Podcasts about Mother Teresa

Kathryn was born in the Himalayas. However, both her parents were English and had the same desire of "going out to India, spreading the Gospel message and serving the poor," explains my guest. Living in Vienna as a young girl, Kathryn remembers her parents taking in refugees who were seeking political asylum and it was normal to have refugees sleeping on their floor regularly. These memories had a profound effect on Kathryn and she was certain that this is how her interests in helping the less fortunate  came to be.  Kathryn shares that her mother was not warm and fuzzy but she was from the generation of tough and strong women. Kathryn always felt very loved. Ruby was a teacher and taught her daughter and other children from the Embassy. Ruby was determined that Kathryn would not be spoiled. Kathryn was soon sent to boarding school because her parents were working and traveling regularly. "A little pencil in God's hand" is how Mother Teresa would refer to herself. She never wanted credit  or accolades for her work. "She could be a tough cookie," Spink reflects however, "she was difficult to deal with sometimes, because God was so definitely on her side and that could make things tough. Mother Teresa was so determined, nothing could get in her way." "Poverty saddened Mother Teresa the most according to Kathryn,  "I don't think it angered her not in relation to God. Waste most likely angered her the most but never with God." Mother Teresa was always seeing the presence of God in the poor and it helped her persevere.  "Tolerance was deeply ingrained in Mother Theresa" explains Ms. Spink. "Mother Teresa believed that God was at work in every soul, so it wasn't up to her to try and convince others of the 'correct/best religion." My guest remarks "Mother Teresa used to say "come to Calcutta and I'll put you to work".  This is what this demure but mighty  woman believed with her whole body, mind and spirit. Kathryn even shared stories of the similarities between Mother Teresa, whose birth name was Agnes, and her mother Drana. "The family that prays together, stays together" was one of Drana's favorite expressions according to Spink. Caring for the sick was a common thread for the two woman.  "It's not always about the physical suffering, but the whole process of being abandoned by people" was one of the toughest things for Mother Teresa to comes to terms with, comments Spink. Mother Teresa founded the order, "The Missionaries of Charities." She wanted to give shelter to  abandoned babies and to help the poorest of the poor. In 1979 she received the Nobel Peace Prize and after her death was canonized as Saint Teresa.  I could have listened for hours to my guest share her stories of all of these selfless women. Mother Teresa was known as 'Mother' because when a nun/sister is appointed to a superior position within  the church, they are known as 'Mother.' INFORMATION: Kathryn Spink is the author of several books on the work of Mother Teresa and her coworkers, as well as other inspiring contemporary figures, including Brother Roger of Taize, Beede Griffiths, Dominique LaPierre, Prince Charles' and Lady Diana Spencer and more.  My guest is also the chronicler of the “South African Women's Human Rights Organization.”  https://www.kathrynspink.com/ https://www.harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/kathryn-spink-20167212026170   "Should Have Listened To My Mother" is an ongoing conversation about mothers/female role models and the roles they play in our lives. Jackie's guests are open and honest and answer the question, are you who you are today because of, or in spite of, your mother and so much more. You'll be amazed at what the responses are.Gina Kunadian wrote this 5 Star review on Apple Podcast:SHLTMM TESTIMONIAL GINA KUNADIAN JUNE 18, 2024“A Heartfelt and Insightful Exploration of Maternal Love”Jackie Tantillo's “Should Have Listened To My Mother” Podcast is a treasure and it's clear why it's a 2023 People's Choice Podcast Award Nominee. This show delves into the profound impact mother and maternal role models have on our lives through personal stories and reflections.Each episode offers a chance to learn how different individuals have been shaped by their mothers' actions and words. Jackie skillfully guides these conversations, revealing why guests with similar backgrounds have forged different paths.This podcast is a collection of timeless stories that highlight the powerful role of maternal figures in our society. Whether your mother influenced you positively or you thrived despite challenges, this show resonates deeply.I highly recommend “Should Have Listened To My Mother” Podcast for its insightful, heartfelt and enriching content.Gina Kunadian"Should Have Listened To My Mother" would not be possible without the generosity, sincerity and insight from my guests. In 2018/2019, in getting ready to launch my podcast, so many were willing to give their time and share their personal stories of their relationship with their mother, for better or worse and what they learned from that maternal relationship. Some of my guests include Nationally and Internationally recognized authors, Journalists, Columbia University Professors, Health Practitioners, Scientists, Artists, Attorneys, Baritone Singer, Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist, Activists, Freighter Sea Captain, Film Production Manager, Professor of Writing Montclair State University, Attorney and family advocate @CUNY Law; NYC First Responder/NYC Firefighter, Child and Adult Special Needs Activist, Property Manager, Chefs, Self Help Advocates, therapists and so many more talented and insightful women and men.Jackie has worked in the broadcasting industry for over four decades. She has interviewed many fascinating people including musicians, celebrities, authors, activists, entrepreneurs, politicians and more.A big thank you goes to Ricky Soto, NYC based Graphic Designer, who created the logo for "Should Have Listened To My Mother".MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SHLTMM PODCAST:Link to website and show notes: https://shltmm.simplecast.com/ and https://www.jackietantillo.com/Or more demos of what's to come at https://soundcloud.com/jackie-tantillo Listen wherever you find podcasts: https://www.facebook.com/ShouldHaveListenedToMyMotherhttps://www.facebook.com/jackietantilloInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/shouldhavelistenedtomymother/https://www.instagram.com/jackietantillo7/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-tantillo/YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@ShouldHaveListenedToMyMother

What enables ordinary people to leave an extraordinary impact? Looking at the lives of Jesus, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Nelson Mandela, Charmaine unpacks the qualities that consistently mark those who transform communities and confront injustice. History remembers those who chose people over comfort and conviction over convenience. “Heroes series: Heroes of Justice” message by Charmaine J.  at The Evolution, on 31 May 2026 at 3pmFor more information, visit: https://www.theevolution.org/You can also follow us on Instagram:  @theevolutionfam and @theevolutionyouth

You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for June 2, 2026. We open with House Democrats promoting the Reproductive Health Care Leave Act — a bill that would require employers to provide up to 12 days of paid leave annually for menstrual and reproductive health issues. We ask the questions nobody in Washington is asking — what does this do to small businesses, what does this do to GDP, and what kind of incentive does this create for employers deciding between male and female job candidates? We also connect it to the same pattern we see in every Democrat policy proposal — from Obamacare to minimum wage mandates — where the people making the rules have no concept of how a business actually functions or how the cost gets paid. We also revisit Obamacare's core promise — bend the curve down on health care costs — and note that the average American family now pays $2,200 a month for health insurance, more than the average mortgage payment, while most Americans still can't find out what an x-ray actually costs. In our Top 3 Things You Need to Know, President Trump signed an executive order lowering tariffs on copper, aluminum, and steel from 25% to 15% — a move Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick requested in response to conditions affecting domestic industries. We note this kind of market-reactive decision is exactly why tariff authority may need to sit with the executive rather than the legislature. Then Mexican authorities discovered a cartel smuggling tunnel running three football fields long, 20 feet underground, equipped with lights, ventilation, and electric sliding mechanisms — running from Tijuana directly under a home and into San Diego. And Tulsi Gabbard has officially resigned as Director of National Intelligence to care for her husband as he undergoes surgery for a rare form of bone cancer — with Bill Pulte, currently head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, named as interim DNI. Our American Mama Teri Netterville joins the conversation on the Reproductive Health Care Leave Act — and she has opinions. Teri calls it utterly ridiculous, points out that there is already sick leave for genuine medical issues, warns that if 12 paid days are mandated, every single one of them will get used regardless of medical necessity, and asks the question the Democrats haven't answered — define what a woman is before you pass a bill about women's health. We also revisit the fundamental contradiction — the same party demanding menstrual leave for women is demanding women serve in combat alongside men with no accommodation. We cover President Trump declaring June Title IX Month — rather than Pride Month — and make the case that Title IX may be the most consequential piece of legislation for women in American history. We point to the U.S. women's soccer team, which has won more World Cups than any other nation on earth — not because American women are more interested in soccer than their male counterparts, but because Title IX forced colleges to build women's programs that no other country was building. We note the irony that Megan Rapinoe, whose career exists because of Title IX, now argues that biological males should be allowed to compete against women. In our Digging Deep segment, South Dakota has passed a law banning the advertising of abortion pills — which are already illegal in the state — and the New York-based nonprofit Mayday Health is suing, claiming free speech protection. We dig into the constitutional question — can you advertise for something illegal? Can a state that has declared abortion to be murder allow advertising for murder? We also note that the advertising isn't passive — the web address in the ad leads directly to shipping the illegal drugs into the state. We lay out the arguments on both sides and acknowledge this is likely headed to the Supreme Court. We also take on Steph Curry's decision to sign an athletic branding deal with a Chinese company rather than an American one — and make the case that while it's his right, symbolism matters when your entire brand is built on American fans. For our Bright Spot, Indiana Governor Mike Braun has declared June as Nuclear Family Month — complete with a proclamation citing research that children raised by married biological parents have better physical and emotional outcomes, that when families weaken society compensates with expensive inferior substitutes like welfare systems and surrogate discipline, and that the nuclear family is the most effective means of raising capable adults. We call it exactly what it is — something any parent can explain to their children in ten seconds without any awkwardness whatsoever. We also cover Pete Hegseth's discovery of $5.1 billion in duplicate contracts at the Department of Defense — overlapping IT systems, consulting contracts, and overpriced services — and explain why you won't hear about this in many other places — because it confirms what most Americans already suspect about how Washington spends their money. And we close with words of wisdom about the importance of family from Thomas Jefferson, Princess Diana, Lee Iacocca, and Mother Teresa. May your pursuit of happiness bring you joy. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we offer an exclusive For the Journey conversation between Rev. Bill Haley and Brian Carrier, Discipleship Pastor at The District Church in Washington, D.C. They discuss a wide variety of topics, ranging from Biblical earthquakes and the role of creation in the divine drama, to Mother Teresa, Thomas Aquinas, and the contemplative life.inthecoracle.org  |  @inthecoracleSupport the showFor the Journey is a resource of the Coracle Center of Formation for Action and is made possible through the generous support of men and women across the globe.

Surgeon, Soldier, Sister: Sr. Dede Byrne joins Trending with Timmerie to share her story from scrubs, to Army uniform, to habit. Episode Guide Mission or career? US Army Colonel & surgeon (0:47) Caring for St. Mother Teresa (22:04) Career discernment & disruption – changing course facing adversity (25:46) How your past forms your future (30:35) Serving in the Sinai Peninsula (33:48) Trinity Sunday – Mass prep (41:02) Resources mentioned: St. Catherine’s Monastery https://bit.ly/49pgag4 D.C. Medical Clinic Little Workers of the Sacred Heart https://www.lwshptclinic.com/home Little Workers of the Sacred Heart https://littleworkersofthesacredhearts.com/

你有没有过这样的时刻？觉得自己做的事情微不足道，就像大海里的一滴水，有它没它，好像都一样。今天分享特蕾莎修女的这句话：我们常常觉得，自己所做的不过是汪洋中的一滴水。但若少了这一滴，海洋也会因此而变小。这句话，乍一听很美，很治愈。但你可能不知道，它背后其实藏着微观世界和宏观世界之间最深刻的关系——而且，是有物理学撑腰的。你听过蝴蝶效应吗？这是气象学家洛伦兹发现的混沌理论。他发现，天气系统对初始条件极为敏感。一只蝴蝶在巴西轻轻扇动翅膀，这个微小的扰动通过大气的非线性放大，数周之后，可能在德克萨斯州引发一场龙卷风。气象系统不是孤立的。每一个微观的扰动，都可能演化为宏观系统截然不同的结局。再换个身边更具体的例子。你每天往储蓄罐里投一枚硬币。前99枚投进去，罐子还是那个罐子，敲一敲，空荡荡的。然后你把第100枚放进去——满了。我问你：你能说前面那99枚硬币没用吗？没有前面的99枚，第100枚什么也填不满。这跟特蕾莎修女说的“每一滴水”一模一样。那么，给我们最大的智慧启示是什么呢？在我看来，它在说两件事。第一，人人都是平等的。你本自具足。大海由一滴滴海水组成。不同海域的水，可能在盐度、温度、深度上千差万别，形态不同，力量不同。但剥开所有外在的差异，它们本质上就是水。而且你看地球的整个水循环——海水蒸发成水蒸气，水蒸气凝结成云，云化为雨雪冰雹，落入湖泊河流，渗入地下水，流经每一个生物的体内，最后又百川归海。无论它在何处、以何种面目出现，它终究是大海的一部分。《道德经》讲“上善若水”，讲“水有九善”。水的启示就在于此：生命与生命之间，本质上没有高下之别。所以你不用仰望任何人。别人英语说得流利地道，不代表他比你厉害。他只是一滴水，你也是。只要找对方法，多下功夫，你的英语不会比任何人差。你不需要羡慕别人，你只需要每天比自己进步一点点。这种日拱一卒的修行，就是你作为一滴海水，在认领自己本就属于海洋的事实。第二，永远不要小看每天一点一滴的积累。回到英语学习，你可能会觉得：我今天只记了一个单词，只把一个句子读好听了，有用吗？有用。非常有用。你以为流利地道的口语是怎么来的？就是由这样一滴一滴不起眼的努力汇成的。没有哪片海洋，是凭空出现的。不积跬步，无以至千里；不积小流，无以成江海。所以，你今天读出的每一个音节、记住的每一个表达，都算数。它们都是你内在海洋的一部分。终有一天，量变会引发质变，你会听见自己口中流出那片辽阔的、真正属于你的声音之海。作者特蕾莎修女（Mother Teresa），原名艾格尼丝·刚察·博杰舒，阿尔巴尼亚裔印度籍天主教修女，一生致力于帮助穷人、病人、孤儿等弱势群体，被誉为“世界上最善良的人”，1979年获得诺贝尔和平奖。Quote to learn for todayWe ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.—Mother Teresa翻译我们所做的，不过是沧海一粟；但少了这一粟，沧海便不再完整。— 特蕾莎修女更多卡卡老师分享公众号：卡卡课堂 卡卡老师微信：kakayingyu002送你一份卡卡老师学习大礼包，帮助你在英文学习路上少走弯路

Most of us want to make an impact on the world.I'd love for my name to go down in history as someone who CHANGED THE WORLD for the better.Mother Teresa says we CAN change the world!How? By loving our family✨ A Sweet Invitation for You, Mama ✨ Sweet sister, in 2026 the Lord is inviting us into something more: deeper connection, more growth, loving heart-to-heart community. Come go deeper with us inside the Radiant Mom Sisterhood.

In this message from Exodus 20:7, Pastor Jared Richard continues Bay Leaf Baptist Church's series through the Ten Commandments by turning the congregation's attention to the Third Commandment: "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain." Using a word association exercise with names like Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, and Adolf Hitler, Pastor Jared establishes that names are far more than titles — they represent the full weight of a person's life and character. Because God's name, Yahweh, is a revealed, personal, and representative name that encapsulates all of who He is, it carries a holiness that demands our deepest reverence. As Exodus 3:15 declares, "This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations." Pastor Jared then walks through the many ways God's people misuse His name, going well beyond the obvious offense of profanity. Drawing from the Old Testament, he identifies three ancient patterns of misuse — sorcery, false prophecy, and false oaths — and shows how each has a modern equivalent. The prosperity gospel, for instance, mirrors ancient sorcery by invoking God's name as a tool to claim health and wealth, effectively turning the relationship between God and man into a transaction. False prophecy lives on whenever someone attaches "God said" to their own spiritual intuition or personal agenda, and false oaths persist whenever we use God's name to prop up promises we have no intention of keeping. Ultimately, Pastor Jared anchors the sermon in the gospel. Every person in the room has broken this commandment and stands guilty before God. But Jesus, who declared in John 12:28 that His aim in going to the cross was to glorify the Father's name, perfectly honored what we have profaned. He was condemned for blasphemy so that blasphemers could be forgiven. Because of Christ, we are now free to hallow God's name as we were created to — calling upon it in worship, prayer, and lives of genuine integrity that reflect the Lord we claim. WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! Take a moment to fill out our digital connection card here: https://www.bayleaf.org/connect We hope you enjoy this programming and please let us know if there is anything we can do to be of service to you. ONE CHURCH. TWO LOCATIONS. ONE MISSION. Bay Leaf at Falls Lake: 12200 Bayleaf Church Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27614 Bay Leaf at 540: 10921 Leesville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27613 SERVICE TIMES Come join us on Sundays at Bay Leaf at Falls Lake (8:30 AM or 11:00 AM) or at Bay Leaf at 540 (10:00 AM) CONTACT www.bayleaf.org (919) 847-4477 #BayLeafLife #Worship #Inspiration

In this recast from season 2 episode 3 Rachel talks to Lucy and Sarah about how being the parents of people with complex needs has taken over – well … everything. How we have changed and transitioned through seasons of our life and our child's life. It covers:  The emotional phases we go through – rage, resignation and resolve.  Deputyship and power of attorney – who needs it and why?  Realising there isn't such a thing as ‘it'll be easier when…'  How none of us is Mother Teresa incarnate.  One of our biggest roles as parents is to enable our children to have fun and feel safe without us.  We talk about how we might try and shift the idea of motherhood being at its best when we are frantically doing everything for our children, to one where we celebrate and share stories of our children loving life without us. #FunWithoutMum  We'd love to hear from you – we love sharing stories, we love hearing how things are going, the good, the bad, the snotty-crying ugly.  You can leave a message with us in a number of ways:  • Firstly you can leave a message using speakpipe here: SpeakpipeTSWU  (Please note calls need to be limited to 90 seconds)  • You can send us a voice note from your phone or even just an email to  tswupodcast@gmail.com    Whatever way you choose to get in touch, we really want to hear your thoughts, views, musings, rants and confessions (we love a confession!)  Thanks for listening and being a part of our podcast community -It would make our day if you could like, follow and review the podcast wherever you listen.   Follow us on Instagram @BornatRightTime. Head to www.bornattherighttime.com to find a parent workshop or CPD-certified training for practitioners in communication, collaboration and personalised care with parents/carers.  ‘The Skies We're Under' continues to go from strength to strength with almost 130 episodes already. There's still so much to discuss and share with our wonderful listeners, the families of people with complex disabilities and the many practitioners that support us. Moving forward we need your help to keep producing new episodes. You or your organisation can sponsor a season or advertise within an episode. Email us to find out more tswupodcast@gmail.com  

Living the noble virtues of honesty, generosity, justice, understanding, compassion, forgiveness and civility never goes out of style. Decency is always hip. And showing the best of your humanity is definitely cool. No matter what industry you work in and what nation you live in, good things always unfold for great people. And building a character that expresses strong moral authority will always be a gorgeous way to amplify your impact. [Just ask MLK and Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa, Jesus and The Prophet Muhammad].My latest book “The Wealth Money Can't Buy” is full of fresh ideas and original tools that I'm absolutely certain will cause quantum leaps in your positivity, productivity, wellness, and happiness. You can order it now by clicking here.FOLLOW ROBIN SHARMA:InstagramFacebookYouTube

This message centers on the idea that real change begins with one person choosing love in action, using the life of Mother Teresa as a model. It highlights her journey from teacher to servant of the poor and emphasizes six key lessons: serve a higher purpose, choose love through action, begin with those closest to you, do small things with great love, nurture your inner spiritual life, and slow down to bring kindness into everyday moments. Ultimately, the message teaches that transforming the world doesn't require grand gestures—just consistent, compassionate actions, starting at home, where even the smallest act of love can create a ripple effect.1. Website: http://www.theunitycenter.net 2. Download Our New App: https://theunitycenter.churchcenter.com/setup3. Ask Yourself This: https://www.amazon.com/Ask-Yourself-This-Questions-Expand/dp/087159336X4. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/2hBqp7F5. Purchase Lesson Series Packages: https://theunitycenter.net/sunday-series-packages6. Listen to our Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YJWcAhQUnkEHFqBXQmz1G

"At the hour of death we are going to be judged on what we have been to the poor, to the hungry, naked, the homeless."Mother Teresa lived this truth with radical simplicity and unwavering love. From the streets of Calcutta, she dedicated her life to serving the poorest of the poor, restoring dignity to those the world had forgotten. Today, her legacy continues through the Missionaries of Charity, whose work reaches the most vulnerable across the globe.In this episode, we explore the life and witness of Mother Teresa, reflecting on the foundations of her sanctity: deep prayer, devotion to the Eucharist, joy and cheerfulness, the embrace of suffering, and a life poured out in self-giving love.This podcast relies 100% on the generosity of listeners. If you have found these episodes helpful and would like to support the future of Crash Course Catholicism, please consider donating via the following links:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate via PayPal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support us on Patreon!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact the podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.caitlinwest.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/crashcoursecatholicism/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠References and further reading/listening/viewing:Come Be My Light: The private writings of the "Saint of Calcutta"Something Beautiful for God (book)Something Beautiful for God (documentary)Mother Teresa's Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech Acceptance Speech VIDEOBishop Barron on Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa)Bishop Barron on Mother Teresa and Her SistersAscension: How Mother Teresa Set the World on Fire3 Life-Changing Lessons We Learn from Mother TeresaMother Teresa's Special Message for Mothers Everywhere

Have you ever wondered what it truly means to lead by serving others? In this message, we explore the powerful example of Jesus washing his disciples feet and how that act of humility changes everything about how we view greatness in the Kingdom of God. Whether you are feeling burnt out or looking for a way to make a difference, this video reveals why service is actually a secret to a more fulfilling life. We dive deep into the biblical foundations of service, looking at the life of Jesus, the work of Mother Teresa, and the specific spiritual gifts God has placed within the church. You will learn about the science of the helpers high and why serving others is a cheat code for personal happiness and community belonging. We also hear directly from ministry leaders about practical ways to get involved, from children's ministry and prayer teams to local community outreach programs like Love Your Neighbor. Service is not just about doing chores; it is an attitude and an act of worship. When we help the least of these, we are ultimately serving the Lord Himself. Stop waiting for the perfect circumstances to get started and discover the joy of moving in your calling today. Chapters 0:00 The Significance of Foot Washing 4:15 True Greatness in the Kingdom of God 8:30 Serving Jesus Through the Least of These 13:10 Service as an Act of Worship 17:45 The Science of the Helpers High 21:30 The Spiritual Gift of Helping 25:50 Overcoming the Reluctance to Volunteer 29:15 Practical Ministry Opportunities 34:00 Final Prayer and Encouragement If this message inspired you to take a step toward serving others, please give this video a like and subscribe to our channel for more weekly encouragement. We would love to hear in the comments how you are using your gifts to bless those around you! #Christianity #JesusChrist #BibleStudy #Faith #Jesuswashingfeet #servantleadership #Matthew25sermon #theleastofthese #MotherTeresastory #John13commentary #Christianservice #servantheart #livinglikeJesus #spiritualgrowth #gracevsworks #rewardsinheaven #biblicalhumility #helpingtheneedy #GospelofJohn #Christianministry

In Part 1 of a special two-part miniseries on Laughing Matters, Steve Cody and Paul Merchan sit down with legendary journalist Jim Hickey, an Edward R. Murrow Award winner whose career spans some of the most defining global events of the past half-century. From war zones to world leaders, Jim shares what it means to be fortunate to be where you are when history happens., while reflecting on the moments, mentors and mindset that shaped his remarkable journey—from a college radio station to the front lines of global news.Tune in to hear Jim talk about:How a college mentor changed the trajectory of his career overnightWhat it was like covering the Lebanese Civil War—and an unforgettable moment with Yasser ArafatThe reality of reporting from apartheid-era South Africa (and the disconnect with newsroom expectations back home)The striking contrast between Princess Diana's royal funeral and Mother Teresa's humble farewellA powerful, personal moment with Archbishop Desmond Tutu upon learning Nelson Mandela would be released

I was raised a very good Catholic boy.My mom is deeply religious. Caring about other people was everything. Mother Teresa was a role model. Giving. Serving. Looking out for others.That rubbed off on me.I pride myself on caring. The problem is, I care too much.One of the hardest life lessons I keep relearning is this: not everyone cares the way you do.Most arenas in life are political. People do not cooperate the way we imagine. They are not always working toward the greater good. They are often working toward getting ahead.And if something becomes successful, many will jump in and take credit.This is not cynical. It is human nature.As I have gotten older, I have realized my expectations were too high. Even my “low expectations” were too high. If someone says yes, they often will not follow through. If someone asks for something, it is often for themselves.If you do not recognize this, you will be eaten up.So what do you do?You detach.You accept that you are largely on your own. You accept that caring deeply may get you burned. You stop expecting people to step up.You try your best. You walk forward. You compartmentalize. You repeat to yourself that you cannot control other people.You will be disappointed.Your job is to get back up and do it again anyway.Not because people deserve it.Because you deserve peace.

There is something in this word from Isaac the Syrian that unsettles us a little. Because it speaks of a beauty that is not crafted, not projected, not explained. A beauty that simply… shines. He does not describe a monk as someone who teaches, persuades, or convinces. He speaks of a life so permeated by grace that even the enemies of truth, simply by looking, are pierced. Not by argument. Not by brilliance. But by something that cannot be imitated. The beauty of a life in Christ. And this is where the word becomes very personal. Because what he is describing is not first a role. It is not even limited to the monastic state in an external sense. It is the inner life that has begun to be born within a person when grace is no longer treated as an idea, but as something living… something fragile… something holy. Something that must be protected. There is a tendency in us to think of holiness as something we build. Virtue as something we accumulate. A kind of visible coherence. But Isaac speaks of something else entirely. He speaks of a life that has become transparent. Where nothing blocks the light. Where the heart has been so simplified, so purified, so stripped of its constant grasping, that what is within begins to radiate without effort. And yet, the way he describes this is striking. Silence. Watchfulness. Non-possession. Guarding the senses. Cutting off contention. Brevity of speech. Forgetfulness of wrongs. At first glance, it can feel severe. Even excessive. But it is not severity. It is protection. Because something has been born. And it is easily lost. Grace does not impose itself. It does not force its way to the surface of our lives. It is given quietly. Almost secretly. It begins like a small flame in the heart. And everything Isaac names is not meant to produce that flame. It is meant to guard it. To keep it from being extinguished by the winds that constantly move through us—distraction, judgment, curiosity, the need to be seen, the need to speak, the need to defend ourselves, the subtle violence of opinion, the constant turning outward. This is why he speaks of watchfulness over the eyes. Because what we allow in, shapes what remains within. This is why he speaks of brevity in speech. Because words, when unguarded, scatter the heart. This is why he speaks of cutting off contention. Because even when we are right, we can lose what is infinitely more precious than being right. There is something in us that resists this. It feels like diminishment. Like becoming smaller. Less engaged. Less visible. Less… alive. But the opposite is true. What he describes is the birth of a life that is no longer dependent on being seen, affirmed, or justified. A life that has begun to live from another source. And this is the mystery. The more this life is hidden, the more it becomes luminous. The more it is protected, the more it becomes a refuge. The more it is guarded in silence, the more it begins to speak—without words—to the world. This is why he can say that the monk becomes a place others run to. Not because he is accessible. But because he is real. Because there is something in him that has not been compromised. Something that has not been traded away. Something that has been kept. And this is where the word becomes a question. Very quietly. Very honestly. What in your life have you not protected? What has been given to you… that you have allowed to be scattered? What has been born in moments of prayer, of stillness, of suffering, of grace… that was real… that was alive… and yet was lost because it was not guarded? Not out of malice. But out of forgetfulness. The Fathers are not calling us to severity. They are calling us to reverence. Toward what God Himself has begun within us. Because the tragedy is not that we are weak. The tragedy is that we do not recognize what has been given. And so we treat lightly what is holy. The monk, in Isaac's vision, is simply the one who refuses to do that. Who begins—slowly, imperfectly—to live as though what has been planted in the heart is more precious than anything else. More precious than being understood. More precious than being right. More precious than being known. And in doing so, something begins to happen. The life of Christ is no longer something he believes in. It becomes something that can be seen. Not dramatically. Not visibly in the way the world measures things. But quietly. Like light through a window. And others… even without knowing why… begin to feel it. This is the beauty Isaac speaks of. Not an aesthetic. Not a perfection. But a life so carefully guarded, so gently protected, that it remains alive. And because it remains alive… it becomes light. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:11:10 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Homily 11 page 196 00:35:17 Dan: It's interesting, the thought of silence and interior monasticism. I took my oldest son to the NFL draft, and while walking downtown there were some street preachers with a microphone. Nobody paid any attention, nobody even made fun of them. Literally nobody cared. Real life examples seem to prove that striving to allow one's life to be transformed by grace is the only witness the world will even take notice of - especially in a world where the currency of words has been hyperinflated and devalued by social media, the 24/7 news cycle, and so on. 00:36:09 Nypaver Clan: Reacted to "It's interesting, th..." with

APR. 27, 2026Spiritual pathways (3)"I thought about my ways." Ps 119:59 NKJVThe serving pathway. On the serving pathway, you find God's presence seems most tangible when you're helping others. You identify with the words of Jesus: "Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these...you did it to Me" (Mt 25:40 NKJV).And you may find that you are uncomfortable in a setting where you don't have a role to play or a service to perform. An example of this would be Dorcas, whom the Bible says, "was full of good works and charitable deeds" (Ac 9:36 NKJV). Mother Teresa would be a modern counterpart to Dorcas. She said the primary reason she was so involved in serving was not that it was something she was supposed to do, but that it brought her joy. She often felt her own inadequacy when she was alone; but she never felt the presence of Jesus more strongly than in the presence of those she served. President Jimmy Carter has probably inspired more people as an ex-president than he did while he was in office because of his passion for servanthood through such channels as Habitat for Humanity. People on this pathway find that if they're just attending church but have no place to serve, God begins to feel distant.They need to be "plugged in." Two dangers faced if you are in the serving pathway are:(1) You will be tempted to judge others who don't seem to be serving as much as you do.(2) You can get caught up in being God's servant and forget that you're His beloved and redeemed child. Hence you have to stretch by learning to receive love as well as to offer it.Spiritual pathways The serving pathwayShare This DevotionalSend us Fan MailSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Have we biohacked our way to loneliness? We've over-optimized every aspect of our lives—Oura rings, trackers, endless connections on social media. We're fitter, more quantified, more tracked than ever. Yet we're the loneliest society that has ever existed. Suicide rates have never been higher. Somewhere along the way, we lost touch with each other and maybe even ourselves. Chris Schembra makes the case that true fulfillment doesn't lie in adding more optimization. It lies in adding friction back. In this conversation, we break down why convenience is the enemy of connection, what earned intimacy actually requires, and how the serenity prayer—tattooed on Chris's arm from early sobriety—reveals the wisdom we're desperately seeking. What You'll Learn: Why "biohacking" and optimization have backfired on human connection The difference between weak ties (what social platforms designed for) and deep relationships (what we actually need) What "earned intimacy" means and why it requires inconvenience and repeatability The League of Gentlemen: how a village of 100 friends grew from three people having breakfast together Why we're outsourcing our emotions to chatbots instead of sitting in our own thoughts The serenity prayer as a practical life design tool—not spiritual advice The discernment crisis: why judgment and taste are the most valuable skills of tomorrow How to reclaim your life from algorithms and convenience Rather watch on YouTube? https://youtu.be/8xxiRxRR24E Resources & Links: Chris Schembra on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/chrisschembra Reach out: chris@chrisschembra.com 7:47 Gratitude Experience: https://747club.org EP79of CC: A new twist on gratitude: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0V49SVlsXGMmcH8Af2aGnO?si=3f708350572a4b01 EP101: BDSM and the Boardroom: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4cBTAzKRV27qa3wSOwpsQV?si=be9222f7e2104674 EP157: Ketamine psychedelic therapy: Chris Schembra's story: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0V49SVlsXGMmcH8Af2aGnO?si=3f708350572a4b01 Key Timestamps: 00:00 — Intro: Have we biohacked our way to loneliness? 00:41 — Mother Teresa on the poverty of the soul 02:23 — Allison pushes back on the framing 03:40 — The distinction between "too easy" and "too optimized" 04:09 — Why tech companies call us "users" 05:56 — The convenience trap: clicking vs. calling 06:51 — Outsourcing emotions to chatbots and streaming services 54:26 — Building true intimacy vs. collecting weak ties 55:27 — The Strength of Weak Ties study and social media's backfire 56:25 — The breakfast story: how a village of 100 friends was born 58:26 — Walking through seasons of life together 59:13 — The League of Gentlemen and being held when you show up messy 01:01:14 — The serenity prayer tattoo and the three pillars 01:03:40 — Wisdom to know the difference: the discernment crisis 01:04:40 — The beauty of inconvenient choices and earned connection Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!Sign up for the free weekly emailAllisonHare.comFollow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording todayReb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.Feedback and Contact:: allison@allisonhare.com

Unzipping Surprises — Episode 295 Mini Miracles From Minor Moments  ·  with Linda Gullo Episode Introduction When I was a little girl, I had a tin jack-in-the-box. I would turn the handle, hear the tune, and watch the clown pop up. I did it over and over and over again, and that small thrill of surprise never wore off. In Episode 295, I share why those tiny lift-the-lid moments still matter to us as adults, the stories of surprise that have stayed close to my heart, and a new chapter I am opening at Delight in Living. About This Episode A surprise can be very small — a package that lands on your porch from something you forgot you ordered, a phone call from someone you have not heard from in months, or my dog Pearl pressing her paw on my knee at ten o'clock at night when she still wanted to play. Research suggests these little jolts can lift our emotions by as much as 400%, raising dopamine, sharpening focus, helping our memory, and gently lowering our heart rate. They strengthen the bond we have with the people we love, and they soften the loneliness many of us feel even in a crowded room. That is the heart of why I keep coming back to these stories with you every two weeks. In this episode, I also open the door on art therapy groups returning to my office at Delight in Living. Art therapy is not about making something pretty or perfect. It is a way for people to give shape to feelings that words cannot always reach — through color, through paper, through sitting with others who are doing the same. There are no rules, no expectations, and no right or wrong way to express what is on your heart. Episode Highlights The tin jack-in-the-box from my childhood — and why that small thrill of surprise has stayed with me all these years. Marvelous memories that buoy us up: the dog and cat staring at each other through the laundry room window, packages on the porch, and phone calls from voices we have missed. Pearl's paw on my knee at 10 p.m. — what our pets are really asking of us, and the gentle lesson on follow-through I keep learning. Why writing was, and still is, powerful medicine for me — and how I am circling back to it. Trains, my brother in Alabama, and the unexpected places memory takes us when life slows down at a railroad crossing. Mother Teresa's words on joy: "Joy is a net of love by which you catch souls" — and what that has shaped in me about both giving and receiving. Art therapy classes returning to Delight in Living — what a session looks like, who it is for, and the dopamine-and-focus science of why surprise lifts our emotions by as much as 400%. A Reflection for You What surprise has visited your week? Was it a phone call, a package on the porch, a stranger's kindness at the grocery store, a stripe-y gopher in your backyard, or a small project you finally finished after months of stop-and-start? Take a moment to name it — say it out loud, write it down, share it with a friend. Joy grows when we notice it, and it grows still more when we pass it on. That is the heart of what I hope every one of these podcasts gives you. Listen, Connect & Support If you would like to learn more about the art therapy groups, individual counseling, couples counseling, or business and life coaching offered at Delight in Living, you can email me directly at Linda@delightinliving.com. Find every episode of Mini Miracles From Minor Moments at lindagullo.com/minimiraclespodcast, and learn about coaching at lindagullo.com. If this episode brings you a smile or a small lift, please share it with someone who could use one too — that, too, is a surprise worth giving. You can support the podcast at buymeacoffee.com/delightinliving — every coffee helps keep this little corner of joy going. SEO Keywords & Hashtags #MiniMiraclesFromMinorMoments, #LindaGullo, #FindingJoyInSmallMoments, #ElementOfSurprise, #ArtTherapy, #EverydayJoy, #DopamineAndJoy, #ResilienceAndJoy, #PodcastForWomen, #DelightInLiving, #MotherTeresaQuotes, #JoyAsANet, #SmallMomentsBigImpact, #PetsAndJoy, #MemoriesThatBuoyUs, #SurpriseScience, #LonelinessAndConnection, #ChristianPodcast, #FaithAndJoy, #InspirationalPodcast

She was one of the most admired women in the world - Mother Teresa, that angelic woman who devoted her life to the least of the least in the slums of Calcutta, India. The world's greatest leaders wanted to meet her and to experience her love and her moral authority. And actually, she was just a diminutive woman who made such a difference in the world. Some years ago, a young man wrote a letter to Mother Teresa, asking her how he could make his life count as she had with hers. He waited six months for a reply from this very busy lady. When it came, it was just a postcard with just four words on it - four very powerful words - "Find your own Calcutta." I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "A Life That Matters." If you do just what comes naturally, you'll live the kind of life most people do - self-focused, self-centered, self-serving. But a life that's only as big as you are is too small to live in. And you might be feeling an emotional and spiritual claustrophobia right now. Business as usual just isn't satisfying that restlessness in your heart is it? Your life is full, but not really fulfilling. Find your own Calcutta. Find some people who need you and start pouring your life out for them. The lid will come off your life. Jesus gave us an immortal, indelible picture of the two ways to live life in His classic story of the Good Samaritan. It's in Luke 10, beginning with verse 30, our word for today from the Word of God. "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side" - as, by the way, did another religious leader who came by next. Jesus goes on: "But a Samaritan...came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds... He put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him." Then Jesus went on to say that the Samaritan paid all the expenses of the beaten man's recovery; and that this Samaritan was the kind of neighbor He expects all of us to be. And there in that simple story is a picture of two lifestyles - you can be all about yourself, ignoring the needs of people in your path... or stopping for people's needs, bearing the burdens of a bleeding world. I was really touched by a news report about a man whose choice might help you step up to a life that makes a far greater difference. It actually happened right after September 11th and it said that "David Townsend's perspective changed profoundly on September 11th." It says, "From that moment forward, (Here's what he said.) I realized that we are not going to live forever. I feel an even greater sense of urgency; feel compelled to leave my mark on the world. It has changed my outlook totally and shaken me to the core." So, apparently, according to the story, Townsend left his job to work in social services with the homeless and with urban churches. Here's his quote, "September 11th reinforced in me the need to live a life that matters." I think that's the kind of life you want isn't it? So learn to wake up each morning and ask yourself, "Who needs me today?" not "Who can meet my needs today?" There are people in your personal circle - people in your community - who desperately need someone to care, to be there for them. And remember, there is no greater difference you can make in anyone's life than to introduce them to Jesus Christ and take them to heaven with you! That's an eternal difference! With however many years or few years you have left (who knows?), live to make the greatest possible difference with the rest of your life!

What if the people nobody believed in turned out to be the ones worth believing in most? In this episode, Michael Thomas, CEO of ConnectIDD and former 14-year CEO of My Possibilities, shares how nearly 20 years in the disability space has brought him to one clear conviction: we are at a tipping point. Adults with disabilities are running Ironmans, graduating from purpose-built college campuses, and landing jobs at companies that actively seek them out. The systems are finally starting to catch up. Michael built a 16-acre, 72,000 square foot campus for higher learning in North Texas from the ground up, led a $30 million capital campaign to make it happen, and is now channeling everything he learned into ConnectIDD, a disability empowerment agency helping organizations across the country do the same. At the center of all of it are two mentors who shaped not just his career, but the kind of leader he became.   [00:03:40] What He Does and Who He Serves Runs ConnectIDD, a disability empowerment agency that plugs into organizations looking to grow their impact Works with nonprofits, foundations, and businesses serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities Leads complex projects like capital campaigns, program launches, and organizational growth strategies Every engagement is individualized; there is no one-size-fits-all approach [00:06:40] How He Got Here Grew up around disability; his sister, mother, grandmother, and uncle all share a genetic condition Spent time as a kid at Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas, a specialized children's hospital Started college in music therapy, switched to philosophy when the program was cut, and found his way to the Muscular Dystrophy Association right out of college A fraternity mentor pointed out that the volunteer work he loved, Special Olympics and fundraising events, was actually a career [00:09:40] What Inspires Him: Rooting for the Underdog His father instilled a lifelong habit of rooting for the underdog in any situation People with disabilities are the quintessential underdogs; systems were never designed to elevate them A father in Florida recently led 16 adults with autism and Down Syndrome to complete an Ironman The fuel in the tank is watching expectations get shattered and systems finally start to change [00:13:00] Client Impact: The Garden Foundation in Las Vegas Engaged with the Garden Foundation, led by an exceptional founder who built it for her sister and others like her They had a waiting list for services but were limited by space; helped them identify and acquire a property in Las Vegas The property includes a house and a renovated 16,000 square foot office space with a view over the city The ribbon cutting is in 10 days; they are now serving more people with plans to grow further [00:15:20] We Are at the Disability Tipping Point Twenty years ago nobody talked about inclusive housing or actively hiring people with autism Today companies recognize the talent and loyalty of employees with disabilities Educational campuses, workforce development programs, and inclusive residential communities are now being built across the country His hope: by the time he retires, inclusion is simply the norm and not the exception [00:17:20] The First Relationship That Changed Everything: Linda Smith Linda Smith spent 40 years as chief development officer of Opportunity Village in Las Vegas, named the Mother Teresa of the Desert by the governor of Nevada Her son was born with Down Syndrome and was denied US citizenship not because of immigration but because of his disability She raised more than half a billion dollars for people with disabilities over her career She took Michael under her wing, showed him what intentional relationship building looks like, and has been in his corner for 16 to 17 years since [00:20:20] The Second Relationship: Larry Solomon Larry Solomon was vice president of Human Resources at Dr. Pepper and husband of the founder of My Possibilities Michael joined the organization at 26 and needed refining; Larry was the professional coach who helped him get there The core lesson Larry instilled: take care of your people because they take care of people He was a behind-the-scenes mentor whose influence shows up in everything Michael does today [00:22:40] The Impact: A 16-Acre Campus for Higher Learning Young adults with disabilities were being parked in day programs watching Disney movies; they wanted college and nobody was building it Michael led the vision to build a university-style campus for adults with disabilities in North Texas Linda came out to speak to the board; Larry's coaching drove the professional execution; the team delivered The campus now sits on 16 acres with 72,000 square feet of educational space, offering college-style programs tailored to each person's goals [00:28:40] Go Find Real Community The most important thing missing right now is the ability to truly connect and find community Humans are communal by nature; as we have become less connected, stress, depression, anxiety, and suicide have all risen Real community means being able to say "I'm not well" to people who genuinely care about you His 11-year-old twin sons are already better at communicating emotion than most adults; the younger generation may be the teachers here   KEY QUOTES "I think we're at the disability tipping point. Twenty years ago, nobody talked about inclusive housing communities for people with disabilities." — Michael Thomas "We have to take care of our people because they take care of people. It doesn't make any sense not to lean into the support of your team." — Michael Thomas "A lot of therapy wouldn't be needed if we still had community. We would just go talk with people that care about us." — Michael Thomas CONNECT WITH MICHAEL THOMAS

https://youtu.be/N-og1bznPbs Andy Seeley, CEO of Creatively Disruptive and Ashworth Strategy, is on a mission to become the “8:00 AM call” for small business owners—the trusted partner they can turn to after those sleepless 3:00 AM nights filled with uncertainty. Having experienced the stress and isolation of entrepreneurship firsthand, Andy now helps technician-turned-business-owners (plumbers, gym owners, bakers, and more) build scalable, sustainable businesses with the right systems, strategy, and support. We explore Andy's perspective on success—not as a shortcut, but as a combination of fundamentals: embracing failure, never giving up, and most importantly, building the right team. He shares how most small business owners get stuck because they try to do everything themselves, and why true growth comes from surrounding yourself with smart, hardworking people of strong character. Andy also dives into a critical operational insight: sequencing—doing the right things in the right order—to avoid overwhelming clients (and yourself) while still driving meaningful results. — Help Your Clients Sleep Soundly with Andy Seeley  Good day, dear listeners. Steve Preda here with the Management Blueprint Podcast, and today my guest is Andy Seeley, the CEO of Creatively Disruptive, an agency supporting local, community-based small businesses, and Ashworth Strategy, an e-commerce, multi-channel marketing agency that is creating sustainable growth for beauty, apparel, pets, and kids industry businesses. Andy, welcome to the show.  Thank you. I’m very happy to be here. Nice to see you, Steve.  Yeah, I’m excited to talk to you. It’s a very interesting combination that you have going here, but I’d like to start with my favorite question: what is your personal “why,” and how are you manifesting it in your businesses? I think the personal “why” kind of straddles all the businesses that we deal with. We typically don't work with large corporate brands. We don’t typically deal with, not that we wouldn’t want to, but we typically don’t, and we don’t actually even try to focus on them. Because the main  why”, the founding of our business came from when my partner and I were talking—we weren't very happy with the two different businesses we were operating. We were both working on one project together, but he had his own thing, and I had another thing. We were both there, we’d both gone through some really tough times ourselves and had experiences of feeling very alone, trying to figure things out—sometimes successfully, sometimes very unsuccessfully. And we both talking about our troubles and tribulations, and all of those kind of things. And we were like, wouldn’t it have been nice, wouldn’t it have been good if there was someone there to help us? That “staring at the ceiling at 3:00 AM” in the morning. And the morning is a thing that a lot of entrepreneurs and business owners are very familiar with, right? You wake up at 3:00 AM, staring at the ceiling, thinking, “I've got all these things to do.” Or if it's tough times—how do I make payroll? If there's a legal issue—what am I going to do about that? Whatever it is, there's always something. Even in good times, there's often something. What we thought to ourselves was we are oftentimes, when we were in that situation, we didn’t really have anybody to go to. That 3:00 AM turns into 4:00 AM, then 5:00 AM, and sometimes we were just like, well, I’m just going to get up. And then there are sleepless nights. And we thought if we come from the standpoint, it's a real thing. It's something we're passionate about is that most small business owners are technicians.Share on X Most small business owners are very good at a thing, like they’re a plumber and they start a plumbing company, or a baker who starts a bakery. The E-Myth.  This is the E-Myth concept.  Right. They're a gymnastics coach, so they start a gymnastics gym. Most business owners are technicians, which means they’re very good at a very specific thing, not so good at many other things that you have to be. And we wanted to be that 8:00 AM. We wanted to be their 8:00 AM. And what that means is—staring at the ceiling at 3:00 AM, maybe their mind racing for 30 minutes or so—but then they can say, “You know what, we'll reach out to Andy and Russ at Creatively Disruptive at 8:00 AM. I'll get some sleep. We'll get to the bottom of this idea. We’ll get to the bottom of this problem. We’ll get to the bottom of it. And that was really important to us. And it really was a guiding light. That's why, from a marketing standpoint—you could call us a marketing agency—but I don't think it really is what we are. Because we do consultancy work. We work through exit strategies. We work through financial goals. We work through a whole bunch of stuff that does not include putting an ad up on Facebook, Instagram, or Google, or building websites. We ask—why are you doing all that stuff? I love your first question, because what's the point of it all, right? I had a conversation with a frustrated client yesterday, and at the end of the frustration that the client had, they were not frustrated. And I said to them, “Look, we're talking about a lot of different things, and the reality is what’s going on with you when working with us is there’s some amazing things happening, which you agree with.” But the reality is, you are not talking to us about running a Facebook ad. You didn’t come to us because you desperately want a Facebook ad run, or come to us because you would love your company on Google. That’s not the reason why you came to us. The reason why you came to us is something that those things will change in your life for the better. That's why you're talking to us. There’s a reason why you bought this business. So our “why” is really to help those small business owners—who are often technicians, very specialized people—develop a broader skill set and a team that can help them through their challenges.Share on X The beauty of what we do is—we have 120 clients, all dealing with different issues and different situations. Because we engage with them at a consultative level, we hear it all. We hear, many times many subjects, here’s what not to do—and on those same subjects, here’s what to do. And we actually collate that stuff. As you saw on our Zoom, there was a Zoom link we used—you saw my Read.ai. that read.ai As much as it’s for us to make sure that we have our ducks in order when we’re talking to somebody, it’s also an archive for us to make sure that some things that we spoke about, we learned about that now we can put that in our database to help other clients. And it’s not that we show other clients what we’ve spoken about and give state secrets and so forth.  It’s a repository of company knowledge that you have developed.  Absolutely. Me and you having a conversation like this, Steve, is all well and good. The fact that we are recording it is going to allow loads of other people to understand it. For us internally, it allows my team and us to look at stuff and go, okay, well this is a really good thing, let’s actually turn that into a process. Yeah. Love it. So a very long-winded, long thing. The “why” is, we want to be that 8:00 AM call after you’ve had a 3:00 AM wake up. Love it. I mean, that is the definition of trust. If you are the person that they call at 8:00 AM, then they know that they can sleep well because you’re there.  And the big, burning part of that “why” is that we didn't have it—and it was tough. It was emotionally tough to be so concerned. I had a lot of 3:00 AM wake-up calls during the Great Recession in 2008–2009. It was a very worrying time. There was a market crash. Our house went from being worth $400,000 to being worth $100,000. We owed $300,000 on that house. We had a business that income went from about $500,000 a month. It was a gymnastics gym that my wife ran to making about $200,000 in a two month period, because so many layoffs were happening. My job, which was working for a TV station, we had loads of clients calling in, asking to cancel, trying to figure out how, so there was so much going on. Those 3:00 AMs were very regular thoughts that came up, and I would just sit there not knowing what to do and having no one to talk to. I desperately want to at least be someone that someone can think of, “You know what, we can call Andy. We can call the CD team, and we'll figure this out.” So anyway, there you go.  Okay, so this is a great segue, because you mentioned Read.ai and how you're thinking about about processes—and how to use the 120 clients you have and the challenges you solve. How do you turn that into a process so other clients can easily access to it? So this podcast is really about this kind of stuff. It’s called Management Blueprint, and I’m always looking for shortcuts—business shortcuts, frameworks that entrepreneurs have discovered along the way and that they could share with the listeners and could help other people listening to have a better process. It could be anything—three to five steps—looking at something, seeing something in a different light. So what do you have in mind for us?  So a shortcut to success—I'm always a little bit leery of statements like that. “Shortcuts to success”. It always feels a little bit like a 2:00 AM infomercial—blah, blah, blah—and you get steak knives with it. Because the reality is, oftentimes there's no shortcut. I'm sure you've asked this question a million times, and a lot of people say, “Here are the shortcuts.” But my experience is—the real truth is—there are a couple of fundamentals to success. One is being okay with not having it right? That's a “shortcut,” if you want to call it that. Failure is actually the journey to success. Being okay with failure. There’s a reason why 95% of humanity doesn’t run a business, and it’s because they find failure difficult, and we’ve been trained as humans to not embrace failure.  Failure is the journey to success. It's where you learn. The other part—which is linked to failure—is never giving up.Share on X I don’t know if that’s a shortcut, but you only lose when you give up. Now, some people might say—sunk costs and things like that—at some point, you've got to stop putting into something that's not working. But the reality is, if you believe in what you're doing, there are going to be troubles, there’s going to be failures, there’s going to be difficulties. And as long as you don’t give up, and you learn from each mistake in each thing that happens, you will have success. You only won't have success if you decide to give up. I really, truly believe that. I live that.  I resonate with that, and I wouldn't even say that the 3:00 AM wake-up is a bad thing. It's really a forcing function. It's forcing you, as the entrepreneur, not to give up—to put the energy in and figure the problem out so that you can move forward. Because if you sleep until 7:00 AM, then 8:00 AM the day starts, and you still haven't solved the problem. You're just snowballing it.  But I would say—and those are more operational, ongoing things—so they don't really fit your question of a shortcut to success. To me, that's more the ingredients or material of success, right? But one of the things I would say would be a pattern of success that I’ve seen across hundreds of businesses that I’ve worked with—and that we currently work with—is building a team around you. Almost all of the successful people that I know—and when I say successful, I mean way more successful than I am, with multimillions of income and so forth—and I know a few of these guys… all of them have teams. All of them have people who are experts in certain areas. And almost all of them, to a T, are pretty good at building teams—finding people and putting them together.  And what I would suggest, any business owner, if you are going to think that you are going to become wealthy and do well by doing everything yourself—one, I think you'll fail. I don't know anyone with no team who has achieved strong success. And two, your life’s going to suck. I would say, it’s going to be tough, right? So if I had to choose something—even though I don't like the word “shortcut,” if I’m honest with you, and I know that was a question that was coming up and I did think hard about it, and I kind of feel like I could give you a cheesy one-liner, but that kind of is like nahh. But the reality is, I think our success with our companies is probably my ability to actually find good people. And my philosophy is: hire smart, hardworking people of good character—and then train them.Share on X And if I can find somebody who is smart, hardworking, and of good character, and also has a skill set—that's a bonus. What I'm really looking for are those first three. A smart, hardworking person of character—you can train them, if they have an interest in what they're learning.  So how do you do it? So maybe that's the framework. “Shortcut” is actually—I agree—the wrong word. I meant a business framework.  Okay.  Maybe I shortcutted the expression. So how do you find that smart, hardworking person of character? Do you have specific questions you ask to figure that out?  A lot of what we do is—I'll ask questions around what they've done in past jobs, even past personal lives. I'm not looking for something too narrow—more broad, like: tell me about a situation where you saw something bad happening. What did you do? It’s kind of open-ended, and it’s not telling them the answer. But you know, something bad was happening. Tell me what the bad thing was. And they might say, “Well, it was this kid, and they were drowning in a pool.” Okay—what did you do? Did you run to get someone to help? Did you turn away and walk off? Did you pull out your phone and film it? Or did you jump in and save the kid? What did you do? That gives you an understanding of what kind of person they might be. And then part of it, for me, is I feel I have a decent gauge of whether people are lying to me. Sometimes I don’t get it right, but I feel I have a decent gauge when they’re saying it. In my mind, I'm noting—does this sound like a real story? Does it feel real? Does their face look like they're revisiting that moment that what they’re doing and what they’re telling me? Or does it feel like a story being made up? And then I put that down. And if it’s like, the person said that they jumped into the pool and saved the kid, and I could see the emotion in them and it feels like they revisited, this feels real to me. Check. There would be multiple questions along those lines. It would tell me about a time when maybe you’re ending the day and some things are missing or some things haven’t happened, or blah, blah, blah. What is your thought and what is your plan to address that? And are they going to go back and spend more time working? That might be a good answer—or not. Are they going to note it and handle it first thing in the morning? Or do they say, “Ah, someone else will take care of it”? Getting those kind of answers of how their mind thinks about real world things that they’ve done in the past. Trying to keep it open so it’s not so specific that they say, oh, I’ve never had that experience before gives you an idea of what their character is, right? It also gives you a sense of how hard they work. And I'd say a hard worker should also be balanced with being an organized worker. How organized they are. Are they on top of things? Because I’m okay with you not being such a hard worker, Steve, if you’re very well organized and you get stuff done. You might not be busting your butt, working long hours and saying, Oh my God, I’m working so hard and lots of long hours, but you’re so organized and you’ve got yourself in such good order that you actually outproduce everybody else, because you're more efficient. That, to me, would fall under the hard work category, right? Yeah. Yeah. So a good answer to something wasn’t done that needed to be done, and it’s the end of the day.  A good answer might be, I looked at it and I was like, I can wait until about midday next day. I put it on my list of the first thing that I’m going to do in the morning. Then the next morning I came in, I got it done within 25 minutes, and everything was great. I would look at that and go, okay, that’s not a bad answer. I’m okay with that. As an employer, I care about your work-life-balance. I’m not always looking for somebody who’s prepared to work till midnight every night. That, to me, once in a while is okay. But if I have an employee that’s looking to do that all the time, that’s a problem. Because I know there’s a limitation to that. And then again, when we’re talking about we’re looking at good character, hard work, and smart.  So yes, if they are intelligent, it’s clear. And I'm not going to say, “Hey, here's an algebra test—tell me the answer.” That comes through with the questions, right?  It's common sense. You're looking for common sense—which is not very common. I like it, because essentially you are triggering some signs of authenticity in that person. Are they really showing up? Are they authentic, or are they trying to look like something they're not? And it's a really good filter.  So a lot of times, I think interview questions are like, “Here's a situation—what would you do?” do? Any question like that, especially when you're selecting teammates. And I don’t always have interview with teammates, sometimes the people that I have relationships with and I go and say, I need you to work for my company. I know you well enough. I've experienced you enough—I'm going to bring you in. But during that journey of coming to that conclusion, I'm looking for those qualities. And when you're in an interview and you don't know someone, and you ask a fabricated question—that's a fantasy. They can come back with a fabricated answer—that's also a fantasy.  And most of the time, that's what happens. I’m a pretty good interviewer because my interview, when I’m looking to interview with somebody, not that I’ve done it for a very long time, but let’s say I’m interviewing with something other than work, I dunno what it might be, but maybe something like a school counselor, school for my kid or whatever. And we are interviewing, I’m analyzing what the person who’s asking me the question, I’m trying to figure out what answers they want. And I think anybody with an element of intelligence does the same thing. And you end up giving answers, not necessarily, which are 100% what the interviewer needs to know. The interviewer gets the answer what the interviewee thinks they want to know. And I think when you ask questions that are kind of open-ended, but experiential about what they’ve done in the past, you get a sense of kind of who they truly are. And then the goal is listening to see, to get those cues on.  I always like asking, “Tell me about a time when something bad happened in your life.” Okay—what did you do? That's something you can really work through and get a sense of—are they truthful? Are they emotional? It’s a question I think some people are uncomfortable with, and some interviewers might think, “I don't know about that. What might come up in that interview? I've never had a really terrible answer—like, “I was at the scene of a murder, or blah, blah, blah. I’ve never got that answer. But I've definitely had things like, “I was coaching a team, and one of the players broke their leg.” Okay—what did you do? And they talk me through it, and I'm like, okay, that makes sense. That’s a good answer from a good standpoint. I’ve had stuff like that. So I’m yet to come across a real traumatic story, but what I found is that I can really tell whether or not somebody is telling the truth. And I can get a sense of kind of how they handle really difficult situations.  Okay, Andy, I'd like to switch gears here. What I’m hearing is that you are good at building teams and empowering them. You have a good ability to hire people that have good character—smart and hardworking. What is one thing that you are actively trying to figure out in your business right now?  We've gotten to the point where we have so many moving parts in our business that, sometimes, with our client base, it's overwhelming. There's a lot going on. We've got an AI system with multiple components—it's tremendously useful, a very powerful tool—but it can be overwhelming for a technician, like a baker or a gymnastics coach, who's specialized in something else to suddenly have to take that on. We've got ads, we build websites, we provide consultancy—we've got consultancy, we’ve got all these things that, when tied together, create a really powerful machine. And what we’re trying to do right now is try to figure out how to set expectations and set out how to roll all of the stuff out.  When we first started doing a lot of this in one lump sum, we would almost dump it all on the client within a week of them signing and start working through all these things. And what we found is that it’s quite overwhelming and almost to the point where the client runs away and they don’t actually want to continue. It’s just too much work all at once. So one of the things that we’re working on right now to try to improve our situation is we’ve got a lot of stuff. We’ve built this machine that really helps businesses inside out. But do we have to build every part of that machine in the first three weeks? Clients want things to happen in the first three weeks. We can have things happen in the first three weeks. Do we need everything to happen in the first three weeks? That’s why I said to you, doing everything all the time forever is tough all at once. Right now, we’re actually literally working through a process, talking with the team, working with the team of what’s the order of priority of all these things that we have from the point of view of what’s easy to implement, but maybe not as important, but we can get it implemented within minutes of a client joining. What’s really important, but it takes a long time and trying to prioritize those things. Because all of the smaller things, individually, aren't hugely impactful—but collectively, they are. But we can get them all done in a day. And then some of the things that are singular that have a huge impact, they take a little bit longer. How do we scale this out so we can actually get results very quickly for the client without overwhelming them with all of the stuff? And I think there's a word you've probably heard a lot—sequencing is really important. I think a lot of businesses fall apart because they do things out of sequence. They don’t think about the sequence. They go for the fun, cool thing first, and sometimes that's the worst decision they can make. Right now, we're working through how to properly sequence our onboarding of new clients—to make sure the experience is really positive without overwhelming them. We’re actually getting into a really good place. And some of that is, I mean, most of this is because there is so many things. We have these—like I say—technician business owners, and they come to us and they're amazing at plumbing, but they've got a phone, and that's all they have. So whenever anybody needs to call them to schedule a new job, it rings their phone—and they're under a sink doing work. The phone's ringing. They're like, “Oh, hell,” and they're under the sink. Well, sometimes they don't answer it, or whatever. They've got no system. They’ve got no process to take care of things. And we've got to build all that out, right? And it's so common—and it's totally fine. They’ve been successful in what their technical part of is, but they want more than a job that they own, right? You’ve probably heard that a lot. And they want to start scaling. They want to take vacations without losing income. They want to do all of these things. We can do all that for them—but we can't do it like that. Even though they want it like that, if we do it like that, their brain nukes.  Yeah.  I don’t know if that’s a good answer for you, because that is something that we’re actually working on from a business standpoint of is how to sequence and do things in the right order that allows people to get the best bang for their buck without melting their brains down. Indigestion. Yeah. I don't know who said it—maybe Peter Drucker—but he said most businesses die of indigestion rather than starvation. So that's true. So what drives your business? What is it that helps your business grow? I mean, you mentioned 120 clients. I saw your video—we were talking about 114, 115 clients—so you've been growing since the video.  Yeah.  So what drives your business?  If I’m honest with you, philosophically, what drives us is the failures that we’ve had in the past. My business partner and I—we've had some pretty tough times, going back to that 3:00 AM question. We almost lost our house during the Great Recession. We didn't lose it—we still have it to this day. It's actually a second house now, in Lake Tahoe. We went through times that were quite stressful, difficult, and troublesome for us. I mean, not necessarily nearly as bad as other people have had, probably much tougher times that they’ve had to go through. But I would say what drives us is the fact that we had those tough times. We understand what it’s like to struggle, and we really want to do what we can for a small business owners—mom-and-pop level businesses—avoid those situations. All of our decisions are about how we can make a difference. Again, going to that conversation with that client yesterday that I just mentioned a moment ago, I actually said to them: if you guys decide to leave because of these frustrations that you’ve had, ’cause they had a couple of frustrations, and it was mainly about what I was talking about the everything was getting dumped on them. They were like overwhelmed. There’s lots of stuff happening and they were thinking that it all needed to be happened in one month, but really it was, no, it’s okay if it takes three months for this stuff to get rolled out. And I said to them: if you leave, I'm going to be very disappointed in myself and my team, because of the massive difference we can make in your lives. And that is the driving force for our business—to make a real difference. And the fact that what we've done so far—we're seeing the germination of those really good things. And they agreed. They said, “Yeah, there are some really good things happening. We really like those. We're just frustrated with the amount of stuff going on.” And I'm like, “Well, I think we can spread it out, take the heat off, and make sure things roll out nicely.” That reminded me that the reason our business exists is to help these small businesses be all they can be—to reach for the stars. There are so many very good people who could make a lot of money and do a lot of good things—but their specialty is so focused that they're not rounding out their overall situation.  Especially in gymnastics—we work with a lot of gymnastics coaches. Probably about 60% of our business is kids' activity centers. A lot of kids activity center owners tend to be, they do everything themselves. They put everything on their shoulders, and they don't build out their team—which means they can't scale. So they end up owning a job, not a scalable business. What drives me is: how do we help these small businesses scale, have a better life, reach more people, help more kids, and support their employees? All of that kind of stuff. And people might say, “Oh yeah, sure, Andy—you're like some Mother Teresa figure.” I'm like, no—because my experience is, if we do a really good job of that, the money takes care of itself. A “shortcut,” going back to your earlier question, is: stop thinking about how much money you can make from each customer. Really focus on taking care of that customer. Charge a reasonable rate, and the money will come. If you become well known—if you become a major figure in an industry—that money will come. I'm lucky enough that, in the gymnastics industry and the kids' activity center space, I've become reasonably well known. People I don't know—and I think you become a well-known figure when people you don't know recognize you. You walk into a conference, and people come up and say, “Hi, Andy.” And I'm like, “Oh, okay—I don't know who you are.” I’ve been watching you on this, or I’ve been doing that, I’ve been seeing you talk or speak or blah, blah, blah. I don't think of myself as famous at all, but in some of the niches we work in, I've become well known. And I think that's happened because we care—and we let the money take care of itself.  Andy, our time’s coming to an end, but I'd like to ask—if someone is running an activity-based business, maybe a gym, a swim team, a dance studio, or selling classes—and they want to ramp up their business because everything is on their shoulders and they're a technician—where should they go, and how can they find you? So, like I said, we help plumbers, home service businesses—we've worked with banks, rec centers, kids' activity centers, and all sorts. Where our real specialty is, in a very real way, is pushing the needle for local brick-and-mortar businesses. Obviously, we also have Ashworth Strategy, which we didn't get into—that's our e-commerce brand. But my personal passion is that mom-and-pop business that opens up a storefront. The best way to reach us—regardless of whether you're a plumber or anything else—is to go to creativelydisruptive.com. You might look at it and think, oh, this seems like a whole bunch of kids on here. We do have another brand called highlevelthinkers.com, where we do the same kind of work for home service businesses. So go to creativelydisruptive.com and reach out there. We actually have a little chat square that you can go into and start talking to us and you’ll actually speak to our little AI up here. It knows everything—it's basically like talking to me. It can help you set up a time to speak with one of our team members. We don't have salespeople—we call them business development consultants, because that's really what they do. They'll talk with you and figure out the best way we can help. But basically, in a nutshell, there’s lots of ways to reach out to us. But in my mind, the best and easiest way, just go to creativelydisruptive.com or highlevelthinkers.com, and reach out to us through there using the chat bot, or using the form and just reach out. And we'll help you.  Okay. Well, if you're listening and you're running a local business—whether it's an activity-based business, a mom-and-pop business, or a contracting business—and you'd like to level up, put in systems, and sequence them properly, then reach out to creativelydisruptive.com or highlevelthinkers.com. yep.  And then you can connect with Andy—or the chatbot, if he's sleeping—and it'll get back to you.  The chatbot's probably a much more fun conversation.  It could be. You can listen to the podcast and use the chat at the same time, so you get the best of both worlds. So thank you, Andy, for sharing your experiences and being very vulnerable. And if you, as our audience, enjoyed listening to this, then stay tuned—because every week I have an entrepreneur sharing, not necessarily shortcuts, but good frameworks that can help your business. So thanks for coming, Andy, and thank you for listening.  Thank you. It’s been a pleasure. Important Links: David's LinkedIn David's website https://highlevelthinkers.com/

This is a FOUNDERS GROUP opportunity. Join Practice of Paradise: https://store.dralexanderloyd.com/products/practice-of-paradise "YOU ARE NOT YOUR SIN" | Who You Really Are vs. What You Did Dr. Alex Loyd and Harry Loyd explore one of the most liberating truths: You are NOT your sin. Almost all sin is something you DID—not who you ARE. THE CORE TEACHING Who you REALLY are = Your INTENTIONS, CHOICES, and CONSCIOUSNESS Almost all sin is something you DID. It's NOT who you ARE. But right after you sin? That's when you feel like it IS who you are. The problem: That is a LIE—straight from the evil one. THE THIEF ON THE CROSS VS. MOTHER TERESA Mother Teresa? Way over on the virtue side. The thief on the cross? Based on his own words, he'd sinned his whole life. Between them? About as far apart as you could be and still both be saved. BUT HERE'S THE TRUTH When God looked at Mother Teresa and the thief on the cross, they were both in the SAME PLACE. It had NOTHING to do with their sins. It was about their INTENTION. The thief's intention: “I believe in you. Please remember me.” God looks at the HEART. Mother Teresa can't boast to the thief on the cross. To God, they're EQUAL. They're the SAME. WHO YOU REALLY ARE You are NOT sin. You are also NOT virtue. You ARE your intentions, choices, and consciousness. Your de facto identity = How you're built, programmed, and assigned by God. THE SOLUTION Give your intentions, choices, and consciousness back to God as a living sacrifice. Who you REALLY are is HIS CHILD—if you will accept that. All you have to do is say: “Yes, thank you Father, I accept.” Then He will work through you in a MIRACULOUS way.

Dave's cows got out again.The gate was shut. Just not latched. There's a difference — a difference Dave now knows in vivid detail, courtesy of the Broken Arrow Police Department and at least one very stressed heifer on the turnpike. Nobody died. The cows are back. The neighborhood is bonded. And apparently this is just a tradition they keep at Niles Ranch and Fecundity Farm.This week Adam and Dave sat down with a glass of Dancing Panda — a straight Kentucky bourbon, eight years, 100 proof, with an unexpected apple-cinnamon finish — and got into someone most Catholics have heard of but few have actually read: St. Bonaventure.Before you dive in: Adam's daughter Mary is in the hospital. Her lungs keep deflating. The situation is hour by hour. Please pray for her.St. Bonaventure is, in a word, underrated. He was the Franciscan answer to Aquinas — less systematic, more contemplative, every bit as deep. Best friends with Thomas Aquinas. Minister General of the Franciscan Order. Seraphic Doctor. Second founder of the Franciscans. The man who, when Aquinas read his contribution to the Mass reform aloud, said "That's perfect. There's no need for mine" — and meant it.The book on the table is Holiness of Life, published by Coriaceous Press. Written to a Poor Clare nun. Short — you can finish it in an afternoon. Dense — you'll carry it for a long time after.Bonaventure lays out a ladder. Self-knowledge first. Then humility. Then poverty. Then silence. Then prayer, the remembrance of Christ's passion, perfect love of God, and final perseverance. Adam and Dave cover the first four.Self-knowledge is not a journaling exercise. It's a brutal, honest accounting of where you actually are — seeing your dignity as an image of God and your misery as a sinner, both at the same time, clearly. Bonaventure names three root causes of sin: negligence, passion, and malice. He also gives you a mirror: are your interior promptings pulling toward pleasure, curiosity, or vanity? Most of us don't have to think long.Humility follows — because you can't see yourself honestly and still puff up. Bonaventure says humility is the guardian and foundation of all virtues. To excel in virtue without humility is to carry dust before the wind. If pride is the root of every sin, humility is the root of every virtue. And Adam drops the Aquinas line that's worth writing on a wall: A man is truly wealthy when he lacks nothing that he truly needs for salvation.Poverty, in Bonaventure's framing, isn't about being broke. It's about holy detachment. The unburdening of the soul so you can actually run toward Christ. We're not trying to anchor ourselves in this world. The more you sink your teeth into worldly things, the less you can sink your soul into heavenly ones.And then silence. Not just quiet in the house — interior silence. Bonaventure says poverty and silence are twins. Those appetites you feed don't just cost you. They're loud. They lie. They drown out everything you need to hear about who you actually are.Bonaventure wrote: "Silence has another advantage. It shows that man belongs to a better world. If a man lives in Germany and yet does not speak German, we naturally conclude that he is not German. So too, we rightly conclude that a man who does not give himself up to worldly conversation is not of the world, although he lives therein."That'll stay with you.Topics covered in this episode:Dave's cows, the Broken Arrow Police Department, and the difference between shut and latchedWho St. Bonaventure actually was — and why he's been undersold for centuriesWhy Bonaventure is called the Seraphic Doctor and the second founder of the FranciscansThe four-part structure of Holiness of Life: self-knowledge, humility, poverty, silenceThe three root causes of sin: negligence, passion, maliceWhy holiness costs everything — and there's no negotiating a discountHumility as the guardian and foundation of all virtueThe Aquinas line on what real wealth actually isPoverty as holy detachment — practical application for married men with mortgagesWhy poverty and silence are twins — how attachment to things creates interior noiseThe German analogy for silence: belonging to a better worldStoic meditation vs. Christian prayer — why entering into yourself is not the same thingSelf-knowledge as an ongoing relationship with our Lord, not a box to checkFulton Sheen's Emmy speech and Mother Teresa — what God actually usesFinal perseverance — and why Adam wants it more than anything elseReferenced in this episode:Holiness of Life — St. Bonaventure St. Thomas Aquinas — the Mass reform story and the quote on true wealthSt. Bernard — on humility and exact self-knowledgeSt. Francis of Assisi — and why he deserves a better reputationFulton Sheen, Mother Teresa — as examples of God using the truly humbleCor Jesu PressSponsor: Select International Tours — selectinternationaltours.com Whether you want to lead a pilgrimage or join one, Select is who you call. Adam and Dave have used them. The real deal.Patreon note: Catholic Glencairn glasses are still available for $10/month supporters — but not for much longer. Jim Spencer needs a break. If you want one, now is the time.

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041826.cfmFather Matthew Tomeny, MIC confronts our natural fears, from spiders to the darkness of a prison cell, by sharing the harrowing story of a Marian priestwho survived Auschwitz and a Soviet Gulag. He reveals that the true terror is not physical suffering, but the separation of our hearts from Christ through mortal sin. While the world fears death and hardship, the Easter season reminds us that Christ has conquered both. Father Matthew urges us to fear only the loss of our union with God, which is the only thing that brings true death. He cites St. Bonaventure and St. Mother Teresa, emphasizing that the secret to a fruitful apostolate lies not in brilliance or busyness, but in the quiet power of prayer at the foot of the Cross.The homily highlights the wisdom of Fr. George Machaj-Otis, who prayed to fear only dying without having toiled for the Church. Father Matthew explains that when we are united with God through prayer, we gain His perspective, seeing the loss of souls as the only true danger. He also celebrates the protective power of the Blessed Virgin Mary, quoting St. Louis de Montfort and the story of King John Sobieski at the Battle of Vienna. Just as Mary shelters her children like a hen with her chicks, she surrounds us with her imperial forces in our spiritual battles. Father Matthew encourages us to nestle close to Our Lady'sImmaculate Heart, where we find the peace to trust in her Son Jesus and the courage to fight for the salvation of souls without fear. ★ Support this podcast ★

If you're reading along, just know this has been slightly shortened to fit the space, so it might not match the audio word for word—but you're not missing anything important. He Is Series Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You) — When You Feel Unworthy, God Is Still Working in You Exodus 31:13 “You yourself are to speak to the Israelites: ‘You shall keep my sabbaths… that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you.'” Today, we are talking about Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You). To be sanctified means to be made holy. God is the one who makes us holy.  At a mission, a speaker asked who wanted to be holy; only a few hands went up. Then he asked who wanted to go to heaven—everyone raised their hand. He said, “You know the only way to get to heaven is to be holy, right?” Another speaker said something similar. Few wanted to be saints, but everyone wanted heaven. The truth is, we are all called to be saints—not necessarily Saints with a capital S like Mother Teresa or Saint Catherine of Siena—but we do need to be sanctified to enter heaven.  God is the one who sanctifies us through His grace, love, and mercy. He wants each of His children to be holy so we can spend eternity with Him. I think many of us hesitate to say we want to be holy for two reasons. First, we don't want to seem prideful. Second, we think it will require more than we can give. We assume it means doing everything perfectly or giving up everything we enjoy, so we avoid it. I looked up what sanctification means using the Truthly app—an AI tool that shares faith-based insights rooted in Catholic teaching. To be sanctified means: To be made holy — God transforms us from the inside out through grace. To be set apart — We are dedicated to God, no longer living just for ourselves. To be purified — God doesn't just cover sin; He cleanses it. The primary means of sanctification are: The Holy Spirit The Sacraments Prayer, fasting, and works of mercy Suffering united to the Cross The goal is full participation in God's life—what some call theosis—sharing in His divine life by grace. This is the purpose of the Christian life: not just to avoid hell, but to become truly holy. We cannot make ourselves holy, but we can cooperate with God—or resist Him. Before I continue, I want to say something important. I'm not sharing this so you feel like you have to do everything or that you're falling behind. This isn't a checklist. This is just a way to notice how God is already working in your life… and where He might be inviting you a little deeper. You don't have to do everything perfectly. Just listen and see if one thing stands out. Here are simple ways we can cooperate with God's grace: Prayer — Opens our hearts to God The Sacraments — Especially the Eucharist and Confession Scripture — Helps us hear His voice Fasting — Trains our hearts to depend on God Works of mercy — Loving others Offering suffering — Letting God transform it Devotion to Mary — Drawing closer to Jesus Spiritual guidance — Getting help from others Daily reflection — Noticing God's presence Virtue — Choosing patience, humility, and love This is not about doing all of these. Just ask: is there one step God is inviting me into? We can also unintentionally resist grace: Pride — Thinking we don't need God Serious sin — Though we can always return Neglecting prayer — Losing connection Small compromises — Slowly pulling away Tempting situations — Leading us to struggle Spiritual apathy — “It doesn't matter” Ignoring conscience — Dismissing that nudge Attachments — Loving things more than God Unforgiveness — Blocking grace Despair or presumption — Too far gone or no need to change Again, this is not to make you feel bad. Just ask gently: “Is anything blocking what God wants to do in me?” Grace is not earned—it is received. God is always giving. The question is whether our hearts are open. As Saint Augustine said, our hearts are restless until they rest in God—and every step toward Him brings us closer to that rest. I know this episode was more teaching than usual, but I felt called to share it. If you're listening, I believe you want heaven—and God wants that too. He is working in you every day. What is one way you can cooperate more with His grace? What might be resisting it? Dear Jehovah Mekoddishkem, bless all who are listening. Thank You for sanctifying us and wanting us with You forever. Show us anything blocking Your grace and help us cooperate with it. We want to be holy. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Thank you for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus! Take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit, “Who needs to hear this?” If someone comes to mind, send it to them. I look forward to seeing you Monday. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are—and so do I! Have a blessed weekend! Today's Word from the Lord was received in October 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have questions, email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is:“When you find it difficult to be my voice, call upon the power of my name. My name will give you strength, help you overcome fear, and walk through every trial. My name is the power you need.”   www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Luke 24"I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust.  So I will pray that you trust God.” Mother Teresa

**PATREON LIVE CHAT WED 4/15** I have been struggling with balancing grief and gratitude. Today I'm talking about how I have been learning to accept both at once. Also: -- my most embarrassing moment yet at St. Jude! -- rap beef news -- an email from Mother Teresa's priest friend   ---> Join us Wednesday, April 15 here for the Patreon live chat! The replay will be available if you can't make it live.   Watch this episode on Youtube, and follow my channel while you're there!    Connect with me: --- PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/thisisjen --- EMAIL LIST: https://mailchi.mp/fulwiler/jenslist --- TOUR DATES: https://www.jenniferfulwiler.com/tour --- BOOKS: https://www.jenniferfulwiler.com/books   BIO: Jen Fulwiler is a standup comic, bestselling author, and former SiriusXM radio host who has released three comedy specials: The Naughty Corner (2020), Maternal Instinct (2024), and Shabby Chic (2025).  She has been featured on Nate Bargatze's Nateland Presents, Where My Moms At with Christina P, Dr. Drew After Dark, the Today Show, CNN, and Fox News. She was featured in the viral articles, "5 Comedians Like Nate Bargatze Who Make Everyone Laugh," and "6 Comics To Check Out If You Love Leanne Morgan."  Jen is a mom with zero domestic skills, and a Catholic who hopes that heaven has an AP exam so she can test out of being a good person. Her stories of failing her way through life will resonate with anyone who doesn't have it all together.  Normally she lives with her husband and six kids in Austin, Texas, but right now she divides her time between Austin and Memphis as one of her children is being treated at St. Jude's.  

No era hits like the late-late-late-Clinton Era. We discuss the shameless Oscar bait that didn't catch anything, PAY IT FORWARD (2000), in which a precocious boy creates a pyramid scheme for kindness. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus TORONTO - See Luke interview Jacobin Magazine founder Bhaskar Sunkara at the 2025 Ellen Meiskins Wood Lecture. Wednesday, April 22 at 6pm, Toronto Metropolitan University, George Vari Engineering and Computer Centre. Get tickets: https://broadbentinstitute.ca/events/2026-ellen-meiksins-wood-lecture/

What if everything you thought about “being a good person” was wrong?In this episode, we explore a shocking but deeply biblical truth: Even the most admired humanitarian like Mother Teresa and the most notorious criminal like Jeffrey Dahmer need the exact same thing to be saved—a miracle of God.This episode is brought to you by our ministry partner Accountable2You. To join thousands living in Freedom with nothing to hide visit https://accountable2you.com/dialin.**Use our unique code: DIALIN to get 25% off your first year of an Accountable2You Personal or Family Plan**This conversation dives into:Why good works don't earn salvationThe real meaning of being “born again” (John 3)The tension between God's sovereignty and human responsibilityThe powerful illustration of the bronze serpent (Numbers 21)What it truly means to look to Jesus and be savedIf you've ever wondered:“Am I saved?”“Do I need to do something, or is it all God?”“Why would God save some and not others?”This episode tackles those questions head-on with biblical clarity.“The Bible never says people missed heaven because they wanted Jesus but weren't chosen… it says they did not repent and believe.”Key Takeaway: Salvation is not about your merit—it's about Christ's finished work. Whether you're moral, religious, broken, or lost… the call is the same: Look to Jesus and believe.

In this episode of Reading Is Funktamental, we discuss the life and music of Alice Coltrane with Andy Beta, author of Cosmic Music: The Life, Art and Transcendence of Alice Coltrane. Beta's book is the first full biography of this remarkable, groundbreaking artist, and is an elegant, deeply researched corrective to the historical—and critical—record. It elevates Alice Coltrane to her proper place, both alongside her husband as one of the greatest musical visionaries of the 20th century, and also as a singular artist in Western music, one who became a spiritual leader in her lifetime.Alice Coltrane (1937-2007) was one of the most misunderstood artists of the last sixty years. For most of her life—and even in the decades since her passing—she was primarily known as the widow of the late John Coltrane. John Coltrane is widely seen as being one of the greatest tenor saxophonists and composers of the 20th century, with a fervor and devotion approaching sainthood. Yet ever so slowly, that level of love and appreciation is also being bestowed upon pianist, organist, harpist, and composer Alice Coltrane. In the years since her passing, she has become a great influence on a new generation of musicians, especially women, people of color, and artists who seek to combine jazz with other musical forms, be it modern classical, electronic, Indian music, and more. Cosmic Music also unearths previously unknown connections between Alice Coltrane and other generational icons, from Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, and Nina Simone to Mother Teresa and Doja Cat. For more, read my review of the book at https://www.popmatters.com/alice-coltrane-cosmic-music-beta "Reading is Funktamental" is a monthly one-hour podcast and radio show about great books written about music and music-makers. In each episode, host Sal Cataldi speaks to the authors of some of the best reads about rock, jazz, punk, world, experimental music, and much more. From time to time, the host and authors will be joined by notable musicians, writers, and artists who are die-hard fans of the subject matter covered. Expect lively conversation and a playlist of great music to go with it. "Reading Is Fundamental" can be heard on the second Wednesday of every month from 10 – 11 AM on Wave Farm: WGXC 90.7 FM and online at wavefarm.org. It is also available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other platforms. Sal Cataldi is a musician and writer based in Saugerties. He is best known for his work with his genre-leaping solo project, Spaghetti Eastern Music, and is also a member of the ambient guitar duo Guitars A Go Go, the poetry-and-music duo Vapor Vespers, and the quartet Spaceheater. His writing on music, books, and film has been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, PopMatters, Seattle Times, Huffington Post, Inside+Out Upstate NY, and NYSMusic.com, where he is the book reviewer.

Edi Matsumoto holds a bachelor's degree in anthropology from Tsukuba University in Japan. After traveling around Southeast Asia exploring cultures and volunteering at the Mother Theresa's Home for the Dying Destitutes in Calcutta, India, she came to the U.S. She earned a Master's degree in Nursing, and she has worked in the healthcare field for nearly thirty years. Encouraged by her husband, Fred, who saw her sketch from 20 years prior, Matsumoto began taking art classes at a community college. In 2018, she earned her second Master's degree in Fine Art from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Edi's work has won numerous awards and has been shown at galleries and museums locally, nationally and internationally including the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, the Triton Museum of Arts in Santa Clara, and Pacific Grove Art Center among others. In episode 664 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out what originally drew Edi to the healthcare profession, what was the moment where she realized she needed a different path, how her great-grandfather's traditional Japanese ink brush art influenced how she sees art today, whether she felt tension between creativity and practicality when she was younger, what lessons she learned by working with Mother Teresa, what is the importance of people who believe in us, where the idea for her book "Otter Therapy" came from, how humor and art actually help reduce stress, how to choose the best career for yourself, and what famous painting she will turn into an otter masterpiece next. Enjoy!

Dave & Cody break down Shrinking Season 3, Episode 9, "Daddy Issues" — Jeff Daniels returns as Jimmy's dad and proceeds to blow up everything Jimmy's been building. Paul delivers one of the most vulnerable scenes of the entire series. Sean graduates from therapy. Brian compares himself to Mother Teresa. And Jimmy self-sabotages a relationship because his father said one nice thing about it. They dig into generational trauma, the art of healthy selfishness, Paul's hypocrisy about getting back on the horse, and whether Sofi pushed too hard too fast. Plus the Song of the Episode has a backstory that'll wreck you.https://linktr.ee/PopCulturePastorPod

Dave Brisbin 3.29.26 Gospels show Jesus riding into Jerusalem not on a horse, as would a conquering king, not on a donkey, which would have meant peace, but on the colt of a donkey…even more unassuming. The people cheer, beg him to save them, lay their cloaks along his path, wave palm branches—greetings for a savior king—while Roman and Jewish authorities see threat of sedition and plan accordingly. No one is paying attention, seeing reflections of their own agendas, not the person and scene playing out in the streets. What the church has called a triumphal entry, Jesus called a tragedy. He wept over the city saying the people had no idea of the things that make for peace, that they missed the hour of their visitation. The writers of the gospels, who had come to see where Jesus was pointing, wanted us not to miss our own opportunity to see something radically different, to crack the first stronghold blocking our way to the truth behind Jesus' message. This is the significance of Palm Sunday. Seeing around our own egoic identity, past the desires, expectations, and compulsions such identity creates, seeing through our ego-filter to the truth of things as they really are, the truth of ourselves, who we really are is the first step, without which we can go no further along Jesus' Way. Jesus is showing who he really is in action, word, symbol, every tool at hand, revealing an unassuming presence, the stance of a servant, the opposite of a powerful savior come to fix our circumstances by force. Begging Jesus to save us misses the whole point of salvation. Salvation isn't passive, isn't given or bestowed. It is experienced…or not. Jesus' person and message is an invitation to follow the Way of experiencing the truth, the liberation that salvation is. Mother Teresa put it this way: I have an opportunity to be with Jesus 24 hours a day. Seeking the face of God in everything, everyone, all the time, his hand in every happening…especially in the lowly appearance of the poor. Each of them is Jesus in disguise. Jesus is always riding into our lives. Every moment is Palm Sunday. Everything we need is all around us disguised as life.

Dave Brisbin 3.29.26 Gospels show Jesus riding into Jerusalem not on a horse, as would a conquering king, not on a donkey, which would have meant peace, but on the colt of a donkey…even more unassuming. The people cheer, beg him to save them, lay their cloaks along his path, wave palm branches—greetings for a savior king—while Roman and Jewish authorities see threat of sedition and plan accordingly. No one is paying attention, seeing reflections of their own agendas, not the person and scene playing out in the streets. What the church has called a triumphal entry, Jesus called a tragedy. He wept over the city saying the people had no idea of the things that make for peace, that they missed the hour of their visitation. The writers of the gospels, who had come to see where Jesus was pointing, wanted us not to miss our own opportunity to see something radically different, to crack the first stronghold blocking our way to the truth behind Jesus' message. This is the significance of Palm Sunday. Seeing around our own egoic identity, past the desires, expectations, and compulsions such identity creates, seeing through our ego-filter to the truth of things as they really are, the truth of ourselves, who we really are is the first step, without which we can go no further along Jesus' Way. Jesus is showing who he really is in action, word, symbol, every tool at hand, revealing an unassuming presence, the stance of a servant, the opposite of a powerful savior come to fix our circumstances by force. Begging Jesus to save us misses the whole point of salvation. Salvation isn't passive, isn't given or bestowed. It is experienced…or not. Jesus' person and message is an invitation to follow the Way of experiencing the truth, the liberation that salvation is. Mother Teresa put it this way: I have an opportunity to be with Jesus 24 hours a day. Seeking the face of God in everything, everyone, all the time, his hand in every happening…especially in the lowly appearance of the poor. Each of them is Jesus in disguise. Jesus is always riding into our lives. Every moment is Palm Sunday. Everything we need is all around us disguised as life.

Nick and Natalie....y'all really are VILE for this. And Teresa, I see you now!!

In this sermon by TJ, the central message revolves around Jesus' declaration that "You are the light of the world." TJ reflects on how this proclamation, originally spoken to a diverse crowd of ordinary people—fishermen, farmers, tax collectors, and others—was radical in its inclusivity. Rather than singling out just the elite or spiritually gifted, Jesus affirms that every individual has a significant purpose to fulfill as a bearer of God's light. TJ uses the illustration of a city on a hill and a lamp on a stand to emphasize that the light we have is not for our own benefit, but to illuminate and guide others. The sermon traces biblical history—Jesus calling the first disciples, teaching on the hillsides of Galilee, referencing the broader ministry of the early church—and connects these moments to our calling today. TJ draws parallels to various examples of "letting your light shine," such as individuals using their gifts in music and service, mission work in Guatemala, and local acts of compassion. The story of Louis Braille is shared to show how persistent acts of goodness, even those not immediately recognized, can bring light to many. The message also acknowledges the church's imperfections but assures listeners that God has not given up on them. The deeper point is that the "light of Christ" is a gift meant to be shared; our task is to point others to Jesus, not to draw attention to ourselves. TJ concludes with an anecdote about Mother Teresa, illustrating that the ultimate gift we offer is simply Jesus Himself. The sermon encourages believers to find ways small and large—through a smile, a listening ear, a helping hand—to reflect Christ's light in their everyday sphere of influence. It closes with a prayer for God's help to fulfill this calling, so that all glory returns to Him.

COMPANION SAINT PRAYER-St. Mother Teresa, your thirst for Jesus opened your heart to love. Show me where my own soul is parched that I may drink from the Living Water that quenches all desire.SCRIPTURE- Psalm 34:9"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the stalwart one who takes refuge in him."REFLECTION- JustinMUSIC- Meditation: Come to the Quiet by John Michael TalbotNOTES- Lent: Check out the LENT page on The God Minute website to find out more about our programming for this week.PRAYER OF LETTING GOTo You do I belong, O God,  into Your hands I surrender my life.  Pour out Your Spirit upon me  that I may love You perfectly,  and serve You faithfully  until my soul rests in You.

COMPANION SAINT PRAYER-St. Mother Teresa, your thirst for Jesus opened your heart to love. Show me where my own soul is parched that I may drink from the Living Water that quenches all desire.SCRIPTURE- Mark 8:33"Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples. He saw that Peter was not saying good things. And Jesus said to him, 'Get behind me Satan. You are a stumbling block to me.'"REFLECTION- Fr. RonMUSIC- Meditation: "For my parents" by Malte Marten NOTES- Blog: The Seven Last Words of Jesus by Mary Ellyn Schneider- Lent: Check out the LENT page on The God Minute website to find out more about our programming for this week.PRAYER OF LETTING GOTo You do I belong, O God, into Your hands I surrender my life. Pour out Your Spirit upon me that I may love You perfectly, and serve You faithfully until my soul rests in You.

COMPANION SAINT PRAYER-St. Mother Teresa, your thirst for Jesus opened your heart to love. Show me where my own soul is parched that I may drink from the Living Water that quenches all desire.SCRIPTURE- John 15:4-5"Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing."REFLECTION- Fr. CarlMUSIC- "Distraction Days" by The Album Leaf & Jimmy LaValle- "Loving and Forgiving" by Tom KendziaNOTES- Lent: Check out the LENT page on The God Minute website to find out more about our programming for this week.PRAYER OF LETTING GOTo You do I belong, O God, into Your hands I surrender my life. Pour out Your Spirit upon me that I may love You perfectly, and serve You faithfully until my soul rests in You.

Speaker, author, and certified medium Michelle Clare joins the conversation to share how three near-death experiences reshaped her intuition, deepened her connection to the angelic realm, and changed the way she understands grief, healing, and the human soul. Michelle reflects on messages from loved ones in spirit, angels, and lifeguides, including a powerful encounter with Mother Teresa, and explains how her background in Human Interaction Technology informs her work with clients seeking clarity and compassion. She also speaks candidly about the loss of her life partner, Gary, and how his continued presence in spirit helped redefine love beyond the physical world. Drawing from her books 101 Ways to Set Your Soul on Fire and 111 Angel Messages, Michelle offers grounded wisdom for navigating loss, awakening, and the quiet moments where meaning reveals itself.IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT THINGS LIKE:How near-death experiences can permanently alter intuition, awareness, and life direction.What spiritual communication actually feels like, and how to distinguish insight from imagination.How angels, lifeguides, and loved ones in spirit are perceived and interpreted in Michelle's work.Why grief does not end relationships, but can transform how connection continues.How losing a life partner can deepen spiritual trust rather than diminish it.The ways emotional trauma and unprocessed loss imprint on the body and nervous system.How Human Interaction Technology bridges science, psychology, and spiritual awareness.Why spiritual gifts often emerge through hardship, crisis, or physical collapse.How to stay grounded while exploring intuition and expanded consciousness.What practical spiritual integration looks like in daily life, relationships, and decision-making.WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENhog-eoLjA&list=PL7judgDzhkAWmfyB5r5WgFD6ahombBvoh

COMPANION SAINT PRAYER-St. Mother Teresa, your thirst for Jesus opened your heart to love. Show me where my own soul is parched that I may drink from the Living Water that quenches all desire.SCRIPTURE- Psalm 42:2-3"As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God."REFLECTION- SarahMUSIC- The End of the Affair and Praetoris Es ist ein Ros on the album "Music for Mindfulness" Mediation music: "Onwards" by SinnesroNOTES-PRAYER OF LETTING GOTo You do I belong, O God, into Your hands I surrender my life. Pour out Your Spirit upon me that I may love You perfectly, and serve You faithfully until my soul rests in You.

COMPANION SAINT PRAYER-St. Mother Teresa, your thirst for Jesus opened your heart to love. Show me where my own soul is parched that I may drink from the Living Water that quenches all desire.SCRIPTURE- Matthew 10:42"And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."REFLECTION- GaryMUSIC- "Quiet Streets" by Ola Gjeilo- "Intercession Prayer Instrumental" by Ebony ThompsonNOTES- Click HERE to join The God Minute Prayer Community Facebook GroupPRAYER OF LETTING GOTo You do I belong, O God, into Your hands I surrender my life. Pour out Your Spirit upon me that I may love You perfectly, and serve You faithfully until my soul rests in You.

What is almsgiving — and why does the Church teach that it is more about justice and right relationship than simply personal charity or philanthropy? As “Preach” continues its Lent 2026 series on the three classical pillars of the season—prayer, fasting and almsgiving—we turn to almsgiving, perhaps the most confronting of the three. In this conversation, Ricardo da Silva, S.J. is joined by Kerry Robinson, President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA., and author of Imagining Abundance: Fundraising, Philanthropy, and a Spiritual Call to Service, a book that reflects on generosity as a spiritual practice rooted in faith. Timecodes: 0:00 Generosity is at the heart of almsgiving 2:30 Our cognitive dissonance with money and faith 5:43 How Kerry became a steward of her family's 80-year-old foundation  8:20 About Catholic Charities U.S.A. 11:50 Biblical teachings on giving alms  16:36 Mother Teresa: “never take away the right of another to be generous” 21:30 We need both charity and justice 26:24 New insights from Pope Leo and ‘Dilexi Te' 28:08 Preach almsgiving with thanksgiving --- Support this podcast by becoming a subscriber. Visit ⁠⁠americamagazine.org/subscribe⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it cost a person to go unseen? And what does it ask of us to truly see one another? In this solo reflection, Corey Nathan explores the moral weight of being seen and the deliberate cruelty of being made invisible. From Marilynne Robinson's Lila to Muhammad Ali's thundering "What's my name?" to Mother Teresa's gaze upon the discarded, this episode traces a thread that runs through literature, history, jazz, and the headlines of this particular moment. When Attorney General Pam Bondi turned her back on Jeffrey Epstein's survivors, when federal agents hide behind masks while the faces of those they detain are photographed and published, when a president plasters his name above John F. Kennedy's, these are not isolated incidents. They are a pattern. And naming that pattern is where the work begins. What would it mean to choose differently? To look at one another the way John Ames looked at Lila? To call each other by our own names? Calls to Action ✅ If this conversation resonates, consider sharing it with someone who believes connection across difference still matters. ✅ Subscribe to Corey's Substack: coreysnathan.substack.com ✅ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen: ratethispodcast.com/goodfaithpolitics ✅ Subscribe to Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other on your favorite podcast platform. ✅ Watch the full conversation and subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@politicsandreligion What This Episode Explores The Need to Be Seen To be seen — truly seen, not used or categorized or erased — is both what we most need and what can make us most exposed. Marilynne Robinson's Lila captures this with devastating precision: the way genuine recognition can feel terrifying to someone who has only ever been seen as a body to be used. When Power Weaponizes Invisibility Pam Bondi sat before Congress with her back to Jeffrey Epstein's survivors. Federal agents conceal their identities behind masks while those they detain are pictured and named. Those killed in lethal operations are reduced to labels. The pattern Colonel David Lapan identified is not accidental: those with power choose who remains invisible and who is exposed. What's My Name Muhammad Ali didn't just fight Ernie Terrell in 1967. He demanded to be known on his own terms, not by a name others had assigned him. The jazz musicians of the 1940s did the same thing, quietly and subversively, by calling each other "man" in a culture that called Black men "boy." To name someone is to acknowledge their humanity. The Counterexamples From Mother Teresa to David Brooks to Vaclav Havel, this episode draws on voices who understood what it means to see and be seen, as well as why that capacity is never merely symbolic. It is the foundation of moral culture. The Challenge to the Church As a Christian, Corey wrestles honestly with a hard number: more than two-thirds of white evangelicals continue to support an administration whose record on human dignity, as described in this episode, is difficult to square with the gospel. What We Can Choose None of us can single-handedly reshape national politics. But we can choose how we see each other. We can turn around and see those this administration will not. Why This Matters Now The daily acts of seeing, naming, and beholding are not symbolic gestures. They are the building blocks of moral culture. And when those in authority systematically exploit the need to be seen or weaponize anonymity to strip others of their humanity, the response can't only be political. It has to be personal. As Jesse Jackson shared with a group of children on Sesame Street: I am... somebody. Connect on Social Media Corey is @coreysnathan on all the socials... Substack LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Twitter Threads Bluesky TikTok Thanks to our Sponsors and Partners Thanks to Pew Research Center for making today's conversation possible. Links and additional resources: Pew Research Center: pewresearch.org Meza Wealth Management: mezawealth.com Proud members of The Democracy Group Final Thought The world will not always look at you the way you deserve to be seen. But you can choose to look that way at others. Now go talk some politics and religion. And step forward. With gentleness and respect.

When midlife hits and your body changes and getting dressed can suddenly feel frustrating. Waistlines shift. Fabrics fit differently. Pieces that once felt effortless now feel off.But here's the truth: style in midlife doesn't have to feel confusing and it definitely doesn't have to feel defeating.In this episode of Confessions of a Freebird, I'm joined by personal stylist and conscious fashion expert Renée Lara, who has over 20 years of experience helping women align their wardrobe with their values, lifestyle, and evolving bodies.Renée's path is anything but ordinary, from studying nursing to psychology, to a life-changing encounter with Mother Teresa, to ultimately following her calling into sustainable, soulful fashion. Her approach blends practicality, emotional well-being, and conscious consumption, especially for women navigating menopause and midlife transitions.We talk about why fashion for women over 50 isn't just about looking good, it's about feeling supported, expressing who you are now, and choosing clothing that honors both your body and the planet. In this episode, we explore:Why midlife style is less about trends and more about personal alignmentWhat to do when menopause body changes make it feel like nothing fitsHow you can embrace your shifting shape with confidenceMindset shifts to feel more at home in your clothesWhy fabric, texture, and comfort matter more than ever, especial for gen x styleHow to build real-life Gen X outfits that work for casual or virtual daysCompassionate style practices that support body changes without self-criticismThe must-have pieces for a simple capsule wardrobe worth investing in for generation x fashionHow accessories can instantly elevate your look and confidenceIf you've been searching for fashion for women over 50, menopause fashion tips, Gen X style inspiration and a simple capsule wardrobe for midlife then this episode is your invitation to accept who you are now — and to get dressed with more ease, clarity, and confidence.Much love,LaurieClick here to learn about my NEW “Nervous System Regulation Starter Kit” Click here to purchase my book: Sandwiched: A Memoir of Holding On and Letting GoFree ResourcesClick here to schedule a FREE inquiry call with me.Click here for my FREE “Beginner's Guide to Somatic Healing”Click here for my FREE Core Values ExerciseWebsiteConnect with Renee:https://www.reneelarastyle.com/https://www.instagram.com/reneelarastyle/Please leave me feedback. I cannot respond so if you'd like me to respond, please leave your email***********************DISCLAIMER: THE COMMENTARY AND OPINIONS AVAILABLE ON THIS PODCAST ARE FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY AND NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING LEGAL, MEDICAL OR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LICENSED THERAPIST IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING SUICIDAL THOUGHTS. YOU SHOULD CONTACT AN ATTORNEY IN YOUR STATE TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE. YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LICENSED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL WITH RESPECT TO ANY MEDICAL ISSUE OR PROBLEM.

Venture into the shadowy realms of power and secrecy with Already Dead, where hosts Jose Galison (@towergangjose) and Austin Picard (@theatrethugawp) dissect the intricate web of conspiracy, covert operations, and the underlying political machinations that might just be pulling the strings of our society.What to Expect: Live Listener Interaction: Call in to share your theories, ask burning questions, or discuss personal experiences related to the topics at hand. In-Depth Explorations: Each episode focuses on a different conspiracy or hidden aspect of political history, offering a platform to question and analyze what's often left unsaid. Thought-Provoking Guests: We invite individuals with insider knowledge or those who've taken the red pill to discuss topics that range from the fringe to the forefront of conspiracy culture. Critical Analysis of Current Affairs: We don't just report on events; we interpret them through the lens of parapolitics, looking for patterns and hidden agendas.Join Us: Every Tuesday at 9:30 PM ET, dive into the depths of the unknown with us. Subscribe, participate in our live call-ins, and be part of a community that seeks to understand the world beyond the surface narrative.Disclaimer: This podcast thrives on speculation, hypothesis, and the examination of alternative theories. It's meant to provoke thought and encourage personal research. Not all discussed is proven fact, but rather a call to question, explore, and understand.Warning: For those not ready to challenge their worldview, tread carefully. Once you enter the world of Already Dead, you might find that the truth is often already dead to the uninitiated. Welcome aboard, where curiosity is your guide.Please consider supporting our work- Austin's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheUnderclassPodcastAustin's Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-underclass-podcast--6511540Austin's Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/TheUnderclassPodcastAustin's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheUnderclassPodcast#AlreadyDead #StateoftheUnion #DarkWebEpsteinFiles #EpsteinThemedSatanicPanic #PedoPanic #PedophileProtectors #Epstein666 #EpsteinsAfghanReconstruction #ProjectBlueBeam #TheDisclosureProject #IranNuclearNarrative #MediaManipulation #ManufacturingConsent #ModernMockingbird #ModernMindControl #EpsteinsPrincessDiana #MotherTeresa #MaraLagoMurder #CartelChaos #TheCartelProjectBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-underclass-podcast--6511540/support.

Ministering Across India's Caste System: Foot Washing, Honor, and Gospel IdentityAfter some quick State of the Union takes Sean interviews Nitin and Jit from India about their ministry in the context of India's caste system, explaining the Hindu belief that people are created into fixed castes that cannot be changed and how this shapes ministry. Nitin describes beginning work among poor, oppressed groups and intentionally learning their belief systems, culture, leadership, oral traditions, and worship practices to bridge the gospel, leading to outreach among 43 people groups in 13 languages and transformed lives. They highlight foot washing as a core biblical strategy, helping people heal from caste-based shame and recover God-given identity as children of the Lord. The ministry also emphasizes honoring people through acts like foot washing, shawls, and garlands to communicate love and acceptance without discrimination, and it has begun bearing fruit among high-caste Brahman religious leaders.00:00 Meet Nitin and Jit16:50 Understanding the Caste System17:47 Starting with the Poor18:28 Bridging Gospel and Culture19:07 Foot Washing as Strategy19:42 Restoring Identity and Healing20:36 Honor and Radical Welcome21:29 Reaching Brahman Leaders22:01 Gurus Respond to the Gospel22:10 Closing ThoughtsTranscript of Interview:I'm here with Nitin and Jit from India, our good friends who are such a blessing and have been with us. We're very grateful. Thanks for being with us. Thank you, Nitin. We'll start with you. You guys have a very unique ministry in India and it's a very different place to minister. Can you start by explaining a little bit of the cast system, because it really instructs a lot how you do ministry.Tell us a little bit about the caste system and how it works. Thank you for asking that question. India, we have caste system. Most of the Hindus believe in the caste system. The creator God Brahma, created Braman pri from his head, from one shoulder came warriors and kings and another shoulder business people from his belly created commoner from one feet tribal and from another feed untouchable.This is the caste system of India. The creator, God, sit at this cast in creation. So you cannot change your cast no matter how much education you may have, no matter how much wealth you have. You born and die in same cost and that shapes a whole lot of the limitations of ministry. You guys have done some really interesting things now, when you began, your ministry specifically began as a ministry to the poor.To that, those untouchables, that lower caste how did you start ministry there? 'cause you now have a lot of places. You guys have really grown and ministering, planted churches. How? Did you start with the poor and why did you start there? Poor people in India, they are suppressed by the caste system.They don't have a whole lot with them. And we want gospel to penetrate their heart, change their identity, their worldview, and they may see the creator God his plan for their life and purpose for their life. And so we began with the premature tribe and reached, started working with them. The way we minister to them, understand the belief system, their culture, leadership structure, their oral tradition, their musical instrument, the date is the worship, and then try to bridge gospel with them and God bless us to reach out 43 different people group and 13 different languages.And they are responding to the gospel. Their life is transformed by the power of gospel and they see hope in their situation. Yeah. One of the things you guys do that is so compelling, and I think in your setting because of the caste system, it's really deeply significant. You've carried the biblical practice of foot washing.And it's not just a thing you do as a ceremony. It's a major strategy. And when you stop and think about the caste system and the inherent humility and the foot washing it, it makes such sense. Tell a little bit about why you do that and how that has impacted your ministry. A two lead person know what is the worth of that person because.System stolen, God-given identity, and they always looked down upon those people. And in biblical bill system, when Jesus washed in John 13 disciple feet and he commanded all of us to wash other people's feet. We felt that God is telling us to wash the people's feet so that he can take all the unshared pain they carry in their life because of the caste system, and they get a true identity in the Lord and they understand the way God view them and accept that standard, not the standard of which people look upon them.And so God is. Shaping their life, transforming their heart, but giving them new identity. They are the children of the Lord who deeply care for them, and he has destiny for them in heaven With him, y you have a unique emphasis on honor. Your ministry, it's very humbling to go and minister with you guys.It's wonderful. But you very much show honor to your guests and honor to the people there. What is happening there and why are you doing that so intentionally because we wanted to see that different kind of law, a uniqueness in the, when you are Christian and love by Christian, it is a deep need in the community to beside food and shelter.The biggest need of any human being is loved and cared by. They are significant people in the community. And we want to wash their feet, give them shawl, give them garland so that they feel that they're precious in the sight of the Lord, and they're accepted without g creed, color, and any discrimination.And you feel that, yes, you feel that there's such a neat spirit. One of the things that is interesting because of the caste system, many people, because there's such need among the poor, many people administered the poor. We all are familiar with the ministry of Mother Teresa and her ministry.You've done something rather. Unique though, and my first exposure to it was when we were with you a couple years ago, it's your ministry to the religious leaders who are of the Brahman cast, that's the highest cast. And you're seeing some amazing fruit of the gospel and using the Lord's Prayer among that cast.Tell us a little bit about that. God started working among these Brahman gurus. These Brahman gurus came from very rich background. Having knowledge. Their PhDs, they have so much wealth under them. Many run hospitals, schools, and thousands of people touching their feet every day to seek their blessing.But God reveling to them in the dreams, one of the guru God dream, three days in the row that he is one step away from burning hell. That terrified him because of the dream, and he understood that wealth. The knowledge is not going to save his soul, right? So he left barefooted from his temple and we found him, and he's working with us right now.Through him. We started with working with other Brahmans and we found many Brahman gurus coming to know the Lord and they understand the repercussion of the caste system on people's life, the way people were ated in the system, how they were suppressed down and stolen, the God-given identity. Now they are washing the feet of Dali.Tribal and untouchable, and they are sharing gospel to their own community. The saving grace has a power. God Gospel has a power to transform different community, and we unite India together in the body of Christ. So we can see that India is separated by the language, by the caste system, but the gospel is uniting people together.Yeah. And we will see India coming together in the body of Christ. That is so powerful. And for us here, it's hard for us to envision. The impact of a Brahman guru washing the feet of someone from the untouchable cast. And so it, it's just very impactful to see that. And you've seen numerous of these gurus for our audience tell, just gimme a minute or less on what a guru is so they understand.It's mo we think of gurus. That's a kind of foreign topic the way we say it. This is Ajit. Ajit. Why don't you tell us that gurus in our context are the leaders. Teachers, so they are the one who gave spiritual teachings and insights for their followers. Okay. So in the Brahman cast, you said they believe in one overall creator.Is that correct? One overall creator. So the Christian faith is a little easier for them to understand the one creator through Jesus Christ if we see and understand each person's soul. Needs a savior, right? Whether we go in any religion, the ultimate thing is like the soul needs a savior. And that's a spiritual hunger.Yeah. That's a spiritual destiny. And when we look at that, there can be only one savior. Yeah. One destination. And that's where we come alongside and say that there is a savior. Will help you fulfill your destiny to reach your greater God. Right Now, some of the things you guys have done have made some of the church people a little uncomfortable 'cause it's outside the box.This is definitely not normal missions work. Talk about that a little bit. We have seen, we sometime we have critical view. If somebody become a Christian, he should be clothing like us. He should talk like us. He should worship like us. It, of seeing that surface thing. So we allow people to wear their customs, their way of life in the sense of the way they cloth the way they do their hair.And we don't come against that, but we want to see that their heart is transformed and we allow them to remain in their clothing and their color. Everything belongs to God. And God can use every person for his glory. We don't have to see the color of their cap, what kind of shirts they're wearing, how long their hair is, or what kind of dots on their forehead of that.Seeing every person is created in God's image and loving them. And when he created, everything was beautiful. Yeah. And to see an individual, a leader, dressed in his robes as a guru. He's leading people in worship of Jesus is a powerful thing. You guys had a big community meeting some Muslims that was there at the time of prayer in one of your, one of your centers, and you let them have their Muslim prayers in your center.That's right. And some people can't envision you loving that way. For the purpose of ultimately sharing the gospel and sharing the love of Jesus after letting them pray in our building, we wash their feet. We share gospel with them. And the god's love is so compelling at that. When you wash somebody's feet, it is a.Compelling, but non-threatening way to witness Christ. Oh, yeah. Without a doubt. Being there is an incredible thing. In November, we have a group going to work with you guys and we don't put your names in the neighbor of your mid ministry over the broadcast, out over the air because persecution.It's a real thing, but if they want people wanna find out more, you can contact us@reallife.org. You can shoot an email to us and we can let you know about, and you can come and find out, our trips fill up fast. So I don't know that there'll be space, but you can at least find out about this great ministry and more about our partnership with this wonderful group in India.Thank you guys for being with us. Thank you.

Ministering Across India's Caste System: Foot Washing, Honor, and Gospel IdentityAfter some quick State of the Union takes Sean interviews Nitin and Jit from India about their ministry in the context of India's caste system, explaining the Hindu belief that people are created into fixed castes that cannot be changed and how this shapes ministry. Nitin describes beginning work among poor, oppressed groups and intentionally learning their belief systems, culture, leadership, oral traditions, and worship practices to bridge the gospel, leading to outreach among 43 people groups in 13 languages and transformed lives. They highlight foot washing as a core biblical strategy, helping people heal from caste-based shame and recover God-given identity as children of the Lord. The ministry also emphasizes honoring people through acts like foot washing, shawls, and garlands to communicate love and acceptance without discrimination, and it has begun bearing fruit among high-caste Brahman religious leaders.00:00 Meet Nitin and Jit16:50 Understanding the Caste System17:47 Starting with the Poor18:28 Bridging Gospel and Culture19:07 Foot Washing as Strategy19:42 Restoring Identity and Healing20:36 Honor and Radical Welcome21:29 Reaching Brahman Leaders22:01 Gurus Respond to the Gospel22:10 Closing ThoughtsTranscript of Interview:I'm here with Nitin and Jit from India, our good friends who are such a blessing and have been with us. We're very grateful. Thanks for being with us. Thank you, Nitin. We'll start with you. You guys have a very unique ministry in India and it's a very different place to minister. Can you start by explaining a little bit of the cast system, because it really instructs a lot how you do ministry.Tell us a little bit about the caste system and how it works. Thank you for asking that question. India, we have caste system. Most of the Hindus believe in the caste system. The creator God Brahma, created Braman pri from his head, from one shoulder came warriors and kings and another shoulder business people from his belly created commoner from one feet tribal and from another feed untouchable.This is the caste system of India. The creator, God, sit at this cast in creation. So you cannot change your cast no matter how much education you may have, no matter how much wealth you have. You born and die in same cost and that shapes a whole lot of the limitations of ministry. You guys have done some really interesting things now, when you began, your ministry specifically began as a ministry to the poor.To that, those untouchables, that lower caste how did you start ministry there? 'cause you now have a lot of places. You guys have really grown and ministering, planted churches. How? Did you start with the poor and why did you start there? Poor people in India, they are suppressed by the caste system.They don't have a whole lot with them. And we want gospel to penetrate their heart, change their identity, their worldview, and they may see the creator God his plan for their life and purpose for their life. And so we began with the premature tribe and reached, started working with them. The way we minister to them, understand the belief system, their culture, leadership structure, their oral tradition, their musical instrument, the date is the worship, and then try to bridge gospel with them and God bless us to reach out 43 different people group and 13 different languages.And they are responding to the gospel. Their life is transformed by the power of gospel and they see hope in their situation. Yeah. One of the things you guys do that is so compelling, and I think in your setting because of the caste system, it's really deeply significant. You've carried the biblical practice of foot washing.And it's not just a thing you do as a ceremony. It's a major strategy. And when you stop and think about the caste system and the inherent humility and the foot washing it, it makes such sense. Tell a little bit about why you do that and how that has impacted your ministry. A two lead person know what is the worth of that person because.System stolen, God-given identity, and they always looked down upon those people. And in biblical bill system, when Jesus washed in John 13 disciple feet and he commanded all of us to wash other people's feet. We felt that God is telling us to wash the people's feet so that he can take all the unshared pain they carry in their life because of the caste system, and they get a true identity in the Lord and they understand the way God view them and accept that standard, not the standard of which people look upon them.And so God is. Shaping their life, transforming their heart, but giving them new identity. They are the children of the Lord who deeply care for them, and he has destiny for them in heaven With him, y you have a unique emphasis on honor. Your ministry, it's very humbling to go and minister with you guys.It's wonderful. But you very much show honor to your guests and honor to the people there. What is happening there and why are you doing that so intentionally because we wanted to see that different kind of law, a uniqueness in the, when you are Christian and love by Christian, it is a deep need in the community to beside food and shelter.The biggest need of any human being is loved and cared by. They are significant people in the community. And we want to wash their feet, give them shawl, give them garland so that they feel that they're precious in the sight of the Lord, and they're accepted without g creed, color, and any discrimination.And you feel that, yes, you feel that there's such a neat spirit. One of the things that is interesting because of the caste system, many people, because there's such need among the poor, many people administered the poor. We all are familiar with the ministry of Mother Teresa and her ministry.You've done something rather. Unique though, and my first exposure to it was when we were with you a couple years ago, it's your ministry to the religious leaders who are of the Brahman cast, that's the highest cast. And you're seeing some amazing fruit of the gospel and using the Lord's Prayer among that cast.Tell us a little bit about that. God started working among these Brahman gurus. These Brahman gurus came from very rich background. Having knowledge. Their PhDs, they have so much wealth under them. Many run hospitals, schools, and thousands of people touching their feet every day to seek their blessing.But God reveling to them in the dreams, one of the guru God dream, three days in the row that he is one step away from burning hell. That terrified him because of the dream, and he understood that wealth. The knowledge is not going to save his soul, right? So he left barefooted from his temple and we found him, and he's working with us right now.Through him. We started with working with other Brahmans and we found many Brahman gurus coming to know the Lord and they understand the repercussion of the caste system on people's life, the way people were ated in the system, how they were suppressed down and stolen, the God-given identity. Now they are washing the feet of Dali.Tribal and untouchable, and they are sharing gospel to their own community. The saving grace has a power. God Gospel has a power to transform different community, and we unite India together in the body of Christ. So we can see that India is separated by the language, by the caste system, but the gospel is uniting people together.Yeah. And we will see India coming together in the body of Christ. That is so powerful. And for us here, it's hard for us to envision. The impact of a Brahman guru washing the feet of someone from the untouchable cast. And so it, it's just very impactful to see that. And you've seen numerous of these gurus for our audience tell, just gimme a minute or less on what a guru is so they understand.It's mo we think of gurus. That's a kind of foreign topic the way we say it. This is Ajit. Ajit. Why don't you tell us that gurus in our context are the leaders. Teachers, so they are the one who gave spiritual teachings and insights for their followers. Okay. So in the Brahman cast, you said they believe in one overall creator.Is that correct? One overall creator. So the Christian faith is a little easier for them to understand the one creator through Jesus Christ if we see and understand each person's soul. Needs a savior, right? Whether we go in any religion, the ultimate thing is like the soul needs a savior. And that's a spiritual hunger.Yeah. That's a spiritual destiny. And when we look at that, there can be only one savior. Yeah. One destination. And that's where we come alongside and say that there is a savior. Will help you fulfill your destiny to reach your greater God. Right Now, some of the things you guys have done have made some of the church people a little uncomfortable 'cause it's outside the box.This is definitely not normal missions work. Talk about that a little bit. We have seen, we sometime we have critical view. If somebody become a Christian, he should be clothing like us. He should talk like us. He should worship like us. It, of seeing that surface thing. So we allow people to wear their customs, their way of life in the sense of the way they cloth the way they do their hair.And we don't come against that, but we want to see that their heart is transformed and we allow them to remain in their clothing and their color. Everything belongs to God. And God can use every person for his glory. We don't have to see the color of their cap, what kind of shirts they're wearing, how long their hair is, or what kind of dots on their forehead of that.Seeing every person is created in God's image and loving them. And when he created, everything was beautiful. Yeah. And to see an individual, a leader, dressed in his robes as a guru. He's leading people in worship of Jesus is a powerful thing. You guys had a big community meeting some Muslims that was there at the time of prayer in one of your, one of your centers, and you let them have their Muslim prayers in your center.That's right. And some people can't envision you loving that way. For the purpose of ultimately sharing the gospel and sharing the love of Jesus after letting them pray in our building, we wash their feet. We share gospel with them. And the god's love is so compelling at that. When you wash somebody's feet, it is a.Compelling, but non-threatening way to witness Christ. Oh, yeah. Without a doubt. Being there is an incredible thing. In November, we have a group going to work with you guys and we don't put your names in the neighbor of your mid ministry over the broadcast, out over the air because persecution.It's a real thing, but if they want people wanna find out more, you can contact us@reallife.org. You can shoot an email to us and we can let you know about, and you can come and find out, our trips fill up fast. So I don't know that there'll be space, but you can at least find out about this great ministry and more about our partnership with this wonderful group in India.Thank you guys for being with us. Thank you.