Podcasts about New Year

Join me for my legendary 2026 New Year's Goal Setting Party! Create the life of your dreams one year at a time.I hope you enjoyed this episode of Law of Attraction Changed My Life and it adds some value to your life! Please do share this episode with a friend who would like it or share on your socials if you feel so called to do so! By the way, do we love my new Amazon Storefront - it was EVERYTHING I love and talk about on there! (contains Amazon affiliate links/Amazon associate)You can buy my Sunday Times Bestselling book Manifest Like a Mother here.Come and find me @francescaamber & @lawofattractionchangedmylife on Instagram - I would LOVE to hear from you.Join the Book Club B*tches as we read Aligned Abundance this month. We are the UK's largest self development book club. Honestly this book club and the bad b*tches within it are my self development secret. They are the BIGGEST secret to my success and I'm in love with life long learning! Come and join us, it's not a cult, it's probably not a coven but it IS the best.You can find all my work including overnight subliminals for weight loss, wealth, fertility, beauty and confidence, success etc..as well as online masterclasses on my website, francescaamber.comThings I love that I think you'll love too...Hitting my health and body goals every day with my at home walking pad. Use code 'francescaamber' for 5% off.Try my favourite magnesium supplement for FREE with this 5 day free trial.Thank you so much for listening and I'll see you again next week,Fran xxx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clinton, AR 2017

Linktree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠Join The Normandy For Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here: ⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠Experience the raw echoes of rock's most turbulent romance as Analytic Dreamz delivers a compelling reaction to Lindsey Buckingham's candid reflections on Stevie Nicks and their seismic entry into Fleetwood Mac. In this unearthed interview, Buckingham recounts the high school sparks that ignited their partnership in 1967, evolving from Fritz bandmates to the struggling duo behind the overlooked 1973 Buckingham Nicks album. Desperate after its flop left Nicks waitressing, Buckingham leveraged his guitar prowess for a pivotal New Year's Eve 1974 call from Mick Fleetwood—insisting Stevie join as the condition for his enlistment, transforming the blues-rock outfit into a pop juggernaut.Analytic Dreamz unpacks Buckingham's insights on their pre-fame grind: five years of shared poverty, artistic clashes, and unbreakable musical synergy that fueled Fleetwood Mac's 1975 self-titled breakthrough. He delves into the lovers-to-exes saga, where their 1976 split amid rising stardom birthed Rumours' iconic tracks like "Go Your Own Way" and "Dreams"—heartbreak immortalized in platinum sales. Analytic Dreamz examines Buckingham's views on Nicks' ethereal influence versus his intricate fretwork, the 2018 firing drama, and lingering tensions post-Christine McVie's passing, questioning if reconciliation could revive the classic lineup for a farewell tour.From Buckingham Nicks reissues to Fleetwood Mac lore, Analytic Dreamz analyzes how their volatile bond redefined supergroup dynamics, blending vulnerability with virtuosity. For Lindsey Buckingham interviews, Stevie Nicks relationship breakdowns, Fleetwood Mac history reactions, and classic rock origin stories, this segment is your essential deep dive. Subscribe to Notorious Mass Effect for more Analytic Dreamz explorations into the anthems and animosities shaping music's golden eras. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I had a truly meaningful and inspiring conversation with Jenny Yue, Co-Founder of Ohme Foods. Jenny shared how her personal health journey, such as losing 50 pounds, rediscovering fitness, and building confidence through small daily wins, became the spark that inspired her to create Ohme.  What began as a New Year's resolution to start every morning with a healthy breakfast has now evolved into a colorful, family-friendly snack brand that helps people kick off their days with wellness in mind. We discussed the challenges of building a brand from scratch, including struggles with packaging, finding the right retail strategy, and navigating the early days of farmers' markets and pop-ups.   Jenny also opened up about the big wins along the way, like Urban Outfitters reaching out on Instagram to carry their products, and the joy of seeing both kids and parents embrace Ohme's freeze-dried fruits and yogurt crunches. Her story is a reminder that small steps and small wins can add up to something truly transformative. Here are a few highlights from our conversation:   Jenny's gratitude practice and how a supportive friend helped her gain clarity and confidence in tough moments.   The personal wellness journey that inspired the launch of Ohme Foods.   How starting with farmers' markets led to unexpected retail wins, including Urban Outfitters.   The importance (and headaches) of packaging design and branding in standing out on shelves.   Why freeze-drying preserves 95% of nutrition while delivering that crunchy texture everyone loves. Join me, Ramon Vela, as I listen to Jenny's story and learn more about the mission behind Ohme Foods, and get inspired by how personal transformation can spark an incredible business journey. For more on Ohme Foods, visit: https://www.ohmefoods.com/ If you enjoyed this episode, please leave The Story of a Brand Show a rating and review.  Plus, don't forget to follow us on Apple and Spotify.  Your support helps us bring you more content like this! * Today's Sponsors: 1 Commerce: https://1-commerce.com/story-of-a-brand Scaling a DTC brand becomes harder the bigger you grow, especially when you're limited to selling on just one channel. While you're focused on day-to-day operations, your competitors are unlocking marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, and even retail shelf space, capturing customers you're missing. That's where 1-Commerce comes in.  They help high-growth brands expand beyond their sites, handle end-to-end fulfillment, and scale through a revenue-share model that means they only win when you do.  As a Story of a Brand listener, you'll get one month of free storage and a strategy session with their CEO, Eric Kasper.    Color More Lines: https://www.colormorelines.com/get-started Color More Lines is a team of ex-Amazonians and e-commerce operators who help brands grow faster on Amazon and Walmart. With a performance-based pricing model and flexible contracts, they've generated triple-digit year-over-year growth for established sellers doing over $5 million per year.   Use code "STORY OF A BRAND” and receive a complimentary market opportunity assessment of your e-commerce brand and marketplace positioning.

Ready to start 2026 on your terms—with movement, magic, and a community that actually feels like you belong? We're hosting a curated Central Florida retreat built around three themes: epic adventure, extraordinary movement, and pure celebration with fellow Extraordinary Strides podcast listeners! Think flexible dates, thoughtful resort choices on the Skyliner, and a weekend you can shape to your energy: group yoga, a medal-earning 5K, Epic Universe thrills or relaxed resort time, and a flat, friendly race in the town of Celebration.We brought in Ashley from Mystical Dream Travel to make planning easy and personal. She walks through value, moderate, and deluxe resort options (Pop Century, Caribbean Beach, Riviera), organizes group transportation for our outings, and helps you customize park days without the guesswork. Deposits are straightforward, travel protection is available, and dietary or accessibility needs can be noted in advance. You can reach Ashley at ashleyl@mysticaldreamtravel.com for more information on how to secure your spot for this magical celebration. Whether you're a runner, walker, or elite cheer squad captain, we'll help you craft an itinerary that fits your budget, schedule, and vibe.The crowning event of the weekend is Sunday's Celebration Half/Full Marathon—a flat, PR-ready race that's welcoming for first-timers and back-of-the-pack legends alike. We share why this course is ideal if you're chasing a personal best or working on a new Proof of Time for better runDisney corral placement, plus a discount code (EXTRA2026) that saves $15 before tier pricing rises. After the finish, we reset at Epcot to toast milestones, maybe a champagne in France, maybe that famous moonshine sour in America, before Monday's mellow goodbyes. If you want a training plan that can deliver an extraordinary & celebratory experience, our 16-week half-marathon program starts October 6, with community support through the Extraordinary League. Fill out your training interest form here or reach out at christine@extraordinarystrides.com If your New Year's momentum needs warmth, guidance, and good company, this is your weekend. We can't wait to celebrate with you.Have questions or want to chat? Send me a text!Support the showJoin the newsletter list for updates, special offers, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.Join fellow pod and running enthusiasts at The Stride Collective community on Facebook or follow us on Instagram.

In this episode of The White Witch Podcast we journey into the mysteries of Memento Mori — the timeless reminder of mortality — and explore how death, transformation and rebirth weave through witchcraft and esoteric traditions. In this episode I share - The meaning and history of memento mori. The Haliorunna and necromantic wisdom of the witch's path. The story of Hiram Abif and the Masonic initiation of death and resurrection. How Alexandrian and Gardnerian covens use death-and-rebirth initiation rites. The echoes of these mysteries in Hermetic and Rosicrucian traditions. Norse philosophies of mortality and remembrance. Why burying the old self through ritual is essential for growth. Journal prompts, rituals and tarot/oracle spreads to work with the death/rebirth cycle in your own practice. This episode is both philosophical and practical — guiding you into the deep mysteries of why witches embrace death as a gateway to transformation, and how you can bring these initiatory currents into your own craft. YouTuber referenced - Freyja North in Norway - https://www.youtube.com/@FreyiaNorthInNorway The Gardnerian Book of Shadows - initiation ritual - https://sacred-texts.com/pag/gbos/gbos03.htm ACCESS FREE GRIMOIRE PAGES FOR THIS EPISODE - SIGN UP TO THE HEDGE & HOLLOW ON PATREON HERE FOR FREE ACCESS - https://www.patreon.com/posts/memento-mori-old-140160436?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link OCTOBER ON PATREON - WHISPERS AT THE VEIL As the nights lengthen and the veil thins, the voices of the ancestors stir — soft, haunting, and full of wisdom. This October inside Patreon, we'll journey into Whispers at the Veil - a month of ancestral reverence, remembrance, and magick. Together we'll open the door to our kin beyond the veil, honour their gifts, release their shadows and weave their blessings into our craft. This month includes -  Guided meditation to open ancestral communion A podcast/grimoire pages on ancestral witchcraft & initiatory death rites in coven and esoteric traditions An ancestor altar + ritual kit (printables + invocation) Tarot & oracle spreads for ancestral guidance Weekly journal prompts for reflection, healing, and remembrance A closing rite of Ancestral Blessing — sealing their wisdom into your path as the wheel turns By the end of October, you will have -  Your own ancestor altar A living practice of honouring your dead Tools to heal ancestral wounds and embody ancestral blessings A rite of blessing + remembrance to carry their voices with you through the dark half of the year Join me for October's journey - https://patreon.com/TheHedgeandHollow?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink Samhain is the witch's New Year — a time when the veil between worlds thins and the Old Year falls away like autumn leaves. Together we will gather in sacred circle to honour the ancestors, release what is ready to be laid to rest, and call in the magick of the year ahead. This circle will feel more festive than usual — a true witches' gathering in the spirit of Samhain. Think candlelight, divination, fire magick, and the warmth of community as we step into the New Year. What to expect - Ritual of Release + Invitation – letting go of the old, welcoming the new. Divination + Fortune-Telling – tarot, pendulum, scrying, traditional Samhain magic. Ancestor Offering – honouring those who came before us. New Year Spellwork – planting intentions for the year ahead. Bring your candles, tarot cards, and a small offering for your ancestors. The Samhain Gathering is our chance to cross the threshold together, in celebration, magick, and witchcraft. I cannot wait to share this New Year circle with you. [Thursday 30th October from 7pm GMT via Zoom - Witches Who Run With The Wolves tier

A prophetic word released through Margaux, Betty Hall + Australian prophet Lana Vasser. This Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, lands on September 22nd at sundown and God is speaking to his people about this NEW YEAR on the Hebrew calendar. This episode contains Margaux releasing revelation God has given her, as well as that of a few other prophetic voices. Based on and rooted in Isaiah 54, its time to shout with joy and worship God for the coming PROLIFIC fruitfulness, stretching capacity and preparing for EXPANSION while never neglecting the deep rooting into intimacy with Jesus. Rest in the midst of stretching.LINK to Betty's articleLINK to Lana Vasser WordWe are going TOGETHER: BREATHING UNDERWATER MEMBERSHIPSMore on Breathing Underwater Memberships HEREJoin the Community and Newsletter: HERE Email: margaux@permissiontoreign.comInstagram: @permission_to_reignIntro Music by Coma-Media from PixabayImage by Claire Fischer from Unsplash

Michael and Kathryn discuss the theme of their podcast episode, "Reset and Reframe," which focuses on the fall season's shift in economic events and market conditions, encouraging listeners to reflect on their business plans and goals. They explore the importance of reviewing past commitments and goals, emphasizing the need to adapt and plan for the future. Michael shares his approach of helping clients reconnect with their New Year's business plans, while Kathryn highlights the value of reflection, planning, and celebration during this time of year. Building Bigger Lives Podcast- https://www.instagram.com/buildingbiggerlives Contact Coach Michael Regan- www.facebook.com/CoachMichaelRegan www.instagram.com/coachmichaelregan/ www.linkedin.com/in/mregan/ Contact Kathryn Pedersen- http://www.instagram.com/steamboatmortgage

Text Us, We Love Hearing From You:)Welcome to How To Be Fit Over 40: Midlife Conversations with Hicunni.  It's week 17 of our 180 day Challenge.Life has been busy. You've faced challenges, pivots, and maybe financial stress.We are going to focus on 3 Practical Solutions that will help you decrease your overwhelm to jumpstart your reset for the Holidays and beyond.So, grab your smoothie or cup of tea and join the conversations. Let's go!What to do? Here's a sneak peek (listen to the episode for the breakdown)Simplify commitments Pack your reset kit Anchor in rituals Remember to share this with a friend who needs this reset to destress! Thank you! Let's go friends!Support the showMust Have HOLIDAY FUN FINDS & STOCKING STUFFERS Fit Over 40 Hoodie We can't promise it'll give you superpowers… but we can promise warmth, style, and cozy vibes for all your workouts, walks, or chill days at home. Meet your new favorite hoodie, our take on the classic cotton pullover designed for those who are fit, fab, and over 40. Welcome to the club! Shop: https://howtobefitover40.com The Body Love Mindset 365-Day Meditation Journal is the perfect next step. It provides space for a daily 5-minute meditation, as a “reset button” for clarity and calm. You can grab your copy at https://howtobefitover40.com/pages/resources How to Live In Time: 33 Lessons Learned is available now on ...

Luke's HAARP Time Warp: Part 6 Marion continues growing but must suffer a loss. Based on a post by somethin fishy, in 15 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Chapter 25. When Luke and Marion woke up the next morning, it was storming out. Nothing really serious, just one of those late summer storms with a decent amount of rain, some wind and usually some lighting. Being that it was a warm rain, Luke went out into it without putting clothes on. It was about the perfect temperature. With some persuasion, Marion came out too. Soon both of them were playing like children with them jumping in mud puddles and just having a good time. Marion, before too long, was working on getting everyone else to strip down and join them. The women were quick to strip down and Bard followed suit not too long after. Robin though, was raised to be very modest and in believing that the devil would soon visit; so, he wouldn't strip down with everyone else. Marion, for her part, respected his views and didn't try forcing his which he appreciated. Basically, as long as he respected her view, she respected his. The rain continued for almost an hour. During this time the miserable feeling of the day before were forgotten for the time being. The group was having too much fun. Not only was playing in the rain fun, but they were all busy teasing Marion about her limping and careful walking. Everyone had heard her the night before and this actually helped the group start to recover from Stella's death. All too soon though, the rain stopped and it was back to business. Marion had left it to Pollyanna, Stella's closest friend, on where to bury her. Pollyanna picked a small church, in the village, from where Stella was originally from. So, the group made to four hour track to the village church. Once there though, the group realized that the whole village had been abandoned. From the looks of things, it had been abandoned not that long ago. Gabriel found an empty space in the cemetery and Alice had even found a coffin for Stella. Luke and Bard took care of digging the grave, making sure to go down six feet. Once the grave had been dug, everyone but Matt grabbed a line and lowered Stella's body into the ground. Once done, Marion spoke a few words. After she had finished, but before everyone started to bury her, Pollyanna started speaking: “For my best friend, the woman who taught me to be a woman and who encouraged me to fight like a man; I cannot thank you enough. I swear this now that I shall ever stop working toward freeing the people of this tormented land so that no others have to make the choices that you did, Stella. For nobody should be forced into the position of selling their bodies just so that their children can have something to eat, or having to watch as those children are ripped away by soldiers because the family couldn't pay the record high taxes levied on them because some lazy noble wanted to host a bigger party then their neighbor. Go in peace know Stella and know that I will always love you for all that you have done for me.” “Amen” everyone said while trying to hold back their tears. When she finished, everyone in the group started to openly weep; Pollyanna had just said out loud what everyone had been feeling in their hearts. Eventually, they started burying their friend, and Pollyanna finished things by pushing a cross which Gabriel had made into the ground. The cross had actually been Stella's sword at one time, but Gabriel had broken it in half after Stella had been killed and had etched Stella's name and date of death on it. After they finished, Luke put his arms around Marion's shoulder. This always made her feel better and it did this time as well. Looking around, Marion started getting curious about this village. It looking like a nice enough place to stay, so the group split up to search the village. Luke found a fully intact blacksmithing shop that still had its tools in it and plenty of raw materials laying around. Marion found a small tavern but all the alcohol was gone. Robin and Bard checked out the church while Gabriel went up to check out the steeple for this looked like the prefect place from which she could pick off intruders. Alice went though the houses and found one that was significantly cleaner than the rest. To make it better, it had a large supply of herbs in it that Alice recognized as having medicinal value. Not only that, it still had to tools to process the herbs. Pollyanna meanwhile stayed with Matt and they talked quietly. They both realized that they were quickly falling in love and only hoped that nobody would object. Luke of course already knew about them and had told them as much. He also told them that as long as they continued to do their duties that he had no objections. In fact, he had wished them the best of luck and they looked like they belonged together, and they made a cute couple. Within an hour the group met back up at the church. Marion made the decision to move their base of operations here as soon as they could get all their gear and they had scouted the area. Everyone agreed with her; this was far nicer living then in the forest plus there was so much here that they could use that it would be foolish not to move. An added bonus was that they were now further away from York and therefore safer for the time being. The last thing that justified them moving was that they had been recently discovered and didn't know how long it would be before Cecilia would try again. She figured that it would probably take them about a week or so to move. Matt and Alice would stay behind, in the village, while the group moved. Moving around was extremely painful for Matt and Alice would have to take care of him. Pollyanna made the announcement that her and Matt were now an item in the most obvious way possible. She wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a giant, wet kiss on his lips. That simple kiss began to turn into something more when Matt started pushing his tongue into Pollyanna's mouth. Only Marion loudly clearing her throat made them stop. When Pollyanna looked up, she looked like the kid how got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. This made the rest of the group fall over laughing and Pollyanna's reddening face didn't help any. Eventually everyone in the group were able to compose themselves. Marion told Pollyanna to stay behind to not only help protect Matt but also to scout the area. Marion told her that the rest of them would be back the next day with some of the gear and to hear what all Pollyanna had found while scouting. Marion and Luke couldn't for the life of them understand why everyone in the village was gone. In fact, it looked like everyone had just stopped whatever it was that they had been doing and left. This was actually not far from the truth. This village was one of those that refused to follow Cecilia so she had come in and forced all the residence of the area to move to York. Of course, the young men were forced into her army while the young woman were force to become army whores. Thing is though that the village itself hadn't been destroyed and now it was going to be Marion's new base of operations. The trip back was much faster than the trip to the village, in the first place. On the way back, the group was able to ambush a small patrol. One of the members was only badly wounded so Marion was able to pump him for information; although she didn't have to pump very hard for the man was one of Cecilia's forced recruits. “Cecilia's hold is slipping as most soldiers refuse to leave their quarters anymore. For the most part she is having to rely on mercenary soldiers who have never heard of you ma'am. Also, I feel that I should warn you that she is planning another major offensive aimed at forcing you out of the forest so that she can finally eliminate you. This time she will be using her mercenary troops and their commanders are extremely tough men. They make everyone in Cecilia's regular army seem like little girls instead of fighting men.” With this the man died. Marion ordered that the man be at least given a burial instead of just dragging him off into the woods to be eaten like they usually did. This patrol had only six men in it and didn't yield very much loot. The most valuable thing they got were the extra horses. Marion was now determined to move camp even faster than before. The rest of the way back was uneventful. Once they were back in camp, Marion had the group immediately start preparing the first load of gear for in the morning. Looking everything over, Marion decided that it should only take three round trips to move everything; two less then she had initially thought. After getting tomorrow morning's gear ready, Luke took the first watch while everyone else bedded down. Marion was taking no chances now, and she relieved Luke four hours later. As soon as started to get light the next morning, Marion woke everyone up. She was anxious to get moving, and within forty minutes the first load was on its way. The trip to the village was fast and uneventful. When they were about fifteen minutes form the village, they were intercepted by Alice. She was standing watch while Pollyanna got some rest. “She found two nearby villages, Marion. In both of them the people were starving. She didn't make contact though for it was only the three of us here. We figured that once everything gets moved that you might want to go to the villages and introduce yourself for it's about time that we stop hiding and start making actual strides toward getting rid of your bitch sister.” “Very good Alice and yes that is exactly what I will do. Now for some news for you. We intercepted a small patrol on our way home yesterday. One of the men was only wounded badly and he told us that Cecilia is getting ready to launch another offensive only this time she's using mercenary troops under professional leadership. I figure that we should be able to get everything moved within three days if we don't get interrupted.” The next couple of days were busy ones for the group. Marion rotated who stayed in the village. This way everyone would have a general idea of the lay of the land before they made their presence known. In order to hide themselves, they even held off setting booby-traps for the time being. After they had gotten the last load, Marion ordered that the whole area around their former camp be riddled with booby-traps of all kinds and in much thicker densities the they usually used. Doing this took the rest of the day and they had to make the trip back to the village in the dark. None of them minded though for they had a full moon and were used to moving around in the dark. Marion was able to get a few hours' sleep when they got back. Her and Luke now had a small house to themselves. Actually, everyone in the group did. Marion's house was the one that had the blacksmith's shop attached to it. The next morning, the group had their first strategy meeting. They all shared everything that they had learned about their new home: where the villages were, where the roads ran, where were the streams, bridges, and fords were at. Luke shared what he would be focusing on for the next couple of weeks. He was going to make horse drawn reaping machines. His machines weren't combines but they would be far ahead of reaping crops with a sickle. Gabriel would go around and set up hidden watch post and look for good trees for which to make good bows and arrows out of. Alice would get a hospital set up. She would also search the area for medicinal plants. Bard would help Luke in the blacksmith shop when he wasn't busy tending to the group's livestock or the fields which the group had found. Pollyanna would be working on mapping the area. Luke had told her to pay particular attention to areas that they could fortify or areas in which they could set up a water powered blacksmith shop or a grist mill. Matt was confined to bedrest for the next five weeks, but while he was in bed, he would be working on making new clothes for everyone and more arrows for the group. Marion in the meantime would be working on getting the other villages in the area to join with her for she knew that she would need their help to overthrow Cecilia. Chapter 26. Cecilia in the meantime, was growing ever more paranoid and fearful of Marion. Her army mostly refused to leave their barracks for they had suffered enough losses at Marion's hands and they didn't want anything more to do with her. When they did go out, they stayed very close to town and they defiantly stayed out of the forest. Even Cecilia's assassins had failed. She had sent them out to kill Marion and instead twenty of them had been killed including their leader. This caused the rest of them to scatter in the wind after all they were assassins not soldiers and they quickly found out that hunting Marion was a fool's errand and a surefire way to meet with God. Or course it took a while for Cecilia to get this news for Marion didn't leave any survivors that knew what had happened. Then just a few days later, a small patrol went missing. They hadn't even been patrolling in an area that Marion had ever attacked before. This caused Cecilia to really lose sleep. Was Marion expanding her operations? Was there another group that was rising up against her? Nobody knew for they couldn't find the bodies. Soon after she had sent her assassins off, Cecilia had a most important visitor. He was a legendary mercenary commander and had a knack for hunting down rebel groups and eliminating them. He had heard of Cecilia's problems, all the way in Paris and he thought that he might be able to get a very good job offer. After all he was able to bring almost one thousand seasoned men into the field. These were very experienced and highly motivated men. At first Cecilia balked at the terms the general was offering but then again, she really didn't have much choice after Marion had routed her regular army. She was hoping that her assassins would be able to get the job done, but she had her doubts and she needed a back-up plan. Cecilia was able to make it to where she wouldn't have to pay most of the cost until the general had proven that he had been successful. After seeing everything that her sister was now capable of, Cecilia had serious doubts that this continental general could do any better. In fact, she told him as such and that was when he agreed to terms that actually favored Cecilia. The visiting general wasn't French but German. His name was General Kleist and he came from the Saxon controlled area of central Europe in what would eventually become central Germany. He was almost fifty years old and had never lost a fight. He had been a soldier since before he needed to shave and had been given his first army when he was eighteen. He had fought all over Europe and had a brutal reputation when it came to rebel groups. Against regular troops he fought with honor, but that completely disappeared when he fought rebels. Most of his men were German, but he had men from all over Europe, including England. These were the men that he would be relying on for this contract. The general had interviewed the surviving men of Cecilia's previous expedition to find out what had happened. What he learned, shocked him. Marion's troops were extremely ingenious and ruthless, but they were also capable of showing extreme kindness as well. Furthermore, Marion didn't strike at the noble's morale, she struck at the common soldier's morale. By convincing them that the fight was worthless and that they would only die if they continued. This made the largest part of the army worthless for its commanders and left the nobles vulnerable to ambushes. General Kleist didn't share the common misconception that knights were invulnerable in battle for he had seen this notion get crushed on numerous occasions. Knights did have their roles to play but they had to have the protection of the infantry. Just as the general was about to leave to fetch the rest of his men, Cecilia got word that a small patrol had disappeared. This sounded like one of Marion's tricks and she forbid the general from leaving for he could send a messenger for his men; she needed him with her now. Kleist would have to force Cecilia's own army into the field. He knew that as a fighting force, that army was worthless at the moment and he told Cecilia that. She then did something that he wasn't really expecting in that she gave him free rein over her army. “General just do whatever you have to do to get those worthless bastards whipped into shape. Then when you are ready, take them out and crush my sister.” “Yes milady.” And he left. What followed was a brutal time for those in the army. General Kleist whipped any man that didn't follow orders. If they complained, they got whipped. If they tried to desert then he had them hung, drawn and quartered, and finally beaten to death by his own comrades. Kleist wanted the men to fear him more than Marion. It took a couple of months but he was making real progress with turning the mob that he started with, back into a real army. During that time, he and Cecilia had started sleeping together. The general found Cecilia to be a very passionate woman and Cecilia found the general to be very experienced in bed and would always make sure that Cecilia was very satisfied. Cecilia was doing this because she hadn't gotten laid since leaving Lincoln and figured that this would be a cheaper way to keep Kleist loyal to her. Kleist was fucking her because for one, she was beautiful. Two, she was powerful and Kleist wanted some of that power for himself and third pounding Cecilia senseless helped him relax in the evenings. Retraining her ragged army was very stressful and Kleist found that fucking Cecilia helped him forget. His eventual goal was to marry her and then use her army to force her out after she had produced a number of children for him but first, he would have to get rid of Marion. It was almost three months after the general first arrived that his army got there. These men were professionals and it showed. They had excellent gear and marched with supreme confidence. It took them just over a week to integrate Cecilia's army with his own, but by the time it was done, he had an army of just over two thousand men. They still didn't know exactly where Marion's forces were at but the area of where Cecilia's first army was routed seemed like a good place to start. Everyone knew that Marion was still around, only now it was Cecilia's tax collectors that were being targeted and all the villages near that forest were now in open rebellion. Problem was that by the time that the general had gotten the army ready, winter had settled over northern England and put all thoughts of an offensive on hold until spring. Nobody fought in winter. It was too dangerous and with no grass available, horses and oxen died in groves so the army and the general settled in for the winter. Chapter 27. Marion and the rest of the group rapidly settled down into the village. Bard was finding out that Luke was a man of many parts when Luke started making reaping machines that they could rent out to the local villages for a tiny part of their harvest. Luke told Bard that the machines would save so much grain that even with paying the fee, the villagers would still be coming out ahead. This way everyone would win. Marion's group would get the food that they would get the food that they would need for the winter and the villagers would get even more grain than usual. An added bonus was that the locals would start trusting Marion and that was more important than the food. While Luke was making machines, he also took the time to teach Bard how to make knives and swords. Before long Bard was making amazingly beautiful swords that were very balanced and were very good at holding their edge. By the time the harvest had come around, Luke had built six reaping machines and had furthermore made harnesses so that horses could be used instead of oxen. This would further speed up the harvest over the old ways. One of the long range projects that Luke was working on was a steam engine that would be able to power the shop and would enable Luke to work on bigger projects faster. Bard kept working on his swords for which soon he was making really good money from; by selling them. In the meantime, Alice was rapidly growing her skills as a doctor and an apothecary. As soon as Marion had started to draw more people to her banner, Alice's skills began to come into high demand. At first Alice completely memorized every scrape of medical information on Luke's computer and every last bit that he had drifting around in his head. Alice made sure to write everything down in the common language, English no Latin or Greek here. She would then give this information to Pollyanna who had set up a print shop in town and was printing books using a press that she designed herself. It was based on an idea that Luke had given her, based on what her could remember about the Guttenberg press. She knew that at first there would be no market for these, but once more people had learned to read then she would be ready. In addition to Alice's books, Pollyanna printed every book from Luke's computer. She also printed books that were designed to help people learn how to read. One of the other things that she printed was maps of the area so that Marion's troops would know where to go and how long it would take to get there. Luke had taught everyone the metric system being as that was what he was most comfortable with. Being that he had been an engineer that had worked all over the world, Luke used the metric system so that there would be no screw ups in specs. Pollyanna also helped Luke in engineering his new machines. Luke was working on everything from lathes to mills for machining from powered looms to sewing machines for textiles. One other big thing happened to Pollyanna, she got pregnant and Matt was going to be a dad. When Pollyanna gave everyone the news, the group erupted in celebration. They all loved Pollyanna and Matt. After Gabriel had set up out the best look-out post surrounding the villages, everyone took their turns at standing look out. One of the things that Luke had already made was a telegraph and every post was equipped with one. This way the lookout could immediately warn everyone else if enemy troops were sighted. When Gabriel wasn't standing guard, she was Marion's personal bodyguard; a duty which Gabriel took dead serious. After everything that Marion had done for her, Gabriel would gladly give her life to make sure that Marion survived and stayed out of Cecilia's grasp. With everything that Marion was doing, Gabriel had her hands full but so was the life of the personal bodyguard of a very capable ruler. Just after the group had settled down in the village, Robin died. He had never fully recovered from his earlier brush with death either physically or mentally. His death had hit Alice hard for she had poured her soul into keeping helping Robin recover. “Alice” Luke quietly said to her just after they buried him “The first rule of being a doctor is that you Will Not win every battle. Some people will be too badly injured physically; or in their mind they are already dead. That's not to say that you shouldn't try to save everyone because you have amazing skill but always remember that you're not God.” “I know Luke, but that kid was so innocent. I mean what did he do to anyone? Why did he have to die when there are plenty of evil people that could have taken his place?” “Alice, that is a question that humans have been wrestling with since time began and there's no good answer. The religious would say well that's just God's plan, but I have never found that line to be of any comfort. You just have to accept it and move on. Learn everything you can from each case and that way if they don't make it, then at least they wouldn't have died in vain.” “I keep forgetting that you've been through all this before.” Luke nodded and put his arm around Alice as she sobbed quietly and he kept it there until she had cried herself out. He didn't even bother to say anything to her because he knew that there was nothing for him to say. After the funeral, Alice began to pour everything she had into her studies. Marion had the busiest time of everyone. She was to one that would travel to the surrounding villages to talk with the leaders about joining her. At first, nobody could even believe that she was still alive. Her next battle would almost always be about her being female and why they should follow her. A couple of things always helped her with this argument. First is that she already had a reputation for being ferocious in combat. The second was that she was nobility whether she liked it or not. The third thing was that she projected leadership like nobody else. In meetings she was the dominate personality but she wasn't domineering and she would always go out of her way to make sure that everyone had the chance to include their input and when someone made contributions to one of her plans then she would always make sure that person got credit. It took Marion almost three weeks of almost constant effort before the first village signed on with her and they were almost immediately rewarded for Marion started stopping Cecilia's tax collectors from visiting that village. As word of this spread, other villages signed on with her. Marion was also always on the lookout for new recruits for her army. Yes, she would be building it from scratch but she had the help of Gabriel and especially Luke. Luke could get the most thick-headed person to follow orders within an hour or so with very little effort on his part. The army that they were starting to build would be the most professional one since the ancient Romans. Marion knew that for a while she wouldn't be able to compete with her sister based on numbers so she would have to make up the difference with quality. She was able to get one of the villages to agree to try Luke's mechanical reapers saying that if the results didn't live up to her promises then she would make the difference up herself. Once Luke had finished the first field, the villagers were amazed for they had no idea just how must grain they lost every year. By having Luke harvest the field, the village got almost a quarter more grain than they would have gotten themselves. Within days, every other farmer in the area was wanting Luke to harvest their fields too. Instead, Luke taught some of the farmers how to use his reapers and subcontracted them to do the harvest. Luke had enough on his plate the way it was and he also wanted to make sure that the locals learned how to do these things for themselves. In Marion's personal life, she was just as busy. Her pregnancy was starting to show and one of the things that Luke liked to do was to play his music for the kid. He would place his old cell phone on Marion's stomach and play different music for the kid. He just loved the feeling of the kid kicking. Even before Marion gave birth, her house got another person to live in it for Gabriel moved in with her and Luke. At first it was just Gabriel being dead serious about protecting Marion, but as time went on it became more than that. Everyone realized that Gabriel was falling in love with Marion. At first Gabriel was deeply ashamed of her love for Marion and by extension Luke. This feeling continued until a rainy day when all three were home. “Gabriel?” asked Marion and Luke “Can the three of us talk please?” “Yes” replied Gabriel who was so nervous that she thought that she might pee at any moment. “Gabriel” started Luke “We know that you have fallen in love with Marion and after talking with Marion we have no problem with this. After all you have no control with who you love and we don't believe that anyone can tell you who you can love and who you can't. Back in my time we had plenty on men and woman who were homosexual or bisexual. F Y I, bisexuals love both men and woman. There were plenty in my time who didn't like this fact but to repress this fundamental human fact is exceptionally cruel.” “Gabriel” started Marion “I am fine with you loving me and being completely honest with you, I find myself falling in love with you too. I just ask you to remember that Luke is and will always be my primary love but he has agreed to share” giving Luke a funny look “a bit too eagerly now that I think about it.” Luke just gave have a shit eating smile and Marion gave him a playful punch. “So, both of you are fine with this?” asked Gabriel as if she was reaching for some distant hope that she was too afraid that she would never reach. Luke and Marion smiled at her. “Yes, we are fine and to prove it to you…” Marion took Gabriel by the hand and lead her to her and Luke's bed. Luke whispered something to Marion and he left the room. At first Gabriel was worried about Luke until Marion explained that Luke was giving them some privacy for their first time and he was going to work in the shop. Marion took the lead when she pulled Gabriel in for a deep kiss. At first Gabriel was so nervous that she could barely participate. Her upbringing was keeping her back for she was about to partake in one of the vilest sins, but Marion was patent with her. After a few passion-loaded kisses from Marion, Gabriel started to loosen up and she started returning them. Marion then started to run her hands up and down Gabriel's body with Gabriel quickly replying in kind. As Gabriel's hand ran across Marion's swollen stomach, the baby kicked and the girls giggled. As their hands reached each other's pussies Gabriel was now completely involved and couldn't have stopped if she wanted to. Both of them were wearing pants and shirts. By this time all the woman in Marion's party had given up on dresses. Gabriel made quick work of untying Marion's pants while Marion ran her hands up under Gabriel's shirt, pushing it up as she went. As Marion's pants fell away, Marion pushed Gabriel's shirt over her head. Marion then untied Gabriel's pants as Gabriel removed Marion's shirt slowly. After the two of them were naked, they embraced each other. It was then that Marion realized that Gabriel was softly crying and Marion was instantly concerned, ‘had she gone too far, too fast.' She didn't need to worry though “Marion, my love” Gabriel started when she noticed Marion's concern “All my life I have known that I was different but could never figure out why. I was always more interested in spying on the other girls then I was in spying on the boys. I never told anyone because I knew how people would react and then I met you though Luke. You took me under your wing, protected me, and helped me grow to heights which I never knew existed. Then you and Luke took me to bed with you. That was until now the best night of my life and if I had died, I would have been happy. Afterwards though was so awkward; at first, I thought you were just ignoring me like my parents did after they made love. Then I began to fear that you hated me for it didn't seem that you wanted to be with me anymore and that hurt so bad.” By this point Marion was in tears. Part of this was simply her hormones but most of it was caused by Gabriel pouring her heart out. “Gabriel, to be honest with you, I never thought about you sexually until just a few days ago even after that time with Luke. For back then I was just trying to help one of my best friends get through a very difficult time in her life. I did notice that you were more distant toward me after and I thought that I had offended you in some way. Then you moved in with us. At first you were just a loyal guard who was serious about her duty, but then Luke noticed that your eyes seemed to be full of pain whenever you saw me, especially when I was undressed. The reason that Luke kicked you out of our house the other night was so that we could talk about you. He's concerned about you, Gabriel. When he first suggested that you might be in love with me, I was taken back to put it mildly. However, the more I thought about it the more I thought about that night with the three of us and I realized that was when the awkwardness really started. Then I truly examined that night and every night after and I realized that Luke was right. At first, I was embarrassed and angry. I mean we have always been told that homosexuality was evil. Then I started to wonder how something so beautiful and pure as what we shared that night could possibly be evil. After I couldn't find an answer for that question, I realized that the reason that I couldn't find the answer was that I had fallen in love with you too.” By now both girls were in tears. They had opened their hearts to each other and had been accepted by the other. “But Marion, what about Luke? About everyone else?” “What about Luke? I still love him and he loves me. As you know, he knows all about us and He was the one who started me on my road to discovering myself. If anything, I love him more now than I did before. Just know that he has already stated that he is strictly a one woman man and that he felt terrible after he made you a woman. It actually took me a while to convince him that he didn't do anything wrong and I'm okay with it. I still think he feels guilty once in a while though As for everyone else, if they don't like the facts then they can choke on it. Luke does suggest that we keep us to ourselves for we are trying to lead a revolution in which everyone will be equal in the eyes of the law. Everyone will be free to be themselves. Everyone will have the freedom to succeed or fail and whatever they do will be up to them.” “Remind me to give Luke a thank you.” Marion smiled at this “He's already said that you being happy and able to thrive will be thanks enough.” With that Marion gently pulled Gabriel to lay with her in bed. What followed was something that could only be described as pure love. Marion started by softy kissing every square centimeter of skin on Gabriel's face and neck. As Marion made her way down Gabriel's neck, Gabriel released her first moan of the night. Marion then made her way down to Gabriel's tit. Gabriel wasn't as gifted in the tit department as Marion, but that was okay because Gabriel having smaller tits made it easier for her to use her bow. Marion the started sucking on one of Gabriel's nipples while foundling the other. This gave Gabriel her first orgasm for the night. Gabriel had another orgasm before Marion moved on. Down across Gabriel's tight strong stomach Marion kissed and caressed. Finally, Marion reached Gabriel's bush. It was the same chestnut color as her hair and while sparse was curly and soft. Marion didn't spend too much time here before she started down Gabriel's legs, much to Gabriel's disappointment. After working on both of Gabriel's long, strong legs; Marion returned to Gabriel's flower. This time Marion was looking for nectar and she found it by the bucket full. As fast as Marion could lap it up Gabriel produced more. Marion then gave up trying to lick her lover clean and sent right to the source. She locked her mouth over Gabriel's fuck hole and used her tongue to fuck her. Marion found a rough patch inside Gabriel that when licked drove Gabriel crazy, in fact it was all that Marion could do to hold Gabriel down. As Marion's tongue found her special place, lights started flashing in Gabriel's eyes. She didn't know what was happening to her and really didn't care for this was far better than anything she had ever experienced before. Things hit a crescendo when Gabriel started shaking violently and flooding Marion's mouth with nectar. Marion almost couldn't keep up but somehow managed to keep everything in her mouth. Marion then stopped to give Gabriel some time to recover. She gently moved up to lay next to Gabriel. As Marion lay on her back, Gabriel moved around to where her head was lying on Marion's shoulder and her long hair was spread across Marion's upper body. At this moment, Marion knew why Luke always loved when they did this for, she found that there didn't seem to be any other way to show that two people loved each other more. Marion then made sure that all the hair was out of Gabriel's face and then she drew the blanket over them and joined Gabriel in sleepy land. Some hours later Marion didn't know when, she was awakened by movement under the cover. At first, she was disoriented, someone was gently sucking on her right nipple. Marion moved the cover and by the light of the moon could see a head covered in chestnut hair whose lips were latched on to her nipple. The realization came to Marion of what was going on and she put her hand on that head and gently stroked the hair. Gabriel was startled by this but recovered quickly when Marion started stroking her hair. Gabriel was determined to return Marion's love with interest. She moved up to Marion's face and their eyes locked. Neither of them could seem to break contact for it was like there was some spell over them. They didn't know how much time pasted but Gabriel slowly started kissing Marion's neck while caressing Marion's face. This time it was Marion who was cumming buckets for to her this was almost a dream because she had never fully woken up. Eventually Gabriel moved south back down to Marion's sensitive tits. Marion was a bit larger and with her pregnancy was getting bigger and more sensitive. Gabriel didn't spend too much time here for she wanted to make sure that Marion was still conscious when she went down on her and so far, Gabriel had given Marion two powerful orgasms. Gabriel worked her way over Marion's slightly swollen belly tracing every stretch line as she did. She then made her way down to Marion's golden bush. Since she began spending time with Luke; Marion now kept her bush neatly trimmed so that Luke wouldn't get hair in his mouth, plus it gave her more skin to skin contact when Luke went down on her. Now it was Gabriel's turn to enjoy. By this time Marion was talking in moans and gasp and not saying anything. When Gabriel spread Marion's pussy lips and started to lick; Marion saw the stars in her eyes. The more Gabriel licked the more intense the starlight became. Those stars exploded the second that Gabriel put her tongue up inside Marion and started licking her G-spot. Since Gabriel had Marion's legs propped up on her shoulder's Marion's orgasm was beyond intense. She screamed out into the night at the top of her lungs. She screamed until there was no air left to scream out and then Marion collapsed. Every muscle went to jelly and every cell felt like it weighed a ton. She couldn't even pull the blanket over her before she passed out. Gabriel smiled, seeing this and pulled the blanket over them and fell back asleep. Chapter 28. Life after this got better for Marion and the rest of the group. Cecilia's troops wouldn't even come out of the castle anymore and Marion was making rapid progress in turning the entire area against her. Luke was making amazing progress in forming the army. He assigned one unit to learn under Pollyanna and one to learn under Matt who had recovered. If the recruits thought that winter would slow things down, then they were mistaken. If anything, Luke made them train harder for by now they had excellent intelligence on what Cecilia was up to and they knew that she had hired a professional general to rebuild her army and he had brought units with him from Europe. Marion always made sure that her men and woman were paid on time and their pay came directly from her coffers and not from the officers. This was something that Luke had insisted on; the new army would be government troops, G I as he called them, and not independent contractors. With Marion now in control of the countryside, she instituted her own taxes. They were much lower than Cecilia's and with the extra grain that had been taken in, the people could easily pay it and were glad to for Marion was a much better ruler then Cecilia ever was and they knew that if Marion lost the war then their lots would get much worse. On Christmas day 1065 several big things happened for Marion and her followers. First was that Luke got his steam engine up and running. Now he could make weapons far faster than before and much more advanced weapons. In fact, Gabriel was the first one to receive them. Luke gave her a pair of six shot revolvers and a bolt action repeating rifle that was based on the German Mauser rifle. Granted it was slower to shoot then if he had based it on the Lee Enfield; it was more rugged. Gabriel also got a small unit of bodyguards to help protect Marion; four women and four men and within a week they were equipped just like Gabriel. Luke gave Pollyanna a set of surveying tools that she instantly fell in love with. Measuring distances was always a pain but now she could do her work much faster. Alice got a surgeon's tool set. Luke had scrounged high and low to find enough of the right metals to make the tools but he just managed. Alice of course knew what Luke was doing for her because he had measured her hands so that he could make the tools so that they would fit her properly. Matt had also got a set of guns but his were a bit larger than the ones that Luke had made for the woman. The caliper was the same of course but the rifle stock was a bit longer and his pistol grips were a bit larger. Luke had done this so that Matt could use them more comfortably. The other big thing that happened was much more personal for Marion. That morning, before they left the house, Luke gave her a diamond ring and asked her to marry him. Of course, she said yes and everyone's reaction was “Well it's about time” Luke had gotten the diamond while he was in one of the port towns looking for salt so they could preserve meat for the winter. Luke had met a gem dealer and after much bargaining, which saw Luke trade in the loupe that he had made, he got several large rough diamonds and a couple of smaller ones. He also got some sapphires and a ruby. Luke had then taken those rough gems and cut and polished them to perfection. The biggest diamond got a solitaire cut and this truly brought out the fire in it. Luke then made a pair of rings out of gold. The diamonds were held in by six prongs that Luke had carefully shaped like tulips and the small ones down the sides were held in by a V shaped groove that Luke had formed. Luke took the sapphire and a couple of other small diamond pieces and made a necklace for Marion. He took the Ruby and made a necklace for Gabriel. After Marion and Gabriel's first night together, the three of them slept together every night. That had happened in November and now Gabriel was wondering if she too was pregnant. If she was then so be it for, she had always wanted to be a mother. Everywhere Marion went her ring caught everyone's attention. Nobody had ever seen jewelry like hers. The diamond shined and shimmered in the sunlight and the sapphire necklace was just breathtaking. Luke thought that Marion wearing jewelry was like guiding a lily but seeing her wearing the pieces that he made was unlike any other experience he had ever had. Gabriel loved her necklace too but refused to wear it for the most part so that she wouldn't lose it in battle. She did wear it around the house and on formal occasions. After Christmas, things started to get extremely hectic for Marion and her group. For one she was really starting to have a hard time moving around due to her growing belly. One of the local midwives how had joined with Alice estimated that Marion had about six weeks to go. Alice, like the rest of the group had taken on followers of her own, only her followers were interested in medicine. So far, she had gotten a herb specialist, a couple of midwives, and two men. These men were not like most of the other men in that they considered woman equal and they would be more than happy to treat anyone who might need their assistance. In fact, Alice had enough people around her that she asked Pollyanna to design a hospital for a base. Pollyanna rapidly agreed and got to work. Another reason that things were hectic was that Marion had declared a total blockade of the city of York. The blockade wouldn't be lifted until Cecilia's army laid down their arms and Cecilia left. Marion was demanding that Cecilia not only leave York, but leave the British islands as well. At first Marion had a hard time enforcing the blockade but as more and more troops came out of Luke's training program this became easier. With the first snowfall, Luke introduced something that the world had never seen before, winter camouflage. With the padded jackets and pants that he had developed, Marion's troops could move very quickly and stay hidden until it was time to strike. Not only that but Luke's gun making was gathering momentum. He was having a problem securing a steady supply of potassium nitrate and iron but he had enough to manage. He designed the firearms to use black power at first because it was the easiest to manufacture. Marion and Luke were married on New Year's Day by one of the local priests. He wasn't all that happy about Marion already being pregnant but he was far from stupid and was able to see the reality in front of him. These two people loved each other with all their being. Not only that but he had been one of the early victims of Cecilia's extortion and he saw marrying Luke and Marion as a way of poking Cecilia in the eye. Within a week, Pollyanna and Matt were married as well. In mid-January news came in of Edward's death. Marion and her immediate group already knew that this was going to happen thanks to Luke so they didn't react at all to the news. They also knew that the new king would have his hands full with the threat from the Duke of Normandy so Marion knew that the only threat they would be facing for a while was from Cecilia. By the end of February Marion had fifteen hundred troops at her disposal. A thousand were infantry, four hundred were cavalry and the last hundred were artillery. In addition, Pollyanna had fifty combat engineers under her command and Alice had a medical unit with four doctors besides herself, twelve nurses, and thirty others. A week before the end of February though Marion's life made a drastic turn when she became a mother. It was about two in the morning when after fourteen hours in labor, Marion gave birth to a beautiful baby girl which Marion promptly named Mackenzie MacDougall which brought tears to Luke's eyes. Marion knew for all that he loved her, that he still missed his family terribly. Marion had caught him numerous times just sitting in front of his computer looking at pictures of his sister Mackenzie and her family, pictures of his former coworkers who were like family to him, and pictures of his parents. Thankfully Marion's pregnancy had been uneventful for the most part and their child was healthy. Chapter 29. Marion defeats Cecilia; but at what cost? As her general and his troops settled in for the winter, Cecilia started getting very disturbing reports from some of the villages. Marion was starting to really make herself a pain in the ass. Villages were declaring their allegiance to Marion and she was gathering troops around her. General Kleist of course wasn't worried, after all what could a woman rebel and a few villages do to him. The worst bit of news for Cecilia came in just after Christmas and was that Marion appeared to be pregnant. The first time Cecilia heard this; she went started doing a pretty good impression of a super volcano erupting. Even General Kleist was fearful of her for Cecilia had finally shed the last of her nice person persona and was now easier to equate to the devil's evil twin then a person. Any empathy that she might have still had evaporated. After a few days and Cecilia had calmed down a little, Kleist asked her about it, “That fucking whore got herself knocked up by the man that I deserve. He was supposed to be mine; do you understand; Mine and she stole him.” She shrieked “So general when the fuck are you going to get your men into the field?” “Milady it be the middle of...” Cecilia cut him off “Middle of fucking winter my fucking ass!! That cunt has her army in the field and now I have just been informed that she is demanding that I leave not only England, but the British islands all together!” “Milady, please clam down. This town is well stocked with food and water. The army is ready to go, but to fight in the winter is begging for disaster. Just give me until spring then I will scatter that cunt's forces and bring you Luke.” “See that you bring me Marion's head on a pike as well general or it will be your head on a pike. Now get out!” The general began to ride his troops hard in focusing on their training. He also began to make a contingency plan for if Marion somehow defeated him in battle. He decided that if that happened, he would take every man left in his army, race for the coast, and get out of England. He knew of Cecilia's wide range network so he would have to most likely head to the port of London to make his escape. A new problem made itself known in mid-January. The king of England had died and the throne was passed to Herold Godwinson just as Luke had told Marion's group. Cecilia of course didn't know this and sent envoys to meet with the new king and to pledge her allegiance. She couldn't go herself because she had her hands full with Marion. The only bit of good news was in early February when Cecilia found out that she was pregnant, but by this time Kleist didn't care anymore. He couldn't stand Cecilia and only stayed around so that he might still collect his bonus for getting rid of Marion. There was this too; Marion's troops seemed to be in possession of some new type of weapon. One that made thunder when they were used. Kleist didn't put too much stock in these reports but with so many coming in he figured that he just had to get a look for himself. He couldn't see any way in which thunder weapons could affect his heavily armored knights and highly disciplined infantry. With the end of February more bad news came in. Marion had given birth to a healthy baby girl and had married Luke. If this wasn't bad enough for Cecilia then the news that Marion's army was almost as large as hers was worse. By this time though Cecilia knew where Marion's main base was. The arrogant bitch had the nerve to set herself up one of the villages that Cecilia had depopulated and forced into York so she could keep an eye on them. Cecilia then got news that she would most likely get no help from King Herold for he was gathering men on the Isle of Wight to face the Norman threat. Nobody knew when the Normans would attack but it seemed like that attack could come at any time. As each day went by, Cecilia became more and more anxious for it was becoming increasingly obvious that waiting to rebuild the army hadn't been the right call. Marion was gaining strength by the day and she was becoming increasingly brazen for she was raiding almost right up to York's walls. These raids were becoming more effective as time went on. On 1 March 1066 Cecilia had enough. She ordered General Kleist and the entire army into the field with strict orders the either succeed or die. To make sure that these orders were followed Cecilia sent a number of her personal henchmen along with the army. It took the general and his officers almost three days to get the troops ready and march them out of town. Their objective was the village that Marion had taken over. Kleist estimated that the march would take about two days and then they would burn the village to the ground and leave no survivors. They would then go on to the other villages and raze them as well. As the general was leaving the city gates, he was shocked beyond belief to be joined by Cecilia and her personal guard. “If you lose general, then Marion will make sure that I die. If I am to die then I will die in battle.” The general could barely hide his disgust for Cecilia's guards were the worst examples of humanity. In addition, woman didn't belong on the battlefield and the general was going to prove that. As Cecilia rode out with him, the general was getting another idea. During the battle, he would make sure that Cecilia died and he would take over all of her lands. The first day out of town was pretty routine. The army made almost five miles the first day. They would have made many more but the roads were in terrible shape and the bridges had been destroyed. They also knew that Marion's troops knew where they were at for they could see scouts in the distance. That evening they made camp around the remains of an abandoned village. Form the looks of things, the village had very recently been abandoned and destroyed. That night, the general's officers set a heavy guard around the camp. Cecilia's nerves were trying to get the better of her but she was so far able to fight it. After all the general seemed calm and she was better than any man. The next morning the whole army knew that it was in trouble for every one of their night guards were dead. This made everyone more than a bit nervous for nobody heard a thing the night before and every one of the guards had their throats slit. The army got going within an hour of sunrise. All over there was signs of Marion's army. Men and woman lurked in the shadows of the army. If Cecilia's cavalry charged then the troops lurking disappeared without a trace. As Cecilia's army came to within a few miles of their goal, they stumbled onto Marion's army. Chapter 30. On 1 March, Marion received word that Cecilia was marching her army out of town. Marion had gotten word so fast because she had been able to slip spies into York and they were all equipped with advanced signaling equipment. They all had a set of flags and they all knew the code for sending messages. They would sneak up to a high place and signal their partners outside the wall. That partner would then send the message via telegraph back to Marion's headquarters. This was another one of the many advances that Luke had introduced into the army. It had been a serious stretch and was expensive as hell but he managed to find enough copper to make enough cable to reach York. When she heard the news, Marion wasn't worried though for she and her group of advisers had been discussing this for months. They had all traveled the entire area and studied the land. They knew where it would be to their advantage to fight and where not to. They had informed all the villages that were in the likely paths that when Cecilia's army started their march that they would need to evacuate or likely be killed. When Cecilia's army finally came out of the gates, Marion's scouts were watching and with the spy glasses that Luke had made could count the army as they came out of the gates. They even saw that Cecilia herself was with the army. All this was reported along with the army's path. Marion ordered that all villages along that route were to be immediately evacuated and burned. Her cavalry units helped the villagers get out of harm's way and even used their horses to pull wagons loaded with the villager's possessions. She didn't want to leave anything for Cecilia's army to use. Luke called this tactic scored earth and because Marion had helped the villagers get out of the way, they complied with her order. All through the day Cecilia's army was watched closely. The scouts had orders to let themselves be seen but only from a distance. They were not under any circumstances to get close enough to even remotely endanger themselves. That evening, Cecilia's army camped in one of the burnt-out villages and the next phase of Marion's plan was put into operation. It was time for more psy-ops. Gabriel and Pollyanna would move around the enemy camp at night and kill all the guards. If they could do so without being seen they would also leave signs in the camp itself that they were there. That night Gabriel and Pollyanna struck. The enemy had many more guards than they had figured on but the duo was still able to wipe out all the guards. Problem was that taking out all the guards took so long that they didn't have time to enter the camp safely. They reported this failure to Marion but she wasn't disturbed in the slightest. She privately figured that their plan was a bit too reckless anyway. Granted it would have been nice to leave signs inside the camp it just wasn't worth the risk to two of Marion's closest friends. As soon as they reported in, Marion ordered them to get a nap. The battle would begin in a few hours and those two would need to be at their best for Gabriel was the leader of Marion's bodyguards and Pollyanna's engineers would play a critical role in Marion's plans. To be continued in part 7, Based on a post by somethin fishy, for Sex Stories.

Welcome to the final episode of Season 15 of Geeks Corner! This week, there is a lot of ground to cover. This includes the reopening of Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure and the extended closure of Napa Rose. Over at Knott's Berry Farm, the family-friendly Knott's Spooky Farm has kicked off. In movie news, there are new trailers for Wicked: For Good and Zootopia 2. Finally, Star Trek will be making an appearance in the Rose Parade on New Year's Day as it kicks off its 60th anniversary celebration. The Geeks talk about all of this and more on this week's episode of Gees Corner! Join the conversation in the comments below! We'll see you 'round the corner!THE WEEK IN GEEKRadiator Springs Racers Reopens at Disney California Adventure https://dapsmagic.com/2025/09/radiator-springs-racers-reopens-at-disney-california-adventure-in-cars-land/ Napa Rose Closure Extended Into 2026 https://dapsmagic.com/2025/09/disneyland-resorts-napa-rose-restaurant-closure-extended-into-2026/ Knott's Spooky Farm Returns for Halloween Season https://dapsmagic.com/2025/09/knotts-spooky-farm-brings-added-family-fun-and-treats-to-knotts-berry-farm-for-halloween-season/ Final Wicked: For Good Trailer Released https://dapsmagic.com/2025/09/final-wicked-for-good-trailer-shows-something-bad-is-happening-in-oz/ Final Zootopia 2 Trailer Released https://dapsmagic.com/2025/09/final-trailer-released-for-zootopia-2-ahead-of-movies-november-release/ New Poster for The Simpsons Movie Sequel Released https://dapsmagic.com/2025/09/new-poster-and-release-date-unveiled-for-the-simpsons-movie-sequel/ Star Trek to Kick Off 60th Anniversary Celebration with Rose Parade Float https://dapsmagic.com/2025/09/star-trek-to-kick-off-60th-anniversary-celebration-with-rose-parade-float/ 

 Buckle in, b.tches. It is time for HOTober.   We are dedicating the month of October to feeling our best, living our best, and treating ourselves the best. In this episode I am laying out your 31-day plan to help you enter the craziness of the Holidays feeling calm, cool, collected AND hot. We will go over the simple shifts you can use to support yourself and how to hold yourself accountable for the duration on the month. No more waiting for the New Year to get it together. We are making the most of our time, prioritizing our health now. Ways to work with Heather: Not Another Diet Book: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Another-Diet-Book-learning/dp/B0B45Q4CLH/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1656499379&sr=8-1Schedule a Session: https://www.heathermaio.com/coaching-options

Just yesterday, at least 40 people were killed in a stampede at Vijay, an Indian superstar's, political rally. Improve your English with this horrible tragedy.✅ Speak Better English With Me https://brentspeak.as.me/

Begin your transformation early - 2026 New Year's Resolutions to help you be the best version of yourself yet! Are you ready to stop chasing trends and create lasting change? I'll give you a road map for personal growth, transformation, and rebirth (PLUS A FREE PLANNER!) that helps you build sustainable habits, break free from negative self-talk, and confidently enter a new era of you.Discover why most New Year's resolutions fail, and learn powerful strategies - consistency over intensity, mindset shifts, identity-based change, self-compassion, and mindful digital boundaries - to lock in growth that lasts.Whether you're listening today or months from now, now is the perfect time to start…….

Join us for the first in a series of director interviews from the roster of Cry, the creative and post studio behind this podcast. First on the list is none other than Michela Maria, a self-described “Slice of Cake” filmmaker.Michela's work spans comedy shorts for Adult Swim, Above Average, and Funny or Die, along with commercials for brands like Netflix, HBO, Amazon, Google, and more. She's also collaborated with Isabella Rossellini on a project exploring her Italian-American family. Needless to say, her work speaks for itself, and we think you should check it out if you're not already familiar.In this conversation, Michela shares behind-the-scenes insights on her path into directing, the struggles and joys of production, and the importance of trusting your gut. She also gives us a glimpse into her upcoming feature film, The Eel, which follows a mysterious New Year's Eve death rooted in Italian-American superstition.If you value the craft of directing and hearing creative insights, you don't want to miss this one.Links:Michela's WorkMichela's SiteMichela's InstagramIf you want a shoutout in a future episode please leave us a written review on Apple podcasts. From CRY, a Creative, Production, and Post house based in New York City. Brought to you by CRY www.filmcry.com Intro mixed by Micheal Hartman - michaelhrtmn4@gmail.com

October Monthly Reset Routine 2025 | The Ultimate Reset Checklist with ChatGPTDiva!! Stop waiting until New Year's to change your life. The women who win don't wait... they reset every single month. Today, I'm walking you through my ultimate monthly reset routine: goals, habits, space, self-care, digital declutter, and mindset. By the end of this episode, you'll feel organized, aligned, magnetic, and unstoppable !!This is your October glow-up blueprint and the best part?! You're not doing it alone. Meet your new digital assistant: ChatGPT. Think of her as your personal house manager, fitness coach, and productivity motivator all in one.So grab your iced coffee (or fall latte) and let's reset your entire life for October together!TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Start Your Goals Now, Not Later00:14 Welcome to the Ultimate Monthly Reset Guide00:57 Chapter 1: IT Girl Goals Refresh Checklist01:58 Reflecting on Last Month's Wins and Flops10:55 Chapter 2: Your Ultimate Reflection Guide15:07 Chapter 3: Monthly Space Refresh Checklist17:15 Chapter 4: Monthly Digital Reset20:00 Chapter 5: Self-Care Reset23:56 Join the Glow Up Community25:56 Final Thoughts and Thank YouAccess exclusive content tailored to your own self improvement journey needs for less than $3 a month! Join the Patreon for VIP Glow Babes and Divas: https://patreon.com/GetUpandGlow?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkCosy Island Shoes: https://tinyurl.com/5xjkdz72Use discount code YT10Madison for 10% off at checkout Shoes featured:Moodboots Stiletto Sock Ankle Boots: https://tinyurl.com/dzbaj5bu GraceLithe Pointed Toe Heeled Mules: https://tinyurl.com/47snh4hw Diamond Pointed Toe Heeled Pumps: https://tinyurl.com/rn38twsj #cosyisland #cosyislanders #comfyheelsThe pinkest Linktree you've ever seen: linktr.ee/getupandglowpodcast Get Daily Tips To Become The BEST Version of Yourself! Follow The Socials

This episode is brought to you by my inner fat ass. I used to let this time of year absolutely destroy me. I would feel like complete garbage by the new year: sluggish, lethargic and ragingly disappointed and disgusted in myself. I would eat and drink whatever I wanted because I knew at the new year I would go on a "hard diet" and cut out the vast majority of anything savory, sweet or alcoholic. While that restrictive phase definitely produced results, that restriction plus the disappointment of gorging at the back end of the year didn't necessarily lead to much internal happiness. I explain here how I fixed this cycle of extremes. If you feel like you've struggled on and off diets all year, just to throw in the towel in October, only to feel even worse by January, my ramblings may be helpful to you. If I didn't explain it well, or there are questions, just contact me! I'm always happy to discuss this as I feel our health is the most important aspect of life.Contact Mike:Mike Sinopoli - NASM Certified Personal Trainer & Nutrition CoachInstagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn: @mfswellness email: mike@mfswellness.comphone: 630-361-4907www.mfswellness.com 

Today's edition is sponsored by the Ragged Mountain Running and Walking ShopSeptember 30 is the final day of the federal fiscal New Year and one version of today's Charlottesville Community Engagement could perhaps have been about how this region might be affected by a federal shutdown. Each edition of this newsletter could be a lot of different things, but what gets selected is usually a matter of what is available for me to write.I'm Sean Tubbs and for a story on the looming shutdown, I refer you to the Virginia Political Newsletter by my colleague Brandon Jarvis.In today's installment:* Albemarle Supervisors have endorsed their legislative priorities for the 2026 General Assembly while Charlottesville City Council is still working on theirs* Jaunt turns 50 this year and is seeking stories from riders* Albemarle Supervisors get a progress report on climate action initiatives including where $522K in spending will go this fiscal yearThanks for reading Charlottesville Community Engagement ! This post is public so feel free to share it.First shout-out: A Week Without DrivingHow different would your life be if you didn't have a car? From Monday, September 29 to Sunday October 5, Livable Cville invites you to join the local Week Without Driving experience. The goal is to learn more about barriers and challenges that nondrivers face in our community and to reflect on the challenges you would face as a full-time non-driver.There are many reasons why people do not drive, including people with disabilities, youth, seniors and those who can't afford vehicles or gas. A third of people living in the United States do not have a driver's license, but are forced to navigate a mobility system designed almost exclusively for drivers.Livable Cville expects the Week Without Driving experience will help participants better appreciate the challenges and barriers they face. For more information and to register your participation, please visit: https://livablecville.org/weekwithoutdrivingLocal elected officials preparing for 2026 General AssemblyThere are over a hundred days left until the 2026 session of the Virginia General Assembly and less than two months until legislators can begin to pre-file bills.Across Virginia, localities are determining what priorities they would like to see turned into legislation.At their meeting on September 15, Charlottesville City Council went through a long list of suggestions from the Planning Commission, the Human Rights Commission, and the Office of Sustainability.“Energy prices are going up,” said Kristel Riddervold, the city's sustainability director. “Legislative priorities related to expanding distributed energy, meaning solar, all over the place in different ways.”Riddervold said city priorities are for the Virginia General Assembly to maintain the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act, full funding for the Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Bank, and reform of rules for construction of data centers. You can see the full list here.The Human Rights Commission submitted a three page list including a request for legislation for expanded rights for those who rent, a request for localities to have right of first refusal to purchase supported housing units, and a $60 million state fund for housing assistance to support 5,000 families. Another legislative request is to require all Virginia localities to maintain a public homeless shelter. You can view this list here.Vice Mayor Brian Pinkston said many of those ideas seem very aspirational and may not take into account political realities.“The one that says here, ‘require that each county and city in Virginia maintain a public overnight homeless shelter or fund a private equivalent,'” Pinkston said. “I mean, that would be lovely because we're, we're doing this. I have a sense for neighboring counties and communities, the work that we're doing here. But does that have any hope of being passed?””City Councilor Michael Payne said many of the Human Rights Commission's requests are part of statewide efforts and many of the aspirations could get through depending on who holds the majority in 2026.“There definitely [are] some that potentially I think really could get passed this year, including like the 5,000 family funds or first right of refusal, but for example, the homeless shelter one you mentioned. I mean, I would feel. I think we could all feel confident saying there's no chance that passes this year.”The Planning Commission submitted a list of 15 potential pieces of legislation. The first addresses the section of state code that is at the heart of the lawsuit against the city's zoning code. Number six is a reintroduction of failed legislation that would allow localities to tax land and improvements at different rates. (view the list)Council will have a further discussion on October 6 before adopting their legislative agenda on October 20.The Albemarle Board of Supervisors is a little further ahead and had the third of three work sessions at their meeting on September 17. Albemarle has four legislative priorities, three of which would involve legislation and the fourth being a budget amendment.“First, we're seeking as a priority enabling localities to enforce the Virginia Landlord Tenant Act,” said County Attorney Andy Herrick. “We're also carrying over from past years expanding the authority to use photo speed monitoring devices.Currently those are limited to road construction work zones and school zones and Albemarle wants to be able to use them on rural roads. Albemarle also wants the General Assembly to try again on legislation to allow localities to hold a referendum on whether to levy a one cent sales tax to fund school construction.“This is an initiative that has been sought in prior years, that's passed the Assembly and been vetoed by the Governor in the past two years,” Herrick said.The budget amendment relates to another item Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed this year. The legislature's version of the budget had funding for a connector trail to connect Biscuit Run Park with the Monacon Indian Nation Tribute.Supervisors adopted their legislative priorities and the next step is to schedule a meeting with area legislators.To learn more about some of the statewide issues, read this story in the Virginia Mercury from Charlotte Rene Woods.Jaunt turns 50 this year and seeks travel storiesAs the Week Without Driving continues, one way people participating might get around is public transit. In addition to Charlottesville Area Transit, the region is served by Jaunt, a public service corporation that formed in 1975.To celebrate, Jaunt is asking people to submit their stories of using the service.“As we look back on 50 years of service, we know the most important part of Jaunt's story is the people we serve,” said Mike Murphy, Jaunt's Chief Executive Officer. “Our mission has always been rooted in community, care, and connection—and this anniversary is about celebrating the ways Jaunt has supported essential regional needs for mobility across generations.”Jaunt was created as Jefferson Area United Transportation but the acronym became the official name in 1983.Have a story from that time? Tell Jaunt at the website they've created.Second shout-out: Five Things ReLeaf has done recently!Time for a subscriber-supported shout-out, this time for ReLeaf Cville!* On April 21, ReLeaf Cville celebrated Arbor Day 2025 by talking with 40 fourth grade students at Greenbrier Elementary about the importance of urban tree canopy, and then planting a tree on the preschool playground* On April 25, the Van Yahres Tree Company donated time and energy to provide tree care to 45 trees ReLeaf planted in the Rose Hill Neighborhood, Fall 2023* On May 10 at RiverFest, Green Team members Moos and Antony joined Keith Pitchford, Board vice-chair, and Cathy Boyd, Executive Director, in providing information about ReLeaf Cville and playing Tree Bingo* In May, C-Ville Weekly profiled ReLeaf Cville's efforts to help homeowners turn their yards into leafy oases - and cool their neighborhoods.* The fourth annual Green Team session took place this week and was designed to equip rising 9th-12th graders in tree knowledge and tree care skills, this year's schedule includes sessions co-led by the Rivanna Conservation Alliance, Van Yahres Tree Company, Master Naturalists, Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards, Community Climate Collaborative, and Steve Gaines, Charlottesville's Urban Forester.Albemarle Supervisors briefed on Climate Action programs, $522K in FY2026 spendingFor the past eight years, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors has been in support of efforts to monitor greenhouse gas emissions as part of an international bid to keep global temperatures from rising. For six years, though, a different set of elected officials opted out of the program.On September 17, 2025, the six elected officials got a briefing from staff on county and regional efforts to reduce emissions and adapt to a world of higher temperatures and more volatile storms. They were also briefed on how staff plans to use $300,000 the Board dedicated to the issue at the end of the FY2026 budget process as I reported at the time.Resources:* 44-page progress report from Albemarle staff* Slide presentation from the briefingBut first, some recent history.Recent historyIn June 1998, local leaders signed a document called the Sustainability Accords, a series of statements intended to solidify the work of several environmental groups working in the area. While climate action itself was not mentioned, the document called for the development of “attractive and economical transportation alternatives to single occupancy vehicle use” and called for the promotion of “conserv[e]ation and efficient use of energy resources.”In December 2007, Albemarle Supervisors voted to adopt a goal of reducing carbon emissions by 80 percent by the year 2050. At the time, Supervisor Ken Boyd voted for the “Cool Counties” initiative though he expressed concern about the potential impacts. (read a story I wrote then)In the years that followed, a group called the Jefferson Area Tea Party raised concerns about both the resolution and the county's membership in the International Council for Sustainability. The ICLEI group provided resources to measure greenhouse gas reductions and Boyd sought to end participation“We are being infiltrated in local government by an agenda that is set by this international organization,” Boyd said in early May 2011 as I reported at the time. “I think it's now a cancer that is infiltrating our local government here.”By that time, two other Republicans had joined the Board of Supervisors giving Boyd votes he needed to change direction. Democrat Lindsay Dorrier Jr. was a swing vote.Lane Auditorium was packed on the night of June 8, 2011 with some in the crowd defending sustainability efforts and continued participation in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Members of the Tea Party claimed that civil liberties were being threatened.At the end of the meeting, Supervisors voted 4-2 to end participation in ICLEI as I reported at the time. Three months later, they ended participation in Cool Counties as reported in the Charlottesville Daily Progress.However, the Republican majority would come to an end in 2013 after Democratic candidates defeated Duane Snow in the Samuel Miller District and Rodney Thomas in the Rio District.Back on the jobIn September 2017, Supervisors voted to adopt a resolution to “support local actions to reduce climate pollution.”“In October 2019, the Board adopted greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets in line with the Paris Agreement,” said Jamie Powers, a county employee since 2023 who is now Albemarle's Climate Program Manager. “The next year, October 2020, the board adopted the Climate Action Plan and stood up the Climate Action Program to implement that plan and help get the community's emissions down in line with the board's targets.”The targets now call for a 45 percent in emissions reductions from 2008 levels by 2030 and to be carbon-free by 2050.Powers said emissions continue to climb across the world and the effects of climate change are here now as a present crisis rather than one for the future to deal with.“The impacts are generally going to be worse over time and increasingly unpredictable unless we can get global emissions under control,” Powers said. “And we do have a role to play locally.”Albemarle's reduction targets are in line with the Paris Agreement which set a framework to reduce emissions so that the increase in global warming could be kept below 2 degrees Celsius. The increase is now at 1.5 degrees.Powers said climate change itself is not the underlying problem.“It is a symptom of a set of problems,” Powers said. “This socioeconomic system that we have, it works exactly as designed and it brings us to a climate crisis and a biodiversity crisis and all these sorts of things. So if we are going to effectively address the climate crisis, we need to take a look at our systems and address things appropriately.”The models used by Albemarle and other local governments are complex and conform to the Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories. These are put together by ICLEI and emissions come from many source sectors.“The major sectors of emissions are transportation, stationary energy, and that includes solar,” said Greg Harper, Albemarle's chief of environmental services. “That would be kind of like reducing that stationary energy. Ag force and land use is a smaller contributor and then waste as well.”Albemarle resumed doing inventories in 2018 and Harper said emission levels dropped during COVID but increased for 2022. Data is about two years behind. Harper said reductions can be decreased many ways, such as if many groups can work together to reduce a metric known as “vehicle miles traveled.”“We don't want to stop activity in the county, obviously, but we want to shift people from driving a car by themselves to taking mass transportation, getting on their bicycle for smaller commutes,” Harper said.Powers said Albemarle has been active in many ways to encourage reductions such as supporting home energy improvements, providing “climate action activity kits” through a nonprofit, installing electric vehicle chargers, and creation of the Energy Resource Hub.Albemarle also provided several grants including $20,000 for the International Rescue Committee's New Roots farming program to allow them to electrify equipment and improve their agricultural practices.“If we break down some of the things that they were doing from their composting practice, we calculated that about 25 tons of carbon dioxide is sequestered by them using the composting practices,” Powers said. “About 5 tons of avoided emissions by removing synthetic fertilizers from their operations.”All told, Powers said about 38 tons of carbon dioxide emissions were prevented.Albemarle County is also collaborating with the City of Charlottesville and the University of Virginia on the Resilient Together initiative which seeks to create a resilience plan to adapt to a different weather pattern. That will come before the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors in early 2026.FY2026 fundingPowers also outlined a recommendation of how Albemarle might put that $300,000 to use, as well as another $222,000 in carry over funds for climate action.“The Board made it clear we wanted to emphasize projects that are going to get the most value in terms of emission reductions in FY26,” Powers said.The Residential Energy Improvements line item is intended to assist property owners with lower incomes and that $237,000 does not include another $150,000 the county received through the federal Community Development Block Grant program.“A lot of times, especially in low income households, energy is going out the window, literally,” Powers said. “And so how can we help those folks tighten up their envelopes so when they're turning the AC or the heat on, it's still staying in the home instead of heading out the window.”The Local Energy Alliance Partnership (LEAP) and the Albemarle Housing Improvement Program (AHIP) are partners on that project. Powers said the goal will be to reach up to 50 homes, decreasing emissions classified as “stationary” energy. He estimates the return on investment will be about $3,000 per ton of emissions prevented.Another $100,000 will be spent on energy efficiency in county-owned buildings.“Most likely implementation looks like LED installation, LED fixture installation, likely at two different buildings,” Powers said. “If we transition the equivalent of the space of Northside Library to those fixtures, we would reduce again in that stationary energy category, one of those four categories by 0.03 at $700 per ton and annually that'd be a 143 ton reduction.”Albemarle funded the Energy Resource Hub in FY2025 at the $100,000 level and an additional $63,000 for this year. This is a program that helps homeowners find rebates and other incentives.Partners have not yet been found for the Climate Action Collaboration initiative.For previous coverage on climate action issues, visit Information Charlottesville.Reading material for September 30, 2025* Whistleblowers accuse HUD of ‘systematically undermining' fair housing laws, Ryan Kushner, Multifamily Dive, September 25, 2025* HUD cuts multifamily mortgage insurance premiums, Julie Strupp, Multifamily Dive, September 26, 2025* Albemarle County to consider delay on data center ordinance, Jenette Hastings, WVIR 29NBC, September 28, 2025* Watershed mapping project shows rapid loss of forests, offers new view of Va.'s changing landscapes, Evan Visconti, September 29, 2025* Charlottesville's schools are old. Local officials are trying to change that, Brandon Kile, Cavalier Daily, September 29, 2025* Afton Scientific breaks ground on $200 million expansion in Albemarle, Kate Nuechterlein, September 29, 2025What's the ending, #929?Today I could not get moving. Something is off but my job is to bring people information. I picked up four new paid subscribers since posting the May 2025 transactions, and it is important to get out what I can.The story I wanted to tell today was an accounting of yesterday's traffic congestion caused by a truck hitting a bridge under construction that carries Old Ivy Road over the U.S. 250. I lack the resources to get such a story together but I have questions about whether such an incident is covered by emergency management officials in the area.There are so many stories I want to tell, and sometimes the best I can do is link to other people's coverage. Here's a story from VPM. Here's one from 29NBC News. Here's another from CBS19. How about Cville Right Now?There is a lot of rhetoric about climate action and moving people out of automobiles. Is any of it having any effect? Are fewer people driving alone? How many people are paying attention to this issue? What is the community supposed to do when a major highway is shuttered for hours? Are we all so endless trapped in a news cycle that solutions remain elusive, situations remain intractable?I don't have the answer but I know I want to be part of an information ecosystem that seeks to do better than what we have at the moment with a series of wicked problems that are difficult to solve in this era of fragmentation.So what's today's ending? A note that David Bowie's Diamond Dogs helped me think this morning and this 1973 special seems important. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Psalm 119:67, which says, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.”   *Transcription Below*   Doug Rumbold is a child of the living God, a loving husband to Jessica, and father to Jada, Oliver, and Pierce. Currently he is the Pastor of Counseling & Discipleship at Northfield Christian Fellowship where he has pastored since 2006. He desires for others to be transformed into Christlikeness through authentic relationships. He holds a biblical counseling certificate from CCEF, a Bachelor's in Youth Ministry/ Adolescent Studies, and a Master's of Ministry in Theology.   Connect with Doug on Instagram, Facebook, or schedule a counseling session through his website or order Doug's Book.   Presence over Pain Podcast When did you experienced your first major loss? What are the three types of suffering you see laid out in the Bible? Will you share one of your conversations with the Lord where He responded with alliteration?   Thank You to Our Sponsors: Chick-fil-A East Peoria and The Savvy Sauce Charities (and donate online here)   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”   Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”   Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”   Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”   John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger: (0:09 - 1:38) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.    I want to say a huge thank you to today's sponsors for this episode, Chick-fil-A East Peoria, and Savvy Sauce Charities.   Are you interested in a free college education for you or someone you know? Stay tuned for details coming later in this episode from today's sponsor, Chick-fil-A, East Peoria. You can also visit their website today at https://www.chick-fil-a.com/locations/il/east-peoria.    Doug Rumbold is my guest today. He is a pastor of counseling and discipleship, and he has recently written a book entitled Presence Over Pain. With Doug's biblical foundation and his sense of humor, he's now going to share some personal stories of suffering and God's continued faithfulness.   He illustrates how a yearness of God is oftentimes born through trial. So, regardless of what each of us are walking through today, Doug's going to remind us that we have the opportunity to turn toward Christ. Here's our chat.   Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Doug.   Doug Rumbold: (1:39 - 1:42) It's exciting to be here, even virtually.   Laura Dugger: (1:42 - 2:02) Well, and its always kind of special to have a local friend join me as a guest on the podcast. But for those who don't know you yet, I think it would be really helpful to hear your story and gain some context around what led you to write this book. So, will you just begin by sharing your story with us?   Doug Rumbold: (2:03 - 6:09) Yeah, I love stories in general. I think when I look at Scripture, three-quarters of it, roughly, is a narrative. It's a story.   And so, God's heart for story is just critical, even in His communication of truth and His love for us. So, it means everybody's story matters. So, my little story matters.   And I think mine's an interesting one. To begin with, I was born and raised in Morton, Illinois. And I was born the seventh of eight children.   So, my parent's kind of did this, like, unbelievable quantity of births in a short amount of time. I'm not a woman, so I don't understand how this works. But I assume that having eight children in 10 years is crazy.   And they somehow managed to do that. So, I grew up in a loving Christian home. My dad was a phenomenal example of intention and direct when it came to conflict, merciful and forgiving when it needed to be called upon.   My mom was and still is somebody who she could have a conversation with anyone. I love my mom, her ability to just dive deep into conversation. I remember my college years.   My friends from college would actually love to come home to be with my parents, which is kind of odd. A bunch of college guys like, “Hey, can we come back from the big city of Chicago and go hang with your parents in the farm town?” Sure.   Yeah, enjoy. So, I grew up seventh of eight. My oldest sister passed away before I was born at the age of four.   She was actually buried on her fourth birthday, sadly. She passed away from leukemia. And then my youngest brother passed away my freshman year of college, which I talk about in the book a little bit.   So, for all of my growing up years, there were seven of us, not eight. And then the family just kind of continued to expand. Everybody eventually got married and had children.   And now on my side of the family, there's 35 grandkids. So, those are like pre-Medicaid type family backgrounds. You know, like you get together and everybody's going to take a Tylenol before because it's gonna be nice and loud and crazy.   But I would say from just a believing perspective at eight years old, I remember being in the basement of my church in Morton. My Sunday school teacher just giving a really compelling description, not just of how like, oh, you're going to burn, but more of a what does it look like to be separated from God for eternity? What might that be like?   And I was terrified but also had enough of these people pleasing mentality that I also didn't want to be the person who asked another question and held the class up. So, later on, I found out that it was easier for me to have that conversation. I think my mom discovered me kind of in tears, maybe even later that day.   And it was like, I don't think I know Jesus. And she's like, well, we can like, let's have a conversation. What's that look like?   And let's pray together. And so, at eight was when that became a reality in my life. And then really at 15 years old, coming home from a mission trip to Mexico, I ended up having just an awesome experience there and got baptized by a minister from our church.   His name was Dwayne. He was awesome. And then as I think through just, I mean, I mentioned it already, our family is really well acquainted with loss.   My oldest sister, my youngest brother, and then just some of our ongoing journey. My wife has an ongoing illness that requires a lot. It is a challenge for sure for her.   And then I think all of that kind of balls up together to frame a lot of where the content from my book comes from. Just living a life of non-ease has really kind of brought me to this place of if it's not going to go away or if it hasn't been taken away, what is it that sustains and how do I move through it and past it?   Laura Dugger: (6:09 - 6:32) And I definitely want to hear more elements of the book. But first, I'm just thinking through this. You said seven of eight and your youngest brother and you all are close in age.   So, to bring us into your story further, what age were you when you suffered that major loss of your brother and how did he pass away?   Doug Rumbold: (6:32 - 9:06) Yeah, that's a great question. So, my parents had all of us in 10 years. So, in 1969, they were married.   1970 is when they started cranking out children. And then 1980 was when my brother after me was born. And then it was 1997.   So, it's actually Halloween night of 1997. So, I was a freshman in college. I just moved away.   This was before cell phones. It's almost hard to imagine. But I was lying in my bed at night.   And my brother, my other brother, Ed, was at college with me as well as my sister, Jennifer, in the West suburbs in Elgin. And my brother tried to contact me because Ben had been in a car accident. So, he had been taking a walk with this girl he was getting to know.   And we live out in the country in Morton. So, you'll recognize these road names just because we're local. But if you know Tennessee, Tennessee and Harding, there's that intersection.   And my family grew up on Harding. But going down Tennessee Avenue, going north, a gentleman who actually ended up being our neighbor was coming over top of the hill. And he was changing a cassette tape, also a relic of the past.   And he was changing the cassette tape. And my brother was walking on the side of the road with traffic. So, his back was to oncoming traffic.   And the car struck him from behind. And he was essentially and effectively dead at the scene, but kind of for the benefit. And I will talk about this in the book a little bit.   The benefit of us, my other two siblings and I in Chicago, they, you know, rushed him straight to the hospital and then put him on life support. But he never had brain activity or anything from the moment that he arrived at the hospital till the following morning. We were asked, you know, how we wanted to continue.   And probably in the hardest decision that I've watched my dad make was to pull the power cord on life support. I mean, my dad was all about responsibility and he wasn't going to let somebody else do that. And my dad was also very quick in his ability to make a decision, even if the decision was hard.   And so, he just knew this was not, you know, technically Ben could have survived on life support. But he would have none of the vitality that he had had his entire 17 years prior. And so, that just was not an option.   Laura Dugger: (9:07 - 9:29) Goodness, Doug, I can't imagine that's one of those decisions you hope to never have to make as a parent. And then with your family grieving this sudden loss and then also working through forgiveness of a neighbor. What did that look like?   Doug Rumbold: (9:30 - 14:14) That's actually one of the most redeeming. I mean, again, God does this where he just kind of the Genesis 50 moment where it's like what the devil intended for harm. God meant for good.   And I remember his name was Mark. He's since passed. It happened in 97.   And I remember him coming to the door, you know, how people come to your house, and they provide condolences after a loss. And so, Ben was well known at high school. He worked with special needs children and was in the performing arts.   And so, he was just really well liked. And so, there was a high school kid. So, there's a steady stream of people coming, grieving kids, all that.   And I remember coming back from college and I remember not saying, I literally did not say a word for three days. My way of processing then was very inward. And so, I just remember being very silent.   I should correct myself. I didn't say a word other than what I'm about to tell you. Mark came to the house and Mark was in his mid-40s at the time.   And he was crushed. I mean, can you imagine what that would be like? And so, he shows up at the house.   And as he's coming up to the door, I remember my dad saying he pulls all of us kids aside. He says, “I want to tell you something. Mark is here.   He's coming up to the door. And right now, you have a choice. Forgiveness is never about how you feel.   It's about obedience. If you will forgive him now, I promise you will never struggle with bitterness toward him in this way. But it is an act of your will.   You must choose to forgive. But I'm not going to make you do so, like if you don't want to forgive him, that's fine. But I'm telling you right now, forgiveness is key.”   And I remember walking out to the door and greeting Mark and just giving him a hug and then looking at him in the eyes as a 19-year-old freshman in college and saying, “hey, Mark, I've done what you've done 100 times. You know, I've swerved off the side of the road. And so, I just want to let you know, I hold no ill will against you, and I completely forgive you.”   And he didn't really know what to say, just kind of mumbled some level of gratitude, I think. But it was kind of quiet. I had no idea the power in that moment that was happening where I was not bound to hold it against him.   And my dad was right. How many years are we removed from this? And I still had I never once thought, oh, what a jerk.   I can't believe you. I never struggled with anger toward God over the loss of my brother. These were things that I think could have happened had I held on to not being forgiven and not released Mark from that.   And probably the greater redemption happened over the years where over the next seven years, he would see my parents or my family around town, and he would always kind of hang his head. And my dad would always make it a point to say hi and to try to contact him and be kind. But Mark was just sullen, and it was difficult.   And then later on, Mark ended up having a pretty aggressive form of cancer. And by this point, my wife and I got married in January before. And I'll never forget.   We went to Carolina Beach. We lived in North Carolina at the time for just a quick getaway, the two of us. And we were coming back.   And on the drive back, I remember receiving a call from my dad and he's crying on the phone. He says, “Well, Mark just passed away.” And he goes, “but before he did, he invited your mother and I up to his hospital room.”   And when we walked in the room, he looked at me, he said, “Gary, I have I have often wondered why and how. Why would you forgive me? How did you muster the strength to do such a thing?”   And my dad, in his simplicity or whatever, was like, “Well, it's easy. I've you know, I've been forgiven. Do you know how much I've done?   Do you know what hurt I've caused other people?” And he says, “It's only natural that I should forgive you for what happened. It wasn't your intention.   Jesus forgave me. And so, I forgive you. Just real simple.”   And in that moment, Mark then began to ask what motivates. And my dad got to explain a relationship with Jesus Christ. And so, literally on his deathbed, just prior to passing, Mark turned his heart over to the Lord.   I mean, it was awesome. And so, just such a powerful story of forgiveness.   Laura Dugger: (14:16 - 19:48) And now a brief message from our sponsor. Did you know you can go to college tuition free just by being a team member at Chick-fil-A East Peoria? Yes, you heard that right.   Free college education. All Chick-fil-A East Peoria team members in good standing are immediately eligible for a free college education through Point University. Point University is a fully accredited private Christian college located in West Point, Georgia.   This online self-paced program includes 13 associates degrees, 17 bachelor's degrees and two master's programs, including an MBA. College courses are fully transferable both in and out of this program. 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We are all about sharing around here, sharing resources, sharing joy and sharing the good news about Jesus Christ.   We ask that you also will share by sharing financially, sharing The Savvy Sauce podcast episodes, and sharing a five-star rating and review. You can also share any of our social media posts on Instagram or Facebook. We are grateful for all of it, and we just love partnering together with you.   Now, back to the show. What are the three types of suffering you see laid out in the Bible?   Doug Rumbold: (19:50 - 21:29) Yeah, I'm not a theologian by any stretch, and so I'm sure I might be missing some. But I think when I look at all of Scripture, I guess I just kind of come away with three different forms of suffering. I see the first one that you kind of come across is the most poignant one is the suffering of Job.   Here's somebody who didn't do anything wrong, and he experiences catastrophic pain. So, the suffering that God allows in his sovereignty is the first form. The second one is the suffering that I caused.   Now, obviously, this is the one we first confront in Scripture, in the narrative. We see it in Genesis 3. But the story that most poignantly points this out to me is the story of David and Bathsheba.   Here's a king who has everything he needs and wants, and he should be out protecting and defending his kingdom. And instead, he's on his rooftop looking and taking what is not his. And so, there's suffering that I cause.   My pastor in college used to say, “You choose to sin, you choose to suffer.” And I think it's an apt description. And then the third form of suffering is the suffering that my faith brings.   I think about the apostles where they are called in by the council and arrested and beaten and told not to speak in the name. And what do they do? They walk out rejoicing, like, yes, we've been counted worthy to suffer.   Like, yeah, that's so different than the American version of Christianity at the present moment. We don't necessarily think that way. So, in short order, the suffering that God allows in his sovereignty, the suffering I cause in my sin, and the suffering my faith brings with persecution would be the three.   Laura Dugger: (21:30 - 21:42) Well, and I loved one of your quotes where you write, the earnest desire of my heart is that you come to understand the presence of God in and through suffering, no matter its cause.   Doug Rumbold: (21:43 - 22:03) Well, when I think about that, think of your own life, Laura. When you go back through ever since you just you surrendered your heart to Jesus, can you point to where were the deepest learning moments for you? What do you think? How would you answer that question?   Laura Dugger: (22:04 - 22:26) I do feel like I may be an anomaly here because some of it is from those seasons of grief or searing loss. But also, I would say in the really good times, the gratitude and joy that he provides, those have been some of my greatest leaps in faith.   Doug Rumbold: (22:28 - 24:32) Yeah, I think that's huge. I think it's one of those reasons why you see in Scripture this idea of we're supposed to be people who are thanking God even through our suffering. I think it's that rhythm or that habit of gratitude that can transform even what may appear hard or difficult.   In the book, that quote that you just read, I think comes from this idea that God communicates his presence to us in different ways because of the form of suffering or hardship that we're facing. If I'm somebody who is suffering because of what God has allowed, I look at the idea of our daughter with cancer, for example, and I think, okay, the hardship that she faced, it would not make sense for her to frame her life and her hardship with suffering in terms of confession and forgiveness of sin. She didn't sin to get sick.   And so, the idea of how God's going to communicate his presence to her in the suffering that he allows is more about what does it mean to endure with patience and joy? How does she endure hardship with patience and joy? In those ways, in that way, rather, I think that's how God begins to communicate his presence to her.   His nearness to her means he's not far because something is wrong with her and she needs to be discarded. It's more that he is quite near, and it's the recognition of that. It's this like my heart can be glossed over by the pain I'm facing, whether God allows it, I cause it, or my faith brings it.   It can be glossed over if I have an inward curve, if I have like this inward turn of sin and I can miss. How does God want to communicate his presence to me through this? I think that overall, most of us focus more on the suffering that we're experiencing at times than we do on God's provided presence.   Laura Dugger: (24:33 - 24:54) And that reminds me of something else where you later write about Psalm 119:67, which says, “Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word.” So, Doug, how did you experience the truth of this scripture through your experience with your daughter Jada?   Doug Rumbold: (24:56 - 27:57) Yeah, I think probably the safest and quickest description is pain has a way of getting our attention. Like your toe is just fine when you're walking to the kitchen at 2:00 a.m. to grab a drink of water and go back to bed. And then your toe makes its presence known when you kick the chair, right?   And you're like, oh, and then you're acutely aware of it. You know, you go back to bed and it's throbbing. You might put some ice on it.   Now it's cold. And pain is like that where it gets my attention when it's hit. And so, I was not aware, I don't think, of the depth of my self-reliance until every bit of control was removed from me.   So, particularly when I think of Jada's challenge, you know that before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word. There's this mercy in suffering that says ever so slightly, we are people who easily turn to ourselves and our resources before we will turn to God. My wife would say it this way, and I agree with her.   I think it's an excellent understanding of parenting. We both view parenting as a form of stewardship. So, if I get paid, which I do, you know, for my work as a pastor, I get paid, I steward that money.   It's not my money. The Lord owns the cattle on a thousand hills, right? So, if he owns everything, he owns even the finances that are put into my back pocket.   And the way that I steward it is the degree to which I am surrendered to him. And so, parenting is like that. God has given you the currency of children, and you have children that you are to steward back to God as an offering to him.   And my wife would say this, I just didn't know. I'm supposed to lay them down every day before the feet of God in full reliance and trust that he is a better parent than I will ever be. What happened in particular with our daughter showed how quickly we will take them back again, how quickly we will be people who will say, “Oh, well, I actually think I can make a better decision here than the Lord will.”   We would never say that out loud, but our control and our actions will illustrate that every day. It's one of the reasons why it's so easy to get offended when your kid sins against you. It's one of the reasons why it's so easy to be overwhelmed when your kid is far from you.   We can get to a place where though we are to steward our children back to God, like finances given to us, like children given to us, there's this idea we are supposed to be stewards. And so, I learned that I went astray from God. And I still do every day.   It's a thousand opportunities to return to him. Does that make sense or am I talking crazy?   Laura Dugger: (27:58 - 28:24) No, that makes that makes sense. And even I think you're talking about something probably a lot of us are relating to as parents of certain times where we really grasp we are not in control. So, will you even take us to that day where that first became a realization for you? Because you're a parent of I believe she was a five-year-old at the time. Is that right?   Doug Rumbold: (28:25 - 37:11) Yes, that day was awful. I would never want to repeat it. Jessica had it's not really a day, but a kind of a progression from kind of like a Thanksgiving time frame until January.   So, the short order is my wife was pregnant with our youngest and her date for delivery was supposed to be right after January 1st, because I remember thinking, are you kidding me? I'm going to miss the cutoff for claiming this dependent. And anyway, Thanksgiving, we had gone down to visit some dear friends of ours.   So, a shout out to John and Katrina. I'm sure they'll listen to this who live in Oklahoma. It's where I did my internship in college on like this orphan boys ranch.   It was awesome. I loved it and grew a great friendship with them. So, we were down there visiting them.   And my wife has this gallbladder attack. And the way she describes it, she felt like she was dying. And of course, she didn't wake me up because, you know, women can apparently experience pain and not make a big deal of it.   Men, that doesn't work. So, there's definitely a gender difference there. And so, she realizes as she's homeschooling Jada, this is not tenable.   I can't keep this up, especially if I'm going to have a child and everything. And so, we decided, oh, no big deal. We'll have just come back from our trip and decided we were going to put Jada in public school just for the last part of kindergarten.   And Jessica was going to give birth to the child and hopefully get the treatment that she needed because we took an ultrasound, and they discovered a bunch of gallstones. And it was rough. And so, we get back, and we go to the school, get the forms.   And basically, it was just filling out a couple of forms. Oh, yes. A bunch of check marks here, and a bunch of check marks there.   Get the dental form and all that. You need one last thing that we can't just sign away. You need to do a quick physical.   Now, Jada was feeling great doing everything. You know, all of her markers were fine. We go to a doctor from our church at the Tremont Medical Clinic and he performed just a simple physical.   And Jada was, you know, everything was just fine. And as he's palpating around her stomach, he's just kind of pressing there. And I don't know how doctors do this where they, you know, press on your stomach and they're like, OK, your organs are in the right place.   OK, I trust you. So, his face, like his countenance, just shifted. And Jessica and I were both in the room and he just kind of looks at me because I just can't reconcile this.   But to rule anything out, we're just going to have her get an ultrasound and be on our way. I remember thinking I had a hernia when I was young, maybe six months or something. I can't remember how old I was.   And so, Jessica and I went home that night and I mean, we were shedding tears like, oh, my goodness. Our sweet daughter has a hernia. Can't believe it.   What does this mean? She's going to have surgery, all this stuff. And never were we prepared for what happened next.   You know, the next morning she wakes up, and she takes Jada and Oliver, who's two at the time, to get the ultrasound in Peoria at a place called Peoria Imaging. And I stayed home. I was writing a sermon.   So, I'm sitting there working on a sermon from Mark, Chapter eight. And Jessica goes and I'm not hearing from her. I'm not hearing from her.   And then about three hours later, I got a call and she's like, so, they did an ultrasound and then they did like another one. And then they ordered a CT, and they just got done with the CT. And she goes and I just looked out in the waiting room and it's full and nobody's coming in.   And now they said that she needs an MRI. And I'm like, “What?” This doesn't seem like a hernia.   And she said, “Honey, I just asked the nurse, and they won't commit.” “Like they won't say anything,” I asked.   I kept asking if it's a hernia. And finally, I just asked one of the nurses, “Is it bad?” And the nurse said, “That she thinks it's significant.”   And I'm like, oh. And I remember that day then calling my dad or my parents and just kind of giving them updates along the way. Like, okay, you know, Jay is going in for a quick ultrasound, probably a hernia.   But then I remember calling my dad and my dad's on the phone with me right after I got off with Jess. And I just said, “So, it went from just a quick ultrasound to CT to an MRI.” And I said, “They just finished the MRI or they're in process.”   And they said, “That after the MRI, they want to send her to the hospital for blood work.” And my dad's only response was, “Oh, boy. I mean, it was just like,” and his voice quivered.   You know, the quiver of like the I don't know if I'm ready for this sort of quiver. And I can only imagine what's going through his head, having already lost two children and particularly one to cancer. He knows that feeling.   So, the day only got longer from there. I got a ride over there with my sister-in-law to Puri Imaging. And then we went to the hospital together and had to get blood drawn and all that stuff.   And that's a whole story in and of itself, the trauma of that for her. But I remember leaving the hospital and Jessica and I know at this point with the full weight of this is not a hernia, but we still don't have answers. Like every time I'm asking a question to a doctor or a nurse, they are deferring and deferring and deferring.   And my anger internally is kind of growing. And so, I'm a little, I'm not aggressive, but I'm assertive. And I remember driving away from OSF in Peoria.   And as we're driving away, Jade is just in the back seat looking out the window. And Jessica and I are in the front seat, just crying, but trying to hold it together, you know. And I look in my rearview mirror.   I'm like, “Hey, sweetie.” And she's like, “Yeah.” “Like, what are you thinking about?”   She goes well. I just can't decide what smoothie I want at Smoothie King. That was the day where they, you know, the scan that she had to have was an NPO, which means she can't have any food or liquid unless it's clear.   And so, she was starving. And at this point it was like 6:30 at night. So, she's super hungry.   And so, we went to the first location and the second location. They were all closed between Christmas and New Year's. So, no Smoothie King for her.   And that was the last time we remember eating at McDonald's as a family. And then that night the diagnosis finally came. We got back home.   We were home for 10 minutes. And we received a call from what ended up being her surgeon from Illinois Medical Clinic. And we were asked to come back into an after-hours appointment, which those are never good.   And so, we walk in the door. We sit down. There's not even a secretary.   The lights in the building are off. We were walking down this hallway to this last, you know, exam room. And Jada is just sitting there on the table.   Jessica is about ready to pop pregnancy-wise. And the doctor walks in and says, so, I assume you know why you're here. And I said, actually, we haven't been able to get a straight answer.   And we have no idea what's happening. And she goes, are you kidding me? She's like, I have to be the one to tell you this, that your daughter has kidney cancer.   And I think the thing that caught me was Jessica sitting on a chair kind of at the foot of the exam table. And instinctively, I mean, it was like it wasn't even – it was no coaching. There was no – Jada just kind of crumbled and her body just kind of fell onto Jess.   And Jess's mom has walked through cancer twice. And so, Jessica has lived this journey as well, just the difficulty of it. And so, for her, she's just like I know what this required of me when my mom had it.   And I had to take care of her when I was in junior high and then again when I was in college. And now I'm pregnant and now my daughter has cancer. It was unreal.   And then I wrote about it in the book, but the walk from the front door to the van where Jada's face was buried in my neck. And the warmth of her tears and just her body just kind of melted into mine as we're walking back to the van. And it's like I never want to forget that because the usefulness of it, how helpful it is for me to recall some things, to live in that place of like this is what you redeem, this is what you restore.   But it was hard as heck. And so, that would be what I remember from the day of diagnosis.   Laura Dugger: (37:13 - 37:26) It is so hard to imagine what that would look like to get that news. And I'm just wondering for you and Jess, what did your faith look like and what were your conversations like with the Lord at that point?   Doug Rumbold: (37:29 - 39:10) You know, I – because of the loss of my brother earlier, I don't – I mean that's a great question. And I don't mean this how it might sound or come across, but my faith was never – I don't think that my faith was an issue in terms of am I still going to cling to Jesus. It was just more of a – it was just – it was so hard.   I really wish I had words for it. I talk about this in another podcast that I did. I remember just feeling so overwhelmed and more of a feeling like we were treading water in the middle of an ocean.   And someone – you're like begging for a life raft and they hand you a cinder block. And you're like, not helpful. So, my faith, our conversations with the Lord, they were hard, and we were certainly super sad.   My wife would probably talk about how she was broken and quiet and learning afresh what it means to surrender. But she is methodical and consistent in her pursuit of the Lord and extremely faithful. And so, hers was sitting in solitude and just waiting and cry and lament and work through it all and then come out the other side stronger.   I process things a little bit more verbally. But I think our faith was strong. We were just shattered for the pain that she was experiencing for sure.   Laura Dugger: (39:11 - 39:35) That's a great way of putting it. And just like He promises, I have spoken – Mark and I have talked with you and Jess before. And you've shared how God continued to be an ever-present help in these times of trouble.   But will you share one of your conversations with the Lord where he responded to you with alliteration?   Doug Rumbold: (39:35 - 45:50) Yeah, the one that I think of is – and I write about it a little bit in my book. But I just remember thinking kind of two questions that I would ask. One was right after Pierce was born and we obviously weren't having any sleep.   So, if you look at the timeline, Jada was diagnosed on the 30th of December. The 2nd of January was Jessica and my anniversary. The 3rd was Jada's surgery.   The 10th was when her pathology came back. And the diagnosis went from 95, 98% cure rate, survival rate just fine to like 40 to 60% survival rate. And a different stage of cancer and the size of the tumor was much larger than they originally anticipated.   And so, we came home that night from the pathology report and wept and wept and wept. And then Jessica started labor that night. And it was a blizzard.   Our midwife didn't make the birth. And then Pierce is born on the morning of the 11th, which is the same morning that Jada and I were supposed to go back in now to have more MRIs, more blood work to determine had the cancer metastasized throughout her whole body instead of just in that one tumor. And it was assumed that it had and so, that's why they were checking everything.   And so, it was an urgent, you need to get there for this. I just kind of felt like the one question, one of two questions I was asking, but one of them was with conversation with the Lord was when will you relent? Won't you just relent?   So, I was never like struggling in my faith to the degree that I was going to toss it, but I was angry with God. I was like, come on, like, how does this work? Can you give, throw me a bone, basically.   So, that was one conversation. But the conversation that's most poignant is after he started to frame those things up a little bit and give more of a trellis to build on. I remember treatment had begun, which timeline, if you're looking at it, the 11th is when Pierce is born.   The 13th is when Jada started treatment. So, from like the 13th to the 18th, she had radiation. And then after that, for the rest of the year, eight months, whatever, she had chemo.   I remember one morning I never slept at the hospital. It was just not comfortable. It was always beeping, stuff like that.   So, I would often go down to the playroom. There's an activity room at the end of the hall on the sixth floor there at OSF. And I'd be down there with a lackluster cup of coffee and my Bible and journal.   And I'd watch the sunrise over the city of Peoria. And it would just be kind of like; I really couldn't hardly read. It would be more of me just like, because no one was awake.   That was the only time when it was semi quiet. And I would just have these out loud conversations with the Lord. Like, what's happening?   And the conversation, the question that I kept asking was, Lord, how in the world are we going to do this? How in the world are we going to make it through? That's really when he began to kind of press back in.   And I'm not, I don't know how to explain this, but more of a, I had a very tangible sense that as I'm sitting there on the sixth floor, that he was almost in the chair next to me. And he's just, he's like, okay, tell me more about your struggle. What's it like?   Help me to understand the pain of your heart. And so, I'm, I'm unloading these things to Him. And all of a sudden I noticed the time and it's like, oh, Jada is going to be waking up soon.   I need to get back there before they do rounds, you know, and the whole dance starts again. And so, I kind of like, oh, I want to return. It's like when you wake up from a dream and you're like, oh no, I want to finish the dream.   And you try to go back to sleep quickly. That's a little bit of how that conversation was working out. And I remember going back to the room and jotting a few more things down in my journal.   And then after that it goes, okay. The day was now full of motion. And I had forgotten about the conversation quite honestly.   And until that evening, I was like, okay, I'm just gonna, I told Jada, I'm like, “Honey, I'm going to run home real quick and shower, get a change of clothes and maybe get some real food. And then I'll be back. Okay.”   Don't worry. And so, I hopped in my car, I turned on my headlights, and I got out of the parking garage, and I got on 74. And right as I was getting on the bridge to cross over the Illinois to go back toward Tremont, it was, I mean, I don't know how people feel about this.   So, sorry if I start a theological controversy on your podcast, but, um, I, as I'm sitting there as audible as you and I talking back and forth, there's this sense of my spirit of like, you asked how you're going to get through Christ community and confession. But there was really beyond that, there was really no discussion. You know, it was more just like those three words got tossed out.   And so, I remember driving down the highway and almost like, uh, you're in a zone where it's like, you see the headlights, you know, going like right past you and, and nothing is distracting to me. And I remember thinking some of those things made sense to me, like, you know, yes, Christ suffered. Yes.   I need community around me, things like that. But confession was the one that I struggled with the most. Like what do you mean by that?   You know, because I had a courtroom idea of confession, like, okay, I got caught doing something I shouldn't have. I need to confess. What I did was wrong.   And there definitely is that element. But I came to learn later that confession is the Hebrew word. One of the Hebrew words for it actually means praise.   And so, there's this, there's this idea of caught up, being caught up in understanding the presence of God and you're confessing. It's the word that actually, more accurately, fits is declaration. And so, I'm like, oh, wow.   Okay. So, what you're saying then is these scriptures that I've been studying for years now, I I'm actually, it's about declaring them in praise over my life, over my circumstances, over my daughter as a way of help to get us through. Okay.   Laura Dugger: (45:51 - 47:09) By now, I hope you've checked out our updated website, thesavvysauce.com so that you can have access to all the additional freebies we are offering, including all of our previous articles and all of our previous episodes, which now include transcriptions. You will be equipped to have your own practical chats for intentional living. When you read all the recommended questions in the articles or gain insight from expert guests and past episodes, as you read through the transcriptions, because many people have shared with us that they want to take notes on previous episodes, or maybe their spouse prefers to read our conversations rather than listen to them.   We heard all of that and we now have provided transcripts for all our episodes. Just visit thesavvysauce.com. All of this is conveniently located under the tab show notes on our website.   Happy reading. And I just want to go back to something that you said, because you use the word relent. God, how long until you relent?   And yet he flipped that word and taught you that he will relentlessly continue to pursue you with his presence.   Doug Rumbold: (47:10 - 49:26) I'm glad that you draw that out because I think the relentless pursuit is in that question of when will you relent? It was one of our darker moments, even in marriage where my wife and I were both stretched to the max, totally thin and struggling. And it was an argument, you know, where I'm lying on the ground after my wife and I had just kind of like, I need you to take care of this.   And she's asking me to take care of something I'm not wanting to, and I'm holding my ground and I'm tired. She's tired. And aren't your best moments between midnight and 7am anyway?   And so, I remember laying on the ground. That moment was laying on the ground at the foot of my son's crib in our bedroom. And he was not sleeping.   He's a newborn. Newborns don't sleep easily. And I remember pounding the ground and actually saying, you know, when, when will you relent God?   Like when will you let up? And to see the connection between my question was the assumption that God had left the building that God had kind of punched the clock. Okay.   I'll be back by five. You know, like when instead, the way that He wants to communicate His presence to me in my suffering shows that He's relentlessly digging through every bit of self-reliance that I've set up to try to manufacture outcomes. And so, there, there's a way that His relentless presence is like, like waves on a shore one after the other, the rhythmic nature of it, the dependable nature of it, you can't stop it.   Nature of it is the way that He can and will use any circumstance trial in your life to communicate His presence to you. So, yeah, that's right. Its relenting is a releasing and letting go, but relentless pursuit is also this like dogged pursuit of us.   it's been said before that, that God or Christ is the hound of heaven, you know, like a blood hound with your scent who won't give up until He finds you. And so, similar to our experience for sure.   Laura Dugger: (49:27 - 50:00) Well, and you go into these stories and then also offer hope and offer so much scripture where you have poured over to help us make sense of suffering. And even see things where it's a very upside-down economy as God often has, where there's blessing in the affliction, but yet to close the loop on this story. Can you give us a picture of where your family is at today? Even the ages of your children and Jada's status?   Doug Rumbold: (50:01 - 52:27) Yeah, for sure. So, it's been a long journey for sure. Jada now is 18 and we are in preparation for her.   She is going to be going to Arizona Christian University in the fall. So, a nice short 24-hour drive away. And so, again, we're learning afresh what it looks like to lay down our children, but we're super excited about it.   We are super excited about the new friends she'll make. My wife and I have always said Jada is a spread your wings and fly sort of girl and cancer only proved that. So, we're super excited about that for her.   Our son, Oliver, who was two at the time, is now 14 where he's a freshman. He turns 15 this summer and I'm sure we'll be driving soon after. No concerns there.   And then my son, Pierce, is in sixth grade. And yeah, they all have their own interest's kind of across the board. Jada loves music and singing and playing piano.    Oliver is relationally. He's just this guy who enjoys mature conversation. So, like when we get together with our life group, you'll find him talking to the adult men just because he fits there. He's more of an old soul.   Pierce is our creative kid. He's always doing trick shots. And I mean, it's pretty crazy the stuff that he does. He's kind of fun like that and loves fishing and things of this nature.    So, yeah, all of my kids are very interesting and different like that. My wife is doing homeschooling for the boys, and she continues to be somebody who is a silent influencer in the lives of many, usually and primarily through prayer.   But I am amazed at how often the Lord uses her in the lives of other people to bring about change and transformation. She's just an excellent gifted counselor of people with the word of God and prayer. So, that's kind of where our family's at.   I've been at the time that Jada was ill, I was the youth pastor at Northfield and I'm still at Northfield though. I'm in a different role. I'm pastor of counseling and discipleship here at Northfield.   So, I have never left this community. So, I'm trying to think if there's anything else update wise. I don't think so.   I think it's pretty much it.   Laura Dugger: (52:27 - 52:30) And so, Jada is in remission.   Doug Rumbold: (52:30 - 55:11) Yes. She did have one other occurrence where she started having really acute headaches in 2013. Then, those acute headaches turned into taking her back for a checkup and the checkup revealed a lesion on her frontal lobe. So, a brain tumor.   We had to wait eight weeks to scan again. Those eight weeks were the hardest and worst that I think we've faced even from the first cancer. It was like, “Oh my goodness, we're going to have to go through this again.”   And then we had this season of waiting, you know, the eight weeks and then she was going back in for another scan to determine scope and growth. Also, you know, what type of craniotomy or brain surgery they were going to perform, to address it or whether it was going to be treated medically. Or how was that going to happen? And so, that all took place. Then, they did the scan, and we had to wait.   Normally we would have these scans, and it would be like a four-to-eight-hour turnaround. And you know that same day or even the next day we get a call from the St. Jude office, and they would say all clear. This one went one day, that was two days.   And I called and they said, “Oh, well, you know, the doctor will call you.” And I'm like, “Come on Beth.” You know, she was the head nurse that I've had relationship with for a while.   And she's like, “No, you know, the doctor will tell you.” And I'm like, “That's never good.” And come to find out, we had to wait until the end of that week.   So, it was not one day, not two days, not three days, not four days, but five. So, it went from Monday to Friday. And on Friday, the doctor called me after hours.   And I thought for sure it was, you know, here we go treatment time. And, um, she called back and said, the reason it's taken so long is because I had to have conference calls with, uh, Memphis, DC, LA, all these different cancer centers and looking at the imaging together. But when, when we laid the last image that shows the lesion over the newest one, the newest one shows nothing like it's completely gone.   And she goes, and it's definitely here. It's definitely something that requires intervention. And now it doesn't.   And so, she goes, I just wanted to confirm the anomaly. I'm like, that's not an anomaly. That's a healing.   And so, uh, Jada has been in remission, ever since. So, she's been, she's been doing good. In fact, her last cancer follow-up appointment was like three weeks ago and got the all clear.   So, praise God.   Laura Dugger: (55:11 - 55:44) Praise God. What an awesome, miraculous healing. I'm so thankful you shared that and really Doug with your unique career that you're in and the journey that you and Jess have been through and your love of scripture, you're putting all of this together and it really is such a gift, this book that you've written.   So, can you tell us just a little bit more of who this book is for and what people could expect to find when they read it?   Doug Rumbold: (55:45 - 57:54) Yeah. So, the book is for anyone because, and you would know this as well, but you're either heading into a trial, you're in the middle of a trial or you're on the backside of a trial. And there's never a moment in which you can say, “Oh, okay, well now I've learned and now I've arrived and now we're good.”   I do think that the preparation of our heart for trial is critical because it's going to come like we are going to face suffering of some form at some point. And so, it's good to know how to approach it. It's for anybody who wants to learn and grow and be encouraged.   But specifically, one of the things that I struggled with during our trial, and it's ongoing, you know, because of some of the stuff that we mentioned before ongoing health issues in our family and stuff like that. But I, what I found was people would be like, “Oh, here's a book.” It's only 320 pages on suffering.   I'm like, really? Thanks for that. I've got no capacity to do that.   So, I purposely wanted to write a book that you could personally sit and read like in an afternoon. It's so, it's short. It's like, you know, a hundred pages and it's digestible.   So, you could jump from one chapter to the eighth chapter if you wanted, and you would, you would still hopefully gain something. So, I wanted to make it uniquely accessible and heart focused. So, you'll find kind of like throughout the chapters, I have these like, so, truth to life.   And what I'm basically doing is trying to say, “Okay, we talked about something at a 30,000-foot view. What does it look like boots on the ground here?” I don't usually just spell it out for you.   I usually ask questions that are going to force you to address heart issues because scripture is pretty clear that all of our conduct flows from a heart that's filled with good or bad. So, people can expect to be challenged. They can expect to not have something that's too long and too hard to read, but they can also expect to find it kind of built around story a little bit.   That's one of the reasons why I use those different stories from scripture. I think we relate well and explain things well in a story.   Laura Dugger: (57:55 - 58:14) Definitely agree. We learn so much from Jesus's stories. Those stick with us and yours do too.   So, thank you for sharing all of those today. And if anyone desires more help and healing after today's conversation, where would you direct them?   Doug Rumbold: (58:15 - 59:59) The first thing that I would do is just encourage prayer. The idea of silence and solitude is where you can be begun to become aware of the healing that you may need and being able to just journal it down and have it right in front of you. That is probably one of the first steps.   Second thing I would say is to lean into community. COVID has kind of wrecked things in some ways where some people have gotten used to this idea of either online attendance or whatever. Nothing, nothing, nothing replaces the body of Christ in the tangible way.   And so, the idea of being with and around other like-minded believers is critical. But in terms of myself, the book that I wrote, it's available on Walmart, Amazon, Barnes and Noble. You can just search Presence Over Pain in a search engine and find it pretty easily.   I am currently in the works of working through like an audio version of it because some people prefer that. So, that will be forthcoming. You can find me on Facebook or Instagram.   I provide biblical counseling in person or virtually so, people can contact me through those platforms if they want to have a conversation. And the cool thing is those things happen. There's a number of different connections that God has made where people have either read the book or they know someone who read the book and my name was recommended and here I am a couple of months later having a conversation with someone who found me online.   And I love technology for that purpose. How can we come together and build around something in Christ? It's pretty awesome.   Laura Dugger: (59:59 - 1:00:31) That is awesome. And we will certainly add all of those links in the show notes for today's episode. In addition to the link to your own podcast where you dig a little bit deeper into the book.   And the name of that is also Presence Over Pain podcast. And Doug, you know that our podcast is called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for you today, what is your Savvy Sauce?   Doug Rumbold: (1:00:32 - 1:04:48) I love the question because practical is helpful. So, I think probably just some brief stories and then a couple of suggestions. So, I remember when I was younger, all seven of us children kind of growing up in the same house.   My dad had such a passion for us to know the word of God that he wanted us to all like sit down at the same time. And he was going to read a chapter of Proverbs. Well, can you imagine seven kids on a Tuesday morning trying to get ready for school?   And then your father saying, “Okay, everybody sit down.” Like nobody's going to be able to do that. And so, after a few failed attempts, what my dad did was he would, he would have a section that he was going to read, and he would start with the oldest child, and he would follow them around literally like follow them.   And he would just, he would read the word of God to them and then he would move to the next one and to the next one and to the next one and the next one. And I have memories of like even walking out the door, going to get on the bus and my dad following me right up to the door, reading the last bit of Proverbs to us. And so, practically speaking, you really cannot underestimate the value of intentionally diving into God's word daily personally.   Like don't let somebody else do it for you. It's so, personal. It's so, needed.   And just when you feel like it's not going to matter, the fruit of it will come forth. So, that's, that's one. And then the other story that kind of points to a practical reality is my wife grew up through her parents splitting up when she was, I think, second or third grade.   And just the difficulty of that, like the life of a single mom as she and her sister watched her mom go through that. But Jessica tells a story often of like not understanding and now understanding, but like she would knock on her mom's door and she would hear her mom crying and she would, she'd open the door and her mom would be face down on the floor, just, just praying and weeping. And she's like, hold on, honey.   Mommy just needs to be with Jesus. And it communicated this idea. And my wife has carried this on in our own family and in her practice of just like prayer and particularly prayers of lament are huge.   And so, practically speaking, what's that look like? I mean, I have an exercise. I'm sure you are being a counselor by nature would, would appreciate this.   But one of the things that you can do to learn how to lament is to look at a good number of the Psalms are lament Psalms. Like they're sad Psalms. Like Lord, my life stinks.   The wheels have fallen off and you're nowhere to be found. So, being honest with God is critical, but a simple assignment would be to read a lament Psalm, like Psalm 13 or Psalm 88 or Psalm 77, Psalm 42, any of those. And then as you read that Psalm, just the simple assignment is to like write your own Psalm of lament and then read it back to the Lord. You know, Lord, I felt like you were absent when my daughter was diagnosed with cancer, but I am going to trust in your unfailing love.   Like you see those pictures all throughout the Psalm. So, that's a practical, simple way to engage God. I think the last thing that I would say in terms of practical is the idea of rest from a perspective, you know, biblically it's called Sabbath.   Do you have a 24-hour period of rest? Because what you do when you Sabbath is you say something to God and to everyone else. It doesn't depend on me.   When I choose to rest, I'm choosing not to be productive. I'm choosing not to perform. I'm choosing only to receive.   I'm choosing to rest. I'm choosing to fall back into his arms. Rhythmically reminding ourselves of that for me, the way that that works out is like, you know, I'm a pastor.   So, Sundays are a workday. So, once I get home after Sunday until like noon, the following day is the time when it's like, okay, this is where I'm not going to be on my screen. I'm going to take a walk with the family.   We're going to have dinner together. Things that are filling and receiving are critically helpful. And I would say savvy.   Laura Dugger: (1:04:49 - 1:05:08) That's so good. And Doug, Mark and I are just so grateful to know you and Jess. We learn from both of you, and we've learned from your stories. They've been so impactful today.   So, thank you for writing this resource and thank you for being my guest today.   Doug Rumbold: (1:05:09 - 1:05:11) It was a total pleasure. Thank you for having me on.   Laura Dugger: (1:05:12 - 1:08:54) One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term gospel before?   It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you. But it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there is absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior. But God loved us so much, he made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin. This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus.   We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us. Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” So, would you pray with me now?   Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you. Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life?   We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.   If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me, so me for him. You get the opportunity to live your life for him. And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason.   We want to give you practical tools to im

Have you ever felt like stress was just baked into your life?  That no matter what you did, your job, your family, or your schedule would always keep you stuck in survival mode?  I've been there. For years, I told myself, “I'll always be stressed,” and it left me trapped in a cycle of burnout, resentment, and health struggles.  What I've learned is that real healing, whether it's from weight loss resistance, hormone imbalances, gut issues, or autoimmune conditions, can't happen until the nervous system feels safe. In this episode, I'm sharing the three shifts that helped me move from constant overwhelm to a place of regulation and resilience: state, story, and strategy. First, I'll break down how simple physical practices like eating outside in the sun, sipping chamomile tea, or walking between calls helped reset my nervous system.  Then, I'll explain how changing my story moved me out of victim mode and into empowerment, showing how the words we repeat to ourselves literally shape our stress hormones. Finally, I'll share how strategy through boundaries, systems, and structure became the safety net that made everything else sustainable. You'll also hear a practical example of how a full-time working mom could apply these same shifts to create more peace, energy, and balance in her day-to-day life, without adding another overwhelming “to-do.”  Time Stamps: (0:25) The Fall Season (2:10) Work Schedule and The Negative Self-Narrative (7:00) State/Story/Strategy Framework (9:50) Supporting My Physiology (14:10) Combating The All or Nothing Mentality (16:25) The Story You're Telling Yourself (21:05) The Final Piece: Strategy (25:45) Motion.AI (37:10) Tag Us for Accountability---------------------Find Out More Information on Vital Spark Coaching---------------------Follow @vanessagfitness on Instagram for daily fitness tips & motivation. ---------------------Download Our FREE Metabolism-Boosting Workout Program---------------------Join the Women's Metabolism Secrets Facebook Community for 25+ videos teaching you how to start losing fat without hating your life!---------------------Click here to send me a message on Facebook and we'll see how I can help or what best free resources I can share!---------------------Interested in 1-on-1 Coaching with my team of Metabolism & Hormone Experts? Apply Here!---------------------Check out our Youtube Channel!---------------------Enjoyed the podcast? Let us know what you think and leave a 5⭐️ rating and review on iTunes!

Heat Center Kel'el Ware talks about offseason workouts and how it will work out this season for The Heat.

OLD-TIME RADIO ESSENTIALS Episode 47: The Whistler (our 2025 New Year's Special!) Old-Time Radio Essentials returns with episode 47, the 10th installment of Season 4! Pete, Paul and Patte present Pete's pick , an episode of The Whistler, entitled "The First Year"! Come for the old-time radio, stay for the scintillating (that's one way of putting it) discussion afterwards! As you listen, perhaps you'll learn if we feel this entry meets the following criteria: 1. Is it truly representative of that series? (Can anyone point to it and say, "Yes, that is what [NAME OF SERIES] was all about.") 2. Is it an episode worthy of inclusion in any and every OTR aficionado's private collection? So with this in mind, we three bring you, as our forty-seventh number (but 10th official episode of S4), this episode of The Whistler, from 12-31-47. We'll introduce the show, play it in its entirety, then discuss it at length. Thanks for joining us, and we hope you enjoy it! Please show your support of the podcast by doing any of the following... To comment on how we might improve OTR-E, or give suggestions for future discussions, please write to us at f6point3@gmail.com . Put the word "Essentials" in the subject line. Your feedback means a lot to us! A review at iTunes or at your usual podcatcher would be appreciated. Next Time: It's Patte's pick again, and she'll bring us an episode of the exciting anthology series, On Stage! Join us then, won't you? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textIn this episode, we look back to the episodes we recorded back in January 2025, in which Andy and Kate both boldly made New Year's growing resolutions and sat down together with a cup of tea to plan the season ahead.Nine months later, in this week's episode, we listen back to our plans and ask how many of our resolutions came true this year so far.The Growing Up Podcast is proudly sponsored by the amazing First Tunnels. We are big believers in the benefits of growing in a polytunnel and genuinely believe in the quality of the products that First Tunnels supply. Check out the link below to order your own tunnel. If you would like honest advice before making your purchase please don't hesitate to reach out to us!Check them out here➡️ https://rb.gy/55t356

We're moving through the liminal space after the Equinox and stepping toward the Witches' New Year. This week's astrology is all about noticing the ways balance, commitment, and strategy shape the path forward. We also get October and Samhaim insight from the one and only Maya Sadarangani. Maya is a Celtic Priestess with over 30 years of offering professional Psychic Tarot Reading experience.Maya has been a practicing Wiccan/Witch for over 40 years. She considers herself an Eclectic Kitchen Witch focusing on Divination and Geomancy. She is also an initiated High Priestess and an Usui Reiki Master. She lives with her three children and two cats by the sea in New Hampshire USA. Octoberween Sale:   20% off all readings with checkout code OCTOBERWEEN https://www.cardsyb.com/virtual-readings   *can be booked for anytime in the future but must be purchased by Oct 2.   20% off all giftcards with checkout code OCTOBERWEENGIFT https://www.cardsyb.com/gift-cards   All Things Maya Sadarangani www.dragonslabyrinth.com   www.witchesjourney.com

World leaders at the UN announce recognition of a Palestinian state; Trump unveils 21-point plan to end the Gaza war; Palestinian Authority demands £2 trillion in reparations from the UK & Rabbi Yossi Madvig leaves a New Year message to think about between now and Yom Kippur.Thank you to Perri Schwartz for contributing scripts to today's show and Bernie News Network for information and sourcing. Israel Daily News website: https://israeldailynews.orgIsrael Daily News Roundtable: https://www.patreon.com/shannafuldSupport our Wartime News Coverage: https://www.gofundme.com/f/independent-journalist-covering-israels-warLinks to all things IDN:⁠ https://linktr.ee/israeldailynews⁠Music: Makom Prati; Edan Tamlerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I-i6LSV_jgRaviv Dermal: Tel. 0525185487 & on WhatsApp Instagram Raviv Dermal: https://www.instagram.com/ravivdermal?igsh=Z3RtNzZtMmEwNG1m

We continue our conversation with ethics and teshuva expert Professor Louis Newman as he sits down with Rabbis Brad, Sam, and Natan, as well as Bunzl Family Cantorial Chair Beth Schafer for a live podcast recording on the evening of Selichot. What happens when sorry isn't enough? When do we absolve ourselves of our responsibility and how do we best enter the New Year with our best selves. Join us for a provocative and very candid discussion. 

Tom Ackerman talks with Josh Schertz about Billiken Madness, where Saint Louis showcased new talent and tested lineup combinations in front of an energized crowd. Schertz highlights the arrivals of Brady Dunlap, Dion Brown, Paul Otieno, and Ishan Sharma, each bringing shooting, physicality, and leadership to the roster. The Billikens plan to play faster and press full court this season, with depth allowing flexible rotations and less reliance on one scorer. Schertz also looks ahead to a non-conference slate that includes SEMO and Grand Canyon before Atlantic 10 play tips off on New Year's Eve.

We're about to enter the 'busy' part of the year - Christmas, New Year, holidays, tight budgets, deadlines, etc. There's more noise and more pressure than EVER! In today's episode, we're giving you the tools and mindset shifts to practise NOW, so that you can avoid burnout FOR GOOD!

In tonight's show, Piers Gledhill, a highly experienced FE lecturer and I suggest strategies to ensure a great start to the new year in FE. We examine fear of learning, poor learning experiences and disengaged learners and put forward the strategies we use to enable motivated, engaged learning on a personal level. We also discuss how to manage teacher burnout and positive, transformative change. Listen to find out more!

fWotD Episode 3068: Feather (song) Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Sunday, 28 September 2025, is Feather (song)."Feather" is a song by American singer Sabrina Carpenter from Emails I Can't Send Fwd, the 2023 deluxe edition of her fifth studio album, Emails I Can't Send (2022). Carpenter wrote it with songwriter Amy Allen and its producer, John Ryan. Island Records released its sped-up version on August 4, 2023, and Republic Records promoted its original version to radio stations on September 12, 2023. A combination of pop, dance, disco, and bubblegum genres, "Feather" is a post-breakup track which celebrates the freedom and relief one feels upon ending a relationship and shedding its weight.Music critics praised the production of "Feather", describing it as light and airy. In the United States, the song peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Carpenter's first song to reach the top 40; it was also her first number 1 on the Pop Airplay chart. The song reached the top 20 in Honduras, Latvia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. It received a diamond certification in Brazil and platinum or higher in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States.Mia Barnes directed the horror-inspired music video for "Feather", which was released on Halloween in 2023. It depicts the deaths of several men who mistreat Carpenter, who then dances at their joint funeral in the Our Lady of Mount Carmel/Annunciation Parish church. The video received a positive critical response but caused controversy when the Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn issued a statement criticizing the church scenes and suspended the priest who allowed them to be filmed. Carpenter performed the song at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards pre-show and at the 2023 Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. She included it in her set list for the Emails I Can't Send, Eras, and Short n' Sweet tours.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:18 UTC on Sunday, 28 September 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Feather (song) on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Bluesky at @wikioftheday.com.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Amy.

00:00:00 – Sleepless Host, Loose Plan Mike opens sleep-deprived and punchy, setting expectations for a looser show with calls, goofy news, and a pivot away from a so-so Yowie/Kangaroo book; tees up Shag Harbor because even Popular Mechanics is poking at it lately. 00:10:00 – Bar-Band Taser Story → J6 Informants A wild 2006–07 New Year's gig tale (friends tasing each other) segues into news: House inquiries about how many paid informants the FBI embedded on Jan. 6 and whether they informed or instigated. 00:20:00 – Hard News Beats & Callers Leaning into “hardcore news,” the guys riff on hearings and agency caginess around undercover counts and information-sharing, with Mike's sardonic play-by-play of how bureaucrats dodge questions. 00:30:00 – TikTok, Trends, & Masculinity Setup The cultural beat widens—social-media weirdness, youth trends, and the runway to a bigger masculinity/manosphere segment and a planned “top 10” conspiracies list. 00:40:00 – Saudi Comedy, Culture Clashes Jokes about U.S. comics doing gigs in Saudi Arabia—what lands, what doesn't—and how culture gaps change the show you'd write for that crowd. 00:50:00 – Manosphere Firestorm They read the Wikipedia/UN-ish “red pill/manosphere” framing and torch the definitions, noting big names omitted (Rogan) and how media narratives flatten nuance. 01:00:00 – Launching the Top-10: “Rewriting History” The countdown begins—snarky fact-checks and asides as they chew through entries, from recent space-stunt claims to older internet chestnuts—warming up for the deep-end items. 01:10:00 – #6: “Did Rome Ever Exist?” They unpack the “phantom Rome” hypothesis (Fomenko et al.), why historians reject it, and why the idea still fascinates—fun, skeptical, and theatrical. 01:20:00 – #3 & #2: Holocaust Denial, Challenger Survivors Serious tone for denialism (they underscore the evidence and why the misinformation is dangerous), then tackle “Challenger crew survived” riffs, mixing memory, engineering talk, and media literacy. 01:30:00 – #1: “Jet Fuel/Steel Beams” They close the list with 9/11 physics basics (strength loss vs. melting), ejector-seat fantasies for the Shuttle, and why some “gotcha” lines persist online. 01:40:00 – The Return of “Penis Man” Phoenix/Tempe's infamous graffiti saga is back; news packages, a custom “Ballad of Penis Man,” and then—boom—an arrest update, with side-quests into the suspect's punk/skate/IG world. 01:50:00 – National AJ Day, Hey-Yo Nation A restaurant-made “holiday” sparks AJ-bit madness: greeting the world with “hey yo,” tagging Alex Jones online, and piling on goofy AJ-lore. 02:00:00 – Sign-Off Shenanigans Free-association finale: Saudis/comedy again, “jet fuel can't melt steel beams” riffs, and musical chaos rolling into the credits and one last Penis Man flourish. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Skype: ourbigdumbmouth ► Website: http://obdmpod.com ► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/obdmpod ► Full Videos at Odysee: https://odysee.com/@obdm:0 ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/obdmpod ► Instagram: obdmpod ► Email: ourbigdumbmouth at gmail ► RSS: http://ourbigdumbmouth.libsyn.com/rss ► iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/our-big-dumb-mouth/id261189509?mt=2  

Join me for my legendary 2026 New Year's Goal Setting Party! Create the life of your dreams one year at a time. I hope you enjoyed this episode of Law of Attraction Changed My Life and it's giving you some ideas about how you can curate and step into this next chapter in your life. Please do share this episode with a friend who is going through a change and into a next chapter. Ooh, by the way, I promised I would link the SAD lamp so here it is, it's under the section 'Things I Love' on my Amazon Storefront. (contains Amazon affiliate links/Amazon associate) You can buy my Sunday Times Bestselling book Manifest Like a Mother here. Come and find me @francescaamber & @lawofattractionchangedmylife on Instagram - I would LOVE to hear from you.Join the Book Club B*tches - the UK's largest self development book club. Starting 1st October we're reading Aligned Abundance by Emma Mumford. Honestly this book club and the bad b*tches within it are my self development secret. They are the BIGGEST secret to my success and I'm in love with life long learning! Come and join us, it's not a cult, it's probably not a coven but it IS the best.You can find all my work including overnight subliminals for weight loss, wealth, fertility, beauty and confidence, success etc..as well as online masterclasses on my website, francescaamber.comThings I love that I think you'll love too...Hitting my health and body goals every day with my at home walking pad. Use code 'francescaamber' for 5% off.Try my favourite magnesium supplement for FREE with this 5 day free trial.Thank you so much for listening and I'll see you again next week,Fran xxx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lucy & The Love Letters isn't just a band—it's a living, breathing love story told through sweet melodies, vivid memories, and meaningful words. Founded by Kentucky singer, songwriter, and fiddle player Lucy Becker, the project was born from an unexpected spark: a songwriting assignment that ignited a lifelong passion for transforming emotion into music. From that first tune, Becker knew she was meant to write more than songs—she was meant to craft love letters in sound.Blending jazz, pop, and touches of bluegrass, Lucy & The Love Letters creates a spellbinding sound marked by sultry undertones and an unapologetically unique flair. The band features a rotating cast of musicians, each bringing their own influences and sonic secrets to the stage. No two performances are ever the same, making every show a one-of-a-kind experience.Their debut performance unfolded inside the cozy magic of Hidden Chapter Bookstore in Ft. Thomas, Kentucky, followed just two months later by a headlining New Year's Eve celebration at 21C Museum & Hotel in Lexington, where they partnered with Sora Aerial Arts for a fully immersive night of music and movement.Lucy & The Love Letters released their first single, “Sweetest Shade of Rose,” on August 29, 2025, now available on all streaming platforms. More than just music, the band invites listeners to slow down, notice the beauty hidden in ordinary moments, and let those fleeting details linger long after the final note.

This is an unusual version of the podcast. An old friend passed, someone I've known for 40 years, someone who was friends with our moderator Luana Anders on the Flipside, and by his own estimate was friends with 80% of our class on the flipside. Henry Jaglom was a Hollywood icon, known by everyone, knew everyone, used to hold the most attended New Year's Eve parties where I got to meet the cast of the Sopranos, met Ang Lee, Oscar winning actors, directors - Peter Bogdanovich, would run into my friend Carl Weathers and Sally Kellerman and her husband Jonathan Krane. It was always fun - and Orson was a born raconteur. He also didn't believe in the afterlife at all. He was adamant about it - and if the topic came up, would squint at me, wrinkle his brow, shake his head - just the way Luana's pal BJ Merholz does when the topic comes up. All I can say is Harry Dean Stanton was the King of Skeptics - and when we spoke to him on a number of occasions (and he proved beyond a shadow of doubt he still existed by giving me private health messages to friends of his at his memorial - who were flabbergasted to hear what Harry had to tell them as only he could have known those intimate details from the Afterlife.. Harry told us to tell people to "believe in the possibility of an afterlife so they don't waste another minute of their lives arguing about it like I did." As noted in the podcast, Jennifer was able to squeeze me in today when I told her a friend had passed, without telling her anything about it, and his friends had already reached out to me to ask some questions. So sincere best wishes to his family, to his kids, to his exwives, to all those who loved him and think this is an unusual way to pay our respects.   Yes, I know that Orson Welles was upset that he caught Henry secretly taping him - I heard it from Orson's secretary at a party at Henry's house. She whispered to me that Orson felt so betrayed, "He never left his home again." I didn't have to tell Jennifer who I was asking about - she could see them.  And to be clear - Jennifer is not a movie fan, she spends much of her day on criminal cases helping out various law enforcement agencies pro bono - I've interviewed some of those agents or detectives. She is interpreting what she gets - like when I asked her on BJ Merholz behalf - "who introduced him to Henry?"  I thought it might be their mutual pal Jack Nicholson - but Jennifer got that it was a woman - and wasn't Luana (even though that makes sense) but really couldn't pin down who it was.  Why?  Who cares? She was aware of Bert Schneider without knowing who he was (or how his first name is spelled) and how he "left the planet too early."  (How could she know?)  Or that Dennis was Dennis Hopper, or that Orson was Orson Welles - she knew nothing, zero, zippo about Henry Jaglom and most people who knew Henry didn't know that much about him anyways.  Finally it wasn't until I was listening to the podcast when I realize why Carl Weathers and Sally Kellerman were teasing him about "being in our class."  I realized that they were referring to the fact that he was adamant about life going on - and I suspect those who knew this about Henry will continue to believe that is the case - but in doing this work with Jennifer EVERY WEEK for the past ten years, I can report we've had many skeptics, curmudgeons show up to talk to us about how surprised, gob smacked, shocked they were to realize that life goes on. Life goes on. Get over it. Thanks for tuning in.

Rosh Hashanah, “The Head of the Year,” is the fifth of the seven holy observances mentioned in Leviticus 23. This name is never used in the Scriptures to refer to this feast, despite the fact that it is the most common name used today. This name is used because the Rabbis believed it was on this day that the creation took place. Thus, it has become known as the beginning of the Jewish civil calendar year.In the Bible, Rosh Hashanah is called “Yom Teruah,” (“A Day of Blowing”), referring to the blowing of the “shofar” or ram's horn (Numbers 29:1). It is also called “Zicharon Teruah,” (“a memorial of blowing,” or “a remembrance of blowing”) (Leviticus 23:24). Rosh Hashanah occurs on the 1st of Tishrei (the seventh month in the Hebrew calendar), whereas Yom Kippur (the next major festival) is observed on the 10th day of Tishrei. The ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are called “Yomim Naraiim” or “Days of Awe.” It is during these ten days that Jewish people are to perform deeds of repentance and restoration in order to be assured that their sins are forgiven on Yom Kippur.Most notably, Rosh Hashanah is known for the blowing of the ram's horn. According to the Rabbis, the sounding of the ram's horn symbolized the final regathering of the Jewish people when Messiah comes, and the dead are resurrected. In Isaiah 27:13 we read:“And in that day a great trumpet (shofar) will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.”With this, the B'rit Hadashah (“New Testament”) agrees. Matthew 24:31 states,“And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet (shofar) call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”In this verse, Yeshua prophesied four things will happen at His second coming: First, angels will be sent out to regather the Jewish people; Second, this event will be accompanied with the blast of the shofar; Third, the focus is the regathering of the “elect” or “chosen,” by which is meant the Jewish people; Fourth, this regathering is from a worldwide dispersion.YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/JBIgpgVg5g4Send us a text

Linda Gradstein, Don Futterman and Noah Efron talk about (1) The very viral essay by Yossi Klein Halevi, pressing Israelis to finally engage in the moral conversation that we have, until now, avoided, and (2) The new 5785 Jewish People Policy Institute's Annual Assessment of the Jewish People, basically a report card for the Jewish people, and why our grades are so lousy, and what we ought to do about it. For our most unreasonably generous Patreon supporters, in our extra-special, special extra discussion: How did we welcome the New Year, in this seemingly, endless groundhog day of despair? Plus, the short, beautiful life of Eran Shelem, of Blessed Memory, and weddings, cruises and prayers for the New Year!

Moshe's tenure as leader of the Jews was chock full of magnificent accomplishments. He spearheaded the Exodus, he brought the Torah down from Heaven, in his merit came the manna - Moshe's CV is unparalleled. But now it's time for him to hand over the reins to Joshua, his disciple and successor. In this Parsha podcast, we make a remarkable observation that connects the beginning of Moshe's tenure and its conclusion that fundamentally changes our perspective on maintaining devotion and commitment to a life mission from beginning to end.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –This Parsha Podcast is dedicated in honor and for the success of Noam Yitzhak ben Shlomi. May he be blessed with a Shana Tova UMetuka, a happy and healthy and sweet New Year of only Blessing and Goodness.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –DONATE: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletterrabbiwolbe.com/newsletter– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe's PodcastsThe Parsha PodcastThe Jewish History PodcastThe Mitzvah Podcast This Jewish LifeThe Ethics PodcastTORAH 101 ★ Support this podcast ★

Randy shows you why waiting until New Year's Eve to make a plan is a mistake. He gives simple steps to help you get ready now. Want a better year ahead? Start your “preseason” today. 

In this session Keith shares about Yom Kippur and how we should set our focus for the upcoming year.

                                Listen in as Erin shares: Why September can be the true “New Year” for your business — and how to harness the harvest season for momentum. How your energy is your magnet: protect it, invest in it, and watch the right clients flow toward you. How the Pursuing Freedom Collective is evolving with more expert-led calls, creating a buffet of value and support. The critical shift from operator to leader: doing less, delegating more, and building systems that scale. How investing in yourself is never a cost — it's the fastest path to consistency, freedom, and renewed joy in your business                                             About Erin Bradley Erin Bradley is a speaker and business coach, bestselling author, and host of the real estate podcast Pursuing Freedom. As a mortgage lender, Erin learned the hard way just how hard entrepreneurship and success in sales can be. From flat broke to 6 figures, and then to burnout, Erin and her team have been through it all! Erin operates under the mindset that you never give up, and you never settle, in life or in business. Anything is possible when you have the right mindset, great systems, and an amazing team. Erin is passionate about helping others design their ideal life, then create a business that is a vehicle to support that lifestyle, rather than rob you of it. And she's on a mission to help you believe in, and achieve your biggest dreams! How to Connect With Erin Bradley Business Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/PursuingFreedomOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pursuingfreedomofficial/ LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-bradley/ Recommended Resources  Learn more about The Collective at https://pursuingfreedom.com/collective. Use code Yes100 to take $100 off the monthly investment or YES1000 to take $1,000 off the annual investment. Special ends 9/30/25 11:59pm MTN Abundant Ever After by Cathy Heller Get a copy of Pursuing Freedom on Amazon here. Subscribe to the Pursuing Freedom podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your podcatcher of choice for weekly inspiration and strategies.

As we head into the final stretch of the year, it's easy to slip into “I'll start fresh in the new year” mode. But what if you used these last three months to actually build the discipline, confidence, and self-mastery you've been chasing all year long?In this episode of Life Rewired, Kristina shares a three-month framework designed to help you end 2025 stronger than you started. Instead of waiting for New Year's resolutions, you'll learn how to reset, push yourself, and step into your future self before the ball even drops. October is about mastering the basics and laying a solid foundation with small non-negotiables like consistent wake-up times, hydration, and limiting social media. November shifts into Kristina's favorite pillar 'doing hard things' by embracing resistance, building grit, and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone both in fitness and in life. December closes it all out with self-mastery, where you lock in the habits you've built, reclaim wasted time, and step into the identity of the disciplined, confident version of yourself.By the time the year ends, you'll be showing up as your future self rather than waiting for January to start over. If you've been looking for a way to stay consistent through the holidays, build momentum instead of losing it, and finish the year with real progress, this episode is for you.WATCH ON YOUTUBE:https://www.youtube.com/@kristinaturnure/podcastsNASH BARS:https://nashnutrition.co/BUILT & BALANCED GROUP COACHING:⁠https://builtgroupcoaching.my.canva.site/⁠BUILT AND BALANCED VIP COACHING:⁠⁠⁠Https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScV_IGO2VhRV415iIsiHz6TGr76wuH-loG2eGt068pZG474qw/viewform⁠⁠BUILT & BALANCED NEWSLETTER:⁠⁠⁠https://builtandbalanced.kit.com/dd0f3197cc⁠⁠⁠LIFE REWIRED IG:⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/LIFEREWIREDPODCAST/?utm_medium=copy_link⁠⁠KRIS IG:⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/kristinaturnure/?hl=en⁠⁠PTULA: DISCOUNT CODE KRISTINAT ⁠https://www.ptula.com/⁠KOIA PROTEIN: CODE KRISTINAhttps://drinkkoia.com/KRISTINA

Tom begins by recapping his adventures at the Dice Tower Retreat, and looks forward to the World Series of Boardgaming, before turning to the topic of figuring out what to do with your game collection after you're gone, and why it might be a good idea to make some choices sooner rather than later. Later, we share a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, peek into the mailbag, and gather a collection of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:51 - Tom at the Dice Tower Retreat 02:25 - The World Series of Boardgaming 04:58 - Dice Tower Cruise, Dice Tower West, Spiel 06:03 - Planning for the Future of your Collection 24:58 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 31:22 - Question: Co-Designer Credit 38:16 - A Place for All My Books 44:04 - Knitting Circle 48:18 - Endangered Rescue: Lemur Leaf Frog 51:21 - The New Year's Nightmare 54:55 - Firefighters on Duty 57:07 - Blood on the Clocktower Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

Ep539. This week, Renee chats with Stephanie O'Dea, bestselling cookbook author and host of The Slow Living Podcast, about what happens when you swap hustle culture for a slower, more intentional way of life. Stephanie shares how a New Year's resolution to use her slow cooker every day for a year turned into viral fame, cookbook deals, and a career she never saw coming — all while raising three kids. They dig into why “fast” doesn't always mean better, how to push back against hustle culture, and the simple systems that make everyday life calmer and more sustainable. Stephanie also opens up about parenting in the age of social media, money lessons she's passed on to her kids, and the daily habits that keep her grounded. It's part inspiration, part real talk — and encouragement to choose presence over perfection. Find Stephanie: Website: https://www.ayearofslowcooking.com/ Podcast: Slow Living Podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieODea.author Sponsors: Wayfair — Cozify your space with Wayfair's curated collection of easy, affordable fall updates. Find it all for way less at https://www.Wayfair.com.  Skims - Shop SKIMS Fits Everybody collection at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that follows. https://www.skims.com/momroom Name Bubbles - Visit namebubbles.com and use code MOMROOM15 for 15% off your first order. RENEE REINA   Instagram: @themomroom | @thereneereina   TikTok: @thereneereina   Facebook Community - The Mom Room Community YouTube: Renee Reina - The Mom Room Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep539. This week, Renee chats with Stephanie O'Dea, bestselling cookbook author and host of The Slow Living Podcast, about what happens when you swap hustle culture for a slower, more intentional way of life. Stephanie shares how a New Year's resolution to use her slow cooker every day for a year turned into viral fame, cookbook deals, and a career she never saw coming — all while raising three kids. They dig into why “fast” doesn't always mean better, how to push back against hustle culture, and the simple systems that make everyday life calmer and more sustainable. Stephanie also opens up about parenting in the age of social media, money lessons she's passed on to her kids, and the daily habits that keep her grounded. It's part inspiration, part real talk — and encouragement to choose presence over perfection. Find Stephanie: Website: https://www.ayearofslowcooking.com/ Podcast: Slow Living Podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieODea.author Sponsors: Wayfair — Cozify your space with Wayfair's curated collection of easy, affordable fall updates. Find it all for way less at https://www.Wayfair.com.  Skims - Shop SKIMS Fits Everybody collection at SKIMS.com. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that follows. https://www.skims.com/momroom Name Bubbles - Visit namebubbles.com and use code MOMROOM15 for 15% off your first order. RENEE REINA   Instagram: @themomroom | @thereneereina   TikTok: @thereneereina   Facebook Community - The Mom Room Community YouTube: Renee Reina - The Mom Room Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a lot of questions coming in around getting members more engaged, seeing fewer subs, and chapter culture, we discuss the opportunity and strategy to use at this pivotal time of year.

Tyler Reddick joins Freddie Kraft, Tommy Baldwin, and Karsyn Elledge on this week's episode of Door Bumper Clear. Tyler stops by to recap his less-than-stellar race at New Hampshire, discuss where his 23Xi team needs to improve over the next two weeks to advance deeper into the Playoffs, and explain why the reason he hasn't won yet isn't because of his new haircut. In Spot On, Spot Off, the crew breaks down the Joe Gibbs Racing contact between Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin, Tommy gives kudos to an unexpected driver, and Tyler reveals why you don't want to go to the ER on New Year's Eve. Plus, we have a hilarious Reaction Theatre, S***show Hall of Fame, and more!This is the badge. You in or not? Dirty Mo merch, link belowhttps://shop.dirtymomedia.com/ Want more DBC? Check out and subscribe to the new DBC YouTube channel! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Last time we spoke about the battle of Nanjing. In December 1937, as the battle for Nanjing unfolded, terror inundated its residents, seeking safety amid the turmoil. General Tang Shengzhi rallied the Chinese forces, determined to defend against the advancing Japanese army. Fierce fighting erupted at the Gate of Enlightenment, where the determined Chinese soldiers resisted merciless assaults while tragedy loomed. By mid-December, the Japanese made substantial advances, employing relentless artillery fire to breach Nanjing's defenses. Leaders called for strategic retreats, yet amid chaos and despair, many young Chinese soldiers, driven by nationalism, continued to resist. By December 13, Nanjing succumbed to the invaders, marking a tragic chapter in history. As destruction enveloped the city, the resilience of its defenders became a poignant tale of courage amidst the horrors of war, forever marking Nanjing as a symbol of enduring hope in the face of despair.   #168 The Nanjing Massacre Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. So obvious disclaimer, today we will be talking about, arguably one of if not the most horrific war atrocities ever committed. To be blunt, it may have been worse than some of the things we talked about back during the fall of the Ming Dynasty, when bandit armies raped and pillaged cities. The Nanjing Massacre as its become known is well documented by both Chinese and foreign sources. There is an abundance of primary sources, many well verified. Its going to be extremely graphic, I am going to try and tell it to the fullest. So if you got a weak stomach perhaps sit this one out, you have been warned. Chen Yiding began evacuating his troops from the area surrounding the Gate of Enlightenment before dawn on December 13. En route to Xiaguan, he took the time to visit a dozen of his soldiers housed in a makeshift hospital located in an old cemetery. These men were too severely injured to participate in the evacuation, and Chen had to leave them with only a few words of encouragement. Little did he know, within days, they would all perish in their beds, victims of the Japanese forces. Upon arriving in Xiaguan later that morning, Chen was met with grim news: his divisional commander had crossed the Yangtze River with his chief of staff the previous afternoon. Now, he was on his own. He didn't linger near the riverside chaos, quickly realizing there was nothing he could do there. Instead, he chose to move downstream, hoping to find a secure spot for himself and his soldiers to wait out the next few days before devising an escape from the war zone.  He was fortunate, for soon the Japanese would live up to their notorious reputation developed during their advance from Shanghai; they were not inclined to take prisoners. That afternoon, several hundred Chinese soldiers arrived at the northern end of the Safety Zone. The committee responsible for the area stated that they could offer no assistance. In a misguided attempt to boost morale, they suggested that if the soldiers surrendered and promised not to engage in combat, the Japanese would likely show them "merciful treatment." This optimism was woefully misplaced. Later that same day, Japanese troops entered the zone, dragging out 200 Chinese men, the majority of them soldiers, for execution just outside the city. On December 13, Japanese soldiers started patrolling the riverbank, shooting at anything and anyone floating downstream. Their comrades aboard naval vessels in the river cheered them on, applauding each time they struck another helpless victim in the water. Civilians were not spared either. While traveling through downtown Nanjing as the battle concluded, Rabe observed dead men and women every 100 to 200 yards, most of them shot in the back. A long line of Chinese men marched down the street, numbering in the hundreds, all destined for death. In a cruel twist, they were compelled to carry a large Japanese flag. They were herded into a vacant lot by a couple of Japanese soldiers and as recalled by American correspondent Archibald Steele "There, they were brutally shot dead in small groups. One Japanese soldier stood over the growing pile of corpses, firing into any bodies that showed movement." The killings commenced almost immediately after the fall of Nanjing. The victorious Japanese spread out into the city streets, seeking victims. Those unfortunate enough to be captured faced instant execution or were taken to larger killing fields to meet a grim fate alongside other Chinese prisoners. Initially, the Japanese targeted former soldiers, whether real or imagined, but within hours, the scope of victims expanded to include individuals of all age groups and genders. By the end of the first day of occupation, civilian bodies littered the streets of downtown Nanjing at a rate of roughly one per block. The defenseless and innocent were subjected to murder, torture, and humiliation in a relentless spree of violence that persisted for six harrowing weeks. At the time of the attack, Nanjing felt eerily abandoned, houses stood boarded up, vehicles lay toppled in the streets, and the once-ubiquitous rickshaws had vanished. However, hundreds of thousands remained hidden indoors, seeking refuge. The most visible sign of the city's new rulers was the display of the Japanese flag. On the morning of December 14, the Rising Sun flag was hoisted across the city, seen in front of private homes, businesses, and public buildings. Many of these flags were hastily made, often a simple white sheet with a red rag affixed, hoping to be spared. As the days progressed, horrifying accounts of violence began to emerge. A barber, the sole survivor among eight people in his shop when the Japanese arrived, was admitted to a hospital with a stab wound that had nearly severed his head from his body, damaging all muscles at the back of his neck down to his spinal canal. A woman suffered a brutal throat wound, while another pregnant woman was bayoneted in the abdomen, resulting in the death of her unborn child. A man witnessed his wife being stabbed through the heart and then saw his child hurled from a window to the street several floors below. These are but a few stories of individual atrocities committed. Alongside this there were mass executions, predominantly targeting young able-bodied men, in an effort to weaken Nanjing and deprive it of any potential resistance in the future. American professor, Lewis Smythe recalled “The disarmed soldier problem was our most serious one for the first three days, but it was soon resolved, as the Japanese shot all of them.” On the evening of December 15, the Japanese rounded up 1,300 former soldiers from the Safety Zone, binding them in groups of about 100 and marching them away in silence. A group of foreigners, permitted to leave Nanjing on a Japanese gunboat, accidentally became witnesses to the ensuing slaughter. While waiting for their vessel, they took a brief walk along the riverbank and stumbled upon a scene of mass execution, observing the Japanese shooting the men one by one in the back of the neck. “We observed about 100 such executions until the Japanese officer in charge noticed us and ordered us to leave immediately”. Not all killings were premeditated; many occurred impulsively. A common example was when Japanese soldiers led lines of Chinese POWs to holding points, tightly bound together with ropes. Every few yards, a Japanese soldier would stand guard with a fixed bayonet aimed at the prisoners as they trudged forward. Suddenly, one of the prisoners slipped, causing a domino effect as he fell, dragging down the men in front of and behind him. The entire group soon found themselves collapsed on the ground, struggling to stand. The Japanese guards lost their patience, jabbing their bayonets into the writhing bodies until none remained alive. In one of the largest massacres, Japanese troops from the Yamada Detachment, including the 65th Infantry Regiment, systematically executed between 17,000 and 20,000 Chinese prisoners from December 15 to 17. These prisoners were taken to the banks of the Yangtze River near Mufushan, where they were machine-gunned to death. The bodies were then disposed of by either burning or flushing them downstream. Recent research by Ono Kenji has revealed that these mass killings were premeditated and carried out systematically, in accordance with orders issued directly by Prince Asaka. A soldier from the IJA's 13th Division described killing wounded survivors of the Mufushan massacre in his diary “I figured that I'd never get another chance like this, so I stabbed thirty of the damned Chinks. Climbing atop the mountain of corpses, I felt like a real devil-slayer, stabbing again and again, with all my might. 'Ugh, ugh,' the Chinks groaned. There were old folks as well as kids, but we killed them lock, stock, and barrel. I also borrowed a buddy's sword and tried to decapitate some. I've never experienced anything so unusual”. Frequently, the Japanese just left their victims wherever they fell. Corpses began to accumulate in the streets, exposed to the elements and onlookers. Cars constantly were forced to run over corpses. Corpses were scavenged by stray dogs, which, in turn, were consumed by starving people. The water became toxic; workers in the Safety Zone discovered ponds clogged with human remains. In other instances, the Japanese gathered their machine-gunned or bayoneted victims into large heaps, doused them in kerosene, and set them ablaze. Archibald Steele wrote for the Chicago Daily News on December 17th “I saw a grisly scene at the north gate, where what was once a group of 200 men had become a smoldering mass of flesh and bones, so severely burned around the neck and head that it was difficult to believe he was still human.” During the chaos in the beginning, whereupon the Japanese had not yet fully conquered the city, its defenders scrambled desperately to escape before it was too late. Individually or in small groups, they sought vulnerabilities in the enemy lines, acutely aware that their survival hinged on their success. Months of conflict had trained them to expect no mercy if captured; previous experiences had instilled in them the belief that a swift death at the hands of the Japanese would be a fortunate outcome. On December 12, amid intense artillery fire and aerial bombardment, General Tang Sheng-chi issued the order for his troops to retreat. However, conflicting directives and a breakdown in discipline transformed the ensuing events into a disaster. While some Chinese units successfully crossed the river, a far greater number were ensnared in the widespread chaos that engulfed the city. In their desperation to evade capture, some Chinese soldiers resorted to stripping civilians of their clothing to disguise themselves, while many others were shot by their own supervisory units as they attempted to flee.Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of individual escape stories emerged from this period. In some rare instances, entire units, even up to divisional strength, successfully infiltrated Japanese lines to reach safety. For others, such as the 156th Division, there were detailed plans outlining escape routes from Nanjing. Several soldiers and officers adhered to this three-day trek, skillfully evading Japanese patrols until they reached Ningguo, located south of the capital. Nonetheless, these cases were exceptions. The vast majority of soldiers from China's defeated army faced significant risk and were more likely to be captured than to escape. Some of Chiang Kai-shek's most elite units suffered near total annihilation. Only about a thousand soldiers from the 88th Division managed to cross the Yangtze safely, as did another thousand from the Training Division, while a mere 300 from the 87th Division survived. Even for units like the 156th Division, the escape plans were only effective for those who learned of them. These plans were hurriedly disseminated through the ranks as defeat loomed, leaving mere chance to determine who received the information. Many stayed trapped in Nanjing, which had become a fatal snare. One day, Japanese soldiers visited schools within Nanjing's Safety Zone, aware that these locations sheltered many refugees. They called for all former soldiers to step forward, promising safety in exchange for labor. Many believed that the long days of hiding were finally coming to an end and complied with the request. However, they were led to an abandoned house, where they were stripped naked and bound together in groups of five. Outside, a large bonfire had been ignited. They were then bayoneted and, while still alive, thrown onto the flames. Only a few managed to escape and share the horrifying tale. The Japanese were of course well aware that numerous soldiers were hiding in Nanjing, disguised as locals, evidenced by the piles of military uniforms and equipment accumulating in the streets. Consequently, they initiated a systematic search for soldiers within hours of taking control. The Safety Zone was not spared, as the Japanese Army suspected that Chinese soldiers had sought refuge there. On December 16, they raided Ginling College, despite a policy prohibiting the admission of men, except for elderly residents in a designated dining room. The soldiers brought axes to force open doors that were not immediately complied with and positioned six machine guns on the campus, prepared to fire at anyone attempting to escape. Ultimately, they found nothing. In cases where they did encounter young men of military age, the soldiers lined them up, scrutinizing for distinct telltale features such as close-cropped hair, helmet marks, or shoulder blisters from carrying a rifle. Many men, who had never served in the military but bore callouses from hard manual labor, were captured based on the assumption that such marks indicated military experience. As noted by Goerge Fitch the head of Nanjing's YMCA “Rickshaw coolies, carpenters, and other laborers are frequently taken”. The Japanese employed additional, more cunning tactics to root out soldiers. During an inspection of a camp within the Safety Zone, they struggled to get the approximately 6,000 men and women to surrender. Before leaving, they resorted to one last trick. “Attention!” a voice commanded in flawless Chinese. Many young men, conditioned by months or years of military training, instinctively responded. Even though most realized their mistake almost immediately, it was too late; the Japanese herded them away. Given the scale of the slaughter, efforts were soon organized to facilitate the killing and disposal of as many individuals as possible in the shortest time. Rows of prisoners were mowed down by machine-gun fire, while those injured were finished off with single bullets or bayonets. Much of the mass murder occurred near the Yangtze River, where victims could be disposed of easily by being pushed into the water, hoping the current would carry them away.As the weeks progressed and the Japanese grew increasingly concerned about the possibility of former soldiers still at large, the dragnet tightened. Beginning in late December, Japanese authorities implemented a registration system for all residents of Nanjing. At Ginling College, this process lasted about a week and resulted in scenes of almost indescribable chaos, as the Japanese also decided to register residents from the surrounding areas on campus. First, the men were registered, followed by the women. Often, women attended the registration to help save their husbands and sons, who would otherwise have been taken as suspected former soldiers. Despite these efforts, a total of 28 men were ultimately seized during the registration process at Ginling College. Each individual who registered received a document from the authorities. However, it soon became clear that this paper provided little protection against the caprices of the Japanese military. That winter in Nanjing, everyone was a potential victim. While systematic mass killings primarily targeted young men of military age, every category of people faced death in the days and weeks following the Japanese conquest of Nanjing. Reports indicated that fifty police officers from the Safety Zone were executed for permitting Chinese soldiers to enter the area. The city's firefighters were taken away to meet an uncertain fate, and six street sweepers were killed inside their dwelling. Like an uncontrollable epidemic, the victors' bloodlust seemed to escalate continuously, seeking out new victims. When the Japanese ordered the Safety Zone committee to supply workers for the electricity plant in Xiaguan to restore its operations, they provided 54 individuals. Within days, 43 of them were dead. Although young men were especially targeted, the Japanese made no distinctions based on age or sex. American missionary John G. Magee documented numerous instances of indiscriminate killings, including the chilling account of two families nearly exterminated. Stabbings, shootings, and rapes marked the slaughter of three generations of innocents, including toddlers aged four and two; the older child was bayoneted, while the younger was struck in the head with a sword. The only survivors were a badly injured eight-year-old girl and her four-year-old sister, who spent the following fortnight beside their mother's decaying body. The violence was often accompanied by various forms of humiliation, as if to utterly break the spirit of the conquered people. One woman lost her parents and three children. When she purchased a coffin for her father, a Japanese soldier tore the lid off and discarded the old man's body in the street. Another soldier, in a drunken stupor, raped a Chinese woman and then vomited on her. In yet another incident, a soldier encountered a family of six huddled over a pot of thin rice soup; he stepped over them and urinated into their pot before continuing on his way, laughing heartlessly. The atrocities committed at Nanjing were not akin to something like the Holocaust. Within places like Auschwitz killings became industrialized and often took on an impersonal, unemotional character. The murders in Nanjing had an almost intimate quality, with each individual perpetrator bearing the blood of their victims on their hands, sometimes literally. In this sense, the Nanjing atrocities resemble the early Holocaust killings executed by German Einsatzgruppen in Eastern Europe, prior to the implementation of gas chambers. How many died during the Nanjing Massacre? Eyewitnesses at the time recognized that the Japanese behavior had few immediate precedents. Missionary John Magee compared the situation to the Turkish genocide of the Armenians during World War I, which was still fresh in memory. Despite this, no consensus emerged regarding the exact number of fatalities, a state of affairs that would persist for nearly eight decades. In his first comprehensive account of the atrocities following the conquest of the capital, New York Times correspondent Tillman Durdin reported that 33,000 Chinese soldiers lost their lives in Nanjing, including 20,000 who were executed. Foreign correspondent Frank Oliver claimed in a 1939 publication that 24,000 men, women, and children were put to death during the first month of the city's occupation. As time progressed, much larger figures began to circulate. After returning to Germany in 1938, John Rabe held a lecture where he cited European estimates that between 50,000 and 60,000 people had died. In February 1942, Chiang Kai-shek stated that 200,000 were slaughtered within one week. The Nanjing tribunal established by Chiang's government to try Japanese war criminals in 1946 and 1947 reported that more than 300,000 lives had been lost following the city's fall. The highest estimate recorded comes from a Chinese military expert, who put the death toll at 430,000. Currently, the figure most commonly accepted in official Chinese media is 300,000, a number also cited by various authors sympathetic to China's contemporary regime. The debate over the Nanjing death toll has been a complex and extensive discussion, likely to remain unresolved to everyone's satisfaction. As missionary and Nanjing University teacher Miner Searle Bates remarked when he testified before the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in July 1946, “The scope of this killing was so extensive that no one can provide a complete picture of it.” On December 16, American missionary Minnie Vautrin witnessed a truck passing by Ginling College, loaded with eight to ten girls. When they saw the Western woman, they cried out, "Jiu ming! Jiu ming!" which means “Help! Help!” Vautrin felt powerless, fully aware of the fate that awaited them. As early as Tuesday of that week, she had documented rumors of girls being raped. The following night, women were taken in large numbers from their homes. Another missionary, John Magee wrote to his wife “The most horrible thing now is the raping of the women, which has been going on in the most shameless way I have ever known”. A tentative list compiled by Lewis Smythe detailed instances of rape occurring soon after the Japanese Army entered Nanjing: four girls at noon on December 14; four more women that evening; three female refugees on December 15; and a young wife around the same time. The accounts revealed chilling individual horrors. A 15-year-old girl was taken to a barracks housing 200 to 300 Japanese soldiers and locked in a room, where she was raped multiple times daily. Victims ranged from as young as 11 to over 80. American correspondent Edgar Snow recalled “Discards were often bayoneted by drunken soldiers,. Frequently, mothers had to witness their babies being beheaded, only to then be raped themselves.” Y.M.C.A. head George Fitch reported the case of a woman whose five-month-old infant was deliberately smothered by a soldier to silence its cries while he raped her. Such acts were a gruesome form of humiliation, designed to demonstrate that the vanquished were powerless to protect their own families. Japanese soldier Takokoro Kozo recalled “Women suffered most. No matter how young or old, they all could not escape the fate of being raped. We sent out coal trucks to the city streets and villages to seize a lot of women. And then each of them was allocated to fifteen to twenty soldiers for sexual intercourse and abuse. After raping we would also kill them”. Women were frequently killed immediately after being raped, often through horrific mutilations, such as being penetrated with bayonets, long bamboo sticks, or other objects. For instance, one six-months-pregnant woman was stabbed sixteen times in the face and body, with one stab penetrating her abdomen and killing her unborn child. In another case, a young woman had a beer bottle forcibly inserted into her vagina after being raped, and was subsequently shot.  On December 19, 1937, the Reverend James M. McCallum wrote in his diary “I know not where to end. Never I have heard or read such brutality. Rape! Rape! Rape! We estimate at least 1,000 cases a night and many by day. In case of resistance or anything that seems like disapproval, there is a bayonet stab or a bullet... People are hysterical... Women are being carried off every morning, afternoon and evening. The whole Japanese army seems to be free to go and come as it pleases, and to do whatever it pleases”.  Rabe wrote in his diary dated December 17 “wo Japanese soldiers have climbed over the garden wall and are about to break into our house. When I appear they give the excuse that they saw two Chinese soldiers climb over the wall. When I show them my party badge, they return the same way. In one of the houses in the narrow street behind my garden wall, a woman was raped, and then wounded in the neck with a bayonet. I managed to get an ambulance so we can take her to Kulou Hospital... Last night up to 1,000 women and girls are said to have been raped, about 100 girls at Ginling College...alone. You hear nothing but rape. If husbands or brothers intervene, they're shot. What you hear and see on all sides is the brutality and bestiality of the Japanese soldiers”. In a documentary film about the Nanjing Massacre, In the Name of the Emperor, a former Japanese soldier named Shiro Azuma spoke candidly about the process of rape and murder in Nanjing. “At first we used some kinky words like Pikankan. Pi means "hip", kankan means "look". Pikankan means, "Let's see a woman open up her legs." Chinese women didn't wear under-pants. Instead, they wore trousers tied with a string. There was no belt. As we pulled the string, the buttocks were exposed. We "pikankan". We looked. After a while we would say something like, "It's my day to take a bath," and we took turns raping them. It would be all right if we only raped them. I shouldn't say all right. But we always stabbed and killed them. Because dead bodies don't talk”. Without anyone to defend them, the women of Nanjing resorted to desperate measures for their safety. The young and attractive cut their hair and smeared soot on their faces to diminish their allure. Others donned boys' clothes or the garments of elderly women. However, the Japanese were well aware of these tactics and were not easily deceived. As American correspondent Snow described, it was an orgy of unprecedented debauchery, involving not only the lower ranks of the Japanese military but also officers who turned their quarters into harems, bedding a new captive each night. Open-air sexual assaults were common. During the first ten days of occupation, groups of Japanese soldiers entered the Ginling campus ten to twenty times daily, brandishing fixed bayonets stained with fresh blood. So overwhelmed, Vautrin decided to prioritize saving lives over salvaging possessions, spending those early days frantically moving across campus to prevent marauding soldiers from taking away women. A particularly tense situation unfolded on the evening of December 17, when Vautrin and other staff members at Ginling College were called to the front of the campus to confront a group of Japanese soldiers. Earlier, Vautrin had received documentation from another officer affirming that the area was a legitimate refugee camp. The soldiers torn up the document in front of her. For hours, with armed Japanese soldiers encircling them, Vautrin and her colleagues were left standing or kneeling, uncertain of what awaited them. Gradually, it became clear that they had been lured to the front gate so that other soldiers could enter through a side entrance and abduct twelve women. As Vautrin recalled “Never shall I forget the scene. The dried leaves rattling, the moaning of the wind, the cries of women being led away.” The staff remained at the entrance until 11:00 pm, fearing that hiding soldiers might fire on them if they moved. This was the only time that Vautrin was unable to prevent rape, a failure that would haunt her for the rest of her life. Some Japanese soldiers, seeking young girls, ordered a middle-aged Chinese woman to assist them in finding targets. When she either could not or would not comply, they shot a rifle across her abdomen, narrowly missing and taking away “three handbreadths of flesh.” When the Japanese Army entered Nanjing, little damage had been inflicted on the buildings, as noted by U.S. missionary James McCallum at the end of December. On the first day of their occupation, Japanese soldiers immediately dispersed into Nanjing in small groups, breaking shop windows and looting the goods within. They carried away their spoils in crates and stolen rickshaws. Initially, the looting was partly a makeshift response to the poor logistics of the Japanese Army. Combat soldiers had arrived well ahead of their supply lines and faced severe food shortages until the roads reopened and the Yangtze River became navigable.  Every building in Nanjing was looted and turned upside down. Everything not nailed down was stolen: doors and window frames were removed, safes opened with rifle shots or grenades. Japanese soldiers often pillaged property while the owners were present, threatening them with bayonets. Abandoned cars littered the streets, typically overturned and stripped of useful items, including batteries. Like Russian soldiers in Berlin seven and a half years later, the rank-and-file soldiers displayed a particular interest in watches. As the scale of plunder grew, transportation became scarce. By the end of December, looting was being conducted using trucks. When vehicles were unavailable, Japanese soldiers resorted to wheelbarrows and even children's prams. Mules, donkeys, and people were also commandeered. Just as during their advance from Shanghai to Nanjing, the Chinese were forced to assist in looting their own homes. A common sight was a Japanese soldier leading a group of Chinese down the street, laden with stolen goods. While Chinese soldiers had also engaged in some looting during their evacuation of Nanjing, it was nothing compared to the scale of the Japanese victors' plunder. The Chinese forces had deliberately avoided breaking into foreign buildings, a distinction that the Japanese disregarded. The American, British, and German embassies, along with the ambassadors' residences, were ransacked, stripped of everything from bedding and money to watches, rugs, and artwork. The American School was looted, and its wall breached to remove the piano. As the Japanese stripped the city, they also began to burn it. While the winter sky could have been sparkling, it was instead filled with smoke from thousands of fires across the city. Some fires resulted from carelessness, such as when soldiers cooked meat from a stolen cow over a bonfire, accidentally igniting an ancient building. Others were acts of mindless vandalism. The Nanking Music Shop saw all its instruments and sheets piled in the street and set ablaze. The extent of the massacre can, to some degree, be linked to a breakdown in discipline among Japanese soldiers. Released from weeks or months of hardship on the battlefield, many soldiers experienced an intoxicating sense of freedom, resembling misbehaving boys. The deterioration of order among Japanese soldiers astonished those familiar with the stories of the stringent discipline within Japan's armed forces. Observers commented on soldiers laughing at proclamations from their own officers or tearing up orders and tossing them to the ground. Some foreign witnesses speculated that this lack of discipline was exacerbated by the absence of visible individual numbers on soldiers, making it challenging to identify wrongdoers. The issue also stemmed from the quality of the Japanese officer corps and their ability to manage a large army of young men, many of whom were experiencing freedom from societal constraints for the first time. Not all officers rose to the occasion; Vautrin witnessed an officer almost fail to prevent a soldier from raping a girl. Even worse, some officers transitioned from passive bystanders, guilty by inaction, to active participants in prolonged rape sessions. While a few attempted to instill discipline among their troops, their efforts often fell short. A Japanese colonel, for instance, slapped a soldier attempting to rape a Chinese woman. Another general was seen striking a private who had bayoneted a Chinese man and threatened two Germans, raising questions about how much of this discipline was merely performative for the benefit of foreign observers. Ultimately, disciplinary measures had little impact. As Rabe noted in his diary dated December 18th “The soldiers have almost no regard for their officers”. The absence of effective higher leadership during this critical period likely exacerbated the problem. General Matsui had been suffering from malaria since November 3, which left him largely incapacitated from December 5 to 15. A subordinate later testified that he had been informed of "incidents of stealing, killing, assault, and rape and had become quite enraged.” Although Matsui may have been displeased by the unruly behavior of his soldiers, it is conceivable that his inaction led to even greater levels of atrocity than might have occurred otherwise. He insisted on holding a victory parade on December 17, immediately after recovering from his illness, which likely triggered a security frenzy among Japanese officers concerned about the safety of Prince Asaka, uncle to Emperor Hirohito. This reaction likely prompted a surge in searches for, and executions of, suspected former Chinese soldiers. The Japanese high command in Tokyo was also aware of the unraveling discipline. On January 4, 1938, Army Headquarters sent Matsui an unusually direct message ordering him to restore control among his troops: Our old friend Ishiwara Kanji bitterly criticized the situation and placed the blame on Matsui “We earnestly request enhancement of military discipline and public morals. The morale of the Japanese had never been at a lower level.” A detachment of military police eventually arrived in Nanjing, leading to some improvements, though their presence was mixed. Some officers stationed outside the Safety Zone ignored atrocities occurring before them and, in some cases, participated directly. At Ginling College, the experience with military police was decidedly uneven. The first group of about 25 men tasked with guarding the college ended up committing rape themselves.  Despite frequent visits from Japanese soldiers in search of loot and victims to assault, the Safety Zone was perceived as successful. Many believed that both the zone and the work of its managing committee were responsible for saving countless lives. W. Plumer Mills, vice chairman of the committee, noted that the zone “did give some protection during the fighting…but the chief usefulness of the Zone has been the measure of protection it has afforded to the people since the occupation.” Shortly after the Japanese conquest, the population of the Safety Zone swelled to a quarter million people. Around 70,000 of these were organized into 25 pre-arranged camps, while the majority sought accommodation wherever possible. Makeshift “mat-shed villages” sprang up in vacant areas throughout the zone. Nanjing quickly became informally divided into two distinct cities. Outside the Safety Zone, the atmosphere was ghostly, with a population dwindling to around 10,000, while within the zone, bustling activity thrived. Shanghai Road, which ran through the center of the zone and had once been a wide boulevard, transformed into a hub of barter and trade, resembling a festive market during Chinese New Year, overflowing with makeshift stalls, tea shops, and restaurants, making it nearly impossible to traverse by vehicle. The Japanese held a degree of respect for Westerners, although this sentiment was not universal and did not always offer protection. Many foreigners tried to safeguard their homes by displaying their national flags outside, but they often found that Japanese soldiers would break in regardless. To protect Ginling College, American flags were displayed at eight locations around the compound, and a large 30-foot American flag was spread out in the center. However, this proved to be “of absolutely no use” in preventing Japanese soldiers from entering the area. Despite this, there was some limited outright hostility towards Americans. Stronger negative sentiments were directed towards the Russians and the British, who were viewed as representatives of nations with competing interests against the Japanese Empire. The Japanese displayed particular reverence for one nationality, the Germans. Rabe would shout “Deutsch” or “Hitler” to command respect from unruly Japanese soldiers or show them his swastika armband, indicating his allegiance to the Nazi Party. Germany was seen as a rising power and rapidly becoming one of Japan's closest allies, a fellow outcast in global politics. However, as time passed, the limits of this respect became evident; individual soldiers began searching for women within the German embassy compound, and eventually, nearly all German buildings were broken into. Despite all the challenges, there was no doubting that foreigners offered a form of protection unavailable elsewhere. Within days of the Japanese conquest, women and children began appearing in large numbers outside Rabe's home, kneeling and knocking their heads on the ground as they begged to be let into his already overcrowded garden.  At 1:00 pm on January 1, the Chinese were proclaimed rulers of their own city, or at least this is what Japanese propaganda sought to convey. On the first day of the new year, a puppet government was established in a ceremony held just north of the Safety Zone. A new five-bar flag, the one associated with the early Chinese republic was raised, signaling a patriotic spirit in a gesture that felt unconvincing. As the new leaders took office, vowing to resurrect their city, buildings burned all around them. The ceremony marked the culmination of two weeks of preparatory work. As early as December 15, General Matsui met with a local Chinese leader, referred to in the Japanese commander's diary only as Chen, who had been selected to assist in forming this new puppet government. Chen had been present in the northern port city of Tianjin two years earlier when Matsui helped establish the Chinese chapter of the Greater Asia Association. He subscribed to Matsui's concepts of “Asia for Asians,” but cautioned that Chinese fears of the Japanese would complicate the governance of the conquered territories.   The new government aligned with the Japanese army to implement a system of indoctrination centered on conservatism, primarily targeting the youth, who were perceived as most likely to resist. The indoctrination included messages like, “You must follow the old custom in marriage, letting your parents make arrangements for you. You must not go to theaters or study English, etc. China and Japan must become one, and then the nation will be strong.” Few were deceived by these attempts to win hearts and minds. The government-sanctioned newspaper, the Xinshengbao, or New Life Journal, was immediately dismissed as a crude vehicle for propaganda. Additionally, the government made minimal progress in more urgent tasks, such as restoring peacetime conditions and revitalizing Nanjing's economy, a challenge made formidable by Japanese brutality. Given the fate of the first group of volunteers at the electricity plant after the conquest, no one could be found to fill the needed 40 to 45 worker slots. The same was true for firefighters. The predictable outcomes followed. Water and limited power were restored to parts of the city by January 2, but within two days, the city was plunged back into darkness. By January 13, the waterworks were still non-operational, and the power supply remained intermittent while fires continued to blaze well into January. The government was not taken seriously, struggling even with the Japanese. It quickly built a reputation for being venal and corrupt. One of its names was the Nanjing Autonomous Government, which a clever member of the foreign community humorously rebranded as the “Automatic Government,” reflecting its actual role as a puppet regime devoid of autonomy.  While Nanjing endured its own nightmarish reality, the city's inhabitants had little understanding of the events transpiring beyond its walls. The first radio news that reached foreign residents came on January 7, reporting Japanese air raids on Wuhan. There were also unconfirmed rumors suggesting that Hangzhou was experiencing similar horrors to those in Nanjing, but details were scarce. It was perhaps expected that reports from afar would be limited in wartime, yet information about situations closer to Nanjing was similarly scarce, and the horrific truth gradually dawned on the city's populace. A Westerner who managed to escape east from Nanjing in early January reported that all villages within a 20-mile radius had been burned to the ground. Outside the city, Japanese soldiers were randomly shooting civilians, including children. A German who drove an hour from Nanjing encountered no living souls. After the conquest, Chinese who managed to leave Nanjing reported that every pond between the city and Juyong was filled with the decaying corpses of people and animals. Many of the atrocities committed during this time appeared to stem from boredom and a search for cheap thrills. American missionary Magee witnessed a young farmer who had sustained severe burns on his upper body. After the soldiers demanded money from him and he failed to comply, they doused him in kerosene and set him ablaze. Similarly, a young boy suffered horrific burns after he failed to lead a group of soldiers to his “mama.” People in the rural areas surrounding Nanjing faced danger from numerous directions. Not only were they potential targets for marauding Japanese soldiers, but they were also at risk from bands of Chinese outlaws, who preyed on the large influx of refugees on the roads and the few souls who remained at home despite the fierce conflict raging nearby. Magee encountered a 49-year-old woman whose home was invaded by bandits looking for money. “When she and her husband said they had none they battered her head and breast with a stool and burned her feet until she revealed their savings of between four and five dollars.” In the absence of a formal government, informal authority was often wielded by secret societies. For instance, the “Big Sword Society” reportedly offered protection not only against Japanese soldiers and local bandits but also against small groups of Chinese troops seeking to escape back to their lines and resorting to theft for survival. What a blast from the past eh?   Rumors began to circulate in early January 1938 that the Chinese Army was preparing to retake Nanjing and that Chiang Kai-shek's soldiers had already been spotted inside the city walls. Many of the small makeshift Japanese flags that had appeared outside private homes in mid-December suddenly vanished, and some Chinese residents who had been wearing Japanese armbands hastily removed them. There was even talk of launching an attack on the Japanese embassy. Word spread that the Japanese were becoming frightened and were searching for Chinese clothing to disguise themselves as civilians in the event of a retreat. In reality, none of this was true. The Chinese Army was still reorganizing after the costly campaign that had forced it from Shanghai to Nanjing and then further into the interior. However, this did not imply that the Japanese had achieved complete control over the city. After six weeks of terror, Nanjing began to reassert itself. Japanese soldiers faced fatalities and injuries in skirmishes with members of secret organizations like the “Yellow Spears” and the “Big Sword Society.”  After the New Year, the population within the Safety Zone began to dwindle. A week into 1938, the number of refugees at Ginling College, which had peaked at more than 10,000, fell to around 5,000. Less than a month after the conquest, many former residents started returning to their homes during the day and then coming back to the college at night. Still, the city was far from safe, and even for those whose homes were located within the Safety Zone, Vautrin believed it was unwise to stray too far from her refugee camp. One month after Japanese forces had surged through its gates, Nanjing was a thoroughly devastated city, with fires still being set every day and night. By mid-January, estimates suggested that more than half the city had been burned down, with the main shopping district completely gone, as well as the entertainment area surrounding the Confucius Temple. Nevertheless, slowly but surely, the shell-shocked city began to pull itself together and started the long process of renewal. Vautrin considered opening an industrial school offering four-month courses for women to help compensate for the loss of labor resulting from the indiscriminate killing of men. Chinese New Year fell on January 31, 1938. Celebrated throughout Asia, it was also recognized by the Japanese. It was a “dismal, muddy” day, and as many feared, soldiers who appeared “too happy” from excessive drinking attempted to enter the Safety Zone in search of women but were stopped. The sound of thousands of firecrackers filled the air, fulfilling the age-old purpose of scaring away evil spirits. Refugees in Rabe's compound presented him with a large red silk banner adorned with a gold Chinese inscription. His Chinese friends translated the message for him “You are the living Buddha For a hundred thousand people”. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In December 1937, the battle for Nanjing left its residents in terror as the Japanese army advanced. Following the invasion, a horrific massacre began, with thousands targeted in brutal killings, torture, and humiliation. Civilians and soldiers alike were indiscriminately slain, and the Japanese military showed no mercy. To this day the Nanjing Massacre stands as a testament to the unbelievable evil man holds within him.