Podcasts about leaning

Hi all, it is with great pleasure that I introduce you to Paloma Estevez, one-half of the duo Sun & The Saint! (you'll meet Reed tomorrow!) Leaning into her ancestral genetics (it's all about creativity and talent, people!) Paloma has reimagined her life into one that is filled with much of what she's always wanted-a band she loves, a partner (in life and the band!!) who is all about hard work and fun (because you should never forget about FUN!) and so much possibility...and for Paloma (and Reed, who you'll meet tomorrow ;-)), at this point, the sky's the limit! Our conversation was truly delightful, and hearing her stories helped me understand that it is only through hard work, and deep dreaming, that we all can attain our desires! To check out Sun & The Saint, here is their website! To view their really groovy and FUN Insta, click here! And to check them out on Spotify, click here! Hooray! PLEASE REMEMBER TO RATE AND REVIEW, IT MEANS YOU REALLY, REALLY LIKE ME! (thank you Sally Field!) To watch that famous acceptance speech, click here! Your bit of beauty is this: this insanely awesome music video by Sun & The Saint, where they rock the house (or the hillside) just a little bit!!  xo

Hi all, it is with great pleasure that I introduce you to Paloma Estevez, one-half of the duo Sun & The Saint! (you'll meet Reed tomorrow!) Leaning into her ancestral genetics (it's all about creativity and talent, people!) Paloma has reimagined her life into one that is filled with much of what she's always wanted-a band she loves, a partner (in life and the band!!) who is all about hard work and fun (because you should never forget about FUN!) and so much possibility...and for Paloma (and Reed, who you'll meet tomorrow ;-)), at this point, the sky's the limit! Our conversation was truly delightful, and hearing her stories helped me understand that it is only through hard work, and deep dreaming, that we all can attain our desires! To check out Sun & The Saint, here is their website! To view their really groovy and FUN Insta, click here! And to check them out on Spotify, click here! Hooray! PLEASE REMEMBER TO RATE AND REVIEW, IT MEANS YOU REALLY, REALLY LIKE ME! (thank you Sally Field!) To watch that famous acceptance speech, click here! Your bit of beauty is this: this insanely awesome music video by Sun & The Saint, where they rock the house (or the hillside) just a little bit!!  xo

Sarah is a snack person and Heather makes a foxy friend. THANK YOU to our Patrons! Please consider directly supporting us at Patreon for ad-free episodes, access to our Discord server, and all around good vibes as you help us keep the lights on.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/hsgd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this solo episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I share three stories from my own writing life of ways that gratitude has helped me.Gratitude has been the number one thing that has helped me sustain my writing career! Leaning into gratitude in all different seasons has brought feelings of purpose, contentment, excitement and joy. From my journey I'm sharing: How a gratitude practice I began back in high school was the seed that began my podcastThe ways gratitude allowed me to shift my mindset and perspective What allowed me to manifest my childhood dreamThe importance of figuring out the essential gratitude you have for your writing projectTune into this week's episode to hear ways you can incorporate gratitude into your writing and life, wherever you are along the journey.And if you want to end the year by nourishing your creativity, sign up for

The Time Riders: Part 12 Teaching Nanu about the modern world. Based on a post by BiscuitHammer, in 16 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Some minutes passed before Becky pressed her forehead to Nanu's, holding her by the cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Nanu; I thought I'd lost you. I'm sorry; I'll teach you how to be careful. I promise." "I'm sorry, Mistress, I didn't mean to be thoughtless and frighten you," Nanu sniffled, her eyes bleary. As much as the fright by the wheeled monster, she was disconcerted by how upset her Mistress was. Rebe-kah was genuinely terrified that she'd nearly lost Nanu. It made her love her Mistress even more. "Let's go back inside," Becky suggested, pulling Nanu to her feet. "I promise, we'll try again later." She looked both ways before taking them across the road, holding Nanu close, even possessively. Becky was taking no chances. "Mistress?" "Yes, my love?" As they reached the curb back in front of Becky's house, Nanu held up the hem of her long shirt, heedless of the fact that she was flashing her cunt to a random woman walking by as she showed Becky something. "I'm sorry, the monster, it frightened me. I; I pissed myself and ruined the sack." Becky's response was somewhere between a laugh, a choke, and a sob and she caressed Nanu's shoulder as they continued walking. "Don't worry, I'll find you another." "Can it have a flaming cock on it again?" Nanu asked. "I think I rather like that." Becky smiled. "I'll buy you some more flaming cock shirts, my love. I promise." The door shut behind them, and it was time to relax. It had been quite the eventful day and it was barely noon. After a nap. "Do you have friends, Mistress?" Nanu asked as she lay on her back on the bed, gazing up at Becky. She ground and pumped her hips, slithering her cunt against her lover's, while Becky looked down at her, churning and undulating. Becky was fondling one of her ample tits, while the other was caressing one of Nanu's. In turn, Nanu was groping Becky, while her free hand had reached down and was holding her nether lips wide, exposing her throbbing clit to be brushed by Becky's. They'd already cum a few times, but were simply enjoying the sensations now. "Of course, silly," Becky giggled, loving how wet and sticky their pussies felt together. "You just haven't met any of them yet. The only person you know aside from me is Mark." "If we meet your friends, what will you tell them about me?" One of the things that Becky appreciated about Nanu was that she could fuck and still hold a conversation if she felt the need. Business didn't interfere with pleasure. "I admit, I haven't given it too much thought yet, but I would probably tell them that you're a student from another country who I have staying with me, and you don't speak English." Nanu arched her hips and side, pressing hard against Becky's cunt. "Mistress, what; what is the name of the place we are in? Where in the empire of the Romans is it?" Becky had to stop fucking because she broke down laughing. She leaned down and pressed her body to Nanu's hugging her tight while she jiggled uncontrollably. Nanu held her Mistress, but she was frowning, wondering what was so funny. She stopped frowning when Becky kissed her lovingly. "Oh, Nanu," the blonde woman said, smiling into her companion's eyes. "I have so much to explain to you still;” She sat up and then pulled Nanu into her lap. Nanu's legs wrapped around her Mistress' waist and she just looked contentedly into Becky's blue eyes. She knew she was in for an explanation she wouldn't completely understand, but as long as she was naked like this with Becky, she didn't mind, either. There wasn't much Nanu couldn't endure, as long as she kept getting fucked on a regular basis. And Becky seemed to like fucking as much as she did. It was a wonderful match, as far as Nanu was concerned. "Baby," Becky cooed, pushing a stray damp hair away from Nanu's lovely face. "Where we are now, we are very, very far from the boundaries of the Roman Empire. The place I live, it is a nation called 'Canada'." "Kaaa-na-daaa;” she said quietly. She liked the sound of it. "Is Kaaa-na-daaa a large place?" Becky tried to remember her ancient history, not to mention what she knew about her own geography. "Well," she said finally, having figured it out. "Canada is larger than the entire Roman empire at its height. Canada is the second largest nation in the world." Nanu's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Impossible!" she almost hissed in disbelief. "How have you fought off the Roman devils? Is Kaaa-na-daaa mighty?" Becky drew in a breath. This is where it got difficult. "Nanu, I know you can read, and you can count, but; do big numbers mean anything to you?" Nanu shrugged. "I could count higher than any of the other slaves in the Flavian household, and even a few of my masters and mistresses. Sometimes I was too smart and they beat me for it. I think I count well." "I'm asking because;” Becky continued, seeming hesitant. "The Roman Empire, it fell around one-thousand five-hundred years ago." Nanu said nothing, trying to understand what she had just been told. The Empire, gone? Life without Rome? Becky blushed. "It; and the time you were from, Nanu, that was just under three hundred years before Rome fell. My time, where we live now, is about eighteen-hundred years after your own." A long silence followed. Nanu shook her head. When she looked at Becky, her hazel eyes were full of worry. "Mistress, are; are you lying to me?" Becky shook her head slowly. "No, Nanu. I promised you I wouldn't lie to you." "But I don't understand what you mean," the Egyptian girl almost pleaded. "These numbers you are saying, they; I don't understand them!" She took Becky's hands in hers, her expression somewhere between afraid and desperate. "Please help me understand, Mistress.." Becky thought about what she could possibly do to help her beloved Nanu understand. She considered, her eyes closed for some seconds. When she opened them, she nodded. "Come downstairs with me and I will try," she said. Nanu clambered out of her lap and the two girls rose. Taking Nanu's hand, Becky led her downstairs to the living room. She made Nanu sit on the floor while she walked over to a corner. In said corner, behind a decorative screen, she kept a large, bluish water container, like one would find supplying the water cooler in an office. With a grunt, she began rolling it out from its storage space and toward Nanu. The former slave-girl watched curiously while Becky now turned it over with some effort, spilling out what looked to Nanu like tiny brown coins. Endless numbers of them, chinking and tinkling into a pile on the rug. "There," Becky breathed, wiping her brow. She'd already been sweaty from sex with Nanu, and the effort of rolling and tipping her change barrel had her feeling warm. She now lay down on her stomach on the carpet opposite Nanu, with the piles of tiny brown coins between them. "Nanu, these are called 'pennies', and they are a type of coin we use in my time. They are made of aeramen (copper), like some coins you know." Nanu nodded slowly. Becky held up a penny. "We're going to pretend each of these is a year. We're going to count them. And when we get to a certain point, that is how long ago the Roman Empire fell. But think of them as years, Nanu." Nanu drew a deep breath, sat with her legs crossed, and began counting, picking up the pennies and placing them into a new pile she started. "One; two; three;” Fifteen minutes later. Nanu had stopped pushing the pennies, but was still counting aloud while Becky moved the coins. "Six hundred fifty-one; six hundred fifty-two;” Becky could tell her beloved friend was getting very upset, but she kept going, because she needed Nanu to understand. The minutes dragged by, but Nanu kept counting. "Nine hundred eighty-five;” she said in a quavering voice. "Nine hundred eighty-six; nine hundred; No!" Nanu shoved the ever-growing pile of pennies away, scattering the coins, and Becky reared back in surprise. The Egyptian girl was scrambling backward on her ass, her eyes wide in fear and disbelief. She bumped into the couch before she yelped and leapt to her feet, dashing out of the room. "You're Lying!" "Nanu!" Becky called, getting hastily to her feet as the smaller girl opened the front door and burst onto the street. She was still naked, and Becky could hear her sobbing. "Shit shit shit shit;” Becky said under her breath as she pulled a long jacket out of the closet and then dashed out the door, looking around. "Nanu?" she called frantically. "Nanu!" But the girl was nowhere in sight. She looked up and down the street, seeing no bewildered pedestrians. Thank God it was Sunday, but how long could it possibly be before a tiny naked woman was noticed running around the neighborhood sobbing to herself and unable to speak English? She'd be picked up by the police, be terrified, and they would have absolutely no way of identifying her. Heaven only knows what would happen then. Poor Nanu! Becky took a chance and began heading in the direction she heard a dog barking from. She kept calling Nanu's name, having no clue where she could have gone. How on earth had no one seen her yet? Becky cursed herself. There were so many things she hadn't anticipated. How could she? She and Mark had brought Nanu forward in time to make her life better, to free her from the chains of slavery. It seemed like such a good thing to do. It had to be. After all, hadn't time let them do it? She wasn't even exactly certain what had set Nanu off, but she had an inkling. Yet another thing Becky hadn't known she needed to think through. Why would she know that? She'd never brought anyone forward in time before. How many people had? One ten millionth of this time's people? Maybe? She didn't know! This was almost as new to her as it was to Nanu. But Becky was making her own choices and knew she didn't need to be afraid. Nanu was completely surrounded by a universe she knew nothing about. Even the air had to smell completely different to her! She stopped just outside of a parkette and looked around. "Nanu!" she called loudly. She heard a gasp and then muffled sobbing, along with the rustling of foliage. She turned and saw the shrubs that marked the boundaries of the parkette moving awkwardly. She moved toward the disturbance, hoping her search was over. She stopped in front of the shrubs and spoke gently. "Nanu?" "En!" the girl hissed in panic. "Annoi!" Becky had no idea what Nanu had just said, since it wasn't Latin, but she could guess. She stopped coming forward and simply knelt down in the cold grass, determined to give Nanu the time she needed. She could see the girl now, stuffed bodily into the thicket, her hazel eyes brittle with fright. Poor Nanu had to be in agony, wedged in with all those branches and sticks poking and scratching her. How had she done it to begin with? "I'm here, Nanu," she said softly, letting Nanu see her smile, but she stayed still. "I'm sorry you got frightened. Will you please tell me what happened? I am trying so hard to understand, but I am not perfect at this, as you can see." Nanu was sobbing quietly, trying to not be heard. But after some moments, she seemed to be trying to rein in her crying so that she could speak. It took some time, words only coming out as choked gasps. Becky stayed still. She would wait however long was necessary. For Nanu, no length of time was too much. She owed it to the lovely, frightened young woman. And Nanu finally spoke. "They're gone, Mistress," she said in little more than a whisper. "They're all gone." Becky thought about what Nanu was saying and it sent a chill through her. "Nanu, do you mean your family?" "They're dead," she managed to say in a rasping whimper. "They're all dead; my mother, my father; my brothers and sisters; my Ki; her little baby daughter, Nanu; they are dust; dust;” Becky couldn't help it, she began crying too. She bent her head and her chest shuddered as she tried not to vocalize, and tears streamed down her face. This was a horrifying thought when she examined it from Nanu's point of view. Everything Nanu knew to be real was gone. And not even recently. The pennies had forced Nanu to see things in a way she was never meant to. Her family, they weren't newly dead, remembered by anyone. They weren't even decaying in graves. They were dust, nothing more than the endless sands of the land Nanu had grown up in. They'd become a sort of nothingness. "Nanu," Becky whispered, tears stinging her eyes and cold on her cheeks. "I'm so sorry. I; wish I knew what to say." "What can you say?" the girl murmured. "You are not a god, you cannot bring them to life for me. All I can ever do is go and see them, as they once were, alive and remembering me. But I will always be thinking that I live many ages of the moon after they are nothingness. I will never be rid of that realization, Mistress." "You're right, of course," Becky admitted, nodding. "It's different for you. Lots of my family members are dead, but I never met them, I never knew them. You lived with them all." "Please be honest with me, Mistress," Nanu said quietly. "How much more counting was there to do? How much bigger was the pile of coins going to get?" Becky blushed, feeling stupid for thinking it had been a good idea. The road to Hell was paved with good intentions. "It was going to be twice that size, Nanu. We; we got halfway through the counting." She closed her eyes while Nanu wept quietly again. Someone walked by, staring at her in confusion as she knelt in front of the shrubs in a long jacket, but just kept walking. Maybe it was a weird meditation thing. Nanu finally stopped crying but went silent. Becky did the only thing she could, and remained silent, waiting to see what happened next. Some minutes passed before Nanu finally spoke. "There are twigs and leaves stuck in my cunt." Despite herself, Becky began to snicker, squeezing her knees as she tried to stop. "Mistress," Nanu protested, but she was also trying to keep from giggling. "It's not funny, it hurts. Why did you let me do this?" "I'm sorry, baby," the blonde woman said finally, wiping a tear from her eye and smiling. "I'll try harder to keep you from doing crazy things. I promise." "I am naked, Mistress," Nanu pointed out. "Did you bring me something to wear?" "No, honey, I forgot, because I was so worried about you," admitted Becky. "Why are you stuffed into a shrub, anyway?" There was a pause before Nanu answered. "The dog scared me when it barked at me. Dogs scare me. The Romans use dogs for guards and for war. Why does Ka-na-da have war dogs?" "They aren't war dogs, my love," Becky said, wondering what to do next. "People keep dogs as pets. I used to have a dog when I was a little girl. I miss him very much." Nanu considered. "What was his name?" Becky was almost reluctant to say, since it now sounded silly. "His name was Frankincense. I; I just called him Frank for short." There was another pause. "What does that name even mean?" Becky shrugged. "He's named after a substance I think the Romans called olibanum." "You named your dog after that shit my Flavian masters kept burning in their rooms?" Nanu queried, clearly not impressed. "Hey, I like that smell, thank you," Becky replied. "And you be nice about my little Frankie, or you can keep the leaves and twigs in your cunt, young lady." "Sorry," Nanu snickered. "I'm sure your dog with the stupid name was very nice, Mistress." "Okay, are you ready to come home now?" asked the blonde, pondering their situation. "I can't leave you here like this, so; I guess I'll just hide you inside my coat and hope for the best. I mean, it's only seven blocks back to the house." There was a pause for some moment before Nanu answered. "Okay. I'm; I'm sorry, Mistress. I; I got scared." "I don't blame you, my love," Becky said gently. "Nobody can understand what you're feeling. Nobody, anywhere, can understand. Even Mark and I can't truly." She leaned forward and spoke quietly. "But I promise you, Nanu. We love you. And we want you to be happy. We wanted to free you from slavery and show you the wonders that Mark and I experience. But; we are not very good at planning, because even we don't know what to expect. But please believe me when I say that we want your happiness." "I know, Mistress. And I am sorry I said you were lying and ran away. I just felt terrified. Nothing made sense. It; still doesn't. All I can do is place my faith in you now." Becky nodded solemnly. Nanu was right. Becky couldn't even take her home, because Mark was the one with the time machine, and they wouldn't see him for the next three months. All this trauma had happened on Day One. Not a smooth start. She sighed. Maybe the chroniques dealer she'd found hidden away downtown could find someone to take Nanu back to her own time if she really wanted to return? She'd talk with Nanu about it in due course. She owed Nanu an out if she wanted one. "Okay," she said finally. "I'm going to move to the bush and open my coat, Nanu. Then you; uh; you get inside, I guess, and hug me with your arms and legs. Then I'll try to close my coat and get us home, okay?" The bush rustled as Nanu nodded, and then she moved forward, grunting and swearing as she unstuck herself from her deciduous prison. She almost tumbled into Becky, who was also nude underneath the long garment. She prayed that it would somehow fit around them both. As Nanu snuggled into her, Becky knelt up straight, presenting her waist. She fought to keep herself balanced as Nanu wrapped her arms and legs around her torso, her face squashed between Becky's ample tits. Great; Becky thought as she pushed to her feet and began struggling to close the coat around herself and the Nanu-shaped bundle now hanging onto her. She wheezed almost comically. If I manage to close the damn coat, I'm gonna smother Nanu between my tits. She'll suffocate before I get her the seven blocks home. How on earth did she get this far to begin with? Naked? Becky turned slowly and began to waddle out of the parkette. She pivoted ponderously onto the street and began the slow, awkward trek home. She could hear Nanu snuffling and trying to breathe inside the stretch-tight coat. As she waddled, Becky pulled the top of the coat open slightly, hoping to give Nanu some air. She looked down, seeing Nanu looking back up at her out of the darkness. "Thank you, Mistress;” the girl whispered. Becky could begin to imagine how she looked at the moment; she probably looked like she was trying to give birth to a horse. Or was smuggling a primate beneath her coat. Close enough, really. The occasional person walked by, giving her a curious glance, but then continuing on. This neighborhood wasn't known for being terribly nosy, as long as you weren't too dark of skin. Becky hadn't quite figured out how to solve that problem yet. "Eep! Nanu!" she hissed, shivering as Nanu's mouth found one of her nipples and began sucking on it. She heard Nanu hum contentedly, clearly willing to occupy herself this way while Becky got them home. "What're you doing, you brat?" Nanu ignored her, and Becky realized she'd been speaking English, so Nanu was free to not notice anything she said and had a perfectly viable excuse for doing so. Becky bit her lip as Nanu's wicked tongue swirled around her nipple before she began sucking again. Worse, one of the little brat's hands found her cunt and began stoking it. Whether she wanted to or not, Becky started getting wet and she tried waddling faster. Becky was going to kill Nanu when they got home. She was going to fuck her to death! Another block down. Becky could feel her face was flushed, and she was sweating now, and not only from the effort of carrying Nanu around her middle beneath the damned coat. She bit her lip and groaned as her eyes almost rolled up into her head. Dammit, one of Nanu's fingers found her way inside Becky's cunt! She tried closing her legs as she walked, to force the little tramp's finger out, but she quickly realized she would lose her balance and fall over if she kept this up. Sighing in frustration, she kept her legs open while she walked, doing her best to walk faster. "What're you smuggling under your coat, Fischer?" guffawed a neighbor as he walked by. "An orangutan?" "Uh; just groceries I have to protect!" Becky replied hastily, wrapping her arms under Nanu's ass as if holding the aforementioned imaginary groceries. She heard Nanu sigh and wiggle her cheeks on the hands. She kept sucking on Becky's tits and fingering her cunt. Becky's knees were trembling, and she was fairly certain she was dripping, leaving a path of sticky droplets on the sidewalk her behind her. Her whole body was tingling, even as she struggled to walk. "Uh!" Becky gasped loudly as Nanu bit and tugged on the nipple, the delicious sting lancing along the blonde's nervous system. "You little brat," she hissed, pulling the top of the coat open and scowling down into it. "When we get home, I am spanking your ass right off, young lady!" "If you make it that far, Mistress," Nanu replied, smirking up at her evilly. "If you make it home before you cum, I will eat a whole package of that bay-kon as punishment." Becky waddled faster, panting now as she fought for control. Nanu had two fingers in her now, making scooping motions along her upper wall. "Uh, that's cheating, you little slut!" "It is taking us so long to get home, Mistress," Nanu teased, slithering her tongue around a nipple. "How far are we walking? The length of your Ka-na-da?" Staggering quickly, almost wheezing like she was about to give birth, Becky moved on relentlessly. She almost couldn't see anything as pleasure kept flooding through her, promising orgasm was just around the corner. But Becky knew she didn't have strength to climax and keep moving. If she came, she would be collapsing to her knees and cumming on the sidewalk. If she was lucky, she'd remain kneeling. Sweat was streaming from her body. She was amazed Nanu was still able to hold on at all. C'mon; c'mon. She moaned as Nanu got a third slender finger inside her Mistress, and some woman chose that exact moment to go jogging by, giving Becky a confused look. Becky ignored her and just soldiered on as best she could. She could feel her arousal trickling down her inner thighs. How ridiculous must she have looked, barefoot, waddling around in a long jacket, smuggling an octopus while grunting and moaning like she was in a porn movie? She had barely turned up onto the little walkway leading up to her house before she tore the coat open and burst into a run, stampeding up the stairs while Nanu squeaked in alarm. She flung the door open and staggered inside, panting like she'd just run a marathon and sweating like she'd been fucked by twenty men in a row. Nanu was goggling up at her Mistress in shock (and maybe a little panic). Becky's blue eyes flashed and she grabbed the slave-girl and shoved her down her sweat-slicked body. Nanu's knees hit the wooden floor and she barely had time to register what had happened before Becky grabbed her head and jammed it against her steaming cunt. Nanu grunted and almost choked as Becky ground her hips with a dreadful eagerness, desperate to cum. Nanu slid her tongue inside and lashed her Mistress' cunt frantically. One of Becky's hands scrabbled for and finally grabbed onto the front door, managing to swing it closed so that they couldn't be seen from outside anymore. Leaning back against the wall, she bucked her hips furiously against Nanu's face, both her hands now gripping the Egyptian girl's black hair. She hissed and panted, her entire body shaking. Becky clamped her hands over her mouth and shrieked, juddering as the orgasm rocked her. She was barely cognizant of Nanu below her, trying not to drown as Becky's cunt flooded over. Becky pumped and ground greedily, reality spinning around her. She felt herself slumping down the wall to the floor, her hand on the back of Nanu's head, making sure the girl didn't try to escape. Becky felt like her eyes had switched sockets. Thank God this hadn't happened on the street or she would have been arrested, no question. At last, she opened her eyes and Nanu was kneeling in front of her, waiting patiently with her hands in her lap. Her face and much of her upper chest were glistening with Becky's cum. Not surprisingly, she didn't seem to mind. She stayed quiet until Becky seemed more focused before she finally spoke. "I guess I'm going to have the shits for a few days after the bay-kon, aren't I, Mistress? I lost the wager." Becky wearily reached up and caressed her beloved Nanu's hair. "I'm not letting you eat all my bacon, you silly slut. I love bacon. I'll figure some other way to punish you for losing the wager, like tonguing my ass or something." Nanu nodded. "I think I will enjoy losing wagers to you, Mistress." Becky laughed tiredly. They weren't even through their first day yet and she was exhausted. How many millions more things did she have to teach Nanu before this would was safe for her? And she only had three months to do it! Who would've thought that introducing someone to the future would prove so troublesome? "So you do want to see how the television works?" Becky asked, holding up the remote. Nanu looked at her curiously. They were both naked again, and in all likelihood intended to stay that way, unless they had to leave the house. Becky imagined that Nanu's ass probably still hurt somewhat, and anything she could do to relieve the discomfort was likely in order. Not wearing clothes seemed like a good start. "Mistress, I don't even know what it does, never mind how it works," the Egyptian girl pointed out, sitting on the floor, cross-legged. She gestured at the small black device her mistress held. "Wassa?" "This controls the television for me," Becky said, sitting down next to her charge and showing Nanu all the tiny buttons on the device. Granted, Nanu didn't know what buttons were, so she merely frowned at the remote in mild confusion. "I use it to watch things on the television. It allows me to select what I watch." She pointed the remote at the television and pushed the Power button. The High Definition unit, which was actually longer than Nanu was tall, winked on, and noise blared from it as images came on the screen. Nanu squealed at the sound and scrambled behind Becky, hiding and clutching her mistress' flanks. Becky giggled and lowered the volume. "You can come out now, hero," Becky said, smirking. "I lowered the volume." Nanu peeked out from behind her mistress, looking at the screen warily. She stared for some seconds, unable to understand what she was seeing. Some yellow-haired woman, ridiculously overclothed, was looking at Nanu and babbling in what she could only assume was En-gush. She had a serious look on her face as she spoke into what looked like a black cock. It was windy, apparently, because her hair was blowing around. Nanu slowly crawled toward the TV, her eyes narrowing. Becky watched in amusement, still sitting some distance away. Nanu had a great ass, and she could stare at it endlessly. The younger woman moved close to the screen, staring in bewilderment. Becky had lowered the volume sufficiently so that the news reporter wasn't yelling in Nanu's face. Nanu stared, then moved to the side of the television, looking around and behind it, sitting on its smoked glass countertop. She crawled around to the other side and looked behind again. Finally, she turned and looked at Becky in confusion. "Mistress?" she asked uncertainly. "Why do you keep the woman in the tiny box? How?" Becky had half-expected the question, of course, but it was still funny to hear. Once she was done snickering (Nanu waited patiently, looking only slightly annoyed), Becky replied. "She is not trapped inside the television, darling. It is a device that can show me other people. You have paintings in Rome and back in Egypt, right?" Nanu nodded. "And of course, a painting is just an illustration of someone," Becky explained. She'd had a little bit of time to put thought into this. "They're not actually in the painting, trapped." "So;” Nanu ventured, thinking about it. "The woman inside the box is a painting? Why can it move and talk to me?" "It's not a painting, it's a representation of her," Becky replied, knowing this would get awkward. "A television allows me to see things that are happening elsewhere." Nanu's eyes widened in shock. "The woman you see on the television is here in the city somewhere. I can see other people as well;” She changed the channel, and the television now displayed a Tom and Jerry cartoon. Unfortunately, a split second after the cartoon came up, Tom screamed loudly, having stabbed himself in the ass with a needle on the end of a pool cue. Nanu yelped in fright and threw herself into Becky's arms, shaking. Becky wheezed as she tumbled onto her back, holding onto her young ward. Nanu was trembling, her face stuffed between Becky's boobs. "Mistress, the box frightens me," the girl whispered. "It is too loud." "We can change how loud it is, Nanu," Becky said gently, pushing herself up into a sitting position and hugging Nanu, who was still wrapped around her, refusing to let go. "My world is probably rather loud compared to the one you know, my love. And the noises will be things you're not used to. But I promise you that you will adapt. Just like you did to life in Rome, and just like you will to bacon." Nanu nodded and then turned her head to look back at the TV. "Is; is that supposed to be a mouse and a cat?" Becky nodded. "Someone drew them to look comical and make people laugh." "The mouse is trying to kill the cat," Nanu pointed out. "He struck the cat on the head with the stick so that the cat screamed and swallowed that rolling ball. The mouse is evil. Are cats not sacred in your time, Mistress?" "Cats think they are, but many people just keep them as pets," Becky laughed. "Turn around and let me show you more. And I promise you, Nanu, nobody is caught inside the box. I don't quite know how to explain yet, but I will when I can. The television is meant to entertain." She changed the channel again and Nanu watched intently as Rocky Balboa and Ivan Drago slugging it out on the screen. "You have gladiators in your society, Mistress?" she breathed, watching the bulging muscles flex as the two men pummeled one another. "We pay some athletes to fight, but we do not have death sports, like you remember," Becky replied, shrugging as she hugged Nanu, who was still sitting in her lap. "I mean, maybe some countries like the Veniti (Russians) do, but they're rather barbaric. We have Olympics, like you remember, just a lot more events. But this is just a story being told, this isn't real." "It looks very real," Nanu said, still glued to the screen. "I can hear them hitting each other." "Did you ever see a drama or play, Nanu?" Becky asked, which got a nodding head from the smaller girl. "Well, just like in those plays or dramas, the actors can pretend to strike one another. In my time, we might just be better at making it look real." "How do you tell fake fights and real fights apart?" Nanu asked. Becky could feel the other girl squirming in her lap. Nanu was getting turned on watching muscular men beat one another up. "Circumiastentia, (context)," Becky replied. "The television will tell you if you are watching something that actually happened, or whether it is a drama." Nanu tilted her head. "Can you show me a real fight?" Becky considered and then switched to a sports channel. Quickly enough, she came across an MMA fight between two women. Nanu gaped as she watched the women grapple and beat the shit out of one another. "Oh, Nunes! She Just Hurt Cyborg!" crowed the announcer. Not that the Egyptian girl understood what he was saying. "And; they never use weapons?" Nanu asked in a quiet but somehow hopeful voice. "No, you bloodthirsty little thing," Becky giggled, hugging her tight and wiggling her boobs into Nanu's back. "If you see weapons, it is probably a drama and not real." "These women are not very attractive, and punching each other just makes it worse," Nanu said, wrinkling her nose. "I would not fuck them. Are they fighting over a man?" Becky wasn't about to try to explain that Amanda Nunes was married to another woman who was also an MMA fighter. She just let her continue to watch while blood and teeth flew everywhere. "What else, does the magic box show us?" Becky thought of how to explain. She thought about anything Nanu might have been familiar with. "Do you; remember how announcements were placed in the Forum in Rome for people to read?" Nanu nodded. "The acta diurna. They told us about things that were happening. I was one of three Flavian slaves who could read them. It made the others jealous. But mostly we just found out about things from hearsay, people telling other people things." "Well, there are people who are paid to report nuntium (news)," Becky said. "That way, you can know what's going on, not just here in the city, but almost anywhere in the world." Nanu leaned back into Becky and looked up at her. "What IS the name of this city you live in, Mistress?" "Toronto," Becky said. This drew a frown from Nanu. Becky picked up Nanu's hand and gently pressed her lips against her palm. "To-ron-to." Nanu shook her head. "Maybe if you said it against my lips, Mistress." Becky giggled and shook her head. "You little slut;” She leaned down and her lips barely touched Nanu's. "Tor-ron-to." Fifteen minutes of almost kissing passed before Nanu could say Toronto. Becky wasn't at all surprised. It occurred to her that maybe one way to ease Nanu into her new environs and life was to find ways in which it was similar to her old one. "I know you don't speak English yet, darling, but I might be able to help you learn a little more quickly. Can you spell your name?" "Nanu nodded. "I can speak Latin and read some, Mistress, but; I only know how to write a few words. One of them is my name." "Come," Becky said, getting Nanu out of her lap and getting to her feet. Nanu followed suit. "Let's go to the kitchen;” She brought Nanu by the hand into the kitchen and stopped in front of the fridge. She had a small whiteboard stuck to it, and some colored markers alongside. She popped the top of the black marker and then drew a large dot on the board, demonstrating for Nanu how it worked. She then handed the marker to Nanu. The Egyptian girl looked at it curiously and then sniffed the tip. "Don't lick it, Nanu," Becky said gently but firmly. Nanu grimaced and stuck her tongue back in her mouth, sighing and turning toward the whiteboard. It was a glossy white color she'd almost never seen before. She gripped the marker awkwardly, in her fist, and pressed the tip against the white surface, obeying Becky's instructions to not press so hard. She slowly drew out her name on the surface. NANV "Good," Becky said as the slave-girl wiped her forehead. "Now, watch me spell your name in English;” NANU Nanu looked shocked. "Mistress, they are almost exactly the same," she breathed. "Why are they so similar?" Becky smiled. "My language borrows many, many things from Latin, including the alphabet. Many words have Latin origins as well." She wrote the name of Rome in Latin and English for Nanu, followed by the words for Egypt. ROMA ROME AEGYPTUS EGYPT. Nanu got quiet for a moment. "Mistress, I; I know my family is gone now but; what does my home look like?" "Do you mean Egypt?" Becky asked. Nanu nodded. "Well, it is still largely desert, except along the river, but there are many large cities like my own there now. The city that is the capital of the Egyptian nation is one of the largest in the world." Nanu almost looked excited. "My people are numerous and mighty?" Becky paused a second too long in answering and Nanu's expression changed to one of concern. "Mistress? Tell me the truth." Becky led her over to two small chairs and held her hand while they sat down. Becky drew a deep breath. "It is hard to explain, Nanu. Your nation is populated, like I said, but; I don't think the people there are Egyptians the way you understand them." Nanu almost went pale. "We have been destroyed?" "No, not as such," Becky fumbled, trying to explain. "But; for centuries after your time, there were waves of people who moved through the lands. Do you know who the Arabs are?" Nanu thought about that. "They are nomads from the great desert, aren't they?" Becky nodded. "After the Roman Empire fell, the next great empire was one ruled by the Arab tribes. Egypt fell to them. Modern scholars believe that the Arabs are the blood of Egypt now, and much of northern Africa. They had children with your people, and then with those children in time, and soon; your blood, true Egyptian blood, was no more. Not as you would think of it." The Egyptian girl was silent for some time, staring at nothing. Or Becky's boobs. It was a fair bet with Nanu. "My people are gone;” she murmured, looking at the floor. "We are no more;” Becky nodded sadly. "There are many civilizations in the world that has happened to, Nanu. Egypt, your Egypt, just happens to be one of them. If the scholars are right about that, then you are the only person in my world of your bloodline, your people." Nanu finally looked up at Becky and nodded. "Then I must fuck and have children so that the people of the Black Land may rise again. I will be the new queen of a new, mighty people of Keme." Becky smiled warmly. Nothing ever seemed to daunt Nanu for long. "Nanu, my love, somehow I do not doubt that about you. Let's eat, shall we?" This time around, Becky chose the foods carefully, mostly relying on fresh fruits and vegetables. She did her best to buy organic products, free of pesticides and preservatives, so hopefully this meal would not wreak havoc on Nanu's digestive tract. Nanu watched patiently as her mistress prepared the food, cutting into a loaf of what seemed to be bread, and smelled wonderful. Becky had baked it not long before she and Mark had gone to retrieve Nanu, so it was still quite fresh. She brought everything to the table and sat Nanu down before sitting herself. "Apples, pears, blackberries, celery, scallions, cherry tomatoes, bread I made myself, with butter and my own peanut butter," Becky said, pointing to everything in turn. "I think you'll like it." Nanu made a wry face when she looked at the peanut butter. "What is that, Mistress? I would be rude if I said what it looked like." Becky snickered, remembering that the Romans had no damn idea what a peanut was. "It is a paste made of a ground up nut. You have eaten almonds?" The Egyptian girl nodded, still looking at the brown goop suspiciously. "This is like almonds, but I have ground them up and made a paste out of them. Try a bit on your spoon." Nanu trusted her mistress enough to dip her spoon in the goop that looked like warm shit, and licked it with her tongue apprehensively. She smacked her lips as she tasted the peanut butter, her eyes darting back and forth. Then she blinked and dunked her spoon into the condiment, scooping up a huge glob and shoving it in her mouth eagerly. "Leave some for me, you brat!" Becky laughed. "You spread it on your bread, although you can also put it on some of your fruits and vegetables, like the apples or celery. Let me show you." She demonstrated spreading the peanut butter on her piece of bread, and Nanu followed suit. Nanu devoured the bread covered in peanut butter quickly, then began experimenting with putting the substance on the other foods on her plate. Some were a miss, but she seemed delighted with the peanut butter on the apples and celery, as her mistress had suggested. "Mistress, I cannot wait to lick this off of you;” the Egyptian girl breathed. "This is as good as licking honey off a cunt." "All in due course, my dear," Becky assured her. "For now, just eat." "How will I eat, Mistress?" Nanu asked as she shoveled apple and peanut butter down her gullet. "You said that you must work, you are to be gone for long parts of some days. How will I feed myself if I cannot work the food makers?" "I will start teaching you," the blonde said, smiling. "But until then, I will make food for you and leave it in the cold box and you can eat it when you get hungry. It might be cold food, but you will like it, I promise. And maybe I can show you how to prepare some things that don't require the heat makers." "I would like to learn, Mistress," Nanu said, pausing eating long enough to indicate she was serious. "I want to thrive in my new world, and to do that, I must be able to feed myself. You said you teach young minds?" Becky nodded. "Young men and women, from the ages of thirteen to eighteen. I teach them sciences." "Why are girls taught, Mistress?" Nanu asked. "If they just need to be able to read before they marry and have children, why would they learn anything else? Especially a science?" Becky almost laughed. "In this day and age, Nanu, education is the right of everyone, man or woman, girl or boy. Women, as it turns out, are every bit as capable as men when it comes to academia. That's why I'm a teacher, after all." "I just thought you were smarter than everyone else and exceptional," Nanu grunted, going back to her food. "You are certainly smarter than M-ark." "You'll get no argument from me, darling," giggled the older girl, drinking some milk. "Mark is currently failing my science class." "Do you beat him?" queried Nanu. "In my time, negligent boys are held down and whipped with a leather strap if they are failing in their studies." "No, we don't beat our students, tempting as that sounds," Becky said, picturing herself beating Mark's ass for yet another D grade in her class. "But when I work, which is generally five days a week, I leave in the morning and am back in the mid-afternoon. Between eight and nine hours." "That is a long time for me to be alone, Mistress, but I will manage," Nanu sighed. "If you show me how to do things and keep myself amused, I will be fine. Maybe I can teach myself about your world." "I absolutely believe that about you, Nanu, you are a very smart young woman," Becky said, nodding and smiling. "You may have just been a dancing slave in your old life, but I'll bet you could be anything you want here in my world, if you are diligent and work hard." Nanu's eyes widened. "You mean I could become a mighty and feared queen who conquers her enemies? I will work so very hard, Mistress!" "Let's just make sure you can conquer to the TV remote first," Becky laughed as she began to clear off the table, leaving the peanut butter for Nanu. It had been a long time since she'd had it licked off her tits or her cunt, after all. They spent a good deal of the afternoon in the bathtub, where Nanu was resting back against her mistress, humming in contentment as she luxuriated in the hot, scented water. Becky was fond of adding oils to her bath, making her skin smooth, and she loved how it made her smell, even after a vigorous workout at her Krav-Maga class. "Hmm, this feels so nice, Mistress," the Egyptian girl murmured, snuggling back against Becky, her eyes closed. "Even warmer than the baths of Trajan, and much warmer than my master kept his." "I like it," Becky said agreeably, scooping up water in her hands and pouring it down over Nanu's tits and down her torso. She caressed the smooth, tan skin gently, making Nanu sigh in pleasure. They'd fucked again before the bath, making each other cum at least twice. Nanu had indeed licked peanut butter off Becky's cunt, and out of it. The brat in her came out and she managed to smear it all over Becky's front before the blonde could stop her, resulting in Nanu having to lick it all off, apparently. A terrible dilemma for them both. Once they'd showered, Becky drew a bath, and this was where they found themselves now, relaxing and winding down the day. "And you can't take me with you to your work?" Nanu asked, her head nuzzled back between the twin pillows of Becky's tits. "It's not a good idea right now, my love," the teacher answered, stroking her lover. "It's hard to explain, but Mark is there, and he can't see you right now." "I thought you said we couldn't see Mark for three whole months?" Nanu asked, making a wry face. "But you see him at your school every day?" Becky considered how to explain. "You now understand that Mark and I travel through time, right?" Nanu nodded. "I don't understand at all how you do it, but I have seen it for myself, so yes." "Well; imagine if I took you to see your family, but before you were even born. Like, if your parents were so young that they haven't even met yet. You might know who they are, but they would have no idea who you were, because you weren't born yet." Nanu squeezed her eyes shut, thinking very hard, but it was a losing battle. "Keep going, Mistress." "The Mark you would see in my school doesn't know about time travel yet, or you. He isn't my lover yet. He won't be until three months from now. The Mark you know and love is from three months ahead of us, darling. So; you meeting the Mark who exists at the same time we do is a bad idea." Nanu shook her head. "I don't understand how meeting this Mark could be bad when meeting the Mark of tomorrow isn't. But I guess I must just take your word for it; again." "Probably for the best, Nanu," Becky giggled. "Don't worry, I don't like it either." "Three months without cock, Mistress," the younger girl almost groused. "How do you survive it?" "Nanu, just because we can't see Mark doesn't mean we can't have sex with men," Becky pointed out. "Mark doesn't own us, we can fuck whomever we please, just as he can." "Just not your students," Nanu grunted. "Who else is there?" Becky shrugged. "There's quite a few teachers, but that's awkward to me. I don't want to fuck my co-workers." "There must be lots of people in this world to fuck, Mistress," Nanu insisted. "And yes, I love you, and your cunt, but three months without cock is long time for me. I could have it nightly if I wanted when I was a slave." Becky reflected on that conundrum. Before she'd begun time travelling with Mark, she'd actually been experiencing quite a drought when it came to getting laid. It had been more than a year since she'd gotten any, and that pent-up tension had a tendency to come out during her Krav-Maga lessons. She couldn't help but think that maybe, in a world so very many times larger than Nanu's, she'd made her own life difficult by being overly fussy. After all, she'd hardly shown any restraint at all once she'd gotten into the time stream, had she? In Renaissance France, she'd fucked the innkeeper's two daughters quite readily. She rarely been with a woman since her days at university. And at the Flavian villa in Nanu's Rome, she'd fucked several men and women at once, because she could. It was an orgy, after all. What the Hell was so hard about getting laid in her own time? "Nanu, I promise you, we will fuck men before we meet Mark again," she assured her charge. "Maybe I don't know who yet, but I'll make it happen." Nanu nodded drowsily, the warmth of the water in the tub getting to her. "Hmm, glad to hear it, Mistress. I do love a stiff cock in my cunt." "So do I, my love," Becky sighed, finding her own mind wandering because of the water and the sensation of Nanu's soft body against hers. She had to admit, she normally wasn't this relaxed, even after her yoga and meditation. Sometimes, there was just no substitute for getting lots of sex. "I don't want you to worry about me going to work and leaving you tomorrow. I will make sure you are fed and have things to do. We'll make all your food tonight so that it's ready for tomorrow." "Where can we get some cock, Mistress?" Nanu asked, seemingly becoming fixated. Not that Becky blamed her. The blonde closed her eyes and pondered that for a few moments. Where was she guaranteed to get Nanu and herself laid without big risk? Of course! Talk about surefire! She smiled down at her companion and hugged her close. "Nanu, I have an idea, and it will certainly result in cock for you. All the cock you want and very likely the biggest. But you'll need to bear with me first, okay? I have to teach you some things." Nanu looked back at her and nodded eagerly. "Yes, Mistress. I will learn so well if it means I get some cock!" I can't tell if she's more food-motivated or sex-motivated, Becky thought with a smirk. "Okay, then. It'll likely be later this week, so you need to be patient. But there's much to do before then." Becky reached out of the tub and picked up her cellphone, which Nanu looked at curiously. Becky pressed some small dots on the surface, which had a very lifelike picture of her Mistress on it. Becky could see Nanu's confusion and remembered that the girl had no idea what the Hell a button was. Where in ancient Rome would she have seen a button? She keyed in a number and then hit the speaker button, allowing Nanu to hear what was happening. She made a shush gesture with her finger, indicating that Nanu was to be quiet. The Egyptian girl nodded and watched intently. Nanu frowned as she heard a weird buzzing sound that was uncomfortable in her ears. Then it stopped and was replaced by a lyrical, wondrous voice. "Hello?" "Heya, Lady Prof," Becky said cheerfully. "It's Becky." What sounded like a gasp of delight emanated from the little box Becky held, and then the wonderful voice again. "Rebecca Nightingale Fischer! How are you, my dearest and most talented student?" "I'm good, thanks," Becky replied, feeling a delicious tingle at the sound of that voice. "If you and Lord High Eve

After a period of personal growth, loss and change, Canadian singer-songwriter Julianna Riolino is bringing some hard-won confidence to her sophomore album. It's called “Echo in the Dust” and it's out now. Julianna sat down with Tom Power to talk about the record and to set up a song titled “Be Good To Your Mother.”

It's a special birthday episode in the series! In this episode, I share how to tweak your publishing strategy to thrive right now. Mentioned in this Episode: Get a Ticket for the $400k Profit Plan Workshop (to be held 24 November): https://www.lifestylebusinessschool.co/tyis8awr Get the Online Business Model Map I Recommend for 2026: https://lifestylebusiness.school/profit-plan-lm-1Want more? Here's how we can help you: Enjoy this content? Follow and subscribe for more: → Follow Stevie on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/steviedillon_/ → Subscribe on Substack — https://lifestylebusinessschool.substack.com

Aunties on Air: The Voices of Our AncestorsWe continue to lean into learning with Dwayne Tomah after his visit with us in our "Leaning into Learning" series where we spoke with him about our language! Throughout history, we have seen significant contributions to Wabanaki culture and language, with each contribution deserving discussion and visibility. Today, in the studio, we welcome back Uncle Dwayne Tomah, a language and culture sharer. Dwayne's work is felt throughout Wabanaki territory, as his generosity and gentle teachings have reached many people. During our episode we will discuss Dwayne's work on the 1890 Passamaquoddy Wax Cylinders, the first audio recordings of our ancestors. Wabanaki Words Used:Apc-oc (again in the future, parting, good-bye, farewell) https://pmportal.org/dictionary/apc-oc Topics Discussed:Dwayne Tomah - https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/t/to-tz/dwayne-tomah/VWax Cylinder Project - https://passamaquoddypeople.com/language/passamaquoddyJesse Walter Fewkes - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Walter_FewkesLibrary of Congress - https://www.loc.gov/Donald Soctomah - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_SoctomahRoger Paul - https://umaine.edu/nativeamericanprograms/people/rogerpaul/Augusta, Maine - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusta,_MaineState House (Augusta) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine_State_HouseUniversity of Maine - https://umaine.edu/PM Portal - https://pmportal.org/Snake Dance (Video) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-FDXr6q0qg Wabanaki Tribal Nations:Houlton Band of Maliseet  Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians | Littleton, ME (maliseets.net)Mi'kmaq Mi'kmaq Nation | Presque Isle, ME (micmac-nsn.gov)Passamaquoddy Tribe Indian Township  Passamaquoddy Tribe @ Indian Township | Peskotomuhkati MotahkomikukPassamaquoddy Tribe Sipayik  Sipayik Tribal Government – Sipayik (wabanaki.com)Penobscot Nation  Penobscot Nation | Departments & Info | Indian Island, Maine Special Thanks/Woliwon: Guests: Dwayne TomahProducer: Gavin AllenPodcast Team: Becky Soctomah Bailey, Macy Flanders

In this episode of Mental Fitness Conversations, host Mundanara Bayles chats with Aaliyah Bula - a proud Tongan, Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi woman, athlete and community leader - about what mental fitness means to her. Aaliyah’s journey is one of strength, connection and cultural pride. Aaliyah has always balanced her passion for culture with her drive in sport. She’s played Open Women’s footy with the Redfern All Blacks and continues her rugby league journey with the Canterbury Bulldogs U19s Tarsha Gale squad. In 2025, she joined the Wests Tigers NRLW as a development player. Aaliyah’s insights remind us that mental fitness is about surrounding yourself with people who lift you up, staying proud of where you come from and trusting your own path. Whether you’re an athlete, a student or just navigating life’s ups and downs, this episode is a reminder that small actions - like leaning on your mates, practising gratitude and staying connected - can make a big difference to your mental wellbeing. Resources and linksFind out more about Gotcha4Life at www.gotcha4life.org and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @gotcha4life and on Instagram @blackmagicwomanpodcast. The Gotcha4Life Mental Fitness Gym App is free and available now. Download it today and start your first mental workout online. Follow Aaliyah on Instagram @aaliyahbula About the podcastHosted by award-winning Indigenous businesswoman and Gotcha4Life Board Member Mundanara Bayles, and produced in partnership with Black Magic Woman, Mental Fitness Conversations centres First Nations voices in powerful conversations about culture, connection and what truly sustains mental fitness. Content noteThis episode includes discussion of mental health challenges which may be confronting. Please practise self-care and reach out if you need support. Services available 24/7 include 13YARN on 13 92 76 and Lifeline on 13 11 14.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rookies are often told to stick to one investing strategy, but today's guest is going against the grain by combining the long-term appreciation of rental properties and the passive income of private money lending. Want to build a diversified real estate portfolio that can weather any kind of market shift or job loss? He has the blueprint! Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Shalom Yusufov's first real estate deal wasn't your average single-family rental. In fact, it wasn't a rental at all, but a private lending opportunity that gave him a whopping 11% return. Leaning on the experience from that first deal, Shalom has gone on to complete several private money deals, start his own fund, and buy nine cash-flowing rental units in just ONE year! But it hasn't been all smooth sailing. In this episode, Shalom discusses one of the deals that went south and why it's so crucial to vet both the property and the borrower on every private money deal. He also talks about why you should always have multiple exit strategies, and why becoming a landlord isn't quite as time-consuming as some would have you think! In This Episode We Cover: How to get into private money lending (even if you don't have a ton of cash!) The number one thing new investors get wrong when vetting a private money deal How to lower your investing risk with a diversified real estate portfolio Why you should always have multiple exit strategies when lending to other investors Choosing the right market to invest in when your backyard is too expensive And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-641 Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leaning on God when you're living through a lean season. Sometimes life looks like Pharaoh's dream—ugly cows and empty ears. The abundance fades, plans dry up, and we're left wondering where God is in the scarcity. But lean seasons aren't a punishment; they're part of life. Hidden in those seasons are silos of grace and blessings that we can't live without. In Ugly Cows and Empty Ears, we'll learn how to find God's purpose in seasons of lack. When we lean on Jesus and lean into community, we discover that even in the famine, God is still faithful—and He's storing up something great for the days ahead.

Guest Preacher and MTW missionary, Gary Johnson, preached from Isaiah 30:1-19. From this passage, we can see the signs of leaning on our own understanding or on God.

The Time Riders: Part 7 Becoming A Slave Owner. Based on a post by BiscuitHammer, in 16 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Cast of Characters: Mark Simmons: 18 year old High School grad, enamored with Miss Becky Fischer. He finds the time machine and builds a new life. Uses various aliases in traveling. Rebecca 'Becky' Fischer: Mark's Physics teacher. Very intelligent, in her later twenties, Shapely Tall Blonde, lusty bisexual, D Cup tits. Martial arts expert, Uses various aliases in traveling. Henri: Claims to be a French physician and Apothicary. Chester Edgerton: Time traveling mentor, living in 17th Century French village. Cardinal Richelieu: ‘The Red Duke'. Statesman and Roman Catholic Cardinal. Dispises Queen Anne. Alexandra D'Assaut ('Alexa', or 'Lexi': Lady in waiting (and trusted advisor) to Queen Anne of France, Lusty bisexual, Very Tall, Busty DD tits, long golden blonde hair, Blue eyed. Lisette: servant (and lover) of Lady Alexandra, young, bespeckled brown eyes. Short, shapely, with wavy dark hair, bisexual. Dhallyla: Mark's mother. Roxy: Mark's sister. Nanu: An Egyptian slave of Pompeneia Flavius, purchased by Becky, dark complexion. Pompeneia: Roman hostess of Orgies. Lusty wife of Flavius, Mother of Domitia, bisexual, tall and shapely. Flavius: Roman aristocrat, husband of Pompeneia, protective father of Dometia, Domitia: Lusty young daughter of Pompeneia and Flavius. A pledged Vestal Virgin, Escapes to Sumeria when sentenced to death by starvation by Roman court. Pompeneia looked at Nanu and spoke to her somewhat tersely. "You are now owned by the Lady Aurora Horatia, who has purchased you at a fair price from me. Such belongings as you might have, girl, will be leaving with you when the Lady departs. Understood?" Nanu's eyes widened and she felt her heart suddenly pounding in her chest in shock and delight. Unable to contain her smile, she nodded eagerly. Pompeneia looked back at her guest and smiled. "She is all yours, my lady." Becky looked at Nanu and smirked, making a shooing motion with her hand. "Well, what are you waiting for, girl? Go find that lazybones Bonosus and tell him." Nanu was gone in a flash. Becky turned to look at Pompeneia and smiled wickedly as she leaned her back down on the couch and wiggled her way between Pompeneia's hips, so that her mouth was at her hostess' cunt. "Now, how about I find another way to thank you for your generosity?" she purred as she began sliding her tongue along those sticky lips; Mark was wandering through the darkened rooms of the parts of the house not currently being used by the orgy, still looking for a damn lavatory. Why the Hell did the Romans have such fucked-up house layouts? He'd passed about ten servants' bedrooms already; was he just supposed to piss on one of them? He paused as he heard a quiet noise, one he recognized quickly as sighing. It had been coming from a room nearby, and it was definitely a girl's sigh. Or a really femmy boy slave. You couldn't guess in ancient Rome. Either way, he decided to investigate. He tiptoed forward, looking into various dark rooms he'd passed. He heard another sigh, and then something more akin to a moan. He smiled slyly, identifying the room it had finally come from. He crept up and peered around the open wooden doors to look inside; She had her back to him, but inside the dark chamber, which was obviously a bedroom, was a young woman, with her face seemingly pressed to the far wall, and squirming her hips beneath her expensive clothing and beginning to pant. She had voluminous brown hair worn up on her head, exposing a shapely neck, and her stola dress had ridden up high enough to expose her lush ass cheeks, which were quivering and squeezing while she fingered herself. Grinning, Mark leaned against the door frame and just watched quietly. He wasn't beyond a good show. A tiny point of light near her head finally showed Mark what she was doing; there was a small hole in the wall, big enough for her to see through, and she was clearly watching the orgy happening on the other side. She was also clearly having a great time getting off to it. He liked the sight of her, at least, what he could readily see; she had a great ass, a slender back and shapely legs. Her dark brown hair, worn in several braids, was just begging to be pulled on. He couldn't see her cunt from here, but he could definitely hear how wet she was. He quietly entered the room and glided up behind her. She smelled of iris and roses, a perfume he found thrilling, especially here in this dark room, both of them unseen by the scores of others in the villa. His cock, still hard and throbbing, couldn't wait to be buried deep inside her. He moved in close and pressed up against her, his rigid shaft sliding between her legs. She shuddered in shock and drew in a breath, as if she was about to scream; but he quickly and gently clamped his hand over her mouth and wrapped his other hand around her waist. Her moved his head next to her ear. "You don't need to scream or be frightened," he whispered, feeling her still shaking. "I am the Lady Aurora's servant Bonosus, and I just want to be with you this day;” She turned her head, her eyes wide, as she tried to see him, his hand still loosely over her mouth. Her body was still stiff in possible panic, but she hadn't cried out yet. He smiled at her, trying to assure her he meant no harm. "If I let go of your mouth, will you scream?" he asked. The girl shook her head. For whatever reason, Mark believed her, and removed his hand from her mouth, and his arm from around her waist. She didn't run, but she threw herself against the wall she was standing next to, almost clutching at it as she turned around to face him. Her eyes were still wide, and he could see she was breathing heavily. "See? I'm not gonna hurt you," Mark said, smiling cheerfully. Staying pressed against the wall for safety, she looked him up and down slowly, noticing now that he was quite naked. Her eyes lingered on his erect cock for several seconds, as if captivated by it. He could now see her from the front, and what he was looking at pleased him; she had a pretty face, certainly. Not exotic, like Nanu, nor was she as striking and just plain gorgeous as Becky, but it was a pretty face nonetheless. Her eyes were brown, her cheekbones high, and her mouth sensual and full. The face; he knew it. Lady Pompeneia and Master Flavius! This must be their daughter. He continued looking at her body, noting now that her entire outfit was askew; not only had her dress been pushed up around her hips in front, to allow her to finger herself, but the top of her dress was pulled down, no doubt so that she could play with her pert tits. They were not large, but looked perfectly full on her slender frame, capped with brown aureoles and nipples, which were still hard. She had a tiny waist and womanly hips. He was going to enjoy fucking her. "My name is Bonosus, like I said," he repeated, moving in a tiny bit closer to her. She didn't try to escape, but perhaps flattened herself a little more against the wall. He tried not to seem so forceful. And odd thing, since he was at an orgy, and was already used to just fucking whomever he liked. "Would you tell me your name?" She finally spoke, her voice low and quiet. "My name is Domitia. I am the daughter of your hosts, the Master and Mistress Flavius." "I am very happy to meet you, Domitia," he said, smiling and nodding. In his ear, he could hear the implant translate her name as 'she who is tamed'. He suddenly had a very good feeling about this encounter. "In the name of my mistress' goddess, Feronia, I would ask you to join me in making love." "You; you are kind, Bonosus," she stammered, her face pale, but a flush in her cheeks. Her eyes were no longer wide, but turning glassy. "But I must; I shouldn't;” "I thought today was a day where all people cast aside their inhibitions, and did exactly as they pleased," he reasoned, stepping a little closer, noticing that she did not attempt to move away from him. "I already saw you looking through that hole there;” Now Domitia blushed furiously, turning her head to look at the ground. "I am ashamed; I should not; I shouldn't have been;” "What were you looking at, anyway?" he queried, pressing himself against her, his cock now flat against her belly, separated from her skin only by the fine material of her stola. She shivered as she felt his cock press to her, and her hands reached up and flexed, without touching him. Leaning over her shoulder, her wondrous scent in his nostrils, he closed one eye and peered through the tiny hole in the ochre-painted wall. He smiled slyly as he could see that the hole looked out on the palaestra, the courtyard in which he and Becky (and several others) had been fucking earlier. Even now, he could see a man bending a slave girl over in the shallow pool and fucking her from behind, while two women beyond the pool were lying opposite each other, legs scissored and slithering their pussies together. One of them was sucking on the cock of a slave who leaned over her, moaning and fondling her tits. "Well, you were enjoying yourself, clearly," Mark mused, turning and smirking at her. She looked at him, trying to smile back, but then just blushing and looking at the ground again. At least she wasn't trying to leave anymore. "Would you like to watch through the hole again while I fuck you from behind?" Something in his suggestion made her tense very suddenly, and she looked at him again, her eyes now wide. "I; shouldn't; no, my parents must not know I'm here, they; I should return to my domicile." "Are you married?" he asked, thinking that even if she was, she had showed up at her parents' orgy and was making herself cum, even if she'd been hiding. Marriage didn't seem to be a barrier during an orgy, near as he could tell. By his count, he'd already fucked at least four married patrician women and three plebeian women today. "Yes! No! I;” she stammered, blushing again and closing her eyes. Against her will, she inhaled deeply, taking in his raw, animal scent. Gods, he smelled divinely of sexuality, of carnality, of; heated fucking. It made her instantly wet, and her body trembled in need. "I cannot;” He smiled slyly and could tell that she wanted to stay. Even though she was protesting, he could already feel her hips pressing forward, squirming against him, desperate to finish what she was started when she was alone. She wanted to cum with him. "Then don't say anything," he whispered to her, his hands on her hips now. She shuddered again, her eyes wide and glassy as she gazed up at him. "Let me take care of this for you, Domitia;” He couldn't be sure, but the thought she nodded almost imperceptibly. Her felt her tits press forward against him. Her name means 'She who is tamed'; He took both her wrists in one hand and lifted them, pinning them against the wall over her head. She gasped and shivered, seemingly cowed by his superior strength. Her hips squirmed against him again, her tits heaving as she almost began to pant. Her eyes were flashing now, and he could see lust in them, almost as if it was forbidden and impure. He would give her what she wanted, that was certain. Domitia sucked in her breath as he put his free hand on her tit and fondled her, the soft skin yielding before his touch, his palm brushing over the hard nipple. Domitia bit her lip as she tried to remain quiet, her whole body trembling with a need for release. Mark caressed her other tit as well, pinching the nipple and pulling on it gently, making the brown-haired girl whimper and squeeze her eyes shut. "No; uh;” she gasped. His hand now found her waist and undid the cotton strip that belted the stola, letting it fall away. Domitia was breathing heavily now, especially when he began to pull her dress down, revealing more and more of her body. She gasped loudly as she felt his hard cock pressed against her belly now. She pushed her tits against his chest, squirming with urgency. Her protests made less and less sense by the moment, although he surmised it was just for show. Girls did that sometimes. At least, that's what Becky and other girls he'd fucked had told him. Domitia seemed to be no exception. Her stola now pooled around her ankles, revealing her body. The one flickering brazier in the corner of the room revealed that he had seen correctly; she had a lovely body. Not an erotic fantasy like Becky's, which was the product of the modern era of vitamins, yogurt, quinoa, hemp seeds and CrossFit, but still lush and attractive, and currently given to a deep-seated lust he wanted to fulfill. Her eyes were flashing as they stared up into his, her tits heaving. She bared her teeth as he reached down and cupped her cunt, which was now dripping wet. His finger slid up and down her length, finding her clit and eliciting a gasp. Her hands, still pinned above her head, flexed compulsively. She was breathing heavily now. "Keep your arms above your head," Mark said firmly as he released them and brought his hand down, both of them reaching behind her and taking hold of her ass cheeks. Domitia almost hissed as he lifted her up, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. She had readily obeyed, and kept her arms over her head, as if they were still pinned there. Her submission to him seemed very real and complete. Looking into her eyes, he held her steady, leaning her back against the wall while one of his hands guided his cock to her wet entrance. One he felt the engorged tip nestle against her lips, he placed his hand back on her ass cheek and began to push; Domitia breathed deeply as he penetrated, but then shook and whimpered as he encountered a barrier. Mark paused, but then felt her push her hips against him, and proceeded to lean forward against the wall. She shook and cried out, and Mark suddenly slipped deep inside her warmth easily. Holy shit, she'd been a virgin; awesome! She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face against his neck, trembling almost uncontrollably. Seconds later, she lifted her face and look up at him, her eyes glassy. Whatever pain she'd been feeling was clearly gone, now. He could, on the other hand, feel a single, warm trickle of a fluid down the underside of his cock, and the air smelled slightly of pennies now. "You have made me a woman," she murmured, still staring at him. "Let us finish this wondrous coupling now. Fuck me, Bonosus, servant of Lady Horatia;” She put her arms back above her head again, her wrists crossed, as a sign of his power over her. Mark nodded and began pumping slowly, sliding his cock in and out of her. Domitia trembled again, at the feel of him inside her, hard and throbbing, her cunt squeezing around him. She sighed loudly, eyes still locked with his. "A girl could die this way, and happily;” she breathed, squirming her tits against his chest. It was a bit of a strange thing to say, he thought, maybe a little morbid, but teen girls were like that sometimes, with the weird, poetic drama. He'd fucked a goth chick once, and she was; Domitia grunted and began pumping back against him lustily, all her fears of their fucking obviously gone. She was hissing through her teeth, grinding her hips against him as he made a sawing motion with his, pushing deep inside her wanton cunt. He could feel her cunt tightening around him as she found their rhythm, slippery and getting wetter by the moment. She jammed her lips against his and kissed him feverishly, their tongues wrestling between their mouths. He held her tighter, thumping her against the wall each time he thrust his cock deep inside her. She moaned into his mouth, and her warm skin was getting damp with sweat as he took her. She might have been a virgin mere moments ago, but her carnal desires would not be denied anymore. Domitia pushed back for all she was worth, her arms finally coming down and gripping his back. They were still kissing in a frenzy, and Mark was breathing through his nose, his hips smacking against hers. Domitia panted and moaned into his mouth with each thrust, her fingernails raking his back as she fought to get him ever deeper inside her. Her need almost baffled him, because he could feel the head of his cock battering her cervix each time he drove home. The wet sucking sounds her cunt made filled the room, even over the sounds of their groans. Mark was growing warm now, and he could feel that the sex tabs he'd used had already replenished his cum, deep inside his balls. When he did bust, this girl's first experience would see her overflowing with cum, his cum, and it would be glorious. He wanted to bring her out of hiding and over to the orgy. He wanted to fuck her at the same time as he fucked Becky and Nanu. Domitia seized up suddenly, shaking around him and screaming into his mouth while her cunt clenched him ferociously. He kissed her hard, making sure she didn't alert the whole house, and fucked her harder than ever, making her wail into his mouth again. He could feel his own body heating up rapidly, the distinct, tingling boiling in his balls letting him now that orgasm was now unstoppable. Mark pulled her hard against him, pressing into her as far as he could, straining and arching his back. The floodgates burst and he began filling Domitia with his pearly cum, and she panted and almost growled at the release. She churned and writhed on his cock, her frothy essence smearing his entire groin. He felt the peristaltic motions of his inner muscles, spurting his cum up his cock and deep inside his lover, a glorious, blessed release. Best. Orgy. Ever. He sagged against her, breathing heavily, while Domitia went limp in his grip, sighing in deep pleasure. She was no longer raking her fingernails over his back but caressing it gently, almost reverently. It was kind of backwards, since he was supposedly a slave and she was a patrician's daughter, but what the hey, she was a total subbie, right? She purred as she kissed his damp skin, still undulating her hips against him and squeezing his cock gently with her gooey cunt. He held her close, his forehead against her neck while he tried to regain his breath. This orgy was barely half over. There was so much to; The screech from behind them froze his blood instantly. He went rigid for several moments, before his head snapped around and he looked to see who was in the doorway. Gazing at the entwined pair in astonishment, bordering on horror, was Nanu. Still quite naked, her face was frozen in shock, her mouth working soundlessly. Confusion engulfed him, wondering what had caused the slave-girl to have such a caustic reaction to what she'd seen. Was it jealousy? It couldn't be that; she'd watched him fuck plenty of other women today. He looked back at Domitia, and saw that she had frozen as well, pale with what could only be described as terror about their discovery. That confused him too. What the Hell was happening here? Endless feet seemed to come stampeding toward them, and cries of shock now echoed through the house. Master Flavius surged through the door and stopped dead, his eyes wide as dinner plates. "Domitia!" he said in a quavering voice, pointing a trembling finger at the duo. "What are you;" Lady Pompeneia, accompanied by Becky, now bustled into the room. The matron stopped dead upon seeing them, her body shaking. Becky's eyes went wide. "Oh, shit;” she muttered in English. "Father!" Domitia called out, still impaled on Mark's cock, but looking over his shoulder at her parents. "Mother, I;” She made to move, but Mark's tool shifted inside her, and she gasped in pleasure and began wriggling furiously, fucking him again despite their ever-growing audience. People cried out in shock, and Lady Pompeneia's eyes rolled into her head before she fell to the floor in a dead faint. The cacophony grew, with Mark staring in confusion and Domitia grunting like an animal as she fucked her way to ecstasy again, seemingly unable to stop. A patrician woman entered and shrieked, scandalized by what she saw. "The slave!" she called out, aghast. "He has defiled one of Vesta's Virgins!" As if in response, Domitia shook and arched her back, wailing loudly as she came. "Seize that man!" shouted Flavius, his face purple with fury. Free men and slaves both surged forward, grappling onto Mark and trying to yank him away. But Domitia would not be pried off him, howling in protest and still grinding herself madly on his cock, squealing through another orgasm, even as they led the pair away. Most of the crowd followed them out, still clamoring loudly. Some women helped the swooning Pompeneia to her feet, and led her out of the room. Soon, the only people left were Becky and Nanu, who stood in the doorway. The slave-girl stared at her new mistress, who shrugged rather helplessly. Nanu turned and followed the crowd, leaving Becky alone in the room. It was eerily quiet now, the noise of the crazed crowd getting increasingly distant; people yelling in outrage, punctuated by the distinct sounds of Domitia cumming yet again, loudly. Becky finally hung her head for a moment, shaking it and smiling. "Oh, I can't wait to see how this turns out;” she said to herself as she walked out the door. The Wrath of Rome The mightiest city in the world, lord of Europa, teeming with untold citizens, slaves and foreigners. Blessed by Jupiter, greatest of the gods, and fed by the ancient Tiber River, Rome stood glorious and invincible, crowned with seven hills like jewels. Not that Mark could see any of that from his tiny, stinky little prison cell. He sat on the dirty floor, sighing despondently as he looked through the iron bars that separated him from the rest of the world. He'd found a corner that was not sticky with the effluences of previous inhabitants of the cell, crouching up with his knees to his chest. He suspected that the tab he was wearing would protect him from disease and sickness, but he'd be damned if he was taking any chances. He heard grunting and groaning from the cells behind him, then an absolutely disgusting series of splattering noises as someone began crapping themselves messily. He wrinkled his nose in revulsion and stared along the bottom of the wall, making sure nothing was likely to seep through. He turned his head and stared blankly across the small hallway at the cell opposite. Out of the darkness, a deranged, naked man appeared, his wild, scraggly beard greying and caked with God-knows-what. He cackled at Mark and helicoptered his cock at the new prisoner, all the while trying to shake the bars of his cell. Mark shook his head and looked away, finding a spot on the wall to stare at. He noted some graffiti, in Latin, brown with age; it was either dried blood or shit, but he decided he didn't care enough about what it said to get closer. He'd taken off the ratty tunic they'd given him, because it stank and had things crawling in it. Since he'd been arrested and dragged off naked from the Flavius villa, with Domitia still impaled on him, they'd eventually attempted to cover him up; somewhat difficult, since he was suffering from what was essentially medically induced priapism. Even now, he gazed down between his legs, noticing that his cock was still rock-hard. Had the tab malfunctioned? Was he supposed to stay erect this long? What the Hell kind of sex were they having in the twenty-eighth century that a guy needed to stay hard for a day and a night? He closed his eyes and pressed his head against his forearms, trying to figure out how it had all gone wrong; how the Hell was he supposed to know that there was a Vestal Virgin hiding in the damn house and masturbating? He'd heard of Vestal Virgins, of course, but he knew nothing about them. He'd paid attention in History class only moderately more than he had in Physics. Seemingly, he'd done an incredibly bad thing. Like 'fucking a pastor's blind virgin daughter on the altar' kind of bad. As decadent as Rome might have been, you didn't mess with their Vestals. He wished Becky was here. He hadn't seen her since he'd been dragged away from the villa, and he hoped she was okay. He had no idea if she was going to be in trouble or not, since she was supposed to be his owner. He groaned and shook his head, wishing he'd just wake up and this was all a dream; “Damn!” "Shut up in there!" said one guard harshly as he walked by. "Gonna make me, tough guy?" Mark grumbled, once the chip in his head had translated what the guard said, even though he could've probably figured it out on his own. The guard whirled around and stuck his arm through the bars, trying to hit Mark with the cudgel he was carrying. Mark hurriedly dodged out of the way and grabbed the club from the man's hand; the guard's eyes widened as Mark glared down at him, much taller than his would-be assailant. Mark was just over six feet, while the Roman was maybe five-three. The man's gaze dropped to Mark's erection, which pointed at him angrily. "Listen, pal," Mark growled, beyond caring about his hard-on at this point. "Try that again, and I'll shove this club of yours so far up your ass that you'll have splinters in your tongue for a month. Got it?" The man nodded hastily, his face pale. "Good," Mark grunted, shoving the cudgel bac through the bars at him. "Now fuck off and leave me alone." The guard hurried away while the crazy guy across from Mark cackled again and babbled incoherently at his retreating form. Mark slumped back down and continued moping. He'd been in this little crap-hole for the best part of a day now, without food or a chance to relieve himself, unless he chose to piss on the floor. He felt rather justified in sulking. Several minutes passed before he was interrupted once again. "Well, you look pretty grumpy for someone who spent most of yesterday getting laid;” chimed a sweet voice. Mark's eyes flicked open and he stood up hastily, gawking at his Physics teacher, who stood outside his cell, smiling at him in amusement. "Becks!" he said hastily, wiping at himself as if he had clothes on, forgetting that he was naked. "Hi! Uh; I'm glad you're okay!" "It's good to see you too, handsome," she replied, her eyes trailing down to his erection. She was wearing the elegant stola and accoutrements of a patrician woman now, much more modest than her attire just the day before. "Guess your hormones haven't worn off yet, hmm?" "Oh, he's got a mind of his own," Mark muttered, blushing slightly. "Trust me, the lynch mob was quite a libidoectomy. Where've you been?" "Well, once you got carted off, I thought I'd better take a look into what was likely to happen to everyone involved," she stated, seemingly not that concerned. "Roman litigation is a weird thing. They have trials, and you'll have a lawyer appointed to you, but the court of public opinion really counts as well, it seems." "So, I really screwed up when I fucked one of their Vestal Virgins?" Mark asked, trying not to sweat. Becky smiled. "Mark, you had no way of knowing, because she never should have been there to begin with. Vestal Virgins don't, in theory, belong to their parents any more, after they're selected for the honor. For her to be hiding in a room in her parents' house, jilling off, is a huge breach of her vows already, never mind getting caught with you bruising her brainstem." Mark thought about that for a moment. "So; Domitia's in trouble too?" "She's in even more trouble than you, to be honest," replied the teacher, shrugging. "You, you're some shmuck slave who got lucky. Her, she broke Rome's most sacred vows. She might as well have squatted over and peed on the Sacred Flame they protect, to extinguish it. Everyone associates the Vestals with the spiritual well-being of Rome itself. If one of the Virgins is impure, it's bad for Rome." "Damn;” he said under his breath, frowning at the floor. "Well, what about you? Are you in shit at all, because you're my owner?" "Well, not so far," Becky mused. "I'm sure that can change at a moment's notice, if anything goes really wrong." "Really wrong?" Mark exclaimed, gesturing to the cell around him in exasperation. "If this is only moderately wrong, I'd hate to see what's really wrong you're going on about!" "Oh, don't be such a drama llama," she cooed, waving dismissively. "We'll figure this out." "Are you okay, Becks?" he asked, making a wry face as he looked at her. "Last time we were in trouble like this, you kinda She-Hulked out on everyone, remember? You kicked at least five people in the crotch, one of whom was Cardinal Richelieu." "Yeah," she said almost wistfully. "I think my system is flooded with hormones from those tabs, and they're making me pretty mellow. I'm still in love with you right now, for instance." "Well, not to exploit your chemical imbalance here, but what are the chances of you doing something to make sure the man you're in love with doesn't die in this cell?" Mark said rather insistently. "Oh, you won't die in this cell," Becky pointed out. "The Romans weren't big on imprisonment at this point in their history. They're probably either gonna behead you or crucify you." "Becks!" Mark said loudly, going pale and beginning to panic. "You can't let them behead me, I like my head where it is!" "Yes, you are rather attached to it," she giggled. "And don't worry about getting crucified, only I'm allowed to nail you, after all. And speaking of;” She slinked forward, smiling saucily at him, lifting the hem of her long stola, revealing her wet cunt beneath. She turned around, presenting her shapely ass to him and swaying it back and forth while looking over her shoulder at him. "How about you put that stout nail of yours in my tool box?" she purred. "Now?" he exclaimed. "Not like you have anything else to do at the moment, Mark," she pointed out, still wiggling at him. "Move up to the bars and stick it out here;” Ignoring his exasperation, Mark sighed and pressed himself up against the bards, his rigid cock sticking out the other side. Becky lined up her sticky cunt with the head and pushed herself back on it, sighing in bliss as she did. Mark trembled as he penetrated her, having to admit to himself that it felt good to be inside his teacher. Becky closed her eyes as began squirming back against him, sliding his hardness in and out of her cunt. Eighteen hours without sex had felt like eighteen years, no doubt due to the hormones from the tabs. She guessed that their bodies, new to these stimulants from the far future, were not acclimated to the effects just yet; not that she was complaining, mind. She groped and massaged her tits as they spilled out of the top of her stola, reveling in the feel of Mark's lovely cock splitting her wide and touching deep inside. She stood up and pressed back against the bars, keeping his manhood firmly locked inside herself, wiggling and swaying, but also bringing his hands around to her tits, which he now squeezed and massaged in circles, making her groan loudly. The bars kept them apart somewhat, but he was still deep inside her, and that was what counted. Until she opened her eyes and saw the crazy guy in the cell across from them, looking at her with wild eyes, his tongue lolling out of his head, and jerking his filthy cock madly. "I miss seeing your face, Mark," she decided, turning around suddenly and pressing close to him again. She made him hold the bars, steadying his throbbing cock while she sidled forward, taking him inside her cunt again, sucking in her breath. She held onto the bars as well, squirming her hips. The bars were too closely spaced together to fit her legs through and wrap them around his hips, but he was still deep enough inside her to fuck her properly. "Hmm, baby;” If any guards knew what was happening, they chose to not interfere or even be nearby. They left the wealthy patrician woman alone. Of all the places Mark had expected to fuck Becky during their temporal travels, this would have been one of the last, he had to admit. Becky pushed her lips against his, kissing him deeply and lovingly. Their tongues tangled as she fucked him, exhilarating in the feel of his hard shaft in her and knowing she was going to cum quickly, and hard. She broke the kiss and stared into his eyes, her own flashing with lust. "You gonna cum in me, Mark?" she breathed, grinding on him hard, biting her bottom lip. "I want your cum in me, baby." He nodded, breathing heavily. He'd practically forgotten about his predicament, lost in the delirium of fucking his teacher. He pumped his hips back and forth in time with her movements, her cunt tightening around him and getting wetter with every second. He felt his cock throbbing and swelling inside her. "Yes, baby," she gasped, her skin flushed pink, her body trembling as she fought to hold on a few moments longer. "Cum deep inside me, Mark; oh God;” Becky clenched her teeth and arched her back as she pushed forward with her hips, straining hard; she felt Mark push against her as hard as he could, touching her cervix, and she shuddered and moaned loudly. The dam burst and he began cumming inside her, flooding her cunt with his desire. Becky shivered in pleasure, squeezing around him. They both sighed as the orgasm finally passed, leaning forward and pressing their foreheads together. Her fingers knotted with his and she gave him a peck on the lips before smiling. "Feel better?" she asked. "Oddly enough, yeah," he admitted, nodding. "So what do we do now? I don't wanna die here, Becks." "I know, don't worry, we'll figure it out," she replied, caressing his face with one hand while lowering the skirt of her stola with the other. "I've just gotta find out some things." "Can't we just bust me outta here and get out of Dodge?" he asked, not sure what the delay was. She gave him a quirky look. "Are we just supposed to leave Domitia to her fate? It's your fault she's doomed to death, you know. And there's also the matter of Nanu and what to do with her. We can't just prance around the timeline and mess up things with peoples' lives, Mark. I know you do it because you want to get laid, but there's still real consequences. You're living one of them." He sighed: "Yeah, you're right. I'm just worried." "I know you are, my love," she said gently, smiling warmly. "Just let me see what I can find out. Hang tight and stay out of trouble, okay?" She kissed him again lovingly and whispered something in his ear before sauntering out. He watched her leave and then sat back down, trying to ignore the fact that his hard-on was now sticky, on top of everything else. Getting shot by Richelieu may be have been ultimately worse, but this predicament was certainly less convenient. Some hours passed, and his mood decidedly did not improve. "Hello, my name is Faustus, and I am your legal representation during your trial," said a dull voice from beyond his cell. Mark's eyes drifted over to lay on a short, pudgy, balding man draped in a rather worn toga. He had some scrolls in a satchel he wore over his shoulder. He assessed Mark somewhat disinterestedly. "You are the slave Bonosus, yes?" Mark nodded. "And you are aware of the charges against you?" "Yup, I unknowingly boned a Vestal Virgin," Mark sighed, standing up, figuring he probably shouldn't be showing anyone any disrespect at this point. "What can I do for you, sir?" "Well, ignorance of the law is not likely to work as a defense in this particular instance, given the charge," Faustus said, tapping his satchel with his fingers. "Normally it might mitigate charges, but not where the Virgins are involved. At this point, I'm trying to spare you a cruel and painful death." "Swell," Mark said, his voice laden with apathy. "So, like, beheading instead of crucifixion sort of thing?" "Unless crucifixion is your preference, for some strange reason," replied the lawyer. "There is also the matter of your fee for my services in defending you?" Mark frowned: "I'm a slave, what am I supposed to be able to give you? Shouldn't you be talking to my owner, the Lady Aurora?" "The lady is proving difficult to contact, what with the entire city being in an uproar about you and all," Faustus reasoned, shrugging. "It may be up to you to see that my fees are met." "I don't have anything!" Mark protested somewhat angrily. Faustus trailed his gaze down Mark's well-built body, finally fixating on his erect cock and smiling lewdly. "Oh, I wouldn't say that;” Mark groaned and thunked his head against the iron bar that prevented his escape. He was wrong. This was worse than getting killed by Richelieu's men. Trial of Mark. Mark now found himself going through downtown Rome, but once again spending little time looking at the city; he was being hauled inside a cage on wheels along the Via Aurelia, with untold thousands of people lining the road, shouting, screaming and hissing at him. Rotten vegetables and rock-hard bread pelted his mobile prison, most of the projectiles not getting through to touch him. Mark didn't care. He stared out dully at the cacophony and churning masses of humanity, fully aware that his erect cock was pointing at them. He looked at the famed Palatine Hill and saw a large, rotund temple there, along with a vast manor. Outside the manor, standing on those distant steps, he saw many women dressed as Domitia had been, with their hair worn in the same style, staring down at him impassively. He almost laughed bitterly, knowing exactly who they are. No young person, ever, understood better than Mark now how important it was to pay attention to your studies. After all, it was about to cost him his head. His eyes widened when he saw Domitia dragged out the front doors of the manor by several servants and forced to look down at him. She seemed none the worse for wear, except for looking rather distraught and haggard. He saw, but could not hear her cry out at the sight of him, before being yanked back inside roughly, resisting the whole way. His lawyer, Faustus, had informed him that he'd be tried in a public court, his sentence determined there as well. If all went well, he wouldn't be made to wait long before his sentence was carried out. The waiting was the worst part, the lawyer assured him. The procession took forever, at least in his estimation. He was covered in tomato pulp and seeds, and bits of lettuce and other debris were sticking to him. "Will they at least allow me to bathe or clean up before my trial?" he'd complained to Faustus. He stank and he didn't like it. The lawyer said he'd see what he could do. On and on, his mobile prison rumbled slowly. They entered a crowded forum, surrounded by the white buildings Rome was renowned for. He saw several landmarks, but barely noted them. The presence of soldiers became heavier now, guarding against disturbances from the famously fickle and moody population of the city. They arrived at the courthouse, and he was hauled out of his cage by the chains his wrists were bound in. He ignored the cries and vitriol of the crowd, who had stopped throwing things, for fear of hitting a soldier or important person. At least there was that. He was brought into a small anteroom, where a pool sat in the center. He was unchained and shoved into it, allowed to bathe. Several Roman legionaries stood over him, one holding a whip in case Mark dawdled for any reason. Careful not to anger them, Mark cleaned himself diligently, but also as quickly as possible. When he got out of the pool, they dressed him in a plain but fresh tunic made of low-grade linen. There was one rather prominent problem, however, and the commander of the squad guarding him looked at Mark's crotch and scowled. "Does that thing ever go down?" he snapped. "Look, you're not as unhappy as I am about it," Mark shot back, exasperated about his condition. "Believe me! I had too many oysters at the orgy and now it won't go away." The commander thought about the predicament for a moment. He couldn't bring his prisoner into the courtroom sporting an erection. He finally ordered one of his men to tie a strap of linen around Mark's hips, keeping the obscene erection fixed flat against his belly. The legionaries chuckled as he was trussed, but then became serious as they prepared to lead him into the courtroom. Mark took a deep breath as he was led into the chamber that would determine his doom. Becky was squatting in a hallway, humming quietly as she sucked on the cock of a young lad who was running documents back and forth within the courthouse. He was pressed back against the wall, his eyes closed and moaning in pleasure as he let her work her magic. He didn't know exactly who this patrician woman was, but he wasn't about to stop her, either. Becky bobbed back and forth, swirling her tongue around his hardness and gently caressing his balls. She couldn't believe how horny she was! It had been more than twenty-four hours since the orgy and these sex stimulants were still wreaking havoc with her libido. If this kid lasted, maybe she could fuck him? She needed a good orgasm. A horn sounded outside the courthouse, and Becky paused mid-suck, opening her eyes and turning her head slightly to look in the direction of the noise, her cheek bulging comically as his cockhead pushed into it. The young man was still trembling and almost whimpering, even though she was distracted. "Damn, is it time for the trial already?" she exclaimed to herself before she stood up, straightened out her elegant stola and hurried down the hallway. The young paralegal gaped at her retreating form, his body trembling and his cock throbbing. "But I; I;” he protested, even though she was gone. He couldn't stop it. He whimpered and danced about on his toes, cum spurting from his aching cock. He grabbed his crotch and sighed deeply, doubling over at the release. Too late, he opened his eyes and noticed he'd spattered his jizz all over the documents he'd been bringing for the trial; "The accused is named Bonosus, a slave owned by Lady Aurora Horatia," announced one of the scribes in the room, a rotund chamber that had benches lining most of the walls, allowing for spectators. Today it was crowded, because the charges were so extraordinary. "Prior to this trial, the lady Horatia has been determined free of all guilt, with no investigation or charges needing to be brought forward." Becky, sitting near the trial stand, smiled and winked at the presiding praetor judge, an older, distinguished man, who subtly winked back at her before turning his attention back to Mark, staring sternly. Mark stood alone in the center of the rotunda, his hands and feet manacled, a single beam of wan light shining down on him from a hole in the center of the domed ceiling. He looked back at the judge blankly. "The accused is charged with disgracing a sacred virgin of the goddess, potentially putting great Rome in her disfavor, and such charges warrant only the ultimate of punishments, your honor!" declared a man in a well-embroidered toga made of exquisite fabric and trimmed in yellow. Mark assumed this was the lawyer meant to prosecute him. "For this heinous crime, Rome must be cleansed, to appear cleansed in the eyes of Vesta! We demand this Bonosus be burned at the stake!" Mark swallowed and looked at Faustus, who was sweating and wiping at his collarbone, trying not to fidget. People around the room were talking and whispering to one another. The judge looked down at the pudgy lawyer. "What say you on behalf of the accused, man?" "I;” he began, already faltering. "Your Honor, we feel that the defendant, being a mere slave ignorant of all law and education, had no way of knowing that he was indeed in contact with one of Rome's sacred girls. In that light, while we do not protest his guilt, we ask for clemency; lashes, if possible, or exile beyond the Empire's borders; but if he must die for this crime, let Great Rome show its much-famed mercy and give my client a swift beheading." People in the gallery began shouting angrily in protest at his words, while many of the advocates and adjudicates involved in the case began laughing derisively. Nobody seemed to be in Faustus' corner about this. Mark flicked his eyes up at Becky, and she was simply looking in impassively. A sinking feeling in his stomach took over his senses. Despite his fear, his cock throbbed in yearning at the sight of her. "Faustus, Faustus," chided the lawyer representing the city of Rome, shaking his head almost ruefully. "My dear Faustus, you are so good-hearted, but this defendant of yours did not simply assault one of the Sacred Virgins, he did not merely violate her chaste body, he sublimated her. He changed her! He has corrupted her! Bring in the girl!" Mark's eyes widened as Domitia was dragged into the chamber, clad in her sacred robes, but with strips of red fabric bound to her arms and around her forehead. She looked terrified, but then she saw Mark and her eyes widened. Before anyone could stop her, she broke free of the servants holding her and dashed forward, howling loudly and falling to her knees at his feet. Everyone gaped in astonishment as she lifted his tunic, releasing his cock from its confinement against his stomach, kissing and then sucking on it hungrily, plunging it all the way down her throat in crazed need. People howled in shock and outrage at the scene. Mark, who hadn't had any sex in over twenty-four hours and was in horny agony, groaned loudly despite himself and gripped her head, pumping his hips against her face desperately as people rushed toward him and tried to pull them apart. Someone finally managed to pry Domitia's mouth away from his cock, but when spectators tried to drag her away, she wildly latched her legs around his waist, grinding and humping at him in a desperate frenzy of lust, the skirt of her stola giving way and allowing her to spike herself onto him. The judge and other officials watched in bewilderment as the fracas stumbled around the rotunda, with people trying desperately to pull them apart. They were yanking at Domitia, who was panting and crying out in ecstasy, while Mark groaned in relief and need, despite the people clawing at him and punching him. One enterprising and rather stout legionary knelt beside the fornicators and grabbed hold of them, straining to separate them. Domitia's yelps and Mark's moans became desperate grunts to hold one to one another for several seconds. Eventually, though, Domitia's legs gave out and she was dragged back from him. Mark roared in protest as he shivered and came a split-second after she had been pulled off him. His cock, now released from its warm, wet confines, smacked the legionary across his nose and spat ropes of cum in his eye and across his face. He wailed at the sting and fell on the floor, kicking in panic and trying to wipe the spume out of his eyes. Domitia was finally restrained, and her mouth gagged to stop her howling. She continued to struggle, but it was no use. At last she sagged, seemingly exhausted. Mark looked around, finally noticing Lord Flavius and Lady Pompeneia in the crowd, looking on in horror and mortification. He glanced up at Becky, but she was looking at the ceiling and covering her mouth, trying not to laugh. "This!" said the prosecutor angrily, jabbing his finger first toward Mark and then at Domitia. "This is what the accused has done to one of the sacred Virgins! Turned her into an uncontrollable harlot! She is so completely undone that she cannot think of anything except quenching the fire between her wanton loins!" Many women gasped or cried out at his unprecedented words, while men muttered to one another. Lady Pompeneia looked like she was ready to faint again. "This is an outrage!" Lord Flavius shouted furiously. "We gave our daughter to the state willingly, to fulfill her destiny as a priestess of the goddess, and now we see ourselves unfairly shamed! And this; this; slave; endangers the safety of us all, calling our favor with Vesta into question!" "Do you call charges against the Lady Horatia to ruin your good name?" asked the prosecutor coolly. "Oh, no, no, of course not," Lord Flavius said hastily, shaking his head and looking over at Lady Aurora. "She remains blameless in all of this, assuredly." Becky winked at Lord Flavius, and then subtly at the prosecutor, who smiled and winked back. "Jesus, Becks;” Mark muttered, scowling at the ground. "You've been around the pool more times than Katie Ledecky since we got here;” "Silence!" boomed the judge angrily, his face still rather purple from witnessing the lewd chaos wreaked in his court. "Centurion, strike that man if he won't show respect!" Mark grunted and staggered as the centurion standing close to him cuffed him across the ear. He stayed upright, but glowered at the man. "Wanna try that while my hands aren't cuffed, asshole?" "Silence!" roared the judge, turning purple again as other guards kept Mark from jumping on his assailant. "You are a creature of vile sin!" shouted Lord Flavius from the benches, pointing a trembling finger at Mark. "Yeah? Who cares?" Mark shot back, glaring at his host. "Your wife wasn't complaining yesterday when she rode my hog to the Promised Land, was she? No complaints from your daughter, either!" Lord Flavius howled in fury as he tried to rush the floor but was restrained. Lady Pompeneia fainted again. Another guard cuffed Mark on the back of the head, staggering him again, but this time he didn't have a snappy comeback. He looked angry, but his face had a tic suddenly. People were shouting and crying out in horror at the chaos the proceedings had become. "What manner of devil are you, boy?" the judge hissed at Mark. "Oh, I'm here to fuck every woman in Rome," Mark said sarcastically, tired of this bullshit. "I meant for a Vestal Virgin to be last, ya' know, sort of the proverbial cum icing on the titty cake. But the opportunity came up, and wham, bam, thank you, Vesta;” People shrieked in outrage, and Faustus pissed himself, staring at Mark in dumbfounded horror. "That's right, gents, line 'em up!" Mark said angrily, his face still twitching. Why was he saying these things? Was the chip in his head giving him Tourette's? He wiggled his erection before the entire room, since his tunic had got caught on it when he was separated from Domitia and it was still in plain view, glistening with her spittle and cunt juice. "Bring your uppity wives and daughters to me, I'll make 'em behave!" Faustus just threw his legal scrolls in the air and stormed off. Another legionary tried to punch Mark, but he dodged the punch and rammed his forehead into the man's nose, just avoiding his helmet. The man fell backwards, holding his face. Mark might have tried to kick him, but there were suddenly ten legionaries surrounding him, their swords pointed at his throat. Mark held very still, glowering. The judged barked for the legal scrolls he was meant to consult during this trial, but they were not to be found. He yelled for them again, and a young man barged in hastily from the back door to the rotunda, and the chamber beyond, carrying armfuls of scrolls. He dumped them on the judge's stone table and scurried off without another word. The judge made to pick up one of the documents, but paused; it was sticking to another scroll. He frowned and pulled them apart, noticing that a pearly residue was the source of the problem. Worse, the scroll pages became slippery as he tried to pry them apart. The sticky substance was all over them. And his fingers now. He quietly put the parchments down and shoved them aside. Once the judge had composed himself, clearly livid about the circus his courtroom had become, and once Mark was facing him again, he leaned in and asked a question. "Do you have anything to say before your sentence is pronounced?" "Don't you think this is enough of a sham that we should just get it over with?" Mark grumbled. "What?" the judge asked, confused. "I said, how about you get this show on the road, because thousands of my potential children have a date with your mom's face tonight!" Mark snapped, jerking slightly. What the absolute fuck was happening? He wasn't speaking Latin anymore, he was speaking Greek! "You mock us by speaking Greek?" demanded the judge, rising from his chair. "Do you seek to invalidate this court?" "This court is full of invalids already!" Mark raged, the chip inside his head sputtering. Apparently one of the blows to his head had made it misfire. "Get your mother out here already! And your daughter too!" The judge slumped back on his stone chair, as if stunned by what Mark was saying. Everyone in the court was silent, waiting to see what happened next. He turned to Domitia, who was restrained nearby. "Domitia, former daughter of the Flavian household

Send us a textIn the middle of the holiday rush, when our homes fill with decorations, to-dos, and expectations, God gently invites us into something different — simplicity, peace, and trust.In this episode, I'm sharing our very real, very current journey of moving and letting go of “stuff” from three different houses… right in the holiday season. As we sort, pack, release, and simplify, God has been whispering reminders about what truly matters: His presence, His peace, and the people He's placed in our lives.If you're craving a quiet reset before Thanksgiving and Christmas — a moment to breathe and remember what this season is really about — this reflection is for you.We'll walk through Scriptures that speak directly to 

D&P Highlight: More and more people are leaning into AI...what does that mean for the future? full 566 Wed, 12 Nov 2025 19:57:00 +0000 UOCDN5Q0BEGdOLMybUN00Pnz8jJ2ZzLz news The Dana & Parks Podcast news D&P Highlight: More and more people are leaning into AI...what does that mean for the future? You wanted it... Now here it is! Listen to each hour of the Dana & Parks Show whenever and wherever you want! © 2025 Audacy, Inc. News False

It's a question I know some people have about me: How have you been able to afford this?While there have been many parts to my "how story", one remains frequently unspoken: the role of money. In this week's episode, I'm giving you a glimpse into my financial story and the role money plays in my nomadic life. While this topic may seem taboo at times, it's important for me to share these new insights and powerfully claim the financial abundance that has supported me along the way.You'll hear more in depth about:How I learned to saveReal estate investments that truly paid offRedefining money as a construct Leaning into the financial scaffolding that supports meWhere do you have resources + scaffolding to support you? To learn more about my work as an intuitive stylist and home editor, check me out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on the web⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

TODAY'S TREASUREWhy are you in despair, O my soul? Why have you become restless and disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.Psalm 42:11 AmplifiedSend us a comment!Support the show

https://jo.my/n6khdj Material Storage & Racking Safety: Safe Stacking and Load Limits Keeping a warehouse running efficiently depends on more than just fast movement and good organization. One often overlooked area is how materials are stacked and stored. Improper stacking doesn't just lead to wasted space—it can also set the stage for serious injuries, product damage, and even structural failure. That's why load limits and stacking guidelines matter. This week, we're focusing on Safe Stacking and Load Limits—and how following a few fundamental principles can prevent significant problems. Whether you're placing pallets, loading a rack, or relocating inventory, it all comes down to making safety-first decisions. A solid safety culture means we don't just trust the racking system—we understand how to use it properly and effectively. Here are a few ways to make sure your stacking practices stay safe and consistent: Know the weight capacity of your racking system. This isn't a guesswork situation. Look for the posted limits—or ask if you're unsure. Overloading racks can cause them to buckle or collapse, and even a single mistake can trigger a chain reaction. Stack materials evenly and symmetrically. Off-balance loads are just waiting to tip. Make sure items are placed with even weight distribution and sit flat against the pallet. Leaning stacks? Not safe. Respect height limits. Those limits are there for a reason. Stacking too high makes it harder to see, increases the risk of tipping, and creates extra stress on the lower levels of your rack. Use only good-quality pallets. Broken boards, missing corners, or sagging wood can lead to spills, equipment damage, and injuries. Check before you stack. If a pallet looks bad, it probably is. Never use racks as ladders or shortcuts. They're designed to hold inventory, not people. If you need to reach something, use a proper lift or ladder. Climbing the rack may seem quicker—but it's never worth the risk. As always, these are potential tips. Please be sure to follow the rules and regulations of your specific facility. Safe stacking isn't just a checklist item. It's part of building a warehouse environment where people can do their jobs without second-guessing the stability of what's above or around them. When stacks are neat, balanced, and within limits, everyone can focus on the task at hand—without worrying about what might fall next. This might sound basic, but that's exactly the point. The safest systems are often built on habits so solid that you don't even have to think twice. Make those habits your standard. Thank you for joining us for another episode of Warehouse Safety Tips. Until we meet next time - have a great week, and STAY SAFE! #Safety #SafetyCulture #StaySafe #StorageHazards #MaterialHandling #RackingSafety #SafeStacking #PalletSafety #LoadLimits 

We either trust in the Lord will all our heart, or we lean to our own understanding. The natural tendency is to lean on one's own wisdom. We trust in what we have learned through our experiences in life, both good and bad. We trust in what we have learned from the culture we have lived in. We trust in what our denomination or group that we have identified with. We trust in our feelings about things, but have a hard time really and truly trusting in the Lord with all our heart in everything. If the Bible says "thou shalt not..." and we do it anyway, we are NOT trusting in the Lord. If the Bible says "thou shalt..." and we refuse to do it, we are not trusting in the Lord, we are leaning to our own understanding. Next time you have a dilemma in your life, or a problem, or anything that perplexes you, stop and take a good, long, honest look at yourself and see how much you are leaning on your own understanding to figure it out, and how much you are really trusting in the Lord about it.

Today's guest is making a highly welcome return to the show after a four-year absence. Since we last spoke the fortunes of the market have been transformed, her company has matured and floated successfully on the New York Stock Exchange and has had its Insurer Financial Strength rating upgraded to A by AM Best. All this means that CEO of Hamilton Insurance Group, Pina Albo and I had an awful lot to talk about. And our discussion doesn't disappoint. Pina is crystal clear in her vision for Hamilton and how it is planning to make the most of the many opportunities it still sees available in today's marketplace. There's a refreshing directness and lack of ambiguity in Pina's delivery that will leave you in no doubt as to what she thinks of the market issues of today, from the prospects for growth in US casualty reinsurance and the long-term trend to delegated and automated underwriting, all the way through to the best applications of AI. It's a candid chat that's also often fun. So check in for some valuable time in the company of a global insurance leader who is burnishing her credentials and making the wider market sit up and notice her achievements. LINKS: We thank our naming sponsor AdvantageGo: https://www.advantagego.com

A judge adopts a new congressional map in Utah. AP correspondent Mike Hempen reports.

What if the hardest chapters of your life became the foundation for your greatest transformation? On today's Daily Influence, host Gregg-Brooke Koleno, MBA sits down with Christy Clark, a private wealth advisor whose journey of courage, self-awareness, and reinvention shows the power of responsible influence in action. After choosing to become a single mother at 41, Christy embraced a path of healing and empowerment—learning to silence negative self-talk, value her worth, and lead with grace through both personal and professional transitions. From her years in finance to building community rooted in compassion, Christy reminds us that true influence begins within. In this episode: • Rewriting your story and choosing growth over victimhood • Holding space for others while honoring your own needs • Leaning into discomfort as a path to expansion • Cultivating positive influence in family, work, and community “It's never too late to rewrite your story. You can close a chapter, learn from it, and create whatever comes next.” – Christy Clark Connect with Christy:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/christy-clark-b297843/ cclark@caprock.com

LSU is leaning into a two quarterback system and we're breaking it all down. Our senior writer Glen West gives his thoughts and reaction to Frank Wilson's comments on playing both Garrett Nussmeier and Michael Van Buren over the month of November. Also discusses how this can be a positive learning experience for both the Tigers and Van Buren as they keep an eye on the future, Garrett Nussmeier's nightmarish season and how he can benefit from a strong finish to 2025. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The chief sustainability officer (CSO) is moving from a siloed function to a strategic, finance-aligned partner. In this episode of The Pre-Read, Workiva Chief Sustainability Officer Mandi McReynolds sits down with Serena Oppenheim, co-founder of Fin-Erth, to discuss the need for a tighter integration between the CFO and the CSO, framing sustainability as enterprise risk management. Serena Oppenheim explains why genuine community, not transactional networking, is the key to tackling big business problems. Learn about the power of the small ask—focusing on manageable tasks that impact business and society. Mandi and Serena also share: Why the CFO, CSO, and CIO worlds are starting to work together The growing frustration when the sustainability function sits in a silo How to build your own "table" with people who will challenge your thinking The importance of asking different questions in a new executive role Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction  01:50 Climate Week takeaways: The partnership of the CFO and CSO  03:30 Framing sustainability as enterprise risk management  04:20 Serena Oppenheim on building trust and community  05:15 The power of the small ask  07:10 Why traditional networking is awful for introverts  09:40 The accidental birth of Thin Earth as a community  12:50 Being intentional with C-suite relationships  17:00 How to build your own table with dissenters  20:45 Leaning into a different perspective at the executive table  25:00 Finding your business superpower to build your table 2 8:00 Driving strategy by looking at financial and sustainability data together 

In this episode, Europe Executive Editor Javier Espinoza sits down with Senior Editor Jeff Bliss to discuss his reporting on the European Commission's review of the proposed $36 billion merger between Mars and Kellanova.

Former attorney Casey Berman, founder of Leave Law Behind, and creator of the Unique Genius Framework, joins Ashley to explore how discernment, curiosity, and courage guide us through times of change. Casey shares his own story of leaving law and finding clarity on the other side of uncertainty, offering perspective and tools that anyone can apply in their career and life. Together, they unpack how to recognize when it's time to pivot and take small, confident steps toward what's next.You'll learn:How to identify the “nudge” that something in your life or work needs to shiftThe 3 questions that uncover your Unique GeniusWhy endurance and discernment go hand-in-hand during transitionsHow curiosity turns confusion into clarityPractical steps for exploring change without burning bridges

Have a willing posture, having faith and trust in the Lord.

In this episode we're joined by Enzo Mthethwa - our naked roving reporter from San Francisco.Leaning in to our shared passion for vintage gay porn, we're doing a deep dive on the classic film, Boys in the Sand - a 1971 film by Wakefield Poole.Host: Gareth Johnson (www.gtv.blue)

Autumn has a way of stirring change—new rhythms, new challenges, and sometimes, new wounds. Whether you’re navigating loss, transition, or a season that feels heavier than you expected, Isaiah 41:10 offers a grounding truth: God upholds you with His righteous right hand. Even when change feels overwhelming, His presence remains steady, strong, and unchanging. Highlights Seasons shift, but God’s presence stays constant and close. Painful change—loss, transition, uncertainty—can become part of a redeemed story in God’s hands. Isaiah 41:10 reminds us that God strengthens, helps, and upholds us. God goes before us and delights in us, offering peace in the midst of upheaval. Change doesn’t get the final word—God does. Leaning into Scripture and prayer can anchor your heart during difficult transitions. His love brings the hope needed to face whatever lies ahead. Gift Inspiration: Crosswalk's Holiday Gift Guide Looking for a meaningful way to celebrate the season? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide—from beautifully illustrated Bibles and devotionals to novels, greeting cards, and picture books, there’s something for everyone on your list. Wrap up stories for loved ones, tuck a book into your own nightstand, and join us in celebrating the wonder of giving this Christmas! Full Transcript Below: Embracing Change This AutumnBy Vivian Bricker Bible Reading:“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” - Isaiah 41:10 Throughout the seasons, we face various changes. Depending on your own individual experiences, some seasons hold more changes than others. When I was a kid, autumn was a major season of change because it was when I started school, had to figure out my class schedules, and tried to make new friends. I remember this caused me immense anxiety. I had to switch to an entirely new school when I entered middle school, and I didn't know anyone there. My sixth-grade year held a few massive changes that ultimately brought a lot of pain into my life. Due to bullying, my mom had to take me out of public school and started homeschooling me with my sisters for the following school year. Seasons of change come and go in our lives. Maybe this autumn happens to be a big season of change for you. Changes aren’t always bad, but it’s the tough ones that seem to leave the biggest marks on our lives. Perhaps you’ve lost a loved one, walked away from a marriage, or lost a job. Bring any of these pains and set them at the foot of the cross. Allow Jesus to transform these painful changes into part of your story; one where He is changing ashes to beauty. Intersecting Faith & Life: God tells us, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). As God says in this passage, He is with us, He will strengthen us, help us, and uphold us with His righteous right hand. Regardless of the changes that are going on this autumn, He is still with you, and He will keep your heart steady. Some changes can feel unbearable, but they can become manageable when we know the Lord is with us. God goes before us, regardless of the storm we are facing. He takes great delight in us and rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). This can give us the strength that we need to face what is ahead. Turn to Him today and let His love give you the hope you need. The change you are facing may feel overwhelming, but it does not get the final word. God has already defeated all things. Whether this autumn brings much change or not, we know God is with us always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20). May we all lift His Name in praise and worship today. Change can be hard. What are some changes you have had to go through in previous seasons? Did these changes impart any lasting lessons? What are some ways you can be reminded of God’s love and strength this autumn? Try a daily Bible study or prayer journal that can help you stay focused on His unchanging love. Further Reading: Matthew 1:23 Romans 8:31 Psalm 23:1-6 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Drew Perkins talks with Shane Leaning about his new book, Change Starts Here: What If Everything Your School Needed Was Right in Front of You? Links & Resources Mentioned In This Episode

In the protein bars market, the rarity of what BUILT Brands hopes to achieve shouldn't be overlooked, but that doesn't mean it won't have ample exit optionality. So, a few weeks ago…citing those elusive “sources familiar with the matter,” BUILT Brands (maker of BUILT bars) reportedly hired an investment brand to explore an exit that could potentially value the protein bar producer at more than $1 billion. And I'm making such a big fuss about that financial echelon mainly because (even with plenty of “upper middle market” deals recently) there have only been two verifiable examples of billion-dollar exit events since the creation of the modern protein bar category about three decades ago. The first was Simply Good Foods acquiring Quest Nutrition for $1 billion in August 2019. Then, about five years after that M&A activity…an international private equity firm became the lead investor in Vitamin Well Group (maker of Barebells) that valued it at around $3.3 billion. But from my understanding, the product origin story began as basically an unsuccessful “garage type hobby business” until CEO Nick Greer was made aware of it through friends and invested (partnered) with BUILT Brands sometime in 2018. Then, after a few years of growth…Nick Greer bought out his business partner, which I assume coincided with a collection of key business events in 2020. These included relocating headquarters (and opening a new production facility), returning to its original proprietary bar formulation, developing its new “puff” bar concept, and announcing USANA Health Sciences made a minority investment in BUILT Brands. However, like any great “math word problem,” only some details truly provide value in determining the correct route before solving our billion-dollar question! Though, maybe most impactful to BUILT Brands (especially if also observing contagion effects) revolves around the nuanced strategic shift sparked by its “puff” bar line extension. Leaning into the famous derogatory categorical statement, that protein bars are basically just “candy bars with added protein,” BUILT Brands created a comparable (but guilt-free) confectionery (candy-like) consumption experience. And consumers have fallen in love with the BUILT Puff Bars combination of its nutritional profile, unique marshmallowy texture, and wide variety of popular dessert-like flavors. Equally, since protein bars are mostly a contract manufacturing “follow the leader” dominated category with a “sea of sameness” market composition…BUILT Brands not fearing form factor uniqueness (complexity) proved to be an important decision. Moreover, by possessing its own manufacturing facility…BUILT Brands retained defensibility from the production process of that (commercially popular) differentiated product. And these strategic decisions will prove significantly valuable towards the quest for a billion-dollar exit, as interested suitors in BUILT Brands (especially certain parties) should fully understand these are non-negotiable when deriving any kind of long-term competitive advantage across the “protein snacking” space. So then, do I honestly think BUILT Brands will be acquired for a billion dollars (or more)? Based on insights trusted parties have shared with me regarding the financial statements, the M&A transaction value for BUILT Brands will most likely land somewhere materially above the $1 billion paid for Quest Nutrition and below the $3.3 billion implied valuation for Vitamin Well Group.

Wednesday:In this episode, we are seeking the Lord on behalf of several right now issues that we are facing on this earth. We are praying for our children, our parents, our loved ones that are suffering with sicknesses, and we are lifting up our leaders. Thank you for being a supporter of this podcast as I grow and learn things will become more like previous episodes, but I do not want to delay the podcast while I learn how to use the new format. Thank you for all of your support. Thank you for your shares. Thank you for joining your faith with my faith so that we can see God move upon the face of the earth if you have a prayer request, you can text 843-790-4229 or submit it by email to seeingwithoutseeing2020@gmail.com. Please put prayer request in the subject line. That email address can be used on Zelle and PayPal. If you desire to sow a seed, you can do that also on cash app at $seeingwithoutseeing. Thank you once again for your support please share this and believe God with us as we seek God.

In this episode, you'll discover:Why being lied to reveals exactly what someone fears mostThe counterintuitive question that makes people open up without feeling interrogatedHow reading comfort shifts unlocks influence without manipulationEver notice how some people just have it? They walk into a room and within minutes, people are opening up to them. Sharing things they normally keep locked away. Laughing harder. Leaning in closer. And you're standing there thinking, what am I missing?Here's the secret nobody wants to admit. Those people aren't more charismatic. They're not better looking or funnier or more interesting. They've just figured out something most of us completely overlook. They've learned to make other people feel like the most fascinating person in the room.I spent years thinking I needed to be more interesting to be a better conversationalist. I'd prep stories, practice witty comebacks, show up armed with impressive facts. And I'd leave every conversation feeling exhausted and weirdly disconnected. Because I was performing instead of connecting. I was broadcasting instead of receiving. I was so focused on what I was going to say next that I missed everything actually happening in front of me.Then I had kids. And suddenly I was faced with these tiny humans who would lie about the weirdest things, shut down at the slightest hint of judgment, and needed me to understand what they couldn't yet articulate. And I realized something that changed everything. The skills that make you an incredible parent are the exact same skills that make you magnetic in every other area of your life.When you learn to listen in a way that makes people feel truly seen, you become the person everyone wants to talk to. The friend people call when life falls apart. The leader people trust with the truth. The partner who actually understands what's being said underneath the words.Today our guest is Michael Reddington, a former investigative interviewer who spent his career getting people to share sensitive information under vulnerable circumstances. He's the author of The Disciplined Listening Method and founder of Inquasive, where he teaches the observation and questioning skills that transform ordinary conversations into genuine connection.Links from the episode:Show Notes: mindlove.com/426Join the Mind Love CollectiveSign up for The Morning Mind Love for short daily notes to wake up inspiredSupport Mind Love SponsorsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hi Parents! Parenting through fear can feel overwhelming, especially when your teen is anxious and you're trying to stay strong for everyone. But what if the real key to peace isn't found in control, but in trust - trusting that God is guiding both you and your teen through every step? In this episode, I'm joined by Heather O'Brien, prophetic healing coach, minister, author, and host of the globally ranked Heal with God podcast. Together, we talk about how to lean into faith when fear feels loud, and how parents can model courage, calm, and confidence by anchoring themselves in God's truth. Heather shares how to discern God's voice in everyday moments, the role of gratitude and prayer in easing anxiety, and how self-awareness can help you respond to your teen with love instead of fear. We also explore what it looks like to break anxious patterns by listening, slowing down, and allowing God to lead both you and your family toward healing. More About Heather: Heather O'Brien helps Christians heal by learning to hear God's voice. She guides people toward forgiveness, spiritual restoration, and deeper connection with God, reminding us that through Him, even the deepest wounds can be healed. She also hosts a workshop every third Monday of the month. It's an opportunity to lay down the things that keep you feeling anxious or uncertain and invite God to bring healing and clarity into your heart. If you've ever felt like you're doing this parenting thing on your own, this conversation will remind you that faith doesn't remove the fear - it transforms it. Big hugs, Monica Crnogorac Next Steps Book a Free Discovery Call Visit My Website for More Information on My 8-Week Program Connect With Me on Instagram

With host retail coach Wendy Batten   https://wendybatten.com/podcast-intro/   In This Episode: Are you feeling burnout creep in? Are you just plain tired of making all of the decisions? You're not alone. In this episode, I'm getting honest about burnout, decision fatigue, and what really causes that drained, frazzled feeling. (Hint: it's not just working too much!) Through my own recent experience, I'm sharing how leaning into trusted mentors and peers can reignite clarity, confidence, and momentum. I know you'll walk away inspired to simplify, close open loops, and stop overcomplicating your next steps. What You'll Learn About Burnout and Overwhelm in Retail: Why burnout often stems from indecision, not just overwork The power of leaning into the support of others instead of trying to "figure it out" alone How to fast-track decision-making by trusting mentors and peers The importance of investing in both mindset and skill-building at every stage Your Next Steps: What "open loops" from your to-do/results list can you close this week? Make a short list and carve out a small amount of time everyday to get them closed. Remember: You don't have to do it alone! You can do, delegate, delete, or defer.  If you are looking for a place for valuable support from your peers in retail, I'd love to see you inside my Level Up Mastermind.  We are a small group of retailers who are growing our businesses with trusted support, honest feedback, and the accountability that keeps burnout at bay. Apply now and take your next step toward light, confident leadership. Related podcasts we think you'll like:  Episode 185: Avoid Burnout with Guest Expert Dr. Ashley Margeson Episode 230: Takeaways from my Mastermind Retreat: Building Connections and Strong Businesses Episode 261: How to Stay Focused and Get Things Done   About your host, Wendy Batten   In case we haven't met yet, I'm Wendy Batten, retail business coach and founder of the Retailer's Inner Circle. With over 30 years of experience running successful businesses, I now help independent shop owners grow profitably and sustainably—with more confidence and joy. I've had my own business columns in featured magazines, such as What Women Create and other top publications, worked with some of the top industry brands as retail care manager, and I've supported hundreds of retailers through coaching, speaking, my programs, and this podcast.  For more support from Wendy   Join Wendy's CEO Planning Session for Retailers Retailer's Inner Circle - Join Wendy inside the best retailer's community Free resources for shop owners   Hang out and connect with Wendy on IG    All of Wendy's current programs and services for shop owners can be found HERE.  Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the Creative Shop Talk Podcast and get the tools, inspiration, and strategies you need to thrive as an independent retailer.Click here to subscribe to iTunes!  Loved the episode? Leave a quick review on iTunes- your reviews help other retailers find my podcast, and they're also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. So grateful for you! Thank you!

Leaning on God when you're living through a lean season. Sometimes life looks like Pharaoh's dream—ugly cows and empty ears. The abundance fades, plans dry up, and we're left wondering where God is in the scarcity. But lean seasons aren't a punishment; they're part of life. Hidden in those seasons are silos of grace and blessings that we can't live without. In Ugly Cows and Empty Ears, we'll learn how to find God's purpose in seasons of lack. When we lean on Jesus and lean into community, we discover that even in the famine, God is still faithful—and He's storing up something great for the days ahead.

What happens when over a thousand climate-focused events converge in one city? At Climate Week NYC 2025, the private sector showed up in force, bringing bold ideas, collaborative energy and a clear shift from strategy to delivery. In this episode of EY Sustainability Matters, host Matthew Bell shares insights from leaders across various industries-utilities, consumer goods, technology and agriculture-as well as NGOs interviewed on the sidelines of EY-hosted events. Hear how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming sustainability efforts, enabling smarter and faster decisions in the race against time. Discover why nature is no longer just an ethical concern but a material business priority. Learn how cross-sector partnerships are unlocking regenerative practices and reshaping supply chains. From boardroom strategies to landscape-level collaboration, this episode captures the pulse of NY Climate Week and the momentum building toward the upcoming COP30 in Brazil. Collaboration and cross-sector partnerships can unlock scalable climate and nature solutions, especially in agriculture and energy. Nature is now strategic, and businesses are integrating nature into core operations for resilience and profitability. From predictive analytics to emissions reduction, AI is accelerating sustainability with speed and precision. @2025 Ernst & Young LLP

2025 has thus far been a year of great leaps and advances in AI technology. And Sarah and Elad have spoken with some of the most enterprising founders and scientific minds in the field of AI today. So we're revisiting a few of our favorite conversations on No Priors so far in 2025 – Winston Weinberg (Harvey), Dr. Fei-Fei Li (World Labs), Brendan Foody (Mercor), Dan Hendrycks (Center for AI Safety), Noubar Afeyan (Flagship Pioneering), Brandon McKinzie and Eric Mitchell (OpenAI o3), Isa Fulford (OpenAI), Arvind Jain (Glen), and Dr. Shiv Rao (Abridge).  Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil  Chapters: 00:00 – Episode Introduction 0:21 – Winston Weinberg on Leaning into New Capabilities 02:01 – Dr. Fei-Fei Li on Spatial Intelligence 04:13 – Brendan Foody on AI Disruption in the Workforce 06:10 – Dan Hendrycks on the Geopolitics of Superintelligence 08:06 – Noubar Afeyan on Entrepreneurship   10:38 – Brandon McKinzie and Eric Mitchell on Reasoning Models 12:41 – Isa Fulford on Training Deep Research 13:49 – Arvind Jain on Innovating Enterprise Search 16:21 – Dr. Shiv Rao on AI's Human Impact 18:58 – Conclusion

Michael Whitaker, who goes by Whit, is a sustainability and innovation leader with a strong academic background in civil and environmental engineering, capped by a PhD in sustainable urban infrastructure. He founded a company dedicated to measuring urban sustainability, which was acquired by ICF International in 2012. Currently, Whit leads organizational innovation and AI strategy at ICF, a $2 billion professional services and technology firm. Beyond his corporate role, he authors a Substack newsletter, Navigating AI Transitions with Whit, where he explores how AI affects work, parenting, and education. Based in Boulder, Colorado, he's also an engaged parent and advocate for integrating AI responsibly in schools. Whit will be doing a workshop on Navigating AI: Build Your Parent Playbook. Turn uncertainty into clarity, confidence, and empowerment On Saturday, November 8, 2025 from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm. Register Here: https://parentengagementnetwork.org/navigating-ai/ In this podcast, we talk about: How society is adapting to AI. Leaning into a rapidly changing and unknown area. Conversations to have with your children. Timeless lessons you are already teaching your children that can be applied to AI. Three important conversations you need to have with your children. Maintaining creativity, mastery and grit in learning. Staying grounded in family values. The real risks to children and how to navigate them. Understanding what you are gaining and giving up when you use AI. Waypoints that can serve as boundaries for engaging with AI. Applying what you already know works to talk to your children about hard things. Resources: Substack Newsletter: Navigating AI Transitions with Whit LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelwhitakericf/ Email: mbwhit10@gmail.com Direct links to some of Whit's most relevant Substack posts: Back to School with AI: The Clarity Crisis: school AI policies are buried - if you can't explain it in 30 seconds, you've already lost parents and students. The AI Values Gap, Reflected: AI policies should be grounded in the broader values of the district / school and their educational philosophy - not isolated to a technology issue. The AI Policy I Shared with My School Board: here's the language I shared with BVSD's board for an overall policy that would balance preparing our students to engage with AI with teacher autonomy in the classroom. Beyond AI Literacy: A Future-Ready and Protective Framework for Schools - starter ideas including model language for how to integrate AI into cross-disciplinary academic standards to prepare students for the AI-infused world they are entering while protecting their developing minds by building AI-oriented lessons into social emotional learning domains. How to Start Changing the AI Dynamics in School this Fall - a couple ideas for in classroom ways to start integrating AI. Wake Up with Whit: Preparing Kids for AI While Protecting Their Developing Minds: a ten minute coffee-talk style video post discussing the imperative for schools to both Prepare kids for the AI future and Protect their developing brains with examples of how some teachers are doing this well now.

Adult ADHD ADD Tips and Support Podcast - A Podcast for Neurodivergent Creatives. Leaning Life in Your Favor with Actress Ginger Gonzaga. This podcast is an audio companion to the book "The Drummer and the Great Mountain - A Guidebook to Transforming Adult ADD / ADHD." In this episode, we're joined by Ginger Gonzaga -- actress, writer, comedian, director, and filmmaker known for her roles in Marvel's She-Hulk, the lead in the CBS series True Lies, and countless other memorable performances in TV and film. This inspiring and lively conversation explores how Ginger learned to “lean life in your favor,” sharing how to recognize your unique strengths, trust your instincts, and have the courage to break free from the constraints that can limit your full expression. We also discuss her ADHD diagnosis at 35, including how undiagnosed ADHD can make you vulnerable to toxic relationships. Most importantly, she shares tips on how she stays balanced and productive, while managing her hyper-creative brain. Links Mentioned in this Episode: (SUPPORT GROUP) The Thrive Group starting on Nov 18 (INSTAGRAM) Ginger Gonzaga - @gingerthejester Don't see a player? Click this link to download the MP3 file. If you have an Apple device (iPhone/iPad), you can download the podcast (and subscribe) for free at this link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/adult-adhd-add-tips-support/id988935339 Visit the podcast web page to listen to all 120 episodes: http://www.drummerandthegreatmountain.com/adult-adhd-add-podcast >> Take the ADHD Hunter-type Quiz Outro voice over by Lauren Regan.  Intro and outro music by Bahman Sarram For more info, visit: http://www.DrummerAndTheGreatMountain.com

Howie Kurtz on the arrest of two suspects for the jewel heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris, the launch of Elon Musk's new AI-powered online encyclopedia called Grocopedia, and a resurfaced photograph of NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani with an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Follow Howie on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@HowardKurtz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠For more #MediaBuzz click here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kelly Foster Lundquist joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about falling in love with creative nonfiction, believing our story is worth sharing, contemplating how to tell it without hurting someone else, shifting from writing academically to personally, taking 20 years to complete a memoir, leaning into and trusting the particularity of our story, learning to stop explaining in our manuscripts, trying different structural approaches, the pattern hungry brain, incorporating culture, history, and research, when writing feels redemptive, liberating, and affirming, and her new memoir Beard: A Memoir of a Marriage.   Also in this episode: -gratitude -conversion therapy -when a story feels too sacred   Books mentioned in this episode: -The Argonauts by Maggie Nelston -The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr -Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Books by Allison K. Williams -Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Matthew Salessas   Kelly Foster Lundquist teaches writing at North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park, MN. Originally from Mississippi, Lundquist has taught writing all over the United States (Boston, Chicago, Mississippi, Seattle, California, etc), as well as in Slovakia and Scotland. Her poetry and nonfiction can be seen in many places, including Villain Era Lit, Last Syllable Lit, Whale Road Review, and Image Journal. Her work has been nominated for a 2024 Best of the Net Award as well as a Pushcart Prize. She is the recipient of grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board as well as the Central Minnesota Arts Board. Her book Beard: A Memoir of a Marriage (Eerdmans) will debut in October 2025. She lives in a little red house in Minnesota with her spouse and daughter.  Connect with Kelly: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyfosterlundquist Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1EgWxeL94v/?mibextid=wwXIfr Website: https://www.kellyfosterlundquist.com/ Book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/beard-a-memoir-of-a-marriage-kelly-foster-lundquist/22424165?ean=9780802884732&next=t   – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank   Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

Halloween over Florence: THE MARKET OF GHOSTSSeverino lived in the bell tower on the hill — the one next to the ancient Basilica of San Miniato al Monte.Every evening, at sunset, he would lock the gate at the base of the entrance stairway and before climbing back up, he would pause to watch Florence color itself amber.And so he did today as well. The tourists had left. Time stopped and silence became sacred again.Through the rusted bars the city stood there motionless — perhaps since forever; with its red roofs, marble facades and the Arno flowing between its stones like a glittering silver ribbon.Domes and towers trembling with light, almost suspended in the air, as if everything and everyone were holding their breath waiting for twilight — and for the night that would cover it with shadows, stars and dreams.One more glance, then he turned on his transistor radio that he had found a few years ago and the notes of Duke Ellington's 'Don't Get Around Much Anymore' filled the autumn evening.Silence may be sacred for the monks, but for Severino music was more so. Seven, his raven, didn't need to be called and at the first notes launched himself from the cypresses of the cemetery above, circled in front of the imposing facade of the Basilica and suddenly glided down along the stairway, to land gently on his left shoulder."Hey Seven, had a good day?""Yes. Could have been worse — Let's settle for that."At which, Severino smiled, turned up the radio's volume and began climbing resolutely toward le Porte del Cielo, while Jazz music echoed among the ancient stones.Nine years ago, on this same day in the month of October, the Olivetan monks residing in the Abbey found a child on the steps of the Basilica.He was there, wrapped in fog, silent as the night, eyes curious as the wind, without name and without past. They called him Severino — I don't know why — and he grew up among prayers and silences. He played in ancient rooms and discovered his world, surrounded by books, tombs, art and mysteries never revealed. At night a raven and a black cat accompanied him, illuminated by the moon, in the Cimitero delle Porte Sante, wandering among imposing crypts and motionless statues that whispered memories and mysteries.But on Halloween nights the whispers transform into screams and endless laments. Secrets manifest themselves, legends become reality, and dreams disguised as nightmares knock on doors lit by candles. And that full moon night was precisely this night: October 31st — and remember, whether you believe in spirits or not, nothing changes: the ghosts will come.And Severino was up there, right there waiting for them to arrive. Leaning out the highest window of the bell tower, calm, looking at Florence from above. While Thelonious Monk's 'Round Midnight' played on his radio, he watched — tapping time with one foot and waited.At the second of the twelve strokes of the midnight bells, something began to happen. On the Arno formed a dense fog that pulsed with spectral green. It began to rise and slide slow but inexorable over the bridges like fingers of cold hands of impatient ghosts. It slid over the Ponte Vecchio and rolled through the streets of Oltrarno until reaching San Niccolò, where it climbed up the hill swallowing everything it found in its path.When it reached the gate of San Miniato, it slipped through the bars and climbed up the stairs until it covered, like a high luminous tide, the entire square in front of the church. It climbed up the marble facade and wrapped also the Cimitero delle Porte Sante, covering the entire hill in a cloak of mystery. Then slowly, as if by enchantment, the fog began to dissolve rising toward the sky and when the last cloud melted into the night air, the square was no longer empty.Small jack-o'-lanterns with flickering lights floated in the air smiling with teeth of fire. Black candles sprouted from nowhere, illuminating spectral stalls full of everything and nothing. Bats that seemed made of paper but were alive fluttered among the lights with wings of black velvet, while autumn leaves danced without wind, sparkling with gold and copper. Pumpkins of every shape filled the stands, some carved with funny faces, others covered with silver spiderwebs that shone like threads of moon. Witch hats swirled in the air like flying umbrellas rotating slow on themselves. Roasted chestnuts perfumed the air with cinnamon and mystery, while small dancing skeletons tinkled like ice bells.And finally in the Cimitero delle Porte Sante, the Portal opened. Like every Halloween, for centuries, spirits from all over the world congregated in Florence for their annual meeting. A spectral river of ghosts poured into the square, each heading toward their own stall, and each with their impossible merchandise to sell or trade. The spirits had arrived and Severino observed them from above. A carnival of other worlds, made of sounds, colors and unimaginable stories.The deserted square had transformed into the Market of Ghosts. Stalls kept materializing from nowhere, carved and glowing pumpkins told each other stories of Halloweens past, present and future laughing malicious among the perfumes of lost memories, past centuries, tomorrow's candles and fallen stardust. The sky above the Tuscan hills and above Florence was full of ghosts arriving from everywhere to search for the unfindable. But no human eye could see this spectacle. No one except Severino, who descended from the tower enchanted by that spectacle and immersed himself in the crowd pulsating with otherworldly life. Seven circled above him observing with attentive eyes and cawing a bit nervous. Some ghosts looked at him with curiosity and recognized him. Someone greeted him and many others whispered his name in forgotten languages."There he is," murmured a witch from Prague."The child of time," sighed a Norman knight."He's returned, I told you so." laughed a Caribbean pirate.But Severino paid them no attention because there were ghosts selling: dreams of sleeping dragons, laughter of northern gnomes, tears of mermaids in love, the last breath of dinosaurs, shadows of unicorns. And even fears from past Halloweens — two for the price of one, but only for tonight. The ghost of a pirate who died during a boarding gone not so well shouted: "Storm bottles! Lightning in jars!" A witch from Salem whispered: "Love potions that last three lifetimes…" A medieval knight showed swords that cut fear, A Chinese spirit waved kites that fly into the past.The spectral crowd grew and thickened, laughed and bargained, while Severino walked amazed and fascinated among the impossible stalls of the Halloween Market. Seven cawed restless from above and Eleven, the black cat with orange eyes, jumped from one tent to another not losing sight of a single movement of Severino and the hundreds of souls circling around him.A ghost monk from an era that never existed saw him and smiled at him from behind a stall full of ancient radios adorned with mysterious symbols. Severino approached, fascinated."How wonderful! Do they all work?""Oh yes, certainly" replied the monk. "These transmit on the waves of past, present, and future time. But you don't need to buy one."The other ghosts stopped. They ceased selling, buying and bartering. They looked at Severino with respect and listened to what the collector of frequencies told him."The transistor radio you already have is more special than you think. But to discover its true secrets, you'll have to search in the ancient crypts where everything began."And suddenly the first lights of dawn began to illuminate the sky behind San Miniato with pink. In rush and hurry the ghosts said goodbye flying away in the wind. "Until next Halloween!" They told each other crossing in the sky. The stalls vanished. Lanterns and candles went out. The Market of Ghosts dissolved like a dream.Severino found himself alone in the empty square, Seven on his shoulder and Eleven sitting on the low wallLooking at Florence illuminating itself in the day of All Saints. He observed his old radio with new eyes and from the ancient crypts of San Miniato, something seemed to call him. He turned it on, turned up the volume and descended the stairway in time to Chet Baker's version of 'Autumn Leaves'.It was time to throw open the gate of the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte.___________________We will continue this story.... For now a Happy Halloween to all of you, may you always believe in magic!Story written by Marco Ciappelli for "Stories Under The Stars" Halloween 2025___________________Listen to Severino's Playlist for the songs that accompany this story and subscribe to discover new music with every adventure.

Have you ever found yourself ostracized from a group you thought was your tribe?Have you ever doubted that you can be accepted for who you are?Have you ever felt somewhat adrift after the frenzy of finishing a book on a tight deadline?If so, you'll relate with today's guest and benefit from her insights and infectious joy. Today's interview is the second in a series of 6 bonus episodes that shine a spotlight on just a few of the amazing members of my Christian Authors in Action community.Most podcast interviews talk to authors after the book is published, during their book launch. This series of interviews is different.Here you'll hear from Christian writers in the midst of the writing phase or navigating their time in-between projects. Keep listening to discover tangible tips you can apply to the reality of your own writing life.Join the Christian Authors in Action programConnect with Kristy Horine:Website: https://kristyhorine.com/Connect with Dalene:Contact - > info@inkandimpact.comPodcast -＞www.inkandimpact.comConnect -＞ Join the free Facebook group Publish Like a ProFB/IG/LI -＞@dalenebickelNext Steps:Step 1: Join a supportive community of nonfiction Christian writers at the free Facebook group Publish Like a Pro.Step 2: Get more personalized support through 1:1 book coaching at www.dalenebickel.com/bookworthy-coachingWhat additional topics would you like to learn about?Ready to write and self-publish your first nonfiction book and make a kingdom impact? Join the FREE Publish Like a Pro Facebook group!

Episode Overview -The Unique Role of Women in Ministry-Leaning into God's Calling-Championing Without Competition-Coaching Through Transition-Faithfulness Over ForceShow notes and resources 

Ever feel like you're running on empty but still trying to pour into everyone else? Same. In this episode, we're getting real about something super tough—we had to cancel a retreat we were SO looking forward to. Why? Because one of our bodies, hearts, and minds was waving the white flag. We needed rest. We needed space. And we needed each other.We're talking all things boundaries, burnout, and how hard (but holy!) it is to say “no”—even when it's to something good. Ministry life can be beautiful and heavy, and we're learning to care for our souls before they scream at us.So grab your coffee, kick off your shoes, and join us for a heart-to-heart about friendship, self-care, and why letting people in can change everything. Real-Life Takeaways:Saying “no” to ourselves? Oof. But necessary.Breaks aren't weak—they're wise.Your body will speak up if you're not listening.Boundaries = loving others and yourself well.Self-care is spiritual, y'all.Leaning on your people isn't a burden—it's a blessing.Asking for help ≠ failing.You serve better when you're whole.Saying no can actually bring you peace (what a concept!).Friendship = showing up and slowing down together.Get all the info about our next pastors' wives retreat and apply here:https://www.pastorswivestellall.com/attendaretreatTo purchase the BOOK, head here: ⁠https://pastorswivestellall.com/book⁠⁠To shop our MERCH, head here: ⁠https://pastorswivestellall.com/shop⁠⁠Want to support the Pastors' Wives Tell All podcast ministry? Become a patron: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/pastorswivestellall ⁠⁠SUBSCRIBE: ⁠Sign up⁠ for our email list and receive updates on new episodes, free gifts, and all the fun! Email sign up ⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠!CONTACT US: ⁠hello@pastorswivestellall.com⁠⁠FOLLOW US:Website: ⁠⁠pastorswivestellall.com⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠@pastorswivestellall⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠@pastorswivestellall⁠⁠JESSICA:Instagram: ⁠⁠@jessica_taylor_83⁠⁠, ⁠⁠@come_away_missions⁠⁠, ⁠⁠@do_good_project__⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠Come Away Missions⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Do Good Project⁠⁠Websites: ⁠⁠Do Good Project⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Come Away Missions⁠⁠JENNA:Instagram: ⁠⁠@jennaallen⁠⁠, ⁠⁠@jennaallendesign⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠@JennaAllenDesign⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠Jenna Allen Design⁠⁠STEPHANIE:Instagram: ⁠⁠@msstephaniegilbert⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠I Literally LOL⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠Stephanie Gilbert⁠

Common Man Progrum HOUR 3 --Rosen--Vikings -- Wolves

Common Man Progrum HOUR 3 --Rosen--Vikings -- WolvesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if a “stable” coin wasn't? Blake and David unpack Paxos's accidental minting of $300 trillion in PayPal USD—and what it reveals about stablecoin “pegs.” They also dig into proposals to weaponize IRS Criminal Investigations, NASBA's flawed CPA exam data, and small-business headaches from forced AI rollouts in QuickBooks. Plus: Ripple's treasury move, whether AI can run a $1M solo firm, and smart guardrails for using AI without breaking your books.SponsorsOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayRelay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/relayBill.com - http://accountingpodcast.promo/billCloud Accountant Staffing - http://accountingpodcast.promo/casChapters(01:12) - Celebrating Spreadsheet Day (04:40) - Remote Work and Flexibility in Accounting (05:50) - Live Stream Interaction (06:16) - Political Discussion: IRS Overhaul (18:12) - NASBA Data Issues (24:51) - AI in Accounting: QuickBooks and Docket (41:28) - Upcoming Events and Conferences (42:38) - Navigating Conferences: Tips and Challenges (43:16) - The Future of Earmark: Audio Books and Discounts (46:21) - Chicago Teachers Union Audit Controversy (48:52) - Stablecoins and Cryptocurrency Concerns (56:09) - AI and the Future of Accounting (57:32) - The Talent Shortage in Accounting (01:03:30) - The CPA Exam and the Future of the Profession (01:16:48) - Government Shutdown and Its Impact (01:18:48) - Closing Remarks and Listener Engagement  Show NotesTrump Administration Plans IRS Overhaul to Target Left-Leaning Groups (Wall Street Journal) https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/trump-admin-plans-irs-overhaul-probe-left-leaning-groups-more-easily-wsj-reportsNew CPA Success Index is DOA: NASBA's data behind the index no longer holds up https://www.accountingtoday.com/opinion/cpa-success-index-is-doa-nasbas-data-behind-the-index-no-longer-holds-upDocyt Launches Mission to Create the 'Million Dollar Accountant' https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2025/10/15/docyt-launches-mission-to-create-the-million-dollar-accountant/170851/Ripple Acquires GTreasury for $1 Billion https://www.gtreasury.com/news/ripple-acquires-gtreasuryPaxos Accidentally Mints $300 Trillion 'Excess' PayPal Stablecoin https://www.pymnts.com/cryptocurrency/2025/paxos-accidentally-mints-300-trillion-excess-paypal-stablecoin/Dozens of Arkansas cities still without state funds over missing audits https://www.ktlo.com/2025/10/13/dozens-of-arkansas-cities-still-without-state-funds-over-missing-auditsChicago Teachers Union members sue union bosses over missing financial reports https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-teachers-union-members-sue-union-bosses-over-missing-financial-reports/Need CPE?Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.comGet in TouchThanks for listening and the great reviews! We appreciate you! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you like what you hear, please do us a favor and write a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Call us and leave a voicemail; maybe we'll play it on the show. DIAL (202) 695-1040.SponsorshipsAre you interested in sponsoring The Accounting Podcast? For details, read the prospectus.Need Accounting Conference Info? Check out our new website - accountingconferences.comLimited edition shirts, stickers, and other necessitiesTeePublic Store: http://cloudacctpod.link/merchSubscribeApple Podcasts: http://cloudacctpod.link/ApplePodcastsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAccountingPodcastSpotify: http://cloudacctpod.link/SpotifyPodchaser: http://cloudacctpod.link/podchaserStitcher: http://cloudacctpod.link/StitcherOvercast: http://cloudacctpod.link/OvercastClassifiedsCollective by DBA - https://collective.cpa/ Want to get the word out about your newsletter, webinar, party, Facebook group, podcast, e-book, job posting, or that fancy Excel macro you just created? Let the listeners of The Accounting Podcast know by running a classified ad. Go here to create your classified ad: https://cloudacctpod.link/RunClassifiedAdTranscriptsThe full transcript for this episode is available by clicking on the Transcript tab at the top of this page

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!Excel Still More Journal - AmazonDaily Bible Devotional Series - AmazonSponsors:  Spiritbuilding Publishers Website:  www.spiritbuilding.comTyler Cain, Senior Loan Officer, Statewide MortgageWebsites: https://statewidemortgage.com/https://tylercain.floify.com/Phone: 813-380-8487If life allows you 90 years, what percentage are you through your life? Have you thought about what God is planning for the upcoming stages of life? It can be said that a person lives three lives: Birth to 30, 30-60, and 60-Death. Which of those sets are you in? The first has lots of exploring and beginning. The middle has lots of cultivating and growing. But what is God's purpose for the last? According to Scripture, God did some of His most powerful work, for Himself, and in the lives of others, in that third stage of life: Caleb, Noah, Abraham, and Moses testify to that. Are you ready to do your most impactful and helping work in this most vital stage of life?