it transforms from just pain into loneliness and isolation. And when we're all alone, when we're feeling isolated, all sorts of crazy crap. It can be justifiable. I was about to kill a man, and that was justifiable in my isolated state, but my isolation was broken. When I asked the question, how many other people are going through this? So I saw that, of all the millions of dollars of resources that get poured into veteran, it's all water off a duck's back if you're not breaking the isolation. And it's as simple as understanding that, especially for us guys [00:22:00] when we experience trauma. Yeah, we want to talk about it, but we are waiting for another, especially we need another bloke who has walked the same path to speak the unspoken words inside our hearts. So we've got these unspoken words that we can't speak ourselves, that we need to hear another guy who's walked that path. Speak, and then all of a sudden the jaw pops open. And I can't say what they normally say, but let's just say they say things like, gee whiz, I thought I was the only one going through this. Exactly. So, so breaking the isolation is the first step that it cannot and should not stay there. Uh, a lot of people get stuck in the feel goods of breaking the isolation. Oh, I'm not the only one going through this. Right? And veterans are really good at forming these anti-social social groups where, oh, look, we've broken our isolation, but I can only be myself around these people, and I'm only around them for one hour a week. You know, for the other times, I have to sort of go back [00:23:00] in my shell, right? Mm-hmm. So, yes, breaking the isolation's the first point, but it can't stop there. The next point that needs to be, uh, addressed is the plain and simple fatigue. I'm alone and isolated. I'm the only one that's got my back. I can't drop my guard for a second. Everything's a threat. 'cause everything is a threat. So I'm not sleeping, if I drop my guard, something bad's gonna happen. It's gonna be my fault. And it's this loop and it just becomes normal. Not sleeping, being hypervigilant, drinking lots of alcohol, lots of substances. And I made the mistake of telling the doctor I couldn't sleep and I lost six years of my life to pills, and initially i'm like, this is great long service, leaving a bottle. But no one tells you the cost of taking them. Yes, there's a benefit, but there's a massive cost. You get something, but it takes something from you. Mm-hmm. I lost a lot of memories. That's kind of a, a real gray patch in my life. Those six years I was on all these pills and I'm pretty sure I lost a bunch of memories from before that. So I. There's a time and a place for pills. They're [00:24:00] sometimes are lesser of two evils, but no one tells you the cost and especially nobody tells you just how hard it is to come off these things. Mm-hmm. You know, if you wanna feel like a minute, turns into an hour, be in the kind of pain that the withdrawals put through your system. I, I nearly went completely insane coming off of these things. So point I'm trying to make here is the two things I did that say 40 guys within, um, a year, and then I stopped counting, was breaking the isolation. And I want all the listeners to understand that what you are up against when you come through that, that gives you the qualification to break the isolation of other people going through it. You know, my pathway was a veteran, but it could be breast cancer, it could be a relationship, it could be anything. Whatever you're up against, you get through that. Live the life you wanna live. That gives you the qualification to break the isolation. Now, you might not say anything that that person hasn't heard before, but coming from you and your lived experience, you can put that from their head [00:25:00] into their heart, into their soul spirit. And then they get a chance to start making powerful choices, in a place of connection. And then getting them out of fatigue was where, when they gave me a bunch of pills, I didn't know breath work was something that could alkalize my neural pathways, turn my overthinking head off, give my body peace, give my body healing. It is the piece that transcends all human understandings. And I, and I don't just wanna talk about this there, there'll be a time at the end of this podcast where we'll have a lived experience of this. those 40 lives were saved by two simple PR principles that aren't addressed. Breaking the isolation, through authentically spoken words. I've got six pages of weapons I'm qualified in, but the most powerful thing I own is the authenticity in the words coming outta my mouth. That literally changes the axis of the world. And then getting people out of fatigue because people have 98% of everything they need inside of them. But if they're feeling [00:26:00] alone, if they're feeling fatigued, they can't access their own resources. But when their isolation is broken and they're out of fatigue, it's like their inner compass just turns on and it, and they, they know where they need to go. And it's just, it's, it's amazing how little people need when they get exactly what they want. Um, yeah, definitely. You know, I know there's a shark story somewhere. How does the shark come into play with, is that, just something you survived or is that. Oh, look, that was a fun NBE near death experience where, um, okay. Yeah. Very relevant. It was the classic one where you have your life flashing before your eyes. Right. Um, and the important part about this isn't so much the shark attack in the, in the context of a, a, let's say Christian faith afterwards, because I, I love the ocean, I love spearfishing. And there's always sharks where there's fish when we're chasing fish. There's, it's always a good sign when there's sharks around because that tells you you're in the right area. [00:27:00] And it's a fun story. Like this thing had my leg, and I don't believe it when people say, oh, I punched it and then it went away. I'm stabbing this thing in the eye and it's not letting go. And I'm about to drown, right? As a fighter, I've taken a lot of hits, but never, ever, ever has my body felt like a ragdoll being shaken by a dog. Mm-hmm. Um, so I literally felt that my body going, oh yeah, yeah. Like just so rapidly shook. I'm like, whoa. This is a great place to stop and continue. Next time on the podcast, I know that you'll wanna hear the rest of his story and what helpful things does he have for us to better our health and and handle the stress and heal from our trauma. So [00:28:00] thanks for listening today. I wish you a great week, and we'll see you back next time on the Wounds of The Faithful Podcast.  

Is bangs-giving a super cute idea to help a friend, or too much pressure for a first date. The allergies are raging and it's 6 in the morning, but Hannah and Lamorne are powering through to do the math on how many showers Nick Miller took in three years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Psalm 138 (NKJV)Andrew and Edwin see another link back to Psalm 2. This psalm highlights the kings of the earth who repented of their plots against the Lord's anointed and take refuge in the Lord.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=21700The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

Day 49 - Lord, Am I Like You?  Nahum 1:1-15   “Don't just pray for people experiencing hardship—step into their world and serve them.” It's easy to offer prayers from a distance, but true compassion requires action. Jonah delivered a warning, but Nineveh treated it as temporary. “Gratitude must extend beyond Thanksgiving; it must become a daily posture of the heart.   The Power of Gratitude   In what ways do entitlement and complacency creep into our hearts and make us forget God's blessings?    Application & Accountability   What is one practical way you can demonstrate compassion in action this week?

Before Eli Roth's “Thanksgiving,” one of the only slasher films that took place on this holiday was 1987's “Blood Rage” starring Mark Soper as twin brothers, Terry and Todd. Tune in to hear all about how he approached playing these two characters, what it was like working with Louise Lasser (who played the very eccentric mother), whether his iconic line, “It's not cranberry sauce!” was scripted or improvised, and his interpretation of the film's wild ending.

Jennifer Vertentes was a police officer in Providence Rhode Island when she decided to go to Hasbro Children's Hospital on Thanksgiving Day of 2018 to meet kids who had to spend their Thanksgiving being treated for different reasons, including being treated for Pediatric Cancer. While she was there she met 3 year old Emerson Lucier who was going through her 3rd battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia . This meeting inspired Jennifer to start her HERO PACKAGE FOUNDATION to help put a smile on the faces of these kids who were battling these difficult diseases. Jennifer, who in 2023 had to retire from the Police Department after suffering an injury while trying to save a person who was drowning, was also diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer that year. Fortunately for the Pediatric Cancer community, she continues to help these kids as she deals with her disease, that fortunately was diagnosed at a very early stage. 

Utah's first lady Abby Cox joins the show to discuss a service fair taking place at Thanksgiving point today.

Kathleen & MIles review the Trailer/Date Announcement for Stranger Things 5 released last weekend.We discuss the dates themselves (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Eve) and the new shots we got from Season 5!

Introduction: Leviticus 19:18 – You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:34 – You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. I Love My Enemies... (Matthew 5:43–48) ...because of WHO I AM. (Matt 5:45a) ...by WHAT I DO. (Matt 5:45b) ...because I Am CALLED TO BE DIFFERENT. (Matt 5:46–47) Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Matthew 5:43-48What was your big take-away from this passage / message?What does it mean to be persecuted? When Jesus said we must pray for those who persecute us, what / how exactly should we pray?Can you genuinely love your enemy if you don't really feel like it? Why or why not?Explain Romans 12:20. How exactly does loving your enemy lead him to repentance? See also Romans 2:4.What did Jesus mean in verse 48 when He said we “must be perfect”?BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT Open up those Bibles to Matthew chapter 5.As we go through our series, the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapter 5 verse 43, Jesussaid, "You have heard that it was said."Stop there for a second.This whole section that we're in right now, if you've been following this series at all,I'm sure you've noticed that that has come up.What is it like?Six total times pastor?Like, "You have heard that it was said, but I say to you."What Jesus is dealing with here is correcting some garbage beliefs.And I've shared with you before, that's my biggest concern for this church is the areaof discernment.We live in a day that there is so much bad teaching out there.And thanks to the Internet, we have access, right?And look, I'm not saying it's all bad, but I'm saying probably for every good teachingyou can find online, you can probably find ten other garbage teaching online.And my concern for the church is people not knowing the difference.And it gets back to what did Jesus actually say?It's the issue that He was dealing with in His day, lack of discernment.Last week we saw Jesus said, "You've heard that it was said, and I for an eye."And Jesus said, "No, no, no, no, no, no."Jesus, as I say to you, I'm paraphrasing, He says, "Do not retaliate."You can walk away from last week's message and say, "Got it.Don't retaliate."So I'm just going to ignore the people that I can't stand.Well, let's keep reading.Verse 43, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate yourenemy.'But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."Oh, no, no, don't ignore your enemies.You have to look for ways to be good to them.You're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.You're saying that I not only don't get to get even with them, but I have to proactivelylove them?Yeah, that's what He said.All right?It's a hard word.So I think we should just stop and pray right now, shouldn't we?I'm going to ask that you would pray for me to be faithful to communicate God's word,accurately and clearly, and I will pray for you to have a heart open to receive what ourLord is teaching us in this part of His Sermon.All right?So let's pray.Father in heaven, as we go through this sermon from our Lord, it's just wave after wave ofthings that really confront our selfish, sinful, fleshly tendencies.And I don't know of one that's bigger than this one.I'm asking, please God, please, by the power of Your Word, Father, by the power of YourSpirit that You would change our minds today, Father, change our hearts and that we wouldn'tjust leave here knowing some things, but we leave here deeply convicted and moved to dosome things.For Your glory and honor, Father.We pray in Jesus' name.And all of God's people said, Amen.All right, let's break this down here.Jesus says in verse 43, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighborand hate your enemy.'"You have heard.You have heard.That's what we've seen in this series.The scribes and the Pharisees in Jesus' day did what's still happening today.They twist verses in the Word of God to justify whatever it is they want to justify.For them, Jesus called them out.They were justifying their lust.They were justifying their hatred.They were justifying their getting even with people.He calls them out again.You've heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy."That's what the scribes and the Pharisees said.And you're like, "Well, was that in the Old Testament?"Well, the first part was, kind of.Here's what I mean.Here's what's actually in the Scripture.Leviticus 19-18.Look at this."You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but youshall love your neighbor as yourself.I am the Lord."So you see, with the way that they sort of restated that, they ran into four problems.Four problems.The first problem is the scribes and the Pharisees left out the "as yourself" part.Did you notice that?Well, I love my neighbor, but as myself, that's a bit too much.Let's keep it vague.Because if we keep love vague, then whatever we do, we can just say it was love, right?So keep it vague.God never kept it vague.That was their first problem.Second problem is the scribes and the Pharisees redefined neighbor.And their definition of neighbor was, "Those I choose to love."That was their definition.So do you realize...the reason I'm laughing is, do you realize what that made the command?God's command is, "Love those you choose to love."That's convenient.Third problem, the scribes and the Pharisees totally added the "hate your enemy" part,right?Totally added that.You're not going to find that anywhere in the Old Testament.My vague love is for my Jewish neighbors.What about the foreigners?Hate them.And that leads us actually to the fourth problem.Because that whole love your neighbor as yourself, that was in Leviticus 19, 18.But if you go down a few verses to verse 34, it says, "You shall treat the stranger whosojourns with you as the native among you.And you shall love him as yourself."For you are strangers in the land of Egypt.I am the Lord your God.See the scribes and the Pharisees, they thought that they were honoring God by hating foreigners.And we get asked this question a lot."Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait."In the Old Testament, didn't God tell the Israelites to exterminate the nations thatwere living in the Promised Land?And don't we have all these imprecatory psalms?Like what's up with that, huh?Well, it's like the eye for an eye thing that we talked about last week.The scribes and the Pharisees took a thing that was designed for Israel as a nation andthey turned it into a personal thing.So the whole exterminate the enemies in the Promised Land.Yeah, absolutely.Israel's wars weren't personal vendettas.They were commanded by God to wipe out those nations because those nations did horriblethings.And God says, "You are not going to pollute my nation Israel."So Israel, you're going to wipe them out.And if you have a hard time with that, I would just like to lovingly remind you that Godis allowed to make those calls because vengeance belongs to Him.Okay?And God's whole purpose in that was to protect Israel as a nation in that land.That's why when you turn to your New Testament, you don't see any imprecatory language inthe New Testament.It's for Israel.And individually, we're talking about personally now, what about the people that hate me?What about the people that are my enemies?Love them.Love them.Look at verse 44, Jesus says, "But I say to you," pretty clear, isn't it?Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.You see the whole loving your neighbor command includes everyone around you, including yourenemy.Now breaking this down, when He talks about enemy, He's talking about your personal enemy.Okay?It's not this collective group idea.It's somebody who personally hates me.And Jesus says our response is to love them.That's the word agape.That is the highest form of love.That's self-sacrificing love.That's the kind of love that we should have for our enemy.And the verb tense here is constant.It's continually.You need to continually love your enemies.And you're like, well, who is my enemy?Who is it that hates you?Who is it that you know that if you tried to call them, they wouldn't answer the phone?If you sent them a text, they wouldn't reply.Or vice versa?Who is it that has been slandering you, making accusations against you?Jesus says we not only love our enemies, but you notice He ratchets it up even more whenHe says pray for those who persecute you.Those who persecute you.Those are your worst enemies.Where Jesus is speaking about your enemies who they don't just hate you.They actively hate you.These are the people that make an effort to show you how much they hate you.And as we've been going through the Sermon on the Mount, we see that a true believerin Jesus Christ is someone who is defined by the Beatitudes.And if you were here for the Beatitudes here, do you remember what the last one was?The highest rung on the ladder of following Jesus Christ is when we're persecuted.And here's the part where we stop and ask, are we persecuted?Are we really persecuted?Because here's the thing.I think for a lot of us our knee-jerk reaction to that would be I'm not persecuted, but thereality is you probably are.But you just haven't realized it.Here's what I mean by that.Here's what I mean.Persecute doesn't just mean somebody physically attacks you.Somebody murders you.Somebody gets you arrested, thrown in jail.Yes, that is persecution, but those are the most graphic manifestations of persecution.The word "persecute" literally means to pursue.That's what it means.And listen, listen to this.Persecute means somebody is chasing after you to constantly criticize and condemn you.So I imagine most of you are being persecuted right now according to the true definitionof persecution.Think about it this way.Was Jesus persecuted?If you're like, "Oh yeah, when He was crucified."Of course!But He was persecuted His entire ministry because what were they constantly doing?The proper definition.They were constantly - read the Gospels.They were constantly pursuing Jesus.They were - how would we say it?They were out to get Him.That's what persecution means.I mean, read your Gospels.They were constantly looking to criticize Jesus and assaulting Jesus, accusing Jesus."You did this in the Sabbath and you shouldn't be doing healing this way and your disciplesdidn't wash your hands and what's up with the fasting?"They were constantly, constantly, constantly after Him.That's what persecution means.And if you really follow Jesus, you have people pursuing you in that way too.Don't shout out any names.But do you have somebody at your workplace, for example, that's always watching you,always looking to get their little remarks in, get their little digs in,always looking to criticize anything you say or anything you do.That's persecution according to the proper definition.They're pursuing you.Maybe you have that family member.Never approves of a thing you do.The bum just can't do anything right and they're always vocal about it.Getting their little shots in, their little passive aggressive comments, they're alwaysout to get you.That's persecution.Maybe it's on social media.You know anything you post.You know that person is going to show up with their snarky little comment.That's pursuing.That's persecution.Jesus says we need to pray for the people to do that to us.The people that are out to get you.Jesus said pray for them.So when was the last time you did that?I don't know about you but I have a list of people that I regularly pray for.When was the last time that you loved your enemy?And you're like, why in the world would I do that?Well let's keep reading.Jesus says in verse 45, "So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven."Why would you love your enemy?Why would you pray for people that are constantly out to get you?It's not because of who they are.It's because of who you are.That's the sermon that our Lord gives.That you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.It's not because of who they are.It's because of who you are.We just confess that so much of our lives, our attitudes, our moods are determined byother people, good or bad.People have a way of just like governing our lives.Here's what I mean.Your service, you go over to a giant eagle and you run into an old friend that you haven'tseen in years."Oh, that puts you in a good mood.Oh, it was so great catching up."That's going to put you in a good mood for the rest of the day, right?Or somebody makes a really jerky comment to you at work intentionally wanting to getunder your skin.Then that's just like wreck your day and you're in a bad mood for days over one jerky comment.And I would bet if you had a bad day last week, if you could point to a day last weekor like, "Oh, that was a bad day," I would be willing to bet that it had something todo with people.You're laughing because it's true.And Jesus here is saying, "My people don't react to people.My people act according to the Word of God."So let's unpack this for a few moments, shall we?When you're outlining, I want you to jot some things down.I love my enemies.Can you say that?You're like, "Not now."You will in a few minutes.I love my enemies.Number one, we already touched on this.We're going to drill a little deeper here.Number one, I love my enemies because of who I am.Look at this again.This is Jesus' whole rationale.Why would I love my enemies, Jesus?Lord, why would I pray for the people that are constantly out to get me?So that You may be sons of Your Father who is in heaven.This is where Jesus starts Your identity.You love Your enemies not because of who they are, but because of who You are.Jesus is in essence saying, "You love Your enemies because..."It's a family tradition in our family.You have family traditions.You have family traditions.You know what I mean?Every family has on brand things that they do, right?Like some families, they're like, "We're campers.We go camping."Yes, we have a house, but for a while we like to pretend that we don't.That's just what we do in our family.We live in a canvas enclosure in the wildlife.Okay, but that's your family thing.For some families, it's like, "We're beach people.We love the beach."Our family loves the beach.We love the beach.That's our family thing, right?Some families are sports families like, "Oh, we're baseball.We're a baseball family.We love the box and we're on the church softball team."And we're like, "We love baseball."Every family's got their thing, right?I mean, I remember growing up, our family.Our family had our thing.I remember when we were teenagers, Aaron actually came over to our house for Thanksgiving.And they had the stuffing out and the turkey and all the dressing and all that stuff.And I just remember our family was passing around the table a bag of funyons.And I just remember Aaron sitting there going, she looked like she saw a ghost.I'm like, "What's the matter?"She goes, "Why are you passing around a bag of funyons?It's Thanksgiving."And I'm just like, "What's Thanksgiving without funyons?"Like, "We're not the weird ones here."And then I got older and realized that we were.Every family's got their thing.That's what Jesus is saying here.Like, "Hey, hey, hey, we're in God's family."He said, "You know what we do in God's family?Do you know what we do?We love like God."And God loves His enemies.You're like, "Who are God's enemies?"Everyone.Do you realize that?Literally every single person on the planet is an enemy of God until they are reconciledto God in Jesus Christ.That's what Paul said in Romans 5, right?"If while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son."See that's the glorious reality of the gospel of Jesus Christ.When you receive Jesus Christ by faith, when you believe that He died to take away yoursin, when you believe that He rose from the dead to give you eternal life, when you turnfrom your sin and receive Him, God changes you from an enemy of God to a child of God.And now we are a child still living among enemies of God, child of God.Ephesians 4, spilling over to Ephesians 5, says, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted,forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children."This is what we do in our family.We love like God.And as His children, we imitate our dad.Do you ever notice that kids love to imitate?Do you ever notice that?Kids loved to imitate adults.It was made painfully aware to me, oh, many, many years ago, a couple decades ago at thispoint we had foster kids.Before we had any of our own kids, we had foster kids.And I remember, one little boy, he was five years old, his name was Walter, and we'd beplaying the PlayStation.We were sitting there, playing the PlayStation, and look, I was a perfect gamer back in theday.But sometimes the stupid game would glitch or something, and my guy would get killed.And when that happened, I remember I'd put the controller down, and I'd be like, "Oh,for Pete's sake!"Well Walter would be playing video games with me, and I remember he'd be playing a videogame, and he'd just randomly throw his controller down and go, "Your pee stinks!"Like no, no, no, no, no, no.No, it's for Pete's sake.But he was...It never clicked with him.He was constantly commenting on the smell of urine.Your pee stinks.Why did he do that?He was just imitating me.Right?Kids love to do that.And as a child of God, we naturally, we supernaturally want to imitate him.So when that guy at work is constantly out to get you, and you love him, and you repayhis nastiness with kindness, and then somebody else comes in and says, "Well, what are youdoing?You love that guy?That guy's a real jerk to you!"And your response says, "Yeah, I get that from my dad."You see, I see people as dad-season.Lost.Blind.Slave to sin.Heading to hell.You know what my heavenly dad taught me?He taught me that I don't need to retaliate.And my heavenly father taught me I don't need to ignore them.My heavenly father taught me that people like that need compassion.And I know right now somebody's thinking, "Yeah, I love your enemies.I see it.I hear it.Pastor Jeff, you don't know what this person said to me.You don't know the horrible things that they said to my face.You don't know the horrible things they said behind my back.Pastor Jeff, you don't know this person for years has been just out to get me."Look.You're right.They don't deserve it.You're right.They've been miserable.But you, you love them not because of who they are, but because of who you are.You're a child of God.And your heavenly father, he loves his enemies.Right?So I love my enemies because of who I am.Secondly, number two, write this one down.I love my enemies by what I do.I love my enemies by what I do.And you might be sitting here going, "Ah, yeah, this love your enemy thing.I ain't feeling it.I ain't feeling it."And I would say, "That's okay.You don't have to feel it."But you do have to do it.Because look, when the Bible talks about love, agape love, it's not an emotion.Listen, you don't have to like them.But you do have to love them.And biblically, love is an action.Here's what I mean.Love is an action.First, John 5.3 says, "For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments."Jesus said the same thing.What is it?John 14, 15.Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."John 15, Jesus said, "Abiding in Him is keeping His commandments."Notice the Bible never calls us to stir up some kind of emotion.Loving God is a choice.And yes, we worship God with our emotions in song and worship, yes, but that is thefruit of a choice to love God.The proof that you love God isn't based on your feelings.The proof that you love God according to our Lord is based on your actions.And listen, church, love works the same way with your enemies.You are not called to love your enemies by conjuring up gushy feelings.You're called to love them by your actions.You're called to love them by actively blessing them.Why?Because that's what God does.Look at verse 45, the rest of it.He says, "For He makes His Son rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on thejust and on the unjust."God is so kind to sinners.Did you ever stop and think about that?Have you ever stopped to just marvel at the glorious truth that somebody can live theirentire life and completely ignore God?And they can still have a pretty good life on the earth.Isn't that astounding?Isn't it amazing that somebody can live their entire life hating God, speaking against God,speaking against God's people, speaking against God's truth.They can live their whole life and do that, and they can still have a good life on theearth.In God's kindness, He still lets them have sun and rain and a million other good things.You can hate God, still have food and friends and laughter and family and health.And yeah, the heart hearted may refuse to be thankful or acknowledge this, but regardless,God does it anyways.God's kindness says little about them, but it says much about Him.And Jesus says, "Take note, children of God, you show love for your enemies by what youdo for them.You show love for enemies by actively seeking their good."Like, well, what does that look like, Pastor Jeff?What does that look like?Okay, so you've got a nasty, older family member who's always hated you.Go do your yard work.You got a jerk co-worker always looking to get their little shots in on you?Look for ways to sincerely and genuinely compliment their work.You got a nasty neighbor?Find out what they like and treat them.Hey, I saw your garden, and the other day I was at the store and I saw that there wasthis magazine about gardening, and I picked it up for you.I thought you might be interested.I don't know.Just get on your face and ask God to show you how you can show kindness to your enemy.Romans 12.20, Paul quotes from Proverbs 25.He says if your enemy is hungry, feed them.If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.For by so doing, you will heat burning coals on his head.When I was a young Christian, when I read this, I had this idea that if you do goodto people that aren't good to you, like if you meet their needs, they're going to havethis like mini Sodom and Gomorrah experience on their head.Like I'm going to be nice to you, and it's going to rain lava on your head.I'm burning!Like that will show them.And then I learned that that's not what that means at all.It was actually an Egyptian symbol that they would put hot coals in an insulated pot andcarried around on their head.It was a sign of repentance.See, Israel had the sackcloth and ashes.Israel had the pot of coals on their head.And that's what God's Word is driving us to.Because no one's ever been one to Jesus because a Christian matched their pettiness.No one's ever been one to Jesus because a Christian just flat-out ignored them.It's kindness that leads to repentance according to Romans 2-4.Show love to them.Actively show love to them.Why would I do that?Because it's not about who they are.It's about who you are.And one more.I love my enemies because of who I am by what I do.In Romans 2-3 we get to another because I love my enemies because I'm called to be different.Look at verses 46 and 47.Jesus says, "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?Do not even the tax collectors do the same?And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doingthan others?Do not even the Gentiles do the same?Stop there.If you're like, "You know what?I love the people that I like.I love the people that I like."Well, then you do what people who don't even know Jesus do.And our Lord here is saying, "What's so special about that?"Oh, so you think you're great because you do what's normal.Well hang on a second.Let me shine up your participation trophy.Why is it that we want applause for doing what's expected?Here's an example.Well Aaron and I, we always look at each other and kind of laugh.When we hear a dad say, "Yeah, I had a baby sit my kids last Monday."Do you hear somebody say that?You're not going to say it anymore.I had a baby sit my kids last Monday.I believe that's called being a father.You didn't baby sit your kids.What did your wife pay you $10 an hour?Like look, I'm not giving you a cookie because you did what was expected.That's what our Lord is saying here.You're expected to be different because Christians have something that no one else in the worldhas.Do you know what that is?Like the Bible?Not everybody has that.Like compassion?No, a lot of people have that.Christians have something that nobody else in the world has.You know what that is?God living in them.In other words, you should be different.I mean, anybody can go one mile.That was the law.That's expected.Anyone can give up a shirt that they lost legally in a lawsuit.That's expected.And here our Lord is saying, "Anybody can say hi to their friends."That's expected.But God expects and empowers us to do more, to be like Him.So do you do what the world expects?Or do you do what God expects because God's called you to be different than the world?Do you have a heart like God?We'll find out.We'll find out because it's revealed not in how you treat your friends, it's revealedin how you treat your enemies.You love them.Not because of who they are, but because of who you are.Oh yeah, there's one more verse.One of the most deeply convicting and challenging verses in the whole Bible.Jesus says, "You therefore must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect."In the context of this teaching, obviously, he's talking about the way we love, right?You must love perfectly the way your heavenly Father loves perfectly.That's what Jesus is saying here.And look, you and I, we look at that verse and we say, "I failed.I failed."We all have.And actually, remembering the beatitudes, step one and two of the beatitudes was recognizingthat you failed.And you're like, "Man, I'll never be perfect."But God says you must be perfect.You know what that means?It means I always have room to grow.And today we're talking about loving your enemies.And maybe right now you're saying, "You know, I knew that.I knew that, but today I'm encountered by this calling in a fresh way and I realizenow I need to grow.I want to grow in this area."It's grace.It's grace.God has made us perfectly righteous in Jesus Christ.God has adopted us as His children, and He is constantly changing us.We don't deserve anything, but God has given us everything, even though we were His enemies.It's grace.You get that?Then like your Father, give it.In just a moment, we're going to be gathering around the Lord's table as a church.And it is the Lord's table that reminds us that we are grace people.Because in essence, what we are remembering, what we are celebrating, what we are declaringwhen we take the Lord's supper together is the Lord is saying, "I saved you."Not because of who you are, but because of who I am.

He was offered a deal with Apple Records, toured with John Lee Hooker, recorded an unreleased masterpiece at RCA Studios in Hollywood, and had a very psychedelic Thanksgiving dinner with Mike Nesmith of The Monkees. All these incredible stories from musician Barry Greenfield!Purchase a copy of My Journey to Blue Sky Listen To Barry Greenfield's Blue Sky Album (Deluxe Edition 2024)Visit Barry Greenfield's websiteEmail Barry Greenfield at barrygreenfield@shaw.ca---------- BookedOnRock.com The Booked On Rock Store The Booked On Rock YouTube Channel Follow The Booked On Rock with Eric Senich:BLUESKYFACEBOOKINSTAGRAMTIKTOKX Find Your Nearest Independent Bookstore Contact The Booked On Rock Podcast: thebookedonrockpodcast@gmail.com The Booked On Rock Music: “Whoosh” by Crowander / “Last Train North” & “No Mercy” by TrackTribe

In this message, ORBC youth minister Chad Nuss challenges us to live a life that rejoices in Christ, prays without ceasing, and gives thanks in all circumstances. 

The post A Song of Thanksgiving appeared first on Waukesha City Church.

Back To the GrindA 7-part series by Member389. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Stories. "You're quiet."I smiled. "Sorry, just thinking." I'd gotten home a few days before and promptly went back to work. This was my first night off, and sitting across the table from Mom, I thought that it was time to tell her, but unsure about how to go about it."Your trip went well then." She asked, the questioning tone left hanging in the air between us."It went very well." I said and looked her in the eyes. She knew, like mothers do, that there was a lot more to the story. She sat there with an expression that said, "when you're ready, tell me what you need to get off your chest.""Dinner smells terrific." I said."Yea it does. Sorry it's going to be a bit late, I got it into the slow cooker later than I'd planned." She said, before getting up and setting the table.I'm not sure if it was the homely sounds of the kitchen but I relaxed. "Do you remember two years ago when I went down to see Davy about a job for the summer?""Yes, when he'd given it to that Dylan boy." She said, knowing that the story was about to unfold."Yea, the reason he gave it to Dylan was because I didn't make it there in time. I stopped down at Paula's and she asked me to make a delivery for her since I was going right near the place on my way to see Davy." I began. I let the story unfold, not going into the steamy details. After all it was my mother I was talking to, and she didn't need to hear about that, any more than I wanted to tell her. I told her about taking care of Summer for weeks. She mentioned that Paula told her about me taking her to the concert in the park. I said that I had, and a good many people had let her know that I had been on stage and played for some girl named Summer. I had totally forgotten about how public that was, and yet she never mentioned it to me even though she'd heard about it. Mothers can be the sneaky when they want to be."So you already knew?" I said surprised."Well not so much as you think, but when your son serenades a pretty girl at a crowded summer concert, people will ask you about it." She said with a smile. "I thought that you'd tell me when you were ready." She paused. "I knew something had happened though, and I didn't want to pry. You're an adult, and I respect the fact that you're not going to tell me everything that's going on in your life. Listen to me, that sounded like a huge guilt trip, it's not. I just want you to know that I respect your privacy. Paula tried to dig for dirt with me and I told her that you hadn't discussed your job with me."I told her about how abruptly Summer had left. The look on my face must have conveyed exactly how it felt. She walked over and rested a hand on my shoulder before running her hand down the back of my head and giving my neck a little squeeze. She knew somebody had broken my heart, now she knew who it was."So you went to see her?" She asked."It's nice there, kind of like west of here over towards the mountains. She lives in a decent sized city, like Augusta maybe. She's a nurse at the hospital there. She's got a terrific daughter named Emily." At that I spied mom's eyebrows lift a fraction."So how did the first meeting go?" You hadn't seen her in over a year, the way she left I can't imagine you'd heard from her before that.""It was nerve wracking." I said with a laugh. I told her about leaving the note and finally meeting again. I mentioned meeting Emily and how they asked me to stay with them. I watched for a look of shock or surprise and didn't see one cross mom's face. Her head just bobbed as she took it all in."So, when?" She asked, picking up the thread of a conversation we'd had weeks before.I just smiled. "First of the year. I'll be done with my one year duty here. I've already picked up the necessary forms to apply there. If I don't get in there, I'll look to nearby towns, or just go back to school and get a job doing something else. I'm going to get my EMT training one way or another." She smiled at that."I hope I get to meet her someday." There's the guilt trip I thought."Well, funny you should mention that, because I was thinking of the same thing." I replied, and let her know how I hoped we could make it happen. She was all smiles after that."Oh my God, to have been a fly on the wall during that conversation." Summer said. Her voice sounded so sweet. It made my heart beat faster just to hear it."I left out most of the lurid bits of the story. I didn't want her to keel over on me.""I'm sure any parts you left out, she figured out already. From the sounds of her, she doesn't seem like the type to fool easily." She replied."That she isn't. Luckily I was a good kid so I didn't have to bullshit my way through many situations."We talked about little things, Emily was doing a little better in school, but still wasn't pushing for the all A's that Summer was looking for. I said to give her time, the music is helping I was sure of it. Emily insisted on talking to me, I could hear her bouncing like a jumping bean in the background. She was all excited to tell me about how her music teacher thought it was terrific she was so interested in everything I was showing her and her friends and how she was going to be in a holiday concert at school. I brought up school, asking how she was doing. She let out a little sigh."One A, two B's and two C's" was her reply. "I just don't get algebra!" The other C was from a history class which had her bored to tears talking about 'boring dead people' as she put it.I made her a deal, no C's by the mid-term report card and I'd make it worth her while. It was after her mother chivied her off the phone and to bed that I brought up my idea. I was surprised that not only did she like the idea she was very excited.Thanksgiving day past with several calls on homes with scorched turkeys, and one unfortunate turkey frying experiment that cost a family their garage. Soon the snow was upon us. This early the snow usually didn't stick long, not this close to the ocean. It did make the driving difficult for the people who hadn't seen it in seven months. Luckily there were no major incidents. That is until I handed my notice into the chief.He was less than impressed, until I told him my plans. He said he'd push to get me EMT training the budgets would be out soon. I showed him a picture of Summer and Emily that I'd snapped with my phone. "Unless you can make that job happen where they are. It's not likely to change my mind." I said with a smile."Would she be willing to move here?"I laughed. "Not nearly as I'm ready to move there. Don't worry I'm a first year greenhorn, I can't be that tough to replace.""No but that means I have to find one willing to relocate here or scrounge up another, get him up to Fairfield, and wait months to put him to work." He shook his head, then asked to see the picture again. "I'll say this, she looks worthy of a guy like you. Don't screw it up.""I like to think that I'm worthy of a girl like her. Trust me, I'll do everything I can to not screw it up."Christmas eve came quietly, the crackle of a log in the wood stove, the soft hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen and in the living room me rustling and muttering while attempting to wrap a gift."Do you want a cookie?" Mom called out from the kitchen."Of course, but did you make enough for Santa?" I said chuckling."Don't you worry, I'm practicing for when the girls get here. What kind of grandma street cred would I have if I couldn't whip up cookies on the spur of the moment?"We had a quiet dinner earlier just the two of us. I started to doubt my gift choice and my mother put her hand on my arm. "Relax, she's going to love it, trust me.""I know, I'm just getting a little anxious." I said with a sigh. She chuckled at that."She'll be here day after tomorrow. Breathe."Mom was going to pick her up at the airport since I'd swapped shifts with Mike so I could have the later part of the week off. I'd be working Christmas day and the day after and have the next three days off, then two more days and I was done. I'd already started packing. Mom kept trying to give me furniture, which was nice but wasn't going to travel well since I didn't know where I'd be living just yet. I asked Summer if I could stay with her for a few days while I looked at apartments to which she quickly said yes. I felt a hand on my shoulder rubbing it firmly."Breathe." She said again."You're going to like her.""I already do, because I trust you. You've always been a good judge of character." We did justice to the cookies leaving a couple out with a small glass of milk, just in case.Work went by slowly, we had a huge dinner at the engine house. We did have one call of a chimney fire from some overzealous wrapping paper burning. The next day had me so jumpy Herb said I should drink decaf from now on. When I told him why his face broke into a huge grin."You finally tugged back, huh? Tell me you're going to bring her by so we can meet the woman you're dumping us for.""I might, just to show her why I'm leaving." I laughed ducking his backhanded slap. About mid-afternoon I got a text saying that they had landed and mom had found them. They should be in town in a little over an hour. I did an equipment check and spent some time polishing the chrome on #3 to keep myself occupied."Hey Pete!" I heard from over by the kitchen. I walked around the corner and Summer was standing there, her arm on Emily's shoulder. Allan, the lieutenant on duty laughed. "I haven't seen him smile like that since the time we ordered pizzas from next door and didn't make him cook." I walked up and Summer launched herself into my arms. Several kisses later I noticed we were getting a round of applause."You may need to hose them off, they do this all the time." Emily announced to everybody, to a hale of laughter. I gave Summer another kiss before releasing my grip and reaching out to Em."Come here smart ass and give me a hug." She gladly dove into my side and I kissed her on the forehead."What are you feeding her? I used to be able to kiss the top of her head.""Everything, I think she's having another growth spurt." Summer replied. I showed them around, introducing them to the guys on duty. Herb gave me a sly wink, I don't think he had any doubts now as to why I was leaving.Allan walked over to us. "Damn, I'm sorry you're not feeling well Pete. Hopefully you'll feel better by Thursday. Danny is coming into the cover the overnight." I looked at him oddly. "Get outta here you three." He smiled and thumped me on the back and walked off.I wasn't sure what happened, but I wasn't about to argue the point. We all piled into my truck and I drove back to the house. I felt Mom's hand in this when I saw a big spread being worked on for dinner. I knew I was right. I asked her if she needed any help."Maybe a little." She put her hand on Emily's shoulder. "Would you mind giving me a hand Emily?" Mom gave me a look and raised an eyebrow in dismissal."Don't work her too hard. We'll need some help to clean out under the tree later." I said chuckling.As soon as we made it through the doorway Summer turned me and fell into my arms. The kiss was sweet with an underlying urgency. Her body felt like a taught bowstring against me, the energy waiting to be unleashed.Em said a little louder than necessary. "If I know them, they're in there with their faces stuck together." Causing us both to laugh."I hope we have a lot of potatoes to peel. I'm really hungry." I called back. Summer pulled me down onto the couch and kissed me again."I have a special surprise for you." She said with a big grin."Not here, my mother is right in the kitchen!" I said laughing."Not that, maybe later if we can find a way to pull it off." She said as she gave the front of my pants a squeeze. "I've only had Bob to keep me company the last two months, and he's a lousy cuddler."My eyes went wide. "Who is Bob?" I asked.She snorted and leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Battery operated boyfriend." I busted out laughing."Is this the same Bob you traveled with a few years ago?" I asked softly, not wanting the conversation to raise questions.Summer rolled her eyes. "Maybe, maybe not? You left me in a bad way two weeks ago when you called. It's not nice to ply a girl with pretty words and promises and then leave her to take matters in her own hands." I remembered the call, and I wanted so badly to ravish her until we both passed out."Oh my God, look at you blush." She said with a smile. She leaned in and whispered in my ear. "Don't you worry, I'll get my due for that, and then some." She took my ear lobe in her mouth giving it a tug. Her hand slipped between my legs, she massaged the inside of my thigh and it was getting the reaction she expected."I'm going to run upstairs and change, I'll be right back." I said, trying to steady my breathing.She grinned even further with a glint in her eye. "Want to show me your room?"I chuckled at that. "Sure." I stood taking her hand and led her upstairs. I led her into the room where she peeked out the door behind us before closing it quietly and began unbuttoning my shirt for me. In a flash I was shirtless and she was kissing her way down as she pushed my t-shirt up and off."Are you nuts?" I chuckled."I can't leave you like this through dinner." She said stroking my hard cock through my pants. She stepped back sitting on the edge of the bed and pulled me towards her by the belt and undid it. She had my pants and boxers around my knees and began licking my cock. She looked up catching my eye as she began taking it into her mouth. It's a wonder my knees didn't buckle at the sensation. She took me slowly at first, but sensed my mounting frustration and sped up, bobbing swiftly drawing me out until I exploded down her throat.I gasped catching my breath. "You're a little bit evil, you know that?"She dabbed at the corner of her mouth with a tissue she grabbed from the box on the nightstand."I don't know about that. I think I'm more angelic, to relieve you from your suffering like that." She replied."I can't wait to return the favor.""Neither can I." She said smiling. "Is there a bathroom up here?" I told her it was the last door on the right. "Good, let me go freshen up and head downstairs before you come down."I came down the stairs and stopped at the sight before me. Summer sat at the end of the couch, with a mug in her hands, eyes wide as she watched Em. Colored lights twinkled making the scene magical. She had the most beatific expression as she watched Emily scouting the presents under the tree. Emily sounded amazed that she had so many. Mom had pulled out the stops when she discovered she finally had a girl to shop for. Summer's gaze lit on me and her smile got even bigger as she beckoned me over. Just as I sat down Mom called out for a hand and I hopped back up and grabbed the tray she'd put together."This one for Em, no rum in it." She pointed at one of the mugs of hot cider."Going to be that kind of night is it?" I chuckled."Hey, it's the holidays. Why not enjoy ourselves?" She followed me out with a huge platter of food and set it on the coffee table. We chatted while dinner cooked. Emily landed next to the platter and began nibbling away. I had a dread feeling that this meeting was going to be awkward for everybody involved. Trust Mom to treat Summer like a longtime girlfriend, not like someone she'd met a few hours before. Somehow discussion turned to what I was like when I was little and the embarrassing stories began. Before long the buzzer on the stove went off and we mobilized and soon we were sitting around the table, a feast laid out before us."I wondered where he got his culinary skills from, now I know. Everything was delicious.""Thank you. I assure you that I only showed him the basics, he's more creative than I've ever been in the kitchen."Em piped in describing our weekend of Italian food when I was at their house a few months earlier."Your lieutenant wasn't happy with me because of it either. I guess since you've been there they've eaten better than they had in years. Some of the guys said you were a better cook than their wives." Summer said laughing."It's probably for the best, Earl was getting a paunch on him." I replied. "I have a gift. What can I say?""You could say, don't move Mom, I'll take care of the dishes."Hearing my groan caused Emily to add, "You know the deal, the cook doesn't do the dishes, and you didn't cook.""I didn't cook, either I'll help you hon." Summer added as the laughter subsided. It wasn't long before we joined Mom and Emily in the living room again."I now have a promise that you're going to practice your music so you don't forget it." Mom said. "Emily is going to teach you to play guitar too, so I hear.""I hope so." I replied as we got comfortable on the couch. I looked up and Emily's face was full of pent up excitement. Summer stifled a yawn behind her hand. "Maybe we should wait, your mom seems pretty tired.""Mom, do you need some coffee?" She asked with a longing in her voice. We all laughed as her mother declined."Pete, get in there and play Santa for us." Mom said as she prodded me with a toe.It was surprising how little time it took to tear through the loot. Emily dancing around a pile hugging her new game. She pouted slightly because her mother said she'd lose it if her grades didn't stay up. I agreed, and reminded her we had a deal. We did our best to neaten up and make a pathway. Mom said she was going to go to bed and made her way upstairs. We had Emily's bed made up in Mom's office on a borrowed folding bed. Summer allowed her to take the game with her so she could try it out. A quiet settled over the house as we tucked in for the night.Summer emerged from Emily's makeshift bedroom. I had cleared the coffee table off and set the last gift in the middle of the table. A small velvet box with a little red bow on it. She stopped half way across the room, her eyes wide as she looked at the box then over at me. I knelt on one knee in front of the wood stove a stick in hand poking up the coals. She looked at me kneeling then at the box again. I was unsure of what was going on in her mind, but a wash of expressions made their way across her face in a fleeting moment. She finally broke eye contact with me and retrieved a similar box from her purse setting it next to the one that was on the coffee table. She sat on the couch and patted the spot next to her. My heart pounding because of the look she gave me. I was both worried and hopeful.She inhaled quickly as if to begin a speech. "Pete, remember when you came out to see me?""Just open it first. Please." I interrupted her. She looked up sharply at me. "Please?" I said with a grin. She gave me a curious look and reached for the box like it might go off like a bomb if she moved to quickly. She lifted the lid gently and looked for a moment at the silver pendant. A grin crept across her face as she let out the breath she'd been holding."It's beautiful!" She said turning to me and giving me a kiss."It's one of a kind. The woman that made it said she wouldn't make another for at least three months. It was our deal after she saw the design I'd made for it." The pendant was a large silver heart with a smaller heart inside, and another smaller heart inside of that one. Along the edge where the three hearts joined, small stones were set. I chose our three birthstones and they worked well together in pale blue, clear and pink.I chuckled after a few more kisses. "I know what you were thinking. I was thinking the same thing myself. I spent weeks looking at rings." I said softly. "Then about a month ago, I don't know what reminded me of it, but I remembered how proud you sounded when you told me that you were back on your feet, and you were doing well. I didn't want to feel like I was trying to tie you down again, and become the old ball and chain."She drew a breath to say something and I turned looking deep into her eyes and saw the answer to the question I hadn't asked."I want you to want it as much as I do. When I ask, you'll know it's coming." I said as I took her face in my hands and kissed her deeply. I pulled back to see her eyes welling up."How is it that you understand me so well?" Her voice barely above a whisper."I listen to what you say, and to what you don't say." I smiled at her and the first tear broke free and rolled down her face. I brushed them away with my thumbs and before I knew it she was straddling me and our lips crashed together. The frustration of the past two months apart trickled away gently. It took a loud pop from the wood stove to rouse us. Summer jumped, startled by the sound, then realizing what it was began to chuckle. She sat up slightly, still straddling my lap and whipped her hair to one side, with a deft motion she undid the necklace she was wearing and set it on the table. She reached into the box and lifted out the pendant and handed it to me. She turned and sat on my lap and lifted her hair. I clasped the necklace and leaned in kissing her softly on the neck, causing her to let out a sigh and tilted her head inviting me to have my fill."You're distracting me." She mumbled."Really?" I said. "From what?" She shivered in my arms as I continued my gentle assault on her neck."We need to talk."I felt an icy bolt run down my spine. Those are words I never wanted to hear. She noticed I'd stopped nibbling her neck and patted the hand I had wrapped around her waist. She leaned forward and then slid off my lap and sat next to me. The other little box in hand. She was still smiling but looked at me with concern."Are you okay?""Yea," I said, "what do you mean we need to talk?"She laughed gently. "Relax. It's just that this needs a little explanation." She handed me the box and tucked her leg under her. She nodded at the box, urging me to open it. I looked up at her for a moment, her eyebrows went up as she urged me to open it with an impish grin. "Well go on." I pulled the ribbon off and tore the paper sliding out what looked like a jewelry box. I opened up to find a pewter key chain with my initials on it. I breathed a little better."Emily and I decided we don't want you to come stay with us for a few weeks while you look for a new place."I looked up sharply at that. She had a devious smile on her lips. She motioned towards the box again. I picked up the heavy oval and keys dangled out from underneath it."We decided we don't want you to look for a new home. You already have one if you want it."I turned it over, the inscription on the other side said, "Always Remember To Come Home.""That was Emily's idea. She knows being a firefighter isn't exactly the safest profession. She's close to Uncle Dale. So much so that sometimes I wonder which one is the kid." I turned and kissed her, smothering her next words. She pulled back gasping for breath. "Is that a yes?"I just nodded, too choked up to reply.EpilogueI sat on an old stump, steam rising off my coffee in the cool morning air. The clouds were heavy, a faint glimmer of the sun trying to break through near the horizon. The breeze kicked up, dried leaves skittered across the brown grass at my feet. I looked up, in the distance there was a V of southbound geese. I lowered my eyes and took in the little house with a grin and shook my head. So many things had happened in just a few short years. A blue jay called out just as the door opened and Emily barreled out headed for the school bus. She didn't even look up as she darted around the house to stand with the her friends down a few houses. She'd grown and was looking more like the beautiful woman she would soon become. I looked over at the kitchen window and saw a shadow move. A few minutes later the door opened again, Summer stood on the step scanning the yard, for me I assumed."Pete?" She hollered."I'm over here." I said, getting her attention. She walked over and stopped in front of me, her hair blew in front of her face, her arms crossed tight against the chill."Are you okay?""I'm fine.""What are you doing out here in the cold?" She said bumping my foot aside slightly so she could perch on my knee, her arm wrapped around my back as she nestled in to find some warmth."Counting my blessings. The second one just dashed up the road to catch the bus, the first one is right here." I said running my hand up her back. "After that I lost count.""Today?" I asked. We'd gotten into a little routine over the past year, where I had asked her to marry me, and she said she'd tell me when she was ready. It had been over a year, nearly two, since I'd moved here, and the life agreed with me somehow. The area was rough, but the people strong and supportive. There were whisperings about us, but they all disappeared when people realized just how in love we were... we are. Our game was to the point where I wouldn't have to say anything more, and she knew what I wanted. I asked daily."Happy birthday." She said, then leaned down and kissed me. The blue jay taking offense to our conversation decided to voice his opinion again. I raised my eyebrows at her. I never let her get away without answering me. She looked up over my head, her eyes scanning the yard, she looked up at the sky and slowly began nodding. She looked down at me with a smile. "Today."By Member389 for Literotica

Ever felt like life just sucker-punched you out of nowhere? That's exactly what Nassim Taleb calls a Black Swan event. Most people think they can predict the future by looking at patterns. They study charts, analyze trends, and feel safe in their little bubble of certainty. However, the biggest events that shape our lives—market crashes, pandemics, breakthrough innovations—are the ones nobody sees coming. .. Taleb argues we're all like turkeys getting fed every day, thinking tomorrow will be the same, until suddenly it's Thanksgiving. The real mind-bender? We convince ourselves afterwards that we "should have seen it coming." This is critical for understanding finance or world events More than that, it's about how your brain tricks you into thinking you understand a world, that's fundamentally unpredictable. Stop trying to predict everything and start building resilience for anything Rebuild your investment portfolio and life plan to deal with shocks Prepare for worst-case scenarios instead of hoping for the best How to Change the World Sam's new show can be found on major podcast players: Spotify - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Can't find it on your player? RSS feed - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ------- UPGRADE to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Premium⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠:

Thanksgiving The_Multiplier_For_Your_Miracles ByPastorZerubbabelMengistu June 1 2025 Beza International Church Addis Ababa Ethiopia https://linktr.ee/bezachurch www.bezachurch.org Twitter: @Beza_Ministries Facebook, Telegram, and Instagram: @Bezachurch

It's Thursday, June 5th, 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 and Adam McManus Christian groups in India to speak out against persecution June 9 Christian groups across India are organizing a protest against persecution of Christians on Monday, June 9. The National Christian Front noted, “Our Christian brothers and sisters are enduring brutal attacks and growing intolerance from anti-social elements. This is not merely a Christian issue — it is a grave concern for humanity, for peace, and for the values enshrined in our Constitution.” Christians suffered over 600 incidents of violence and discrimination in India last year. The country is ranked 11th on the Open Doors' World Watch List of most difficult places to be a Christian. U.K. Christian groups calling for prayer on June 11 In the United the Kingdom, Christian groups are calling for a day of prayer on Wednesday, June 11 for protecting human life. This comes as lawmakers are considering bills to legalize assisted suicide.  Listen to comments from Ciarán Kelly, director of The Christian Institute.  KELLY: “This is a crucial time for our country. So, it's vital that Christians are asking the God, Who made Heaven and Earth, that He would overrule in all these things, to protect vulnerable people from this careless and callous bill.” In 1 Timothy 1:1-2, the Apostle Paul wrote, “I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” Trump overturns pro-abortion Biden rule In the United States, the Trump administration rescinded a pro-abortion rule on Tuesday that came from the Biden administration.  The rule tried to force hospital emergency rooms to offer abortions even if the state restricted them.  Matt Bowman, Senior Counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, said, “Doctors—especially in emergency rooms—are tasked with preserving life. The Trump administration has rolled back a harmful Biden-era mandate that compelled doctors to end unborn lives, in violation of their deeply held beliefs.” Trump raises tariffs on steel imports President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday to raise tariffs on steel imports. The order doubles tariffs on steel and aluminum coming into the country from 25% to 50%. The levy will affect steel exporters in Canada, Mexico, and many countries in Europe. However, the tariff on steel from the United Kingdom remains at 25% as the U.S. and U.K. work out a trade deal.  Dust from Africa's Saharan Desert hits America Over the weekend, a massive plume of dust made its way to Florida all the way from the Saharan Desert in Africa.  Such dust plumes are known as the Saharan Air Layer and typically cross the Atlantic each year. The current plume is the biggest one to reach the U.S. so far this season. It measures nearly 2,000 miles wide and 750 miles from north to south.  The dust can diminish air quality but also creates spectacular sunrises and sunsets.  Only 1 in 100 Evangelical pastors leave ministry annually A report from Lifeway Research found that only 1 out of 100 Evangelical pastors leave the ministry each year.  This low rate has remained steady for the last 10 years despite many pastors acknowledging their work is very demanding and even overwhelming.  Scott McConnell with Lifeway Research said, “The rate of pastors departing the pastorate is steady and quite low given the demands of the role. Many of those leaving the pastorate feel they are moving at God's direction to another role of ministry.” In 2 Timothy 4:2, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” The American Miracle movie shows God's intervention in U.S. The Left insists that there's nothing special about America. But a new docudrama contends that God inspired its founding.  The American Miracle – Our Nation is No Accident hits the silver screen in 1,000 theaters nationwide for 3 days only -- Monday, June 9th through Wednesday, June 11th. Inspired by Michael Medved's bestseller, this exciting, entertaining, and edifying motion picture experience was created in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.  ‘ Medved appeared on The 700 Club. MEDVED: “America is no accident. All of our most important leaders, from Washington to Lincoln to Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt -- all of our leaders have understood that America has a divine purpose.” Consider God's protection of George Washington – the Father of our Country -- in a ferocious battle in 1755 during the French and Indian War. During the Battle of Monongahela, 69 of 70 officers were either killed or wounded. Washington was the only officer who was not shot off his horse.  In fact, two horses were shot from underneath him. Yet he lived. Even a Native American chief later said they couldn't touch Washington. Shockingly, after the battle, he found numerous bullet holes in his jacket and bullet fragments in his hair, but he was miraculously unscathed. No wonder they called him “Bulletproof.”  Visit the website https://americanmiraclemovie.com/, watch the trailer, click on Tickets, and type in your zipcode to get tickets for next week at a theater near you. Watch the trailer. Worldview listener in Florida speaks up On Wednesday, I was delighted to receive 23 emails at Adam@TheWorldview.com about what listeners enjoy about this newscast. Amy Cool from St. Cloud, Florida wrote, “I like that I can trust The Worldview newscast to report the truth from a Biblical perspective. I like the Scriptures referenced as they pertain to a particular story because it shows the relevance of the Bible to our life today. That's often hard for people to see when they haven't grown up in a home where the Bible was read or explained.” 14 Worldview listeners gave $1,420 to fund our $123,500 annual budget Toward this week's $30,875 goal to fund one-fourth of The Worldview newscast's annual budget by this Friday, June 6th, 14 listeners stepped up to the plate on Wednesday by 7:15pm Central last night.  Our thanks to Grace in Duncanville, Texas, Greg in Rochester, New Hampshire, Andy in Santa Barbara, California, and George in Carrollton, Missouri – each of whom gave $25. We also appreciate Jalynn in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, Jon in Granger, Indiana, and Steven in Jacksonville, Florida – each of whom gave $50. We're grateful to God for Nancy in Peabody, Massachusetts, Kevin in North Bend, Oregon, and Robert in Plano, Texas – each of whom gave $100. And we appreciate the generosity of Paula in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana who pledged $10/month for 12 months for a gift of $120, Dawn in Troy, Montana who gave $150, Amy in Seminole, Texas who gave $300, and Dawn in Smithville, Texas who pledged $25/month for 12 months for a gift of $300. Those 14 listeners gave a total of $1,420. Ready for our new grand total? Drum roll please.  (Drum roll sound effect) $6,352 (People clapping sound effect)  We missed our goal of 20 donors by just 6 donors. That means by this Friday, we still need to raise $24,523.    Whether it's Thanksgiving or Christmas, we churn out a weekday broadcast 52 weeks per year. It's a commitment we're glad to make, but we need help to cover the cost. Would you prayerfully consider investing $100 per month for 12 months into this ministry, helping to pay for the work of the six-member Worldview team?  If 20 of you made that pledge we would hit our Friday, June 6th goal one day early. Just go to TheWorldview.com and click on Give on the top right.   And click on the button that indicates a recurring donation if you want to give monthly. Thanks for investing your resources into this media ministry that champions the truth.  Our plumbline is Jesus Christ Himself. Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, June 5th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Welcome back to the show everyone. We're talking about bigfoot today it's been a while (s'been awhile) since the big man has made an appearance on the show, and we figured it's time. Sit back, kick your feet up, and enjoy the smooth stylings of Christian as he spins us a yarn. Ever heard of Rock Apes? Rotting Mangoes? I think it's clear at this point that I didn't write out a video description beforehand. That's my bad. It's an episode on bigfoot stories, mmk? ----- TIME STAMPS: 0:00 - A Hankering For Milkshakes 1:35 - Intro 2:54 - Bigfoot's Back, Baby  4:23 - Under-appreciated Doug Benson Ref.  5:23 - We're Back on Milkshakes..  5:43 - Daryl Strawberry..  6:23 - (EPISODE STARTS HERE, CHILL OUT) 6:48 - The Rock Apes of Vietnam  9:33 - Wet Dog & Rotting Mangoes   11:33 - Cracking Into an Iced Tea  15:35 - Sasquatch Love To Hurl Rocks  16:23 - The Mountain Keepers of Washington State  18:25 - Musky Tang  19:29 - Could Bigfoot Be Protective Nature Spirits?  20:53 - Run In With the Chiye-Tanka  23:03 - Ranchers Are Bad Ass  25:23 - The Hairy Man Down By The River 26:55 - Under-appreciated Tim Allen Grunt  28:14 - The Whistling Sasquatch  28:50 - TFD OnlyFans  29:45 - Someone Stole Our "Strange Highness" Show (But Made it Dumber)  33:33 - Christian's Aggressive Hippie Arc 35:13 - The Dark Origin's of Tree Knocking 36:13 - Heading Home to Alaska…  39:47 - The Age Old: Sasquatch - Man v. Beast Question  43:13 - Christian's "Missing Link" Hypothesis  44:54 - Bigfoot In The Smoky Mountains 47:33 - Infrasound  50:23 - Christian Believes THESE Oral Traditions.. Interesting  55:03 - Christian Shares a Personal Story _____________________________________________ +PRODUCERS: Eric Long, Daniel Heng, Anthony M,  +BECOME A PRODUCER: http://bit.ly/3WZ3xTg +BUY A $9 SHOUT-OUT: https://holler.baby/thefreakydeaky The Twilight Zone meets Mystery Science Theatre 3000 meets an uncomfortable Thanksgiving dinner conversation with your in-laws. TFD is a weekly paranormal comedy podcast featuring real ghost stories, Cryptid lore discussions, and true paranormal experiences hosted by believer/skeptic in-laws. Recorded in an undisclosed location somewhere in the beautiful woods of Wasilla, Alaska. +SUBMIT YOUR (TRUE) STORY: —Email: thegang@thefreakydeaky.com   —Voicemail: 801-997-0051  +WEBSITE & MERCH: —Website: www.thefreakydeaky.com  —Merch: www.thefreakydeaky.com/store  +JOIN THE DISCUSSION: —TFD Facebook Group: https://tinyurl.com/tfdfb   —Instagram: https://bit.ly/2HOdleo   —Facebook: https://bit.ly/3ebSde6 

On Thanksgiving weekend in 2006, 24-year-old Priscilla Pimentel, affectionately known as “Peaches” by her family, never showed up for dinner. Days later, her siblings made a devastating discovery inside her Queens apartment.Priscilla was kind, funny, full of life, and part of a close-knit Puerto Rican family. She was also a queer woman living independently in New York City, chasing her dreams and always staying connected to her roots. Her brutal murder remains unsolved nearly 18 years later.In this episode, we remember Priscilla Pimentel not as a headline, but as a human being. We look at her life, the circumstances of her death, and the questions that still haunt her case. We also zoom out to examine the long and painful history of violence against the LGBTQ+ community, from systemic failures in law enforcement to the rise of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, and how it continues to manifest today. This is not just a story about loss. It's about the urgent need for visibility, justice, and respect.Content warning: This episode includes discussion of violent crime, including anti-LGBTQ violence.Call to ActionIf you have any information about the murder of Priscilla Pimentel, please come forward. Your tip could help bring long-overdue justice to her family.

1:00: Early thoughts on how Stefon Diggs looked at OTAs, “I've already forgotten about the beat video. … I thought he looked great.” 4:00: Now that you have this mix of wide receivers “this time of year, it's just so crucial for these young kids to take this next step. … Seems like [Diggs] made the right decision.” 6:00: “I've seen guys come back from ACL injuries, and it doesn't look like that, six or seven months post-surgery. He is obviously taking his rehab seriously.” 7:15: “If [Diggs] continues to practice the way we saw him practice the other day, it's not going to be an issue. … It's all on him right now.” 10:45: Bill Belichick: “If you're not good at one thing, you better be damn good at 10 things.” 11:30: Hogan on punting during practice in hopes of doing whatever he could to make the team. “You have to grind. … This is the NFL.” 12;55: On Brady's punting. “His little surprise pooch kicks on third down? … I'm sure he was real good at that.” 13:25: Hogan: “To this day, I feel like I could have lasted in this league as a punter. … I was a backup punter in college.” 14:35: On Hogan saying he'd take a shot at the NFL again as a punter. 17:00: Hogan says Thomas Morstead was a great punter. One of the toughest he faced. Also gives a shout-out to Ryan Allen. 20:00: Listener question: “How concerned should the Pats brass be about Stefon Diggs' antics?” 22:40: Welker rehab vs. Diggs rehab. Two guys coming back quick from ACL issues. 23:40: Listener question: “Can you explain the offense that Josh McDaniels is instituting in a way the average fan can understand it? And do you think it fits with Drake Maye's skill set?” 30:20: How Hogan helped Price ask a good question during a press conference. 31:00: Listener question: “We've heard from the rookies about players they looked up to when they were playing. Was there a guy like that for you, either as a young athlete or someone when you came into the league, who was like that for you?” 31:30: On Fred Jackson's leadership and guidance when Hogan was ion Buffalo. “He was a pro's pro.” 32:45: “Tom [Brady] was one of those guys too.” 34:25: Davone Bess was also helpful. “Davone … he would always answer my questions.” 35:25: Why you want to be the veteran who invites other guys over for dinner on Thanksgiving. 38:00: On being a TB12 workout and nutrition guy and how it occasionally caused a rift with the franchise. 41:40: On connecting with lacrosse legend Paul Rabil and reconnecting with old coach Bill Belichick on a new project.

Our card this week is Sharon Glover, the 6 of Spades from Louisiana. Early on November 14, 1993, just two weeks before Thanksgiving, Sharon Glover was found viciously stabbed to death on a rural backroad in northwest Louisiana. Rumors led Sharon's family to believe the killer was someone close to them. But detectives are now releasing new information in this case for the first time, and they believe there's been a different prime suspect lurking in the background of this investigation for decades. If you have any information on the murder of Sharon Glover, Det. Jackson urges you to reach out to him directly at (318) 681-0705. You can also submit a tip anonymously through Crimestoppers. View source material and photos for this episode at: thedeckpodcast.com/sharon-glover Let us deal you in… follow The Deck on social media.Instagram: @thedeckpodcast | @audiochuckTwitter: @thedeckpodcast_ | @audiochuckFacebook: /TheDeckPodcast | /audiochuckllcTo support Season of Justice and learn more, please visit seasonofjustice.org.The Deck is hosted by Ashley Flowers. Instagram: @ashleyflowersTikTok: @ashleyflowerscrimejunkieTwitter: @Ash_FlowersFacebook: /AshleyFlowers.AFText Ashley at 317-733-7485 to talk all things true crime, get behind the scenes updates, and more!

Today on We Vote Too, we're diving headfirst into a conversation many avoid but desperately need: Why do so many low-income white Americans keep voting against their own economic interests?Let's be real—despite the myth of the “welfare queen” (hint: she doesn't look like you think), white Americans make up the largest group receiving government assistance. In 2022, 51 million white individuals received welfare, more than triple the number of Black recipients. Yet the narrative still blames Black folks for “draining the system.” Why?In this episode, we get into:How the post-slavery South gave poor whites their first real shot at economic freedom—and how they chose whiteness over solidarity.Why is it more convenient to punch down than to challenge the wealthy elites pulling the strings?Whether we should still be courting these voters or cutting our losses.With special guest Marquis Lupton, we explore the deep roots of racialized class politics, media-fueled division, and whether there's still room for coalition-building in a time of MAGA populism and billionaires cosplaying as “working class heroes.”

Zac Clark and ForceofPhil discuss the upcoming Eternal Weekend events, the excitement surrounding early announcements, and the unique experience of celebrating Thanksgiving in Italy. They delve into the significance of community art in Magic: The Gathering, share their expectations for vendors at the events, and highlight the growing pre-modern community. The conversation emphasizes the importance of planning and the anticipation of new set releases that could impact gameplay.

Zac Clark and ForceofPhil discuss the upcoming Eternal Weekend events, the excitement surrounding early announcements, and the unique experience of celebrating Thanksgiving in Italy. They delve into the significance of community art in Magic: The Gathering, share their expectations for vendors at the events, and highlight the growing pre-modern community. The conversation emphasizes the importance of planning and the anticipation of new set releases that could impact gameplay.

Send Us A MessageMost agents struggle with consistent lead generation, bouncing between expensive paid leads and sporadic networking efforts. Karmen Quakenbush faced the ultimate test - starting her real estate business twice, including once while going through a difficult divorce with no salary safety net. Her approach to combining authentic social media presence with strategic sphere nurturing proves that sustainable lead generation doesn't require massive budgets or perfect content - it requires genuine relationship building and professional consistency.Featured Quote: "You have to talk to people. You have to get out there. The biggest thing, like I said, when I came and started over here, I went through my phone. I was taking a break from social media at the time because of life. And so I went through my contact list and anybody, didn't matter how long I hadn't spoken to them. I called them. I called. I didn't text. I gave them a phone call."What You Will Learn:- The Strategic Integration Approach - How to use social media as a complement to sphere nurturing rather than a replacement, creating multiple touchpoints that keep you top of mind- Authentic Content Creation Without Perfect Strategy - Karmen's approach to documenting real estate activities, client stories, and personal moments that build trust and demonstrate expertise- The Full-Time Commitment Reality - Why part-time real estate practice creates a disservice to clients and how complete professional focus transforms both service quality and business growth- Practical Sphere Expansion Beyond Clients - How to identify and nurture business partners, local vendors, and community connections as referral sources- Event-Based Relationship Building - Karmen's systematic approach to client events, including spring gatherings and fall Thanksgiving pie distributions that strengthen relationships- The Power of Direct Communication - Why phone calls still outperform text messages and social media for meaningful business conversations- Budget Allocation for Relationship Investment - How Karmen spends marketing dollars on people rather than leads, including sponsorships and appreciation gestures- Consistency Through Automation - Strategic use of monthly postcards and automated systems while maintaining personal touch points- The Vulnerability Factor - How sharing personal challenges and authentic moments creates deeper client connections and referral opportunitiesThe opinions on this podcast are Mark and Brian's and not in any way a reflection of RE/MAX or anyone else in the industry.Social Media and Contact InformationWebsite: https://www.raisingrealestatestandards.comLink Tree:  https://linktr.ee/raisingrealestatestanda

Are you struggling with prayer? Feel like your prayers are just going through the motions? In this episode, we dive deep into why prayer often feels difficult for Christians and provide practical, biblical guidance on how to transform your prayer life.

In this heartfelt episode, I sit down with someone who's been here since day 1 and one of my biggest sources of love and strength—my Grandma Jane. We talk about what it was like for her when I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age seven, and how she and my grandpa stepped in with so much courage and care, despite not knowing anything about T1D at first. Grandma shares the moments that shaped her experience—learning to give me shots, treating lows, and being a constant advocate by my side. Whether you're a grandparent, a parent, or simply someone who loves a T1D warrior, I know this conversation will truly touch your heart.Quick Takeaways:The impact a type 1 diabetes diagnosis has on the *entire* family Learning to be a T1D grandparent (and accepting it) How to cope with the mental + emotional struggles that come along with a T1D diagnosis in the family Timestamps:[02:57] Meet Grandma Jane & her profound backstory [12:53] “It's a different world today… We were expected to be adults, to move out, and start our lives.”[17:06] “Mommy was on the phone crying telling me that you got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes…” [19:31] Navigating the early days post diagnosis [20:33] Learning to be a T1D grandparent: “I made up my mind, nope, this is it. I'm going to learn how to do this.”[26:37] The nightmare of their first Thanksgiving as a T1D family [41:32] “More than anything I wanted a cure”[43:45] Grandma Jane's advice for other T1D grandparents What to do now: Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop.Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve. 

In this edition of Y's Guys, Dave McCann and Blaine Fowler deliver another packed episode covering BYU Football, Basketball, recruiting updates, and standout performances across Cougar athletics. They open the show with kickoff times and TV assignments for four of BYU's 2025 games, including matchups against Portland State, Stanford, Colorado, and West Virginia—all primetime games on ESPN. With BYU's impressive 28–4 record in its last 32 night games, the hosts discuss the importance of game time momentum and national exposure.Visit: https://www.ysguys.comRecruiting headlines include a huge flip: 4-star offensive lineman Alai Kalaniuvalu, who originally committed to BYU, then flipped to Oregon, has now flipped back to the Cougars. He'll join BYU in 2027 after his Church mission. McKay Madsen, another 4-star signee, just defended his California state championships in both shot put and discus before leaving for Argentina. The hosts also celebrate the College Football Hall of Fame's new eligibility rules, which now allow Mike Leach, a LaVell Edwards disciple, to be inducted.Basketball buzz heats up as BYU's non-conference schedule features national powerhouses like Villanova, Clemson, UConn, Wisconsin, and a Thanksgiving tournament featuring Miami, Dayton, and Georgetown. Preseason rankings have BYU as high as No. 3 in Gary Parrish's CBS Sports poll, with insiders like Kevin O'Connor predicting AJ Dybantsa, Richie Saunders, and Rob Wright could all be NBA Draft picks.The episode also includes interviews with Chris Crowe, a member of LaVell Edwards' first BYU team and retiring English professor, and Scott Kavanaugh, venue manager for LaVell Edwards Stadium and the Marriott Center, who shares stories from his time running major Vegas venues. Updates from Track & Field, Men's Golf, and Softball highlight All-American performances by Ilove'a Brittingham and Team USA nods for Trent Moser. The episode wraps with the “Cougarboard Question of the Week,” On This Day trivia, and an inspirational quote from Lou Gehrig. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

April 25, 2025 - Equipped 2025 - Day 2 - 3:30PM Session   Rick addresses the ability of Isaiah to predict events in the future to significant detail while being a significant number of years (700) before the events would come to pass.   Isaiah 48-53 - Israel Refined for God's Glory 48 “Hear this, O house of Jacob, Who are called by the name of Israel, And have come forth from the wellsprings of Judah; Who swear by the name of the Lord, And make mention of the God of Israel, But not in truth or in righteousness; 2 For they call themselves after the holy city, And lean on the God of Israel; The Lord of hosts is His name: 3 “I have declared the former things from the beginning; They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it. Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass. 4 Because I knew that you were obstinate, And your neck was an iron sinew, And your brow bronze, 5 Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you, Lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them, And my carved image and my molded image Have commanded them.' 6 “You have heard; See all this. And will you not declare it? I have made you hear new things from this time, Even hidden things, and you did not know them. 7 They are created now and not from the beginning; And before this day you have not heard them, Lest you should say, ‘Of course I knew them.' 8 Surely you did not hear, Surely you did not know; Surely from long ago your ear was not opened. For I knew that you would deal very treacherously, And were called a transgressor from the womb. 9 “For My name's sake I will defer My anger, And for My praise I will restrain it from you, So that I do not cut you off. 10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. 11 For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another. God's Ancient Plan to Redeem Israel 12 “Listen to Me, O Jacob, And Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last. 13 Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, And My right hand has stretched out the heavens; When I call to them, They stand up together. 14 “All of you, assemble yourselves, and hear! Who among them has declared these things? The Lord loves him; He shall do His pleasure on Babylon, And His arm shall be against the Chaldeans. 15 I, even I, have spoken; Yes, I have called him, I have brought him, and his way will prosper. 16 “Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord God and His Spirit Have sent Me.” 17 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go. 18 Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea. 19 Your descendants also would have been like the sand, And the offspring of your body like the grains of sand; His name would not have been cut off Nor destroyed from before Me.” 20 Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! With a voice of singing, Declare, proclaim this, Utter it to the end of the earth; Say, “The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob!” 21 And they did not thirst When He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow from the rock for them; He also split the rock, and the waters gushed out. 22 “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.” The Servant, the Light to the Gentiles 49 “Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar! The Lord has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name. 2 And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, And made Me a polished shaft; In His quiver He has hidden Me.” 3 “And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified.' 4 Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, And my work with my God.' ” 5 “And now the Lord says, Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, So that Israel is gathered to Him (For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, And My God shall be My strength), 6 Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.' ” 7 Thus says the Lord, The Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, To Him whom man despises, To Him whom the nation abhors, To the Servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise, Princes also shall worship, Because of the Lord who is faithful, The Holy One of Israel; And He has chosen You.” 8 Thus says the Lord: “In an acceptable time I have heard You, And in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You As a covenant to the people, To restore the earth, To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages; 9 That You may say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,' To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.' “They shall feed along the roads, And their pastures shall be on all desolate heights. 10 They shall neither hunger nor thirst, Neither heat nor sun shall strike them; For He who has mercy on them will lead them, Even by the springs of water He will guide them. 11 I will make each of My mountains a road, And My highways shall be elevated. 12 Surely these shall come from afar; Look! Those from the north and the west, And these from the land of Sinim.” 13 Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted. God Will Remember Zion 14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.” 15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. 16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me. 17 Your sons shall make haste; Your destroyers and those who laid you waste Shall go away from you. 18 Lift up your eyes, look around and see; All these gather together and come to you. As I live,” says the Lord, “You shall surely clothe yourselves with them all as an ornament, And bind them on you as a bride does. 19 “For your waste and desolate places, And the land of your destruction, Will even now be too small for the inhabitants; And those who swallowed you up will be far away. 20 The children you will have, After you have lost the others, Will say again in your ears, ‘The place is too small for me; Give me a place where I may dwell.' 21 Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who has begotten these for me, Since I have lost my children and am desolate, A captive, and wandering to and fro? And who has brought these up? There I was, left alone; But these, where were they?' ” 22 Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations, And set up My standard for the peoples; They shall bring your sons in their arms, And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders; 23 Kings shall be your foster fathers, And their queens your nursing mothers; They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, And lick up the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord, For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.” 24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, Or the captives of the righteous be delivered? 25 But thus says the Lord: “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children. 26 I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh, And they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine. All flesh shall know That I, the Lord, am your Savior, And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” The Servant, Israel's Hope 50 Thus says the Lord: “Where is the certificate of your mother's divorce, Whom I have put away? Or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you? For your iniquities you have sold yourselves, And for your transgressions your mother has been put away. 2 Why, when I came, was there no man? Why, when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink because there is no water, And die of thirst. 3 I clothe the heavens with blackness, And I make sackcloth their covering.” 4 “The Lord God has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned. 5 The Lord God has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away. 6 I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting. 7 “For the Lord God will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed. 8 He is near who justifies Me; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is My adversary? Let him come near Me. 9 Surely the Lord God will help Me; Who is he who will condemn Me? Indeed they will all grow old like a garment; The moth will eat them up. 10 “Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness And has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord And rely upon his God. 11 Look, all you who kindle a fire, Who encircle yourselves with sparks: Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled— This you shall have from My hand: You shall lie down in torment. The Lord Comforts Zion 51 “Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. 2 Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him.” 3 For the Lord will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody. 4 “Listen to Me, My people; And give ear to Me, O My nation: For law will proceed from Me, And I will make My justice rest As a light of the peoples. 5 My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait upon Me, And on My arm they will trust. 6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished. 7 “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, You people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, Nor be afraid of their insults. 8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment, And the worm will eat them like wool; But My righteousness will be forever, And My salvation from generation to generation.” 9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord! Awake as in the ancient days, In the generations of old. Are You not the arm that cut Rahab apart, And wounded the serpent? 10 Are You not the One who dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep; That made the depths of the sea a road For the redeemed to cross over? 11 So the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; Sorrow and sighing shall flee away. 12 “I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass? 13 And you forget the Lord your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth; You have feared continually every day Because of the fury of the oppressor, When he has prepared to destroy. And where is the fury of the oppressor? 14 The captive exile hastens, that he may be loosed, That he should not die in the pit, And that his bread should not fail. 15 But I am the Lord your God, Who divided the sea whose waves roared— The Lord of hosts is His name. 16 And I have put My words in your mouth; I have covered you with the shadow of My hand, That I may plant the heavens, Lay the foundations of the earth, And say to Zion, ‘You are My people.' ” God's Fury Removed 17 Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk at the hand of the Lord The cup of His fury; You have drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling, And drained it out. 18 There is no one to guide her Among all the sons she has brought forth; Nor is there any who takes her by the hand Among all the sons she has brought up. 19 These two things have come to you; Who will be sorry for you?— Desolation and destruction, famine and sword— By whom will I comfort you? 20 Your sons have fainted, They lie at the head of all the streets, Like an antelope in a net; They are full of the fury of the Lord, The rebuke of your God. 21 Therefore please hear this, you afflicted, And drunk but not with wine. 22 Thus says your Lord, The Lord and your God, Who pleads the cause of His people: “See, I have taken out of your hand The cup of trembling, The dregs of the cup of My fury; You shall no longer drink it. 23 But I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you, Who have said to you, ‘Lie down, that we may walk over you.' And you have laid your body like the ground, And as the street, for those who walk over.” God Redeems Jerusalem 52 Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean Shall no longer come to you. 2 Shake yourself from the dust, arise; Sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion! 3 For thus says the Lord: “You have sold yourselves for nothing, And you shall be redeemed without money.” 4 For thus says the Lord God: “My people went down at first Into Egypt to dwell there; Then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. 5 Now therefore, what have I here,” says the Lord, “That My people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them Make them wail,” says the Lord, “And My name is blasphemed continually every day. 6 Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day That I am He who speaks: ‘Behold, it is I.' ” 7 How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 8 Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, With their voices they shall sing together; For they shall see eye to eye When the Lord brings back Zion. 9 Break forth into joy, sing together, You waste places of Jerusalem! For the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord has made bare His holy arm In the eyes of all the nations; And all the ends of the earth shall see The salvation of our God. 11 Depart! Depart! Go out from there, Touch no unclean thing; Go out from the midst of her, Be clean, You who bear the vessels of the Lord. 12 For you shall not go out with haste, Nor go by flight; For the Lord will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard. The Sin-Bearing Servant 13 Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. 14 Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men; 15 So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider. The Sin-Bearing Messiah 53 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. 9 And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.   Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnGl00h-CJo   Duration 37:06

Success isn't grades, money, or status.  It's fulfillment, joy, and kindness that come together to allow you to live your best life. -  Colleen Esposito Welcome back to part 2 of my interview with my daughter, Colleen Esposito, co-author of Nelson's Garden and our follow-up children's book, Nelson's Garden & the Free Little Flower Stand.  It's been a joy to ask my daughter the same kinds of questions I ask every woman who is a guest on the show and to hear her wise, thoughtful, and sometimes sassy answers.  After all, Colleen is the “Queen of Sass”, a nickname given to her decades ago by her Godmother, who recognized her chutzpah early on.  Colleen is the kind of person who figures out how to make the best of any situation, evidenced by her determination to become the family cook at 10 when she made her first Thanksgiving meal.  In this interview, we extend our gratitude to the village that raised Colleen and her brother, Christopher, as well as her grandfather, fondly known as “Bapa,”  who stepped in to take care of them every day after school.  In this interview, Colleen shares what happened to her at 20 when she fell asleep at the wheel and almost died.  “I had a moment of being unsure if I was dead or alive, or in this weird in-between place where I could see myself, I could see the car, but I was away from it, watching it all.”   From stories about what it was like to sleep on the newsroom floor when I started my career in major market radio, to finding true love and becoming the mother of two precious daughters herself, this interview is a tribute to the enduring power of the mother-daughter connection. #daughter #family #childrensbookauthor #gardening

I had a real fun time chatting with Beth La Manach, whose new cookbook, “Entertaining 101” just released. Beth's YouTube channel is wildy entertaining and she is also on Substack so you can follow her Entertaining with Beth Now since Beth makes it so easy lets all get to Entertianing!EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:Stephanie Hansen:Hello, everybody. Welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's Dish. I'm Stephanie Hansen and I like to talk to people obsessed with food. In particular, I enjoy cookbook authors and today I'm with Beth Lamonic and she is the author of a cookbook that just the title alone, I feel like holy cats. That's so intimidating. It is called entertaining one zero one. Beth, that just makes you, like, right on the level of Martha Stewart in my brain. Were you nervous about calling it one zero one?Beth Le Manach:No. Because the way that I'm thinking about the title is it's really targeted towards beginners or veterans who just need it to be easier and quicker. And I think everybody loves a one zero one entry point because they know it's not gonna be intimidating. It's gonna be accessible.Stephanie Hansen:Well, you are not a one zero one in your chops. You have over 662,000 followers on YouTube. They were like, oh, she has a a YouTube channel. And I went to look. I was like, holy cats. Tell me the name of your YouTube channel because I forgot to write it down. Recipes for entertaining. Was that what it was called?Beth Le Manach:No. It's called Entertaining with Beth.Stephanie Hansen:Got it. Okay. So you also are very fascinating, but I'm gonna get to that part in just a second. Take me through, like, your journey of, like, the how you started the YouTube and how we are that you're just is this your first book?Beth Le Manach:Yes. It isn't my first book. I know. I've been in a long time. I know exactly. Yeah. So it's kind of a long story, but I'll give you the highlights. I started my YouTube channel because I was by trade a producer for television, lifestyle television, and I got my start with the Scripps network.Beth Le Manach:So Food Network, HGTV, Fine Living, I was producing a bunch of content for them. I saw everything going online, digital. So I was like, I wanna produce digital content for the web. I got a job at a company that had a huge order for YouTube. So this was right around 2011 when YouTube started getting grants to media companies to produce quality content so they could get the advertisers to actually advertise against it. Because up into that point, it was a lot of, you know, skate board tricks and cat videos and stuff like that. Yeah. And so since I had come up with all of this kind of lifestyle content, my boss was like, okay. Create a YouTube channel that women will love. And I was a new mom. I had two small kids, and I was into all this lifestyle content, but I knew nothing about YouTube. So I had to really learn what it was, and little by little, we started to just create content. That was food content, fashion, beauty, all the things that I thought, like, women would be interested in.And then one day, my boss came to me and said, you know what? We are, like, really behind on the hours here that we have to deliver. We gotta pep this up a bit. What do you got? And I was like, I think we should do, like, entertaining shows, like, thirty minute shows, like what we used to do for TV. Like, let's do the perfect dinner party. He's like he was like, well, who are we gonna get to do that? And I was like, me. I love to cook, and I have a lot of recipes. And at the time, I just bought a house, and I was like, you know, come to my house. You don't have to pay me.You're already paying me, and let's knock off a few of these episodes. So we did about 16 of them, and then my boss was like, you know, this is really resonating with people. Like and and it really hit me at that point that I thought, how is this new information for people? Because I had grown up with Martha Stewart and Ina Garten, and I just thought that everybody was watching this. But people at the time on YouTube were just getting into, like, all the beauty gurus, and those girls were now aging up and sort of, like, having their first apartment and getting married. And they weren't suddenly gonna go offline and go look at magazines and books. They were staying online.Stephanie Hansen:Yeah.Beth Le Manach:And I think that's where it really resonated. And so long story short, I did that until I started to do it full time, and now the channel is mine, and I just do it full time.Stephanie Hansen:It explains lots of things. One, how prescient of you to see this digital age coming. So very smart.Beth Le Manach:Yeah.Stephanie Hansen:Two, I always talk about first mover advantage. And whenever there's a new platform or something, I always make sure that I log on. I save my handle. Even if I don't know if I'm gonna use it or do anything with it, I I believe that being the first in a space or in in a being a handful of first in a space is part of what gets you that first mover advantage. So note to self people because there's gonna be a lot of social enterprises that are coming in our future. And then also, like, sometimes the keeping it simple is the best. Like, you just assume that everybody knows how to, you know, make a delicious apparel spritz, but necessarily they don't. So that what you can offer in your most authentic way is, valuable.And that's, I guess, why you did this as your first book because you seem like you really are taking and packaging a lot of this in a way that feels authentic to you, and that's what people want.Beth Le Manach:I think they do. I mean and I think that's what YouTube has really taught me is that there are thousands of chicken Parmesan recipes on YouTube, but people will still ask me, but we want your recipe. Not because my recipe is gonna be better than anybody else's recipe because there's only a couple of ways around making a chicken parm, but because they want my point of view. And I think that that's what makes YouTube so human, and that's why they called it YouTube because it is about you and how you how I prepare chicken parmesan recipe could be different than how you prepare it. And the things that we're gonna highlight could be different based on our own lived experience, and I think that's what makes it really human and really fun.Stephanie Hansen:Yeah. Your show is also very beautiful. I just started doing a TV show, with Fox here locally, and lighting is so important. And my own YouTube is horribly lit and embarrassing. Yours is incredible.Like, do you have my normal lights set up?Beth Le Manach:No. My gosh. You know what my light setup is now? No lights. The light setup is no lights because I went round and round, and I have, you know, a lot of different experience. Like, I started with the big crew of seven people people that would come, and then I would go back, like, after COVID, and there was no people. And then I had to learn it all myself, and then I moved to France, and I was like, I can't carry all this stuff with me. I have gone back and forth on the lighting, and I always go back to the fact that, like, natural lighting for food is just the best lighting, and then just adjust the camera settings. Like, you're much better off doing that and know which angles of the kitchen give you the best softest light because that you can always reproduce the camera, but you can't always reproduce the exact temperature and light. And, like, that just was making me crazy. So I just decided to finish the lights.Stephanie Hansen:Yeah. That is really the tip. Yes. I like it. You mentioned this move to France, and I I you have through the course of your channel and through the course career here. Also, you had a like, it sounded like a rental in France that you made into a full time home.Beth Le Manach:Yes. Exactly. So my husband is French, and we had been coming to France every year or so when we were married. And then we took a break when we had kids, and then we started to bring the kids when they were, like, five and two.Stephanie Hansen:So you and your husband moved to France, and he's French. Yes. So he's like your Jeffrey.Beth Le Manach:Yeah. You could say that. Yeah. He, he he definitely, has inspired me a lot, I think, with the French lifestyle and French cooking. And we would come to France every summer just to vacation, and then we thought, okay. Let's stop renting all these houses. Let's buy a house and then become the renter like, become the person renting. That was a better investment for us.Beth Le Manach:And then, I don't know, we just he got to a point in his life where he was like, I see all my friends retiring in France. That's where I wanna be. And I think that's the blessing and the curse of marrying a foreigner. At one point, they're gonna wanna go back, and you just have to be ready for that. So I was always ready for it because I've always loved France, and I just thought, like, that's a fun experience. Yeah. Let's go do that.Stephanie Hansen:Do you read David Leibovitz's blog?Beth Le Manach:Yes. I do. I love him. Yeah. He's great.Stephanie Hansen:I've learned so much. I have, relatives that are from Montreal, which is not France, but they've spent time in France. And Yeah. He just talks a lot about the difficulties of living in France and being an American transplant living in France.Are there things that you have found that you're just like, oh, I just wish I could get this or something that you're craving to miss?Beth Le Manach:Prepared broths and stocks. Like, you know, when you go in The States, you go to the grocery store and you see, like, a million organic chicken broth, beef broth, like, in every brand that takes up practically a whole file. Here, you cannot get that. You can get the cubes where you're making it, but it's like you're wasting a whole cube for two cups of broth, and you may not need the two cups of broth. Like, I love those little one cup ones that we can get in those days. That, we cannot get here. And I I don't know why. A lot of me thinks, like, it just takes up too much space on the shelves, and maybe the little cubes are better, but I do miss that.Stephanie Hansen:Do you have that better than bouillon product?Beth Le Manach:We don't have that. I have not seen that. Uh-uh. Like, there's a lot of different kinds of these little broth cubes too, and I've been trying all of them. Some of them are horrible, and some of them are okay, but there's nothing like the Swanson's chicken broth. Like, I really kinda miss that. I love that. And Land O'Lakes spread the butter.Beth Le Manach:Land O'Lakes butter. Even though we have a million wonderful butters here in France for baking, nothing is quite like the Land O'Lakes salted butter in my opinion.Stephanie Hansen:I live in Minnesota, the home of Land O'Lakes, so that makes me real happy. Alright. So entertaining one zero one is about simple, easy ways to start your entertaining life, whether it be like a signature cocktail for mom's brunch or an egg bake for Christmas or, just a simple, like, Friday night dinner party. What are some of your favorite entry points for entertaining?Beth Le Manach:Yeah. Well, I think brunch. I think brunch is the beginners, like, home run because there's no fancy roasts that you have to learn how to carve. It's pretty inexpensive because you're not serving a ton of wines and cocktails. It's fairly cheap too because of what you're making. It's eggs and bread and fruit. And it's easy because you can, like, prep in the morning, and then people come at, like, eleven. And it doesn't take the whole night.Beth Le Manach:Like, it's not gonna go on for hours and hours. Like, people usually leave around two or three. I just think it's a great entry point for people. Yeah. I mean, I think, you know, once you get into the holidays, like the Thanksgiving and the Christmas, you wanna get a few brunches under your belt, maybe a few dinners. I always say start with four, then have six, but don't ever start having 10 guests, which is what Thanksgiving is. So don't start there. Yep.Beth Le Manach:Because people usually get themselves so stressed out for entertaining because I think they don't start at the right entry point. And then they never wanna do it again because it was a big mess and, you know, it was so stressful because I think they didn't work their way up to it. You know what I mean?Stephanie Hansen:Yeah. I never thought about that, but that's really a clever way to think about it. I also think too choosing, like, the main dish and then building from there is helpful. Like Yes. I I don't know why I was afraid to cook salmon for forever, but, but, really, roasting a whole side of salmon is a great dish for entertaining.Beth Le Manach:Super easy, beautiful, super delicious. Yeah. I I think that people feel like they get sort of stressed out at all of the organization, like, the the timing of it. Because most people don't have, like, restaurant cook experience where everything is timed. So my philosophy is always, like, one or two things, two max that's, like, active cooking, The rest, assembly and the rest, premade. So, like, if you balance out the portfolio of dishes so that they're not all active cooking, it's just gonna make your life so much easier.Stephanie Hansen:And so Don't you think too, like, what I always discover with entertaining is people are just so delighted to come, to be invited to something. We don't do this enough.Beth Le Manach:We don't do it enough because I think people are afraid of how it's gonna go because maybe they had one or two bad experiences or because, you know, for better or for worse, I'm probably contributing to this, but there is so much food media out there between the blogs and the Instagram and the Pinterest and television and books that, like, it can get very overwhelming. What do you serve and, you know, where do you begin? That I really wanted to create, like, here are the hundred and one recipes that, like, everybody should just know how to make. Like, it's just should be part of your repertoire. Like, get the basics down first and get the ones that you crave. So, like, of course, everybody wants to know how to make a turkey at Thanksgiving or a key lime pie at Easter or barbecue chicken in the summer. Like, these are the things we are all sort of craving perennially. And if you can get those right, then you go to, like, one zero two, which is, you know, the more sophisticated flight files and that kind of thing.Stephanie Hansen:Second book, are you already thinking about it?Beth Le Manach:Oh my gosh. No. Because I'm still recovering from the first book. You know, you're a good book author. I had no idea how all consuming it is. In a good way. Of it taken. It was a definite two year project, you know, between the testing, the writing, the photography, like, all of it.Stephanie Hansen:Yeah. What part did you love, and what part did you hate?Beth Le Manach:I really love the testing. You know? Like, really taking the time to test each recipe and getting excited about being able to share it, thinking of all of my subscribers that I've had over the years and thinking, oh, this person's gonna love this, and, oh, that person is really this is really gonna help that person. I love that. I love the writing. I didn't think I would love that as much, but I really love that, the stories and the tips and the kind of bringing the recipe to life. As much as I love the results of the photo shoot, that was probably the most exhausting, I think. And to have to then remake all a hundred and one recipes again. And, you know, at that point, it's not just me in the kitchen.It's a whole team of people and making sure, like, oh, that's not supposed to look like that or, like, oh, that crust shouldn't be like you know? And, like, that I found very taxing. But it was great to see all the photos at the end of the shoot. Like, oh, wow. We did all that.Stephanie Hansen:Did you have to cut some recipes, and was that hard to do?Beth Le Manach:We didn't I would cut them in the testing. We didn't we we basically shot everything that we planned, so that was great. But there were recipes that I just kept thinking, this is good, but it's too complicated, or this is not delivering on my motto of, like, minimum effort, maximum impact. This is, like, maximum effort from maximum impact, but, like, I didn't wanna go there. I wanted to keep it really easy and accessible for people. So those were the recipes that usually got the pitch.Stephanie Hansen:Was it harder? When did you move to France, and was this in the middle?Beth Le Manach:Yeah. It was. Of course. That was the craziest thing about it. We did the photo shoot in May, and we moved in June. So as soon as the, like, photo team left at the May, we were like, okay. Let's wrap it up. And we started to just put things in boxes and because I couldn't, like, take the whole house apart because I needed all the props, and I needed a certain amount of furniture and dishes and thing, you know, that I couldn't take.Beth Le Manach:So yeah. Stephanie Hansen:did you move all that stuff? Do you still have it? Because people don't realize, like, when you're styling photos, you know, you need all this stuff that you have.Beth Le Manach:You you need all this stuff, and I had a ton of props as we all do. You know, anybody that's in this business has a ton props. And I used them all for the cookbook, but I could not take them all with me to France. It's just it was gonna be too expensive. And I was actually afraid that some of them would break anyway, so I gave them to a lot of the, prop master who was working on the cookbook. Like, she took a a bunch. Everybody on the shoot took some, and we had a fully furnished house here in France that we were renting. So and, of course, every time I come, I would hit a flea market and buy more stuff.So, like, I just had no more rooms for any more stuff, so I just had to, you know, give away.Stephanie Hansen:Yeah. That's it's kinda liberating and kinda freeing, though, in and of itself.Beth Le Manach:It is. It is.Stephanie Hansen:Who do you look up to for entertaining?Beth Le Manach:Oh, you know, all the greats. I love Martha Stewart. I love Ina Garten. I'm trying to think, like, if I there's a couple of substackers that I really love. There's a woman, little Chavita is the name of her substack. I let do you know her? Do you follow her substack? I think yeah. I just I love her sort of effortless elegance. I love things that don't feel overly fussy or feel overly staged.Beth Le Manach:Yeah. There's a lot of Instagrammers too that you just see that you're like, oh, yeah. I love that. I don't know. Yeah. I think and my parents, like, I love the way that they entertain, and I've always, like, looked up to their sort of style of entertaining.Stephanie Hansen:You mentioned, chicken parm experience, and I just happen to have read a whole thing about an influencer that apparently grabbed some very similar recipes from, some recipe writers and then repackaged them and put them in her book in Australia that's been, like, a multimillion bestseller. And I always worry and wonder about that because it's very hard to make a recipe your own for something like a chicken farm. And I really cooking very basic and presenting very basic recipes that people have been doing for forever and short of, like, saying, you know, I got inspiration or I adapted from. I do wonder if we're getting into this place where the Internet is just full of 6,000 chicken parmesan recipes that are all the same.Beth Le Manach:Yeah. I mean, I think what really, sets them apart though is the way you go about it. Like, I can remember a copyright lawyer telling me, like, you can't actually copyright the ingredients, but you can copyright the method. And I think, you know, for anybody who cooks a lot, there is a method that you go about making the recipe that's based on your experience, like the do's and more importantly the don'ts. Like, don't do that because you're gonna have a salvee chicken parm. Make sure you do this because it'll crisp up more. So, like, in my chicken parmesan video on YouTube, I labeled it a little bit different. I think it's something like the six tips to a great chicken parm, and that's just based on my experience.Like, fry it in a cast iron pan, presalt the chicken so that it's nice and juicy. Once it comes out of the pan, put it on a cooling rack with a, you know, something like a cookie rack so that it doesn't get all soggy. Add a little Parmesan tea. Like so I think that people make very classic recipes their own by adding their own personality and their own little tips and tricks that they've learned along the way to guarantee success. So I feel like, you know, even in the age of AI and everybody's like, oh, you know what? They're only gonna get these recipes from AI. It's like, yeah. But you're not gonna get that human experience of, like, here's what I did that doesn't work. Here's what I've done that works really well.So I think that's kind of our, you know, competitive edge, I guess, against the robots.Stephanie Hansen:Yeah. And the superpower that maybe will separate, finally, the weed from the chaff as it were. Because if we are all then making similarly the same thing, it is how we're doing it and also how we're performing the content because, like, people get interested in you as a human and you as how you do things, and they wanna follow you and your point of view and think you're funny or whatever your superpower is.Beth Le Manach:Exactly. And that's why I think video is so powerful because that doesn't always come across on the printed page or with a photograph. But when you are on video and you're spending time, like, building this audience on YouTube, it is a way to connect in a more human way with people. And that also, when they search chicken parm and they see three or four results come up, if they already know you because they've watched your video, they you do feel like a friend to them, and they want your point of view. So I think, you know, it was worth all those years and years of uploads because it does help you, like, ingratiate yourself a little bit more to the audience. You know?Stephanie Hansen:Yeah. And, also, I think if you just this is a weird thing to say, but I've been thinking about this a lot because I have a speech later today, and and I wasn't sure what I was gonna speak about. And my husband's like, oh, are you gonna talk about women in business? I was like, no. I think I'm gonna talk about my regs to not riches story, which is, like, people have all these different experiences. Right? And you're always comparing yourself to other people or trying to measure up or trying to get as many likes or follows or comments. And really what I always keep coming back to is that people just want authentic, friendly, nice people in their kitchen to spend time with them.Beth Le Manach:I think so. A %. Especially if it's something that they're a little unsure about, they want the reassurance that, like, it's going to be okay. Like, yeah, we're gonna do it together. You know? Like, I think that that's very reassuring for people.Stephanie Hansen:One of the, recipes that I happen to see on your YouTube really just, like, blew my mind, and I think it's based on your French experiences about almond croissants.Beth Le Manach:Oh, yeah. Yeah. That's from the book.Great. It is in the book. Yeah.Stephanie Hansen:I'm obsessed with almond croissants, and what you did was you took day old croissants and then made, like, a beautiful almond filling, and voila, almond croissants. It's it never occurred to me that that would be a way that you could do that without, you know, like, laminating dough and I mean doing all the hard work.Beth Le Manach:Yeah. Well, I laughed out loud because I didn't realize, and my husband shared this with me when we were sort of newly married, that almond or croissants were made because that was a way that the bakeries could use up the day old croissants that didn't sell because very few things go to waste in France, especially foods. Then it, like, made perfect sense. Like, oh, of course. So if they're doing that, like, we could be doing that. Yeah. Absolutely. Have, like, the yeah.We just don't have the day old croissants, but, like, you can do it with fresh if you just split them open and let them dry out while you make the filling, and it's just as good.Stephanie Hansen:So you have an event that's coming up at Cooks At Crocus Hill, June Eighth, 4 PM. As we record this, there's only a few tickets left. So by the time it actually airs, you probably won't have the privilege of getting tickets unless you decide to do another night. Is that a possibility?Beth Le Manach:We don't know because I have to leave the next day for my next tour. So this is the thing that I yeah. I'm learning about the book tours is you have to be quick about it because it is expensive to go to all these cities.Stephanie Hansen:Yes. And how many citiesBeth Le Manach:are you going to on your tour? I'm going to seven.Stephanie Hansen:Okay. Okay. That is gonna be great. Yeah. So we are speaking with Beth Lamonic, and she is the author of entertaining one zero one. And you can find her book, recipes every host should know how to make. I thought that was a great subtitle too, by the way. Very clear. Everybody knew exactly what they were gonna be getting from your book. Do you have a Substack too, or how do you want people to follow it?Beth Le Manach:Yes. I do. I have a Substack. That would be great. People can follow me there. It's called entertaining with Beth.Stephanie Hansen:And how are you enjoying that as a platform?Beth Le Manach:I love it. I mean, this is the funny thing is, like, writing the cookbook did introduce me to this, like, other way to create, which is writing. And I think it came at the perfect time because we moved to France around the same time that I was doing more on Substack. So I share the recipes there, which are free. But then if people wanna be part of my paid community, once a month, I do an essay about what it's like living in France. I'm kind of the good, bad, and the ugly, you know, because there is so much material that happens, and that's just been a really fun exercise to share that, just in the written page. And and sometimes I include little videos in it too. So It's been It's always fun too, Stephanie Hansen:I think, as creators to have other outlets and more outlets. Yeah. And, you know, I I know people find this hard to believe, but with the exception of, like, in any industry, the top 10% of us are cobbling this together. Right? You're at the end of the year, when you're doing your taxes, you have 52 tiny pots of money that you add up together. Right. And Substat is another tiny pot, but is giving a lot of joy to a lot of people and allowing them to flex in unique and creative ways.Beth Le Manach:It is. It absolutely is. And and I think too because if you stay with, like, kinda one medium, like, I've been doing video for so many years, thirteen years video, it gets really tiring, and you start to get a little fatigued by it all. So it kinda jump starts your creativity again to be like, oh, now I'm gonna write some things, and now I'm gonna and then it sort of helps the video because you look at it with fresher eyes.Stephanie Hansen:Yeah. I love it. Well, Beth, it's been a delight to speak with you. Thanks for being on the podcast today. Good luck with the tour. Beth Le Manach: thanks for having me.Stephanie Hansen:Yes. Are you on presale right now?Beth Le Manach:Yes. We're on presale, and then it goes on sale, for real on June 3.Stephanie Hansen:Okay. So we're gonna launch this podcast, I believe, right before the launch. If you can presale, because you guys that listen know presales are super important to cookbook authors, all of those sales that they've generated up on the presale count towards the first day sales, which hopefully, if all things go great, launches them on bestseller list. Right? That's what we're all trying to do. Beth, I think you've got a great shot at it because your book, looks great. I've watched a bunch of your videos, and I'm just glad that you're getting a chance to come to Saint Paul, Minnesota. Cooks Of Crocusil is a great spot. You're gonna have a blast.Beth Le Manach:Yes. I hope so. It looks amazing.Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it.Stephanie Hansen:Enjoy your travels. Hopefully, we'll speak again sometime. Sounds goodStephanie Hansen:Thanks, Stephanie. Bye. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

I had a real fun time chatting with Beth La Manach, whose new cookbook, “Entertaining 101” just released. Beth's YouTube channel is wildy entertaining and she is also on Substack so you can follow her Entertaining with Beth Now since Beth makes it so easy lets all get to Entertianing!EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:Stephanie Hansen:Hello, everybody. Welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's Dish. I'm Stephanie Hansen and I like to talk to people obsessed with food. In particular, I enjoy cookbook authors and today I'm with Beth Lamonic and she is the author of a cookbook that just the title alone, I feel like holy cats. That's so intimidating. It is called entertaining one zero one. Beth, that just makes you, like, right on the level of Martha Stewart in my brain. Were you nervous about calling it one zero one?Beth Le Manach:No. Because the way that I'm thinking about the title is it's really targeted towards beginners or veterans who just need it to be easier and quicker. And I think everybody loves a one zero one entry point because they know it's not gonna be intimidating. It's gonna be accessible.Stephanie Hansen:Well, you are not a one zero one in your chops. You have over 662,000 followers on YouTube. They were like, oh, she has a a YouTube channel. And I went to look. I was like, holy cats. Tell me the name of your YouTube channel because I forgot to write it down. Recipes for entertaining. Was that what it was called?Beth Le Manach:No. It's called Entertaining with Beth.Stephanie Hansen:Got it. Okay. So you also are very fascinating, but I'm gonna get to that part in just a second. Take me through, like, your journey of, like, the how you started the YouTube and how we are that you're just is this your first book?Beth Le Manach:Yes. It isn't my first book. I know. I've been in a long time. I know exactly. Yeah. So it's kind of a long story, but I'll give you the highlights. I started my YouTube channel because I was by trade a producer for television, lifestyle television, and I got my start with the Scripps network.Beth Le Manach:So Food Network, HGTV, Fine Living, I was producing a bunch of content for them. I saw everything going online, digital. So I was like, I wanna produce digital content for the web. I got a job at a company that had a huge order for YouTube. So this was right around 2011 when YouTube started getting grants to media companies to produce quality content so they could get the advertisers to actually advertise against it. Because up into that point, it was a lot of, you know, skate board tricks and cat videos and stuff like that. Yeah. And so since I had come up with all of this kind of lifestyle content, my boss was like, okay. Create a YouTube channel that women will love. And I was a new mom. I had two small kids, and I was into all this lifestyle content, but I knew nothing about YouTube. So I had to really learn what it was, and little by little, we started to just create content. That was food content, fashion, beauty, all the things that I thought, like, women would be interested in.And then one day, my boss came to me and said, you know what? We are, like, really behind on the hours here that we have to deliver. We gotta pep this up a bit. What do you got? And I was like, I think we should do, like, entertaining shows, like, thirty minute shows, like what we used to do for TV. Like, let's do the perfect dinner party. He's like he was like, well, who are we gonna get to do that? And I was like, me. I love to cook, and I have a lot of recipes. And at the time, I just bought a house, and I was like, you know, come to my house. You don't have to pay me.You're already paying me, and let's knock off a few of these episodes. So we did about 16 of them, and then my boss was like, you know, this is really resonating with people. Like and and it really hit me at that point that I thought, how is this new information for people? Because I had grown up with Martha Stewart and Ina Garten, and I just thought that everybody was watching this. But people at the time on YouTube were just getting into, like, all the beauty gurus, and those girls were now aging up and sort of, like, having their first apartment and getting married. And they weren't suddenly gonna go offline and go look at magazines and books. They were staying online.Stephanie Hansen:Yeah.Beth Le Manach:And I think that's where it really resonated. And so long story short, I did that until I started to do it full time, and now the channel is mine, and I just do it full time.Stephanie Hansen:It explains lots of things. One, how prescient of you to see this digital age coming. So very smart.Beth Le Manach:Yeah.Stephanie Hansen:Two, I always talk about first mover advantage. And whenever there's a new platform or something, I always make sure that I log on. I save my handle. Even if I don't know if I'm gonna use it or do anything with it, I I believe that being the first in a space or in in a being a handful of first in a space is part of what gets you that first mover advantage. So note to self people because there's gonna be a lot of social enterprises that are coming in our future. And then also, like, sometimes the keeping it simple is the best. Like, you just assume that everybody knows how to, you know, make a delicious apparel spritz, but necessarily they don't. So that what you can offer in your most authentic way is, valuable.And that's, I guess, why you did this as your first book because you seem like you really are taking and packaging a lot of this in a way that feels authentic to you, and that's what people want.Beth Le Manach:I think they do. I mean and I think that's what YouTube has really taught me is that there are thousands of chicken Parmesan recipes on YouTube, but people will still ask me, but we want your recipe. Not because my recipe is gonna be better than anybody else's recipe because there's only a couple of ways around making a chicken parm, but because they want my point of view. And I think that that's what makes YouTube so human, and that's why they called it YouTube because it is about you and how you how I prepare chicken parmesan recipe could be different than how you prepare it. And the things that we're gonna highlight could be different based on our own lived experience, and I think that's what makes it really human and really fun.Stephanie Hansen:Yeah. Your show is also very beautiful. I just started doing a TV show, with Fox here locally, and lighting is so important. And my own YouTube is horribly lit and embarrassing. Yours is incredible.Like, do you have my normal lights set up?Beth Le Manach:No. My gosh. You know what my light setup is now? No lights. The light setup is no lights because I went round and round, and I have, you know, a lot of different experience. Like, I started with the big crew of seven people people that would come, and then I would go back, like, after COVID, and there was no people. And then I had to learn it all myself, and then I moved to France, and I was like, I can't carry all this stuff with me. I have gone back and forth on the lighting, and I always go back to the fact that, like, natural lighting for food is just the best lighting, and then just adjust the camera settings. Like, you're much better off doing that and know which angles of the kitchen give you the best softest light because that you can always reproduce the camera, but you can't always reproduce the exact temperature and light. And, like, that just was making me crazy. So I just decided to finish the lights.Stephanie Hansen:Yeah. That is really the tip. Yes. I like it. You mentioned this move to France, and I I you have through the course of your channel and through the course career here. Also, you had a like, it sounded like a rental in France that you made into a full time home.Beth Le Manach:Yes. Exactly. So my husband is French, and we had been coming to France every year or so when we were married. And then we took a break when we had kids, and then we started to bring the kids when they were, like, five and two.Stephanie Hansen:So you and your husband moved to France, and he's French. Yes. So he's like your Jeffrey.Beth Le Manach:Yeah. You could say that. Yeah. He, he he definitely, has inspired me a lot, I think, with the French lifestyle and French cooking. And we would come to France every summer just to vacation, and then we thought, okay. Let's stop renting all these houses. Let's buy a house and then become the renter like, become the person renting. That was a better investment for us.Beth Le Manach:And then, I don't know, we just he got to a point in his life where he was like, I see all my friends retiring in France. That's where I wanna be. And I think that's the blessing and the curse of marrying a foreigner. At one point, they're gonna wanna go back, and you just have to be ready for that. So I was always ready for it because I've always loved France, and I just thought, like, that's a fun experience. Yeah. Let's go do that.Stephanie Hansen:Do you read David Leibovitz's blog?Beth Le Manach:Yes. I do. I love him. Yeah. He's great.Stephanie Hansen:I've learned so much. I have, relatives that are from Montreal, which is not France, but they've spent time in France. And Yeah. He just talks a lot about the difficulties of living in France and being an American transplant living in France.Are there things that you have found that you're just like, oh, I just wish I could get this or something that you're craving to miss?Beth Le Manach:Prepared broths and stocks. Like, you know, when you go in The States, you go to the grocery store and you see, like, a million organic chicken broth, beef broth, like, in every brand that takes up practically a whole file. Here, you cannot get that. You can get the cubes where you're making it, but it's like you're wasting a whole cube for two cups of broth, and you may not need the two cups of broth. Like, I love those little one cup ones that we can get in those days. That, we cannot get here. And I I don't know why. A lot of me thinks, like, it just takes up too much space on the shelves, and maybe the little cubes are better, but I do miss that.Stephanie Hansen:Do you have that better than bouillon product?Beth Le Manach:We don't have that. I have not seen that. Uh-uh. Like, there's a lot of different kinds of these little broth cubes too, and I've been trying all of them. Some of them are horrible, and some of them are okay, but there's nothing like the Swanson's chicken broth. Like, I really kinda miss that. I love that. And Land O'Lakes spread the butter.Beth Le Manach:Land O'Lakes butter. Even though we have a million wonderful butters here in France for baking, nothing is quite like the Land O'Lakes salted butter in my opinion.Stephanie Hansen:I live in Minnesota, the home of Land O'Lakes, so that makes me real happy. Alright. So entertaining one zero one is about simple, easy ways to start your entertaining life, whether it be like a signature cocktail for mom's brunch or an egg bake for Christmas or, just a simple, like, Friday night dinner party. What are some of your favorite entry points for entertaining?Beth Le Manach:Yeah. Well, I think brunch. I think brunch is the beginners, like, home run because there's no fancy roasts that you have to learn how to carve. It's pretty inexpensive because you're not serving a ton of wines and cocktails. It's fairly cheap too because of what you're making. It's eggs and bread and fruit. And it's easy because you can, like, prep in the morning, and then people come at, like, eleven. And it doesn't take the whole night.Beth Le Manach:Like, it's not gonna go on for hours and hours. Like, people usually leave around two or three. I just think it's a great entry point for people. Yeah. I mean, I think, you know, once you get into the holidays, like the Thanksgiving and the Christmas, you wanna get a few brunches under your belt, maybe a few dinners. I always say start with four, then have six, but don't ever start having 10 guests, which is what Thanksgiving is. So don't start there. Yep.Beth Le Manach:Because people usually get themselves so stressed out for entertaining because I think they don't start at the right entry point. And then they never wanna do it again because it was a big mess and, you know, it was so stressful because I think they didn't work their way up to it. You know what I mean?Stephanie Hansen:Yeah. I never thought about that, but that's really a clever way to think about it. I also think too choosing, like, the main dish and then building from there is helpful. Like Yes. I I don't know why I was afraid to cook salmon for forever, but, but, really, roasting a whole side of salmon is a great dish for entertaining.Beth Le Manach:Super easy, beautiful, super delicious. Yeah. I I think that people feel like they get sort of stressed out at all of the organization, like, the the timing of it. Because most people don't have, like, restaurant cook experience where everything is timed. So my philosophy is always, like, one or two things, two max that's, like, active cooking, The rest, assembly and the rest, premade. So, like, if you balance out the portfolio of dishes so that they're not all active cooking, it's just gonna make your life so much easier.Stephanie Hansen:And so Don't you think too, like, what I always discover with entertaining is people are just so delighted to come, to be invited to something. We don't do this enough.Beth Le Manach:We don't do it enough because I think people are afraid of how it's gonna go because maybe they had one or two bad experiences or because, you know, for better or for worse, I'm probably contributing to this, but there is so much food media out there between the blogs and the Instagram and the Pinterest and television and books that, like, it can get very overwhelming. What do you serve and, you know, where do you begin? That I really wanted to create, like, here are the hundred and one recipes that, like, everybody should just know how to make. Like, it's just should be part of your repertoire. Like, get the basics down first and get the ones that you crave. So, like, of course, everybody wants to know how to make a turkey at Thanksgiving or a key lime pie at Easter or barbecue chicken in the summer. Like, these are the things we are all sort of craving perennially. And if you can get those right, then you go to, like, one zero two, which is, you know, the more sophisticated flight files and that kind of thing.Stephanie Hansen:Second book, are you already thinking about it?Beth Le Manach:Oh my gosh. No. Because I'm still recovering from the first book. You know, you're a good book author. I had no idea how all consuming it is. In a good way. Of it taken. It was a definite two year project, you know, between the testing, the writing, the photography, like, all of it.Stephanie Hansen:Yeah. What part did you love, and what part did you hate?Beth Le Manach:I really love the testing. You know? Like, really taking the time to test each recipe and getting excited about being able to share it, thinking of all of my subscribers that I've had over the years and thinking, oh, this person's gonna love this, and, oh, that person is really this is really gonna help that person. I love that. I love the writing. I didn't think I would love that as much, but I really love that, the stories and the tips and the kind of bringing the recipe to life. As much as I love the results of the photo shoot, that was probably the most exhausting, I think. And to have to then remake all a hundred and one recipes again. And, you know, at that point, it's not just me in the kitchen.It's a whole team of people and making sure, like, oh, that's not supposed to look like that or, like, oh, that crust shouldn't be like you know? And, like, that I found very taxing. But it was great to see all the photos at the end of the shoot. Like, oh, wow. We did all that.Stephanie Hansen:Did you have to cut some recipes, and was that hard to do?Beth Le Manach:We didn't I would cut them in the testing. We didn't we we basically shot everything that we planned, so that was great. But there were recipes that I just kept thinking, this is good, but it's too complicated, or this is not delivering on my motto of, like, minimum effort, maximum impact. This is, like, maximum effort from maximum impact, but, like, I didn't wanna go there. I wanted to keep it really easy and accessible for people. So those were the recipes that usually got the pitch.Stephanie Hansen:Was it harder? When did you move to France, and was this in the middle?Beth Le Manach:Yeah. It was. Of course. That was the craziest thing about it. We did the photo shoot in May, and we moved in June. So as soon as the, like, photo team left at the May, we were like, okay. Let's wrap it up. And we started to just put things in boxes and because I couldn't, like, take the whole house apart because I needed all the props, and I needed a certain amount of furniture and dishes and thing, you know, that I couldn't take.Beth Le Manach:So yeah. Stephanie Hansen:did you move all that stuff? Do you still have it? Because people don't realize, like, when you're styling photos, you know, you need all this stuff that you have.Beth Le Manach:You you need all this stuff, and I had a ton of props as we all do. You know, anybody that's in this business has a ton props. And I used them all for the cookbook, but I could not take them all with me to France. It's just it was gonna be too expensive. And I was actually afraid that some of them would break anyway, so I gave them to a lot of the, prop master who was working on the cookbook. Like, she took a a bunch. Everybody on the shoot took some, and we had a fully furnished house here in France that we were renting. So and, of course, every time I come, I would hit a flea market and buy more stuff.So, like, I just had no more rooms for any more stuff, so I just had to, you know, give away.Stephanie Hansen:Yeah. That's it's kinda liberating and kinda freeing, though, in and of itself.Beth Le Manach:It is. It is.Stephanie Hansen:Who do you look up to for entertaining?Beth Le Manach:Oh, you know, all the greats. I love Martha Stewart. I love Ina Garten. I'm trying to think, like, if I there's a couple of substackers that I really love. There's a woman, little Chavita is the name of her substack. I let do you know her? Do you follow her substack? I think yeah. I just I love her sort of effortless elegance. I love things that don't feel overly fussy or feel overly staged.Beth Le Manach:Yeah. There's a lot of Instagrammers too that you just see that you're like, oh, yeah. I love that. I don't know. Yeah. I think and my parents, like, I love the way that they entertain, and I've always, like, looked up to their sort of style of entertaining.Stephanie Hansen:You mentioned, chicken parm experience, and I just happen to have read a whole thing about an influencer that apparently grabbed some very similar recipes from, some recipe writers and then repackaged them and put them in her book in Australia that's been, like, a multimillion bestseller. And I always worry and wonder about that because it's very hard to make a recipe your own for something like a chicken farm. And I really cooking very basic and presenting very basic recipes that people have been doing for forever and short of, like, saying, you know, I got inspiration or I adapted from. I do wonder if we're getting into this place where the Internet is just full of 6,000 chicken parmesan recipes that are all the same.Beth Le Manach:Yeah. I mean, I think what really, sets them apart though is the way you go about it. Like, I can remember a copyright lawyer telling me, like, you can't actually copyright the ingredients, but you can copyright the method. And I think, you know, for anybody who cooks a lot, there is a method that you go about making the recipe that's based on your experience, like the do's and more importantly the don'ts. Like, don't do that because you're gonna have a salvee chicken parm. Make sure you do this because it'll crisp up more. So, like, in my chicken parmesan video on YouTube, I labeled it a little bit different. I think it's something like the six tips to a great chicken parm, and that's just based on my experience.Like, fry it in a cast iron pan, presalt the chicken so that it's nice and juicy. Once it comes out of the pan, put it on a cooling rack with a, you know, something like a cookie rack so that it doesn't get all soggy. Add a little Parmesan tea. Like so I think that people make very classic recipes their own by adding their own personality and their own little tips and tricks that they've learned along the way to guarantee success. So I feel like, you know, even in the age of AI and everybody's like, oh, you know what? They're only gonna get these recipes from AI. It's like, yeah. But you're not gonna get that human experience of, like, here's what I did that doesn't work. Here's what I've done that works really well.So I think that's kind of our, you know, competitive edge, I guess, against the robots.Stephanie Hansen:Yeah. And the superpower that maybe will separate, finally, the weed from the chaff as it were. Because if we are all then making similarly the same thing, it is how we're doing it and also how we're performing the content because, like, people get interested in you as a human and you as how you do things, and they wanna follow you and your point of view and think you're funny or whatever your superpower is.Beth Le Manach:Exactly. And that's why I think video is so powerful because that doesn't always come across on the printed page or with a photograph. But when you are on video and you're spending time, like, building this audience on YouTube, it is a way to connect in a more human way with people. And that also, when they search chicken parm and they see three or four results come up, if they already know you because they've watched your video, they you do feel like a friend to them, and they want your point of view. So I think, you know, it was worth all those years and years of uploads because it does help you, like, ingratiate yourself a little bit more to the audience. You know?Stephanie Hansen:Yeah. And, also, I think if you just this is a weird thing to say, but I've been thinking about this a lot because I have a speech later today, and and I wasn't sure what I was gonna speak about. And my husband's like, oh, are you gonna talk about women in business? I was like, no. I think I'm gonna talk about my regs to not riches story, which is, like, people have all these different experiences. Right? And you're always comparing yourself to other people or trying to measure up or trying to get as many likes or follows or comments. And really what I always keep coming back to is that people just want authentic, friendly, nice people in their kitchen to spend time with them.Beth Le Manach:I think so. A %. Especially if it's something that they're a little unsure about, they want the reassurance that, like, it's going to be okay. Like, yeah, we're gonna do it together. You know? Like, I think that that's very reassuring for people.Stephanie Hansen:One of the, recipes that I happen to see on your YouTube really just, like, blew my mind, and I think it's based on your French experiences about almond croissants.Beth Le Manach:Oh, yeah. Yeah. That's from the book.Great. It is in the book. Yeah.Stephanie Hansen:I'm obsessed with almond croissants, and what you did was you took day old croissants and then made, like, a beautiful almond filling, and voila, almond croissants. It's it never occurred to me that that would be a way that you could do that without, you know, like, laminating dough and I mean doing all the hard work.Beth Le Manach:Yeah. Well, I laughed out loud because I didn't realize, and my husband shared this with me when we were sort of newly married, that almond or croissants were made because that was a way that the bakeries could use up the day old croissants that didn't sell because very few things go to waste in France, especially foods. Then it, like, made perfect sense. Like, oh, of course. So if they're doing that, like, we could be doing that. Yeah. Absolutely. Have, like, the yeah.We just don't have the day old croissants, but, like, you can do it with fresh if you just split them open and let them dry out while you make the filling, and it's just as good.Stephanie Hansen:So you have an event that's coming up at Cooks At Crocus Hill, June Eighth, 4 PM. As we record this, there's only a few tickets left. So by the time it actually airs, you probably won't have the privilege of getting tickets unless you decide to do another night. Is that a possibility?Beth Le Manach:We don't know because I have to leave the next day for my next tour. So this is the thing that I yeah. I'm learning about the book tours is you have to be quick about it because it is expensive to go to all these cities.Stephanie Hansen:Yes. And how many citiesBeth Le Manach:are you going to on your tour? I'm going to seven.Stephanie Hansen:Okay. Okay. That is gonna be great. Yeah. So we are speaking with Beth Lamonic, and she is the author of entertaining one zero one. And you can find her book, recipes every host should know how to make. I thought that was a great subtitle too, by the way. Very clear. Everybody knew exactly what they were gonna be getting from your book. Do you have a Substack too, or how do you want people to follow it?Beth Le Manach:Yes. I do. I have a Substack. That would be great. People can follow me there. It's called entertaining with Beth.Stephanie Hansen:And how are you enjoying that as a platform?Beth Le Manach:I love it. I mean, this is the funny thing is, like, writing the cookbook did introduce me to this, like, other way to create, which is writing. And I think it came at the perfect time because we moved to France around the same time that I was doing more on Substack. So I share the recipes there, which are free. But then if people wanna be part of my paid community, once a month, I do an essay about what it's like living in France. I'm kind of the good, bad, and the ugly, you know, because there is so much material that happens, and that's just been a really fun exercise to share that, just in the written page. And and sometimes I include little videos in it too. So It's been It's always fun too, Stephanie Hansen:I think, as creators to have other outlets and more outlets. Yeah. And, you know, I I know people find this hard to believe, but with the exception of, like, in any industry, the top 10% of us are cobbling this together. Right? You're at the end of the year, when you're doing your taxes, you have 52 tiny pots of money that you add up together. Right. And Substat is another tiny pot, but is giving a lot of joy to a lot of people and allowing them to flex in unique and creative ways.Beth Le Manach:It is. It absolutely is. And and I think too because if you stay with, like, kinda one medium, like, I've been doing video for so many years, thirteen years video, it gets really tiring, and you start to get a little fatigued by it all. So it kinda jump starts your creativity again to be like, oh, now I'm gonna write some things, and now I'm gonna and then it sort of helps the video because you look at it with fresher eyes.Stephanie Hansen:Yeah. I love it. Well, Beth, it's been a delight to speak with you. Thanks for being on the podcast today. Good luck with the tour. Beth Le Manach: thanks for having me.Stephanie Hansen:Yes. Are you on presale right now?Beth Le Manach:Yes. We're on presale, and then it goes on sale, for real on June 3.Stephanie Hansen:Okay. So we're gonna launch this podcast, I believe, right before the launch. If you can presale, because you guys that listen know presales are super important to cookbook authors, all of those sales that they've generated up on the presale count towards the first day sales, which hopefully, if all things go great, launches them on bestseller list. Right? That's what we're all trying to do. Beth, I think you've got a great shot at it because your book, looks great. I've watched a bunch of your videos, and I'm just glad that you're getting a chance to come to Saint Paul, Minnesota. Cooks Of Crocusil is a great spot. You're gonna have a blast.Beth Le Manach:Yes. I hope so. It looks amazing.Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it.Stephanie Hansen:Enjoy your travels. Hopefully, we'll speak again sometime. Sounds goodStephanie Hansen:Thanks, Stephanie. Bye. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

Kiera reflects on some of her most memorable episodes and experiences across 1,000 episodes (!!!) of the Dental A-Team podcast! Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript Kiera Dent (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and today feels like a ridiculously special, amazing, incredible day. We are at 1,000 Dental A Team podcasts. Like, can you honestly believe this? I can't believe it. I can't believe that we have hit record on this podcast a thousand times. And honestly, I wanna say thank you to you as listeners, to all of you who have made this podcast a reality. If you're new to the show, welcome. I'm Kiera Dent. I love dentistry. I love making people happy. I love.   truly enjoying life. And this podcast came to me while Jason, my husband and I were hiking Yosemite. And I said, Hey, I've noticed that there's this area where they're unserved, where doctors and teams are not communicating on the same way. And like, there's really got to be a better way to help practices scale, to grow, to evolve. And being a team member myself and a business owner, I thought let's combine both of those perspectives. So truly it's an honor. ⁓   I honestly cannot believe that we are here. So if you've been here since episode one, please send me an email. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. I will send you a personalized thank you to you. I am just so honored. If you've been here for at least like 900 of them, let me know. But truly it's such an honor to be able to have this podcast where we're able to give back, to serve, to share, to laugh, to grow. This podcast has been such a healing space for me. And so today I thought it'd be really fun.   for us to actually go through some of our most powerful success networks that's helped hundreds of doctors. It helps you. And I've called it the yes model. ⁓ that's focusing, wow, that's focusing in on you being able to say you, earnings and systems and team development. So focusing on you as a person, helping make sure that you're profitable as a practice, and then having systems and team development in place ⁓ to make sure that you can really, truly say yes to everything in life that you want. Because I truly, truly, truly believe.   that running a practice, having a successful team, having a team of people that are accountable does not have to be hard. And so really that's been the whole purpose of this is to make it tactical, practical. And I thought like, Hey, this is going to be something really fun. We're actually going to pull from our framework. But what I'm going to do is I'm actually going to pull from past episodes, some of our hottest episodes, some of those fun episodes to kind of help you see how we can focus on you as a person, how we can focus on your earnings and profitability of the practice and helping with your systems and team development.   Now, something that is fun is that there actually were several episodes that were our top downloaded episodes over the years. And so this is just something fun if you enjoyed it, amazing, but truly we looked back and these ones stood out. And so our episodes were episode 469, 10 Practices in 2 Years with Lewis Chen. So such a fun one to inspire, to ignite, to help all of us like really just get, I remember that practice and I was like, my gosh, I thought I like.   rampaged up and in like two years we had three, but to do 10 practices in two years. Our other top downloaded episode is episode 501, What Office Managers Need to Know and really helping those office managers highlight, elevate. Being an office manager in dentistry, I feel is such a tricky zone because there's really no rule book for it. And that's what we tried to create at Dental A Team is what is an office manager supposed to do and giving support to office managers and doctors so you can truly have these incredible leaders in your practice.   And then our next most downloaded episode was episode 607, A Day to Remember. And that was actually released on Thanksgiving. So shout out to you guys for having these as the most popular downloaded episodes. But like I said, I want to give you guys that framework for being able to say yes to everything with some podcast tools. Don't worry. You want to go back and listen to them if you don't want to. But trying to chunk that so you can really look at your life and your practice.   Kiera Dent (03:41) So breaking into the you section, this is about you as a person. This is about you being that visionary, that owner, that fulfilled human, because honestly, if you're not fulfilled and you're not happy with what you're doing, honestly, your practice can't be there. And when we build the yes model, we purposely put it in a specific order of you first, and we focus on you as a person. Then we focus on earnings and profitability. And then we focus on systems and team, because what I found is if we put them in this order,   You as a person first, kind like take the oxygen mask off of you, put it on you. Like you've to take care of yourself first before you can help other people. If we put that oxygen mask on yourself, then what we do from there is we can give and serve to other people. Then we focus on profit. Cause honestly, so much of stress comes from cashflow. Like honestly, the bulk of offices who sign up with us and not all, but a lot of them are struggling with cashflow. They're struggling with profitability. They're struggling to learn to read their numbers. And then we do systems and team development.   And a lot of times we think like, let's put the systems in place, cause that's gonna fix everything else. But what that does is it doesn't make sure that you are fulfilled and we know where you're headed as a person. So focusing on you as a doctor, scaling honestly starts with you, but that doesn't mean we're doing more. It means that you are the leader that your practice needs. You know where you're headed. You know what the direction of the practice is. And that's where this can all come together. So some of the episodes that we pulled out for you guys from all these thousands of episodes, like literally we have a thousand. ⁓   would be number 17. Like let's go way back in the archives. If you have not gone, you guys can always head on over to TheDentalATeam.com, click on podcasts. You can search any topic and you can go find all thousand episodes. But going back clear to episode 17, I love this one, is Goals are lost without Accountability. So when we're having those, like if you don't have accountability in your practice, if you don't have things to help keep your team accountable,   Honestly, doctors, you can have all the goals that you want, but you've got to have the accountability with it. And so I really love to help doctors and teams come together within Dental A Team and our consulting ⁓ to make sure that your goals are hit because we have accountability and that means your personal goals. So where you want to be and your professional goals. And we have a client that really like was struggling with some of their goals, but they knew where they wanted to go. They wanted to get a beach house. They wanted to be able to take care of their children in college.   ⁓ And what was really lovely about that is because we knew where they were going to go, we were able to help hold them accountable to it. And then we were able to the E portion that we'll get to, we were able to help create the profitability within the practice using production and metrics to be able to help them get there. But really looking at goals are lost if you don't have accountability. Like truly, if no one's holding people accountable, you doctor have to do it all. But even a lot of times things just get lost. And so making sure   that we really are working through these different pieces to make sure that your goals are not just a wish and a hope, but they're actually being measured and we're tracking them. We're making sure you're living the dream life that you want to be living. that would be an episode. Another episode in here would be 551 Leaders, You Need to Decide and helping you as a leader know that your team can't read your mind. You've got to make decisions. More is lost through indecision than a wrong decision. I have a quote over here by Theodore Roosevelt that   any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The next best thing is the wrong thing. And the worst thing you can do is nothing. And so making sure that on there, you guys are making a decision. Doctors like you have to decide. You have to be clear. You have to know where you're going. And I think deciding the life you want to live. ⁓ I have a quote that we say often, your practice should serve you, not you serving your practice.   making sure it's really giving you that dream life. Otherwise, go be an associate, like honestly, but there shouldn't be the stress and the heartache. And I know that there's stress with running a business. That's not something that we can ever take away, but really making sure we're fulfilling your bucket, your cup, making sure you're taken care of is a big portion. ⁓ Episode 940 was another popular one, What Leaders Should Not Do.   I thought this is a really good one to help doctors like realizing your role has to change. You have to become this incredible person. We have to know where you're going. We have to know this vision. But honestly, like leaders, you should not be doing everything. You should not be fixing everything. Otherwise you're enabling. And I remember another great ⁓ thought is when we empower our teams without accountability, we actually create ⁓ entitlement. And so what are we doing and are we fixing everything and helping?   Like we think we're helping, but we're not actually having our team rise to the table. so really looking at like, these are the things not to do. These are things that won't help you become the leader and the person that your practice needs and really relies on you to be. So another great episode of what things should you not be doing. think that that sometimes helps again, because as the visionary, as the leader of the practice, as you, as a person, ⁓ making sure that you're not running yourself ragged, trying to make everybody else and pleasing everybody else. But that way you're truly working as a team.   You need to show up as a CEO. You need to show up as the dentist. But you also need to have good working hours and good life ⁓ balance and life happiness and making sure that you're fulfilled and that your cup is being full. Otherwise, you're going to burn out and really making sure we take care of you as a person. Last episode to highlight in the you section is 948, The CEO Visionary and The OM Implementer and pulling from EOS and traction where   We literally have like CEOs, you're the visionary and how to have your office manager really be a yin to your yang to help support, to help make the visions come to life, to help bring all these pieces to the table ⁓ really, really truly can help. How do these two roles operate and who should be doing what and getting and gaining that clarity because again, when we focus on you and we know where you want to go and we know the pieces.   Then you're able to settle into your role as CEO of the practice too. And you're able to settle into all these different pieces, but really looking at you as a person, like not doing more, you as a leader, you as the CEO, you as a spouse or a partner or a parent or a sibling or a child, whatever it is, but you showing up as the best version of you. so yes, these are.   four episodes a lot on leadership for you. But really in that section within the Yes Model, I want you to really look at your life and I want you to see, are you truly living your best life? Are you truly fulfilled? Are you delegating to your team? Are you leading your team? Are you ⁓ working hard? ⁓ Or are you doing things smarter and actually working?   happier and more enjoyable. When I ask you about your personal relationships and I ask you about your personal life, do you have an identity outside of work or is it just work? ⁓ Do you find joy in the little things or have you lost that joy and sparkle because you're so consumed with the business? Those would be some things and if we're not taking care of you, it might be time to give a little TLC. I remember there was a great ⁓ podcast guest.   And he said a comment, he said, we should take care of our billion dollar asset, AKA our body. And I've thought about that a lot of do we take care of us, our body, our mind, our psyche, our happiness, to make sure that we can show up as those leaders that our practice and our patients and our community needs. ⁓ And so this section, I really hope that you highlight, yes, being that leader who needs to evolve and rise, ⁓ but really making sure that you're the human that you wanna be.   we've got the North Star dotting to where you ultimately want to go and really just spending and highlighting that. Okay, so the question to that is what do you need to stop doing in your life right now? Practice or professional or personal or both. So that way your team can start owning more and also so you can start having more fun in life. What do you need to stop doing? Like literally I'm sitting there with you pretend I got my pen and paper and you're like, okay, Kiera.   This is what I need to do to feel more fulfilled, more happy, more like me. What do you need to stop doing? Notice I didn't say start because you want to go like, no, I need to start journaling. No, what do you need to stop? Cause I'm trying to help you see that a lot of times less is more and you actually can create more by doing less. All right, next up is earnings. Making sure that you have profit with purpose. Collections don't equal profits. And so...   What I've noticed is like in larger practices, oftentimes they do protect their margins and they measure what matters. And so really making sure that when we're looking at the numbers, so we're looking at our earnings, this is moving into the second portion of the yes model. ⁓ Are you paying attention? Are you using your numbers to guide every single decision in your practice? And what I've seen is when practices come to us in chaos and move into clarity and more into control and more into ease, they know their numbers forward and backward.   Like they truly know, they use their numbers to make decisions on who to hire. They know their top line numbers. And what I love about this, like with our clients, we work hard on getting them an overhead scorecard. ⁓ So they know what their overhead is. We look at their monthly costs slash their BAM, their bare ACE minimum. We're looking at projections in the practice of what do we need? How do we hire? We're looking at other pieces for that I really just love are looking at their overhead as well to make sure. we've got our overhead, we've got our monthly costs.   We've got our profit margins to make sure we're looking at debt services to make sure that with the debt services, we're still profitable and we have cashflow in the practice and that these practices are thriving. And then we use KPI scorecards to make sure that the metrics within the practice are leading to the profit for a profitable business to make sure that doctors have a cashflow. And also in there, we include to pay doctors, like doctors you've got to be paid, otherwise it's really hard. And so again, just because we're producing, producing and collecting drive me wild.   I don't care what you're producing on a gross level, I care what you're producing on a net level that we can actually collect. Gross is gonna feed the ego, net's gonna feed the family. So make sure we have those numbers dialed in. So when we're looking at this, I want you to make sure that what I'm producing is actually collectible and also that we're producing enough and collecting, but that we also have our expenses in line. So we try within our clients to have them at a 50 % overhead, 30 % doctor pay, 20 % profit.   Now, obviously those things can be impacted by other things, rising costs, different pieces, but really a quick benchmark for you. And a couple different ⁓ awesome podcasts to kind of tie into this to just go back through the archives would be episode 618, How to Make Your Practice Profitable. So a lot of times we think it's production. We think that we've got to like produce more and create more, but really sometimes you don't have to produce. can't produce our problems. So looking at our P &L, looking at our costs, getting our whole team on board, having KPIs, having accountability within our team.   really can drive more profit. ⁓ I remember in Traction, was like at the very end, I'm probably gonna slaughter this section of the book, but I remember them saying that a lot of times the profit margins don't get bigger, the bigger your business goes. So like the problem, like your problems just get bigger with the more you produce. So an example, like they said, like a $1 million business with a profit margin oftentimes has the same profit margin as a $10 million business, but the headaches are more. Now, of course, ⁓   10 % profit margin on a $1 business compared to a 10 % profit margin on a $10 million business, there's obviously going to be more dollars. But it's the question of could I have more profit in a smaller practice? I don't know, that's questions for you to answer versus maybe always growing and chasing the next thing. So really looking to see how can we make it more profitable? How can we squeeze more juice out of it? And this is actually really fun because when we interview consultants to come into our company, we actually look to see can they find...   how to make a practice more profitable with a basic scenario. Because at the end of the day, if we can make you more profitable doctors and you can use your business more efficiently and with less stress and like better utilization of team members, you actually are way less stressed because you have cashflow and monies aren't as big of a deal. And what I found is the bulk of stress comes from cashflow issues. So really doing that, another great episode from this would be episode 871, Increase Profitability with Your AR.   So looking at cashflow leaks that kill growth. So AR is a huge zone and a lot of practices are like, we don't have any money. And I'm like, you have 160,000 sitting in AR, you've already done the work, we just need to collect the money. So making sure that we are actually helping you and your team get that money that should be paid to you. I had an office on a coaching call and they're like, well, Kara, our front office feels bad for calling patients to collect bills. And I was like, they feel bad.   No, they're doing these patients a service. Like we did a great job. Now these patients should be so happy to pay for us. And the reality is we should never be chasing money. We should just be collecting at a time of service. So really helping that profitability with AR because collections you can produce all day long, but if we're not collecting your profit margin is going to really, really struggle. So a lot of times it's not even a production issue. It's just a collection issue. That's a very simple system, which will come next in the S model. But when we see the numbers and we see where the leaks are,   then we know which systems we need to put into place. So this is how like you as a person know where you're going. Then we look at your profit, the numbers will tell us where we actually have true broken problems within our practice. And then we build the systems to fix those problems. And then it just chips up the line and you're able to say yes to more in your life. Another great episode was 884 Use Hygiene to Increase Profitability. So making sure that your hygiene department is about 20 to 35%.   Wow, excuse me, 25 to 30 % of your revenue ⁓ in your practice, depending upon what it is, that's usually for a GP practice. Hygiene's obviously, ⁓ in a pediatric practice, it will be different. Same thing within surgery practices and also some big GP practices that are doing a lot of surgery, hygiene might not be able to keep up with it. Or if I've got a doctor that's maybe slowing down, hygiene's actually out producing the doctor. Well, that's a concern that shows me that that doctor's not diagnosing and there's something going on.   But really utilizing your hygiene department, making sure our hygiene department's very thorough. This again, if it's not, and we don't have enough ⁓ perio within our practice, if our hygiene department's not ⁓ calibrated, we're not aligned, that then is a system that we'd wanna put into place to make sure we're able to help that. So really just another great episode. then 890 was, episode 890 was Hacks for Increasing Profitability. So ⁓ just some different pieces of like, what do we do? How can we increase that profitability?   certain things that we look for are one, like what are we producing and collecting? So let's look there first. Two, we wanna look at our BAM, our barriers, minimum and our costs and making sure that it's realistic for there. ⁓ And then also looking to see, could we renegotiate some of our pieces? Could we look at our lease? Could we look at our rent? Could we look at ⁓ our marketing spend? Could we look at our payroll? And again, I'm not here to cut team members. Don't worry team members.   I just want to make sure that each team member is being maximized and utilized based on the profitability because we know that most businesses should be able to run on a 30 % allocation to payroll. And so looking to see, we utilizing and maximizing our resources like we should? So really just looking for some of those hacks for profitability. But I love that so many people are obsessed with production and I'm obsessed with profit because profits, what's going to feed you profits, what's going to help you profit is going to be the piece.   that's going to actually make you thrive rather than just survive. Production, if we're not collecting and we're not profitable, it does not matter. And I go to a lot of business conferences and I love, they're like, yeah, my business did 10 million last year. My business is 100 million. And I'm always like, I don't care. What's your profit margin? And a lot of them come back. I remember there was this guy and we were chatting and he has a $30 million business and yet his profit margin was 5%. And he's like, Carrie, you're honestly probably taking home more than I am.   on a smaller business. And so again, I don't care about your production and top line number. It does play a role, but what I care more about is are you profitable and are you obsessed with being as profitable as possible? Are you reviewing your PNL every single quarter? Are you looking at small cashflow leaks? Are we making sure that we're collecting the money of what we produce? Are we making sure that our write-offs and our insurance is correct? Are we making sure our hygiene department is... ⁓   appropriate and are we using like KPIs to track this and to measure this to make sure that we're actually doing it. So that's kind of within the earning section for little highlighted episodes for you. And so then some thoughts to wrap that up would be if you're producing more but taking home less, what number are you not watching in your practice? So really look at that and see, gosh, like I'm producing this, but I'm not taking home as much. What number or numbers are you not watching that maybe you should start watching Food for Thought and   put it into play, you'll be much happier when you're profitable. And then last but not least, this is one that everybody obsessed with, systems. We want systems care. Please, please give me systems. I just want my practice to run on autopilot. And like the answer is like, yes, we should put systems in. And I think about like McDonald's and Chick-fil-A and they're able to give a very incredible experience with systems. And Walt Disney said like, he's able to create predictable magic with the systems behind the scenes. And so for you and your practice, how can you create predictable experiences?   predictable revenue, predictable production through the systems. So a couple of great episodes that we had with systems, systemization I think is like sexy and not sexy, like cool, that's great. But like really, if you focus on you first, then you focus on the numbers, you then know which systems to put into place. So you don't have to actually do all the systems. People are like, here, I just need a whole systems like repertoire. And I'm like, no, you don't. You need the systems that are actually gonna get you the results. I believe that we should focus on results, not on busy work.   So a couple episodes that kind of just highlight some systems for you are episode 381 Systemization: Where to Start? It's a really good episode for you of like how to like you don't just build 100 SOPs just like we were talking about. You literally start with the systems that are going to impact your revenue and profitability first. And those are the ones we're going to build right away. So a good one to help you prioritize that because a lot of times it can feel very daunting. Like I'm trying to eat an elephant. So where do I start? ⁓ Episode 872 Are Your Systems Outdated? And so with that one, just because it worked in the past,   You gotta also update the systems. Do we have a new software? Do we have a new process? A lot of times these systems get like written and we're so excited we made our ops manual, but they get put on a shelf and cool, we never even touched them again. So making sure that you keep your systems up to date, that they're current, that everybody's using them and if you actually are using them, they don't get outdated. So having a set cadence and process for that. Episode 881, Priority Scheduling: Ideal Week and Ideal Schedules   So figuring out like, does our ideal week look like? What are our ideal schedules look like? And so with that, we can figure out how to schedule and do block scheduling to actually build, like that's a great system to put into place to help us get our profitability, to help us get our production, to then help us get the life that we want. So do you see how like the yes model at like, we start at the top with you, go to earnings, go to systems, and then we work on systems to impact the profit and production to impact you and your life. So really I'm obsessed with block scheduling. I obsessed with?   I deal weeks, I'm obsessed with being a master of time rather than time mastering you and really helping offices realize what needs to happen and prioritize. think prioritization is a really tricky thing for a lot of people and having a consultant or an outside view help you out, I think is something really magical. And then last but not least, episode 959, Build a Practice That Can Run Without You. This is what people ask for all the time. And so I love on this. You'll never have true freedom.   if the business only runs when you're there. And so looking at that of, like I said, Disney, Walt's not there and it's still able to run. Chick-fil-A, I don't even know who the owner is, you guys know, but like it's able to run without the owner being there. And so the owner I feel creates the vision and the magic. That's like what your secret sauce is. But the systems are so people can run and operate without you there. And for office managers, same thing with you. I hate the like, if you got hit by a bus, I'm like, I don't ever want to be hit by a bus.   So instead I'm like, if you were at home with a broken leg and then had two office managers literally be out with broken legs. So, ⁓ but I think it's a great example. So watch out, don't break your legs. But I said, if you were out, could the practice run and could you know that the practice isn't running, AKA with your KPI scorecard and being able to look at your numbers, would you know what system needs to be implemented and if systems were being followed or not when you're at home? And so oftentimes that helps you figure out, again, we look at our numbers to see which systems do we need to put into place.   But then beyond that, we're also going to look and say, all right, so these are the numbers that are telling us we have a broken system. But then when you're not there, does the practice still run without you? And does it still operate? And if you were to come in as a fly on a wall on a vacation, so pretend you're out on vacation, I surely have done this to my team. I'm out on vacation. I pop in a day earlier than they think I'm supposed to be back. Is the practice running the way that it should? That's how you know you have great systems and great leadership.   I don't believe that just good systems will create a great practice. You also need great leadership to ensure that they're staying accountable, that they're following systems, but also making sure that less is more. ⁓ The KISS model, keep it simple, silly. I prefer silly over stupid. But really look to see where are maybe the systems that we need to do. And I love in Dental A Team, we do our 12 systems. And that's something I really love to just kind of give an outline of which ones per month.   would help out. So just a quick overview of Dental A Team's systems for success. We say that January is office management, mastery and leadership. And if you guys want to go back in the archives, Tip and I actually did like, I think it was from November through December a few years ago, we went through every single one of these systems. We broke it down. We gave tactical tips for you on those. So January is office management, mastery and leadership. February is doctor optimization, making sure we're utilizing and maximizing everything within the office. March is billing with ease.   April is five-star patient experience, May is smooth scaling scheduling, June is maximized case acceptance, July is dynamite dental assistance, August is elevated hygiene, September is competent marketing, October is complete operations manual, November is practice profitability, and December is A-Team hiring and onboarding. And so utilizing these systems for you to look to see, and again, there's, that's kind of like a category overview, but looking to see where maybe some systems broken within that category.   that ultimately could impact our profit and production that ultimately impact us as individuals. And doctors, I know I highlighted you a lot about you as a person, but also your team members as human beings too. How can we make it easier? How can we make it more fun? How can we make it to where we have more fun at work, more enjoyable rather than more stress? I think is something super, super important. And so when you look at this, I think to wrap up our system section, what systems or system category in your practice   still depends on you and is it keeping you stuck in your practice or preventing the growth? Are you the bottleneck in an area? And to maybe just ask yourself, what is that and what's holding me back? So really, truly just some fun, like, my gosh, you guys, after a thousand episodes, ⁓ I think I can confidently come on here and say that the formula for growth hasn't changed. I think we've gotten smarter. We figured out what's the priority. How do we prioritize it for you?   the $5 million practices, the $2 million, the $1 million, the 500,000, the startup practice, they say yes to leadership clarity, profit strategy, and systems that scale. So that's you, right? Leadership clarity, you as a person being happy, earnings, profit strategy, and as systems for success that scale. Now again, systems that scale, so you're able to grow and you have options. This is truly what I think is so valuable, and I thought.   on a thousandth episode, we've got to have something very powerful, very impactful, giving you just kind of a recap of all the time together. Talk about how magical it is to be able to be here together, to be able to share. And what I will say is, ⁓ I'm obsessed with helping offices be able to say yes to more of their life, to be able to say yes to more of what they want, and to be able to get back their time, their team, their life. And that's something that I'm just obsessed with. So if you're looking for help with that, if you...   I want more yes in your life and less stress and more happiness. Truly I do believe and I've seen it work with hundreds of offices and something just so powerful to be able to share, to give to you. And I just wanna say thank you. Thank you for making the Dental A Team podcast real. Thank you for being listeners. Thank you for sharing this podcast with so many of your friends. Thank you for commenting. Thank you for tagging us while you're driving to work. Thank you for being dedicated listeners. Thank you for being clients that work with us.   Thank you for truly wanting to change and impact the world of dentistry in the greatest way possible. It is truly an honor. I just feel so honored and I'm so freaking excited for the next thousand. So let's do it, let's rock. And at the end of the day, all of you, I want you truly remembering that dentistry is the greatest profession we could ever be a part of. I want you saying yes to more. If we can help you in any way, reach out Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team podcast.  

Today, I'm thrilled to share a conversation with none other than Meathead—one of only 40 living inductees in the Barbecue Hall of Fame and the founder of AmazingRibs.com, the world's largest barbecue and grilling website. Meathead is the author of the best-selling Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling, and he's back with a brand-new book: The Meathead Method. In this episode, we dig into what makes this book different—and how his method will change the way you cook outdoors. We also bust some big-time barbecue myths, including: Why beer can chicken doesn't do what you think it does The truth about basting with butter Whether wet brining really helps your Thanksgiving turkey And why soaking wood chips might be a waste of time Meathead also shares: How to cook chicken that's juicy and flavorful every single time Tips for taking stir-frying and deep-frying outdoors His secret weapon for perfect steaks: the Sous Vide Que method Essential gear for grilling and barbecue competitions—including digital thermometers And a surprising favorite cookbook that celebrates... vegetables! It's a sizzling, myth-busting episode full of practical tips, surprising insights, and a whole lot of flavor. So buckle in for this longer-than-normal episode as we take a stroll to cook outdoors with the most important discovery of all time: fire.  Things We Mention In This Episode: Amazingribs.com The Meathead Method by Meathead Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Picture a quiet Scottish village, Currie, nestled under the shadow of the Pentland Hills, where the wind carries whispers older than the stones. It's March 20, 1833, and a child is born—pale, fragile, with eyes that seem to pierce the veil of the ordinary. His cradle rocks in the night, though no hand touches it, and the villagers cross themselves, murmuring of curses or gifts too strange to name. His mother, a seer, sees light around him, a glow that promises wonders—or warns of something darker. This is no ordinary boy, but a question mark in human form, destined to step beyond the edges of what we know, into a realm where furniture dances and shadows speak. His name is Daniel Dunglas Home, and his life is a door ajar, inviting us to peer into the unknown— We'll see you on the inside… ----- TIME STAMPS: 0:00 - No Ordinary Boy 0:57 - Intro 2:17 - S'been a'while 3:13 - Analytical Data Suggests Scott is Out, Christian is In  4:46 - Nicotine Free Scott & YouTube Aggression 7:26 - Hey ____face, Time Stamps Exist. 8:03 - (EPISODE STARTS HERE, CHILL OUT)  8:03 - Daniel Dunglas Home: A Child of Mystery 9:53 - Whooping Cough & A Vision of Light  11:23 - TANGENT: Drink Flavors & Circling Back to Spiteful Comments 14:23 - Stepping Into The Spotlight 15:03 - Spiritual Purpose, Not Profit 16:23 - Fame Came With a Cost  17:13 - A Star In Europe 18:03 - Mister Sludge, The Medium 20:03 - Dickens a Bit Dickish 20:58 - The Man's an Enigma   22:03 - The Stage of the Supernatural 22:41 - Christian Shares His Thoughts  24:23 - Daniel's Personal Life  25:23 - Grisha  27:23 - "The Spirits Won't Let Me Go"  28:55 - Home's Final Seance   35:22 - Are Any Stories Through History "Really" Accurate?  37:23 - Tuberculosis Was Everywhere 39:23 - Shout Out to Fartcoin (Not Financial Advice)  40:23 - The Physician v. Scientist Debate  41:03 - Expensive Haircuts & The Benefits of Prison 45:03 - Conduit to the Beyond? 46:44 - Christian v. Old Leather Daddy 47:33 - Scott Triggers Christian By Calling Blink 182 "Punk Rock"  49:03 - 'Punk' is Just Complaining About Dumb Stuff 51:53 - The Episode Unraveled About 10 Minutes Ago…_____________________________________________ +PRODUCERS: Eric Long, Daniel Heng, Anthony M,  +BECOME A PRODUCER: http://bit.ly/3WZ3xTg +BUY A $9 SHOUT-OUT: https://holler.baby/thefreakydeaky The Twilight Zone meets Mystery Science Theatre 3000 meets an uncomfortable Thanksgiving dinner conversation with your in-laws. TFD is a weekly paranormal comedy podcast featuring real ghost stories, Cryptid lore discussions, and true paranormal experiences hosted by believer/skeptic in-laws. Recorded in an undisclosed location somewhere in the beautiful woods of Wasilla, Alaska. +SUBMIT YOUR (TRUE) STORY: —Email: thegang@thefreakydeaky.com   —Voicemail: 801-997-0051  +WEBSITE & MERCH: —Website: www.thefreakydeaky.com  —Merch: www.thefreakydeaky.com/store  +JOIN THE DISCUSSION: —TFD Facebook Group: https://tinyurl.com/tfdfb   —Instagram: https://bit.ly/2HOdleo   —Facebook: https://bit.ly/3ebSde6 

Ephesians 5:4-5

Send Us Your Prayer Requests --------Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Have you ever lived in a mindset where you're basically waiting for the other shoe to drop, hope feels impossible or too dangerous? It can feel safer to fly low, embrace pessimism and cynicism and think, “if life turns out half as bad as I imagine, then at least I'll be ready for it.” That's the kind of mindset Stephanie had when she was younger. Stephanie welcomes Nicole Zasowski, author and therapist, who shares wisdom on reclaiming joy and celebration in a world often dominated by worry and pessimism. Nicole's journey and research reveal that joy isn't just an emotional response, but a courageous, spiritual discipline rooted in God's faithfulness. Despite her deep faith, she had concluded that joy and celebration were risky. She was sure that celebration would come with a catch, so she became practiced in praying for the miracle while preparing to mourn and dreaming while rehearsing disaster. And yet she discovered that our methods of self-protection came at a cost. A lot of the loss we experience in our lives is not only the grief and the disappointment itself, but also the joy that we overlook because we are too afraid to embrace it, she tells us. That's the conversation on Gospel Spice today. Understanding the Struggle with Joy Nicole begins by dispelling the myth that celebration and joy come naturally to her—in fact, her books were born from seasons marked by change, loss, and disappointment. Through experiences like moving across the country and enduring infertility and miscarriages, Nicole discovered a heartbreaking truth: much of her loss was not just in what she lacked, but in her refusal to embrace the goodness that God placed in her path out of fear that it would be taken away. This led her into research, both biblical and scientific, to understand why joy can feel so vulnerable and difficult, especially when we've experienced pain. Redefining Celebration: A Spiritual Discipline American and Western cultures, Nicole notes, often see celebration as a reward for good news or accomplishments. However, the Bible—especially the Old Testament—demonstrates celebration as a spiritual rhythm and discipline, not just a reaction. The Israelites practiced regular, scheduled celebrations and feasts, regardless of their current circumstances. These rhythms were not designed to reward themselves for their goodness, but to remember and honor God's consistent faithfulness. Celebration, then, is about choosing remembrance: looking back at God's goodness and letting that fuel hope, courage, and anticipation about the future—even when circumstances are hard. The Vulnerability of Joy Joy is inherently vulnerable because it opens our hearts to the possibility of loss. For those who have experienced pain, pessimism and cynicism can become self-protective mechanisms. However, Nicole's research and experience as a therapist show that numbing ourselves to joy doesn't actually protect us. Rather, it diminishes our ability to savor God's goodness and leaves us empty-handed in difficult times. Practical Tools for Practicing Joy Nicole emphasizes that joy, like any virtue, can and must be intentionally practiced. Two key habits can help rewire our hearts toward joy: 1.      Savoring: Take mental “snapshots” of small moments, deliberately noticing what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. This helps your brain store joyful experiences that might otherwise go unnoticed. 2.      Thanksgiving (vs. gratitude): Beyond silently feeling grateful, speak and express thanks out loud—to God or others. Research shows that this actually heightens and solidifies joy inside us. Key Takeaways from our conversation ·         Joy and celebration are not merely emotions; they are spiritual practices and choices that shape us. ·         God invites us into rhythms of celebration even when our feelings or circumstances do not match, because it roots us deeper in remembrance of His faithfulness. ·         Practicing joy often feels counterintuitive—especially in pain—but it is the way God designed us to process life and hope. ·         Tools like savoring and thanksgiving can help transform our hearts and brains to default toward joy instead of worry or cynicism. Nicole encourages us that it's never too late to begin practicing joy, regardless of our life's season. The discipline of joy prepares us for eternity, deepening our delight in God and training our hearts for hope and celebration—no matter what comes our way. MORE ABOUT NICOLE ZASOWSKI Nicole Zasowski is a licensed marriage and family therapist and author of What If It's Wonderful, From Lost to Found and her new Bible Study Daring Joy. She is also the coauthor of Advances and Techniques in Restoration Therapy and Families and Forgiveness. As a writer who wears her heart proudly on her sleeve, Nicole's work is a weave of biblical wisdom, psychological expertise, and vulnerable storytelling. Often praised for her wisdom and approachable style, Nicole is a sough-after speaker, frequently teaching at conferences, retreats, and women's events around the country on topics that integrate faith and psychology. In addition to her private practice, Nicole's therapeutic work has included teaching as an adjunct professor at Alliance Theological Seminary in New York and leading marriage intensives at the Hideaway Experience. Nicole and her husband, Jimmy, are the grateful parents of three young children. Her favorite place to be is looking for sea glass on the Connecticut shoreline, exploring a New England town or New York City neighborhood, or sitting in her front yard around a fire with her family, friends, and neighbors. Meet Nicole at https://www.nicolezasowski.com/  MORE ABOUT “DARING JOY” Joy can feel risky. When you've experienced pain of any kind, it can feel easier not to dream than to be disappointed, or not to hope than to be left heartbroken. If you ever feel like it's safer not to embrace joy at all than to hold something that might break, you're not alone. Thankfully, the Bible paints a different picture—one that gives you the courage to hold on to joy regardless of your circumstances. https://www.nicolezasowski.com/daring-joy  MORE ABOUT “WHAT IF IT'S WONDERFUL” What If It's Wonderful? Author and marriage and family therapist Nicole Zasowski knows that it's difficult to trust joy and find the courage to celebrate when you have endured seasons of disappointment and despair. When God has been your faithful anchor in the storm, does joy then leave you unmoored? Nicole reminds us that we can stay tethered to the hope of Christ in seasons of celebration, because even joyful days hold the learning, growth, and intimate encounters with Jesus that our hearts crave. What If It's Wonderful? offers a new perspective. With a compelling psychological and spiritual case for the importance of embracing joy and celebration, even when it feels scary. https://www.nicolezasowski.com/wonderful  We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with. Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog Identity in the battle | Ephesians https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/ Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/ Shades of Red | Against human oppression https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/ God's glory, our delight  https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/   Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Calling all Blayniacs! Join host Blayne Alexander for a case that asks the question, “How far would you go for your family”? When a young woman goes missing during Thanksgiving, her family goes FAR to figure out what happened to her and to get justice. They're hacking and tracing and breaking down doors, and Kimberly and Katie are ready to help! There's no time to put a pin in it for later, a major BOW is on the loose and we are all focused on THE PIN AT APARTMENT 210! Description from NBCU: A young Tennessee woman mysteriously vanishes and misses her family's Thanksgiving dinner; determined to track her down, her family takes matters into their own hands, pursuing every digital clue she left behind. Blayne Alexander reports. Join us at CrimeCon in September! Use code DATE to get a discount on your ticket! Come alone and make some friends! Shopping with our sponsors is an easy way to support ADWD and snag some great spring deals! Put some spring in your step with delicious meals delivered to your door! Go to HelloFresh.com/dateline10fm now to get 10 free meals with a free item for life! One per box with active subscription. Free meals applied as discount on first box, new subscribers only, varies by plan. Give the dads in your life a unique heartfelt gift you'll all cherish for years, Storyworth! Right now save $10 during their Father's Day sale when you go to storyworth.com/datedateline! Upgrade your allergy relief with Allermi. For 60% off your order, head to allermi.com and use code DATEDATELINE at checkout. Get spicy! Right now, you can get a 30-day free trial PLUS 25% off your annual subscription when you go to DipseaStories.com/DATEDATELINE. Pretty Litter helps keep Katie's house smelling so fresh and so clean! Go to PrettyLitter.com/DATEDATELINE to save twenty percent on your first order and get a free cat toy! Terms and conditions apply. See site for details. To advertise on this podcast please email: ⁠⁠ad-sales@libsyn.com⁠⁠   Or go to:  ⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.com/ADatewithDateline Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you at Costco first thing in the morning? If you are browsing a store with no intention to buy anything, does that still count as shopping? What are the unspoken rules of grocery store shopping? All this and more shopping-related cases as Judge John Hodgman clears the docket!We are on TikTok and YouTube! Follow us on both @judgejohnhodgmanpod! Follow us on Instagram @judgejohnhodgman!  Judge John Hodgman is member-supported! Join at $5 a month at maximumfun.org/join!

Fr. Mike reflects on the significance behind David's prayer of thanksgiving at the end of his life. There's something so moving about David's gratitude with God as he acknowledges his brokenness and victories throughout his life. Today's readings are 2 Samuel 22, 1 Chronicles 28, and Psalm 42. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.