Podcasts about My Christmas

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My Christmas gift to my son DeV'n Duncan was to record one of his songs. “Take My Hand” but if feels like passing the torch to the next generation. If you don't think his vocal is loud enough yer probably my age. This is a new gen approach to music.

My Christmas gift to you: round 2 of wild card Mormon/religious stories! This time, we're diving into a very weird LDS take on global warming, pregnancy complications turned Sunday School lesson, and the undeniable need for an “I have Mormon grandparents” support group. Happy Holidays!

  My life changed profoundly in 2015 when I decided I would give up alcohol. I knew I wanted something different, but I had no idea that this life would be better than my wildest dreams! I was simply ditching booze because I needed to change something. I had a sense it was alcohol that might be standing in the way of a more fulfilling life, but I didn't know for sure. Now I do. My Christmas wish for all of you is to discover how much bigger and brighter and better life can be when we stop hiding and numbing and tamping down our true self. It's not that giving up alcohol in itself creates this change, but instead, it allows us to discover a part of ourselves that we have not yet met. A part that is vulnerable and messy and beautiful. A part that wants to be seen and wants to shine. This takes time and work - we will have to do hard things, but the reward is a bold and courageous life. A life where we can be fully ourselves, and we can learn to love ourselves again.  May we be brave enough to share the deepest parts of ourselves with one another so that we may be blessed by the human spirit within each of us.  Show Notes HERE

My Christmas message....

Pop Radio UK Show #322!!!  My Christmas wish is that you continue to download and share the podcast. Simple enough, right? Please, keep downloading and sharing the podcast! All the usual download spots. Oh! And the website, too – TheMusicAuthority.com! The Music Authority Podcast... heard daily on TheMusicAuthority.com, Podchaser, Deezer, Amazon Music, Audible, Listen Notes, Google Podcast Manager, Mixcloud, Player FM, Stitcher, Tune In, Podcast Addict, Cast Box, Radio Public, and Pocket Cast, and APPLE iTunes! Follow the show on “X” Jim Prell@TMusicAuthority! How to listen in?*Podcast - https://themusicauthority.transistor.fm/  The Music Authority Podcast! *Website – TheMusicAuthority.comSpecial Recorded Network Shows, too! Different than my daily show! *Radio Candy Radio Monday Wednesday, & Friday 7PM ET, 4PM PT*Rockin' The KOR Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday at 7PM UK time, 2PM ET, 11AM PT  www.koradio.rocks*Pop Radio UK Friday, Saturday, & Sunday 6PM UK, 1PM ET, 10AM PT! *Sole Of Indie https://soleofindie.rocks/ Monday Through Friday 6PM ET! *AltPhillie.Rocks Sunday, Thursday, & Saturday At 11:00AM ET!Pop Radio UK Show #322…@Super8UK – TMA Opening Theme@The Dollyrots - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday [A Very Dollyrots Christmas Vol 2]@The Pengwins - It's Christmas Time@The Spampinato Brothers - The Very Best Gift Of All [Smiles]@Steve Winwood - Christmas Is Now Drawing Near@The Turnback - I've Been Good This Year [Drawn In Chalk]@The Crushtones - Jolly Old St. Nicholas@Blues Jumpers - Dig That Crazy Santa Claus@SoulBird - The Music Authority Jingle@Tony Bennett - The Christmas Song@Barry & The Highlights - Christmas Bell Rock@the Catherines - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas [Teeny Tiny Christmas]@The Peppermint Kicks - It's A Peppermint Christmas (@Rum Bar Records)@Jim Croce - It Doesn't Have To Be That Way@Andy Williams - It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year@Nolan Voide - The Music Authority Jingle@Shake Some Action! - Christmas In The Sun@Jamie Hoover - Sleigh Bells [Happy Hooverdays – EP] (@Vandalay Records)@Pete Donnelly - Merry Christmas This Year@Little Murders - Christmas (All Over The World) [Power Chords, Harmonies And Mistletoe]@The Happy Somethings - Nothing's Just For Christmas [Don't Mention It]@Béla Fleck & The Flecktones - The Hanukkah Waltz@The Click Five - My Girlfriend (Forgot Me This Christmas)@Mimi Betinis – A Christmas Song@Geoff Palmer - Cocktails and Candy Canes@The Beach Boys - The Man With All The Toys@Los Straightjackets – Sleighride [The Complete Christmas Songbook]

USE CODE: STRONG100 for $100 off the Healthy Runner Strength Program   Missed Your Running Goals this Year?  Here's how to start a new year strong.   Let's get real about a topic that is often overlooked in the running world - What to do when you don't meet your yearly running goals.  If you're feeling frustrated or embarrassed right about now, this is for you!   Whether you're coming up short of your goals (consistency, miles, time on the clock, qualifying for a race) or things really aren't going as you expected, I'm here to help you navigate this moment with gratitude, resilience, and strategy.   My year didn't go as I had expected and I had a super tough year in 2017 (during my first marathon), but it led to some of my biggest wins the next 5 years - all because I leaned on these strategies.  You'll hear how to finish a down year with the right mindset, stay committed to your fitness and health goals, and use this time to reset and refocus so you can adjust to next year's plan based on this year's lessons.   And remember, if you're still staying active, you're making progress.  I promise you this experience is all part of your journey to success as a runner!   I cover the following and a bit more: - Reminding yourself that every runner faces low years - Mindset shifts to help you show up as an ambassador of health and wellness (even if you're not feeling your best) - How to make strategic changes to plan for next year - Tips for starting your year as strong as possible - Why gratitude is one of the most important practices -  especially when things aren't going as you expected   I hope this episode inspires you to stay dedicated to your growth as a runner to maintain a strong mind, a strong body, so you can just keep running!   Structured, consistent strength training specific for runners solves 90% of running performance and injury problems.     My Christmas gift to you for listening to this episode to start the new year strong…   Get $100 off the Healthy Runner Strength Program using code: STRONG100 here!   Reset for the new year and learn How to Grow as a Runner here!   Listen to my previous episode on 6 Steps to Get Winter Strong here!   Listen to my previous episode on why strength training is your foundation for running here!   Listen to my previous episode on how to build a solid foundation for your race with base training here!   Want Dr. Duane to answer your question on the podcast?  Submit questions here   Want to work with Dr. Duane as your running physical therapist and coach with structured rehab, strength, nutrition, and a run plan with full support and accountability to develop a strong running body?  Book a call and learn more about Strong Body Coaching here!   Connect with Dr. Duane: - Instagram - @sparkhealthyrunner - Join Our Healthy Runner Facebook Community - Subscribe to our YouTube Channel - duane@sparkhealthyrunner.com - www.sparkhealthyrunner.com Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Google Play iHeartRadio Amazon Music Website

Rockin' The KOR Show #338! My Christmas wish is that you continue to download and share the podcast. Simple enough, right? Please, keep downloading and sharing the podcast! All the usual download spots. Oh! And the website, too – TheMusicAuthority.com! The Music Authority Podcast... heard daily on TheMusicAuthority.com, Podchaser, Deezer, Amazon Music, Audible, Listen Notes, Google Podcast Manager, Mixcloud, Player FM, Stitcher, Tune In, Podcast Addict, Cast Box, Radio Public, and Pocket Cast, and APPLE iTunes! Follow the show on “X” Jim Prell@TMusicAuthority!  How to listen in?*Podcast - https://themusicauthority.transistor.fm/  The Music Authority Podcast!   *Website – TheMusicAuthority.comSpecial Recorded Network Shows, too! Different than my daily show! *Radio Candy Radio Monday Wednesday, & Friday 7PM ET, 4PM PT*Rockin' The KOR Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday at 7PM UK time, 2PM ET, 11AM PT  www.koradio.rocks*Pop Radio UK Friday, Saturday, & Sunday 6PM UK, 1PM ET, 10AM PT! *Sole Of Indie https://soleofindie.rocks/  Monday Through Friday 6PM ET! *AltPhillie.Rocks Sunday, Thursday, & Saturday At 11:00AM ET!Rockin' the KOR! Show #338…@Super8UK – TMA Opening Theme@The Dollyrots - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday [A Very Dollyrots Christmas Vol 2]@The Pengwins - It's Christmas Time@The Spampinato Brothers - The Very Best Gift Of All [Smiles]@Steve Winwood - Christmas Is Now Drawing Near@The Turnback - I've Been Good This Year [Drawn In Chalk]@The Crushtones - Jolly Old St. Nicholas@Blues Jumpers - Dig That Crazy Santa Claus@SoulBird - The Music Authority Jingle@Tony Bennett - The Christmas Song@Barry & The Highlights - Christmas Bell Rock@the Catherines - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas [Teeny Tiny Christmas]@The Peppermint Kicks - It's A Peppermint Christmas (@Rum Bar Records)@Jim Croce - It Doesn't Have To Be That Way@Andy Williams - It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year@Nolan Voide - The Music Authority Jingle@Shake Some Action! - Christmas In The Sun@Jamie Hoover - Sleigh Bells [Happy Hooverdays – EP] (@Vandalay Records)@Pete Donnelly - Merry Christmas This Year@Little Murders - Christmas (All Over The World) [Power Chords, Harmonies And Mistletoe]@The Happy Somethings - Nothing's Just For Christmas [Don't Mention It]@Béla Fleck & The Flecktones - The Hanukkah Waltz@The Click Five - My Girlfriend (Forgot Me This Christmas)@Mimi Betinis – A Christmas Song@Geoff Palmer - Cocktails and Candy Canes@The Beach Boys - The Man With All The Toys@Los Straightjackets – Sleighride [The Complete Christmas Songbook]

Sole Of Indie Show #88!! My Christmas wish is that you continue to download and share the podcast. Simple enough, right? Please, keep downloading and sharing the podcast! All the usual download spots. Oh! And the website, too – TheMusicAuthority.com! The Music Authority Podcast... heard daily on TheMusicAuthority.com, Podchaser, Deezer, Amazon Music, Audible, Listen Notes, Google Podcast Manager, Mixcloud, Player FM, Stitcher, Tune In, Podcast Addict, Cast Box, Radio Public, and Pocket Cast, and APPLE iTunes! Follow the show on “X” Jim Prell@TMusicAuthority! How to listen in?*Podcast - https://themusicauthority.transistor.fm/  The Music Authority Podcast! *Website – TheMusicAuthority.comSpecial Recorded Network Shows, too! Different than my daily show! *Radio Candy Radio Monday Wednesday, & Friday 7PM ET, 4PM PT*Rockin' The KOR Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday at 7PM UK time, 2PM ET, 11AM PT  www.koradio.rocks*Pop Radio UK Friday, Saturday, & Sunday 6PM UK, 1PM ET, 10AM PT! *Sole Of Indie https://soleofindie.rocks/ Monday Through Friday 6PM ET! *AltPhillie.Rocks Sunday, Thursday, & Saturday At 11:00AM ET!Sole Of Indie Show #88…@Super8UK – TMA Opening Theme@The Dollyrots - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday [A Very Dollyrots Christmas Vol 2]@The Pengwins - It's Christmas Time@The Spampinato Brothers - The Very Best Gift Of All [Smiles]@Steve Winwood - Christmas Is Now Drawing Near@The Turnback - I've Been Good This Year [Drawn In Chalk]@The Crushtones - Jolly Old St. Nicholas@Blues Jumpers - Dig That Crazy Santa Claus@SoulBird - The Music Authority Jingle@Tony Bennett - The Christmas Song@Barry & The Highlights - Christmas Bell Rock@the Catherines - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas [Teeny Tiny Christmas]@The Peppermint Kicks - It's A Peppermint Christmas (@Rum Bar Records)@Jim Croce - It Doesn't Have To Be That Way@Andy Williams - It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year@Nolan Voide - The Music Authority Jingle@Shake Some Action! - Christmas In The Sun@Jamie Hoover - Sleigh Bells [Happy Hooverdays – EP] (@Vandalay Records)@Pete Donnelly - Merry Christmas This Year@Little Murders - Christmas (All Over The World) [Power Chords, Harmonies And Mistletoe]@The Happy Somethings - Nothing's Just For Christmas [Don't Mention It]@Béla Fleck & The Flecktones - The Hanukkah Waltz@The Click Five - My Girlfriend (Forgot Me This Christmas)@Mimi Betinis – A Christmas Song@Geoff Palmer - Cocktails and Candy Canes@The Beach Boys - The Man With All The Toys@Los Straightjackets – Sleighride [The Complete Christmas Songbook]

Radio Candy Radio Show #196! My Christmas wish is that you continue to download and share the podcast. Simple enough, right? Please, keep downloading and sharing the podcast! All the usual download spots. Oh! And the website, too – TheMusicAuthority.com! The Music Authority Podcast... heard daily on TheMusicAuthority.com, Podchaser, Deezer, Amazon Music, Audible, Listen Notes, Google Podcast Manager, Mixcloud, Player FM, Stitcher, Tune In, Podcast Addict, Cast Box, Radio Public, and Pocket Cast, and APPLE iTunes! Follow the show on “X” Jim Prell@TMusicAuthority! How to listen in?*Podcast - https://themusicauthority.transistor.fm/  The Music Authority Podcast! *Website – TheMusicAuthority.com  Special Recorded Network Shows, too! Different than my daily show! *Radio Candy Radio Monday Wednesday, & Friday 7PM ET, 4PM PT*Rockin' The KOR Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday at 7PM UK time, 2PM ET, 11AM PT  www.koradio.rocks*Pop Radio UK Friday, Saturday, & Sunday 6PM UK, 1PM ET, 10AM PT! *Sole Of Indie https://soleofindie.rocks/ Monday Through Friday 6PM ET! *AltPhillie.Rocks Sunday, Thursday, & Saturday At 11:00AM ET!Radio Candy Radio Show #196…@Super8UK – TMA Opening Theme@The Dollyrots - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday [A Very Dollyrots Christmas Vol 2]@The Pengwins - It's Christmas Time@The Spampinato Brothers - The Very Best Gift Of All [Smiles]@Steve Winwood - Christmas Is Now Drawing Near@The Turnback - I've Been Good This Year [Drawn In Chalk]@The Crushtones - Jolly Old St. Nicholas@Blues Jumpers - Dig That Crazy Santa Claus@SoulBird - The Music Authority Jingle@Tony Bennett - The Christmas Song@Barry & The Highlights - Christmas Bell Rock@the Catherines - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas [Teeny Tiny Christmas]@The Peppermint Kicks - It's A Peppermint Christmas (@Rum Bar Records)@Jim Croce - It Doesn't Have To Be That Way@Andy Williams - It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year@Nolan Voide - The Music Authority Jingle@Shake Some Action! - Christmas In The Sun@Jamie Hoover - Sleigh Bells [Happy Hooverdays – EP] (@Vandalay Records)@Pete Donnelly - Merry Christmas This Year@Little Murders - Christmas (All Over The World) [Power Chords, Harmonies And Mistletoe]@The Happy Somethings - Nothing's Just For Christmas [Don't Mention It]@Béla Fleck & The Flecktones - The Hanukkah Waltz@The Click Five - My Girlfriend (Forgot Me This Christmas)@Mimi Betinis – A Christmas Song@Geoff Palmer - Cocktails and Candy Canes@The Beach Boys - The Man With All The Toys@Los Straightjackets – Sleighride [The Complete Christmas Songbook]

Send us a textHey, everybody! Here it is, my special holiday episode, "A Very Christmas Special 3!" My Christmas gift to you all! featuring new holiday tunes by Stevie Nicks and Jason Kelce, Xiu Xiu, 070 Shake, John Waters, Dean & Britta & Sonic Boom, Deborah Silver and the Count Basie Orchestra, King Hannah, Madi Diaz, and NLE Choppa. Plus we'll head to my ski chalet to roast my chestnuts, sip hot cocoa and count down my top ten favorite songs of 2024, featuring tunes by Cindy Lee, Addison Rae, Saya Gray, Sprints, Charli xcx and Grumpy.Happy Holidaze!Happy New Year!I Love you All!Support the show

ALTPHILLIE.ROCKS - Show #34! My Christmas wish is that you continue to download and share the podcast. Simple enough, right? Please, keep downloading and sharing the podcast! All the usual download spots. Oh! And the website, too – TheMusicAuthority.com! The Music Authority Podcast... heard daily on TheMusicAuthority.com, Podchaser, Deezer, Amazon Music, Audible, Listen Notes, Google Podcast Manager, Mixcloud, Player FM, Stitcher, Tune In, Podcast Addict, Cast Box, Radio Public, and Pocket Cast, and APPLE iTunes! Follow the show on “X” Jim Prell@TMusicAuthority! How to listen in?*Podcast - https://themusicauthority.transistor.fm/  The Music Authority Podcast!  *Website – TheMusicAuthority.comSpecial Recorded Network Shows, too! Different than my daily show! *Radio Candy Radio Monday Wednesday, & Friday 7PM ET, 4PM PT*Rockin' The KOR Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday at 7PM UK time, 2PM ET, 11AM PT  www.koradio.rocks*Pop Radio UK Friday, Saturday, & Sunday 6PM UK, 1PM ET, 10AM PT! *Sole Of Indie https://soleofindie.rocks/ Monday Through Friday 6PM ET! *AltPhillie.Rocks Sunday, Thursday, & Saturday At 11:00AM ET!ALTPHILLIE.ROCKS - Show #34…@Super8UK – TMA Opening Theme@The Dollyrots - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday [A Very Dollyrots Christmas Vol 2]@The Pengwins - It's Christmas Time@The Spampinato Brothers - The Very Best Gift Of All [Smiles]@Steve Winwood - Christmas Is Now Drawing Near@The Turnback - I've Been Good This Year [Drawn In Chalk]@The Crushtones - Jolly Old St. Nicholas@Blues Jumpers - Dig That Crazy Santa Claus@SoulBird - The Music Authority Jingle@Tony Bennett - The Christmas Song@Barry & The Highlights - Christmas Bell Rock@the Catherines - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas [Teeny Tiny Christmas]@The Peppermint Kicks - It's A Peppermint Christmas (@Rum Bar Records)@Jim Croce - It Doesn't Have To Be That Way@Andy Williams - It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year@Nolan Voide - The Music Authority Jingle@Shake Some Action! - Christmas In The Sun@Jamie Hoover - Sleigh Bells [Happy Hooverdays – EP] (@Vandalay Records)@Pete Donnelly - Merry Christmas This Year@Little Murders - Christmas (All Over The World) [Power Chords, Harmonies And Mistletoe]@The Happy Somethings - Nothing's Just For Christmas [Don't Mention It]@Béla Fleck & The Flecktones - The Hanukkah Waltz@The Click Five - My Girlfriend (Forgot Me This Christmas)@Mimi Betinis – A Christmas Song@Geoff Palmer - Cocktails and Candy Canes@The Beach Boys - The Man With All The Toys@Los Straightjackets – Sleighride [The Complete Christmas Songbook]

My Christmas gift to you this year is an episode full of tax tidbits that you can share at your holiday party - check out this episode for my rundown of the tax issues that made the news for me in 2024:10. The Taxpayer's Ombudsman Report9.  Auditor General's Report - the CEBA Program8.  CRA New Audit Powers7.  Digital Services Tax6.  Where do we stand on Alternative Minimum Tax?5.  The GST/HST Holiday4.  Audits on COVID benefits3.  Bare trusts...2.  Capital Gains...1.  The Fall Economic Statement - stay tuned for December 16th!Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  I will be back with Season 6 of The Tax Chick Podcast in March 2025!RESOURCES DISCUSSED ON THIS EPISODE:Taxpayer's Ombudsman Report (2024)Auditor General ReportDigital Services TaxGST/HST HolidayBare Trusts - exemption for filingHERE ARE SOME OTHER WAYS TO CONNECT WITH ME:My website! Email: thetaxchickpodcast@gmail.com@tax.chick (IG) LinkedInBe a "Tax Chick VIP" 

My Christmas message is one of gratitude and love, thank you for being here and thank you for making this community so enriching and positive. Not everyone's experience of Christmas is full of connection, so today I'm sharing one of my favourite meditations for anyone feeling lonely or disconnected this festive season. This will help you feel grounded, it will allow you to connect with yourself and bring peace and self love, no matter where you are and who you're with. Merry Christmas, take care and enjoy the festive season G x **Get the early bird price for Your Magnetic Blueprint Course HERE Shop our Rise App Christmas Sale HERE, hurry ends Jan 3rd! Join the Rise & Conquer Facebook group here. Follow the Rise & Conquer Instagram here. Discover Rise & Conquer courses here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My Christmas season has started thanks to this delightful Christmas romance! I adored it and am so looking forward to it being part of my Christmas tradition...it was just as nice to be able to chat with Mary-Anne! What a chat!!!! What a perfect Christmas romance and I am so already looking forward to next years' one...Mary Anne is just over at maryanne_oc on insta and gosh her content is a treat! And to join our ReadA Book community head on over to www.readabook.com.au. We are a wonderful collective of like minded book lovers where you can mix and mingle and be, and together we can all enjoy reading more

The boss said to me this morning when he arrived, “Good of you to show you support for the Greens.” It's like what? He gestured to my dress. I am in a dress that is utterly, unashamedly green. All green. My Christmas dress can also come out in winter. It is not the reason I chose the dress, but I can't help feeling the teensiest bit of sympathy for the Greens. They have had a shocking run. Elizabeth Kerekere, who resigned after an investigation into her poor handling of staff and colleagues and for sending a mean text about Chloe to the wrong chat group. Oops. Julie Anne Genter and her startling and unprecedented outburst in the House, subsequent allegations of anger management issues, and a Mea culpa from her saying she's working on bettering herself and stepping away from volatile situations.   We had Golriz Gharaman and her sticky fingers, the sudden death of Efeso Collins, the resignation of James Shaw, who is the best greenie in parliament on green issues, possibly the only person in Parliament who, well the best person in Parliament who had the best grasp of climate change, who was there in the Green Party for what you'd imagine are the right reasons. You had co-leader Marama Davidson's cancer diagnosis, and now, finally, finally, the conclusion of the investigation to Darleen Tana and exploitation of migrant worker in her business and her husband's business. Finally that's over.   Clearly, the report is damning because the Greens have been calling for Tana's head. Chloe Swarbrick spoke very well yesterday at the stand up in the Great Hall. Clearly, she is absolutely furious and feels personally betrayed. And clearly, the findings are serious because not only have the Greens told Darlene Tana in no uncertain terms to resign, they've told her to repay the salary she received while she was under investigation. What happens next? Well, acting Prime Minister Winston Peters says it's a disgrace and Darleen Tana needs to go.   WP: Well, our electoral law is fine except it's not being enforced. This is a disgrace. I mean, $42,000 of taxpayers' money has been used by the Greens to find out what was going on when they should be spending their own money. You've got someone who has been told that she should leave Parliament. She probably won't. She'll probably go and join the Māori Party, and then you got these purists saying we will not enforce the law that's already there now to ensure that the proportionality of Parliament remains. And it demonstrates that, you know, some parties are getting away with stuff because they've got members there claiming qualifications they never had. They were never challenged with the mainstream media. Here comes another example where this level of tolerance for an, a party that's demonstrating every day how bad it would be if they ever got to be in control, in government and nevertheless, in these circumstances, she's still there, and she should not be there and in the sense that everybody's got to be accountable and she's not. AD: Well, they're claiming that they've done everything they can, they ask her to resign from the party, she resigns. Then it's up to her to go to the speaker and resign herself. But as I said earlier, turkeys don't vote for Christmas... WP: No, no. I'm sorry, they're not doing everything they can. They could expel her and then they could make it very clear to the speaker that she's no longer a member of their party. And that would mean that she would have to stand down as an MP. All the law is right in front of them, written for such circumstances. But the question is, you chose this person that could not be trusted, and now you're saying that it's all the rest of us, and our problem about getting rid of this person, whether it's a male or female MP doesn't matter. It's simply not satisfactory. Well, that's an understatement. That was Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters talking to Andrew Dickens this morning.   The report will be released so we can see for ourselves, according to the Greens, once all the named parties have been consulted. But what to do about invoking the waka-jumping clause if she decides she's not going to leave Parliament? If she decides she's going to ignore the pleas from Chloe Swarbrick and her party. The Greens hate the Electoral Integrity Act, which is what the waka-jumping law is formally known as, despite being forced to swallow that dead rat back in 2018, the coalition agreement. There seems virtually no chance that they will use the party axing option to force Tana from Parliament, unless they have a massive change of heart.   They held back from doing so when Elizabeth Kerekere quit, but there's a big difference because this is very, very early on in the electoral cycle, we're only six months in. Elizabeth Kerekere only warmed her seat for five months. So, the taxpayer only had to pay for a useless MP for five months, which is still five months too many. Darleen Tana would be there impotent and hopeless for two years. Two years! And more, if she chooses to stage a sit-in in defiance of her former party this is the perfect time for the Green Party to dismount from their increasingly lame high horses. Idealism and zealotry are all very well and good, but you might in principle disagree with the law, but you must invoke it if you can if you don't want to rip off the taxpayer.   Making tough decisions is a part of politics and it's time the Green Party grew up and showed that pragmatism trumps idealism when it comes to protecting the voters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello :) Well, you may be pleased to know I survived my trip to SE Asia. But it was a close-run thing as you'll hear at the start of this episode. Anyway. It's Christmas. I should do a pod about this time of year. And this is one I've cobbled together at the last possible moment. I think I might well whine a bit more than usual in it. But it's fine; this isn't my time of year by definition. Topics discussed in this episode are: * The most 8 minutes I've ever had on a plane * My Christmas is low-key * 100 Countries by Age 50 * American Christmas Music Radio * Whamageddon! * Christmas trees * Australia at Christmas * Christmas markets I have seen and drank at * Family Christmasses growing up * Pantomimes * New Year traditions A PDF transcript of this podcast is available. As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I have a newsletter with extra content, and where I'll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution. I also have a Patreon - if you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over. Contributions in this pod come from my friend Anne-Laure, who doesn't have a web presence, and Amanda Kendle, of the Not A Ballerina website. Also, the Deck of Many Aces podcast can be found wherever you listen to podcasts, but they're hosted here by Acast. Until next time, bye for now. :)

In the run up to New Year's 2024, #predictions and #propsies will be in Vogue I'm sure! So I'm looking up forecasts from a variety of sources for our entertainment purposes! May 2024 be the best year possible! For everybody except #diaperdon LOL of course! Right off the bat, so far predictions for 2024 seem abysmal! #Gaia rides that we are on the edge of an abyss! Holy f*** My Christmas message to one of the dorks running for Senate against me! :-) Why are all these 175 or so insurrectionist Republicans still in Congress??!!! Are they above the law or something? Why doesn't Merrick Garland appoint a special prosecutor to deal with them since Jack Smith is awful overwhelmed?!Why wasn't Ginni Thomas ever charged for her role in the January 6th insurrection? What's wrong is that too political??? And why hasn't diaper Donald been charged yet for extorting zelenskyy??? & 10 counts of obstruction?? Is that too political too?? I thought Justice was blind!!!!!!Jack Smith and the justice department need to charge old diaper Donald with insurrection now that the Colorado courts admitted that he incied insurrection!The very same Republican lawyers who handed George W Bush the 2000 election are diaper Donald's picks for the supreme court! Kavanaugh cony Barrett Justice Roberts were all Republican lawyers for Bush! Coincidence? No - they were given supreme Court appointments as reward!!!!!Blame Joe biden! If I were president I would have fought tooth and nail to make sure women did not lose their bodily autonomy! AOC is right - Six supreme Court justices lied under oath that roe v Wade is settled law! Besides these activist judges are corrupt! GINNI THOMAS IS AN INSURRECTIONIST CLARENCE THOMAS SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECUSE HIMSELF AND RESIGN!!!! If I were a president at least six of them would be GONE!!! I WOULD PUT MTN LAWYERS ON SHORTLIST TO REPLACE THEM TRISTA4PREZ

Abidos is considered the birthplace of osiris, isis and other gods and goddesses in the Egyptian Pantheon. #abdu, renamed by the Greeks as ABIDOS, #Seti the first. Cult site for #Osiris. Discovered in 2016 alongside the mortuary site of seti the first. Egyptian antiquities Department excavated huts and other structures that were 7,000 years old. #archaeology #new #discoveries. Temple complex #andrewCollins where lives The #shemsis, his entourage; the followers of Osiris. the Ossyrian. My Christmas message to one of the dorks running for Senate against me! :-) Why are all these 175 or so insurrectionist Republicans still in Congress??!!! Are they above the law or something? Why doesn't Merrick Garland appoint a special prosecutor to deal with them since Jack Smith is awful overwhelmed?!Why wasn't Ginni Thomas ever charged for her role in the January 6th insurrection? What's wrong is that too political??? And why hasn't diaper Donald been charged yet for extorting zelenskyy??? & 10 counts of obstruction?? Is that too political too?? I thought Justice was blind!!!!!!Jack Smith and the justice department need to charge old diaper Donald with insurrection now that the Colorado courts admitted that he incied insurrection!The very same Republican lawyers who handed George W Bush the 2000 election are diaper Donald's picks for the supreme court! Kavanaugh cony Barrett Justice Roberts were all Republican lawyers for Bush! Coincidence? No - they were given supreme Court appointments as reward!!!!!Blame Joe biden! If I were president I would have fought tooth and nail to make sure women did not lose their bodily autonomy! AOC is right - Six supreme Court justices lied under oath that roe v Wade is settled law! Besides these activist judges are corrupt! GINNI THOMAS IS AN INSURRECTIONIST CLARENCE THOMAS SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECUSE HIMSELF AND RESIGN!!!! If I were a president at least six of them would be GONE!!! I WOULD PUT MTN LAWYERS ON SHORTLIST TO REPLACE THEM TRISTA4PREZ

Merry Christmas to you!  And welcome to a new week here on the Retirement Quick Tips podcast! I'm your host Ashley Micciche, co-owner of True North Retirement Advisors, an independent financial advisory practice managing over $350 million in client assets.  On this podcast, I cover everything from investing to debt, social security,saving for retirement, spending and retirement lifestyle, healthcare and taxes in retirement in just a few minutes each day, so if you're 5-10 years on either side of retirement, and looking for some daily quick tips to help you on your retirement journey, stick around this week as I talk about:  My Christmas present to you - a free giveaway! But you'll have to tune in tomorrow (or any day for the rest of the week) to hear more about that. But for today, I just want to wish you a very Merry Christmas. My prayer for you and your family is that you experience the hope, joy, and boundless love of God this Christmas.  

Happy Christmas morning, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkah and everything else. Today's episode is a poem to my Sensei and everyone who has taught me a lot of different things over the years. My Christmas wish to all. Hope you have the best day ever, and thank your Sensei, they are Santa. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nick-taber/support

~ #MixedByElliot #111 ~ My Christmas gift! A super year mix including all those bangers that had you dancing this 2023, enjoy! Includes track 'Afterparty' from my friend @drginnmusic Follow me on my social media @elliotdeejay for more music and good vibes! ➔ instagram.com/elliotdeejay ----- Mi regalo de Navidad! Una super sesión con todos los temazos que te han tenido bailando este 2023, disfrútalo! Incluye tema 'Afterparty' de mi amigo @drginnmusic Sígueme en mis redes sociales @elliotdeejay para más música y buen rollo! ➔ instagram.com/elliotdeejay ====== The 'Mixed by Elliot' sessions are played, mixed and recorded live by Elliot, bringing you the vibe and the energy from a live DJ set. There are no rules, no genres, jut good music! ----- Las sesiones 'Mixed by Elliot' son tocadas, mezcladas y grabadas en directo por Elliot, ofreciéndote la atmósfera y la energía del directo de un DJ set. No hay normas, no hay géneros, sólo buena música! ====== Send your #GroovyPromo (MP3 320kbps SoundCloud/We Transfer) & socials to elliotmusicpromos@gmail.com to be featured on #HouseOfGroove! ----- Envía tu #GroovyPromo (MP3 320kbps SoundCloud/We Transfer) y redes a elliotmusicpromos@gmail.com para sonar en #HouseOfGroove! ====== * Legal disclaimer: None of the songs in this mix have been produced by me. For any copyright issues, please contact me. * Nota legal: Ninguna de las canciones en esta sesión ha sido producida por mí. Para cualquier problema relacionado con derechos de autor, por favor contactar conmigo.

Ep#21: My Christmas weekend rant, while I have nothing to rant about I have some positive updates. I am also asking anyone who can help a friend of mine who is facing eviction. Its a long story but the short of it she was her brothers care taker who was terminally ill. He has since passed and now she is facing eviction. The brother did not update his will from 20 years ago. Please go to https://gofund.me/0d1e7059 to donate anything you can. She has helped me with my podcast and now I want to help her. I have donated and I ask if you can too. Thank youMerry Christmas and Happy Holidays!Andrew PAnonymous Andrew Podcast-Life & The Choices We Make. Website: https://www.anonymousandrewpodcast.comInstagram: @anonymousandrewpodcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@anonymousandrewpodcastThreads: @anonymousandrewpodcastFacebook: facebook.com/anonymousandrewpodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@anonymousandrewpodcastLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-peters-a8a012285/X: @AAndrewpodcastSocial Media: Lyndsey Brown (contact me for her info)music by freebeats.io

We often talk about the natural world as being the first classroom, the first physician, and the first form of spiritual practice. As we find ourselves in the Holiday Season, we decided to discuss the connections between faith, nature, and the human experience. While we all may have different faith-based belief systems, we can all agree on certain parts of our human experience journey.Nature has always been a central component of the human spiritual experience. In most faith practices, the natural world is universally agreed upon as embodying divinity, sacredness, and spiritual power. Most religions and spiritual practices have expressed strong connections to the natural world and commitments to protect it.Welcome to Episode Thirty of The Nature of Wellness Podcast.  On this episode, we sat down with Kerrie Roberts. Kerrie is a nationally acclaimed GMA Dove award nominee and Billboard charting writer/recording artist who has released music on both major and independent labels. Her music appears on numerous TV shows, movies/documentaries, podcasts, and numerous other projects. Her most recent project is a newly released holiday album entitled Because It's Christmas. Kerrie consistently writes, produces, and releases music while serving as a worship leader. She is an avid gardener and a certified health and wellness coach with Wellcoaches. Kerrie holds an adjunct faculty position at a university in Florida but prides herself on the development of her two favorite students, her two daughters, whom she home-educates.Join us as we talk to Kerrie about her journey with nature, the importance of finding personalized lifestyle changes for increased well-being, and what faith and the holiday season truly mean to her.  Kerrie discusses the power of letting go of pride and ego, how time in nature can be a strong point of connection within a community, how making nature-based memories with family can become generationally-given gifts, and how she embraces activities such as nature-based journaling as a teaching tool for herself and her family. Kerrie wanted each of us to have a special gift from her. Check out her single “Merry in My Christmas is YOU,” from her new album, at the end of the episode.HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! We wish you a time of peace, love, family, faith…and  NATURE. Please subscribe, rate, and leave a review anywhere you listen to this podcast. It helps us extend the reach of these powerful messages. We appreciate you all.Be Well-NOWKerrie's Website: kerrieroberts.comConnect with Kerrie: facebook.com/kerrierobertsmusicinstagram.com/kerrieroberts Kerrie's Christmas Album:Apple-https://music.apple.com/ca/album/because-its-christmas-ep/1718029230Spotify-https://open.spotify.com/album/21KQBCtGNzLyJCKQbqSJn7Scrooge Podcast: https://scroogepodcast.com/Nature Journaling curriculum: https://johnmuirlaws.com/journaling-curriculum/ * The Nature of Wellness Podcast is produced by the remarkable Shawn Bell.** The NOW theme song was written, performed, produced, and graciously provided by the incredibly talented Phil and Niall Monahan. 

Presented by OMNi-BiOTiCThis English version of the podcast with Rico Bogen is truly special. It is likely the first AI-assisted translation of a triathlon podcast from German to English. My goal is to help make German athletes more internationally recognized.My Christmas gift to you is the podcast featuring our Ironman 70.3 World Champion, Rico Bogen. I perceived Rico as a very down-to-earth yet confident individual, and a devoted family man.I chat with Rico about the changes and new opportunities in his life after the impressive victory at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Lahti. We discuss the significant role his family plays in his success, his experiences in academia, his clear stance on doping, and even touch upon Rico's attitude towards intimacy before competitions. Additionally, we take a glimpse into Rico's collaboration with KÚ and his coach Joe Spindler. We talk about his athletic goals for the year 2024, and Rico shares how he plans to spend the festive Christmas season.Enjoy listening, and Merry Christmas!Yours,AlexP.S:I would love to hear your opinions on the entire project. Were you as surprised as I was at how well our voices were captured? Feel free to listen to the original German version for a more detailed impression.Our partner / unser Partner OMNi-BiOTiC:Website OMNi-BiOTiC: Startseite - OMNi-BiOTiC®Graz-Triathlon: OMNi-BiOTiC® Graz Triathlon 2024 - Jetzt Anmelden (graz-tri.com)Apfelland-Triathlon: OMNi-BiOTiC® Apfelland Triathlon 2024 - Jetzt Anmelden (apfel-tri.com)Online Shop: omni-power.comRABATTCODE: KLARTEXT20Optimize your race prep with a 20% discount on OMNi-POWER® Race Nutrition using code KLARTEXT20.Für die optimale Rennvorbereitung könnt ihr euch mit dem Code KLARTEXT20 auch noch 20% Rabatt auf die Race Nutrition von OMNi-POWER® sichern.(Bezahlte Werbepartnerschaft)Donations and links/ Spenden und Links:As you can imagine, we invest a significant amount of time to provide you with quality content. Each episode takes approximately 8-10 hours of work. Therefore, we would truly appreciate it if you support our efforts with a small donation via PayPal. / Wie ihr euch vorstellen könnt, investieren wir sehr viel Zeit, um euch guten Content zu bieten. Pro Folge fallen in etwa 8-10 Stunden Arbeit an. Daher würden wir uns wirklich freuen, wenn ihr unsere Arbeit durch eine kleine Spende über Paypal entsprechend unterstützt.Paypal an: eiaswim@web.deLoggen Sie sich bei PayPal einIf you enjoy our work, please follow us on Instagram and share this podcast on social media! Thank you! / Wenn euch unsere Arbeit gefällt, dann folgt uns auf Instagram und teilt diesen Podcast über Social Media! Danke!Alex Feldhaus (@alex.fldhs) • Instagram-Fotos und -VideosKlartext Triathlon (@klartexttriathlon) • Instagram-Fotos und -VideosSebi Neef (@sebi_neef) • Instagram-Fotos und -VideosRico Bogen (@ricobogen) • Instagram-Fotos und -VideosFeel free to visit our website or the website of 400 Watt FTP/ Schaut doch gerne auch einmal auf unserer Website oder der Website von 400 Watt FTP vorbei:Klartext Triathlon my-site400W FTPSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/400-watt-ftp-triathlonpodcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

If you want to experience business growth you need a recipe for success. Your business growth strategy is like a recipe for success. When you bake, you have a recipe to follow, and certain ingredients are necessary or the baked good won't turn out the way you want, or taste good. Similarly, when you are growing a business certain ingredients create a road map to success. In keeping with the recipe theme, be sure to read to the end of the post for a special Christmas gift...our family gingerbread men recipe. The ingredients needed for the recipe for success Clarity Confidence Commitment Consistency Community Communication Collaboration Clarity The first ingredient in the recipe for success is clarity. You must be 100% clear on what you do, why you do it, how you do it, why you do it the way you do it, and who you do it for. There is no wiggle room in your measure of clarity. If you aren't clear, your community will not be clear. Clarity creates confidence. When you have clarity you will confidently communicate what you do, why you do it, how you do it, why you do it the way you do it, and who you do it for. 1 Corinthians 14:33 reminds us, "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord's people." If you are feeling unclear about your business, do this exercise: Make a list of all of your past experiences that have led you to start your business. These may be jobs you've had, volunteer positions you've had, teams you were part of, experiences you've gone through and learned from, or a combination of these. Once you have the list, take it a step further. What about each thing you've done or experienced differentiates you from others who have experienced something similar? What makes you unique? This could be qualifications, what you learned and then implemented to create a positive result, the people you worked with or had the experience to learn from, mistakes you made, the mistakes you saw other people make, and/or the people you've helped along your journey. Then, evaluate the list of people you've already helped and identify the people who are consistently asking you for help or to solve a problem. What are you their go-to for? Is there a consistent problem people ask you to help solve? Are there skills that you have that no one else has? How can your experiences and what you've learned from them help solve a problem for someone else? Who are the people who most likely need help solving this problem or challenge? Read the full show notes and access a plethora of additional resources.  My Christmas gift to you In closing, now that we've reviewed the recipe for success, I want to share a fun recipe with you. Download your copy of our family Gingerbread Men Recipe. You can download it as a PDF or JPEG. Happy baking!

For My Newty Girl, I Still Cry / Am Never Saying Goodbye (Tribute to Last Night by Morgan Wallen) **Original written by: Ashley Gorley, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, John Byron, & Ryan Vojtesak *** A huge thank you to both Adam & Aaron for taking Newt in, for saving & forever changing her life, and for introducing me to the kindest and sweetest soul I have ever known in my entire life!!! She was just like Mary Poppins “practically perfect in every which way,” with a strong love for people, walks, construction paper, treats, Adam always, snow and leaves, chick flicks on tv, pets, playing with Mr. Moose, sunbathing, Kiddos, sticks, and rabbits : D Lyrics: For my Newty Girl, I cry Missing her booty shaking walks She had a way of speaking without words We didn't need them to talk Ear wobbles and grunts to tell me where to go Oh, the world, they meant My Christmas tree in one piece This year, she didn't get to knock it over & I'll never forget Love her forever Storm door frights Paper piled high, all ripped My sweet little shredder Pawing at me Against her charms, totally helpless Ear wobbling for walks Our early morning trips Without her, time feels like a sink Drip, drip, drip... Achu' Without her, these tears down my cheeks just fly This house doesn't feel like home to me Without her Nothing feels festive, you see... For my Baby Girl, Newty, I still cry Missing her booty shaking walks She had a way of speaking without words We didn't use them to talk Ear wobbles and grunts to tell me where to go Oh, the world, they meant My Christmas tree in one piece This year, she didn't get to knock it over I won't forget For my Cookie, Newty, I still cry To my wonderful Newty Girl, I'll never say goodbye For my My Notey Goil, I still cry Boneyard not put up Her last cookie under the Christmas tree Hiding them for her was always a must Adam, her dog Daddy No one, more, she loved Kicking, in her dreams, with delight Even sleeping Newt, I loved!!! So why? Why does this pain in my heart explode? Our friends comfort us the best they can But they can't bring her back It kills me just to think... For my Nudie Budie, I cry Missing her booty shaking walks She had a way of speaking without words We didn't need them to talk Ear wobbles and grunts to tell me where to go Oh, the world, they meant My Christmas tree in one piece This year, she didn't get to knock it over & I refuse to forget For my Baby Girl, Newty, Only 2 barks Influential sweetnesses in my Pup Her treat box stabs my heart When I walk by it Deep inhales, I have to breathe in, good luck... She's pawing at me in my favorite memories Begging me for more longie pets Oh, Newty, Honey, New-tie My-Newt, not so minute Her love; it never ends Waiting for Adam at the door But she was also mine She was always waiting for Adam at the door But she was also mine I know she loved us But she left this Earth Took her final breath It kills me, kills me My Christmas tree in one piece This season, she didn't get to knock it over yet & I can't forget For my Baby Girl, Newt, I still cry For my Newty Tooty Fresh N' Fruity, I will never say goodbye End Tribute by Melissa Smith: - Melzy of Wonderland on Youtube - Mel's Music on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Castbox, Deezer, Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Podchaser, Facebook & - Melissa_Martinek_Smith on Instagram (AKA: MelsMusic)

My business coach introduced me to double binds and it makes so much sense. I've created them, but a lot of other people in my life have too and it has wreaked havoc. I can now look back on past relationships and why it wasn't working. In this episode, I explore the psychological aspects and my own experience.   Key Takeaways:    [0:42] What a double bind is, the one I created, and some examples  [9:49] The two families that created a double bind for me in childhood over religion [16:22] The psychology behind it and children not understanding [19:54] Having internal double binds with relationships   [22:25] Examples of double binds in media  [25:25] Double binds in politics  [27:52] My Christmas with Roy and how he created a double bind  [34:06] The double bind with Roy after Molly died [38:12] Different examples of double binds in movies and life   [43:12] Not having romantic relationships and my current family dynamic  [45:34] We all have a chance to leave a double bind  [47:26] How I'm feeling about the holiday season  Resources:   Gaslight      Connect with Barb:   Website   Facebook    Instagram   Be a guest on the podcast    YouTube   The Molly B Foundation  

My Christmas story I wrote about how the magic of Christmas and the flying reindeer began. Enjoy! Merry Christmas! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tracie-bush/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tracie-bush/support

My art sales are down. My Christmas sales last year weren't as great as they were previously. I'm hearing the same thing from a lot of artists and makers and even giant retailers. There's economic uncertainty and inflation that's affecting spending. But do I think I should pack it in and stop my art business? NO, I do not. I still think 2023 is the best time to start, build, and grow your art business, and I don't think it's time to shrink back. Today on the Josie show I've got a few actions and mindsets that will help you in uncertain times. Get my quickstart guide to selling your art online (it's free!): https://www.josielewis.com/ultimateReady to sell your art? Get my guide "The Quickstart Guide to Selling Your Art Online" for free! www.josielewis.com/quickstart

Valentine's Day is approaching, and we're celebrating with two tracks from one of our favorite (bad) holiday romcoms, Christmas in the City (2013). "You're My Christmas" by Juliet Lyons may have been stuck in our heads for years now, but there's still something a little off about it. After revisiting it, "Christmas Love" by Ashanti feels like a breath of fresh air. The ranking music in this episode is "White Wedding" as performed by Juliet Lyons. If you want to hear Jam experience more (bad) holiday romance, check out Book Club For Masochists new episode on February 7th!

1 John 2:12-14Rev. Erik Veerman1/1/2023Because You Know and You AreWe're back in the book of 1 John for our sermon text. It's been a few weeks. Although, it seems like it's been a few months. I'm glad to have our church move mostly behind us.By the way, we have some Bible available in the back, if you didn't pick one up, feel free to do so now. Our reading is from 1 John 2:12-14. It's found on page 1210 of the provided Bibles. As you are turning there, let me give you some reminders. The apostle John wrote this letter to his home church. Likely that was the church in Ephesus where he lived. 1 John is one of the last letters written in the New Testament… written at the very end of the first century. John was in his mid-90s at the time. Imagine that. The last living disciple of Jesus. I think you would agree, he was very with it. That comes out in his letter.Our banner behind me captures the theological heart of John's letter. It's from chapter 1. “God is light and in him is no darkness.” John is very clear about (1) who God is and (2) who Jesus is, and John is very clear about what true Christianity looks like. That's the second part of the quote on our 1 John banner. The call to “walk in the light.” To not walk in darkness. To walk in the light of God and his Gospel.We're in the middle of chapter 2 this morning. It's more of a side comment that John is making. It has some very encouraging reminders for us.Let's now turn our attention to God's Word. This is God's Holy Word. His sufficient, inspired, and inerrant word. Please stand.Reading of 1 John 2:12-14Prayer.My Christmas gift to Amy this year was a washing machine. It wasn't a hint. She loves it. In fact, I didn't buy her a new washing machine. Instead, I bought her a 23-year-old washing machine. Let me borrow the words of verse 7, “I am giving you no new washing machine, but an old washing machine that you had from the very beginning.”This thing has a very powerful motor in it. When it's doing its thing, it really agitates your clothes. Especially when you set it for heavy dirt. The most important feature is that you tell it how much water to put in it. If you have a small load but the clothes are really dirty, you can max out the water to get your clothes clean. I think the old adage is true, they don't make them like they used to.So far, 1 John has been like a heavy-duty washing machine.Here's what I mean: the church at the time was living in the gap. It was around the turn of the first century. It had been about 65 years since Jesus walked on the earth. All the apostles, except John had passed into glory. But at the same time, the New Testament had yet to be formed. Some letters and a couple of the historical accounts of Jesus life had begun circulating, but there was a void.As a result, two kinds of corruption began to emerge in the church. First, false beliefs about God, about Jesus, and about salvation. Because there was no the New Testament yet to evaluate truth from error, multiple perversions of the truth began to emerge. The second corruption in the church was about their living. Their words and action were not lining up with true belief.This must have pained the apostle John so much. He had spent three years with Jesus. He heard and he witnessed the Word made flesh, as he calls Jesus in chapter 1. John had seen Jesus demonstrate what it means to follow him.John knew that the church needed to be cleansed from the impurities. There were false teachers and false witnesses that needed to be dealt with. But think about it. That's complicated. John needed to call out false beliefs and practice, while, at the same time, build up the true believers and their desire to practice righteousness.To do that, John puts the church into the washing machine of sorts. That is this letter. The church needed to be cleansed from false belief and practice. So John needed to be very clear. This is what is true, this is what is false. Evaluate your own life.We are in the middle of four life tests. We've already looked at test #1 - the tests of obedience. Remember that one? The beginning of chapter 2. The call to keep God's Word and his commandments.We've also considered test #2 – the test of love. That's verses 7-11. The call to love your brothers and sisters. Remember that test? A true believer who is walking in the light, seeks to love others. To be sure, John has been really clear that we all still sin. What John is saying is that these tests of true faith is demonstrated by your heart's desire to pursue these things and demonstrating that desire.Let me go back to the washing machine. It's like we've been in the agitation stage. You know how that works. Your dirty clothes get immersed in soapy water. And then the washing machine stirs them, agitates them… the goal is loosen up the dirt … that's how clothes get clean. Imagine being a piece of clothing. John has been stirring you up… in a good way, mind you. He wants to dig deep into your life. He wants you to evaluate your heart and mind. But you may feel a little shaken.And that's where verses 12-14 come in. This is the soaking phase. The last thing that the apostle wants to do for a true believer is take away your assurance of faith. No, one of his main points is to assure you if you truly know him. But his straight-forward-ness has been a little jolting. So now, John wants you to soak in the true Gospel. He wants you to embrace God and be reminded of his forgiveness.Now, John is going to turn the agitator back on. Next week will be the third life test – the test of the world. The week after next will be the fourth life test – the test of doctrine. But before the motor spins back up, John wants to soak you in the soapy water of the Gospel. He wants to assure you, believer in Jesus, of God's grace. He wants the Gospel to seep deep into the core of your being. He wants you to stand firm on its truth and its grace.That's what these verses are about. To build you up and remind you of God's grace. Isn't this a great message for New Year's day? Ok, let's focus in on these verses. And let's consider them from two angles. Two points that summarize John's message here.First, Knowing of Your Security - That's a big emphasis in this book. The assurance of God for those who know the light and walk in the light. Again, number 1 knowing of your security.And second, Growing in Your Maturity - There's a progression here in these verses. A spiritual maturity that is presented. It gives us a vision for what God will do in us as we spiritually mature in him. So that's number two. Growing in your mature.Again, number one, knowing of your security. And number two, growing in your maturity.1. Knowing of Your SecuritySo, let's jump in to that first point.One thing that is very apparent in John's writings, is that he is really pastoral. He loves those to whom he is writing. He calls them beloved many times. They are his spiritual children. Multiple times in this book, he calls them children. God's children, his children. He's not saying they are immature; he's saying they are his beloved spiritual offspring. God's children. He wants them to know that God loves them. These verses are the epitome of John's expression of his love and care.And besides children, he calls them young men and fathers. To be sure, this is not John just writing to the men in the church. Rather, these are terms that are broadly applicable to both men and women. It's like the word “brothers” which is used in several New Testament letters. Even though it's a masculine tense, it refers to brother and sister in Christ.It's the same idea here. Fathers and mothers in the faith. Young men and young women in the faith. It's a very personal appeal to the faithful believers. And these are words not just for John's original audience. No, they are words for you, believer in Jesus. Words for me. Words for us to hold on to, dearly. Words to build us up. To give us the surety of faith in Christ.Now, look at the verses here. There are six “because” statements here. John is writing because of this reason. And because of that reason. And because of another reason. There is a progression here. We're going to get into that progression in point number 2. But for now, I want you to notice two general categories, two general reasons why John wrote this letter.Knowing and receiving.That word “know” is repeated three times. I write to you because you “know him who is from the beginning.” That is repeated in verses 13 and 14. It's referring to Jesus. John is pointing back to the very opening verse of his letter! He spoke of Jesus, whom John said was “from the beginning.“ He was saying there that if you know Christ, you know the eternal life that is found in him alone. If you know Jesus, you know the word made flesh who was from the beginning.But John also adds, “I am writing to you… because you know the Father.” It's not just the Son of God that you know, you know God the Father. The providential, loving Father who superintends all things for his glory and your good.I write to you because you truly know God. You know Jesus and you know his heavenly Father.And the benefits of truly knowing God is what you receive in him. What he has given you. In other words, your status in him. That's the other general reason why John wrote this letter.You see it right there in verse 12. I write to you “because your sins are forgiven.” Your status is forgiven. Freed. Redeemed. Restored. Delivered. Rescued. You are no longer under the weight of sin and its consequences. You are forgiven for Jesus' sake.Then twice John adds, “I am writing…because you have overcome the evil one.” That is another part of the blessing and benefit of knowing God in Christ. The great enemy of the faith no longer has dominion over you. You are more than conquerors in him. So, your status is forgiven and you have overcome the evil one… And both of those come through what Jesus has done for you. His atoning sacrificial payment for your sin is how you are forgiven. His conquering of death through his resurrection is how you have overcome the evil one.What John is saying is that you can rest assured in the finished work of Christ. Jesus himself put it this way, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”Beloved in Christ, you know this Jesus, you know his Father. And because of that, you are his, forever. Forgiven and assured that the great enemy of God, the devil himself, will never overcome you.And there's something endearing about the repetition here. I was thinking about the movie Good Will Hunting. Matt Damon plays a young man named Will. He's had a rough life. He was physically abused by his father. He's brilliant, but very rough around the edges and of course, has deep-seated pain and mistrust. Will's counsellor, Sean, is played by Robin Williams. He's a father figure but himself was abused as a child. So, he has a level of understanding. Probably the most well-known scene of the movie is when the counsellor Sean tells Will that it is “not his fault.” …what happened to him. Will responds “yeah, I know.” Sean says it again, “it's not your fault.” Again, Will responds, “yeah, I know” Again, “It's not your fault” …“I know, stop messing with me” Will starts to get angry. But yet Sean moves closer and closer to him and again says “It's not your fault.” Over and over. Finally, Will breaks down in tears and they embrace. You see, Will knew the answer, but he hadn't fully believed it.I am writing to you, beloved, because you know Jesus.I am writing to you, dear ones, because you know the Father.I am writing to you, my children, because your sins are forgiven.Hear me. I write to you. Notice the change in verb tense in the middle of verse 13. John is emphasizing his point. I write to you because you know Jesus, you know the Father, you are forgiven. You have overcome the evil one. Be confident that you know him, and rest in his security forever.Is your assurance just something you repeat because someone told you that you have assurance? Or do you believe that you are secure in Christ. If you know him, he abides in you and you in him. And he will never let you go.It's like John is saying this: “I'm not writing to shake your faith. I'm not writing for you to question your faith. No, rather, I am writing because I want you to have the utmost confidence in God. I know that my words so far have been strongly worded. But beloved in Christ, they needed to be strongly worded. Your fellowship has been infected with beliefs contrary to the truth of God in Christ. And some in your fellowship are not displaying lives that reflect true faith in Christ. But for those of you who know Christ Jesus, who believe in the forgiveness of sins through him. You are his. He is yours. Nothing can take that away!”You are secure in him. Knowing of your security.2. Growing in Your MaturityAnd that bring us to point number 2. Growing in your maturity.There's something that happens in you the more and more you know that you are secure in Christ. And it's this: you grow in your spiritual maturity in him.Let's take a step back for a minute. The three categories of people that John is addressing are children – little children, it says here, young men, which includes young women, and fathers, which includes mothers. I do not believe these are referencing someone's age, or whether they have children. No, rather, I believe these categories are referring to someone's spiritual maturity. Children in the faith. Young men and young women who are growing in their spiritual maturity. And fathers and mothers of the faith. Not necessarily people who have had children, but spiritual fathers, spiritual mothers.For children, those young in the faith, John writes two things. “Your sins are forgiven” and “you know the Father.” These are two things that new believers are often overjoyed with. The amazing forgiveness of God and how God is a loving Father. Maybe you are a new believer in Christ. You came to him because of the love with which the Father loved you in giving his son for you, to redeem you. Or maybe you look back and you remember those feelings of joy knowing God's forgiveness in Christ and the deep sense of the Father's embrace. These are some of the first things that we experience as new believers. God, our loving Father, and the forgiveness we have in His son.But as you mature in your faith, God gives you more. Look at the description of young men. First, John writes – “you have overcome the evil one.” He says that twice for young men. It's also there at the very end of verse 14. You see, the great enemy of faith, the devil, does not want you to mature in your faith. No, he will attack you. He wants you to question your faith. He will tempt you to fall back into patterns of sin. The mark of a maturing believer is overcoming those temptation. Notice how John puts it in verse 14. “You are strong.” In other words, you've begun to demonstrate your faith. And he adds, “the Word of God abides in you.” That is where a maturing believer goes… to God's Word. It is the mark of a maturing faith. A desire to know God's Word more and more. The Scriptures will direct you in evaluating truth from error, instruct you in how to pursue Godliness in your life, and remind you of God's grace and assurance over and over. Maturing believers in Christ display a growing strength of faith, overcoming temptations, and display a growing desire to know God's Word.So, first children in the faith and second young and maturing believers. And the third category is fathers in the faith. Mature Christians. By the way, kids, you don't have to be old as dirt to be in this category. It does take time, to be sure. Years… perhaps decades. As you grow and mature in your faith, you will demonstrate your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, you will show your desire to pursue God and his Word, you will display a willingness to be discipled by others in the faith, including your parents. Then over time, you will grow into a father or mother in the faith. You will become one who nurtures others and cares for them in the faith.Notice there's just one phrase associated with these fathers in the faith. It's mentioned twice: “you know him who is from the beginning.” Now, that may seem simple…. but I want to suggest it is rich and deep.I've already mentioned that it refers to the opening of the letter. In those words, John has given us a full description of Christ - the fulness of his deity as God; the amazing testimony of the incarnation – the Word made flesh; John calls Jesus the Word of life because he brings eternal life. It tells us of the fellowship of God within the Trinity, and the breadth of God's ministry through Christ as light.Do you see? • The more and more we mature as believers, the more and more deeply we understand and know God in Christ… in all the wonder and amazement of his person and work, his being and presence; his glory and power. • The more and more we know his Word the more and more we know him as the Word. • The more and more we understand the atoning work of the cross, the more and more we are amazed at the undeserved grace we have in him. • And the more and more we mature in him, the more and more assurance we derive from him, through all of life, in the joys and sorrows, the grief and hope… looking to him, the author and perfector of our faith. Who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, despised the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father.What an exciting thing to look forward to as you mature in your faith. To know him more and more. Beloved in Christ, this maturity in him is for you. You see, the assurance that John is writing to you about is paired with the blessing of maturity that you can have in him. As you seek him more and more through his Word, living in his grace, he will bless you with a deepening maturity in him.Know of your security, but also grow in your maturity.ConclusionWell, the apostle John is about to turn the dial again… back to the agitator. And pretty soon after that, the spin cycle. But through it all, his desire is to cleanse the church, to purify her as a bride ready for her savior – the bridegroom, Jesus himself.So, as we continue to be challenged in our beliefs, in our lives and action…. may we know that it is for our good, and God's glory. And may we also be assured… believer in Christ, may you rest secure because you know God in Christ and you are forgiven and redeemed in him. Amen?

My Christmas episode where I take a break from politics and give you a bunch of fun facts about Christmas. Merry Christmas to you and your family. 

(episode also on my youtube channel, like and subscribe lololol! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn_xTpd4lFbYzEU3jzKNyOQ)New a guy in his room #136! I talk about competitive Christmas lawn decorating, my (fictional) wife beating me, Kanye loving a lot about Hitler, and DMT elves!!! Sike and Lubscribe now!Topics n sh**:My Christmas lawn,Happy wife happy life heh,The wife beats me,My hater army,I don't fuck around with Christmas,'theres a looOOOOOOOooooOOOOOOT I love about Hitler' - Ye WestAll the wives want me and leave their husbands bc of my lawn,YouTuber Christmas decorations,Competitive Christmas people,I snoop on my neighbors Christmas plans,Erotic Christmas decorations?Dmt elves,Acting like doing drugs means you're enlightened

Diana Damrau ist am 13. Dezember in München und präsentiert in einem weihnachtlichen Konzert mit dem Münchner Rundfunkorchester Lieder von ihrer neuen CD "My Christmas". Im Interview erzählt Diana Damrau unter anderem, inwiefern Weihnachten auch mit ihrer Karriere zutun hat.

My Christmas celebration continues as I'm joined by my niece Delaney for the Teen Titans GO episode “A Holiday Story!” Titans always deliver at this time of year and this is no exception - even though this is more of a Beast Boy episode!!! Join us as we discuss such subjects as Delaney's clever nickname, who actually is the target audience for this cartoon, my niece's appalling lack of knowledge on Christmas films, is George Washington a ghost in this, PLUS, my son Axel tries to interject!! All this and more as we talk Beast Boy and Santa Claus…in cartoon form!!!

This week, the Gabfest team starts by discussing Spirited, the new AppleTV+ musical comedy starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell. Then, they talk about comedian Matt Rogers' new Showtime special, Have You Heard of Christmas?. Finally, a chat about the sending and receiving of holiday cards.  In Slate Plus, the panel talks about when the holiday season officially begins for each of them. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements Dana: Natalie Walker is a wonderful actress, singer, and performer. My Christmas gift to you is to send you down a rabbit hole of her work, and I suggest that you start with her performance of the song Cabaret. She was in Matt Rogers' special but not singing or performing cabaret.  (Also, listeners can learn about Dana's weeklong series in Berkeley here: https://bampfa.org/program/camera-man-buster-keaton.) Julia: About 10 years ago on the show I described my favorite childhood picture book which was long out of print. Well now for some reason the book is being republished in a new edition in the U.S. and Australia. The book is Need a House? Call Miss Mouse! and it is written by George Mendoza and illustrated by Susan Smith. I am so glad this book is going to be available.  Steve: This is one of the weirder endorsements I think I've ever dropped. I'm endorsing Lana Del Rey. She joins a list of artists who manage to get deep, deep, deep into the weird shallows of the American character. I think there's something special happening in her music.  Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Yesica Balderrama. Outro music is "What Do You Want From Me" by OTE. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You'll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the Gabfest team starts by discussing Spirited, the new AppleTV+ musical comedy starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell. Then, they talk about comedian Matt Rogers' new Showtime special, Have You Heard of Christmas?. Finally, a chat about the sending and receiving of holiday cards.  In Slate Plus, the panel talks about when the holiday season officially begins for each of them. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Endorsements Dana: Natalie Walker is a wonderful actress, singer, and performer. My Christmas gift to you is to send you down a rabbit hole of her work, and I suggest that you start with her performance of the song Cabaret. She was in Matt Rogers' special but not singing or performing cabaret.  (Also, listeners can learn about Dana's weeklong series in Berkeley here: https://bampfa.org/program/camera-man-buster-keaton.) Julia: About 10 years ago on the show I described my favorite childhood picture book which was long out of print. Well now for some reason the book is being republished in a new edition in the U.S. and Australia. The book is Need a House? Call Miss Mouse! and it is written by George Mendoza and illustrated by Susan Smith. I am so glad this book is going to be available.  Steve: This is one of the weirder endorsements I think I've ever dropped. I'm endorsing Lana Del Rey. She joins a list of artists who manage to get deep, deep, deep into the weird shallows of the American character. I think there's something special happening in her music.  Podcast production by Cameron Drews. Production assistance by Yesica Balderrama. Outro music is "What Do You Want From Me" by OTE. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows. You'll also be supporting the work we do here on the Culture Gabfest. Sign up now at Slate.com/cultureplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Novella:Win a Date with Secret Santa (Curvy Girls' Bachelor Auction #11)The Author:Kate Tilney The Guest:Kate Wilhite The Synopsis:What could be more fun than going on a Polar Express-like train ride with a toymaker at Christmas? Apparently, everything. While Fraser Douglas may be in the business of creating toys that bring joy to children worldwide, the man himself is clearly a big grump.No problem. I'm not looking for a love connection when I bid on a date with him at a charity bachelor auction. I just want to get the free toy that comes along with him. A toy that just so happens to be at the top of my niece's Christmas wishlist, but is sold out at every store.Neither Fraser nor I knows what to expect when we go on our date. But as we spend hours together on board a magical train, it becomes harder to deny the spell that seems to be cast around us. I may just discover that under his grumpy exterior, he has a heart of gold.Show Notes:- The 5th annual 12 Days of Boobsmas- A few favorite tropes (and a few we don't)- The amnesia-secret baby-Christmas romance we're waiting for...- What's your favorite holiday memory or tradition? (00:09:23)- The transition from Christmas as a kid to Christmas WITH a kid- The 1st Day of Boobsmas read (00:11:35)- Tit or Tat? Holiday Edition (00:13:01)- But would you do it on a train? - A brief synopsis for today's read, Win a Date with Secret Santa (00:19:47)- A holiday name first!- A couple of petty notes - The toy that sounds like a sex toy... but (sadly) isn't- Another epilogue baby... are we surprised though? - A couple steamy sexcerpts… with Santa! (00:34:33)- "A Christmas cookie of a book"- Heart, Humor, Heat, AND Holiday Ratings (00:39:18)- Where's MY Christmas train ride?!- The 1st Day of Boobsmas jingle courtesy of Cooper BaldwinBooks, Movies, etc. Mentioned in this Episode:- Miracle on 34th Street (1947, 1994)- The Muppet Christmas Carol- Jingle All the Way - The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish- Be sure to check out last year's 1st Day of Boobsmas read (also by Roan Parrish), The Lights on Knockbridge Lane- A Merry Little Meet Cute by Sierra Simone & Julie MurphyOther News:- December 1st marks the start of The 12 Days of Boobsmas. Tune in for new podcast episodes, new giveaways, and more holiday romance recommendations, all month long! - Purchase my DEBUT holiday novella, Meet Me in Los Feliz now!! Links:Follow Boobies & Noobies on Twitter, Instagram, & Facebook @boobiespodcast, on TikTok @b00biespodcast, and check out our blog, merch, and more on our brand new Boobies & Noobies website. 

Fortune Whelan's stories are “charming, silly and emotionally fraught” with “fast-paced plot[s] that keep pages flying”. When she's not at her standing desk fending off feline invaders, you can find her on her yoga mat, or shelving books at the local library. Her latest release, My Christmas with You, the third of the Dorseys of Conception series is out now. Keep up with her at her website, where you can sign up for her newsletter. And find her at Tule Publishing, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linktr, Happily Ever After Collective, and YouTube.  

My Christmas money check is still sitting in the fridge taunting me. Recapping what I've done in years past, my brilliant idea for last year, and what I'm thinking for this year. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/lizgetsloaded/message

My Christmas was good personally, but as it pertains to sports, not so much. The Suns and Cardinals lose their respective games. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bigskysportstalk/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bigskysportstalk/support

My Christmas gift to you this year is introducing you to the most hated man in Rock n Roll History. If this man is an inspiration for you please seek therapy or a priest.Song is Dee Yan-Key: He Never Said A Mumbling Word

115 – You, and everyone on this planet, are worthy of God's love.That's what Christmas is all about. God loves us so much, we are of such immense value to Him, that He sent Jesus to  show us the Way of Life.We are worthy of God's love, not because of anything we did, but simply because we are God's children made in the image and likeness of the divine.But all too often, we don't feel worthy of God's love because of mistakes we've made in our lives. That never stops God from seeing our inherent worth as His children and loving us unconditionally. In this week's episode I tell about a time I tried to help a woman feel God's love, but she just couldn't accept it because she didn't feel worthy. She had made some serious mistakes and had been taught God would love her only if she never made a mistake. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to comfort her, because I wasn't able to remove her negative view of self-worth.But I learned so much from that experience. We need to remove the obstacles and barriers we have erected, like guilt, shame, and a negative sense of worth, that block God's love before we can experience it.God sent Jesus to show us the Way of Life, not to make us worthy of God's love, but because, as God's children, we are already worthy of God's love.Christmas is an opportunity to see the worth of everyone. God sent Jesus because we are worthy of His love. If we weren't worth it, why would God  have bothered with us? If we weren't worthy of God's love Jesus wouldn't have spent so much time helping people by teaching, preaching, and healing.This Christmas, please earnestly embrace the idea that you are worthy of God's love. It's not based on anything you have done. It's not based on what you believe or don't believe. It's not based on where you live or any other external factor you define your life by. You are worthy of God's love simply because you are a child of God, created in the divine image and likeness. And so is everyone else on this planet.Can you see others in this light? The more you see everyone you come in contact with as worthy of God's love, the more you will love them, and the more they will begin to experience their worth in God's eyes for themselves.My Christmas prayer for you is that you bear witness to and cherish your worth in God's eyes and that you see others in this light, and help at least one person feel their worthiness of God's love for them.James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. He conducts Bible workshops online and in person. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. Contact him here.To register for the 10 week class, The New Testament Angels Still Speak to Us Today, go to Angel ClassSupport the show

My Christmas movie list, and also a tradition. Send something you want to say in an episode: https://anchor.fm/emergency-chocolate/message. Follow me on Pinterest: https://pin.it/2HOrcgo

Episode 88: My Christmas memories of Gately's People Store in Roseland and my favorite Christmas movie of all time, Christmas in Connecticut. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/pete-kastanes/message

Episode 88: My Christmas memories of Gately's People Store in Roseland and my favorite Christmas movie of all time, Christmas in Connecticut. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/pete-kastanes/message

On today's episode Pastor Shad McDonald brings to us a Christmas sermon entitled "My Christmas gift to you, Peace". We hope you enjoy today's sermon!

Connect with Michael Moore and Bob WieremaThe Climb on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-climb-podcast/Bob Wierema: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-wierema/Michael Moore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpmoore/Connect with Brian FergusonBrian Ferguson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-ferguson-arena-labs/Arena Labs WebsiteBrian Ferguson: You're at a level one trauma center in Washington, DC. We're in there on a Saturday night at one o'clock in the morning. This is typically when, because of people being out of bars et cetera, you get a lot of trauma. And one time there were two people in there screaming and another person moaning. Just hearing that as I was standing there, I thought ‘it's insane what this does to the human emotion and cortisol levels.' And what's crazy is if you were to observe that and you think about this whole body of knowledge that's come out of the military in the last 15, 20 years about post-traumatic stress and about the implications of people who are in very high stressed emotional environments, either combat or otherwise, we've put a massive amount of resources into helping those people. And yet we ask these trauma nurses and ICU nurses and physicians to go home and have dinner with their families. And no one thinks twice about it because they're not deployed. So, we think about this as the environment is different. You might not be deploying overseas to Afghanistan or Iraq, but you are doing consequential, heavily emotional work that has a chronic element of stress. And when you look at the implications of chronic stress on human beings, that leads to higher levels of cortisol over time, not being able to focus, not being able to sleep. There's a second and third order, long-term impact that has. Michael Moore: Today on The Climb we are joined by Brian Ferguson, founder and CEO of Arena Labs.I'm excited about this one. I don't know Brian as well as some of our other guests, but we were introduced towards the end of last year, both being Gen Next members and got a chance to get on the phone with them for about an hour. And I don't know, 30 seconds in, I thought, dang, dang, dang. We got to get this guy on the podcast. What an interesting background. He'll talk more about Arena Labs, but I think it's an interesting time to have him on because of the passion of what Arena Labs does, and the work that it's doing for our frontline [00:02:00] workers right now, which is so important.Brian, welcome to The Climb. We're excited to have you. Brian Ferguson: Thanks fellas. I appreciate it. Bob Wierema: I can't believe he agreed to come on after talking with you for the only 30 minutes. I mean, that was some, you must have a lot of faith, right?Brian Ferguson: Yeah. We actually need it. Well, I certainly do, but we should also give a shout out to our friend Janeel Alonzo and Michael Davidson. Michael's one of your previous guests and is one of my dear friends and been a huge part of my life. And then Janeel who works with Michael is who I think set this up. So super grateful to her.Michael Moore: Yeah, Bob as they say down in Texas, ‘even the sun shines on a dog's ass every once in a while', I was on that day. My bullshit was flowing, and we had a great conversation.Brian Ferguson: Michael sound cooler in a Texas accent, by the way. If I said it, it wouldn't sound as cool. Michael Moore: We try. So, Brian, before we jump in, I got a little taste of this, but just give us the background. I mean, who is Brian? What shaped you? How have you gotten to where you are today?Brian Ferguson: This is a random way to answer that question. But I have over the course of probably the last 20 years tried to refine an annual process where I just review the last year, think about the year ahead. And then I come back to what I call my life plan, which is really just my best efforts to aggregate everything I've learned in my life in the past and where I want to go in the future. The front of that document – I don't let myself go beyond one page – but the title of that first page is ‘who am I?' And it's my best effort to get outside of a resume or  the way that we often introduce ourselves in these kinds of conversations to remind myself of who I am, but it's interesting, I'm coming to you guys from Cleveland, Ohio. before we started recording, we were talking a bit about that, but I grew up in the Midwest, which I think at this chapter of life, because I'm [00:04:00] back here, I spent the last 20 years away from the Midwest living in Cleveland, Ohio where I think a lot of the things I value in life come out of having been raised in this blue collar community outside of Cleveland, Ohio. And I was super fortunate. I had this amazing upbringing and community;  my family and I grew up with the town that I grew up in.When we moved there, there was just starting to be this push into the suburbs of Cleveland where we were, but I had this idyllic youth. Our house was right on woods and my brother and I grew up in the woods outside all the time. And then, my mom was a nurse, my dad worked in the energy business, and I just had this amazing youth in the sense of the neighbors, the community, my friends, and I was a product of a public school system. That was extraordinary. I think my mom being a nurse, I never appreciated how much that ideal of service was seeded in me from a young age and my brother and I both were always drawn to service in ways that just were natural to me. But now in retrospect, I think are more prominent.And then, beyond growing up in that town, I went to college in Ohio and then I'm pretty fortunate to bounce around. I lived in Washington DC for a while. And the first part of my life was in public service, mainly in national security. So, defense and intelligence diplomacy – that realm.And that was right after 9/11. So, I was an intern actually. I had a really crazy sequence of events. I ended up as an intern in the white house right after 9/11. And that was an insane way to see the world through the lens of ‘how do we think about the future of America after a consequential event like that?' And I stayed in that realm for quite a bit, lived in London for grad school. And then later in life, I went into the military and spent seven years in the military. And that was all part of what I consider that chapter in the national security public service arena, and in the course of that I just increasingly had this desire to build something. [00:06:00] When I do any type of psychometric or character test, I tend to register high on creativity, autonomy, and I was really ready to leave the public service life and go build. And that led me to my current chapter, which is Arena Labs. But I think in all of that, the really important elements in my life, like any of us, the things that matter: I've got a daughter who's two years old now, so I'm experiencing life through her eyes, which is beyond rich, and Lindsey, my wife – we've actually known each other since sixth grade. That's a whole another story, but that's a super powerful subtext for me of being connected back to where I came from. It just feels super grateful. I think increasingly the mission we have in healthcare of helping frontline workers to understand how to navigate stress and pressure and prevent burnout is one that has been elevated in ways we couldn't have imagined.So, it's a fun time to be building. Bob Wierema: That was a good start. You got a lot of questions for us to go down, but I got to start with my knock a little bit, just because you're in Cleveland and the last time I was there, the Cubs won the world series. That's my only knowing in Cleveland. Brian Ferguson: And I think Clevelanders have a weird respect for that just given the drought the Cubs were in at the time. Clevelanders appreciate the suffering that comes with being a perennial fan of a team that never wins. Yeah, the Indians, the 97-world series. You guys remember? I don't know if you remember the loss to the Florida Marlins was soul crushing.And so, the losing of the Cubs was a tough one, but I feel like the city respects Chicago in that way. I'll say the other weird thing. Cleveland sorta has a chip on its shoulder I think for a number of reasons, people talking about the river catching on fire in the seventies, but the Browns are in the playoffs for the first time, since 2002. So, you're 18-years-old as a Cleveland Browns fan and this is the first time the Browns have been in the playoffs and a big part of that is because we have an extraordinary young head coach in Kevin Stefanski who we found out yesterday has COVID [00:08:00] and can't coach in the playoff games.Oh man.I have vivid memories of my dad. A lot of people in Cleveland, the only disposable income they have goes to Browns tickets – t's very much a football town. My dad had season tickets growing up, but some of the losses in the late eighties deer in his binder fumble like vivid memories of just emotional trauma.Michael Moore: You know, Bob, with this being our 15th episode, one of the things we talked about is that there would be a neat culmination of all this as we get up on a year and a podcast alumni group. I think we need to get Brian and Bret Kaufman hooked up together. A lot of similarities and overlap there for sure.So, Brian, to Bob's point, you gave us so many rabbit holes to go down, first and foremost that maybe it was shaped by your mom and her background as a nurse with that service mindset. Was it the events around 9/11 and your time in DC and seeing it through that lens that led you to the Navy? Talk to us about that.Brian Ferguson: You guys may have gone through this, you're going through it, or you will, but I  suspect that all of us have this natural arc of our own evolution where we then are more curious about where we came from, and there's the people who get into genealogy and family heritage. Maybe it's because my daughter's now two and I want to be able to explain to her more.I also had loss in my family. My father passed this spring, and he was the last of my family. And so, there's this legacy element of really wanting to know that legacy or the longer story there. And so, as a result, I've been digging in on this. And I think to your question, Michael, part of it was my mom, for sure, and seeing her in the service mindset, but my brother and I were very fortunate. Our [00:10:00] grandfather, we were very close to my dad's dad, and he served in World War II as a Naval officer on the USS Dayton. And then my mom's dad, we never met, he passed before I was born, but this is crazy. I just found this out.So, I always knew growing up that he had been a fighter pilot. He had flown the P 51 Mustang. But what I didn't know is that he actually was this very rare mission set, which was long range reconnaissance. So, he would fly from Iwo Jima and escort bombers to mainland Japan. And these were eight-hour missions at sometimes negative 60 degrees in the cockpits. These guys that have three layers of long underwear on, they couldn't move when they got back because their bodies were cramping so badly. So, my grandfather had this insane, really rare mission set. And so that whole story was part of the lore of our family.But it wasn't talked about in detail. It was just that my grandpa flew planes in World War II, and then three of my uncles, my mom's brothers – my mom was one of nine – three of my uncles were in Vietnam. And two of them were, one in particular was in very heavy combat in [inaudible]. And so again, that was just a big part of the story, we were close to our families, our cousins.So, I think all of that in the aggregate was what led me there. It's funny, I was just in the spirit of going through a lot of my dad's belongings. I found a bunch of newspapers that I had saved as a kid. And I saved a whole series from, if you guys remember, the coast of a war in 1998. And I remember at high school, I think I was a senior just being fascinated by statecraft and geopolitics and decisions of consequence like this war happening in what seemed to me to be a part of the world and understand. So, all of that stuff led me to college where I was very fortunate to have some professors who kind of stoked that flame a little bit.And so, by the time I got to that internship at the white house, I was just mesmerized [00:12:00] by the complexity and magnitude of decisions that had to be made for a nation or a set of nations and that kind of environment. And then I think to maybe finish that thought, if I'm being honest, I was drawn into service. My brother went into the army and my brother had a very illustrious career in the army. And I had looked at West Point when I was in high school. And I had the foresight to recognize that military academy was not for me, but because I saw what was happening in 9/11 and then I worked in the white house and the Pentagon in that era, I had always thought that was going to [inaudible] my desire to serve, but I always felt like I was in an air conditioned building, safe while my peers and my brother were out actually deployed. And there's a powerful story about a stranger who said to me, “Brian, if that's something you want to do until you go do it, you'll be inherently dissatisfied with the rest of your life.”I would say the best advice I've gotten in my life has been from strangers and that notion of being inherently dissatisfied because I didn't get to where the nation's cloth was something I knew I couldn't live with. So, I was 28 when I was about as late as you can be to join. Bob Wierema: So was that what made that turning point to make you go join? Was it that conversation with that stranger, as you mentioned? Brian Ferguson: It was a big part of it. I had the short version intern in the white house that turned into my first job which was incredibly fortunate, but I just didn't care for politics in that intense sense. And I was really lucky to go over to the Pentagon where there's still politics, but at the end of the day, the thing I love about national security in the military is that there really is a higher order of good that people attempt to pursue, whether you agree with it or not, it's more pragmatic. And I really enjoyed that environment. And so, a lot of those people I worked around at that time became either people who were mentors for me, that I looked up to and took their advice. I think if I'm being honest, I didn't have the courage to let go of that career and take the risk of going into the military. And so that [00:14:00] stranger just being totally clear with me and telling me what I needed to hear was probably the final straw where I was coming out of grad school, I was looking at going into investment banking, and I realized that anything I go do, I'm going to continue to come back to this desire. So, yeah, that was probably the final straw. Michael Moore: So then from that moment, Brian, into being in the Navy, with your brother being in the army, how did you go about making that decision or did the Navy find you? Brian Ferguson: I actually, I was incredibly fortunate because I was working in the Pentagon, so I had access to just about all the information, advice, and resources you'd want. I was very close to joining the Marine Corps. At that point in my life, I'd seen enough where I knew I wanted to be able to deploy in – the term is used as combat arms. So, you can go into the military and maybe go work in space or in intelligence, I wanted to be able to deploy potentially in a combat environment. And so, the Marine Corps was the fastest way to do that. The Marine Corps played a massive role in the conflict over the last 20 years. And at the time you can go in very quickly that the Marine Corps is very good at getting people in quickly.The army, on the other hand, part of what I wanted to do in the military, in the army, it would have taken me a lot longer to get there. And then frankly, I've always been drawn to the . My hometown is on Lake Erie and I just loved the maritime element. And because I'd been in the Pentagon, I saw the strategic thinking of senior Navy leaders.A friend of mine always talks anecdotally about this. If  you're a commander of a ship in the Navy, you're out at sea in this little piece of real estate you're responsible for that has real strategic capability globally. So, you have to learn to think strategically. And I just saw that in Naval leaders and so culturally, I was drawn to the Navy and then the part of the military I wanted to go into, I loved the idea of doing that in a maritime environment. And so, it was,  probably a three-year Odyssey of getting there. I looked at the air force. I was kind of all over the map, but really close to joining the Marine Corps.And then [00:16:00] got lucky and got into the Navy. Michael Moore: And so, if you're willing to share, seven years is a long time. Can you tell us about some of the defining moments in the Navy and things that you were a part of and witnessed? Brian Ferguson: Yeah. It's interesting because it's funny for me to hear you say that Michael, because seven years in the context of the military is often short.You get guys and gals who will do 30 years, and that's not uncommon and some of my good friends now that I work with or people who did 25 or 30, but it was definitely, I would say unequivocally, it was the most consequential and formative period of my life. Of everything, from character to understanding myself and potential.I think I was really fortunate to serve in the special operations community. And if you think about that moment in time, post seven(?), the role that community played in the conflicts overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq, I sort of walked into this culture where I was literally standing on the shoulders of giants because that reputation that special operations has benefited from, all of these guys who preceded me had built.And so, I came in in 2008, 2009, and that reputation has really been solidified and there was this amazing community. So, I always felt really humbled and privileged. It is without a doubt in terms of character, in terms of the type of people you're proud to be around, I will never be in a richer environment that way and wanting to be better pushing oneself. But I think if you go into the military any capacity, but I found particularly the training environment I was in, I would say the first part of that is being in training. You learn that if you believe in something bigger for the right reasons, you can transcend what you're capable of, and most of us don't realize that in our lives.And so, when you're exposed to that in a raw way, when someone forces you to see, my friend uses the term, ‘what's at the bottom of your own well', it's the most powerful, liberating part of the human experience [00:18:00] that a lot of people don't push, and you don't have to do it in the military. You can do it in a whole bunch of other realms, but that for me – another friend and teammate of mine always says that when you go through that type of training, you're a completely different person and the same person all at once. And it's so true because from a character and a personality perspective, you're the same, but you've suddenly seen what you're capable of in the world. And it's hard to live any differently once you've been exposed to that.  And then from a deployment perspective, I had two deployments and both of them were relatively, I would say, low key compared to what most people know, or a lot of my buddies experienced in special operations. And the time that I came in and ended up deploying 2012, 2014, things were really calming down at that point. We were no longer in Iraq. And so, it was an interesting time where this community that had been so postured for very intense operational tempo was moving back into an almost non-war posture. But any person I meet who's thinking about the military, if that's on your mind, there's just nothing like it in terms of experiences, skillsets, and just the things you're exposed to.Bob Wierema: I was going to ask for some of our listeners, when you made that transition, and obviously it was a big decision for you to go and do that, there's folks out there thinking about doing it. How would you, if you look back, how would you educate or guide them on making that decision of, do you go or do you not go?Brian Ferguson: It's interesting because these things, if I think about myself, I don't make decisions. I wouldn't say I was a person who knew this idea of making decision from the heart. I'm probably overly analytical, tend to over intellectualize things. That one for me, because it was something I felt in my gut for so long, it was just being honest with myself. And there's this simple question of, ‘if I didn't do this, what would that mean?' And I had seen enough people who didn't [00:20:00] do it, that I knew I couldn't live the life I wanted to, without at least committing. And interestingly there's a book called The Alchemist by a guy named Paulo Coelho.I just read that at that moment in time. And it was one of those books that spoke to me, almost. I keep a running list of my favorite quotes and I've got like three or four long passages from that book that are so profound because it almost sounds cliche and trite, but in life, it comes down to follow your heart. I mean, stay true to a value system and a North star and it's not about just being a hedonist and doing what you want, but one of my favorite authors Ayn Rand too – wrote the Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged – one of her quotes is, “why is it that we tell people it's bad to do what we want because there really is nothing harder, truly harder than doing what we truly want in life?”It's not the thing that is just the easy, today I feel like going out and drinking rather than fulfilling some responsibility, but like the deeper, what is my life meaning? Can I go pursue that? It's actually really hard. And so, The Alchemist for me opened up that if you don't at least pursue this journey, your heart is always going to wonder. And that was powerful for me. Bob Wierema: It's so funny because I think it goes within anything you do, right? The comfortable or easy decision would have been for you to stay and do what you were doing. Right. I think a lot of people don't follow their heart because it's more comfortable not to, it's easier not to. And I think  you made the comment earlier on, if you believe in something bigger, you can transcend what you think you're capable of, and to have that type of mindset – that's just incredible to get that because I think we miss out on a lot of opportunity in our lives if we're not thinking big, if we're not trying to push to that next level. I always say to my fiancé, I don't want to live a life of mediocrity. I can't have that. [00:22:00] That's not going to give me the fulfillment I'm looking for in life.Michael Moore: I was just going to say to that point, because I completely agree. Back to this advice that you were given by this stranger that literally changed the path of the life you were on,  growing up were told not to talk to strangers, but I think at a certain point you gained so much raw truth.I'm the guy that is going to talk to you on the airplane. You find when you don't know somebody, the advice that you get is raw and true because they have no preconceived notions of who you are or what you would want the answer to be because they know you really well. So, thank you for that insight.I think this can help us transition to the business side, the point you made on seven years not being long in the military. You're exactly right. I think being in the business world like Bob and I are, seven years – especially for the generation below us – is a lifetime in any type of industry. So, you have a lot of different jobs in seven years to ultimately get you to where you want to be. And so, before we jump into Arena Labs, if you guys are good transitioning, there were a lot of steps after the military to get you to Arena Labs in this passion mission that you're on.Can you dive into that for us?Brian Ferguson: Absolutely. I want to just quickly put a period, Bob, on your talking earlier of the notion of how do we make those hard decisions? And one of the things I've learned is that like anything, that's a muscle to be exercised, the ability to lean into something uncomfortable. I'm amazed even now. It's something I have to really be aware of when I'm resisting something, or I know something's the right move. And I think living authentically, I really believe it's the hardest thing to do in the world. To be honest with yourself and your [00:24:00] relationships. But it's a muscle to be exercised.I think it's something we think about intentionally with raising our daughter now, but in society, when you get comfortable and in particular from perception perspective, if things are good, it's really hard to leave that from an ego aspect. So, there's a whole separate discussion there, but it's been on my mind a lot lately.Michael, to your question, so when I left the military, one of the things I was really privileged with was I worked with this leader who was an extraordinary leader in special operations. And I was in Hawaii in a unit that focused mainly underwater and when you decide to leave, you tend to have a 12-month glide slope where you're no longer operational and guys who've been in for 30 years really need to use that time to figure out how am I going to acclimate to the world and the other side of this?And that's called military transition. There's an entire, fortunately, body and ecosystem of organizations that have sprung up in the last 15 years to support people who are leaving and their families. But because I had been a civilian before and had a life and came in later, I knew roughly I was going to go out and I wanted to work in the human performance, human potential space.So I used that last year to focus on building an innovation cell that was looking at how we bring emerging technology into special operations, and how do we do that particularly to amplify human performance? And in the course of that, I was in touch with a whole bunch of unlikely partners. Some of them in the private sector, some in national laboratories, DARPA. But being from Cleveland, Ohio, I was back in home in Cleveland, just visiting for the holidays. And I was put in touch with the heart surgeon, and the Cleveland Clinic heart and vascular institute has been ranked number one in the world for 26 years in a row now, when it comes to heart care. Doing anything at number one in the world for 26 years is doing something right. And even growing up in Cleveland, when the city was struggling, that was sort of the shining star. So, I reached out to this heart surgeon and I sent him an email.I went on [00:26:00] the list of 15 heart surgeons at the Cleveland Clinic. And I just got lucky. I reached out to this guy named Doug and he invited me in and so I said, “hey, here's the stuff I'm working on. I would love to know what you guys think. Interestingly, heart surgery is very similar to special operations. You have a group of eight to 12 people working in a life and death, high pressure, time constrained environment. And there's a lot of technology and that team has to come together around the mission and technology”, and I wanted to see how they were thinking about it. So, I reached out to Doug. He has me in for breakfast. We have a really fascinating conversation about teams and culture and technology. He brings me into his operating room. I watched him do a couple of heart surgeries. And on one hand I would say I was blown away by the technological advancement of the number one institution in the world in heart care. But on the other hand, I was astounded that there was no conversation at the individual or the team level about pressure, stress, burnout. How do you perform and communicate in a crisis when things go wrong? What do you do? All of these things that you could be in any part of the military, they're almost 101 and that are also very prominent and prevalent in sport and the creative arts, they just were missing.And so that really was this epiphany moment for me. There's a great opportunity here, and this is a really cool area that needs help. And that was the seed that began a sequence of events, Michael, that eventually led to founding Arena Labs. Michael Moore: So, what's it like going in cold and seeing a heart surgery like that?Brian Ferguson: I think different people have different reactions. I'm always very humble about my own background. I've never been to medical school. I'll never have to go to nursing school. I always find being in the operating room humbling number one, to just see the advancement of human beings – we can put someone to sleep for eight hours and open up their chest and do surgery on their heart or their brain or their leg. It's just, that's fascinating. Again, you realize how advanced we are as a society. And then I personally, I find heart surgery to be almost a divine [00:28:00] experience, to see the human heart beating or up close and to see someone operating on it and saving a life. It's just a very sacred thing.So, it's never lost on me whenever I have the privilege of being in the operating room. It's really powerful. Bob Wierema: Do you still go in the operating room then today?Brian Ferguson: So the way that we built the company is around that whole concept I just told you about, which was, “hey, there's this Delta that exists, what if we were to bring the tools, training, and technology that other high pressure disciplines use – whether that's from the military, from sport or the creative arts – what if we brought that body of knowledge into healthcare?”That became the basis of our company, and we call that high performance medicine. The first part of the business was a services business, where we brought people who had those backgrounds, and we would embed them alongside medical teams in the operating room. And so, we would watch surgery and then we'd interview people.And of course, we're not looking at the technical side of surgery, like, “how well are you performing here?” We're looking at what happens before, when things go wrong, what does that culture look like? What happens afterward? What are the rituals, the protocols, the team dynamics? And we would aggregate that into a set of observations that then we would use to help hospitals build what we called surgical performance programs.And so, if you're running a hospital, generally right now one of the biggest issues you're dealing with is burnout. So, people who are stressed, who are overworked, who don't understand how to navigate this really difficult career. And you're also trying to figure out – you've probably mastered the technical skill if you're a place like the Cleveland Clinic – but no one's really thought about human factors and how do you help people actually lead teams and serve on teams that are high pressure? And so surgical performance programs bring all of that knowledge and help hospitals implement it. Bob Wierema: I guess I've never thought about it like that. You're talking and my head's going, “yeah, that team has to be such a high functioning [00:30:00] team working together. There can't be  nuances between team members or someone pulling the team down because if there's a little slip up – here in my world, right? The slip up here, it's not life-changing. Yours, in that world, could be. There's a ton of pressure that comes with that.Brian Ferguson: And what's interesting, Bob is that the world I came out of, and special operations as an example, usually at a minimum you're with the same team for two years. And in that two-year 24 months cycle, roughly 18 months are spent training together, understanding. And so, when you're on night vision, there you go, you can tell someone just by their silhouette, how they walk, you get to know people in a very intimate way. What's amazing about medicine, even at a place like the Cleveland Clinic, is it's not uncommon for a surgeon to get in the room and never have met someone on his team for that day. So there's a whole separate challenge, and that's that isn't changing in medicine anytime soon. And so, the question becomes, if you're going to serve on any team, how do you control for culture so that when people show up, they may have never worked together, but they're all on the same page about what's the standard of performance? How do we cultivate trust quickly?How do we get people to understand back to this idea of transcending what you're capable of? This is why it's so important to believe in something bigger, because people then want to serve. They want to do their best to serve that mission, and a lot of times that's lost in healthcare and those are some of the things that we start to help hospitals think about.Michael Moore: You know, Brian, we talk leading up to this podcast when we're getting to know each other, and unfortunately, I have a little bit of experience in trauma centers in ICUs just with my mom and my wife's mom. And to your point, you've got situations and decisions that have to be made in a split second that either create longevity [00:32:00] or wind things up and then that, for whatever reason, always seems to happen in the middle of the night. And then you've got this super stressed out family that's just looking for answers and has been thrown into this and doesn't understand. So, the pressure on those frontline workers from the surgeon all the way down to the person just coming to buy and reading a chart is just a level of stress that most people don't understand. And so, give us some more insight into how Arena Labs works. What's the DNA and how does it deliver results? Brian Ferguson: You're keying in on  the things that we think are most important. One is if each year, Time magazine does a person of the year, you may have seen that, and last month they had the three finalists for the person of the year, one of which was frontline medical workers. And the proposed cover of that magazine was this amazing set of images of all of these frontline staff. You guys have seen I'm sure some of these pictures – because they're wearing personal protective equipment for so long, it's literally imprinting these marks on their face and they just look exhausted. It's just powerful imagery. And so, you think about that in the context of dealing with COVID and all of the emotional challenges you've heard about, of people having to say goodbye on Zoom and a nurse holding up a phone in the room. It's super intense stuff. And you think about, as you're bringing up Michael, the ICU or trauma, and when our team was observing, we were at a level one trauma center in Washington, DC, but we were in there on a Saturday night at one o'clock in the morning. And this is typically when you have, because of people being out of bars, et cetera, you get a lot of trauma. And at one time there were two people in there screaming and another person moaning. And just hearing that, as I was standing there, I thought ‘it's insane what this does to the human emotion and cortisol levels'. And what's crazy is if you were to observe that and you think about this whole body of knowledge that's come out of the [00:34:00] military in the last 15, 20 years about post-traumatic stress and about the implications of people who are in very high stressed, emotional environments, either combat or otherwise, we've put a massive amount of resources into helping those people. And yet we ask these trauma nurses and ICU nurses and physicians to go home and have dinner with their families. And no one thinks twice about it because they're not deployed. So, we think about this as the environment is different. You might not be deploying overseas to Afghanistan or Iraq, but you are doing consequential heavily emotional work that has a chronic element of stress.And when you look at the implications of chronic stress on human beings, that leads to higher levels of cortisol over time, not being able to focus, not being able to sleep. There's a second and third order, long-term impact that has, so to answer your question, what do we do? When we initially were building the business, the first three years were what I just described as we were running a services business. We were embedding in hospitals and we are helping those hospitals build not only a program around performance in these human factors. Things like, it's one thing to say that we want our operating rooms to run on time. It's another to think about what's the leadership structure in place here? How are we training the leaders who have to run those operating rooms so that they can make decisions and be clear and connect that into a culture? And so, it's implementing all of these elements that allow that human system to do what it does best and then focus on the individual, giving that individual tools around, what does it mean to get good sleep? What does it mean to recover after a stressful day? How do I decompress on the weekend? What we were finding is that as you guys well know, in the services businesses, it's really important for human touch, but it's not scalable and it can be daunting. And I don't think starting with scale is ever the right approach for a startup. But what we started to realize is we weren't reaching enough people and in the dynamic nature of healthcare, it's tough to get in front of people in the right way. So COVID completely killed our business in March, our services business literally evaporated [00:36:00] because we could no longer go into hospitals alongside frontline medical teams. Most hospitals still, if you're not essential personnel, you can't go in.And so that was a blessing for us because classically, we had to say, “okay, we know there's a demand signal for what we're doing here. And actually, it's heightened because of COVID”. And we took three-and-a-half years of learning and we created a content and a data business. So, what we've built is a platform that takes all of the learnings and teachings of our team and our performance ambassadors and it's now built into a series of three pillars. A pillar around the individual, learning about how to be a high performer in healthcare, how to manage sleep and stress, how to optimize interactions with your teammates. And then there's a second pillar on how do you serve on a team that's high pressure in a life and death environment? And the third then is how do I lead and manage in that environment? And so that's all offered digitally, but while you're on our platform, we have a partnership with a company called Whoop, and so you have a wearable sensor that's gathering biometric data on your sleep, on your stress, in your recovery.And so, the things we're teaching you, you're actually getting personalized feedback on that topic. And you're starting to learn how to not only understand yourself in terms of these critical biomarkers, but what that means in the context of recovering and flourishing over the course of a career. And then we take all of that data and most importantly, we now give that to hospital leaders and surgical leaders so that they can for the first time actually see what their team looks like in terms of stress and recovery and be smarter about how they allocate human capital train and let people recover. Bob Wierema: Brian, I want to go back to the Whoop piece. Because I was thinking, are they wearing that throughout the day? And then you're actually taking  not only monitoring sleep and things like that, but also how they are in a surgery or a certain environment within the hospital?Brian Ferguson: Exactly. So, any of these devices is on 24/7. One of the things that we know, we [00:38:00] want to understand acute events, meaning if something really goes wrong in surgery and it's super stressful, the reality is that those events, particularly for veterans of medicine, are not as common as you'd think. If you or I go into the operating room, it feels stressful, but that's become fairly normal, they have acclimatized to that.What we're trying to understand is the chronic implications of being in a high stress environment over time. And so, it's equally important to understand what does the weekend look like? One of the things we learned early on is if you have a really stressful week, your weekend isn't relaxed. There's a residual effect of that stress on your weekend. And that bleeds into interactions with your family. Interestingly, when I was in the special operations community, we were going through this massive Renaissance that was the same thing, because what we realized was that guys were deploying at very high operational tempos on reverse circadian rhythms.So, they were operating at night, awake during the day. They weren't getting enough sleep. They were in high stress environments. So, their cortisol levels were spiked. And with all of that, then they'd come home and try to reintegrate into this family environment. And it was creating this real challenge. And so, a whole sequence of events happens from the stuff we're doing around educating things like sleep, how to optimize your actual sleep hygiene and your environment you sleep in,  all the way down to how does your family understand this so that your family is aware of the realities of your job and how best to maximize recovery time. That over the course of a decade then led to this very sophisticated organization. So, what we're looking to do in healthcare is that same phenomena.Let's start with the basics of getting people educated and increasingly give them tools so they can be smarter and feel more empowered and more agency. Michael Moore: Brian, with the crossroad and defining moment that occurred when COVID hit and business as normal did not exist because you couldn't go in there and you pivot, it hadn't been a lot of times since that happened, right? That was March. [00:40:00] But in that time, what KPIs and ROIs, what has come out of that now that you're implementing it in a different way? What are you seeing?Brian Ferguson: Number one - I think even this gets into Bob's point earlier – the things about we get comfortable and we know something isn't working, we need to change. If I'm being honest, we have built a reasonably comfortable business. It was a services business, but number one, I was increasingly unhappy because I was on a plane all the time, I was in hospitals. And more importantly, I was like, “we're not getting the data we need here. What I'm realizing is that on one hand, people leaders in healthcare are saying their number one issue is burnout, and yet the only way burnout is measured is self-reported surveys. So that's super problematic. We don't actually have data to understand what does burnout mean? How do we recognize it early?” So, the first set of KPIs, Michael, is we for the first time actually have data at scale on teams and medicine. You could go to most hospitals in the United States right now and ask them, “what is the overall state of health? How rested is your team?” They would have no idea, but if you go to the Cleveland Brown, you go to an NFL team, you go to a Cirque de Soleil, there are elite performing artists. This is stuff that's seen as essential. If you want those people to last and flourish and be around, and it's not a big investment, it's just saying this is a priority. So, for us, what happened is for the first time we started getting data on heart rate and what's someone's HRV? HRV ends up being this amazing predictor of how stressed someone is. Just from feedback and qualitative surveys we're for the first time starting to get data around how does a critical event, how is that perceived across the team? And then how does that correlate to the biomarkers in that team? Did they not sleep as well? So, we're starting to get a data picture that we can use to correlate this massive [00:42:00] endemic problem in healthcare which is burnout, and give hospitals a proactive posture, rather than just saying, “this is a huge problem. What do we do?” Bob Wierema: Brian, when you say that, so I'm going through this a little bit right now. And I'm in just the business world, right? I'm in sales and one of the things I've been spending a lot of my time on lately. So, my fiancé's a professional ballerina – going back to your sports analogy – I was talking to her and she obviously has to be in phenomenal shape and do all these certain things and COVID put a damper on that. So, what can she do to stay in shape so that when things do come back, she can be at optical for performance. And then we were talking one night, and I said, "if I think of myself as an athlete, my business, what are the things that I can focus on? All I have is my mind, and then what can I drive most in my mind to keep me good? There's the stresses of business and all of these different things. How do we exercise? What's my heart rate? What's my sleep? All these things you're talking about. And I've already noticed as I'm learning this and trying new things, the little upticks in performance, or how sharp I feel that day from those little things. And it's amazing when you tell me that about a medical community, someone that we rely on to save our lives and they're not spending all that time in that area, because there's probably so many other places they can put their resources towards. And to me it seems like from talking to you that you should be spending a lot more time there to get optimal. You said amplify human performance, that's exactly where we should be spending our time with those people right?Brian Ferguson: Yeah. Michael Moore: Is that stigmatism around because medicine and trying to help – people have been born and died since the beginning of humankind. So, and you've had medical people along the way trying to figure that out. Is it because it's occurred for so long? And the expectation is that [00:44:00] especially if you're a trauma surgeon, it's going to be stressful that this key ingredient was just missing.Brian Ferguson: Yeah. I actually – see personally I've thought about this lot. I think the phenomenon is just for three reasons. But before I get into that, let me say it's really important that I foot stomp this – we are not in any way advocating that choosing a life, whether that's on the front lines of medicine or in the military, those jobs are not for everyone. Resilience and the willingness to do hard things – that's a precursor to make sure that someone can perform when it counts. So, we are never suggesting that these organizations should soften in a way that  takes care of everyone. It doesn't account for the fact that this was just a stressful career and that's part of the society. People have to do hard things. However, when I look at the state of the landscape of medicine, there's really, again, there's three avenues that I find interesting around what culture has happened.So, one is just in the modern world. Technology has advanced in a way that allows hospitals to do more with less. So, it's like the same amount of people were asking you to do more operations, just like we see in businesses, right? People are being asked to do more because technology is an amplifier, but just like we see in business, there's a toll that takes on a human system.And so, when we start to intersect human systems with advanced technologies, like artificial intelligence and big data and predictive algorithms like that, that has an impact. The second is that culturally people – it's very similar to how it is on special operations. So, in the seal community, you go through something called hell week and hell week is a week period where it's the crucible.It's sort of the defining moment in early seal training. And you are awake from Sunday evening until Friday morning. So, for five days, you're awake. You take two naps in there and those naps are critical just for the brain to essentially stay functional. But otherwise, you spend five days in a state of motion and physical activity.The purpose of that is, [00:46:00] as I said on the front end, is to show you what's at the bottom of the well. What you're actually capable of beyond what you think you're capable of. And it is an incredibly liberating experience for people who get through it. The problem then is people are falsely tricked into thinking they don't need sleep, when the reality is that sleep is the single most important performance drug we all have access to. So, then the community has to think, you have to get people to realize if you truly want to pursue mastery and be a special operator at the top of your game, taking care of yourself is paramount and you're responsible for that. And here's the tools to do it. Now that doesn't suggest that sometimes you might actually be deployed and you're not going to have the ability to sleep eight hours a night, you're gonna get two hours. And so how do you maximize that? That same cultural challenge exists in medicine. They just never addressed it. Never addressed it. I kid around that people revere hell week as this crazy crucible and it certainly is, but people who are surgical residents in medicine, these people sleep three to four hours a night for six years at a time. It's madness how hard being a surgical resident is, and what's expected of you, and how under rested you are.So, they come out of that thinking, “I don't need to sleep, sleep is for the weak. If I sleep, I'm not going to be good”. And so culturally it becomes commonplace in medicine that not taking care of yourself, not resting is seen as a sign of strength, and that has not been broken yet. It's starting to break a little more with a younger population, but the most important one, Michael, the third reason – you see this across medicine, I saw it in public service, people who are service minded, who want to give to the world, who want to do hard things and save lives, they will give of themselves and give of themselves to a fault. And they will sacrifice their own health in the process. If you don't have leaders who see that and know how to protect those people from their better angels, what it leads to is a massive human toll of people being burned [00:48:00] out. We see this in the military, you look at what was asked of young soldiers, men and women over the last two decades who were willing to give of themselves. And this is one of the reasons I'm so passionate about leadership, because if you don't think about these things, you don't think about the implications of asking people to go to war or go to the front lines of an ICU day in and day out, what you see is a human toll that you can't reverse. Michael Moore: Brian I want to ask a summary question just because you've seen it from so many angles. You've seen it from the military side. Your time in DC now, your time as a CEO and founder of a company that truly is making a difference. We thank you for that. As you look back on this last year with all the politics that we've endured, with the hit of COVID, with the beginnings of the rollout of a vaccine, from your vantage point, how do you feel about it? Score that for us. Brian Ferguson: I go in and out of this one, Michael, because I – on a personal level – I feel incredibly fortunate that number one, we've been able to navigate this and for the most part are not suffering in the way that I know a lot of people are. when you're asked a question like that, it's hard not to recognize that and just say, from a humble human perspective, whatever one thinks of this scenario, a lot of people have died, a lot of people are suffering economically. Our nation is really in a state of pain right now. When I move myself into a higher level of thinking, or I shouldn't say that – I'll zoom out. The thing that I see in all these sectors is, and I saw this in the military, there's a real tension. If you think about the organizations, the [00:50:00] institutions that govern our lives, that we rely on, that we learn in – education, the military, medicine, they're legacy structures of the 19th and 20th century, and they're not equipped for the 21st century. And that tension is only accelerating.And so, what we see is the reason I personally think that having worked in government and in politics and in the military, those organizations have a beautiful legacy that we're all proud of, but they don't work in the 21st century. They can't move fast enough. You see it in election cycles, you see it in defense deployments. One day we're worried about viruses in a lab in China. The next day, we're worried about a threat from the cyber realm in Russia, and the speed of the change, our institutions can't keep up. And so, in a weird way, I've always felt like everything going on in the world is symptomatic of that creative destruction that needs to happen.I am an optimist in that I think we are as a human society, in a collective society, are going to have to evolve into new structures. I would be lying if I figured out what those are, but I'm not someone who's a post-nationalist who believes in this sort of global environment, nation states are still going to need to exist. I just don't know what the structures are that are gonna allow us to flourish? But I think right now we're seeing a breakdown that is a natural product of Moore's law (?), technological advancement, and all of the complexity that creates. And the last thing I'll say is the beauty in all of it is that it's forcing us to return to the very human side of ourselves. I could sound almost cliché, but think about what the last 10 months has done for all of us. It's pushed us into a state of appreciating the human experience in the most basic way. My Christmas this year was just my wife and daughter and I, and we had nowhere to go. No obligations, no rushing around. I didn't even care about presents. And there was this presence in that existence [00:52:00] that I think is beautiful and that's where the moment in time, that goes way back. I do think that that is the blessing in all of this. Bob Wierema: Brian, do you think that – because we've talked about the social media presence and some of this and do you think there's also the other side? I think there's also the other side of our society that's so caught up in the media and social media and this isolation, I think there's going to be so many challenges with that as well. You're looking at it from the optimist view. What do you think about that flip side of the view?Brian Ferguson: It's a great point. And I would agree. Actually, I was talking to a really impressive woman who's a young cardiac surgeon and having this discussion, and she was saying that we still don't really have data on what social media does to the brain and to the human experience, the longitudinal. There's that the movie you guys may have seen called The Social Dilemma, which talks a bit about the neuroscience of social media. I will tell you what I've said from day one is look, first and foremost I am not in government right now, and it's always easy. It's why my company is called Arena Labs and the namesake of our business comes from the Teddy Roosevelt quote that is commonly known as the ‘man in the arena' quote, but it comes from a speech he gave in 1910 called Citizenship and Republic. Roosevelt is talking to a group of leaders in France. And he's saying, “look, you are accomplished successful leaders, but you have an obligation to stay involved in society. Because it's not the critic who counts, but the man or woman in the arena marred by dust and sweat and blood, who knows the great victories of success, the great failures of defeat”.And the idea is that in life, it's easy to be on the sidelines and be a critic, but it's about people doing hard shit that really advances the world. So, I say that as a precursor, I'm not having to make hard decisions right now, but from the start, my biggest gripe in all of this has been in what one could argue is the biggest domestic crisis we faced in our lifetime, [00:54:00] full of stress. We have asked people to stay inside and in doing so they're consuming news. They're getting more stressed. They're not active, they're drinking more. And we're seeing higher rates of depression, and the psychosomatic impact of asking people to sit inside for a year of their lives and not interact with human beings – I'm seeing that play out in close friends, family. I think we have undervalued the implications of that from the beginning of this. I recognize there's not an easy solution, but that has been my biggest concern from the start. Michael Moore: That's a great point. I guess probably just because it was leading up to the end of the year and people are reflecting, you just heard it over and over again. “I'm so glad 2020 is going to be in the rear-view mirror”. Unfortunately, this isn't just a 2020 problem. Bob and I have talked a lot on this podcast about 2020 being such a defining moment of the old economy and the new economy, and what is that really going to look like? So, I think we would really appreciate the opportunity maybe towards the end of 2021 to bring you back on and just get another rear-view mirror look from where you're seeing things and what your company and technology and the frontline workers are going through because it's not going away, but it's people like you that are passionate about it coming up with out of the box ideas that are certainly gonna get that back headed in the right direction.So, both of us really appreciate what you're doing. Brian Ferguson: Well, that means a lot. I will quote another person I looked up to when I was little, which is the great Arnold Schwartzenegger who when asked, said, he's a self-made man. He's like, I'm the furthest thing from being self-made. And I'll tell you, the reason I feel so fortunate, guys like Michael Davidson, these people who've been massively influential on my journey in our team right now at Arena. [00:56:00] The amount of people who are involved in this mission, I just feel super humbled. So, it's always awkward coming on a podcast representing myself, but definitely part of a way bigger mission, which I'm super grateful for.Michael Moore: Well, we like to ask a question and it kind of ties in with – we may have to ask you if we can borrow it, I love that visual of seeing what's at the bottom of your own well. So, the question really is going to be what's at the bottom of your well? But the way that we have asked it historically has been, there's that saying of, it's not what you know, it's who you know, and then we turn it around and say, it's not who you know, it's who knows you.So, using this podcast as a medium, whether it's future business for Arena Labs, whether it's your daughter and wife, what do you want people to know about Brian Ferguson? Brian Ferguson: I think at the end of the day, it's a very sincere life dedicated to being authentic around the things I believe in. And I work really hard for the person I am publicly to be the person I am privately.And I don't think that's always easy in today's world. It's often convenient to have two different archetypes. When I was young, a senior in high school, I got in trouble. I was on one hand a leader in my class and my community, and I got in trouble for this big party. And my mom was very wise about it. She's like, “right now you're two different people and at some point, you need to make a decision on who you want to be”. And three years later, when I was graduating college, my grandmother gave me a list of her favorite quotes. The top of which was “character is what you are in the dark”. And so, for me, I really want to live a life of virtue and be someone who contributes to society and serves and is a phenomenal mentor and role model for my daughter.That, I believe, starts with being the person I say I am as much publicly as I am privately. And so, for me that I always bucket [00:58:00] into authenticity, and I just want to be authentic in how I engage with my friends, people I work with, the ideas in the world, and that is actually really difficult because it requires a lot of work. It requires having to let go of a lot of things and make hard decisions. So it is humbly being authentic, or humbly pursuing authenticity. Michael Moore: I love that. It's all of it. It's career, it's family, it's what we're deciding. I lost my dad about a month ago, and 15 days after he passed away I got a letter in the mail that he had instructed his wife to send me.And it was just an amazing way of him communicating from the other side and saying I'm still going to be here. Because I was looking for that spiritually, before I was going to bed at night or tucking my daughters in and saying prayers, I was looking for “Dad, how are we going to communicate and continue? Because I've still got a lot to learn from you. And in that letter, he said, you are transitioning from being old in the young part of your life to being young in the old part of your life. I think that's what we're all going through right now is that we've done a lot of cool things. We've accomplished a lot or successful in life and love and business, but what are we going to do with that now? And so, your story today defines that. It's why Bob and I are so passionate about this podcast and just thank you for sharing. Bob Wierema: Yeah. Thank you, Brian. It's been awesome. I've learned a ton from you today, so I appreciate it.Brian Ferguson: Yeah. Again, it's humbling when guys like you ask me to come have a conversation, you're never quite sure what you might add, but I really appreciate it. Michael, I appreciate you sharing that story. Just as a closing thought here, when you deploy in the [01:00:00] military, you often you write a letter before you leave in the event you don't come back. But the idea of doing that proactively for one's kids and survive, I just love that. It's something, I just speak volumes about your own DNA and where you come from, but that it's going to take to talk to the back of my mind. And it's just such an awesome way to, to think about your own life and passing something on.No, I love that, man. I appreciate you sharing that. Michael Moore: Yeah. I mean, if the whole notion is, you know, put others before yourself, I mean, here he is battling ALS. He knows it's terminal. He knows he's got a certain amount of time and he's got the wherewithal to dictate a letter to me and my brother and my stepsister for that very purpose. It's just talking about defining moments. That's the kind of person I certainly want to be and the daughters I certainly want to raise. So again, thank you for your time and sharing. And this has been fantastic. Bob Wierema: We're going to have you back next year. Around the same time, we appreciate it. This was definitely a super enjoyable conversation.  Brian Ferguson: It was great to meet you. Michael Moore: Thanks so much for tuning into this episode of The Climb. If you enjoyed the episode, please consider subscribing. And if you know someone who you would think would enjoy the podcast, feel free to share this with them. Thanks again, and we'll see you on the next episode.