Podcasts about Laramie

Casey Gregersen is the Founder and CEO of Bighorn Capital Fund, a real estate investment firm based in Laramie, Wyoming. Prior to launching Bighorn, Casey spent over a decade at Shell Oil Company where he held technical, project management and leadership roles. In 2016, Casey transitioned to entrepreneurship, managing seven successful Pure Barre franchises across Texas and California where he gained invaluable expertise in business operations, cash flow management, and strategic growth. Connect with Casey: https://caseygregersen.com/ Highlights: 1:32 - Casey's Background 3:00 - Start as a Bar Franchise 9:50 - Managing Real Estate From Another State 13:03 - How to Grow Into Multi-Family 20:13 - Mitigating Risks In A Small Town 23:44 - Big Plans For The Future (Creative Transactions)   Quote: "What if I didn't have to be away from my family? What if I could be at home, marketing my own schedule?"   Recommended Resources: Accredited Investors, you're invited to Join the Cashflow Investor Club to learn how you can partner with Kevin Bupp on current and upcoming opportunities to create passive cash flow and build wealth. Join the Club! If you're a high net worth investor with capital to deploy in the next 12 months and you want to build passive income and wealth with a trusted partner, go to InvestWithKB.com for opportunities to invest in real estate projects alongside Kevin and his team.  Looking for the ultimate guide to passive investing? Grab a copy of my latest book, The Cash Flow Investor at KevinBupp.com.  Tap into a wealth of free information on Commercial Real Estate Investing by listening to past podcast episodes at KevinBupp.com/Podcast.

In this new episode of Wild Things & Wild Places, host Joshua Coursey brings you a special conversation recorded live on the final day of Mule Deer Days. Joining him are Kevin Monteith and Rebekah Rafferty, both of whom have been on past episodes and are familiar voices to our listeners. This episode not only reflects on the success of the Mule Deer Days event but also looks ahead to something exciting on the horizon! On April 5th, 2025, the Muley Fanatic Foundation will host its first-ever "Echoes of the Tracks" event in Laramie, Wyoming. This special fundraiser and gathering will be held in partnership with the Monteith Shop, the University of Wyoming, and the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources. It's an evening designed to bring together science, conservation, and community, celebrating the shared commitment to the future of mule deer and the wild places they roam. Doors open at 4 p.m., and tickets are now available at https://2025LaramieBanq.givesmart.com. In this episode, Josh, Kevin, and Rebecca discuss the inspiration behind the event, what attendees can expect, and why this collaboration marks a significant step forward for conservation outreach in Wyoming. Whether you were at Mule Deer Days or are just tuning in, this episode offers a meaningful preview of an event that's sure to leave a lasting impact. Keep this event on your list for years to come.   

Are you searching for ways to expand your capacity for data access or analysis? Do you need help telling the story of your criminal justice data? Tune into this episode of The NCJA Podcast and join NCJA Research Analyst Alexis Cooney as she speaks with Laramie Riggs and Esteem Brumfield from the Center for State Governments (CSG) Justice Center about Justice Counts, a national initiative providing tools, resources and custom support to help criminal justice agencies make their data journey easy, straightforward and impactful. Learn what participation in Justice Counts looks like, including how to enhance data-driven decision-making and strategic planning, and how custom dashboards can help streamline your data processes.Episode Resources:Sign up to participate (opt-in) to Justice Counts!Want to know more before opting in? Book a meeting with Laramie.

Our Padres Insider From The UT Kevin Acee Joins Us LIVE From Padres Spring training. Aztecs beat Wyoming and the refs in Laramie. Is That Good From The Sports Weekend.

This week on Open Spaces, Wyoming Public Radio asked our listeners to share with us how they're impacted by the latest orders by the Trump administration. Messages streamed in. We'll hear from a few of those. It's been three years since the war in Ukraine started. We check in with a Laramie pediatrician who has gone to the country three times. Paleontologists discovered the fossils of the oldest known dinosaur in North America outside of Dubois. It's also the first dino to be named in Shoshone. And we'll have an update on the legislature with the Cheyenne Roundup. Those stories and more.

FROM THE VAULT: In honour of it being LGBTQ+ history month here in the UK, today I'm going to be sharing the tragic story of Matthew Shepard. In October 1998, Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old college student, was brutally attacked and left for dead in Laramie, Wyoming - simply for being gay. His murder shocked the nation and became a turning point in the fight against hate crimes. 

Choice Classic Radio presents Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, which aired from 1949 to 1962. Today we bring to you the episode titled "The Durango Laramie Matter.”  Please consider supporting our show by becoming a patron at http://choiceclassicradio.com We hope you enjoy the show!

Eric Frandsen and Jason Walker share some last-minute thoughts about Utah State at Wyoming. USU women's basketball host UNLV in a Pink-Out game in the Spectrum. Dan Clayton from Salt City Hoops joins the show to discuss Utah's latest trades and what the team's future looks like. Stat that Blew My Mind / Player of the Week

Jessie Brewster and Ruth Troyanek join me to talk about Parents as Teachers.  http://wypat.org/ Jessie Brewster was raised in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley in Montana. As a stay at home Mom of 3 wonderful kids, she attained an Associate of Arts Degree with an emphasis in Communication Studies at University of Montana. Jessie started her career in 2017 as a Family Advocate at a Resource Center at the edge of the Blackfeet Reservation working with families and youth. Her career brought her and her family to Laramie, Wyoming where she was able to become a Parent Educator for Albany County. Jessie has a passion for supporting parents on their journeys through a holistic and understanding approach. She also enjoys an array of hobbies such as sewing, crocheting, painting, and hiking with her family. Ruth Troyanek has lived in Laramie for 16 years, previously serving the community as a public librarian. Her favorite role at the public library was serving as the Youth Services Librarian, leading programs for young children. She is excited to again serve families as a Parent Educator. Ruth and her family enjoy biking and camping.

Schick is in Springfield for the HoopHall Classic. Nick keeps saying "Wonderful."  Remembering Lloyd in Laramie. Nick likes to sing the "Idaho" song. Impressions of Brice Nengsu and Manny Gaku. Schick is calling a lot of games. John Bishop lost his voice. Kevin Kugler mentions a show drop. Trev's resurgence. Connor Onion reacts to his shining moment. National Championship picks. Legalized NIL means the north can compete. Caption contest featuring Nick and Greg. Recapping the polls. Connect with us! SchickandNick.com Facebook, Twitter, or email  We would hate it if you missed an episode! So PLEASE subscribe, rate the pod, and throw us a review. It helps us out so much! We'd likey that.  This is another Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a podcast network and digital media production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network by going to HurrdatMedia.com or Hurrdat Media YouTube channel! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justin Michael breaks down a 79-63 win for CSU Men's Basketball over Wyoming. He breaks down what the Rams did well in the 16-point win and talks about the challenges of taking games up in Laramie. He also talks about why CSU has a legitimate chance to put themselves in the mix for the Mountain West regular season title. An ALLCITY Network ProductionPARTY WITH US: https://thednvr.com/eventsALL THINGS DNVR: https://linktr.ee/dnvrsportsMERCH: https://store.allcitynetwork.com/collections/dnvr-lockerSUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/DNVR_SportsBreck Brew Ice Deck Giveaway: http://breckbrew.com/icedeckEmpire Today: Schedule a free in-home estimate today! All listeners can receive a $350 OFF discount when they use the promo code DNVR. Restrictions apply. See https://empiretoday.com/dnvr for detailsIf you want to learn more about inspiring patient stories from UCHealth, you can head to https://uchealth.org/tomorrow to learn what it means to live like there is a tomorrow.Visit Your Front Range Toyota Stores at a location near you - Toyota is the official vehicle of DNVR. Toyota - Let's Go Places!UCHealth wants to help you and other Coloradans be your healthiest selves in the Ready. Set. CO challenge. If you want to join the challenge, go to https://www.uchealth.org/readysetcoGet Coors Light delivered straight to your door with Instacart by going to https://coorslight.com/DNVR. Celebrate Responsibly. Coors Brewing Company, Golden, Colorado. Download the Circle K app and join the Inner Circle or visit https://www.circlek.com/inner-circle! Exclusively for our listeners, Shady Rays is giving out their best deal of the season. Head to https://shadyrays.com and use code: DNVR for 35% off polarized sunglasses. Try for yourself the shades rated 5 stars by over 300,000 people.Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code DNVR for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply.Check out FOCO merch and collectibles here https://foco.vegb.net/DNVR and use promo code “DNVR10” for 10% off your order.Rugged Road: Gear up for your next adventure with Rugged Road Coolers - Your ultimate outdoor companion! Head to http://ruggedroadoutdoors.pxf.io/ALLCITY and use code DNVR for 10% off!When you shop through links in the description, we may earn affiliate commissions.Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

Justin Michael goes live and gives some thoughts on the future of the Pac-12 and who may ultimately end up in the conference. He then previews a massive road game for CSU men's basketball up in Wyoming on Saturday. He talks about the challenges of going to Laramie and the keys to the matchup for the Green & Gold. Finally he gives his first Mountain West basketball power ranking of 2025. Intro - 0:00PAC 12 Speculation - 2:50Wyoming Preview - 22:20CSU vs. Wyoming - 28:50MW Hoops Power Ranking - 36:40Final Thoughts/Chat - 49:25 An ALLCITY Network Production PARTY WITH US: https://thednvr.com/events ALL THINGS DNVR: https://linktr.ee/dnvrsports MERCH: https://store.allcitynetwork.com/collections/dnvr-locker SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/DNVR_Sports Breck Brew Ice Deck Giveaway: http://breckbrew.com/icedeckEmpire Today: Schedule a free in-home estimate today! All listeners can receive a $350 OFF discount when they use the promo code DNVR. Restrictions apply. See https://empiretoday.com/dnvr for details If you want to learn more about inspiring patient stories from UCHealth, you can head to https://uchealth.org/tomorrow to learn what it means to live like there is a tomorrow. Visit Your Front Range Toyota Stores at a location near you - Toyota is the official vehicle of DNVR. Toyota - Let's Go Places! UCHealth wants to help you and other Coloradans be your healthiest selves in the Ready. Set. CO challenge. If you want to join the challenge, go to https://www.uchealth.org/readysetco Get Coors Light delivered straight to your door with Instacart by going to https://coorslight.com/DNVR. Celebrate Responsibly. Coors Brewing Company, Golden, Colorado. Download the Circle K app and join the Inner Circle or visit https://www.circlek.com/inner-circle! Exclusively for our listeners, Shady Rays is giving out their best deal of the season. Head to https://shadyrays.com and use code: DNVR for 35% off polarized sunglasses. Try for yourself the shades rated 5 stars by over 300,000 people. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code DNVR for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Check out FOCO merch and collectibles here https://foco.vegb.net/DNVR and use promo code “DNVR10” for 10% off your order. Rugged Road: Gear up for your next adventure with Rugged Road Coolers - Your ultimate outdoor companion! Head to http://ruggedroadoutdoors.pxf.io/ALLCITY and use code DNVR for 10% off! When you shop through links in the description, we may earn affiliate commissions. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

“I think the thing that makes something a piece of artwork is the intention that an artist imbues into it.”- John Wilhelm Want to deepen your understanding of sound preservation and creative storytelling? Discover the intersection of art and environment with audio engineer John Wilhelm as we explore Wyoming's Creative Economies and Innovation. In this episode, John Wilhelm discusses his involvement in various musical endeavors in Laramie, Wyoming, showcasing the diverse creative talent present in the state. His project, the Audio Library of the West, emphasizes the importance of creativity and innovation in preserving the sonic identity of Wyoming. This exploration sheds light on the unique and vibrant creative economies within the state. My special guest is John Wilhelm John Wilhelm, an accomplished sound artist, musician, and audio engineer, is based in Laramie, Wyoming. His work has earned him the prestigious 2024 Wyoming Innovation Partnership ArtsWork Investing in Wyoming's Creative Economies award. As the creative sound artist behind the Audio Library of the West, an online hub for western field sound recordings and audio-based art, John's creative endeavor lies in the fusion of sound preservation. With a background in theatrical sound design and a deep-seated passion for music, John's journey as an audio engineer reflects his dedication to exploring the intricate relationship between art and the environment. His innovative approach to field recording encapsulates his commitment to preserving, discovering and sharing the distinct sounds of the West, offering a captivating auditory experience. John is a founding member of the Garrett Guitar Quartet, performing classical and contemporary music for the guitar.  In this episode, you will be able to: Explore the thriving creative economies and innovation in Wyoming, uncovering unique insights and inspiration from the many creative people living in Wyoming.  Discover the pivotal role of audio engineering in music production, gaining a deeper understanding of the technical and artistic aspects that shape the music you listen to. Get an exclusive overview of the Audio Library of the West project, delving into the rich cultural and environmental tapestry of the Western region through sound.  The resources mentioned in this episode are: Wyoming Humanities Council - For more information about the podcast and its episodes, visit ThinkWY.org to subscribe and never miss a show.  High Iron - Check out the website highiron.org to learn more about the public art project celebrating the history of labor of the transcontinental railroad and the people who built the railroad.  Audio Library of the West on Instagram - Follow the Audio Library of the West on Instagram for future news and updates about the project.  Bandcamp - Visit Bandcamp, a music retail platform utilized by independent musicians, to explore and purchase high-quality digital downloads of sound recordings and support independent artists.  Portable Recording Equipment - Stay tuned for updates on the launch of the Audio Library of the West in the fall of this year and learn how to participate with portable recording equipment and sending it around Wyoming. Follow Us on These Channels: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emydigrappa/ www.ThinkWY.org https://www.facebook.com/storiesaboutwhy https://www.instagram.com/storiesaboutwhy Listen on all your favorite platforms and subscribe! As always leave a review if you enjoyed these stories and follow us on Instagram or visit the webpage of the Wyoming Humanities!

Sometimes the road to professional football takes a non-traditional path. Colorado native Gabe Knapton knows that trail well.After playing linebacker for his dad, who demanded a lot as the head coach at Skyline High School in Longmont, Gabe had his choice of many colleges to continue his playing career. It came down to Wyoming and Colorado State. He chose to be a Cowboy because of alumni in his family and most importantly, the coaches.  During his time in Laramie, the staff switched Gabe from linebacker to defensive end. He made the transition look easier than it was because of his motor and non-stop hustle. In reality, it was difficult to learn a very different position and physically he was still more like a linebacker. Regardless, he had hopes of getting drafted in the NFL and while a few teams called during the draft, no one called his name or his agent. Unsure of what to do at that point, Gabe's dad suggested taking a year off, working out and staying ready. So, he took a gap year before gap years were cool and eventually played indoor football with the Colorado Ice, then got his break with the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League. He would be named Montreal's Rookie of the Year and go on to play for several years in the CFL between Montreal and the BC Lions. In retirement, Gabe is a busy guy: husband, father of two, owner of Different Breed Performance gym and a firefighter with the City of Thornton.  Listen to Gabe's story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast. 

1-7-25 Lobos in Laramie to take on Wyoming

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because Gods love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous personthough perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Rom 5:1-11 ESV) As we begin a new year, many of us are filled with hope and expectation. We set resolutions and goals in anticipation of making even more of the year ahead. However, we dont really have control over the actual outcomes. Illness can beset us. We may experience the sudden loss of someone close to us. National or global events beyond our control can intrude upon our lives, affecting our businesses, jobs, or financial situations. On top of the uncertainty of life, we are constantly bombarded with stories of what could potentially go wrong. Will the stock market crash and take your retirement fund along with it? Will the economy enter a recession and cause my company or department to downsize? What if this country goes to war with that country? Now, the question that I want to address today is: how do we, as Christians, think about and address the uncertainty of this world and suffering when it happens to us and those close to us? When contemplating this passage in Romans, I thought of a story and what it means to rejoice in suffering as a believer in the risen Messiah. This story is about a Chicago lawyer and businessman named Horatio Spafford. Now, Horatio had invested much of his wealth in real estate in the city. Unfortunately, most of these properties, and thus much of his investment, were reduced to ash during the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871. The fallout from this loss and the work that he and other property owners in Chicago had to undertake to rebuild and restore would take years. The scale of this tragedy cannot be overstated. Over 17,000 buildings were destroyed, and more than 100,000 people (1/3 of Chicagos population) were homeless. If this were not enough, the Spaffords young son died of scarlet fever at the age of four not long after the fire. A couple of years after the fire, Horatio decided to take his family on a trip to Europe to escape the constant work and stress of rebuilding. Who wouldnt want to get away after all that had happened? He and his family were also going to meet up with and help the famous evangelist D.L. Moody, who was working on the continent at the time. However, some urgent business came up that needed his attention as the trip neared, so Horatio sent his wife and four daughters ahead of him. One week after the ship set sail, it was violently struck in an accident by another boat at two in the morning. Because of how the ships collided, the vessel the Spafford family was on sank within 12 minutes. Of the 313 people on board, 226 perished. All four of Horatios daughters perished that night. His wife, Anna, was found unconscious, held up by floating debris. Nine days after the accident, Anna landed in Europe and sent a telegram. It read, Saved alone. What shall I do? Upon receiving the message, Horatio booked the first passage he could find. However, this was during the 1800s, so this was far from a rapid process. One night, the captain called Horatio aside and informed him that they were currently sailing over the location where the ship carrying his family had sunk. As I contemplate this situation, I cant help but ask myself how I would have responded. Would I be overcome by anguish or anger? Would I have broken down and wept or shouted out words of rage at God for allowing such a thing to happen? Instead of either of these things, Horatio returned to his cabin to attempt to try to sleep and felt a sense of comfort and hope overcome him. He wrote down these words, It is well; the will of God be done. These words would soon become his timeless hymn that resounds with so many gospel truths. The name of that hymn is It Is Well with My Soul. It is worth reflecting on that there is a similar story in the Bible. Job, the man God Himself called blameless and upright, lost everything he owned in a single day. Additionally, his sons and daughters all died that very same day. Job responded to these events with the statement, Naked I came from my mothers womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21). Notice the similarities? These are not words of quiet resignation or defeat. The LORD may give, and He may take away. In the words of Horatio, the will of God will be done. However, regardless of what happened to these two men, their response is instructive and encouraging beyond belief. Despite what comes, the believer can say, Blessed be the name of the LORD, and It is well with my soul. Now, these stories may be inspiring, but youd be right in asking, How do I develop that kind of abiding faith and trust in God? It is so easy to marvel at the faith of others. But the reality is that knowing the stories is not enough. These same types of tragedies, and many more besides, can happen in our lives. Thankfully, as in all things, God does not leave us alone. And I know this because the verses we are looking at today have been my anchor through the most challenging times in my life. They acted as my north star, the way that God guided me through trials and kept me traveling on the path that leads to Him. So, lets dive in. 1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. The chapter opens with the word, therefore. This means that what Paul, the apostle who wrote this letter, is about to say directly follows what he has already said. It is essential to keep this at the forefront of our minds as we read scripture; what is the context? Uncountable numbers of irresponsible teachings have come through taking verses out of context and misapplying them. So, lets take a high-level view of what was said in the letter before our passage today. Paul was writing to the believers in Rome in anticipation of him traveling there, something he had long wanted to do. He wanted to accomplish several things. The letter to the Romans primarily concerns the gospel; Paul wanted to unify the church in Rome around the good news of Christ. Romans is a great place to start if you want a comprehensive understanding of the gospel message. Additionally, Paul wanted to prepare for the missionary journey he was planning to Spain; he wanted the Roman believers to help him on his way after he was able to visit them. Finally, Paul wanted to get in front of a growing division in the church between Jewish and Gentile believers. The focus for our study today aligns with the primary purpose for which Paul was writing: the good news of what Jesus has done. Or, as we more commonly call it, the gospel. Paul starts his letter by pointing to the grandeur of the universe as proof of Gods existence and that we can even learn some things about Him through creation. However, many, instead of worshiping the God who created everything, worshiped the things He made. 20For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.21For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but theybecame futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.22Claiming to be wise, they became fools,23andexchanged the glory ofthe immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24ThereforeGod gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, tothe dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,25because they exchanged the truth about God fora lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator,who is blessed forever! Amen. (Rom 1:20-25) Paul addressed this because pagan worship was the norm in the Roman Empire. It is important to note here that the people Paul is talking about were the ones who exchanged God for created things in nature. God allowed them to choose and gave them up to what they wanted. N.T. Wright perhaps sums up this concept best. You become like what you worship. When you gaze in awe, admiration, and wonder at something or someone, you begin to take on something of the character of the object of your worship. N.T. Wright This is a critical point that Paul made. It spoke directly to the heart of Roman culture and society. And it speaks directly to ours as well. The Romans, like the Greeks, worshipped a pantheon of gods who were very human in nature. They were spiteful, filled with lust, and sought their own pleasure above the good of others. Paul was saying that if you venerate that type of activity, you will act the same way. Now, consider our culture today; we may not wrap it up in religious language and ritual, but it is the same. Think about the lyrics of many of the most popular songs today. Consider the lives and actions of celebrities and others that our society lifts up and puts on a pedestal. Reflect on how often we are told in advertising by the rich, powerful, and famous how if we only buy this item or consume this service, we will be as happy and fulfilled as they are, or supposedly are. Think about how society as a whole treats marriage as trivial or that it is entirely ok to objectify other human beings, especially with what is deemed acceptable to view on the internet for our own pleasure. Paul then addresses those who did know about the one true God, namely the Jewish nation. However, instead of commending them, Paul has a very different message. What he said was precisely what Jesus did. It doesnt matter that you come from the line of Abraham or how well you know the Old Testament Law. God cares about and judges people based on what we actually do. 12For all who have sinnedwithout the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.13Forit is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. (Rom 2:12-13) And if we stop for a minute and honestly look at our own lives, this is what we see. We know at our core that there is an absolute standard for good and evil. We know that saying one thing and then doing another is both hypocritical and wrong. We have all, myself included, done things that genuinely hurt other people, damaged relationships, and were contrary to what we know in the deepest parts of ouor being are good and right and holy. Paul quoted the Psalms to sum up this point. 10None is righteous, no, not one;11no one understands;no one seeks for God.12All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;no one does good,not even one. (Rom 3:10b-12) Now, this is a pretty bleak letter so far. This is not something that you read at the beginning of a year to feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Were left with all of these questions that seem pretty important and rather urgent. What if there is a creator of the universe? Spoiler alert: there is. And what if He genuinely cares about right and wrong and how we treat each other? Another spoiler alert: He does. If weve all fallen short, and there are consequences for that, is there something that can be done to restore ourselves to God? And here is the best spoiler alert: There is. Paul tells us how this happens. 21But now apart from the law the righteousness of Godhas been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.22This righteousnessis given through faithinJesus Christto all who believe.There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,23for all have sinnedand fall short of the glory of God,24and all are justifiedfreely by his gracethrough the redemptionthat came by Christ Jesus.25God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,through the shedding of his blood (Rom 3:21-25a, NIV) And there it is, the gospel, the good news that Paul based his entire letter around. There is a God who created both us and the universe we live in. He is perfectly good and, therefore, has made a moral law that we all are to live by. However, all of us fall short and sin. This causes a separation between us and God. However, God did not see fit to leave us as we are. He sent Jesus to live the life we never could and die the death we deserved so that we could be reconciled to Him. This is the good news that Paul was proclaiming. So, we return to the opening verses of our passage today. 1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. We now see what the therefore is there for. We were separated from God, but we can now be justified before him by faith. And because of this good news, that we have been justified by faith, certain things happen in the believer's life. First, we have peace with God. You see, it wasnt that we were just separated from God. We were, in fact, working against Him and were enemies. In another letter, Paul said, 21Once you were alienated from God and were enemiesin your mindsbecause ofyour evil behavior. But now he has reconciledyou by Christs physical bodythrough death to present youholy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation (Col 1:21-22, NIV). We just wrapped up an extremely deep study of the book of Ephesians here at Meadowbrooke. Remember what we were told in that letter about the state we were in before being saved? And you weredead in the trespasses and sins2in which you once walked, following the course of this world, followingthe prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work inthe sons of disobedience3among whom we all once lived inthe passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the bodyand the mind, andwere by naturechildren of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (Eph 2:1-3) When Paul says that we now have peace with God, he doesnt mean that we have a tranquil state of mind or something like that. Instead, when we become followers of Jesus, we go from being against God or an enemy of God to having peace with Him. Remember what Paul said earlier in the letter. Nobody is righteous; nobody does good. But it doesnt stop there. We arent just in some truce or ceasefire with God. What has happened is so much more glorious and incredible than that. We also, through Jesus, have obtained grace. Now, grace can be a mysterious-sounding religious word. All it means is that somebody has received unmerited or unearned favor. It means we dont deserve the favor or good things God freely bestows on us. Remember, we all sin and fall short of the glory of God; we all were, by nature, children of wrath. The Greek word that is translated here as access literally means to approach or to bring into. We are brought into Gods grace and can actually have a personal relationship with Him. How much has changed because of what Jesus has done for us. We who were enemies not only have peace with God but also can draw near to Him and have a personal relationship with our Creator. Finally, we can rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And given what we have just read, there is so much to rejoice in. But again, there is something even more glorious behind these words. We rejoice not just in our newfound peace with God or our ability to be brought into His grace. We rejoice in the hope of something else. The word hope in our English language is quite weak. Typically, it means something like, I hope this year is better than the last or I hope my team wins the Super Bowl this year. It expresses the desire for something to be true, but with the realization that it may not turn out that way. However, the Greek word employed here means something more like joyful and confident expectation. Our hope is in something that we are confident and sure of. Tim Keller remarked on this passage that, Christian hope is not a hopeful wish it is a hope-filled certainty. But what is it that we are hopeful for? If we were to poll random people about what they most hoped for or were most looking forward to regarding the promises of God, we would likely get a broad range of answers. Many would almost certainly revolve around seeing loved ones again or being eternally happy and without pain or suffering. However, notice what Paul says here. His focus is on the glory of God. More than his own happiness or desires, the reason for Pauls rejoicing is in the hope of being in the presence of Gods glory. John Murray remarked on this passage, [Believers] are interested in the manifestation of the glory of God for its own sake. The glory of God is their chief end and they long for and hasten unto that day when with undimmed vision they will behold the glory of God in its fullest exhibition and vindication. What this means is that the hope of the Christian is not in the hope of our wants, desires, and comfort. Instead, our hope is in being with and living within the glory of God. The focus is on God, not on us. John Piper put this better than anybody else I have heard. He said, The critical question for our generationand for every generation is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there? Pauls answer would be a resounding no. What makes the restored heaven and earth what they will be is that we will finally be with God in all His infinite glory. Everything else pales in comparison to that. And any heaven without that is no real heaven at all. Now, Paul has covered a lot of ground in his letter so far. The people listening to this being read for the first time would have been on a real rollercoaster of a ride. First, they heard about this God who is powerful and mighty enough to create the entire universe in which we live. But then they heard that this God is also perfectly good and, therefore, has a moral law. They, just like all of us, broke that law. And they, just like us, broke it repeatedly. They heard about how this created a separation between humanity and God, a chasm we could not overcome ourselves. However, when everything seemed lost and without hope, they heard about how God, through Jesus, redeemed them, and they were now justified. This justification was not through anything they had done but what Jesus had done for them. They heard that they did not have to try to earn Gods merit, and in fact, they never could. They heard that what God really sought after was their hearts and faith in Him. Finally, because of that faith, the believer has peace with God, access to Gods grace, and the hope-filled certainty of witnessing God in His full glory one day. What an experience it must have been to be the first people to hear this letter being read. Can you imagine hearing this fantastic news? Then, the church in Rome would have heard the words, Not only that Wait! There is more!?! What more could there be after being told this fantastic news? I can only imagine sitting there and anticipating new promises and hopes the apostle was about to relay. Instead, the audience heard, Not only that, but werejoice in our sufferings. Wait what? We rejoice in our suffering? Werent we talking about drawing close to God and witnessing His glory? But this is reality, isnt it? When we decide to follow Jesus, all the hardships and suffering weve experienced dont magically disappear. We still get sick. Our finances dont magically improve; we all dont suddenly receive private jets and mansions. We still lose loved ones, and we all certainly still experience getting older and all the wear and tear that comes from that. As I reflect upon this past year, the single word that comes most to mind is difficult. This was a challenging year for our church family, and we had to go through things, including church discipline and the termination of a staff person in a pastoral role. Individuals and families in our church have also been going through extremely difficult things. There have been cancer diagnoses, losses of family members, struggles with chronic illnesses, sudden visits to the ER, heart issues, urgent and completely unexpected surgeries, and many, many more things besides. Personally, this last year, especially the past six months, has, if Im being completely honest, been extremely difficult. Due to an autoimmune disease, my health spiraled to a place I have not experienced in over a decade. This resulted in a 10-day stay in a hospital after losing 15% of my body weight and a substantial amount of internal bleeding. But, more importantly, it put a lot of strain on my marriage and meant I was less present as a father than I should be. The stark reality is that suffering is still a part of our lives. It has real impacts on us and those around us. But, as well see, faith in Jesus is not about the cessation of pain and suffering but instead giving that suffering over to God in faith that He will use it for good. Paul lays out how this looks for us: 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because Gods love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Notice here that Paul says we rejoice in our sufferings, not because of our sufferings. Paul does not say that suffering suddenly becomes pleasurable for us or trivially easy to endure. He does not say that God is giving us a way to prove ourselves to Him or earn His favor by persevering through hardship. Instead, we rejoice in our sufferings because of something we know. We know that suffering can produce something within us. That something is endurance. For most of my life, and by that, I mean since I was eight, I have participated in endurance sports. This has included distance running, cycling over 100 miles in a day over multiple mountain passes, and summiting 20,000 ft peaks. I bring this up because I have learned a lot about myself and quite a bit about endurance through these activities. The first is that endurance is not something magical you hope to have on the day of your event. It is something that you train for diligently. It may take months or even years in some cases to train your body and mind to accomplish the goal you have set before yourself. It is possible to train and not reach the goals you set. However, if you dont train, the goals will forever remain out of reach. And the thing about training is that a substantial amount of suffering can be involved. Mile repeats hurt. Hill training on a bike can be painful. Interval sessions have left me draped over the handlebars of my indoor trainer like a rag doll. Watching cyclists or other endurance athletes achieve the incredible can be awe-inspiring, often making it look easy. However, it isnt. What we witness when we watch world-class athletes is the outcome of a lifetime of training and preparation. And I can tell you from experience, every day Ive had where Ive looked like this, cycling up mountain passes feeling in great shape and like I could tackle the biggest of obstacles, Ive had many more days where Ive looked a bit more like this. The key here is that, like in athletics, in life, endurance is not something that happens automatically or magically. It is something that is produced. And often, the production of endurance happens through the crucible of suffering. But, unlike endurance training for sports, the type of endurance Paul talks about is not the end goal. It serves a greater purpose. You see, our character is also changing when we develop spiritual endurance. Now, this word in Greek doesnt just mean something like, He is a really good person and has good character. Instead, it is about something proven, or something tested and found to be approved. An example of this can be seen in Pauls letter to the Philippians concerning his protg, Timothy. 22But you know Timothy'sproven worth, howas a sonwith a fatherhe has served with me in the gospel.(Phil 2:22) The phrase proven worth is the same word that is translated as character. And to some extent, weve all experienced this. If we have endured something before, when we have to endure it again, there is a confidence we didnt have before. Or, thought of in a different way, if you had to go into battle with somebody, would you rather go with a special forces soldier who had been on multiple deployments or somebody who has never been through military training but plays their fair share of Tom Clancy video games? The choice is easy, right? What Paul is saying here is that when we go through suffering, endurance is produced. And when we endure our trials and tribulations, we are tested successfully or, as Paul says, our worth is proven. But Paul does not stop there. He says that this testedness produces something else: hope. And here we return to this idea of hope. Remember, this idea Paul is talking about can be best thought of as a hope-filled certainty. As we go through suffering, the endurance and character that result produces an ever-greater certainty that God is exactly who He has said He is and that His promises are sure. Paul then offers a proof of this. He states that hope will never put us to shame because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us. In fact, the relationship between the believer and the Holy Spirit is so close that he has been poured into our hearts. I had mentioned earlier that these verses have been my anchor verses through suffering. That is not an understatement in any way. I had grown up in the church. In fact, I heard hymns and the words of the Bible before I was born. As I grew up, I did all the church things, camps, and confirmation; I even started participating in lay-level leadership roles in my church. If any of those things sound a bit foreign, it is because I grew up in the Episcopal tradition. Ultimately, instead of letting God into my heart and being the Lord of my entire life, I was going through the motions. Especially in college, my life looked no different than anybody elses. Remember those verses from Ephesians about living in the passions of our flesh and carrying out the desires of the body and the mind? That was me. Until that is, God got ahold of my heart. A group of us in ROTC decided that we wanted to start getting serious about our faith and started going to church together. We formed our own Bible study and as a small community of college-aged believers, we began trying to figure out what it meant to be Jesus followers. To make a long story very short, one of the members of this group would ultimately become my wife. As we deepened in our faith together as a group, I was drawn to what God was doing in her life. However, two weeks after we started dating, I started noticing an immense amount of pain in my abdomen and, even more concerning, evidence of internal bleeding. I started losing weight at an alarming rate and was ultimately diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called ulcerative colitis. Effectively, my immune system goes into overdrive and starts attacking and causing ulcers and a crazy amount of inflammation in my large intestine. Unfortunately, I have a rather severe form of the disease that affects not just a part of the intestine, but the entire thing. As is common with autoimmune diseases, finding the therapy that worked for me took a long time. Because of the severity of my diagnosis, this ultimately led me to being hospitalized seven times in the first 18 months following the onset of my symptoms. In addition to the pain, frustration, and confusion over what was happening, other things also started falling apart. A military career was now no longer an option for me. Because of the impact the disease was having on my body, I was sleeping 12-16 hours a day and was unable to continue pursuing my master's program. What is more, because of how the insurance I had purchased through the university was structured, it did not cover costs from chronic illnesses beyond $20,000. But through it all, God was working on my heart and my mind. He was showing me things about himself that I would likely never have learned had it not been for this. He was teaching me that my future job was not what defined me. Who I am in Jesus is what defines me. He was teaching me that the highest goal in life is not academic or professional achievement (Im a bit of an A-type personality and struggle with making my life about accomplishments). Instead, He showed me that following Him is the highest purpose in life. Now, perhaps the most incredible thing about this entire story is that Michaela stayed by my side throughout all of it. We had only recently started dating, but she was there for everything. I can still remember her voice as I was coming out of anesthesia after the scoping procedure that resulted in the diagnosis of the disease. I was insanely sick, my planned career was completely shattered, treatments werent working, and I had a sum of medical debt that was growing increasingly large. There were so many times when I felt absolutely lost and without hope. Yet, because of this community of people, especially Michaela, I was constantly reminded of God's goodness and how He works all things for the good of those who love Him, even if we dont see it in the moment. The Bible was my source of refuge, reminding me of the eternal promises of God that transcend our momentary afflictions. Things ultimately improved for me, and through a lot of help from my doctors and a lot of prayer, my condition was able to be controlled. There were still some rough points, and I experienced the occasional flare-up, but things returned to normal. Michaela and I got married, we found a way to pay off the medical debt, and life seemed to be going just fine. But what I didnt know at the time was that as I was going through all my medical issues and seeing Michaelas character displayed, God was showing me what it means to stand beside somebody as they are suffering. About two years after we got married, Michaela started showing symptoms of something, but the doctors couldnt figure out what it was. Finally, they had her stay on a heart monitor for an extended time, and the results were so concerning that the hospital in Laramie told us that we needed to come to the hospital here in Cheyenne because they were not prepared to deal with whatever the issue was. When Michaela arrived here, they took an Xray, and they found out that there was a mass about 12cm in diameter in her chest next to her heart. We were once again told that she needed to go to another hospital because the one here had no idea what was going on. However, this time, she had to travel via ambulance. We had come in the same vehicle, but as she was leaving in an ambulance, I followed in the car we brought over. It was such a good thing that it was the middle of the night because I was an absolute mess. If there had been any traffic whatsoever, I probably would have crashed. On that drive, I was confronted with an absolutely petrifying truth. There was nothing I could do for my wife but pray. I was helpless in the face of whatever it was that she had to face. I could not protect her, and I could not save her. And this was an earth-shattering realization for me. Of course, we all intellectually know that our time here is limited and that when it is time for us to leave this world, there is nothing we can do to stop it for ourselves or those we love. However, facing that reality directly is an entirely different notion. The radical realization that I had was that in this situation, she was entirely in the Lords hands. The even more radical realization I would only have reflecting later on, was that this is true every moment of every day. I just dont live like it. To capture this idea in his book The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis wrote, God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. This has been precisely my experience. The eternal truths that God exists, that we desperately need Him, and that He alone is sufficient for all our needs are sometimes most clearly heard when we are in our most desperate times of need. Upon arriving at the University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, we learned that the mass was a tumor, and it was an advanced stage of lymphoma. The doctors recommended that she start an aggressive form of chemotherapy immediately. We didnt have time to go home and talk about it. We didnt have time to prepare in case the therapy made it difficult or impossible to have kids. It was almost as if everything had been put onto tracks, and we were just along for the ride. Now, soon after all of this happened a good friend of mine who has been a mentor in many ways to me came by and prayed with us. Her prayers included pleas for healing, comfort, and everything else we typically lift up to God during these types of events. However, she prayed something else as well. She prayed that our hearts and minds would be open to what God had to teach us during this time of trial. It literally felt like a physical switch turned in my head. Despite all that I had been through, and all God had done in my own heart during my battles with illness, I had not stopped to consider that God may have something to teach us here as well. And teach He did. I learned how incredibly strong of a woman He made when He created my wife. I learned that I am not sufficient for her; only Jesus is. I learned that life can be extraordinarily fleeting and what we consider normal and act like will go on forever can end in an instant. Michaela spent the following months going to Denver for a week of treatment every three weeks. I tagged along and slept on the pullout bed on the couch in her room. That was our lives for almost four months: two weeks at home and one in the hospital. When I had to travel for work, her mom took my place. Now, you may be wondering who the better caretaker in our relationship is when the other is undergoing adversity. The answer is Michaela. You may also be wondering who deals with suffering better. The answer is also Michaela. Ultimately, Michaela completed the chemo regimen and has been in full remission for almost 10 years. Despite not being able to make alternative preparations, we have two incredible boys who are miracles in the fullest sense of the word. It can be easy to praise God and extol His greatness when things work out the way we hope and pray they will. However, there will come a day when I and everybody else whom I love will draw in their last breath. And in those moments, God still deserves all the glory and all the praise. I want to relay one more story before I wrap up about one of those times. My stepmoms father, my grandfather, or as we called him, Papou (that part of my family is Greek), had been extremely sick for a long time. He was born in Alexandria, Egypt. His wife, my Yaiyia, was a missionary in Kenya when he proposed to her in a letter. After starting their young family, they moved to Athens so he could pastor a church while they served as missionaries. When they moved back to the States, their home was always a place of love where all were welcome. Toward the end of his life, he was unable to care for or even feed himself and had to be placed in a home to receive the care he needed. As the end of his life was drawing ever closer, he came down with a severe infection that left him almost entirely incapacitated. One day, some of our dearest family friends were visiting him. As they prepared to leave, everybody gathered to pray, potentially for the last time, over this man who had lived his life faithfully for God. However, before anybody else had a chance to speak, this saint (by the way, if you are a follower of Jesus, you are a saint as well) who could not feed himself or even sit up started to pray. I was not there to hear these words, but they still reverberate in the deepest part of my being more than a decade later. Our precious heavenly father, he said, we just cant thank you enough. You have been so good to us. That is the strength that a life lived in the service and love of God bestows upon a person. The Christian lives not in quiet resignation in the face of a world that can be so cruel and cause so much suffering. Instead, the Christian can raise a triumphant cry that in our weakness, the strength of the Lord will be made perfect, and that is enough. We can, as Job did, bless the name of the Lord, come whatever may. We see this in the letter to the Corinthians: 9But he [God] said to me [Paul],My grace is sufficient for you, formy power is made perfect in weakness.Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so thatthe power of Christ may rest upon me.10For the sake of Christ, then,I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. Forwhen I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor 12:9-11) This is why Paul ends this passage with a reiteration of the gospel message. Even though each of us who follow Jesus has the real experience of having the Holy Spirit residing within us, there also is an objective truth for all to see. Christ came and died for us while we were still sinners. And this point is even more important than the point that we are physically broken and endure sufferings in this world. That point is that we are spiritually broken and separated from God, desperately in need of a Savior. Reflect with me on these closing verses. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous personthough perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Jesus did not wait until we were perfect and had everything figured out before he came to die in our place. Instead, he came when we were still in sin, weak, and enemies of God. Unlike us, who so often act out of self-regard or do something because we view somebody as good and deserving, Jesus came to save us while we were still standing in complete opposition to God. This is the incredible news of the gospel. As much pain and suffering, as much physical brokenness that we may experience in this world, it is nothing compared to the spiritual sickness we suffer because of our separation from God. We all were far from God before coming to Christ, but he died in our place regardless and rose again, conquering death. We are justified, reconciled, and saved by what he did. And if you dont know Jesus yet, all you must do is accept him as your Lord and Savior and begin walking with him. Before we leave, I wanted to review some of the things I have learned from other believers and scripture about how to endure times of suffering. None of this is groundbreaking, but it works. Dont wait until you are in suffering to prepare If you wait until the morning of a marathon to train, it wont go well for you. The same is true here. If you wait until the moment of your trial to prepare, you are too late. Be in your Bible daily The stories of those who suffer in scripture are incredibly instructive and helpful. The principles you will learn from this book will help you in your time of need. But I never would have had these verses constantly in my mind and nourishing my soul if I had not read them. God uses scripture to help His followers in their time of need. Build relationships with fellow believersWhen Michaela and I have experienced times of suffering, it is the people of God, the Church, who have helped us more than anybody else. I have experienced the benefit of having somebody just come sit with you. Recently, while I was in the hospital, several friends visited throughout my stay. Mostly, we talked about the goodness of God. It helped me raise my eyes above my situation and stay focused on my Lord and Savior. Pray without ceasing Pray for those who are going through trials. Ask others to pray for you as you endure suffering. The Church was designed so that each member could help one another. And as you pray, follow Gods Spirit in how you can help. If you feel drawn to visit somebody who is ailing, go. If you feel called to cook them a meal, do it. Look for what God is trying to teach you Until our dying breath, we are running our race. As believers, we are walking down that narrow path that leads to Jesus. That path can be difficult and filled with obstacles sometimes. But even in our worst suffering, God is faithful, and He works all things for the good of those who love Him. If you let Him, He will develop in you: endurance, character, and a hope which will never be put to shame. Even in our greatest trials, He is still so incredibly good.

The brutal attack in 1998 on Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, shocked the American conscience, bringing attention to crime against gender and sexual minorities. A lot has changed since 1998, but the battle continues to bring awareness to cases involving LGBTQ+ people. We are joined by C.J. Johnson, the host of the Beyond the Rainbow podcast, to discuss her efforts to build awareness of many of these little-known cases.Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.comCheck out the Beyond the Rainbow podcast at:https://beyondtherainbowpodcast.com/Check out the Silver Linings Handbook website at:https://silverliningshandbook.com/Check out our Patreon to support the show at:https://ww.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbookJoin our Facebook Group at:https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at:https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-store/The Silver Linjngs Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music.See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.Episode art by Hannah Hill. To check out and support Hannah's art, check out her Instagram at @serious_moonlite or her website at https://linktr.ee/HannahHillArt.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Giving away Boise State-Oregon State tickets through Wednesday's show, aftermath of the Broncos' 17-13 victory over Wyoming - what's the pulse of the fan after the tough, emotional outcome in Laramie, hear what coaches Spencer Danielson and Dirk Koetter said about the game, Bob with his four reasons behind the victory in Bronco Focus, breaking down the Heisman race between Jeanty and Hunter, NFL Wheel of Headlines, Weekend Winners & Losers

Giving away Boise State-Oregon State tickets through Wednesday's show, aftermath of the Broncos' 17-13 victory over Wyoming - what's the pulse of the fan after the tough, emotional outcome in Laramie, hear what coaches Spencer Danielson and Dirk Koetter said about the game, Bob with his four reasons behind the victory in Bronco Focus, breaking down the Heisman race between Jeanty and Hunter, NFL Wheel of Headlines, Weekend Winners & LosersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Giving away Boise State-Oregon State tickets through Wednesday's show, aftermath of the Broncos' 17-13 victory over Wyoming - what's the pulse of the fan after the tough, emotional outcome in Laramie, hear what coaches Spencer Danielson and Dirk Koetter said about the game, Bob with his four reasons behind the victory in Bronco Focus, breaking down the Heisman race between Jeanty and Hunter, NFL Wheel of Headlines, Weekend Winners & LosersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network reacts to a wild Week 13 College Football Saturday. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD) & Patty C (@PattyC831) break down every single result from the week and make sense of it all. Are the Alabama Crimson Tide officially cooked after Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners dominated the Crimson Tide? Are the Ohio State Buckeyes worthy of the 2nd overall ranking after putting it on Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers? Are the Arizona State Sun Devils going to make the college football playoffs?Should Alabama and Ole Miss officially be eliminated from the college football playoffs? Are the Ole Miss Rebels always a counterfeit team? Did a fake punt save James Franklin and the Penn State Nittany Lions? Should we be worried about the Boise State Broncos after barely getting by the Wyoming Cowboys in Laramie? Did Stanford and Cal deliver with another classic? Did Jay Norvell and the Colorado State rams ruin their best chance to win the Mountain West? Should Notre Dame be a lock for the playoffs after dominating Jeff Monken and the Army Black Knights? Is the magical run over from Travis Hunter and the Colorado Buffaloes? We talk it all and more on this Week 13 Reaction Show edition of The College Football Experience. 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/rithmmADVERTISE with SGPNInterested in advertising? Contact sales@sgpn.ioFOLLOW The Sports Gambling Podcast On Social MediaTwitter - http://www.twitter.com/gamblingpodcastInstagram - http://www.instagram.com/sportsgamblingpodcastTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@gamblingpodcastFacebook - http://www.facebook.com/sportsgamblingpodcastFOLLOW The Hosts On Social MediaSean Green - http://www.twitter.com/seantgreenRyan Kramer - http://www.twitter.com/kramercentric================================================================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)================================================================

The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network reacts to a wild Week 13 College Football Saturday. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD) & Patty C (@PattyC831) break down every single result from the week and make sense of it all. Are the Alabama Crimson Tide officially cooked after Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners dominated the Crimson Tide? Are the Ohio State Buckeyes worthy of the 2nd overall ranking after putting it on Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers? Are the Arizona State Sun Devils going to make the college football playoffs?Should Alabama and Ole Miss officially be eliminated from the college football playoffs? Are the Ole Miss Rebels always a counterfeit team? Did a fake punt save James Franklin and the Penn State Nittany Lions? Should we be worried about the Boise State Broncos after barely getting by the Wyoming Cowboys in Laramie? Did Stanford and Cal deliver with another classic? Did Jay Norvell and the Colorado State rams ruin their best chance to win the Mountain West? Should Notre Dame be a lock for the playoffs after dominating Jeff Monken and the Army Black Knights? Is the magical run over from Travis Hunter and the Colorado Buffaloes? We talk it all and more on this Week 13 Reaction Show edition of The College Football Experience. 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 partnersCirca Sports - 16 MILLION in guaranteed prizes w/ Circa Survivor & Circa Millions - https://www.circasports.com/circa-sports-millionFootball Contest Proxy - Use promo code SGP to save $50 at - https://www.footballcontestproxy.com/Rithmm - Player Props and Picks - Free 7 day trial! http://sportsgamblingpodcast.com/rithmmUnderdog Fantasy code SGPN - Up to $250 in BONUS CASH - https://play.underdogfantasy.com/p-sgpnGametime code SGPN - Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code SGPN for $20 off your first purchase - https://gametime.co/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

POST-GAME CALL-IN SHOW: Boise State (10-1, 7-0 MW) beat Wyoming 17-13 on Saturday night in Laramie to clinch a spot in the Mountain West Championship Game on Dec. 6 in Boise. RB Ashton Jeanty reached 2,000 rushing yards for the season, and helped the Broncos with three carries and 50 yards on their fourth-quarter, game-winning drive. NEXT: vs. Oregon State, Friday, Nov. 29, 10 a.m. at Albertsons StadiumSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

POST-GAME CALL-IN SHOW: Boise State (10-1, 7-0 MW) beat Wyoming 17-13 on Saturday night in Laramie to clinch a spot in the Mountain West Championship Game on Dec. 6 in Boise. RB Ashton Jeanty reached 2,000 rushing yards for the season, and helped the Broncos with three carries and 50 yards on their fourth-quarter, game-winning drive. NEXT: vs. Oregon State, Friday, Nov. 29, 10 a.m. at Albertsons StadiumSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can the Pokes play spoiler in Boise St's playoff plans? Find out with Cody and Jared as they get you ready for Boise St to come to Laramie.

The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network previews the entire Week 13 College Football slate in the FBS. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD), Patty C (@PattyC831) & NC Nick (@NC__NicK) break down every game and give out their top plays of the week as the college football playoff race continues to heat up. Will Sam Leavitt and the Arizona State Sun Devils knock off the BYU Cougars in a gigantic Big 12 game in Tempe, Arizona? Will Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels head into Gainesville and put it on Billy Napier and the Florida Gators? Are the Army Black Knights and Bryson Daily going to be able to keep it close at Yankee Stadium against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Riley Leonard? Should College Football play more games at Wrigley Field and Yankee Stadium?Are certain media personalities pumping a fake agenda when it comes to the 12 team college football rankings? Will the Indiana Hoosiers shock the world and take down the Ohio State Buckeyes? Can Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes avoid a upset spot against the red hot Kansas Jayhawks and Lance Leipold? Will Boise State cruise to another victory as they head to Laramie to take on the Wyoming Cowboys? Could Penn State get upset by PJ Fleck and the Minnesota Golden Gophers? Who will win this years Brawl Of The Wild with Montana and Montana State? Can DeShaun Foster and the UCLA Bruins knock off the USC Trojans and Lincoln Riley? We talk it all and more on this episode of The College Football Experience. 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/rithmmADVERTISE with SGPNInterested in advertising? Contact sales@sgpn.ioFOLLOW The Sports Gambling Podcast On Social MediaTwitter - http://www.twitter.com/gamblingpodcastInstagram - http://www.instagram.com/sportsgamblingpodcastTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@gamblingpodcastFacebook - http://www.facebook.com/sportsgamblingpodcastFOLLOW The Hosts On Social MediaSean Green - http://www.twitter.com/seantgreenRyan Kramer - http://www.twitter.com/kramercentric================================================================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)================================================================

The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network previews the entire Week 13 College Football slate in the FBS. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD), Patty C (@PattyC831) & NC Nick (@NC__NicK) break down every game and give out their top plays of the week as the college football playoff race continues to heat up. Will Sam Leavitt and the Arizona State Sun Devils knock off the BYU Cougars in a gigantic Big 12 game in Tempe, Arizona? Will Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels head into Gainesville and put it on Billy Napier and the Florida Gators? Are the Army Black Knights and Bryson Daily going to be able to keep it close at Yankee Stadium against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Riley Leonard? Should College Football play more games at Wrigley Field and Yankee Stadium?Are certain media personalities pumping a fake agenda when it comes to the 12 team college football rankings? Will the Indiana Hoosiers shock the world and take down the Ohio State Buckeyes? Can Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes avoid a upset spot against the red hot Kansas Jayhawks and Lance Leipold? Will Boise State cruise to another victory as they head to Laramie to take on the Wyoming Cowboys? Could Penn State get upset by PJ Fleck and the Minnesota Golden Gophers? Who will win this years Brawl Of The Wild with Montana and Montana State? Can DeShaun Foster and the UCLA Bruins knock off the USC Trojans and Lincoln Riley? We talk it all and more on this episode of The College Football Experience. 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 partnersCirca Sports - 16 MILLION in guaranteed prizes w/ Circa Survivor & Circa Millions - https://www.circasports.com/circa-sports-millionFootball Contest Proxy - Use promo code SGP to save $50 at - https://www.footballcontestproxy.com/Rithmm - Player Props and Picks - Free 7 day trial! http://sportsgamblingpodcast.com/rithmmUnderdog Fantasy code SGPN - Up to $250 in BONUS CASH - https://play.underdogfantasy.com/p-sgpnGametime code SGPN - Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code SGPN for $20 off your first purchase - https://gametime.co/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

The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network previews the entire Week 13 College Football slate in the FBS. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD), Patty C (@PattyC831) & NC Nick (@NC__NicK) break down every game and give out their top plays of the week as the college football playoff race continues to heat up. Will Sam Leavitt and the Arizona State Sun Devils knock off the BYU Cougars in a gigantic Big 12 game in Tempe, Arizona? Will Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels head into Gainesville and put it on Billy Napier and the Florida Gators? Are the Army Black Knights and Bryson Daily going to be able to keep it close at Yankee Stadium against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Riley Leonard? Should College Football play more games at Wrigley Field and Yankee Stadium?Are certain media personalities pumping a fake agenda when it comes to the 12 team college football rankings? Will the Indiana Hoosiers shock the world and take down the Ohio State Buckeyes? Can Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes avoid a upset spot against the red hot Kansas Jayhawks and Lance Leipold? Will Boise State cruise to another victory as they head to Laramie to take on the Wyoming Cowboys? Could Penn State get upset by PJ Fleck and the Minnesota Golden Gophers? Who will win this years Brawl Of The Wild with Montana and Montana State? Can DeShaun Foster and the UCLA Bruins knock off the USC Trojans and Lincoln Riley? We talk it all and more on this episode of The College Football Experience. 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 partnersCirca Sports - 16 MILLION in guaranteed prizes w/ Circa Survivor & Circa Millions - https://www.circasports.com/circa-sports-millionFootball Contest Proxy - Use promo code SGP to save $50 at - https://www.footballcontestproxy.com/Rithmm - Player Props and Picks - Free 7 day trial! http://sportsgamblingpodcast.com/rithmmUnderdog Fantasy code SGPN - Up to $250 in BONUS CASH - https://play.underdogfantasy.com/p-sgpnGametime code SGPN - Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code SGPN for $20 off your first purchase - https://gametime.co/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

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Braylen Bleak to discuss her experience of being sent home from her mission due to disobedience. This is a topic that is often not openly discussed, but Braylon's vulnerability and honesty provide invaluable insights. Braylen shares her initial expectations of being the "perfect missionary" and the struggles she faced with perfectionism early on. She then courageously recounts the difficult decision to confess her mistakes to her mission president, the emotional pain of the repentance process, and the incredible support she received from her parents. Through it all, Braylen's faith in the Atonement and her determination to remain strong in the gospel shine through. Braylen's story is a testament to the healing power of the Savior and the importance of facing our challenges head-on. Her advice to others in similar situations - to trust in the Lord's plan and have the courage to walk the difficult path of repentance - is both inspiring and hopeful. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to better understand the complexities of the mission experience. Braylen Bleak is from Laramie, Wyoming and a recently returned missionary. She is in school studying special education and elementary education, and runs her own photography business.  The lyrics she shares on this episode are from the song Flowers - by Samantha Ebert As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.   Website | Instagram | Facebook   Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE   Free PDF Download:  Podcast Roadmap   Free PDF Download:  Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet   My Free Training for Preparing Missionaries:  Change Your Mission with this One Tool   RM Transition Free Video Series:  3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home   Free Guide:  5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary   Schedule a Free Strategy Call:   Click Here

In hour two of Terry Wickstrom Outdoors, Terry is joined by Nate Zelinsky from Sun Powersports and Tightline Outdoors, Mike Kreeger from JAX Outdoor Gear, and Chad LaChance with Fishful Thinker.  They get into second and third rifle season, getting equipment ready for winter, and pre-ice fishing in Laramie and Park county.

She is indeed a book whisperer and a great storyteller. Our guest this time is Bridget Cook-Birch. Bridget grew up, as she says, being a tom boy. However, she also had an insatiable appetite for reading as much as she could even from an early age. She will tell us about her growing up years and So I will leave that for her.   She had a near death experience that showed her that she had a greater purpose in life than she thought. She found it when she began to write. To date she has written several bestselling books and she has helped others to successfully create and tell their stories. Bridget is firmly convinced that stories of all kinds are an extremely part of all our lives and that we should tell them.   We get to learn much about today's publishing industry and how we can each begin our own story-telling journey. I am sure you will leave this episode and possibly be more ready to tell your own story. If you are, by the way, I would love you to reach out to me at michaelhi@accessibe.com to arrange a time for us to discuss you coming on Unstoppable Mindset. Enjoy this episode with Bridget.       About the Guest:   Bridget Cook-Burch's clients call her “The Book Whisperer”. She is a New York Times & Wall Street Journal bestselling author, mentor, trainer, mamma-bear humanitarian, and speaker known for riveting stories of transformation. Her powerful work has been showcased on Oprah, Dateline, CNN, GMA, The History Channel, NPR and in People among many others. She is the CEO and Founder of YourInspiredStory.com and Inspired Legacy Publishing. Bridget is also a co-founder and former executive director of SHEROES United, a non-profit organization that helps women and girls rise from trauma. As a leader, storyteller, trainer and humanitarian, her greatest passion is helping others to discover the importance of their own story, and to become leaders in their own communities, and worldwide. Bridget's many national bestsellers include Divine Turbulence; The Witness Wore Red; Shattered Silence; Skinhead Confessions; Leading Women; and also Living Proof.   Bridget invites you to believe in the power of your story to change the world. Join her writers' retreats and leadership retreats in Utah, Italy, Ireland and more.  Find out more at www.YourInspiredStory.com and www.SHEROESUnited.org.   Ways to connect with Bridget:   Linkedin:  Bridget Cook-Burch “The Book Whisperer” - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbridgetcookburch/   Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/bridgetcookburch   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bridgetcookburch   YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@inspiredlegacypublishing       About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/   https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, hi once again, wherever you happen to be, I want to welcome you to unstoppable mindset. Today we get to visit with someone who is known as the book whisperer. How about that? Bridget Cook-Birch writes a lot of stories. She writes a lot of books. She is a storyteller, and I love that about Bridget because I believe that everyone in the world has stories to tell that they can tell, and if they don't necessarily know how to tell the stories themselves, they should seek people who can help them bring the stories out into the open for people to hear however they want to do that. But I think we should never be afraid of telling our stories whatever they happen to be. So this is going to be, needless to say, a fun podcast episode to do, because stories really is what it's all about. So with that Bridget Welcome to unstoppable mindset, we're really glad you're here.   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 02:18 Thank you, Michael. I'm so honored to be here, and I cannot wait, because I know we're going to have so much fun. And I've, as   Michael Hingson ** 02:24 I've told a number of people, the only hard and fast rule on this podcast, and it's what I've really only made up in the last few months, but it is, we both have to have fun, or there's no sense doing it so. And the other part of that, I suppose, is that listeners have to have fun too, so we'll work on that. We need to make it fun for them and and that's as good as it gets. Well, let's start a little bit by maybe you telling us kind of the story about the early Bridget, growing up and all that.   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 02:52 The early Bridget, oh, that's scary.   Michael Hingson ** 02:55 Early Bridget,   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 02:58 well, the early Bridget was adopted by two extraordinary beings, Dick and Pat whirling, who were just amazing folks. But I did have three sets of parents by the time I was six months old, and I didn't know that. Unconsciously there, there were a lot of belief systems like, oh, I can't really trust because the big people will always leave. And so I was pretty firely independent, but they were very patient with me, and I had some amazing siblings, and I read books like crazy. So I was one of those nerds that was a tomboy whenever I was outside. So I play football and climb trees and mountains and, you know, play with rattlesnakes and all the fun stuff. And then when I would go home, I would read every book I could get my hands on, read out the school library, read out the bookmobile, and my mom would let me go downtown to read out the public library. So I read a lot, and I read a lot of things that many people didn't read until they were college age, but they were important to me, and I was profoundly affected by some of those early stories, like the Diary of Anne Frank and Uncle Tom's Cabin and To Kill a Mockingbird. And I think deep down, it inspired within me to do storytelling that could change the world. So   Michael Hingson ** 04:31 now you got me curious. Tell me about playing with a rattlesnake.   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 04:36 Well, we lived up against the Rocky Mountains, and we were kind of in a deserted area. And where was this? What's that?   Michael Hingson ** 04:46 Where were you?   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 04:47 I was in Brigham City, Utah, in Utah. Okay, great. All places. My folks had adopted me from, Laramie, Wyoming. And yeah, my folks were from Detroit originally, and they. Came out so my dad, who was an engineer, could work on the Minutemen missile. And, yeah, so he was a, he was a cowboy in in always, except he wasn't from here. Yep, he wore the cowboy boots and a belt buckle the size of Texas and a 10 gallon hat. And loved to take us on historical, you know, sites all around the West. So   Michael Hingson ** 05:26 So playing with rattlesnakes, playing with rattlesnakes.   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 05:28 Yep, we we used to climb up into the mountains behind our house, and they were full of rattlesnakes. When I was little, I didn't understand that the baby rattlesnakes were actually more poisonous. I just thought they were kind of cute. So I would do a little playing around with them, until I found out that that that was not the smartest thing.   Michael Hingson ** 05:53 Did you ever get bit by one?   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 05:54 You know what? I never did. I think it's because I have a lot of affination for nature. I had a lot of peace when I was out in nature, and it seems like I never got bit or scratched or anything else. So I was very blessed. We will tell you that, because there is no way that a ambulance would have made it up the mountain, and the baby rattlers are actually more poisonous than the adults, so   Michael Hingson ** 06:23 they're more prone to strike because they don't really have, or at least they haven't yet developed some of the things that they will learn later. But yeah, that is true. My brother in law, so my what my late wife and her family grew up in Fontana and Rialto in California, also sort of on the the lower desert, but lots of things around. And one day, my brother in law, Gary, came into the house holding a black widow spider, and was showing off to everybody. And of course, everyone was just freaked out. And so he then took it outside and let it go, but still, he carried this black widow spider into the house fearlessly. Wow, that   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 07:13 I was not as fearless of spiders. I could handle snakes quite a bit, but no spiders. I would just run screaming from spiders.   Michael Hingson ** 07:22 I have occasionally been in a position where I ended up sitting very close to spiders and didn't know it, but, but nevertheless, I and black widows, among other things, when I was growing up on the desert in Palmdale, that's sort of the high desert, and we had a lot of critters. Of course, my favorites were tortoises, and we had several tortoises come up to our house, and if you decided to live with us for a little while, which is fun. Now we don't see tortoises anymore, unfortunately.   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 07:51 Oh, that's too bad, but I do know that they don't bite poisonously, but you still have to watch for them biting you. Well, tortoises, tortoises,   Michael Hingson ** 08:01 you know, there's tortoises and terrapins, which are sometimes called snapping turtles, but tortoises generally won't if you're friendly and and don't do anything that you you shouldn't do to an animal or anyone else. One of the things that I did was fed them lettuce and rose petals and occasionally cantaloupe. And even when they weren't eating, if I would put my hand down in front of a tortoises nose and then slide my finger under the nose, they would stick their head out of the shell to get their neck scratched. They loved it. Oh, yeah, tortoises can be very friendly. Oh, that's awesome. Yeah, they're they were fun. And we, we had them a fair amount. And then after growing up and living on the East Coast and coming back to California, we we didn't really have so much with tortoises, it's unfortunate. They're more endangered, I think, than they were, but really enjoy them, which was a lot of fun.   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 09:00 Yeah, there's a lot of things that our kids don't have as easy access to, in terms of animals and nature that we once did. Yeah, I hope that shifts. I hope that changes   Michael Hingson ** 09:12 I do too. I think we also need to learn not to be afraid of so many things. I mean, I would say you'd be cautious around rattlesnakes, but I think fear is one of the biggest problems that we face, because animals can sense when you're afraid, like people say, if you're caught out somewhere with a bear or with a wolf or or even dogs that tend to Be aggressive, they're going to be more. So if you're showing fear,   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 09:45 I'll tell you what. I had a situation up in mountain green. I was a single mom, and I had my sweet husband. Now I was dating. We had so much snow that our dog. Were walking out of this the fence, and so he put up like a little compound, and so that they couldn't walk walk out, and a wolf jumped over the fence to get to the dog food, but then couldn't jump back out. And I, you know, and I had kids, and I have Mama Bear instinct when it comes to kids, to my dog, so I ended up having to open every door in the house that led outside to the other and and then finally opened the sliding glass door so the wolf could go all the way through my house and up through and and escape, but that was a pretty harrowing experience. But you said we have to be careful about fear, because they do sense that. And you know that because of all you know your your dogs, and I'm sure that you've had pretty intense connections with certain animals   Michael Hingson ** 10:57 well, and I value that a great deal. And in fact, later this year, we're publishing a new book called Live like a guide dog, true stories from a blind man and his dogs about being brave, overcoming adversity and walking in faith. And the idea is that I use lessons that I've learned directly from all of my dogs on my wife's service dog, Fantasia, to deal with fear. And I'm it's the first time I've really started to work to try to teach people that they don't need to be, as I call it, blinded by fear or paralyzed by fear, that you can use fear as a very powerful tool to help you and that you can use it to help you focus. It isn't to say don't be afraid, but it is a question of how you're afraid and what you do with it. So yeah, I'd be really concerned about a loose wolf or cat in my yard, but I think that the thing to do is to figure out how to deal with it and and try to be peaceful with it. And mostly you can do that unless there's some disease around that, like rabies, that you don't and they don't have any control over and having gotten but mostly, I think we really can learn to be a lot more focused and use fear as a very powerful supportive tool than not. So it is, is something that will be out later this year. It's going to be out in August, and I'm looking forward to it. People have seen links to it. We've already tindalled. The publisher has already put out some pre order links and so on, and people are saying very kind things about it with so I hope it'll be as successful as thunder dog was back in 2011 which was my   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 12:38 first question to say, I can't wait to read this one, because I really enjoyed thunder dog. I enjoyed the storytelling. I enjoyed the teaching that you did with it. Some of those stories, though were were really something in the stairwell, but also when you were out of the building, and you did use fear in a in a smart way and saved people's lives like that was incredible. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 13:05 thank you. And I think that that's really what's important. And I realized when the pandemic occurred that I've been talking about not being afraid for song, but never really worked to try to help people learn how to control fear. So that's what it's about helping people. I'm and really enjoying being able to have the opportunity to get people to understand we're all better than we think we are.   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 13:32 I would agree with that 1,000%   Michael Hingson ** 13:36 so you want you went off? Did you go to college? I did,   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 13:41 I started off at University of Utah, and then I ended up at Utah State, little more smaller school that I liked better for just a few different reasons, but especially because I could just be immersed in nature, like the canyon was right there in my backyard, and I spent a lot of time up in the canyon. And so I went to, I've got a BS and a BA. I took political science and Russian language and all different, all different aspects. I got a couple different minors as as well as a couple majors and and loved it. Nothing in English, nothing on writing. So it all had to do, really, with with human relations and international relations. So it was one of those things that I thought I would do, until I began writing, and now I incorporate all of it.   Michael Hingson ** 14:34 So what did you do after college?   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 14:37 Well, I got married, and that's   Michael Hingson ** 14:41 a full time job. Yes,   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 14:43 while I was while I was in college, I had a pretty intense near death experience that solidified my faith in God in a really remarkable way. But it also I've, I've talked to a lot of people who've had near. Experiences and shared death experiences, and it seems like you you often come back with a gift, and the gift that I came back with was to be able to see people's stories in an extraordinary way. And I can almost like they'll be telling me a story, and I can see the threads of it and how that could be used for a speech, or how it could be written into a book, and how it could be, you know, even more compelling in the way that it's told. And and so I was, I was able to see that, and after college, I was able to start writing and working on some of these stories. So it really turned out to be a boon and a blessing for me.   Michael Hingson ** 15:44 If you want to, can you tell us a little bit about what happened with your near death experience?   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 15:50 Yeah, there was a time I was afraid to talk about it because it was so sacred, yeah, but I was also worried that, you know, people might think I was crazy. I hadn't in the beginning. When it first happened, I was in my early 20s. I was working three jobs and going to school and overworking. I got very, very ill and ended up in in the hospital and listening to a couple nurses outside in the corridor saying, this girl's not going to make it until morning. And Michael, I don't know how you felt in the tower, except from what you wrote in the book, but the one thing I knew was that I had not fulfilled the measure of my creation, and I had no idea what that was. I was pretty clueless for a college student, had big dreams, but I didn't know what the fulfillment of my my creation was, but I just knew I hadn't done it yet, and I was so sad that I wasn't going to have that opportunity. And you know, I had what I would call intercessory prayers, my mother really praying to save my life. And I had other people that were praying and and I had a I had actually two figures that filled my room, one I know is an angel, and then one that for me was definitely Jesus Christ, my Creator, and he told me that I was being given a second chance at life, and I didn't take any of it for granted and and the for the first time in days, I fell into a real deep sleep. My fever came down, and when the nurse came in, she's giving me more intravenous antibiotics because I've been so sick. And I told her, I just had this knowledge, like I said, you can give me every single one of these antibiotics, but not this one. It's killing me. And she thought I was a fruitcake, you know, she's like, this is the only thing saving your life. We thought you were going to be gone. And I'm like, No, I can have every one of these, but not this one. And fortunately, I had a doctor who had patients who'd had other experiences, and he listened and he says, well, we might as well take her off this one. She's on the rest of these. And because of that, I was able to walk out of the hospital in the next 24 hours under my own power. So   Michael Hingson ** 18:25 did they ever decide that you were allergic to it, or explanation   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 18:30 deeply allergic to one of those intravenous antibiotics? The moment they took me off, I started doing better. Wow. So it was pretty crazy.   Michael Hingson ** 18:41 Yeah. Well, you know my experience from Thunder dog, where I heard God's voice in in chapter 10 of thunder dog, and that was as real as it could get. And it's one of the things that led me to believe that when one door closes, a window opens, as Alexander Graham Bell once said, and the whole point is that there are things to do, and I didn't even worry about trying to figure out what they were what I needed to do was to look at opportunities as they came along and Do something with them. Of course, the next day after September 11, so on the 12th, Karen, my wife, said, You want to really call Guide Dogs for the Blind and tell them what happened, because several of them had visited us in the World Trade Center. So I did, and that led to the Director of Public Information wanting to do a story. And also she said, you're going to get visible on TV, I bet, where do you want to be first? And I wasn't thinking so. I just said, Larry King Live. And on the 14th of September, we had the first of five interviews on Larry King Live. And you know, the issue is that, again, that led to people starting to call and. And saying, We really would like you to come on and speak to us and talk to us and tell us what we should learn about September 11 and such things. And so I decided to start doing that. And I realized if I could tell people about what happened and teach them how to move forward from September 11, if I could teach people more about blindness and what guide dogs are all about and such than it was worth doing. And that's exactly what I did, and I've been doing it ever since. And then the pandemic came, and some things changed, but we continue to move on. And now I'm actually starting to ramp up speaking again, and looking for more speaking engagements to to help with the the income process, because not ready to retire yet, and don't have the money to retire yet. So anybody who needs a speaker out there, I'd love to talk with you about it. But you know, the the issue is that God gives us the opportunities, and that's really important to deal with. So anyway, I think we really do need to look at opportunities that come. And I really appreciate you talking about what you experienced, because it certainly told you that there's more to do. And I think that for all of us, there's a lot more that we can do, if we would but listen and and ponder and think about and look at what's happening in our lives to be able to move forward.   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 21:36 I would agree with that 1,000% and hopefully it doesn't have to take a Mack truck or a near death experience for us to recognize like, what a gift life really is and what a gift our story is, and how we can serve and support and lift one another.   Michael Hingson ** 21:55 Yeah, absolutely. And I think it's really important that we do focus on the stories and so well, tell me a little bit more about you and stories. You you believe that words can change the world and that we all should be telling stories. Talk more about that, and also just about the whole idea of when we're talking about stories. Do we really want to talk about the stories that limit us, and do we focus on those, or the stories of possibilities, or does it really even matter?   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 22:30 Oh, I'll tell you what it does matter. I've seen it over and over again, but I'll tell you a little history of how I discovered that. Uh, so after my near death experience, my husband and I moved to Denver, Colorado, and I had the opportunity to work as a PR consultant for a company called community learning centers, and I got to interview high risk kids, gang youth and others, but especially the ones who had turned their life around. And I was listening to stories that so different from how I had grown up that I was fascinated, but I also saw how the stories that we tell ourselves are the most important stories, and I began to see incredible patterns from that, and from that, I thought I would write a fictional book, like a story of forgiveness and redemption, and was even writing this book and and then I had a dream about this book, but it was different than what I had been writing. And in my dream, the book was about, you know, a gang, gang member who had left his gang had a huge price tag on his head, and in the dream, it was a skinhead. And I didn't know anything about skinheads, because the the kids I worked with in Denver were Bloods and Crips and we stra Familia and several others, but not any white supremacists. I had to do all kinds of research and discover their ideology. And then, you know, it was fascinating. Michael was to to have this dream and have to do this research find out more. And then I come across this guy's website, and he was looking for someone to write his life story that I had been writing from this dream. So to make a long story short, I recognized something guided and divine about stories, at least in terms of of where I was finding them, because they continued to find me. And a woman read his book and and she reached out to me, and she said, You know, I think if someone could take a story of darkness and create something of hope and healing, it would be you. And then she told me that she was the. Happy Face serial killer's daughter and asked if I would write her story. And I gotta tell you what. You know, it was difficult enough for me to write the skinhead story, but I learned and grew so much so I wasn't afraid of the story. I just didn't know how I was going to write something of hope and healing about a serial killer's daughter and and then I interviewed her, and I also received a lot of just inspirational downloads on how to write the book and, and I will tell you, because we chose to be of service. And I think this is really important for anybody who's choosing to write a book, is who are you writing to and how do you want to reach them, because when you choose to write a book to be of service, especially in non fiction. You know, in fiction, there's all different reasons to write education and entertainment, but in non fiction, we have, we have different levels that we can go to and and we chose to be of service. And I think because of that, that book did extraordinary things, and continues to it was on Oprah and Dr Phil and CNN and Good Morning America, and it still remains in the top true crime. And it's transformational true crime, because it was not only the victim story, but the rise of Melissa from victim to Victor. Now she's a producer in LA she's been doing tremendous things. I'm her biggest fan, except for her family and and I gotta tell you just that writing that book and seeing what could happen with a story that could change the world, it changed me and and it made me more open to seeing how one person could change the world. And I got to write my next story was of a woman who was the 19th wife of 65 women right here in our country, and she got married to the Prophet of the FLDS Church, which was an extreme organization, and and they were trafficking children in the name of God. And there were a lot of good and innocent people in that group, and then there were nefarious leaders. But I saw the power of this one woman, Rebecca Musser, to help dismantle an organized crime unit in the name of God, and she put Warren Jeffs behind bars for life plus 20 years. And it wasn't all her. There was a huge team. And there was these amazing you know, like attorneys and Texas Rangers and AGs office members, you know, down in Texas, and they all work together along with other witnesses. But she was a primary player. And what was really cool about that, Michael, I'll tell you, is, is Warren Jeffs had outlawed the color red because that was supposed to be the color that Christ would wear when he came again. And so none of his people were allowed to have red cars or red toys or red clothing. And every time that Rebecca testified more than 20 times in a court of law, she came Sasha and in and in some sort of red which I loved, because it was her way of telling this, this man who said he would break her, that she you know, that he did not break her and and it was really lovely. But the last time she went to testify, she had to face Warren Jeffs on her own because he had fired his attorneys. And I know that she was petrified on the inside, but she she comes into court, and she's wearing this beautiful red suit, and she turns around to be sworn in at the end, sees the galley, and I'll never forget, because I was sitting in the galley watching her, and the whole galley was filled with with red red ties on the Texas Rangers and red flowers and women's hair and, you know, red dresses. And I, I witnessed firsthand the power of one woman to change the world again. And ever since then, I've just been recognizing more and more things about story, and I've written some really incredible books since then. But I wanted to share a quote with you, because you asked about, you know, the stories that we tell ourselves, and another author that I love. He was a professor, Harold Goddard, and he said the destiny of the world is determined less by the battles lost and won than by the stories it loves and believes in. And my question to the world is, so are you? Are you going to let. Those stories that you love and believe in be stories of limitation or of possibility. And I've been able to see what happens when someone says, All right, I'm gonna begin to tell myself stories of possibility.   Michael Hingson ** 30:17 How true and so eloquently said. And the the issue is that we we limit ourselves. I've told people on this podcast a number of times that I used to always say to myself, I'm my own worst critic when I'm thinking about things. And I realized over the last year, wrong thing to say. We need to get out of the negative mindset so much in most everything that we do, and I now say I'm my own best teacher, because in reality, I'm the only one who can teach me things, people can offer and give information, but I'm my own best teacher, and I should approach everything that way. And I think more of us should really approach life from a learning and an adventure standpoint, because life really is an adventure, and it's there to give us the opportunity to learn. If we but we'll do it,   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 31:10 I would agree 1,000% it is an adventure, and I think, I think a lot of us will stay in this just just barely getting by, you know, scraping by, whether it's physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, financially, that we hold ourselves in in a box and we're afraid to venture out in the last few years like I love that you realize that people needed a way to overcome fear and really be able to face it and lean into it. And the last several years in our country, we've we've just been facing some things that have made fear come straight up in our face. I think there's a reason for that. I think all things happen for a reason, and it's time for humanity to be able to move beyond fear and to use it as a tool, as you mentioned, but but also as a stepping stone to so many greater things, including, you know, not not having to tear one another down. We've, we've been very territorial, and some of that is, you know, 1000s of years in our DNA of creating an us versus them so we can protect ourselves. And, you know, we've, we've held a lot of judgment for others, but there's this unique and beautiful thing that happens when we let down our walls. And yeah, we still need to discern. We need to, you know, if somebody tells us who they are, we need to believe them. But I also think there's so much good in people, and if we can begin to lift one another up, all the boats rise together, that humanity has some really exciting things in store.   Michael Hingson ** 32:57 We have been experiencing in so many ways from some of our political leaders, and I sort of put leaders in quotation marks, but we've been seeing so much fear. And the other thing is that a lot of people say, Well, I trust what this guy says. I trust what that guy says. And my response is, why do you trust them? Well, because he talks to me, he says what I want to hear again, whoever it is that they're talking about, and my response is, and where it gets back to the whole issue of fear is, how much of it do you verify? And it doesn't matter what political side you're on, how much of it do you really think about and analyze and really look at what one person or everyone is saying right now, I'm in California. We have the the one of the Senate races going on, and there are two major Democrats running, and one is Adam Schiff, who was involved in, of course, the whole issue of the investigation of January 6. And the other one is a woman named Katie Porter. And Adam Schiff's commercials oftentimes talk about, well, they play segments of speeches, and they do other things, and they talk about his accomplishments. And Katie Porter talks about, she doesn't take political PAC money, or federal or large corporate PAC money and other things like that. And when I heard a few of the commercials on both sides, I step back and I say, what is this person really done? Why do I want to vote for this person just because they don't take PAC money or what have they accomplished? What have they done to show me that they're truly going to be able to make our world better than than it is? And I think that it's my obligation as a voter to really look at that. And again, it doesn't matter whether it is in the Democratic side or the Republicans. Side, we really have to analyze, and if we do that, we won't be nearly as fearful of so many things as we are today.   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 35:08 I would agree with that. I'm I love what you have to say about that, because a lot of things have to do with tearing one another down, or, like you said, the fear based. But you know, what is someone's track record in building something, in creating something. So that's a very good point. Michael,   Michael Hingson ** 35:29 well, I think that we we really need to look at more than just listening to words. It's our job to to think about, to synthesize, to internalize and come up with answers based on everything, rather than relying on what some people say. I love all these conspiracy theorists all over the place are are so amazing. And you know, I don't know what to say, other than prove it, and   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 36:03 right know is that they know how to use the power of story. They just happen to be using it to tear people down. And if we're not careful, we can get sucked into a rabbit hole. And I love what you said, like more than words. What are they doing? But also, I think it's important for us to do our own research, not believe something just because everybody else says it. In fact, Michael, I had a funny experience last, last year, the year before, when some of these conspiracy theories were really hitting some high points. And there was a lot going on in terms of of human trafficking and and some of these world power theories on that. And, you know, we found out some of these were true in terms of of, you know, some high profile celebrities that got in trouble, when, when some things were going down. But was interesting because I I found out that I was on a hit list that was going out to many people that were going down these rabbit holes of conspiracy theories. And I was grateful that they were trying to do the work, but they accidentally put me on the other sheet, like, here's the enemies that we're going to go after, and then here are those people that actually will do the journalism and the research, and they'll help to bring it down. And I was supposed to be on the journalism and research and writing books that will help to bring you, know, bring down some of these monolithic crime units, and I ended up being accidentally put on the other list. And luckily, a friend of mine said, whoa, whoa, wait a minute before they publish the list. And she says she's actually see supposed to be on the on the other list. But I thought how quickly my reputation could have been ruined a split second, and that that is happening all across the United States, all across the world, and so that's why we have to stand for our own stories, because sometimes we're going to be put on the wrong list, or someone's going to hate something that we have to say. But But I also think it's, it's really important for us to take a stand for something. You know, we're really good at taking stands against things. But what are we what are we good at taking a stand for?   Michael Hingson ** 38:35 Yeah, so tell me, what do you think the deepest need is that humans have, and what do stories have to do with it?   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 38:44 I honestly deep question. It is a deep question, but it's cool, because I get to see it every day. So I'm glad that you asked that the deepest need that I see humans need is for significance. They need to know that they're here for a reason, that they're wanted, that they're needed, that they're seen and heard and valued by someone, and stories can go such a long way in doing this has to start inside of us, because whatever stories we're telling ourselves, we write the script for other people to treat us that way. I see that over and over as well. But then there's also, how do I present myself and my stories out in the world. Doesn't mean that everybody has to write a book or be a best selling author, but every day, we tell stories. We tell stories to ourselves. We tell stories to our spouses. We tell stories to our bosses and the people that are in our chain of command, or our associates. We tell stories to the the grocery clerk, and and and stories are really remarkable in their power. We were just talking about conspiracy theories, and I think we're seeing some huge things happening the last couple years in Russia too, how Russia was able, just like we've seen in the last several World Wars and other altercations, where propaganda could sway an entire nation to go up against their neighbor, who a lot of them were family members, and to believe lies about that neighboring nation. And so stories are relevant. They are important. Ever since we were around the campfire, you know, as early education of humans took place in the storytelling. At that point, we learned our roles, our responsibilities, what was possible, what we believed was impossible. And the beautiful thing is that we continue to show that we're way beyond what we once thought was impossible, and now the question is, is you know, what are we going to do with it? But stories are vital to humankind,   Michael Hingson ** 41:13 and we should appreciate them and love them and and use them to allow us to teach ourselves more things. You know, you talked earlier about fiction isn't so much about service. And I'm not totally sure I would say that. I think that the Yeah, fiction is intended to entertain. So a lot of non fiction, but, but the issue is, I think of books like the Harry Potter series, which really are so inspirational and offer so many lessons that all of us can use. And the reality is, some people say, Well, yeah, it's fiction. Well, really, so what? How many times do we hear about people who have done so many things that no one thought they or anyone can do. And one of my favorite stories is, of course, it was said for many years that no one could break the four minute mile. You would die before you could make the break the four minute mile, until Roger Banister did it in what 1956 I think it was, or 57 and then everybody started to do it, but people said that he would die before he would be able to do that, and it was a medical impossibility. But the reality is, he believed that he could, and he did,   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 42:33 I agree and and how beautiful that, that all of a sudden, he broke that entire barrier of beliefs for people. And I love that you mentioned Harry Potter. I love JK Rowling. I do too. I love what she's created. And she's done what a lot of people considered impossible, you know, a single mom with a little baby and that she had to care for, and she's riding on cocktail napkins, you know, on the train rides and and doing things. And she did something so extraordinary and reinvigorated an entire world, children and adults to want to read again. And how, how beautiful that is. And you're right, there's, there's so many lessons and other things and she does more than entertain, and I would agree with that. I also just want to share too that, you know, our world has changed quite a bit, and in which the literature for young people doesn't include as many of those profound elements of lessons and morals and friendships, and what do we do? There's a lot of darker elements to our entertainment for young people. And the one thing that I would caution in that is I can't tell you how many people you know who I've helped with their stories and write their books and other things, and they were heavily influenced by the media of that time, in that day. And so, you know, it's one of those things where I still think it's important for writers to be able to influence young people towards believing in themselves, believing in possibilities, and to believe that light can be greater than the darkness. I think we all need that right now.   Michael Hingson ** 44:28 I love Stephen King. I think he's a very creative writer, but I don't like to read nearly as much of the dark stuff as I used to. But I also think that he, like so many people, demonstrates a lot of creativity, especially in some of his earlier books, in a lot of different ways. And so I can appreciate that. And I think that any good author is one that you have to look just beyond the words to. What's going on in the story, what kind of creative things that that they bring to it. And he clearly is a good storyteller.   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 45:08 He's extremely talented. Yeah, he's jealous as I am, but charts talented, that's for sure, jealous   Michael Hingson ** 45:15 as I am. And, you know? And then there are others. Go to the Western Louis L'Amour and Zane gray. Now, Zane Gray, of course, long time ago, but one of the neat things about Zane Gray was, and is, with his stories, he's so descriptive, he draws you in and makes you feel like you're in the country he's writing about, and he talks so much about the land in the country that he he makes you feel you're there, which is so cool.   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 45:46 Oh, that's neat. I you know what? I've not read a lot of Zane Gray. I think only one or two of his back in the day, but I read a lot of Louis L'Amour Yeah. Also add Zane gray to my readers list.   Michael Hingson ** 45:58 I keep looking every so often, in case I find that there's a little and more book I haven't read because I really enjoy his writing. And yeah, a lot of them are all the same sort of basic plot, but, and it's the but, it's the difference, and his stories are all so good,   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 46:14 yeah. And it's interesting about Zayn gray too, finding out that he was a dentist, and always wonder like when he was working in people's mouths, was he, was he crafting plots and storylines, and, you know, other things, I think, and   Michael Hingson ** 46:29 telling stories? Yeah, now you mentioned once that Warren Buffett has an interesting quote that you think is extremely valuable. What is that?   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 46:38 Well, Warren Buffett, as as most people know, has been this incredibly influential business leader.   Michael Hingson ** 46:47 Talk about being a bright and creative guy, a bright and creative guy who's   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 46:51 who's worth so much more than any of us can not any of us, but many of us can conceptualize. And one of the things he's famous for teaching is, you know, if you want to be worth several times more in your lifetime, learn how to express yourself on paper and in person. So he truly believed in the power of story, and I think we've seen that through some of the smartest CEOs of our generation have been the creative storytellers, you know, the ones who who recognize the power of story, and then we're able to put that together. Apple is one of those, those fabulous examples of, you know, when they would fail and then when they could succeed spectacularly is when the storytelling got as good as the technology. The storytelling beam even better than the technology for that particular year, but they've been able to shine because of it.   Michael Hingson ** 47:57 Well, when Steve Jobs really started expressing his vision and talking about what a piece of technology should do and could do, and motivated people to then make it happen. That's so important, I think in an organization,   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 48:15 I think so too. I think so too. And I think we're going to be seeing more and more of that, and sometimes we see when, when some of these leaders fail, you know, they they tell too big of a story, and they can't manage the expectations, or they fall flat in the storytelling, or they hurt someone in the storytelling, which actually ends up not doing them good in the long run, but I think what's important is, can you be inspiring? Can you motivate? And can you be your word when you're when you're choosing to use those stories for for a greater good?   Michael Hingson ** 48:55 Another thing that's coming up, and I was going to call it the elephant in the room, but that's not fair to it. It's not fair to do that. But what about the whole issue of AI and chat, GPT and so on? Where do you see that that fits into the world today and going forward?   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 49:11 Well, that's a fascinating question. And you know, who asked me this the most are some of the young people when I'm on their podcast and I sound so old, like a grandma, and I am Grandma, you know, I'm a Mimi but, but the but these young podcasters, they want to know too, like, hey, you've been around the block. What do you think about AI? And I'm going to tell you something. There's some people who are completely against it, and they feel like we're going to hell in a hand basket really quickly because of AI and and then there are those who are saying, Hey, this is the end all, be all. And, you know, we shouldn't, and couldn't be doing anything without it. And I'm going to tell you, I'm I'm in the middle. I'm going to tell you why. Um, the reason I think that there is merit to AI is that there's certain things that it's going to do so much more quickly for us. It's going to help us with ideas, and in terms of writing, it's going to help us edit more quickly so we can communicate better. Where we run into trouble is if we're asking AI to be our brain, to be our creativity, to be our thinker. And sometimes people get really nervous about that, because they think kids will use AI and that they won't think on their own. But I will tell you this, the kids I've been seeing, even the young ones with AI, it sparks their imagination greater. They're asking smarter questions. They're wanting to see more. They're coming alive with a fire of creativity. They're not relegated to, oh, you couldn't spell a word to save your life. Well, this will spell the word for me, but I want to tell this story, and I want the graphics to look this way, and I want to create a movie and and it it enables the human imagination to take off. All I would say is, don't let it be your brain.   Michael Hingson ** 51:13 I had the honor to talk with someone a couple weeks ago, a gentleman named Glenn Gao, who's a e business coach and supports AI a great deal. He would agree with you and and me, by the way, I believe the same. One of the things that that he said was that he went to a company who wanted his coaching, and they talked about AI, and one day the CEO called his major people together and said, Take the day and study AI and then come back to my I think it was, the next day, and tell us how we should incorporate AI in one way or another, chat, GPT or whatever, into our business. And the creative, incredible ideas that people came back with the next day totally astounded the CEO, and they put things in place, and it improved the company a great deal, because the idea still is it shouldn't be the job of artificial intelligence, I think, no matter how advanced it gets, to be the end all and be all, as you said, it is Still something where I think there's a component of us that we're not going to be able to to create in the near future. Dr Ray Kurzweil would say, We'll join the human brain with with a computer, and that will change all that. I'm not convinced of that. And I know Ray, I used to work for him. I think that the reality is that artificial intelligence is a tool, and I think in the classroom, if teachers embrace it correctly, what they will do, if they think that students are starting to really use it to create their papers is teachers will get more creative and say, Okay, class, everyone's turned in their papers. Now I'm going to call on each of you, and you have a minute and a half to defend your paper in front of the whole class. I mean, there are ways to deal with it, to make sure that the students are really still doing what they should do. And I've used chat GPT to help compose some things that I've worked on. And for me, I get all that I can, I think, from the artificial intelligence system, and then I turn it into my own work by by changing things, adding things that AI didn't catch and I know making a much better article because I started using something else to help me, and I just view it as a collaborative effort, a team, and AI as part of the team.   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 53:53 And sometimes it can provide a really valuable framework for the imagination to take fire. So I, yeah, I'm with you on that. I think that there's a lot of beautiful things that can be used for   Michael Hingson ** 54:08 and I think over time, we'll realize that it's, it's such a big hot issue right now, but, you know, the internet was a big hot issue, and we still have the dark web today, and it's it's there with us, but people, by and large, have now accepted the value of the internet and what it can bring I have always believed it's a wonderful treasure trove of information, so I have a lot of fun exploring the internet. Haven't ever been to the dark web. Don't know where it is, and if I ever found it and I discovered it wasn't accessible, I'd see who I could go off and sue because they didn't make it accessible, but that's another story. That's my conspiracy for the day.   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 54:47 That's your conspiracy for the day. I've hired private detectives to go on the dark web to research situations for safety for my authors. But that's as far as I've gone.   Michael Hingson ** 54:58 I have. No idea how to get to the dark web or, you know, I mean, I can conceptually, intellectually understand the process, but would have no idea where to go to find it. So I have to, you'll have to tell me when we're done here. I've always been curious, but I hear what you're saying. And the reality is that the internet and AI are two tools that can enhance what we do so much, and I think people will eventually recognize that and will become better for it.   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 55:34 I think so too, and again, I just think we have to have faith in each other in humankind and in our own imagination. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 55:45 we just have to work on it, and we have to recognize and think it through and then take action. And we can learn to do that very well. I love to tell people, the best thing I think anyone could do is to take time at the end of the day and while you're falling asleep, think about what happened that day. Think about what worked, what didn't work, and even what worked, what could you do better with it? I never talk about failure, so the things that didn't work aren't failures. It's a learning experience, and we grow from it. And I think we can do that, but I think that it's what we have to do to become better than we are, and we can do that every single day, which is, for me, such a cool idea, and what I like to do. Well, what are some of the problems that you think exists in the world today that we as individuals can change?   56:34 How's that for a general   Michael Hingson ** 56:36 question, for you question,   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 56:37 Michael, Well, honestly, it's, it's pretty crazy. It's pretty wonderful. I I remember sometimes that I have felt helpless in the world when something has happened, particularly like in terms of of humankind, right? Sometimes there was a crime committed, and I felt helpless. Sometimes there was like a school shooting, and I felt helpless, a world disaster, and I felt helpless and I wanted to serve and do something in some capacity, and then I get asked to write a story, or I get asked to help an author, and it's just like God brings me a story to show for one thing for me to let down my judgments and and to see that there are so many solutions out there. So one of the things I'll I'll just say, is that you at talk about conspiracy theories, there is an author that I'm working with who has this tremendous story, and I can't tell you all about it today, but I'll, I'll be singing his praises to high heaven in in a few months. But what I will tell you is he had to come across one of the the roughest and nefarious conspiracy theorists of our time, and and he learned to own his voice, and he learned to be able to tell the truth In a really beautiful, extraordinary way, and part of that was was creating something that made other conspiracy theorists think twice before they were going to tell lies about individuals or families just for their own agenda or to make their own money. That's powerful. You know, when someone can use their own personal story to bring down a conspiracy theorist who's making millions of dollars based on those conspiracies that that tells you, again, the power of one person. I'm seeing world leaders do extraordinary things in terms of, how do we lift one another on the planet? How do we take care of our planet? As you know, nature is so important. Animals are so important. How are we going to take care of that? I love that you are one of those authors who in terms of accessibility and making sure that that people are being taken care of in all their forms. You're you're one that brings solutions. So I love that. Can I share story?   Michael Hingson ** 59:29 Oh, sure.   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 59:31 Okay, so one of the things we've been facing, as we've been discussing, is the last several years, this predilection for humankind to tear down one another in our fear. And I had the opportunity to work with an extraordinary person. His name is Gary Lee price, and he faced a lot of that tearing down when he was a child. He had. A mother and stepfather who he lost through murder suicide on an army base in Mannheim, Germany, and he and his baby brother were shipped from the frying pan back into a couple of horrific situations, and Gary himself faced all kinds of abuse, the worst kinds of abuse and and really a slavery in his own house and, and part of it was because the adults were working nights and they didn't know that he was being tortured and abused. And instead of becoming a horrific, violent, bitter person, Gary found God, and he found art, and he became a very famous painter in his area by the time he was in high school, but was when he found this three dimensional miracle called clay that all of a sudden his imagination took flight literally, and he's, to this day, created 1000s of sculptures that lift humankind, and they're in corporate offices and arboretums and churches and outside the Vatican and in the Hong Kong library like they are all over But in terms of solving human problems or inspiring our solving of problems. Gary was asked to create a symbol that was inspired by Dr Victor Frankel. And you know who that is, right? So he had survived four Nazi concentration camps in three years, and he lost his entire family to the gas chambers, into illness and and he got out, and he wrote this extraordinary book, Man's Search for Meaning. And in that book, eventually, and also when he would teach in the United States, he would say, you know, in the United States, it's wonderful that you have the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast. And he said, but in Vienna, we learned that that Liberty itself is not the only answer. You need to have responsibility, because without responsibility, there is no liberty. And you know, he'd seen irresponsibility and anarchy and dictatorship and annihilation. And so anyway, Dr Stephen Covey thought, wouldn't it be awesome to honor Dr Frankel with creating a symbol of the statue of responsibility, and Gary created this symbol. And after everything he'd been through as a child, when he was thinking, what is a symbol that can inspire all of humankind? And it was the symbol of one hand reaching down to grasp another to lift it up. And he says, Sometimes we're the hand reaching down, and sometimes we're the hand reaching up. And here's the COVID, Michael. In our lifetime, in fact, very soon from now, we will be seeing the beginning of the building of the statue of responsibility, and it will be 305 feet tall to match the Statue of Liberty, and it will have interactive museums and discussions for children, like, what does responsibility mean? And there's, there's many other things, but this is one of the ways that stories can change the world for the better, and symbols and art and imagination can lift us rather than destroy us,   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:47 and it should be that way. Well, tell me you've written a number of books that have become bestsellers. How does that happen that they become bestsellers?   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 1:03:58 Well, it can happen a number of different ways, especially you've probably noticed, but publishing has changed tremendously over the last 20 years. Yes, and there used to be a time when traditional publishing was pretty much the only way, and there were a few people who wrote books and and and they would do their best to get it out there. And if it was accepted by traditional publishing, it was such a glorious thing, but most people only sold between 250 and 300 books in their lifetime. And then we had the advent of Amazon, and then we had the advent of self publishing, which I'm not going chronological self publishing, it's been around for a long time. Vanity press, also for a long time, and also indie publishing, which helps to create every service you would get through traditional publishing, but you get to keep your own intellectual property and most. Of your proceeds, rather than the lion's share going to traditional and I've had the luxury and pleasure of being able to work on all sides of that like my first two books were published through a small publisher who took a chance and shattered silence when it was on. Oprah became their number one best seller for two years in a row. So it was a win for them, and it was a huge win for me. And then my third book, when it came out, we had a New York agent, and she negotiated an incredible deal with a chat and Grand Central publishing, which was one of their publishing labels underneath a shet so one of the largest publishers in the entire world, and I got to see all the beautiful machinations that New York publishing offers, all the services, all the wonders of that and the credibility that goes along with it, and and also, since that time, I've also been able to help people with national and international bestsellers on Amazon, and that's a different ball game. It's different than a New York Times or a Wall Street Journal bestseller, and it has to do with there's there's two aspects of it is, number one, making sure that all the information is set up well, and that you're in the right categories, and that you're being seen and being visible. And then the other part of the strategy is that you know, you get everyone that's in your inner circle and anyone and everybody in your family and friends and everything else, to purchase your book on the same day, close to the same time, because it raises your visibility in the ranks. And you want to become a hot, new best seller on Amazon. You want other people's eyes to be able to see it. And if you're lucky enough to have an international team, then you can often become an international bestseller and be seen in countries like France and Australia and Canada and and other things. So it's it can be a game and and you've gotta be careful, because in every every industry, they're scammers, yeah. And in terms of of indie publishing and self publishing and traditional publishing, there are scammers out there, and you've got to watch it, but it's it's a smart and fun business. Part of the business strategy in terms of pre launch, launch and post launch, you just need to make sure that you're working with reputable people who care about the longevity of your book, not just a flash in the pan, but something that's going to serve people and have a ripple effect, you know, you hope for 50 years from now, right? And that someone halfway across the world can be absolutely inspired by your book, yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 1:08:01 And whenever I get comments from people, even today, some 13 years later, and I think that will continue to happen. But who say I read your book and it's it's such a joy to hear that I'm able to help inspire people and show them something, because it's about it's about them, it's not about me, and that's really the way it should be. Well, last question for you, what's one thing that you would advise someone who wants to write a book for the first time and maybe is a little bit reluctant to do it,   Bridget Cook-Birch ** 1:08:39 so fiction or non fiction? Yes. Okay, I usually have a little different answer, but I will tell you this for whoever your main character is. So if it's non fiction, that main character is going to be you. If it's fiction, you will have an aspect of yourself in that character, but I highly recommend that you put together a chronological timeline, because every good story has backstory, and then it has the current story, and then it also has where you're taking the reader and the journey that you're taking them on. And a lot of times when we're thinking of stories, or writing stories, or writing about our own stories, we'll take down little bits and pieces, but we don't always remember the order in which they happened, or why we reacted a certain way, or certain things happened. When we put together a chronology for our character, there's so much magic that happens. You see patterns of story like, oh, we had this conversation, and then he said this, and I reacted this way, and then I got this phone call, and I said, Yes, and all of a sudden we realized, wow, there were five things that raised the stakes, that built up the tension, that. Created a change in the decision and a commitment to that change, or whatever it might might be, and we understand ourselves better, or we understand our characters better, but we can also tell a much better story to our readers,   Michael Hingson ** 1:10:20 makes perfect sense. And as I think back on thunder dog, although I didn't up front specifically thinking the way you're talking about that is the way the book actually ended up not only being written, but I had the tools that really did go in chronological order. So I was guided to do it, I guess, but it was a lot of fun, and certainly now with the new book, live like a guide dog. We, we definitely spent a lot of time on making sure that it that we did things in a very chronological way, and looked at it a lot of times, kept going back over

Bryan "Beaver" St. Clair joined us. The former Lander Tiger is now playing basketball at the College of Idaho. They'll play an exhibition game in Laramie this week as the Yotes prepare for the 2024-25 hoops season!

The Aztecs Are Going Streaking! We recap San Diego State's big road victory over Wyoming and all our adventures in Laramie. The Aztecs improve to 2-0 in Mountain West play going into a bye week and the Sons of Montezuma were there for it all. 

S2 Ep1Summer and Alyssa are back and better than ever for season 2 of Not For The Faint!Alyssa kicks off this season with the twisted life of Gary Heidnik, a man who held six women captive in his Philadelphia home, subjecting them to unimaginable horrors. Then, Summer takes us over to Laramie, Wyoming, where the mysterious disseverance of Shelley Willie has baffled investigators for decades. Despite numerous leads and theories, this cold case remains unsolved today. Sources for this weeks story:Gary Heidnik: Inside the real buffalo bills house of horrorhttps://allthatsinteresting.com/gary-heidnikInside the house of Heidnikhttps://www.phillymag.com/news/2007/07/23/inside-the-house-of-heidnik/Where are Gary Heidniks victims today?https://www.oxygen.com/monster-preacher/crime-news/monster-preacher-where-are-gary-heidniks-victims-today#:~:text=She%20is%20still%20in%20counseling,come%20in%20battling%20her%20trauma.Gary M. Heidnik and his house of horrorhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGhTo1KM5_kThe Coldest Case In Laramie (Podcast)https://open.spotify.com/show/0Z4uNINH9BXtmGpuf7DkQL

Laramie LeQuieu moved to Paragould from Benton, AR in 1992, spending his formative teenage years here as a student of Ridgecrest high school and a pastors kid. He was on staff at Marmaduke Baptist Church when the tornado came through in 2006. He now pastors Harvest Baptist Church. 

Catch the full episode of Cougar Nation from September 16, 2024 as BYU insider Mitch Harper and Matt Baiamonte breakdown the Cougars' win in Laramie over the weekend.

1:42 - Utah and Utah State reignite the fires of an old rivalry up in Logan. Utah State punched first but Utah punched harder, both showing their depth at QB with Isaac Wilson and Bryson Barnes. 24:50 - BYU travels to Laramie and hogties Wyoming with a dominant performance in all three phases. Hans gives his thoughts on where this BYU team is compared to their 3-0 start last year. 37:45 - How did the rest of the Big 12 and Mountain West do this weekend and what do the schedules for Utah's big 3 look like starting conference play?

BYU defeated the Wyoming Cowboys in Laramie, 34-14. KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper was at the game and shared his thoughts from the Cougars victory that puts them at 3-0 on the season. Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast! Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-tracks/id1146971609 YouTube Podcast: https://kslsports.com/category/podcast_results/?sid=2035&n=Cougar%20Tracks Download the KSL Sports app Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bonneville.kslsports&hl=en_US iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ksl-sports/id1435930251

KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper is in Laramie for Saturday's BYU/Wyoming game. Harper drove into town on Friday. He shared his preview of the matchup, the keys to a BYU victory, and why he's experiencing nostalgia for the BYU-Wyoming series. Subscribe to the Cougar Tracks Podcast! Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-tracks/id1146971609 YouTube Podcast: https://kslsports.com/category/podcast_results/?sid=2035&n=Cougar%20Tracks Download the KSL Sports app Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bonneville.kslsports&hl=en_US iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ksl-sports/id1435930251

Mitch Harper and Matt Baiamonte preview the BYU Wyoming game and talk about some of the players that won't be suiting up for the Cougs in Laramie. The guys also react to sound from coaches and players.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BYU on the road facing Wyoming. coaches need to be smart about how they coach QB to eliminate turnovers Final thoughts

Hour 1 Latest Tua Tagovailoa concussion leaves career in question | Athletes should be allowed to make decision to provide for family despite health More on Athlete health and making a living What You May Have Missed Hour 2 High School football latest | What's coach Ron McBride hearing about the health and status of Utah QB Cam Rising Battle of the backups | Utah State fans will have Maverik Stadium hoping for game against Utah Misc Hour 3 BYU on the road facing Wyoming. coaches need to be smart about how they coach QB to eliminate turnovers Final thoughts

Dick Harmon discusses BYU's visit to Laramie to face Wyoming, and more.

Wyoming insider Ryan Thorburn Hans remembers his time playing at Wyoming and how nasty the fans can be. Final thoughts

Every American Son of Liberty should have experience with and possession of the most famous cartridge that John Moses Browning ever invented; the .50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun). Professor Paul recently reviewed a rifle that is a cost effective entry-level .50 BMG. During our Tech Talk from EOTech Inc, we will talk about mounting optics on the big .50. During our Froglube Pro Tip, Paul has come up with another use for the Super Degreaser. Also, during our SOTG Homeroom from www.SOTGU.com, we consider a recent OpEd on Shooting News Weekly. Do you offer advice when you are at a public gun range? Should you? And, how can we best be prepared to give good advice to new gun owners? Thanks for being a part of SOTG! We hope you find value in the message we share. If you've got any questions, here are some options to contact us: Send an Email Send a Text Call Us Enjoy the show! And remember… You're a Beginner Once, a Student For Life! TOPICS COVERED THIS EPISODE Huge thanks to our Partners: EOTech | FrogLube | Hi-Point Firearms | Spike's Tactical [0:09:24] EOTech Talk - EOTechInc.com TOPIC: EOTech Vudu Scope on .50 BMG Rifle www.shootingnewsweekly.com [0:30:18] Pro Tip of the Week - FrogLube.com TOPIC: Used the Super Degreaser on black powder muzzle-loader [0:51:18] SOTG Homeroom - SOTG University TOPIC: Do You Offer Help or Advice to Other Shooters at the Range? www.shootingnewsweekly.com FEATURING: Shooting News Weekly, Madison Rising, Jarrad Markel, Paul Markel, SOTG University PARTNERS: EOTech, FrogLube, Hi-Point Firearms, Spikes Tactical FIND US ON: iTunes, Stitcher, AppleTV, Roku, Amazon, GooglePlay, YouTube, Threads, Instagram, Facebook, X SOURCES From www.shootingnewsweekly.com: Before we go one step further, I want to go on record as stating that every American son of liberty should have access to and experience with a rifle that fires the greatest cartridge that John Moses Browning ever made, the .50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun) round.  That being said, any rifle chambered in .50 BMG might seem price prohibitive and that will be true for some. But with the correct budgeting, owning the most powerful centerfire rifle available can be done. Particularly if you don't try to shoot your wad all at once.  Noreen Firearms ULR 2.0 .50 BMG A couple of years ago I walked into my favorite ranch store in Laramie, Wyoming and behind the gun counter was something I had never seen before. The rifle was big — very big — and painted in a desert camouflage pattern. I figured it had to be a .50 BMG and the clerk confirmed that it was indeed a Noreen Firearms ULR rifle. The man behind the counter indulged me and passed the massive gun over for my inspection. I had that conflicted feeling in my guts. I really wanted to buy it right there and then, but the reasonable devil talked me out of it. No, the reasonable devil's name is not Nancy.  (Click Here for Full Article)

The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network continues its 2024 college football season preview series with their Week 13 college football preview & picks. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD), Patty C (@PattyC831) & NC Nick (@NC__NicK) break down their top 30 college football games for the week in a draft style format and key in on why each game is great and what it could mean for each teams perspective seasons. Are Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners going to give the Alabama Crimson Tide a loss to start their tenure in the SEC when the Tide come to Norman, Oklahoma?Will Mike Elko and the Texas A&M Aggies be able to avoid the ultimate look ahead spot as the Aggies head to the plains to take on the Auburn Tigers a week before they host the Texas Longhorns? Can Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes head into Arrowhead Stadium and knock off Lance Leipold and the Kansas Jayhawks? Will James Madison get revenge on the Appalachian State Mountaineers as the Dukes go into Boone, North Carolina and Kidd Brewer Stadium? Could Boise State heading into Laramie, Wyoming be for the Mountain West Championship game?Will Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels be auditioning for not only the 12 team college football playoff but could Florida eventually hire Lane Kiffin to be the next head coach of the Gators? Will Brent Brennan and the Arizona Wildcats trip up when they head to Fort Worth to take on Sonny Dykes and the TCU Horned Frogs? Will the Pitt Panthers make it two in a row against Jeff Brohm and the Louisville Cardinals? Is the Brawl Of The Wild between Montana and Montana State one of the best rivalries in all of college football? Will Penn State grab a key win in Minneapolis against PJ Fleck and the Minnesota Golden Gophers? We talk it all and much more on this Week 13 edition of The College Football Experience. 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 partnersCirca Sports - 16 MILLION in guaranteed prizes w/ Circa Survivor & Circa Millions - https://www.circasports.com/circa-sports-millionFootball Contest Proxy - Use promo code SGP to save $50 at - https://www.footballcontestproxy.com/Rithmm - Player Props and Picks - Free 7 day trial! http://sportsgamblingpodcast.com/rithmmUnderdog Fantasy code SGPN - Up to $250 in BONUS CASH - https://play.underdogfantasy.com/p-sgpnGametime code SGPN - Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code SGPN for $20 off your first purchase - https://gametime.co/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

The College Football Experience (@TCEonSGPN) on the Sports Gambling Podcast Network continues its 2024 college football season preview series with their Week 13 college football preview & picks. Pick Dundee aka (@TheColbyD), Patty C (@PattyC831) & NC Nick (@NC__NicK) break down their top 30 college football games for the week in a draft style format and key in on why each game is great and what it could mean for each teams perspective seasons. Are Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners going to give the Alabama Crimson Tide a loss to start their tenure in the SEC when the Tide come to Norman, Oklahoma?Will Mike Elko and the Texas A&M Aggies be able to avoid the ultimate look ahead spot as the Aggies head to the plains to take on the Auburn Tigers a week before they host the Texas Longhorns? Can Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes head into Arrowhead Stadium and knock off Lance Leipold and the Kansas Jayhawks? Will James Madison get revenge on the Appalachian State Mountaineers as the Dukes go into Boone, North Carolina and Kidd Brewer Stadium? Could Boise State heading into Laramie, Wyoming be for the Mountain West Championship game?Will Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels be auditioning for not only the 12 team college football playoff but could Florida eventually hire Lane Kiffin to be the next head coach of the Gators? Will Brent Brennan and the Arizona Wildcats trip up when they head to Fort Worth to take on Sonny Dykes and the TCU Horned Frogs? Will the Pitt Panthers make it two in a row against Jeff Brohm and the Louisville Cardinals? Is the Brawl Of The Wild between Montana and Montana State one of the best rivalries in all of college football? Will Penn State grab a key win in Minneapolis against PJ Fleck and the Minnesota Golden Gophers? We talk it all and much more on this Week 13 edition of The College Football Experience. 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 partnersCirca Sports - 16 MILLION in guaranteed prizes w/ Circa Survivor & Circa Millions - https://www.circasports.com/circa-sports-millionFootball Contest Proxy - Use promo code SGP to save $50 at - https://www.footballcontestproxy.com/Rithmm - Player Props and Picks - Free 7 day trial! http://sportsgamblingpodcast.com/rithmmUnderdog Fantasy code SGPN - Up to $250 in BONUS CASH - https://play.underdogfantasy.com/p-sgpnGametime code SGPN - Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code SGPN for $20 off your first purchase - https://gametime.co/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

In April 1997, Ellen was on the cover of Time magazine declaring, “Yep, I'm Gay.” Then a few weeks later, her sitcom alter ego came out on TV. It was watched by 42 million people. The next year, in 1998, Will & Grace premiered on NBC. This was a watershed moment for gay representation. Then came: The Pursuit of Happiness, Mad About You, Spin City, Chicago Hope, Melrose Place, NYPD Blue, My So-Called Life, Fired Up, The Crew, Profiler, and High Society—which all started to include gay characters. The whole decade consisted of landmark moments for gay rights. In May 1996, the Supreme Court decided in Romer v. Evans that Colorado's 2nd Amendment, which denied gays and lesbians protections against discrimination, was actually unconstitutional, and in May 1998, Bill Clinton signed an executive order that made it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation in federal workplaces. The gay-rights movement in America was making real progress.  Then, something horrific happened. On a late October night in 1998, in a little town called Laramie, Wyoming, a 21-year-old college student named Matthew Shepard was killed. The details of the murder were brutal. He was pistol-whipped 18 times, beaten, tied to the bottom of a split-rail wooden fence in a remote part of town, and left there unconscious to die. When he was found, it was said that he looked like a scarecrow. One of the first responders said Matthew's face had so much blood that the only place you could see his skin was where the path of his tears had fallen and washed away the blood. He died a few days later in a nearby hospital. In the weeks and months that followed, a narrative took shape. Matthew Shepard was killed by two men who he did not know—Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson—because he was gay. It was a hate crime, and it was deplorable. As the news spread, celebrities and politicians around the country spoke out. President Clinton told journalists at the White House, “In our shock and grief one thing must remain clear: hate and prejudice are not American values.” The story of this anti-gay hate crime came to represent the very thing that many gay Americans feared America was at its worst: a place of deep bigotry, where violence against gay people is rampant, where a young man could be targeted and killed simply for being gay, and a country where there are whole cities and towns, maybe even whole regions, where gay people aren't safe. The death of Matthew Shepard became the most notorious anti-gay hate crime in American history. “Shepard is to gay rights what Emmett Till was to the civil rights movement,” as New York congressman Sean Patrick Maloney said. But what if the story wasn't true? What if Matthew Shepard wasn't murdered for being gay, but rather for something more common—though equally tragic? And why did so many people refuse to believe it when investigative journalists discovered the truth?  Those were the questions on reporter Ben Kawaller's mind when he went to Laramie earlier this month, where he interviewed residents, journalists, and former detectives who have a lot to say about the Matthew Shepard case and what really happened. Today, the real Matthew Shepard story and why the full truth is still important. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices