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Adi Bhoopathy, Managing Principal and Head of Capital Markets at Noble Investment Group, joins No Vacancy Live to share his insights from over two decades of investing in the hospitality sector. Since joining Noble in 1999, Adi has helped lead more than $4.5 billion in transactions, playing a pivotal role in shaping the firm's investment strategy and capital relationships. In this episode, we dive into how Noble identifies opportunity in a rapidly evolving market, why Adi believes hospitality is a resilient and rewarding asset class, and what it takes to build trust with institutional partners. From capital markets to culture, Adi offers a behind-the-scenes look at what drives one of the industry's most active hotel investors.
Thanks for listening to The Morning Five! Thanks for listening, rating/subscribing The Morning Five on your favorite podcast platform. Learn more about the work of CCPL at www.ccpubliclife.org. Michael's new book, The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, is now available! You can order on Amazon, Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, or at your favorite local bookstore. Today's host was Phebe Meyer, Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor for the Center for Christianity and Public Life. Join the conversation and follow us at: Instagram: @michaelwear, @ccpubliclife Twitter: @MichaelRWear, @ccpubliclife and check out @tsfnetwork Music by: King Sis #politics #faith #prayer #Psalm66 #tarrifs #EU #Trump #Russia #Ukraine #CongressmanRangel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, Dr. Killeen shares some exciting news—his latest book, The Shift: A Leadership Fable, is now available for pre-order! Inspired by real-world practice challenges, this fable follows the journey of a young dentist stepping into leadership, tackling self-doubt, and learning to coach—not just manage—a team. If you're ready to level up your leadership skills, this book is for you. Get your copy and pre-order today at your local Barnes & Noble or online at their website!
Adi Bhoopathy, Managing Principal and Head of Capital Markets at Noble Investment Group, joins No Vacancy Live to share his insights from over two decades of investing in the hospitality sector. Since joining Noble in 1999, Adi has helped lead more than $4.5 billion in transactions, playing a pivotal role in shaping the firm's investment strategy and capital relationships. In this episode, we dive into how Noble identifies opportunity in a rapidly evolving market, why Adi believes hospitality is a resilient and rewarding asset class, and what it takes to build trust with institutional partners. From capital markets to culture, Adi offers a behind-the-scenes look at what drives one of the industry's most active hotel investors.
Get your copy of Nikki's book today on Audible, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and through Bookshop.Org, where every purchase supports your local bookstore.Want a sneak peek of Nikki's book? Download a FREE chapter!Today, we're revisiting what we loved about Nikki's conversation with powerhouse entrepreneur, CEO, and mother of four, Tiffany Sauder. You won't want to miss their raw and honest conversation about the secret to unlocking real balance in your life and how to finally say goodbye to overwhelm.Connect with Tiffany on Instagram, LinkedIn, or on her website, and be sure to check out her FREE resource, The Ultimate Guide to Outsourcing Your Laundry.Support the showFollow Nikki on Instagram and Facebook! Wanna be on the show or sponsor an episode? Email your pitch to nikki@youridealmomlife.com.
Thanks for listening to The Morning Five! Thanks for listening, rating/subscribing The Morning Five on your favorite podcast platform. Learn more about the work of CCPL at www.ccpubliclife.org. Michael's new book, The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, is now available! You can order on Amazon, Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, or at your favorite local bookstore. Today's host was Phebe Meyer, Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor for the Center for Christianity and Public Life. Pew Research report referenced: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/10/31/81-of-us-adults-versus-46-of-teens-favor-parental-consent-for-minors-to-use-social-media/ Join the conversation and follow us at: Instagram: @michaelwear, @ccpubliclife Twitter: @MichaelRWear, @ccpubliclife and check out @tsfnetwork Music by: King Sis #politics #faith #prayer #Psalm66 #tarrifs #EU #Trump #Russia #Ukraine #CongressmanRangel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Send us a textIn this casual solo episode, I'm just catching you up on what life has looked like lately over here. From solo parenting while Donald's been away for job training, to the kids catching colds (because of course they did while Donald's gone), to navigating IEP meetings and school plans for next year—it's been a lot, but also I'm surviving it!I'm sharing a peek into the daily chaos, the mental load, and some of the sweet moments too. Plus, we've got an upcoming trip on the calendar, and I'm talking a bit about what I'm looking forward to.If you're in a season that feels a little messy and a lot full, come sit with me for a bit. No big agenda—just a heart-to-heart from one rare parent to another.In this episode:Solo parenting + surviving the sick weekIEPs and what we're thinking for next school yearAn upcoming trip and what it means to plan as a medical familyGiving ourselves permission to take life one moment at a timeIf this episode resonates, I'd love to hear from you! Tag me on Instagram @confessionsofararediseasemama or send a quick DM. And if you've got a second to leave a review, it helps other medical and rare mamas find the show.
Interview starts at 25:15 Nick Spratt, friend of the show and companion on many trips joins us for a great presentation on the Azores - Atlantis. We chat about the frontier of archeology, anthropology, geomancy, the NOAA bathometric map, 2013 Government investigation, Comet Research Group, Vogel crystals, the Merkabah, the elemental language and the Witch of Wales. https://www.instagram.com/nickaspratt/ ncei.noaa.gov/maps/bathymetry/ Become a Lord or Lady with 1k donations over time. And a Noble with any donation. Leave Serfdom behind and help Grimerica stick to 0 ads and sponsors and fully listener supported. Thanks for listening!! Help support the show, because we can't do it without ya. Support the show directly: https://grimericacbd.com/ CBD / THC Gummies and Tinctures http://www.grimerica.ca/support https://www.patreon.com/grimerica http://www.grimericaoutlawed.ca/support www.Rokfin.com/Grimerica https://www.eventbrite.com/e/experience-the-ultimate-hunting-adventure-in-alberta-canada-tickets-1077654175649?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile The Eh- List site. Canadian Propaganda Deconstruction https://eh-list.ca/ The Eh-List YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@theeh-list?si=d_ThkEYAK6UG_hGX Adultbrain Audiobook YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@adultbrainaudiobookpublishing https://grimericaoutlawed.ca/The newer controversial Grimerica Outlawed Grimerica Show Check out our next trip/conference/meetup - Contact at the Cabin www.contactatthecabin.com Our audio book website: www.adultbrain.ca www.grimerica.ca/shrooms and Micro Dosing Darren's book www.acanadianshame.ca Grimerica on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2312992 Join the chat / hangout with a bunch of fellow Grimericans Https://t.me.grimerica https://www.guilded.gg/i/EvxJ44rk Leave a review on iTunes and/or Stitcher: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/grimerica-outlawed http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/grimerica-outlawed Sign up for our newsletter https://grimerica.substack.com/ SPAM Graham = and send him your synchronicities, feedback, strange experiences and psychedelic trip reports!! graham@grimerica.com InstaGRAM https://www.instagram.com/the_grimerica_show_podcast/ Tweet Darren https://twitter.com/Grimerica Can't. Darren is still deleted. Purchase swag, with partial proceeds donated to the show: www.grimerica.ca/swag Send us a postcard or letter http://www.grimerica.ca/contact/ Episode ART - Napolean Duheme's site http://www.lostbreadcomic.com/ MUSIC https://brokeforfree.bandcamp.com/ - Something Wobbly Felix's Site sirfelix.bandcamp.com - Should I
Originally published Dec. 12, 2023Have you ever asked yourself the question: Why should I get out of bed? In today's episode, host Jason Wieland, Content Development Pastor at Saddleback Church, talks about his favorite book of 2023. It's called On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden & Gift of Living by Alan Noble. This short, 104-page book is rich in its look at anxiety, depression, and other hardships of life. It doesn't sugarcoat the realities of suffering. For anybody who may not struggle with these issues themselves, Dr. Noble paints an important picture of what life is truly like for those in this daily fight. However, this book is truly one of hope as it reminds us of the reality of our good creation, the presence of our good Creator and the truth that your life is a testimony of that goodness - whether you are having a good day or not.Join Jason as he dives into this impactful, important book. This episode highlights some quotes from the book as Jason discusses why he finds this book so necessary and what makes it his book of the year.Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Out-Bed-Burden-Living/dp/1514004437Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V)Related Doable Discipleship Episodes:Living with Hope in the Midst of Struggle with Alan Noble - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fIDelighting in Jesus with Asheritah Ciuciu - https://youtu.be/nHFPW4QLc9sEmbracing Brokenness with Michael John Cusick - https://youtu.be/Wzky80I2lPwMysteries of Faith: Prayer - https://youtu.be/9rFBmBKiNxIMysteries of Faith: Union with Christ - https://youtu.be/U1MkOvTKvd0Living Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0MLonging for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIcNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA
Thanks for listening to The Morning Five! Thanks for listening, rating/subscribing The Morning Five on your favorite podcast platform. Learn more about the work of CCPL at www.ccpubliclife.org. Michael's new book, The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, is now available! You can order on Amazon, Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, or at your favorite local bookstore. Today's host was Phebe Meyer, Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor for the Center for Christianity and Public Life. Join the conversation and follow us at: Instagram: @michaelwear, @ccpubliclife Twitter: @MichaelRWear, @ccpubliclife and check out @tsfnetwork Music by: King Sis #politics #faith #prayer #Psalm66 #tarrifs #EU #Trump #Russia #Ukraine #CongressmanRangel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Betsy Holmberg, PhD, author of Unkind Mind, joins us to discuss the neuroscience of why women are so hard on themselves and how to quiet the inner critic for good. Holmberg is a psychologist and author specializing in overthinking and negative self-talk. She writes for Psychology Today, and has been featured in radio, television, and podcasts. Before that, she ran the mental health service line at McKinsey & Company and received her PhD from Duke University. Visit our website at www.newharbinger.com and use coupon code 'Podcast25' to receive 25% off your entire order. Buy the Book: New Harbinger - https://bit.ly/41IHjal Amazon - https://a.co/d/hnYNciu Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1146033738 Bookshop.org - https://bit.ly/41sKnpL If you have ideas for future episodes, thoughts, or questions, we'd love to hear from you! Send us an email at podcast@newharbinger.com
In this podcast I discuss the idea of controlling our thoughts. It's something that is taught a lot in spiritual circles and often discussed. Is this a good idea? Are there other ways to advance on our spiritual journey? If what we resist persists, how can we resist our thoughts successfully? I answer these questions and more...————————————————————You can join the conversation Live every Monday at 6 pm ET on Facebook & YouTube! Check out my new book Down to Earth The Spiritual Beings Guide to a Happy, Human Experience. Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, in digital and paperback!For Life Coaching, Exclusive Content, or More Info: GlennAmbrose.comHave you joined the new community Loving Nation in the Glenn Ambrose Academy yet?To help support my work and the free content I provide, please donate HERE
264. Simple Ideas for Incorporating Art with Children and Teens with Courtney Sanford Colossians 3:23 NLT "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." **Transcription Below** Questions and Topics We Discuss: Can you give us an overview of the seven major forms of art and give an example of ways our children can engage with each? What are the best art supplies to have on hand? As our children grow, why is this helpful in the teen years to have a healthy way to express ourselves and our ideas? Courtney Sanford is a dedicated wife, and mother who triumphantly homeschooled her three children. With one pursuing a career in orthodontics, another just finishing a master's degree while working in higher education, and the youngest studying computer science at Regent University, Courtney's commitment to their education has yielded remarkable success. Passionate about nurturing creativity and self-expression, she guides students through captivating art classes, exploring the intersection of imagination and skill. With her background as a graphic designer and experience in studio art, Courtney embarked on a new adventure as an art teacher. As a multitasking mom, author, artist, teacher, and adventurer, Courtney embodies the spirit of embracing life's opportunities and fostering a love for learning and artistic expression. Beyond her love for education, Courtney has an insatiable wanderlust. She finds joy in traversing the globe, hosting art retreats, and volunteering at Spiritual Twist Productions: both painting sets, and serving on the board of directors. When time permits, Courtney indulges in spring snow skiing, hiking in exotic locations, and leisurely walks with her dog, Zoey. Delightful Art Co. was born out of a time when life gave Courtney a handful of lemons, and she creatively transformed those lemons into refreshing lemonade. The Covid shutdown rather forcefully prompted a major shift from in-person art classes to online classes. Courtney's Website Thank You to Our Sponsor: WinShape Marriage Other Episodes Mentioned: 202 Simple Ways to Connect with Our Kids And Enjoy Breaks with Beth Rosenbleeth (Days with Grey) 223 Journey and Learnings as Former Second Lady of the United States with Karen Pence Continue the conversation with us on Facebook, 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: (0:10 - 1:36) 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 am thrilled to introduce you to our sponsor, WinShape Marriage. Their weekend retreats will strengthen your marriage, and you will enjoy this gorgeous setting, delicious food, and quality time with your spouse. To find out more, visit them online at winshapemarriage.org. That's W-I-N-S-H-A-P-E marriage.org. Thanks for your sponsorship. Courtney Sanford is my guest today, and she's an amazing artist and teacher and author, and I'm just so excited to share this conversation. If you're like me and you're ready for summer and your rhythm changes with your kids, she's going to share some super practical tips for incorporating art and beauty into our homes. And I think that you're going to conclude this conversation by knowing where to begin and understanding why it matters. Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Courtney. Courtney Sanford: Thanks for having me. Laura Dugger: I'm so excited to hear more about your story, so will you share what has led you into the work that you get to do today? Courtney Sanford: (1:37 - 4:20) I sure do like to share that story. I didn't start off as a homeschooler. I didn't imagine that that would be where my life went, but I was always a creative person. I was a graphic designer, and I worked in the Performing Arts Center, and I got to do lots of fun design for shows. Then along came kids. I actually enjoyed dropping them off at school and going to Target, and I was okay with that. We didn't do public school because the school near me didn't look safe, and we had lived near Columbine High School and thought it was just a beautiful, beautiful school. And when we left Colorado, we thought, oh, isn't it sad that our kids won't go to school there? And then just about a month later, the whole Columbine shooting happened, and so we were kind of traumatized by all of that. And then when I saw the school that my precious five-year-old would go to, it didn't look safe, and so we sent them to a private school. So here we are spending a lot of money, having high expectations, and the kids were doing all worksheets all the time, and they started to dread going to school, and they didn't love learning, and the excitement of learning just kind of drained out of them. And so we looked into other options and decided that homeschooling would be the way to go, and I found the classical model and just loved the way that sounded, and we tried it, and it worked, and the little lights just came back on in their eyes, and they started to love learning again. And I just found my people, and I just learned everything I could about homeschooling, and I just poured myself into it wholeheartedly as unto the Lord. And had a great time, and I just loved my time with my kids, and I felt like it was successful, and I encouraged other people to do it, but I wasn't really sure that it worked until they got into college and they turned out to be successful, thriving humans, and we're really proud of them. One will be a doctor in about a month. He's about to graduate. He has a wife and a little girl, and then my second one has her MBA, and she works for a Christian college where she leads trips, and she's getting ready to take a group to Paris and London, and so she kind of ministers to students through that, and then my youngest is still in school staying to be a software developer. So now I can confidently say it was worth all the energy that I put into it. It was hard work, probably the hardest thing I've ever done, but so worth it. Laura Dugger: (4:21 - 4:40) That's incredible, and I love hearing the success story where your children are now, but you really also inspired them with beauty and art in their learning and growing up time, and I'm curious, are there any personal lessons that the Lord has taught you through art? Courtney Sanford: (4:41 - 6:32) Oh, goodness. Yeah, I think my desire was to make learning interactive because I saw what they were doing in the private school, which was sit in a chair all day and do your worksheets, and it was just worksheet after worksheet after worksheet and then a quiz, and then you get graded, and so I was thinking if I'm going to pull them out, I've got to do better than that, and so that was my standard, and I was going to beat that standard every day, and so I pulled in art because that's what I knew, so if we were learning about an animal, we would draw the animal. If we were learning about a continent, we would draw the continent until we could draw it from memory, and I really learned with them. I did not have a great elementary education or even high school education, so I would learn this stuff, and then I would think of creative ways to get them involved with it, so a lot of times it was drawing. It could be painting. It could be making things out of clay. We used to make things out of Rice Krispie Treats, and then they could take it to their co-op group. Well, it was a classical conversations group, but they do presentations, and so we made a Mayan temple out of Rice Krispie Treats, and we would make volcanoes, and then they could take it to their friends and share it with them and tell them about it, so anything I could do that would get us out of the chair using our hands and using our senses and think, you know, how can I incorporate all five senses, and that just made learning so much more fun for them and for me, and so a lot of it was art. Some of it was science. Anytime I could incorporate a sense of play into what they were learning, I could see that they would learn so much more. Laura Dugger: (6:32 - 6:55) I love that, trying to incorporate all five senses, especially. That gets some ideas coming, but can you even back it up, and because you're an artist, will you give us an overview of the seven major forms of art, and can you give us examples as parents for ways that we can engage our children with each of those? Courtney Sanford: (6:56 - 10:58) Oh, sure. Let me think. All right, so drawing, of course, you can draw what you see, so when I teach students to draw, I do a progression, so we'll draw from line art, and you can find line art anywhere. It might be in a children's book, so using the library was key for me, so I'd get a laundry basket, and I would go to the library with an index card of what we'd be studying, and I would grab all kinds of books related to that, so when you come home, you get out a kid's book. If you see a good line drawing, say you're studying a lizard, if you see a good line drawing, draw from that. They could even trace it to start with, so you draw from the line drawing, then once they get really confident with that, you go to drawing from photos, and then you go to drawing from real life, so maybe you have a fish tank. Maybe there's a fish in the fish tank, and you could draw from that or draw things in your yard, so that is how I break down drawing for them, and it could be years. You could draw from line art for years before you go to drawing from photos, and then to drawing from real life, and drawing's great for learning to memorize things. For painting, painting's just fun, and so I like to go to the kitchen table every afternoon and paint what you see, so you start off with the younger kids. You could start with color and markers and fill in the areas, and then you can teach them how to shade using painting. Sculpture is also fun with kids. I like air-dry clay, and I like Sculpey clay. I like to get a one-pound block of Sculpey clay and teach them the basic forms, like roll out a snake, do your hands together. Those of you who are listening, you can't see my hands, but I am making a sphere with imaginary clay. These are really good for developing their fine motor skills, too. We also make the letters out of roll-out snakes and form your letters. That will really help if they're reversing letters. It takes a while to build the whole alphabet, so maybe you do three or four letters a day. You work on it a couple times a week. It might take a month to make the whole alphabet, but that can be one goal, to get them working in three dimensions. We usually do additive sculpture, like adding on, and you can use found objects to make sculptures. One time, my son took apart a pen. I rearranged the pieces into a human shape, and it was lovely. Getting them thinking in three dimensions is related to sculpture. Carving, I don't like to do until they're old enough to be safe with a knife, but once they are, especially the boys love to go outside in the yard and get a log. They spend a lot of time carving spoons. Just a simple shape they can hold in their mind and then carve it is a good activity. It keeps their little hands busy, too, if you want to read aloud to them and you don't mind a little mess in the house, they can carve. You can also carve out of a bar of soap as well. For that, that's a subtractive sculpture technique. Let's see. That's the three main ones, drawing, painting, sculpture. I know film is one. Film, I don't really incorporate much into my homeschool, except we will occasionally watch a movie about history. That has gotten me into trouble a few times because some of those movies that I think are going to be historic turn out to have racy scenes in them, and I'll have to jump up and get in front of the TV or cough really loud. But there are some good films that you can watch together as a family. That's about as far as I went with film. Laura Dugger: (10:59 - 11:19) I would, if you don't mind me interrupting there, too. I feel like that's one that our girls have actually begun to develop on their own, where our eldest daughter once wanted a video camera, so she got the old-school video camera. They're making their own movies, and I've seen that as a form of creative, artistic play. Courtney Sanford: (11:20 - 11:49) Oh, that's fabulous. Yes, so when my kids were little, we didn't even have phones or video cameras on the phones, so that wasn't an option. When we first started homeschooling, our TV died, and so we did not even have a TV for years. We just decided not to replace it, which forced us into audiobooks and reading aloud and then just playing outside instead and reading books. So that was a blessing. Laura Dugger: (11:49 - 12:03) I love that because that's one of the other forms. That was new to me, that literature is an art form. Sorry, I sidetracked you because we still have literature, architecture, theater, and music. Courtney Sanford: (12:04 - 14:20) Yeah, I think the best thing that we did for our kids, of course, I love teaching them to write using Andrew Pudewa's method with IEW. It's kind of imitative writing, so you learn to imitate good writers. But also, my husband read aloud to the kids every single night. That was his time with him. He gave me a break, and he would read for hours. He loved it. The kids loved it. And he would choose classics or funny things, you know, science fiction. Probably not the books that I would choose. I would choose classics and things related to what we were studying, but he chose what he wanted to read. So I would read aloud in the afternoons, and we would do audiobooks like Story of the World and all the Jim Weiss readings. And then he would read aloud at night. And just whatever he wanted to choose, he would read aloud. And I think hearing good language produces good speakers and good writers. So he gets about 50 percent of the credit for the success of the kids, I think, for just reading aloud every night. It was such a great thing to do for the kids. And then the last one, architecture. I do incorporate architecture when I'm teaching about a culture. So, if we're doing art history or history, we'll look at the buildings. So, of course, you do that with ancient Egypt. You look at the pyramids. When you're talking Old Testament times, you look at the tents. And then as I go through art history with the high schoolers, I'll point out more and more like neoclassical, of course, comes from the ancient Greeks, but it's come to symbolize power and authority. And that's why we see it in government buildings. So, my degree is graphic design, but it was in the School of Architecture. So, I had a lot of history of architecture and I appreciate it. And so I'm always pointing that out to my kids. And I do that in my class, in my art history class. I always incorporate the architecture just as a part of understanding a culture. Laura Dugger: (14:21 - 14:29) I love that. And was there anything specific that you did with your kids for encouraging music or also theater? Courtney Sanford: (14:30 - 15:29) Oh, yeah. One thing I wish I had done more of was kinder music. I don't know why we didn't do that much kinder music, but now I'm learning more about it. I wish I had done more of that. And I did put them in piano lessons. One wanted to do violin. So, they had a few years of learning the basics of music, and then they really got into theater. We have a great Christian youth theater nearby. And so that was a really good experience. In their Christian youth theater, they would sing praise and worship songs before and during and after a play. They would be praying for the audience and singing worship songs in addition to the singing on the stage. And that whole experience was really good for them. Even my quietest kid got a big role in a play one time, and he had to memorize a lot of lines and sing in front of people. It's just such a great experience for them. Laura Dugger: (15:30 - 15:57) I would think so. Even if they don't choose something that we would consider a very artistic career, I can see why all of this is still beneficial. That leads me to another question for you. Regardless of the way that all of us parents listening are choosing to educate our children, why is it still beneficial for all of us to incorporate art into our homes and into our parenting? Courtney Sanford: (15:58 - 21:59) That's a great question. So, the first line of the Bible says God created. So, the first thing we learn about God is that he was creative. He created everything. And then just a few lines later, it says then he created man in his own image. So that tells me that we were created to be creative, to create. Now, he doesn't let us create stuff out of nothing like him, which is probably for our own good. That would be a mess. But we can create things out of what he created. And there is a study done by George Land. And there's a video on YouTube of George Land giving a talk about this creativity study that he did. And he created a test for NASA to help them find creative engineers when they were trying to get to the moon. And they used it to study creativity in children. And they tested five-year-olds. So, they found a group of 1,600 five-year-olds who were in school. And when they tested them at five years old, 98% of them tested as creative geniuses. So, their plan was to go every five years and test them again just to see what was going on. So, they went back after five years. The kids are now 10. And it dropped down to like 27%. They went back another five years when the kids were 15, and it was down to about 17%. And then they were so depressed, they stopped testing them because they could see they began as very creative. So, we're created creative. And a lot of moms will say, yes, I can see that in my children. But something happens. And this was all in school. Something happened during school that taught them to not be creative. So, the school teaches the kids to be obedient, to sit still, and to get the same outcome from every kid. Right? There's an expected answer on every test. And you're to try to get the answer that the teacher wants. That's not creative. So, the first thing to do to preserve their creativity is don't send them to school. That's the safest bet. And then when you do homeschool them, which I think is the best environment for them, don't do what they do in school. To bring them home and to go to all this trouble just to do the same thing that they're doing in school is not worth the trouble. So, you've got to not do what they're doing in school. And so, for me, that meant don't do worksheets, make the content interactive. So, I did rely on curriculum, but I didn't rely on the curriculum to be the teacher. So, I get the content from the curriculum, and then I make it interactive using artistic, creative skills so that they can be creative. And I don't teach it out of them. So, if you have young kids, that's good news. They're already creative. You just have to don't teach it out of them. If your kids are older and maybe they've been in school, then you might have to like undo some of that training and set up some experiences where you ask them or even like in my classes, I'll set up a challenge. And I expect everyone's to be different because everybody's going to do it a little bit more creatively in their way. And so, at the end of class, instead of like calling out the answers to see if everybody got the same thing, they're holding up what they did and telling me what they were thinking. And everybody's is different. And then I really praise the ones who did something different. Maybe they changed the colors. Maybe they put glasses on Mona Lisa. You know, maybe they gave her a cat to hold. So, I reward thinking outside the box. Now to to pour in beauty, and I think I might have heard this from Charlotte Mason, beauty in, beauty out. So, you've got to load them with beauty. Now, I think that we were naturally drawn to beauty and people will argue with me about this. They'll say, well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But I betcha I could find something that's beautiful and do a survey. And I betcha I could get 100% of people to say, yes, that's beautiful. And I could find something else, maybe a Hindu goddess sculpture. And I could find something that 100% people would say that is not beautiful. And so, I think that ingrained in some of us because we're created by God, I think we have a sense of appreciating beauty. I do think that it gets taught out of a lot of people. So, with my kids, I show them a lot of beauty. And this can be as simple as get a coffee table book from the secondhand bookstore on art and put it on your coffee table. Get books from the library and have lots of beautiful things to look at. And so, when I now when I was teaching my own kids, this is kind of a fly by the seat of my pants. Make it up as I go. Now that they've left home and I can think about it, I'm putting together books that are a little bit more thoughtful. So, in my books, you will see I've chosen a piece of art that is beautiful and I will pair it with the lesson. And then I'll give you an art activity. So, for example, in Into the Woods, you'll see I've chosen a beautiful piece of art and I paired it with a poem, which is another piece of beauty. Yes. And then I'll give you an art lesson so that they can get creative with it as well. So, it is this hard to pull it together. So that's why I'm making books to help parents. So, you have something beautiful and something to do with it. And so, that's how I pour in beauty to give a beauty in beauty out. Laura Dugger: (21:59 - 22:36) I love that so much. And just even holding this resource, it is so beautiful. There's so much to it. When it arrived, our daughters were delighted to go through it and to dive in and get to learn. But I'm just thinking many listeners are fellow homeschool parents and also many are not. But I don't want them to be discouraged because I'm even thinking of your courses or if they do intentional art in the evenings or on weekends or summer break and winter break. There are still ways for all of us to incorporate this. Courtney Sanford: (22:36 - 24:28) Yes, for sure. Yeah. Even so, my mom, I was public school. And of course, the word hadn't been invented back then, but my mom appreciates art and poetry and she would always have art books on the coffee table. And I would just stop and, you know, in my free time, flip through the pages. And those images stuck with me my whole life. She had one that had a Monet on the cover of the Field of Red Poppies. And that was just ingrained in my mind as a piece of beauty. So just something as simple as putting it out on your coffee table. She also took us to museums whenever we traveled. And she didn't make a big lesson out of it, but I was exposed to beautiful buildings. You know, most museums are in beautiful buildings. You see the beautiful architecture. And I was exposed to a lot of art that way. So, that was that totally goes with which with summer vacations and your vacations to, you know, make an effort to see a gallery or an art museum when you're traveling. That makes a big difference. It'll make an impression on them. And of course, the books you could do in the summer. We have summer classes and we have an art retreat that might not line up with school because it's in May. But the books you could for sure add on. Hopefully someday we'll have evening classes so that you could go to school. We've got some this coming year that will start at four o'clock. So, hopefully some kids can go to school and come home and join an art class. So, we're working on getting it out as we as I get teachers willing to. Most of my teachers are homeschool moms, too. And by the end of the day, they're tired. So, I've got a few. I've got a young lady who's just graduating and she's going to do some late afternoon ones for us next year. So pretty excited about that. Laura Dugger: (24:28 - 25:04) I love that. And then even thinking of the beauty and beauty out stepping outdoors. There's so much beauty in God's creation and so much change depending on where you live throughout the seasons. But I love how you also brought up the library, because anytime I'm trying to learn something new, that's my first go to is put books on hold at the library. And so, if we're wanting to know what to add to our library cart just to get us started into this, can you share books that you recommend, both yours and others that you think would be good additions? Courtney Sanford: (25:05 - 26:19) Oh, that's a good question. Yes, there are. I love to think about the biographies of artists. And if so, if you're studying ancient history, you could look up a biography on Giotto. And they're still tell the stories in such a nice, kid friendly way. Like there's the story of Giotto. He was actually watching the sheep. And while he was out in the fields, he would draw on the sides of rocks like big rocks. But you get another rock and you would draw on the sides of rocks. And another artist was walking through one day and he saw these drawings on the rocks. He was like, wow, you're really talented. Come with me. I'll make you an apprentice. And those stories are just they're fun to read together and hear those kinds of stories. And of course, the Usborne books of art are beautiful and they often have projects for the kids to do. I can't think of any specific ones, but I do love a short paperback on the particular artists. And so, I kind of line those up along with the period in history that we're studying. Laura Dugger: (26:20 - 26:32) That's great. And even you're making me think of picture book biographies on artists. We've always enjoyed those as well. Obviously, the illustrations are fantastic, too, but the storylines are so interesting. Courtney Sanford: (26:33 - 27:23) Yes. So, I just grab whatever they have. I had a big laundry basket. And and I know card and I just grab whatever I could find and sometimes let the kids choose. And sometimes I would choose. If you're going with geography, you can find beautiful photos of the different areas. See the landscapes or the sunsets. And that can through photography. And you can really get to know a place through beautiful photographs. I like that part, too. And then that might inspire a pastel drawing of a landscape. Maybe it's a beautiful sunset you could recreate with pastels. So, photography books are really inspirational, too. Laura Dugger: (27:23 - 28:10) It's a great idea. And circling back, you had mentioned Andrew Pudewa earlier in our conversation. And I remember learning from him that with writing, the worst way we can teach our children is to say just free write, just write something down or here's a prompt to finish this sentence because better writing comes through imitating. And so, you've even mentioned tracing is a great way to start. That's not cheating in art if you're not stealing credit from them. But if you're just practicing and tracing, this is a way to imitate. And so, I'm wondering, do you have any other cautions for ways that may be the wrong way to introduce our kids to art? Courtney Sanford: (28:11 - 30:50) I agree that. Yeah, you can get writer's block. What I find funny is that some people are so afraid to imitate artists. But if I were teaching piano, I would teach your kid how to play something by Bach in which he would learn what Bach did. And nobody would say I'm stealing from Bach. You know, and you learn to play Beethoven by playing Beethoven and you you learn to reproduce those pieces of music. I do the same thing in art. We look at what the masters did and we'll copy it in order to learn what they knew. And that way we build. We're like standing on the shoulders of giants. So, we don't want every kid to have to start with inventing the wheel themselves. We'd never get very far. We want to learn what the masters knew and then build on that. So, I do a lot of imitation. And then as the students ready, I let them know you are free to change this or to experiment with it. So just last week we were drawing and painting red poppies and learning about Georgia O'Keeffe. And so, I said we can do an imitation of her poppy. And I'll show you step by step how to reproduce her poppy. And in doing that, we're going to cause us to look more closely at it and study her blends. Like she would blend from yellow to orange to red in every petal. And we can study that technique. And then as we do it and we practice it, we look more closely at hers and it kind of becomes a part of us. And then we'll find another flower and we'll use that same technique on a flower that we choose. Or maybe it's a flower we make up and we take that technique and we can apply it. And it's a much better way to learn than trying to learn it yourself without looking at what the masters did. So, I think that I think I pulled a lot of that from Andrew Pudewa. The idea of I'm going to assist you until you say I got this. I can do it from here. So, I do assist until they get it. And then I always say whenever you're ready, as soon as you're ready, change it and make it your own or do your own thing. And because turning them loose too soon can break their confidence. So, you want to build them up until they can confidently experiment on their own. Laura Dugger: (30:51 - 32:34) Let's take a quick break to hear a message from our sponsor. I'm so excited to share today's sponsor, WinShape Marriage, with you. WinShape Marriage is a fantastic ministry that helps couples prepare, strengthen, and if needed, even save their marriage. 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To find an experience that's right for you and your spouse, head to their website, WinShapeMarriage.org. That's W-I-N-S-H-A-P-E Marriage.org. Thanks for your sponsorship. Well, and as parents, once we're past the resistance to maybe invest some of our time or our money or allow the mess into our home, but if we push past through that and we're ready to get started, I'd love to go over some practical tips. So, Courtney, first, just what are some great art supplies to have on hand? Courtney Sanford: (32:36 - 37:13) A number two pencil and some Crayola markers you probably already have. Those are great tools. I like to have my kids work in an art journal, and you can get these real inexpensive at Michael's. It'll say on the cover, mixed media art Journal, and they come in different sizes. I kind of like the big ones, and that will allow you to use paint, pencil, and marker or anything you want. If it says sketchbook, it's not going to hold up to paint very well. So that's why I get the mixed media paper. So, I start with the art journal, and then I like to make that journal be their book on a subject. So right now, I'm doing ancient history with some kids, and so they are making their own book about ancient history. So, every week we'll do a drawing or a painting or watercolor on a lesson in ancient history. And so, each piece is not a masterpiece to hang on the wall. Each piece is a part of the story in their book. That takes all the pressure off. So, they don't see this as, I don't know if this is going to be good enough to hang on the wall. That's not even a question. It's a part of the story in your book. They can also take some notes. They can show their grandparents and review the topic by presenting it to their grandparents and showing off their book. And then you can collect their books and put them on a shelf. It's not all over the house making you crazy. And then you can see from year to year how their skills have improved. So, I kind of like every year I like pick a topic to be the subject of our art journal. So, I call it arts integrated learning. So, I'm pairing an academic subject with art for that year. So, it could be poetry. It could be history. It could be science. Whatever you pick. That's what you'll add to your art journal with. Pencils. I like blending tools too. There are some people call them stompies. For those of you who are watching. Here's one. It's just rolled up newspaper, but you can buy these at Michael's. They're really cheap. But it takes a drawing to the next level. You can just blend things out and shade things really lovely. Mark Kistler does some videos and teaches you how to. He'll go shade, shade, shade. And so that's a good way to start. And it really elevates a drawing and it gives them a lot of confidence. And then of course the good eraser. The book drawing with children is a really good one for our parents to read and then teach from in that book. They suggest you have them draw with markers so that they don't spend an hour erasing. If you have someone who's a perfectionist, they will make one mark and spend 20 minutes erasing it. And so, if you go right to drawing with markers, that's gonna teach them to make a good mark first and then keep going and not spend half an hour erasing. When I get to age nine or 10, I like to use acrylic paints, but I only buy four colors of paint and then I make them mix all the other colors. So, we use yellow, magenta, blue, and white. Those are like the colors in your printer. Cyan, magenta, and yellow are the ones in your printer. And those colors can make all the other colors. Now your printer has black, but I don't give kids black. Instead of black, they could make purple or brown or dark color. So, you know, you teach them how to mix the colors that they want. They'll learn to mix it because they want green or they want purple, or they want brown. And then they develop a sense of color theory, and you don't even have to teach it. They'll figure it out because they want those colors. If they find, if, if you don't feel confident in that, you can buy craft colors of the specific colors, especially brown. That's a hard one to mix. But I do like the coverage of acrylic paints. I like watercolors too. That's a little bit easier to get into. You just take it slow and practice a lot. So that's really all you need. It's pretty simple. Laura Dugger: (37:14 - 37:27) Well, and I'm wondering too, even with the acrylic paint at that age, once they're older, that one, I'm assuming can stain. So are there any tips that you have for containing the mess? Courtney Sanford: (37:28 - 38:32) Yes, I get, and they're a little bit hard to find. So go to Amazon and find a, a tablecloth that is plastic on one side and felt on the other side. I forget what you call it, but there'll be like picnic tables, tablecloths. And the plastic ones are going to drive you crazy because they're too thin. So, if it's flannel backed, it's a little bit thicker. So I get a white one at the beginning of the year. And that comes out anytime we do clay or paint, and it goes over the kitchen table and I don't worry about cleaning it. You just let it dry, fold it up. And I put mine in the China cabinet right there by the table. And then anytime we do something messy, that tablecloth comes out and, and then just fold the mess back up in it. And it works, it works really great to, and then you might, if you're, if you're a neat freak, maybe plan on buying one at the beginning of every school year so that you get clean slates. And then the paint that gets onto the tablecloth is actually lovely and it'll be pretty next time you get it out. Laura Dugger: (38:33 - 39:11) Oh, I love that. That's a genius tip. I appreciate that for coming indoors because in the summer, I guess we could take it outside depending on where we live. But then what about any hacks for finding the time to do this? And I guess I'm thinking back to a previous episode with Beth Rosenbleeth. She's the one who started Days with Grey and she would talk about different art prompts that she would set out for her children in the morning for a variety of ages. But were there any things that kind of required minimal time from you, but had maximum return for your kids? Courtney Sanford: (39:11 - 41:06) Yeah, that's a good point. I had, I wouldn't say I had a strict schedule, but I had a pattern to my days. And the time after lunch was a good time to do messy things in the kitchen because we were in the kitchen anyway. And as I could clean up lunch and start dinner, I could be in the kitchen with them and they could be creative at the kitchen table with minimum involvement from me. One of my best afternoons was we had the microscopes out to do something specific and I left it out as I was cooking chili. And as I cut up each ingredient, I would cut a thin slice for them to look at under the microscope. And so they were looking at a bell pepper and a red pepper and celery and tomato. And they were so, they so enjoyed that and I was able to cook dinner at the same time, which was fabulous. And that turned, it was probably like a 15-minute science lesson into like four hours of discovering things under the microscope. So that element of play and you can do that with your art supplies too. Like I'll demonstrate a technique and then leave it out. I'll turn my attention to cooking dinner while they see what else they can do with it. And, um, you know, I'll give them a few tips. Like, um, if you mix these three colors together, you're going to make brown and then turn your back and let them discover it for themselves. So, um, I'm a big crock pot person. And so after lunch would be the time I need to clean up lunch and put something in the crock pot. So that would be a good time for me to get them started on art or science and, um, and then turn my back and let them have that, um, that discovery time without me hovering or telling them what to do or something. Laura Dugger: (41:06 - 41:22) Oh, that's a great rhythm. I love these ideas. And then I kind of want to go in chunks of age. So, thinking of little kids, how would you define the difference between a piece of art and a craft? Courtney Sanford: (41:23 - 43:41) Yeah, a craft is going to be something where the focus is on following directions and that's important. They need to learn how to follow directions. And so we would do, especially around the holidays, I might do a craft and we all follow directions. Um, a piece of art is going to be where they're, they all come out different. They're allowed to play and express themselves. Um, for me personally, if I'm doing a craft when I'm done, I think, oh, I could make 50 of these and sell them. If it's an art, when I'm done with a piece of art, like one of these paintings behind me, when I'm done with that, I'm thinking I could never do that again. That took so much out of me. I'm exhausted. A little piece of my soul is in that that's art. That's the difference. Um, so I don't sell my paintings because there's a little piece of my soul in, um, my husband makes fun of me for that. He's like, you could just sell your paintings. They're like, what? They're, they're like my babies. I can't, I can't part with them. It took so much out of me to create them. Um, but a craft, yeah, I'll just give away things that are, that I just followed directions for, um, in terms of kids, younger kids will enjoy crafts, but getting to high school, they recognize it as slave labor and they don't want to do that. They are in what the classical education people call the, the, um, poetic stage, you know, they want to express themselves and they want to be unique. I think this is why they get tattoos. The tattoo is a way of saying this is who I am. This is what it means to me. I'm unique. Um, so I think if we don't teach them to express themselves in art, they're going to get tattoos. So that might encourage moms to, to give them the skills so that they can express themselves. You know, they need to be able to write poetry or write songs or paint a painting or do a drawing. There's that need inside of us to do that that God put in us. And if they don't have an outlet, then they're going to find something like tattoos or something that we don't want them to be doing. Yeah. I mean, some of my kids are tattooed. It's not bad. Laura Dugger: (43:42 - 44:25) Well, and you've kind of answered a follow-up question I had because we talked about little kids, but I'm thinking of teens. So going back, my background is in marriage and family therapy, and we would encourage everyone that journaling is a free form of therapy. But I think of art as the same way. And there's even studies that show when you're engaged in something artistic, the critical side of your brain goes offline. So you can't think negative thoughts while you're creating something new, but with teens, there's that added benefit of getting to express themselves. So is there anything else with art that you see as basically free therapy for adolescents? Courtney Sanford: (44:26 - 46:54) Oh, sure. I do see it a lot. I experienced it because I started my business because of the shutdown and because I was teaching in person and then I had to switch to online teaching. And so, the group that I had moved online and I figured out how to do it and got a little bit better at it. And then that summer I offered a class for adults. These were directors and I was in classical conversations at the time. And so a whole bunch of teachers are expected to teach Western cultural history without a lot of background. And so some of the moms asked me if I would do my art class for them. And so I had about a group of like 50 adults and we would get on for an hour and a half every day. And this was at the height of the shutdown when turning on the news, just stresses you out. Going to the grocery store was stressful because people were in masks or they weren't in masks or, you know, we didn't know anything. It was such a stressful time, but that hour and a half that we had together, we, our focus was on discovering a piece of art. So, we were looking at beautiful things and then we were creating something and that changed our focus from what was going on in the world. And we would just relax, and we'd enjoy it. Having the live class kept our focus on it. And when I don't have a live class in front of me, I'll be like, oh, I should put the laundry in or I should start dinner and I get distracted. But with that, you know, with other people on zoom, it keeps me focused. And so, we'd have this wonderful hour and a half vacation from the world. And after it was over, I would just have this sense of peace. And then I'd come down and be like, oh yeah, that's still going on. And it was, it was so good for our mental health. And, and I get, I hear moms tell me that the hour and a half once a week they spend with me doing art has been such a blessing. Like one student lost her father a year ago and this is helping her. She said she's finally coming out of her depression and she's finding a way to express herself and find beauty again. And it's, it's been transformative for some students. So, it is a blessing. And I didn't, I didn't read that somewhere. That's just from my experience. So, I'm a big believer in that. Laura Dugger: (46:54 - 47:51) I can see why I think you're bringing up two points. I don't want to miss both with art therapy and then also art in community. So art and community first, I think for all of us at any age, what can we do as this is airing probably when everybody's getting out for summertime, how can we gather others alongside of us for whether it's our kids or us as peers to get to engage in these activities together. And so, I want to follow up with you on that, but also before I lose my thought, I also want to link back to Karen Pence's episode. She had started art therapy for veterans, I believe, and just incredible. The healing that is possible through this. So, do you have any thoughts Courtney on ways that we can this summer gather together community at different ages and do something artistic? Courtney Sanford: (47:51 - 52:15) That is a good question. So, we have, I have found the online classes are the easiest for people to get to. And it's I get people ask if we can do it in person, but honestly it's hard to get people out or they're busy. They're doing things in summer. So, we do offer a class online in the summer that's live. We have recorded classes that you could do alone or get a few people together and, do them together. I have some sampler packs too. So, some of them are just three lessons. You could get some friends together and find, maybe you could find three, three times during the summer to do. I have like a Vango sampler pack and a couple of short ones that you could just pay for the video and do with your friends or maybe a mother daughter event. Maybe you do the self-paced class with your daughter. And I've had some seniors, like seniors in high school, do a mother daughter class together and just say, this is such a good time for us to spend a little bit of time together, a little bonus time before they go off to college. During the school year, we have, I have a watercolor artist friends. She lives near me and she's a professional watercolor artist and she does the class called Bible journaling. And that is a beautiful combination of a devotion and a watercolor time together. Those are hour and a half classes too. And they meet once a week. And we sometimes we'll have grandmas, we'll have high school students, we'll have mother daughter pairs do it together. And they actually have a little prayer time, a little study of scripture. And then then Kate teaches them step-by-step how to do a beautiful watercolor and incorporate some hand lettering in it. So that's just a beautiful fun time together. So I highly recommend her class during the school year. If, if a mom could get away, or if you have a high school daughter to do it together, that is a great experience. And then I have a short version of art history that you could do with friends or your high school daughter. It's called paint your way through marvelous to behold, which is just 12 lessons that goes through. And that's a variety of drawing and painting. If you wanted to do something like that. So, lots of things, or you can check out the books. And if you feel confident following step-by-step instructions in a book, you could use the book or a combination of videos and books. If you're feeling kind of like you could lead a art group, you could get the cell page video, watch the video and then do, you know, exactly what I said, do that live with a group. And if you have any art experience doing that, you could get, probably get, I would like invite all the homeschool moms in your co-op group to get together. And I do some, sometimes I'll go to do a mom's group, do a watercolor or I love to do the milkmaid with moms because the milkmaid is this beautiful painting from the Dutch masters of a woman cooking. She's just pouring milk. I think she's making bread pudding and it's just so beautiful. It's like, what I think I look like homeschooling. I'm wearing like a long gold gown and those suns coming in and everything's perfect. I'm like, this is the ideal. This is what I think homeschooling is going to look like. And then I kind of use that painting as a launch pad for painting Delft tiles from the period. And so sometimes I'll, I'll do that with some homeschool moms because I like to encourage homeschool moms. I know it's hard. And I had some mentors when I was homeschooling that I really appreciated. So, I'm always happy to, to be the support and be able to say it's worth it. Keep going. I know you're driving a crappy car, but it will be worth it. And so, the sacrifices you make now totally pay off. And you know, before I know it, my son is going to be homeschooling his daughter. She's seven months now, but it's going to fly by, you know, she'll be four before you know it. And I'll be teaching her how to paint. I suppose. Laura Dugger: (52:16 - 53:13) When was the first time you listened to an episode of The Savvy Sauce? How did you hear about our podcast? Did a friend share it with you? Will you be willing to be that friend now and text five other friends or post on your socials, anything about The Savvy Sauce that you love? If you share your favorite episodes, that is how we continue to expand our reach and get the good news of Jesus Christ in more ears across the world. So, we need your help. Another way to help us grow is to leave a five-star review on Apple podcasts. Each of these suggestions will cost you less than a minute, but it will be a great benefit to us. Thank you so much for being willing to be generous with your time and share. We appreciate you. I don't want to miss what website to direct everyone to. If they want to sign up for one of these classes, where's the best place to follow up? Courtney Sanford: (53:14 - 54:27) Go to delightfulartco.com and on that page, you'll see live classes, self-paced classes, summer retreats. I've done adult retreats before. I'd be open to doing it again if people want to. So, I have, I would call it private retreats. So, if you want to get a group of women together, maybe somebody has a beach house, I'll come and do the art. It could be a one day, two day, or three-day event. So that's an option. And we have self-paced classes. So, lots of things to look at. I have a lot of sample classes on the website too. If you want to drop in and see what they're like. I think there's a how to paint Monet's water lilies is on the site. You can watch that and see what it's like. Some people are afraid to try an online art class, but we all loved Bob Ross, and we watched him. So, if you can imagine saying, Bob, stop, could you do that again? That's what my classes are like, and I'll be happy to stop and show you again. And then you can hold up your work at the end and I can give you some feedback. So, I'm like the new Bob Ross. Laura Dugger: (54:27 - 54:46) There you go. That's wonderful. Thank you for sharing that. And Courtney, I just have a couple more questions for you. If let's turn it back to parenting. If we want to get started today and we just want next step to get started. What is an art prompt that we can still try today? Courtney Sanford: (54:47 - 57:26) I would look at what you're, what, what are you teaching your kids? So, if you're teaching them, maybe you have a library book on the coffee table that you're studying biology. Pull out one thing from that and draw what you see and reproduce that. Just one drawing a week. And before you know it, you'll have a whole biology book. So, I like to instead of saying parents, you have to add on another course. You have to add art to everything else you're doing. Slide it into what you're already doing and it will enhance what they remember about that. And it's not like a whole other subject. So just use art as a tool to help them remember what you want them to learn anyway. So, anything you want them to teach, if you have a photo or a drawing, have them trace it or draw it. I actually another good way to start is if you have little kids and Bible story time, let them draw what you're reading about. My son loved to do stick figures. So, I have the whole Bible told in stick figures from when I'm from my youngest kid. And it is fabulous, especially like Sodom and Gomorrah. And, you know, there's a lot of violent stuff. Boys love that stuff. So, he illustrated a lot of the Old Testament because I read it every morning, and he would just draw what he heard me. I think I was using the Children's Illustrated Bible. So, he had some things to look at. That's another great way to get started. Just let them look at the story and draw in their own art journal. So, there's so many fun ways you can use it in every subject. I had a mom tell me she read me an email. She said, my daughter is just blooming in your classes. I wish every subject could be taught with an art journal and a paint palette. And I replied, we're working on it. We're we've got we've got Latin and art, science and art, literature and art. There's just so many ways to find inspiration and what you're already studying and find the beauty in that subject. So, in our site, our art and biology course, students do a beautiful watercolor of the DNA strand. And they draw the cell in watercolor. And it's just beautiful. And it helps them remember it and practices their art skills. So, it's like a two for one. Think of it as a two for one. Take art and put it in another subject. Laura Dugger: (57:26 - 57:46) I love win wins. That sounds amazing. And Courtney, I just have one final question for you today. We are called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge or insight. And so is my final question for you today. What is your savvy sauce? Courtney Sanford: (57:47 - 58:15) The beauty, in beauty out, has been kind of my savvy sauce and also as unto the Lord. So, whatever I do, I do as unto the Lord. If I'm homeschooling, I'm teaching biology. I'm going to do as unto the Lord. I'm not going to hand out a worksheet. I'm going to make it. I'm going to make it a great experience. So, I would have to say whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly as unto the Lord and not for men. Laura Dugger: (58:16 - 58:36) What a great place to end. Courtney, you are so inspiring. You've given us great ideas and kind of confidence to get to put this into practice. Even if we're not artists like you, we're all created in God's image and therefore can be creative. So, thank you for your time and wisdom today. Thank you so much for being my guest. Courtney Sanford: (58:37 - 58:40) You are sure welcome. I had a great time. It's good to talk to you. Laura Dugger: (58:41 - 1:02:25) You as well. 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 implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you ready to get started? First, tell someone. Say it out loud. Get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes & Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible, and I love it. You can start by reading the book of John. Also, get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps, such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you. We want to celebrate with you too, so feel free to leave a comment for us here if you did make a decision to follow Christ. We also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process. And finally, be encouraged. 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.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today. And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.
Domenic Scarcella wrote the book 'Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen' and continues the conversation at the 'Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen' site on Substack. It's spiritual and mental health food for those who are sick of political junk food.Find the book ‘Good Neighbor, Bad Citizen':Amazon (paperback & Kindle): https://amazon.com/dp/B0CL2Y6XW3Barnes & Noble (paperback): https://barnesandnoble.com/w/book/1144379266Lulu (paperback): https://lulu.com/shop/domenic-scarcella/good-neighbor-bad-citizen/paperback/product-je56729.htmlSubstack home page for the weekly Wednesday Wakeup article, Sunday Buffet podcast & FM Radio meditation series: https://GoodNeighborBadCitizen.substack.comConnect with Domenic on X/Twitter: https://x.com/GoodNeighBadCitThe Last Ryde IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelastryde/The Last Ryde Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564753542254BetterHelp: Go to https://betterhelp.com/macolino for 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help #sponsoredYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JeffMacolinoFollow Me!!! https://twitter.com/saintjmachttps://www.facebook.com/jeffmacolinopodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/saintjmac/IMDB Page: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17046562/?ref_=nm_knf_t1TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeffmacolinoArt Credit: Chase Henderson
“Around the swimming beagles, bright stars danced on rippling waters like a thousand little fishes of light scurrying in a sea of darkness.Can there be a more beautiful sight than when sky meets ocean in the black of night?” The lawyer whispered to himself, the beagles, and the sea as the soft blanket of summer wrapped them all in her warm embrace.Night is a time of reflection. Not of stars in water only, but of times past and times to come. And such a night was this.”– Beagles of Destinae, chapter 4Ideas pour into the dark waters of the unconscious mind, sparkling like reflected stars. As above, so below. The natives always said it was so.But as Gemini sat on the throne of Aquarius, a dragonfish was born. And thus our story begins.The twins did not mean to unleash a dragonfish, but they had never promised not to, either. And besides, a dragonfish is an adventure.Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea,and frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff,And brought him strings, and sealing wax, and other fancy stuff.Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail,Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff's gigantic tail.Noble kings and princes would bow whenever they came,Pirate ships would lower their flags when Puff roared out his name.A dragon lives forever, but not so little boys,Painted wings and giant's rings make way for other toys.One gray night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more,And Puff, that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.“Puff the Magic Dragon” with lyrics by Leonard Lipton and music by Peter Yarrow appears on the 1963 Peter, Paul and Mary album, “Moving.” An urban myth soon arose that the song was about drugs. It's really a backward look at childhood, and all that was left behind.“The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart. All grown-ups were once children… but only few of them remember it.”– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry“He saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.'”– Luke, ch. 5The book “Peter Pan” was written only after the 1904 play became a huge success.On opening night, Mrs. Snow spoke to the playwright and author, J.M. Barrie about her late husband…“And he would so have loved this evening. The pirates, and the Indians; he was really just a boy himself, you know, to the very end. I suppose it's all the work of the ticking crocodile, isn't it? Time is chasing after all of us. Isn't that right?”“It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old; they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.”– Gabriel Garcia Marquez“The secret of The Muppets is they re not very good at what they do. Kermit's not a great host, Fozzie's not a good comedian, Miss Piggy's not a great singer… Like, none of them are actually good at it, but they love it. They're like a family, and they like putting on the show. And they have joy. And because of the joy, it doesn't matter that they're not good at it. That's what we should all be. Muppets.”– Brett Goldstein“All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust…If growing up means it would be beneath my dignity to climb a tree, I'll never grow up.”– Peter
Barry shares his formula for sharing your faith with confidence and joy. Discover the four key steps that transformed his journey and get inspired to boldly live out your faith and share it with the world! Host Barry Meguiar is a car guy and businessman who hosted the popular TV show, Car Crazy, on Discovery Networks for 18 years. He loves cars, but he loves Jesus even more! Learn more about Barry at IgniteAmerica.com. Get your copy of Barry’s book Ignite Your Life: Defeat Fear with Effortless Faith at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and other online booksellers. Learn more about: - Why we don't need to memorize all scripture- When we can build a relationship and share our faith.- Why we need to be genuine in our conversations.- Where God can use us to help move others closer to Him. Check out Why Share? on IgniteAmerica.com to learn why it is important for every believer to share their faith. Then visit First Steps which provides practical ways to get started in your faith-sharing journey. Sign up to receive emails that will bring you solid faith-sharing tips and powerful inspiration. Visit https://igniteamerica.com for more information and resources.
Topics covered : Mental health, homophobia, same-sex marriage referendum in Ireland, rejecting shame. This week marks 10 years of the marriage equality referendum in Ireland when the country overwhelmingly voted 'yes' and in doing so became the first country in the world to grant equal marriage rights to same-sex couples by popular vote.3 years ago I spoke to bar owner, drag queen and activist, Rory O'Neill aka Panti Bliss.Originally from Ballinrobe in Mayo, Rory lives in Dublin city with his husband Anderson and their dog Penny.We spoke in late February 2022 and at times there is an eerie poignancy to our conversation as it happened as Covid restrictions were being lifted here in Ireland, but before the invasion of Ukraine.In this conversation we speak about his now iconic Noble call in the Abbey Theatre and the events which led to it, he speaks about the impact the pandemic had on him, the freedom his alter ego Panti gives him, how he rejects shame of any kind and how he would like to be remembered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Send us a textToday is the epic conclusion of our Fifty Shades of Grey miniseries fondly titled "Fifty Shades of May" series, and boyyy are we excited. Come on this first time journey with us as we do the ultimate book and movie ranking / showdown of the entire trilogy! We give our overall star and spice ratings of the Fifty Shades of Grey book trilogy by E. L. James, the movie trilogy, and even include our thoughts on the Fifty Shades parody book: Fifty Shames of Earl Grey. What did we love? (Veiny arms and grey sweatpants.
Show Notes:Seeing the wonder of God's creation in the world around us can expand our imagination, give us a hopeful perspective during difficult times, and help us find moments of joy in the mundanity of life. Today's guest joins Eddie and Chris in a delightful, hope-filled conversation about the wonder of the ocean and its creatures. What can the ocean tell us about the character of God?Rachel Jordan is a professional marine biologist who earned her B.S. in Ecology at Seattle Pacific University and her M.S. in Marine Biology & Ecology at James Cook University in Australia. She also has a Certification in Biblical Studies from Bodenseehof Bible School in Germany. Her book, If the Ocean Has a Soul, will release on June 3, 2025, and is available for preorder now.If you want to experience wonder this summer, whether you're traveling to the beach or the mountains, visiting an amusement park, or just staying home, take a few minutes each day to focus on one small thing in the natural world and appreciate it for how it is beautifully and wonderfully made. We humans are not just called to tend and keep. We are also called to serve and protect the world around us.Resources:Learn more about Rachel here.Follow Rachel on Instagram.Preorder If the Ocean Has a Soul through Tyndale, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or BookshopSubscribe to Rachel's newsletter here.
Thanks for listening to The Morning Five! Thanks for listening, rating/subscribing The Morning Five on your favorite podcast platform. Learn more about the work of CCPL at www.ccpubliclife.org. Michael's new book, The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, is now available! You can order on Amazon, Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, or at your favorite local bookstore. Join the conversation and follow us at: Instagram: @michaelwear, @ccpubliclife Twitter: @MichaelRWear, @ccpubliclife And check out @tsfnetwork Music by: King Sis #politics #faith #prayer #1Peter2 #SouthAfrica #Trump #OvalOffice #Qatar #ethics #policereform Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode I dive into unconditional love. What is it, why is it important and how can we practice it? The foundation of our existence is unconditional love so in order for us to live a meaningful life we must cultivate it, experience it and live it to the best of our ability.————————————————————You can join the conversation Live every Monday at 6 pm ET on Facebook & YouTube! Check out my new book Down to Earth The Spiritual Beings Guide to a Happy, Human Experience. Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, in digital and paperback!For Life Coaching, Exclusive Content, or More Info: GlennAmbrose.comHave you joined the new community Loving Nation in the Glenn Ambrose Academy yet?To help support my work and the free content I provide, please donate HERE
Japan signed a treaty with their fellow Entente Powers which slowed construction on the ever-increasing navies of many nations. In 1923, a terrible earthquake struck the Kanto Region resulting in massive damage and an incredible number of casualties. The atrocity that soon followed, however, only served to increase the tragedy.Higher Listenings: Joy for EducatorsA new podcast from Top Hat delivering ideas, relief, and joy to the future of teaching.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
Catch up with Ginger! This is the first Get Up Ten episode of 2025. Ginger fills in her audience on how this year has been going for her, keeping it all the way real. She also shares what the last couple years has taught her about healing and the D word--Deliverance that is! There has been a lot of learning and unlearning. Most importantly there has been a lot of healing. Ginger also shares how motherhood has enhanced her walk spiritually. —————— Get your copy of Ginger's new book Thrive: How to Let Go, Find Purpose and Flourish When Staying Seems Easier today!!!!! To buy from Amazon click here To buy from Barnes & Noble click here —————— Cover Art: Joseph Vosges Intro/Outro: Malaga by EZE Connect with Ginger on IG @gingernfit Follow Get Up Ten on FB and IG
Petty vs. Pearson: The Rivalry That Shaped NASCAR is an absolutely spellbinding account of the thirty-year relationship between Richard Petty and David Pearson. It was authored by seven-time National Motorsports Press Association writer of the year and former NASCAR Scene staffer Mike Hembree. In Petty vs. Pearson, Mike chronicles a (mostly) friendly rivalry between Richard and David, who met in 551 races and finished one-two an astounding 63 times You can pick up Petty vs. Pearson TODAY at Barnes and Noble and online at BarnesandNoble.com. It'll be a fantastic addition to your NASCAR library. And … just for the record … this podcast is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Get your copy of Nikki's book today on Audible, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and through Bookshop.Org, where every purchase supports your local bookstore.Want a sneak peek of Nikki's book? Download a FREE chapter!Today, we're revisiting what we loved about Nikki's conversation with Ciara Burton, creator of Becoming Her, a community that frees mothers of anxiety and uncertainty so that they can go from constant questioning and the desire to “get it right,” to owning their value and living life on their own terms—all while showing their kids how to do the same.Tune in to get into thriving mode! Connect with Ciara on Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to check out her website!Support the showFollow Nikki on Instagram and Facebook! Wanna be on the show or sponsor an episode? Email your pitch to nikki@youridealmomlife.com.
Thanks for listening to The Morning Five! Thanks for listening, rating/subscribing The Morning Five on your favorite podcast platform. Learn more about the work of CCPL at www.ccpubliclife.org. Michael's new book, The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, is now available! You can order on Amazon, Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, or at your favorite local bookstore. Join the conversation and follow us at: Instagram: @michaelwear, @ccpubliclife Twitter: @MichaelRWear, @ccpubliclife And check out @tsfnetwork Music by: King Sis #politics #faith #prayer #John10 #AI #Google #defense #military #Trump #GoldenDome #budget #House #publicpolicy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Send us a textHave you ever tried to grow your social media following legitimately without resorting to bots or buying fake followers? I'm dropping some real knowledge today with my "hand-to-hand combat" method for Instagram growth – a simple strategy that involves following 50 people daily from legitimate accounts in your niche, letting it sit for a few days, then using data comparison to strategically unfollow those who didn't follow you back. This technique builds authentic engagement while keeping your account in good standing.My cinematic journey took me to Arizona Mills to see "Sinners" in 70mm IMAX format, enduring those old-school, straight-backed theater seats that reminded me of midnight premieres from years past. The experience was completely worth the back pain! I also caught "Final Destination: Bloodlines" and despite my skepticism about that 94% Rotten Tomatoes score (which felt like a payoff!), the storyline was solid even if the acting made me grimace.The most surprising development in my life? Picking up my first book since dropping out of school. Starting with "Good Morning Beautiful" by Daines L. Reed on a recommendation from a Barnes & Noble employee, I discovered my imagination could actually visualize what I was reading. Now I'm hooked, reading "Molly the Maid" and ordering Stephen King's "Later" – though my frugal decision to buy used might mean that book never arrives! Every morning, Winston (my dog) and I have a routine where I read aloud while he gazes out the window. It's a peaceful ritual that's opened up a whole new world for this formerly book-averse guy.Working in nightlife promotion for over a decade has kept me surrounded by 21-25 year olds, which explains why being called "Unk" feels like a Jigsaw trap moment. It's the brutal reality of aging, but at least my job has prevented the typical midlife crisis – no sports cars or motorcycles needed when you're still in the mix. Share this episode if you've ever felt the sting of an age-related nickname or if you're looking for legitimate ways to build your social presence!Thank you for listening now please go back and check out some of my previous episodes.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the showInstagram your questions and spread the love using the hashtag #seasonablecloutpod on X,Threads and everywhere else, and don't forget to Subscribe, rate & review, listen on iTunes, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.
Dr. Hillary Cauthen, Millennial, is a clinical sport psychologist based in Austin TX. Hillary was a division 1 college track athlete, before embarking on a career focusing on the mental health and mental performance dimensions of high performers. Dr. Cauthen is the Founder of Texas Optimal Performance & Psychological Services. Her private practice has steadily grown over the past decade and now includes a dedicated team of six providers delivering comprehensive care to athletes, parents, coaches, and sports organizations throughout the greater Austin, TX area. Dr. Cauthen formerly served as the Director of Organizational Wellness & Performance for Austin FC and the performance psychologist for the San Antonio Spurs, where she developed their mental performance and wellness programs. Her work with high performance is breaking down stigma across communities which is highlighted in her book, "Hello Trauma, Our Invisible Teammate” and continued in her weekly podcast titled Highs & Lows of X's & O'sHere are the topics we covered:0:00 Introduction2:27 Trauma Statistics3:50 Trauma Defined4:55 Empathy vs Sympathy7:21 The Three Trauma Reactions10:51 Shame12:57 Embarrassment15:50 Anger and Recovery18:21 Gaslighting and Fear20:44 Changing the Viewpoint22:27 Resolving Trauma25:00 Healing28:08 20 Something SelfMemorable Quotes“70% of Americans have reported experiencing trauma.”“Trauma is any physiological response that exists to you“Sympathy is saying “I'm sorry” (unintentional pity); Empathy is an emotional connection.”“Fear is a silencer of people's voices.”“Anyone living in the timeframe of 2020-2022ish experienced trauma: COVID. The level of experience and how it impacted us is different.”“Healing is like learning to walk again,..healing is living…it's taking tender, honest, active care of our wounds. Healing is forgiving and accepting ourselves without judgment, shame or anger. Healing is getting our voices back so we can speak and listen. But it's also caring for ourselves out loud publicly and for all to see and hear.” (Excerpt for Hillary's book)Here are the 3 Takeaways:When we experience trauma there are 3 places we can go to and be: the minimizer (dismiss the impact), the enabler (“It must be my fault”), and the moral authority (something really bad did happen). We will go back and forth between these during our healing phase. Until the moral authority kicks in the we really can't recover. Shame is not guilt and is an assessment of our character traits. It can create relentless negative self talk and striving for perfectionism. We don't want to fail because it creates more shame. Before shame, embarrassment, which is a socially prescribed morals and norms, can often come. It's the fear of the judgement of others that can lead to the feeling of embarrassment. Anger goes to action. It is the most powerful emotion to move differently. What we're not doing yet is having the emotional vocabulary for trauma and sitting with people's emotions. We can all experience trauma and have it impact us but it's what we do through the next phases, and the meaning we make of it, is how we get back to living healthy. Healing will eventually happen. As Mentioned:Her book:Hello Trauma, Our Invisible TeammateAvailable at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Audible! A signed copy is available at www.txopps.comHer podcast:Highs & Lows of X's & O'sAdditional Resources:213. Understanding Crisis, Trauma, Healing, and Growth with Dr. Kate Flynn, The Crisis CoachEp. 179. Trauma, Control, and the Journey to Vulnerability, Trust - Insights from Gabor Maté, Daniel Goleman, Brené BrownWays to contact with Hillary:drcauthen@txopps.cominsta: drcmindsetWays to reach Yo:yo@yocanny.com Public FB group: Girl, Take the Lead!https://www.facebook.com/groups/272025931481748/?ref=share Linktr.ee/yocannyhttps://www.instagram.com/yocannyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/yocanny/
Can you say riveting?? Because this month's episode of Whine & Wine is RIVETING. It was so riveting that I'm going to put the link to our guest's services up here at the top:Crossover Doula ServicesThis month, we were so happy to welcome Reamey B., owner of Virginia's Crossover Doula Services…a service that is essential for those experiencing the transition from this life to the next. We had a long list of questions for Reamey that included:Discovering the difference between a Crossover Doula and Hospice (spoiler: totally different)How, when, and why someone might engage a Death Doula?How, when, and why someone might become a Death Doula? We also asked Reamey about her personal experiences and how she takes care of herself despite being surrounded by death for a living. We had about a million other questions, but mainly, we just listened (for once) because it was RIVETING!***You can find Reamey at:Crossover Doula Services 804-404-2628 info@crossoverdoulaservices.comand follow her on: Facebook, Instagram , or LinkedIn.***Our Nonsor this month was a two-fer! Peach Schnapps, anyone? A shout out to Kathy's many near-death experiences courtesy of Peach Schnapps. Our second Nonsor was an updated throwback to organizing your post-death wishes BEFORE you die. Kathy found a journal that allows users to not only add the housekeeping items but also includes an additional section to write letters to loved ones, leave wishes, and more. Stop sitting on it and get your post-life plans in order. Seriously. Get that estate squared away. Click here as we've already done the search FOR you and JUST PICK ONE. ***Can't get enough of us? Well, you're one of the very few.Get to know us! Jyl Barlow has all things Jyl! Also, it's pronounced, “jill.”Which Way's Up is Jyl's blog, home of weekly epiphanies and often oversharesWhat to Expect When You Weren't Expecting is Jyl's best-selling memoir about her hilarious struggles as a (step)mother. Buy it online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, and Target!Kathy Crowley's Thought for the Day (accessorized with a favorite timepiece and signature scent) can be found on Instagram. Watch videos of all our Nonsor products on YouTube or TikTok!Wine & Whine is part of Bearlow Productions and is created Jyl Barlow and Kathy Crowley.
Interview starts at 31:05 George Howard joins us for a chat about the upcoming Cosmic Summit - This June 20th weekend in Greensborough NC. Come and join us. We chat about some of the programs at the conference, the classroom sessions, the 'under the pyramid' controversy, the Ethical Skeptics article about the pyramids and Giza, and remote sensing technology. https://cosmicsummit.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@cosmicsummit https://cosmictusk.com/ Become a Lord or Lady with 1k donations over time. And a Noble with any donation. Leave Serfdom behind and help Grimerica stick to 0 ads and sponsors and fully listener supported. Thanks for listening!! Help support the show, because we can't do it without ya. Support the show directly: https://grimericacbd.com/ CBD / THC Gummies and Tinctures http://www.grimerica.ca/support https://www.patreon.com/grimerica http://www.grimericaoutlawed.ca/support www.Rokfin.com/Grimerica https://www.eventbrite.com/e/experience-the-ultimate-hunting-adventure-in-alberta-canada-tickets-1077654175649?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile The Eh- List site. Canadian Propaganda Deconstruction https://eh-list.ca/ The Eh-List YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@theeh-list?si=d_ThkEYAK6UG_hGX Adultbrain Audiobook YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@adultbrainaudiobookpublishing https://grimericaoutlawed.ca/The newer controversial Grimerica Outlawed Grimerica Show Check out our next trip/conference/meetup - Contact at the Cabin www.contactatthecabin.com Our audio book website: www.adultbrain.ca www.grimerica.ca/shrooms and Micro Dosing Darren's book www.acanadianshame.ca Grimerica on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2312992 Join the chat / hangout with a bunch of fellow Grimericans Https://t.me.grimerica https://www.guilded.gg/i/EvxJ44rk Leave a review on iTunes and/or Stitcher: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/grimerica-outlawed http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/grimerica-outlawed Sign up for our newsletter https://grimerica.substack.com/ SPAM Graham = and send him your synchronicities, feedback, strange experiences and psychedelic trip reports!! graham@grimerica.com InstaGRAM https://www.instagram.com/the_grimerica_show_podcast/ Tweet Darren https://twitter.com/Grimerica Can't. Darren is still deleted. Purchase swag, with partial proceeds donated to the show: www.grimerica.ca/swag Send us a postcard or letter http://www.grimerica.ca/contact/ Episode ART - Napolean Duheme's site http://www.lostbreadcomic.com/ MUSIC https://brokeforfree.bandcamp.com/ - Something Galactic Felix's Site sirfelix.bandcamp.com - Time Capsule
James Comey has just come out with his latest novel FDR Drive. This legal thriller once again follows federal prosecutor Nora Carleton as she contends with a wave of violence tied to an extremist podcaster. We had the opportunity to speak with James Comey about the new book, the shades of gray between free speech and incitation, and his own memories of dealing with institutional rivalries, reluctant jurors, and high-profile cases as a prosecutor. Support your local bookstores! Buy FDR Drive on Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/fdr-drive/fce8db07caeb70f2?ean=9781613166444&next=tBuy FDR Drive here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/FDR-Drive-Nora-Carleton-3/dp/1613166443Or here on Bloomsbury: https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/fdr-drive-9781035910496/Or here on Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fdr-drive-james-comey/1146472991Pre-order our book on Delphi here: https://bookshop.org/p/books/shadow-of-the-bridge-the-delphi-murders-and-the-dark-side-of-the-american-heartland-aine-cain/21866881?ean=9781639369232Or here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Shadow-of-the-Bridge/Aine-Cain/9781639369232Or here: https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Bridge-Murders-American-Heartland/dp/1639369236Join our Patreon here! https://www.patreon.com/c/murdersheetSupport The Murder Sheet by buying a t-shirt here: https://www.murdersheetshop.com/Send tips to murdersheet@gmail.com.The Murder Sheet is a production of Mystery Sheet LLC.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Thanks for listening to The Morning Five! Thanks for listening, rating/subscribing The Morning Five on your favorite podcast platform. Learn more about the work of CCPL at www.ccpubliclife.org. Michael's new book, The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, is now available! You can order on Amazon, Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, or at your favorite local bookstore. Join the conversation and follow us at: Instagram: @michaelwear, @ccpubliclife Twitter: @MichaelRWear, @ccpubliclife And check out @tsfnetwork Music by: King Sis #politics #faith #prayer #Psalm124 #PopeLeoXIV #Vatican #Vance #Russia #Ukraine #Trump #SCOTUS #Immigration Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this powerful episode, Eli sits down with Carrie Berk, an NYC-based journalist, content creator, and bestselling author, to explore her personal journey with anxiety and OCD. Carrie opens up about the inspiration behind her book Mindfire and how she's helping young adults feel seen, understood, and less alone in their mental health struggles.With a career that started at just eight years old, Carrie has written 21 books, including My Real-Life Rom-Com, a Barnes & Noble bestseller and Amazon chart-topper. Her work has been featured in the New York Post, HuffPost, Women's Health, and Newsweek. She's also built a massive digital presence, with over 3.8 million followers on TikTok and nearly a million on Instagram.In this conversation, Carrie gets real about therapy, coping strategies, and the power of sharing your story. Whether you're dealing with anxiety or supporting someone who is, this episode is a reminder that healing doesn't mean perfection and community is everything.Follow Carrie on social @carrieberkk
Arielle Schwartz, PhD, author of The Polyvagal Theory Workbook for Trauma, joins us to discuss body-based activities to regulate, rebalance, and rewire your nervous system without reliving the trauma. Arielle is a licensed clinical psychologist, certified complex trauma professional, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) consultant, and Kripalu yoga teacher. She is an internationally sought-out speaker, leading voice in the field of trauma recovery, and award-winning author. As a faculty member at the Polyvagal Institute, she is a course instructor on mind-body approaches that apply polyvagal theory for trauma recovery. She earned her doctorate in clinical psychology at Fielding Graduate University, and holds a master's degree in somatic psychology through Naropa University. She is author of seven books, including The Complex PTSD Workbook, EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology, and The Post-Traumatic Growth Guidebook. Visit our website at www.newharbinger.com and use coupon code 'Podcast25' to receive 25% off your entire order. Buy the Book: New Harbinger - https://bit.ly/3X8mz9e Amazon - https://a.co/d/erszsZE Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1146033795 Bookshop.org - https://bit.ly/4gOXkzu If you have ideas for future episodes, thoughts, or questions, we'd love to hear from you! Send us an email at podcast@newharbinger.com
In this episode of Locked Up Sports, we're joined by author Tom McKeown to discuss his powerful memoir, This Is Panther Country: A Memoir of Youth, Underdog Spirit, and Basketball Glory. Tom takes us back to the 1974–75 season of the Babylon High School Panthers, a small-town team that shocked Long Island basketball by winning the first-ever inter-county championship. We talk about the epic rivalry with Amityville, the unforgettable final against South Side, and how a 13-year-old fan's view from the stands turned into one of the most heartfelt sports books in years. It's a story of grit, community, and the unifying power of high school sports — and it's one you don't want to miss. Buy the book: • Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/This-Panther-Country-Underdog-Basketball/dp/1612547303 • Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/this-is-panther-country-tom-mckeown/1146492415 • Books-A-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/This-Panther-Country/Tom-McKeown/9781612547305 • Warwick's: https://www.warwicks.com/book/9781612547305
Whether we're a husband or wife, a boyfriend or girlfriend, or even just a friend, the words we speak matter. How we discuss any topic and the tone we use are important. In today's message, Pastor Bill will show how a husband needs to speak with his wife, but these rules apply to all people. No matter what relationship you have with the other person, you must speak in a way that represents Jesus well! You have to set aside your own words and allow the Holy Spirit to speak through you!
How To Save On Summer Travel:Be a points hacker - It's a great time to use all those points and miles you've built up. Don't pay full price on travel gear - Before you buy new things like portable cribs, compact strollers or travel-friendly car seats, consider open-box and overstock gear at sites like REBEL. These items were returned, but never used, and come with discounts as much as 50% off retail.Try an off-season destination - Pick a place that's not all over Instagram in July. Find those free activities - Look for urban green spaces, interactive art parks, summer festivals and fairs at your destination - some cities even create calendars with zero-cost options for families.Think midweek, not peak week - Want to fly on a Friday? So does everybody else, so consider shifting your dates to midweek — especially Tuesdays and Wednesdays. How To Keep Your Brain In Tip Top Shape:Exercise - research shows that the number one thing you can do for the brain is to be active regularly. Eat more whole foods and fewer processed foods Minimize drinking and don't smokeManage your stress - Stress may not be a direct risk factor for dementia, but chronic stress is tough on the brain's memory system.Challenge your brain - Keeping your brain sharp by playing games, learning a new language or instrument, and doing social activities.Get seven to nine hours of sleep - Not getting enough sleep is bad for the brain and can even raise the risk of Alzheimer's.Spend time with friends and family - Staying socially active is incredibly important, as research shows that social isolation is linked to as much as a 50% higher risk of dementia. Signs Your Man Is Noble:He opens doors for youHe calls you instead of textingHe walks on the street side of the sidewalkHe walks you to your doorHe sends good morning textsHe understands the etiquette of leadershipHe puts his hand on the small of your back when introducing you to someoneHe takes the time to plan a dateSecond Date Update: Emma calls about Paul. She thought he was a true prospect since he took dating and relationships seriously. Now, nothing.
Send us a text"In this episode of the Besties and the Books podcast, Liz and Ashley excitedly kick off their first nonfiction memoir feature by diving into Fahrenheit 182 by Mark Hoppus of Blink-182. Longtime fans of the band and deeply connected to the early 2000s pop-punk scene, they reflect on how the book transported them back to their youth, sharing nostalgic stories, personal connections, and even a shared ex-boyfriend who dedicated the same Blink-182 song to both of them. They praise the memoir's conversational, chronological format, Mark's engaging narration in the audiobook, and the emotional resonance of the band's journey—especially their performance of “One More Time.” Both hosts award rate the book highly and recommend it to fans of Blink-182, memoir lovers, or anyone who grew up during the TRL-era of pop culture. With lots of laughs, punk rock vibes, and heartfelt moments, this episode sets the tone for their new nonfiction series."Hey Besties! We DO actually read non fiction and we're here to cover our very first memoir with none other than Mark Hoppus's brand new book Fahrenheit-182! And O-M-G, did it deliver. If you've been following us for any amount of time then you know we grew up (and continue to be) pop punk girlies obsessed with that late 90's / early 2000's vibe. We're here for the nostalgia and Fahrenheit-182 chronicled every best part of our experience growing up in that SoCal skate scene a la desert tumbleweeds… only an hour away from where Mark grew up! Talk about relatable. We discuss whether Mark had enough to say to write an entire book about his life, if it made us like him more (or less?), if it felt genuine, and how it helped us reflect on our own time on this earth. Did we learn new Blink lore? Was it written well? Do we wish he told us more? We had a blast with this one and we hope you join us on the rollercoaster back in time to when concert tickets were thirty bucks and middle school boyfriends dedicated Blink songs to us. And of course we bring you a Blink fave and fail and smash or pass… because we know you'd ask anyway.
263. Domestic Violence and Abuse: Identifying and Healing from Abusive Relationships with Stacey Womack Mark 10:27 NKJV "But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” **Transcription Below** Questions and Topics We Discuss: Will you teach us about the various types of abuse? How do we respond appropriately and in a Christ-like manner when someone does report abuse? What are your views for having biblical reasons for divorce, specifically as it relates to each type of abuse? Stacey Womack is an award-winning expert in domestic violence from a faith-based perspective. She founded Abuse Recovery Ministry & Services (ARMS) in 1997 and she is a published author and sought after national speaker. Stacey developed and wrote the curriculum used for ARMS programs, including Her Journey for survivors of abuse and Mankind and Virtue for men and women who have used abusive behaviors. She has assisted tens of thousands of people in recovering from both the receiving and giving of abuse. Her passion has grown ARMS, a small grassroots organization, to now having an international reach. Abuse Recovery Ministry & Services Website Stacey's Books Thank You to Our Sponsor: Grace Catering Other Related Episodes on The Savvy Sauce: 146 Biblical Response to Emotionally Destructive Relationships with Leslie Vernick 148 Overcoming Evil with Good: Recognizing Spiritual Abuse with Dr. Diane Langberg 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: (0:10 - 1:50) 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. Today's episode includes some thematic material. I want you to be aware before you listen in the presence of little ears. For anyone who feels like they don't have time to cook, but they still desire to have meals that taste just like grandma's, I can't wait to share more about one of my favorite sponsors, Grace Catering Company. Check them out today at gracecateringcompany.com. Stacey Womack is my guest today. She is the award-winning expert in domestic violence from a faith-based perspective. She is the founder of Abuse Recovery Ministry and Services, which she will refer to as ARMS, and she's also the author of this practical and helpful resource entitled On the Front Lines of Abuse, Strategies for the Faith Community. Stacey fearlessly answers questions today about what defines abuse, what steps can we take today to discover if we're in an abusive relationship, what does the Bible have to say about abuse and divorce, and so much more. Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Stacey. Stacey Womack: Thank you so much. I'm so glad to be here. Laura Dugger: Would you mind just starting us off by giving us a current snapshot of your phase of life? Stacey Womack: (1:52 - 2:48) Sure. You know, I've been doing this work for 27 years, but actually I grew up in a pastor's home and married young and had my children young. I have six children, and I have my 13th grandchild on the way, and my first great-grandchild is due in December. And in the midst of homeschooling my kids back in the day, God began to speak to me about ministry that he had for me. And so, this was the door he opened, even though I'm not a survivor of abuse. And back then I never had planned on starting a nonprofit or, you know, having it be the way it is, never planned on having an income off of it. None of that was a part of the plan. I was just being obedient to what God had called me to do. And so here we are today, 27 years later, providing services nationally and internationally to victims and survivors of abuse and also working with those who use abusive and controlling behaviors. Laura Dugger: (2:50 - 3:12) Wow. And abuse is something that's so difficult to understand, and it's a topic that's easy for us to want to avoid. But I appreciate you bringing awareness to this topic that affects more people than we would ever suspect. So, will you just teach us the various types of abuse? Stacey Womack: (3:12 - 12:56) Sure. So, I'll try to go through them fairly briefly for you, but most of the time they only give you a few, but we have eight different areas of abuse that we talk about. So, you know, most people get physical abuse. That's how most people define domestic violence and abuse is physical, which is all the things from hitting, pushing, slapping, grabbing, strangulation, which is something that's very dangerous. And a person's at risk of dying days and weeks after being strangled, even months after being strangled. So, it's a very serious crime. Most states it's a felony. But every category has those things that aren't as obvious. So, in physical, it would be like posturing where someone stands up or takes a step towards you, it's right in your space. The most common form of abuse is psychological, though. This is what is often called emotional abuse by most people. So psychological abuse, I kind of divided into three categories. The largest one is the crazy making the mind games, the mental coercion, the gaslighting, all those things. And that's very, very hard to explain to people. And it doesn't look like abuse. It looks like non-memorable conflict oftentimes and gets misdiagnosed that way, I guess you could say. And it's the form of abuse that women say is the hardest to heal from because bruises heal. But the emotional ones that psychological abuse causes can take years and years to heal from. So also, another big category besides the mind games is the isolation. So, keeping them from friends and family could be outright telling them not to spend time with friends and family, or it could be, you know, allowing them to go spend time with friends and family, but then they pay for it later. So, there's some type of punishment for doing that. Moving her from place to place, or church to church, to keep her from having any kind of support. So that's very common. And then another category in here, and I'm just keeping them very brief, is stalking behaviors, which stalking should be taken very seriously because 75% of those who commit homicides are stalkers. So, this is everything from following, showing up uninvited, not leaving when asked, to the use of spyware, which is often free or cheap. So, you know, those air pods, they drop them in people's purses or put them in places in their car or whatever, just so they can follow them where they're going, those types of things. And among our younger generation, a common stalking behavior would be multiple calling and multiple texting. So, the second closest that comes to emotional abuse would be verbal abuse. And most of us get the types of verbal abuse that are obvious, the yelling, the swearing, the name calling, the, you know, put downs. I mean, things that are really obvious. And this is a huge category and not well understood because we have all used some verbal abuse in our lives. So, everything down to things that are more subtle, like the silent treatment as a way to control the conversation or sarcasm, which is actually means the tearing of flesh. So, it's not a healthy way to communicate. There's a little bit of truth to it. That's what makes it funny. But it's always at someone's expense. And we live in a pretty sarcastic world. And I, myself, can be pretty sarcastic at times after really watch that because it's really not a kind way to communicate. So, again, this is a huge category. So, we have verbal, psychological, physical, financial, lots of financial control and abusive relationships. Most of our men who are abusive use financial control. So, he's making all the financial decisions. He's controlling the finances, or he allows her to have some access to finances, but not all by hiding assets and hidden accounts, things like that. Or maybe making her handle all the finances while he goes out and misspends. So, then it's her fault. And now he has a reason to abuse her. And even once they separate, financial abuse continues by not paying a spousal or child support. So, I tell our women to not depend on that, do what they need to do legally, but not to depend on it because it's very hard to get that money back. So, we have verbal, psychological, physical, financial, sexual, which people get that one too. Rape, unwanted touch, attacking body parts, making her dress a certain way or not dress a certain way. It could include extreme jealousy, which is, again, goes right back into those stalking behaviors. So, it's these pornography affairs, sexual name calling or sexual putdowns or sexual jokes. Again, another really big category. So that a lot of times some more subtle things that people don't recognize as being abusive because a lot of people use it, like the sexual name calling or sexual using sexual cuss words. So, I always have to go through those verbal, psychological, physical, financial, sexual property. We don't always think about property being abusive. But if an abuser can convince his victim that he's dangerous, he never has to be physical. And so, he might punch the hole right next to your head. I had a woman tell me this. And then he saw the fear in her face, and he said, “What? I didn't even touch you.” But the message was, this is what could happen to you. So, property is not always it can include, but it is not always the breaking of things or throwing things. It could be slamming doors, slamming hands on the table. But it could also be moving property to make her think she's going crazy. So, she has a place she keeps her keys. He moves them to make her think she's going crazy, that she can't remember where she's putting things anymore. So, you always have an overlap in an abusive event. It's never just one form of abuse unless it's just psychological and very subtle. But property abuse also includes the use of weapons. In the groups that we've been doing with men for the more than two decades that we've been working with them, usually they're not using the weapon there. It's the implied threat of use of weapons. So, we had one woman who went to her boyfriend's house, and he came out of his bedroom with a knife and laid it on the table and said, “I just don't know what I'd do if you left me.” Or we had many guys in the program for tapping knives while they create and continue arguments with their partners. So, it could be any misuse of any property. It could even be gift giving to get her to comply back into the relationship. So, it's not always what you think of when you think of like guns and knives. It doesn't have to be that way. It can be very subtle. So then we have spiritual abuse, spiritual abuse. Since we're a faith-based organization, we talk about the misuse of scripture. So, he's using scripture to get her to comply, to get his way. And God's word is a balance between judgment and love and mercy. And when you remove that love and they're just going with the judgment side of God's word, you are misusing God's word. It's not what God intended for his word. He did not ever intend for the word to be weaponized against a person, especially in an intimate relationship. So, we talk about the difference between submission and oppression and how they are different from one another in our groups. It's also for our men who attend church regularly. I always tell pastors, if you've got a man who's coming to you and he's working his way through the church leadership and he's being very humble and he's telling you that he knows he has his issue, but he's concerned for his wife that he's not really being abusive. That she just thinks he's being abusive to her because she's experienced abuse in the past or she has mental health issues or she's cheating on him, which is usually not true. They're doing this to discredit her while they're doing what we call public image management to make themselves look good to the public. So, they're involved in all kinds of things. It may be on the church council. So, you know, when they tell their church leadership this, it's hard to believe. It's hard for them to believe when she comes forward and says this is what's actually going on in my relationship because they've not experienced that from him. He's been a great guy around them. So, questioning her theology, her salvation, keeping her from going to church, making her go to church, moving her from church to church, things like that, too. And then the last one is animal abuse. And of course, we think about harming animals. And of course, when you harm an animal, that is animal abuse. But in terms of the work we do, it's about using the animal to control the person in some way. And that might include the threat to get rid of it, the threat to harm or the threat to kill or the doing of those things or neglecting, not like not feeding or watering the pet. But it could also be things like getting a pet she's allergic to or afraid of or withholding affection from her while he's being overly affectionate to the pet. We have lots of women who tell us about that. So, again, it's not about necessarily harming the pet as much as it is about using the pet to gain control. You have to remember that abuse is about power and control and abuse means the misuse of. So, anything can be misused, not just physical hitting and punching and misuse of our strength, but anything can be misused. And when it's used to gain power and control in an intimate relationship. It's a pattern; that's when you're looking at someone who has an abusive personality. Laura Dugger: (12:57 - 13:27) Wow. Thank you for laying that foundation and expanding our definition. It sounds like so many sins, domestic violence can be insidious, and it can usually begin with a very charming spouse who eventually becomes more and more abusive. So, have you found that people more easily recognize when they're in an abusive relationship or is it surprising and confusing to them? Stacey Womack: (13:28 - 16:58) It's mostly confusing and surprising, maybe in that order. You know, since I work with these men, too, there are really great things about them. There's really good qualities I see in them. And that's what these women fall in love with, these really great qualities. And these men can be extremely charming. And even if you haven't been raised in abuse and you find yourself in an abusive relationship, sometimes it's because you were in a really vulnerable place when you got involved. And it just felt really good to have somebody come in and be so big and strong and great in your life. Or there's other times guys are just so good at this that they're just believe completely. There's no reason not to believe, right? I mean, you trust somebody because you expect them to be telling you the truth. So, it usually starts off very subtle and it gradually increases. So, he might start questioning. So, is that what you're going to wear? Or, you know, well, that's a lot of makeup. Or maybe, you know, telling her that he doesn't agree with something that she agrees with and that maybe her friends and family aren't good for her and maybe she needs to distance herself from them. We've had women tell us that that happens to them. So, we have a checklist on our website under am I in an abusive relationship, basically. And underneath that, there's actually a PDF that they can print out and check off. And it usually starts off with things like, are you surprised by his anger? Does his anger scare you? You know, and then we work down to more obvious forms of abuse. But when a woman goes through that list and it's actually degenerate. So, a male or a female could go through the list. And they could go through it and they could determine, am I experiencing a pattern of these behaviors in my life? Marriage should be the safest place for you. And when it's not, there's something wrong there. And we do work with women who are abusive. So, I do want to acknowledge that there are male victims out there. And when they call us, since we don't have a group for them, because perpetrators believe they are the victims. So, if I opened a men's victim group, I would get a room full of perpetrators. Male victims tend to say very similar things to our female victims and behave in very similar ways that our women behave as well. And so, we refer them out to counselors that we trust. And, you know, and women can be what we call primary aggressors in the relationship. And they act and talk and say the same kinds of things as our male primary aggressors. And most primary aggressors are male because it just works better for them. They're bigger, they're stronger, they're given privilege that women are not given. So, it just works better for them. But there are women out there who do that. And then there's those relationships where both parties are using abused. But one is a primary and one is a secondary. It doesn't make the abuse okay. It doesn't even make it okay when you or I say something or act in a way that disregards or disrespects another person. That's sin. So, I think that we need to be really honest with the fact that this is a human issue. And that it's okay to come out and say, you know what, I have a problem with this. And I need help. And that's what we're trying to offer for both the men and the women that we serve. Laura Dugger: (16:59 - 17:21) And I'm just simplifying it. But in my mind, when you talk about primary and secondary, it makes me think for that secondary person, just simply hurt people, hurt people. So, is that what you're talking about? Where they are not the initiators of the abusive behavior, but when they are abused over time, they respond with abusive patterns as well? Stacey Womack: (17:21 - 19:17) Yeah, abuse is a learned behavior. So, if they grew up in a home where abuse was present, you know, as much as you don't like some of those negative things that we all get from growing up, we get good things and bad things. We often end up repeating them until we learn something different. And so, some of our women in our secondary aggressors program, you know, have had to fight their entire life to survive. And sometimes it's just safer to be the aggressor than it is to be the victim. And so, a lot of times when women are using abusive behaviors, it's more about trying to be heard or it's payback. So, they don't really gain power and control from their abuse, not really. It's usually when they're abusive, the women are just getting payback for what their abuser did. So, one woman, her and her husband had an argument and he's this big guy. And so, to get back at him, we would call this properly anal and psychological. She took the pillow and rubbed it all over the cat because he's allergic to cats and put the pillow back on the bed so he'd wake up with puffy eyes. It's a very passive form of abuse, but it is a way to get back at him. And then we have those women who just fight back verbally and they can. I had this little gal, not probably hardly even 100 pounds. She could bring a 200 pound, six foot tall husband to his knees with just her words. And this is a woman who had to fight her entire life. So, you know, you can see there's times where relationships where there's more. I don't really like the word mutual, but there's they're both using abusive behaviors, but it's the only way they know how to live life. And so, the women come out of this program saying, now I understand that his abuse to me does not excuse my abuse to him. And I have power to make choices that will bring change to my life. And that's a powerful place to be much more powerful than being a victim. Laura Dugger: (19:18 - 19:45) Absolutely. And I think the hope that I'm hearing is when you say abuse is a learned behavior. Does that mean we can learn our way out of it as well? So, anyone who is in an abusive relationship or is finding if they're listening to this, maybe they find out that they are the abuser, you can learn your way out of it then? Stacey Womack: (19:45 - 21:27) You can. It takes a tremendous amount of work. But both the victim and the perpetrator or the survivor, they have to learn new tools, both of them, because we have women who get out of abusive relationships who find themselves right back into another abusive relationship. The tools that women use in abusive relationships are amazing. The ways that they do things to survive the abuse is absolutely amazing. But those same tools do not serve them well once they're out of abuse. Some of them get into healthy relationships, but they're still using those old tools that they picked up during the abusive relationship. And so, they come to group a recovery group so that they can heal from that and learn a new way and let go of that pain and hurt and learn behavior so that they can also be healthy in that relationship with that new partner. So, and he also and for the abuser, someone who's like this is they've been the primary aggressor in the relationship and they have a lifetime of picking up belief systems that have given them permission to behave that way. And that doesn't change in 12 weeks. Programs for those guys and those gals should be long; thirty-six weeks the absolute minimum. I think a year or even two years is better because you need practice to sustain change. We have lots of guys who change, but getting that sustained change takes lots of accountability and lots of hard work. And it's difficult to do. But we have those stories of couples that make it. There's a lot more that don't make it. All the men make some changes, but often not enough to save the relationship. So, it varies. Laura Dugger: (21:27 - 23:38) And now a brief message from our sponsor, Grace Catering Company in North Peoria offers a rotating menu of scrumptious meals for you to take home and pop in your own oven with family friendly options like lasagna, bacon wrapped meatloaves, chicken Alfredo pasta, breakfast burritos and creamy garlic chicken breasts. Your homemade dinner will be on the table in no time. They also offer healthier and lighter options as well as some gluten-free and keto-friendly choices. The meals are packaged in a variety of sizes, which makes it perfect for individuals or couples, or they have portions large enough to feed the entire family. Their menu is on a six-week rotation. You can stop by for a grab and go lunch with their signature sandwiches, salads, soups or quinoa bowls depending on the season. I also recommend you top off your meal with one of their sweet treats, such as their popular scotcheroos, iced sugar or chocolate chip cookies, or their cookie of the month. The founder and owner Renee Endres has also created my all-time favorite cookbook. My grandparents actually gave this to me as a gift when I was a newlywed and it has been put to great use for the past decade and a half. The recipes are easy and approachable and the feedback from our family and from guests we've hosted in our home has always been positive when the meal came from Renee. When I've gifted this cookbook to friends, they will commonly remark how these are also the most delicious desserts they've ever tasted. Our extended family also loves to use the take and bake options on Sunday afternoons, which allows us to enjoy a delectable meal while still getting to enjoy a true Sabbath. Grace Catering Company is located just off Alta Lane in North Florida. Check them out today at gracecateringcompany.com. Well, and with your programs, what are some of the things that you do offer for someone who finds themselves in an abusive relationship? Stacey Womack: (23:40 - 28:08) Yeah, so our largest program is called Her Journey and it's a victim survivor recovery program. So, it doesn't matter what form of abuse you experienced or are experiencing. It could be years ago even. And we have this, it's a 15 week program, but we lead it year-round so you can just start immediately. It's one of the things that we found out as we've been doing this national campaign is that we're the only ones that we've found that are free. It's a free program. We have Zoom. So, we have every day of the week covered. If we don't have something right in your own state, in your county. But we're in-person groups in 21 states right now and looking to lead more or teach more leaders how to lead the program in their community, or in their centers, or in their missions. They're often held in churches. It's all confidential. The women just call in. They don't have to give us their real name. They don't have to give us any information. They don't want to. We just ask whatever name they use. They keep using the same name so we don't care if they say their name is Minnie Mouse. That's fine with us. Just so that we can keep track of it for grant purposes. But in that group, it's not a process group. It's really about hearing God's heart around this issue. And they do get training around domestic violence. But we also go through other topics like dealing with anger, depression and loneliness and just all the different things that happen throughout this process. Learning how to appropriately boundary set and what to do and what's going to work with an abuser. What's not going to work with an abuser. Those types of things. And so, we found that we just keep it open so the women can join immediately. Because if we don't help them right when they're asking for the help, we'll lose them because the abuser will very quickly work to move them back into the relationship, which is part of the cycle of abuse. And because we want the relationship to work and we want to believe him, we do. And so, women, you know, leave on average seven times before they leave for good because we don't get into a relationship to see it in. And so, when I talk and train pastors and I had a pastor say, “Well, she's just looking for a way out.” I'm like, “No, that's not true.” These women do everything, including couples counseling, which is something that does not work when abuse is the issue and power control is the issue. And most pastors that I haven't heard of any seminary that actually does a whole course on domestic violence, they get a little bit of couples counseling and that's it. And even counselors don't get trained in domestic violence. So, this is only a very small portion of counselors. So, I would tell these women, if you're listening to this now, that they shouldn't do couples counseling, but they should look for a counselor who has 40 hours of victim advocacy training from an advocacy agency and that he needs to go work on his own issues with an agency that deals with domestic abuse intervention. And a lot of times the things that she thinks, or they both think, they need couples counseling for go completely away once he does the work he needs to do. So, the communication problems, the anger issues, all those things that they think are the cause are no longer an issue. Most of our couples don't even need couples counseling after this because he has learned to love like Jesus loves. That's what we teach is like, what does that mean to be Christlike? What does that mean to lay your life down? So, but during our time that we work with women or men, secondary or primary aggressors, female or male, we in our groups talk about focusing on that themselves and their relationship with God and not focusing outward because God will take care of that. Sure, pray about it, but release it. That's God's responsibility. You only have control of this relationship is between yourself and God. And that's where you're going to seek Him about what He's calling you to do in this situation. And every person's a little bit different. It's not my place to tell someone whether to leave or stay. And we're not here to promote divorce. And we know the women want their relationships to work. We know they want men to make it to the other side. We do, too, but we cannot make that happen. So, all we can do is present the information and allow the Holy Spirit to do the work. And the person has to be willing to receive the help. Laura Dugger: (28:09 - 28:35) Absolutely. Well, and I even think about how this conversation came about. We had multiple women of different ages, all of them believers, who were reaching out and sharing a little bit of their experience in marriage and sharing some potential abuse. And I actually reached out to some publicists that I work with and said, “Who would be able to speak to this?” And so that's how we got connected. Stacey Womack: (28:36 - 28:36) Yeah. Laura Dugger: (28:36 - 28:54) Very much appreciated your book. And as I was reading it, there was one story that was particularly haunting. And it was about a pastor who ended up begging you for training. So, can you recall what happened? Stacey Womack: (28:54 - 34:09) Yeah. You know, a lot of pastors just it's not that they don't care. It's just that they're very uneducated around this. So even myself, when I first started, I would give people really unhelpful advice before I even began this work because I didn't understand it well. And so, he had encouraged this woman to forgive and go back, which is a typical response. You know, submit more, pray harder. Those are the kinds of things that a lot of women get from churches. And so, she did. She went home and then he murdered her that night. And so, this pastor was absolutely heartbroken, as you can imagine, and was calling in and asking, please, please, please train us because we don't want this to ever happen again. You know, and honestly, there are some pastors out there that believe that women should stay in the relationship, even if they are being abused and that God will bless them through their suffering, even if it means death. I don't agree with that. See, I think that God would never sacrifice a person for the sake of the relationship. But we do as the church sometimes because we're so concerned about the relationship. The relationship is important and God has got a reconciliation and we want reconciliation, too. But God also tells us the prudent man or woman hides from danger and he cares about us as individuals. And He has called us to live life abundantly, not to just bear it, you know. And so, I think that we need to really look at that. And being raised as a pastor's daughter that, you know, I was taught that way. So, it was a really it's been really hard, you know, working in the faith communities really struggles with this. And, you know, this idea that, well, a separation might lead to divorce. But separation is really functional in these relationships because she needs safety so that she can talk, speak the truth from this other person. And she needs time to see whether or not he's willing to actually get the help that he's been promising he'll get. And they need time to see if he can actually work through that. Or is he just using a program as another controlling behavior to get her to come back into a relationship? If she waits long enough and we usually say six months and he's mad that she's not letting him back home. He goes right back to all the bad behaviors he was doing before. And he pulls all the money out of the bank and does all these crazy things. And she has her answer, which is heartbreaking. The women are heartbroken over this because they want their relationships to work. We cannot emphasize that enough to the faith community. These women want their relationships to work and that they did not sign up for this. They did not sign up for these. They did not say, “Oh, yes, I am agreeing to get married and be abused.” That's how they agreed to. And he made a promise to love and cherish. And the Bible commands men to love their wives like Christ loves the church and to lay his life down. That means he gives up his way to bless her, that Jesus came to serve, not to be served. So, his role is one of being the lead servant in the relationship. He should be the first to be serving her. And how do we respond as women? We feel loved and cherished and cared for when that happens. My husband's so good at this. I have to be careful if I say I'm thirsty, he's up getting me a glass of water. He's so quick to serve. But this is the kind of behavior that blesses us. And men are surprised that the very thing they want, the respect, honor, all those kinds of things. They get it by doing the very opposite of what they're doing, by giving up their way, by embracing humility. And humility is hard because it means it's not about being 50-50 or being fair. It's about going 100 percent or more. So, my husband would share because he leads manuscripts with me. And he says, you know, guys, you know, if Stacy's at 20 percent, then I need to go 180. I need to go in and fill in that gap for her. And there's times I do that for him, too, because unhealthy relationships like that's what we do for women. But an abusive relationship, that's never what happens. And an abuser has and this is very popular, a narcissistic view of his world. He may not realize that it doesn't mean he has narcissistic personality disorder. Those guys are very different and they stick out sore thumbs, but they all behave narcissistic, narcissistically, meaning their world revolves around them. So, they want you to manage their emotions. They blame you for when they're unhappy. And even if you weren't even present, when whatever happened, that he's unhappy that he still blames you for it, which doesn't make sense. It's that crazy making. It's like, “Wow, how am I the cause of this when this happened at work? I don't understand.” You know, so there's all that craziness that goes on. But, you know, I'm so honored to get to walk alongside men and women in their process of change and their aha moments and their realization that God loves them and that God values them and that they're important and they're regarded. And that because of that, abuse is never OK. It's never OK. Laura Dugger: (34:10 - 35:21) The few follow ups with that, then to go back to an earlier point, you're making a connection for me where I'm thinking back to a few episodes. It was one was with Leslie Vernick and one was with Dr. Diane Langberg. So, I can't remember who said this. I can link to both in the show notes, but it's what you're speaking to that as we study the scriptures and we see Christ likeness and how to become more Christ like and what God really says about these topics. They were pointing out he cares about the individual more than the institution. Yeah. And so, I think there's a lot of re-education for us in the faith community, unfortunately. But then also two follow up questions. One, as you're talking about narcissism or a narcissistic outlook, is there ever from your experience? I'm familiar with some of my friends who are in relationships like that or acquaintances that I know. Is there ever hope for the husband who has narcissistic tendencies or personality disorder to repent? Have you ever seen that? Stacey Womack: (35:21 - 37:16) Absolutely. We have men who've done a really great job of working away from being self-focused and selfish. That's really what it is. They read these journals and we make comments on them and they have to come up with the beliefs that gave them permission to behave this way. So, we had one guy and you could just see a selfishness that I always wrote. The belief is I'm most important. I've read it every on every single journal. And he finally came to group after a few months because I really realize I'm really selfish. And so, as we help them to see this, it begins to change things and they begin to make different choices and try new things. As someone who has a narcissistic personality disorder, like any personality disorder, those are not medicated. They can't be medicated and it takes a longer time. So, I've had some training on narcissistic personality disorder and I recognize those guys. Any of those guys generally with personality disorders because they don't see themselves. So, the group laughs at things I say, but they don't understand why they're laughing. And those guys need like seven years of counseling with someone who specializes in narcissistic personality disorder. If they're willing to do the work that that they can actually make changes. And there's a gentleman who who's travels the country speaking on this. He says that's his favorite group of population he works with. I can't say the word narcissistic personality disorder men. And he says, you would like this man today. But he had like multiple failed businesses. He'd been very successful, but they're failing businesses, failing marriage. And he worked with them and you don't work with them the same as just typical counseling. It's not the same because they don't see themselves. So, we need more people who specialize in that. Laura Dugger: (37:16 - 38:12) I agree with you there. And it's just helpful to have that reminder of hope. Even this morning in my quiet time, I was reading in the Gospels and it was Jesus saying and everything he says is true. That with man, it seems impossible, or it is impossible. But with God, we know that all things are possible. So, appreciate the way you answered that. And then also a follow up would be we heard that awful story of what happened with the physical safety when you're looking at physical abuse. But then, Stacey, would you recommend wives have the same boundaries? Are they taking time away to physically protect themselves if there's any type of abuse? If there is financial abuse, let's say, are they given the same recommendations as somebody who is in an emotionally abusive relationship? Stacey Womack: (38:13 - 40:49) Well, the emotional abuse is always there. You don't have any other forms of abuse without emotional abuse. So, our women, we talk about boundary setting and different boundaries they can begin trying. But oftentimes the only boundary that actually works to be able to say for us to be able to make it, you need to go get help. And while you're getting help, we need to be separated so they're not focusing on one another. So not all of our women separate. Some of the women try to work through it while he's still in the home. My experience is that it slows the process down, extremely slows the process down because they're still focusing on one another. And he's coming home and he's sharing with us how great the program is. But then he's going home and he's angry and he's taking it out on her. So, it creates some unsafety for her. And I just want to say this because I think a lot of people don't understand that there's physical safety and then there's emotional safety. And we downplay the emotional safety. But emotional safety is as important as physical safety. So, I have some pastors who think that if we share things like this, that we're going to be making victims. That's not true. I don't relate to the books that are out there. You know, oh, yeah, I've experienced that. It's not going to make victims. You either relate to it or you don't. But this emotional safety might mean needing to separate from that person. Not because you fear their physical abuse when you haven't been physical. But a lot of our women say he's never been physical, but I'm fearful of him. And so in order for her to get some healing and some help while she waits to see whether or not he gets help and she's really hoping he will. She needs that space. And so, yes, I think that in a lot of scenarios, separation is a key. And then we have some couples where the where the husband does is not willing to do the work he needs to do, but he's not controlling the finances. So, they remain married but separated for the rest of their lives. Not very many couples can do that because most abusers are going to control finances. So, but that's why I was saying it's not our place to tell a woman to leave or to stay. That's not our job. It's our job to walk alongside them when they seek God for what they should be doing and what boundaries they should be setting. And they can try a lot of different things before it gets to that point. And it just there's no easy answer for this. Laura Dugger: (40:50 - 41:05) It's very complex. Yes, it's very complex. But even when you say there's a lot of things they could try. Could you give a few examples or is there a place on your website where they can go to get some ideas and some help for those earlier stages? Stacey Womack: (41:06 - 43:43) Well, we talk about this in our journey class again, which is free. You can join at any time in our class on boundaries. And so, it depends on the severity of abuse that's going on. But most women, when there has been physical abuse, will start off with things like and we talk about a boundary has to have a consequence. Otherwise, it's not really you can't. It doesn't work. But these men are boundary breakers. So, a boundary would be like saying, if you continue to yell at me and call me names, I'm going to leave and go to my friend's house. So, there's the boundary and there's a consequence for breaking. But then we also realize when we're talking to them that he may decide at some point he's not going to let you leave. So now he's blocking the door. So, then it might be, you know, if you're going to treat me this way, I'm no longer going to cook meals or do your wash. And it usually works its way down to I'm no longer going to have sex with you. I'm not going to sleep in the same room with you. And once you get to that point, the only other thing you can do is do a physical separation with the heart to actually reunite. That's what these women want. And some of our couples have been separated for three years. But the husband is like, let her head home. And he's doing his work and they're interacting again. But he doesn't move back home for three years because he's committed to giving her whatever space and time she needs to heal. Because he recognizes that he's the one that's caused unsafety. And so, what is three years if you can have a healthy relationship for the rest of your life? And so that's what we were looking for our men to do. It's like even if you're disappointed, if she's saying, I'm not ready for you to move back. And you can say, I feel disappointed, but you know what? I get it. And whatever you need, I'm willing to do that. That's accountability. That's humility. And really, they need to have other men who are mentoring them to hold them accountable. And again, not a lot of people are taught this. And so having the right mentor even for this is really important. Even a right counselor for them to work with their childhood issues. But those are some ideas for some boundaries. Boundaries always have to have consequences. But even if a woman gets a protection order or restraining order, most of those are violated. So, we tell the women be prepared to call the police when he violates it by texting you or by sending you a card with money in it or putting flowers on your car. Or coming to the church service that you put in the restraining order that he wasn't supposed to come to. So, you need to be ready to hold him accountable because the abuser doesn't believe you're going to actually follow through. Laura Dugger: (43:43 - 44:32) Do you love The Savvy Sauce? Do you gain anything when you listen? Did you know that the two ways we earn money to keep this podcast live is through generous contributions from listeners and from our paying sponsors? That means we can promote your business and you're still supporting The Savvy Sauce. It's a win-win. Please email us today at info@thesavvysauce.com to inquire about pricing for sponsoring each episode. Thank you for your consideration. Well, and what if somebody is listening right now and they're automatically assuming, well, this isn't happening to anyone I know and it's certainly not happening in our church. What would you like to directly say to them? Stacey Womack: (44:33 - 45:40) I'd like to let them know that statistically one in three women experience domestic violence, stalking, or rape by an intimate partner. And the statistics in the church are no less than they are outside of the church. So, every church has families in their church who look like the perfect couple. When I started leading a group in my own church, I was so shocked. I kept telling myself, stop being shocked when I have another woman privately come up to me and tell me that they were in an abusive relationship because they just, they were involved, and they were just leading Sunday school. And they were, just look like this beautiful family and you would never have known. There was no way to know that this was actually going on. So, you know, the reality is that it's happening. We're just not aware of it. It wasn't on my radar before God called me into this work. I didn't think it was affecting my life. I didn't think of much thought. But the reality is I feel like it's worse now than ever and not necessarily more physical abuse, but just abuse in general, the misuse of things to gain control. Laura Dugger: (45:42 - 46:18) Well, and I appreciate the way you helped give a paradigm shift. You offered this on page 36 in your book and you quote saying, “At ARMS, we do not believe God considers domestic violence and abuse an adult issue. Instead, we believe he sees it as child abuse. We are his children.” So, Stacey, with that in mind, how does this clarify how we can respond appropriately, and in a Christlike manner, when someone does report abuse? Stacey Womack: (46:20 - 47:51) Well, I think a lot of times when women actually have the courage to tell you what's going on, it's a very courageous thing to do. She's risking a lot by telling you. So, we really need to listen carefully and believe her. And I'm thinking about how, you know, that I'm trying to think now. How did you word your question so I can answer it correctly? If you think about that example you gave, if your child was being beaten, harassed and abused in school and came home crying, you wouldn't just sit in your chair and say, go back and pray harder and win them over by your quiet and gentle spirit. We would go down and we would ask the school, what are you doing about this? Who's doing this and what are you doing about it? And if they didn't do anything, we wouldn't think twice to remove our child from that environment. But in these situations where you're working with two adults, she may not be ready to leave. She's just sharing with you that this is going on. She actually is hoping you'll go talk to him so that you'll fix him. But that is not a safe thing for you to do. And she may not realize that. I tell pastors that all the time. You don't, but you're not going to go to him to check out her story or go talk to him like she's asked you to. Instead, you're going to go, what can we do for you right now? Let's get you some help. And there'll be a time where we can address things with him. But right now is not that safe time. So, let's get you connected with an organization that can help you give you the resources that you need to begin your journey of healing and discovering what God wants you to do. Laura Dugger: (47:52 - 48:07) That's good. And also, this is a tricky question, but what are your views for having biblical reasons for divorce, specifically as it relates to those types of abuse that you shared with us? Stacey Womack: (48:08 - 50:27) Sure. You know, I think God understood that divorce would happen. That's why it got written into the law. And it says, “Because it was the hardness of hearts.” So, it wasn't God's design. It wasn't the way God wanted it to be, but that there was made allowances for this. And when people and women are often quoted, God hates divorce. They're not really giving the whole scripture and Malachi in the amplified version. It says, “God hates divorce and marital separation and him who covers his wife, his garment with violence. Therefore, keep a watch on your spirit, that it may be controlled by my spirit, that you deal not treacherously and faithfully with your marriage mate.” So, we actually got some really good articles that go in depth on the original Hebrew, that Malachi verse was written in there. But, you know, I do believe that someone is breaking the marriage covenant to love, cherish, lay his life down for when they bring abuse to the relationship. Again, God would wish and hope that we would humble our hearts, not be stiff necked and submit to Him and what he's trying to teach us and grow us in. But He does not force us. And so that leaves women in these situations very little choices if their husband is unwilling to get the help that he needs. So, I am all for divorce. And I know that that marriage is hard. And my husband and I have been married for 44 years and we've gone through our struggles. And there are times that I thought this isn't going to work. But you know what? We hung in there because we knew that for us, because it wasn't an abusive situation, that we need to stay in there and work on it. And we did. And we're so glad we did. So, believe me, I'm not promoting divorce. I just know that there has to be a place and known for it because of sin in the world. And again, it's heartbreaking and it destroys not just individuals, families, but our society is being destroyed by the breakdown of the family. And abuse is one of the most insidious things. It starts in the home and it's cyclical. So, it's passed on from one generation to the next. Laura Dugger: (50:29 - 50:38) Well, so, Stacey, how can we become more aware of abuse that is happening all around us? And what can we do that's genuinely helpful? Stacey Womack: (50:40 - 52:13) Well, I think getting the education, you know, in my book that on the front lines of abuse strategies for the faith community, just a little book. But has a ton of information in it is a good place to start. And I have some do's and don'ts in there. But, you know, I think that when you might recognize someone's being in an abusive relationship by the way her husband or whatever is speaking to her. But she doesn't see it because most victims would never call themselves a victim of abuse because they don't relate to that at all. That's not how they would define it. So, I think sometimes just privately sharing with them. No, that behavior was really abusive. And she may not like that. She might even get upset. But I think just being honest with the fact that this is going on. And I encourage pastors to preach about abuse and really abuse oppression. And the Bible has a whole lot to say about oppression. There's already sermons out there that they can pull from. I suggest pastors preach on it twice a year. So, October's domestic violence awareness month. And then maybe run Mother's Day again, not on Mother's Day, but around Mother's Day. Talk about it again, not as a caveat to relationships where it's just mentioned in a sermon, but an actual entire sermon on this issue. And I can promise you that the church gets the education they need. They don't have to be experts, but they need to know what resources are out there for them and they make it safe. Both men and women will come forward and ask for help. So, we need just to be a listening ear and care and ask how we can help. Laura Dugger: (52:14 - 52:29) I think that's a good practical encouragement that you've shared. And I want to add all of these links in our show notes. So, is there anywhere else that we can go to after this conversation to continue learning from you? Sure. Stacey Womack: (52:30 - 53:32) We have our website that has a ton of information on it, abuserecovery.org. So, there's just so much on there. We have blogs and we have all kinds of information that the faith community can download for free. Whether you're just in the community or you're a church leader, there's all kinds of things you can download. We have a pastor's packet. There's just we'll give you other books to read that you can do more education around this again. I know as my father being a pastor, that pastors are busy enough. We're not asking pastors to do more than what they're doing. We're just asking them to be educated and know where they can send their people that's safe, where they're going to get sound and supportive help. And to just be open to looking at things from a little bit different perspective. But our website just has so much on it that they can get for free. And again, our women's intervention groups, our recovery groups are free. Laura Dugger: (53:33 - 53:49) Thank you for sharing that. And you may already be familiar that we're called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge or insight. And so, Stacey is my final question for you today. What is your savvy sauce? Stacey Womack: (53:50 - 54:39) What is my savvy sauce? You know, when I think about how God called me into this ministry in the end, no matter what we do, I think it's about obedience to God. And so, this was not on my radar. I would never have chosen it. And so, for me, it's about being obedient to what God has called me to do, even when it's hard and even when it's unpopular. And walking in that so that when I stand before God, I can say I did what you asked me to, to the best of my ability, even with all my flaws. So that's really, I think, my heart is to be that way. Be a leader like Moses, who God says he was the most humble man who ever lived. I'd love to be like that with the heart of David and the boldness of Paul and on and on and on. Laura Dugger: (54:39 - 59:13) So, yeah, I love that. Well, I told you before we pressed record that I have experienced so much fruit of the spirit from you already with your gentleness. And this is not the first time we tried recording. We prayed together that God would do immeasurably more than all we could ever ask or imagine through this conversation, because we had so many technical difficulties and even had to reschedule the date for this. But Stacey, I'm so grateful you persevered because you are well-spoken and you tackle this extremely difficult topic with wisdom and grace. And so, I'm very grateful I got to learn from you today. And I believe God's going to continue working through you, even for the saving of many lives. So, thank you for your work and thank you for being my guest. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. 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 implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you ready to get started? First, tell someone. Say it out loud. Get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes & Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible, and I love it. You can start by reading the book of John. Also, get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps, such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you. We want to celebrate with you too, so feel free to leave a comment for us here if you did make a decision to follow Christ. We also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process. And finally, be encouraged. 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.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today. And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jess Daigle, a board-certified pediatrician and NICU hospitalist with over a decade of experience caring for newborns and their families. Dr. Daigle shares her journey into medicine and her passion for supporting NICU moms—especially moms of color—through the emotional and mental challenges of the postpartum experience. We'll discuss the unique struggles NICU parents face, practical ways to stay organized, and how family and friends can offer meaningful support. Plus, Dr. Daigle shares her own strategies for staying organized and how you can connect with her for guidance and resources. Tune in for an insightful and heartfelt conversation! Connect with Dr. Jess Daigle: Website: https://www.momandmemd.com/signup Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momandme_md/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jessdaiglemd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessdaiglemd/
Thanks for listening to The Morning Five! Thanks for listening, rating/subscribing The Morning Five on your favorite podcast platform. Learn more about the work of CCPL at www.ccpubliclife.org. Michael's new book, The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, is now available! You can order on Amazon, Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, or at your favorite local bookstore. Join the conversation and follow us at: Instagram: @michaelwear, @ccpubliclife Twitter: @MichaelRWear, @ccpubliclife And check out @tsfnetwork Music by: King Sis #politics #faith #prayer #Hebrews6 #PopeLeoXIV #Vatican #Biden #WesMoore #reparations #racism #racialjustice #CCPL Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In part two of Barry’s conversation with singer-songwriter Dallas Holm, you’re encouraged to never underestimate the power of your testimony. The Gospel is in your message! So just share your faith and see how you can bless every person you encounter! Host Barry Meguiar is a car guy and businessman who hosted the popular TV show, Car Crazy, on Discovery Networks for 18 years. He loves cars, but he loves Jesus even more! Learn more about Barry at IgniteAmerica.com. Get your copy of Barry’s book Ignite Your Life: Defeat Fear with Effortless Faith at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and other online booksellers. Learn more about: - Why we don't need to memorize all scripture- When we can build a relationship and share our faith.- Why we need to be genuine in our conversations.- Where God can use us to help move others closer to Him. Check out Why Share? on IgniteAmerica.com to learn why it is important for every believer to share their faith. Then visit First Steps which provides practical ways to get started in your faith-sharing journey. Sign up to receive emails that will bring you solid faith-sharing tips and powerful inspiration. https://dallasholm.comhttps://www.facebook.com/dallasholmpmhttps://dallasholm.com/store/books/ (00:00) Sharing Faith, Making Disciples(09:56) Everyday Ministry(16:31) The Power of Sharing Testimonies
Japan emerges as a major player among world powers as their ambassadors helped finalize the postwar treaties and create a new international body meant to stop large-scale wars before they began: The League of Nations. However, trouble continued brewing on the Korean Peninsula as a new mass movement for national liberation took to the streets.Higher Listenings: Joy for EducatorsA new podcast from Top Hat delivering ideas, relief, and joy to the future of teaching.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!
Join us in this insightful episode as we welcome back Gary Hamel, author of 'What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious Competition, and Unstoppable Innovation.' In this episode, Gary discusses his latest book, which provides an agenda for building resilient organizations amidst dynamic global challenges. The conversation delves into the importance of core values such as stewardship, accountability, and equity. Gary also reflects on the 2008 financial crisis and its lessons on ethical leadership and innovation. Tune in to explore how businesses can rehumanize their approach, foster a culture of innovation, and retain a sense of purpose and moral high ground. 00:00 Introduction to the Book and Author 01:22 Dedication and Personal Insights 02:13 Book Structure and Context 03:29 The Importance of Values 04:02 Capitalism and Ethical Challenges 10:50 Learning from the Financial Crisis 16:53 Rediscovering Farmer Values 21:19 Renouncing Capitalism's Conceits 29:16 Reclaiming the Noble in Business 38:07 The Importance of Innovation 45:07 Conclusion and Contact Information Gary Hamel, What Matters Now, Reinventing Management, Future of Work, Innovation Culture, Organizational Change, Capitalism Reform, Moral Leadership, Business Ethics, Corporate Accountability, Management Strategy, Values in Business, Adaptive Organizations, Leadership Innovation, Future-Ready Companies, Strategic Agility, Purpose-Driven Leadership, Post-Crisis Management, Employee Empowerment, Organizational Renewal
I am honored to connect with Dr. Aly Cohen today. She is a board-certified rheumatologist, an integrative medicine physician, and one of the country's leading medical and legal experts in environmental health. We began our conversation today exploring the role of federal agencies, including the EPA and FDA, in regulating environmental toxins and their impact on public safety. Dr. Cohen discusses her rheumatology training and explains how our environments affect our immune systems, clarifying why tap water is problematic, how water treatment plants fail to filter out most contaminants, and how pregnancy, childhood, teen years, perimenopause, and menopause are critical stages for toxin exposure. She reveals how many of the laws for processed foods are outdated and ineffective, and how the concept of GRAS (generally regarded as safe) has no real value, and also dives into changes in nutritional value and soil quality, how medications impact our gut microbiome and disease susceptibility, why iodine is essential for detoxifying the lymphatic and glymphatic systems, and how noise pollution affects our health. This conversation with Dr. Aly Cohen is invaluable, and her book, resources, and works are particularly significant for this community. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: How the gaps in federal protections outweigh the measures currently in place The cumulative effects of toxin exposure on the immune system, particularly for women in perimenopause and menopause Why tap water is unsafe for drinking Why reverse osmosis filtration is the best option Why young people should learn about toxin exposure before becoming pregnant How estrogen loss during menopause impacts the immune system The poor nutritional value of processed foods and the lack of effective regulation surrounding them How medications affect the gut microbiome and immune function The benefits of iodine for detoxification and thyroid health Why noise pollution is problematic for our mental health Connect with Cynthia Thurlow Follow on Twitter, Instagram & LinkedIn Check out Cynthia's website Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com Connect with Dr. Aly Cohen On her website TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn Dr. Cohen's new book, Detoxify, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and from most local booksellers.
Director Ted Balaker talks about the film that documents how we've made an entire generation weak by telling them they are victims.Order Sharyl's bestseller “Slanted: How the News Media Taught Us to Love Censorship and Hate Journalism” at Harper Collins, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books a Million, IndieBound, Bookshop!Subscribe to both of Sharyl's podcasts: “The Sharyl Attkisson Podcast” and “Full Measure After Hours.” Leave a great review, and share with your friends! Support independent journalism by visiting the new Sharyl Attkisson store.Visit Sharyl Attkisson's Free Substack, SharylAttkisson.com and www.FullMeasure.news for original reporting. Do your own research. Make up your own mind. Think for yourself.
Think you need injections to lose fat and beat cravings? Think again. In this episode, Ben Azadi shares a powerful, drug-free 7-day protocol to reset your metabolism, reduce cravings, and fire up fat burning—naturally. Purchase Metabolic Freedom here: https://bit.ly/4dv6mll If you go to your local Barnes & Noble bookstore, and purchase Metabolic Freedom in store today. I will give you the following gifts.... 1. A 60 minute question & answer Zoom video session with me in a small group setting!! ($5,000 retail value) 2. A free course on the metabolism ($997 retail value) 3. Exclusive interview series with Dr Jason Fung, Megan Ramos, Cynthia Thurlow & Dr Daniel Pompa ($497 retail value) 4. Full access to my Burn Fat Challenge recordings with detailed notes and presentation slides ($997 retail value) 5. Seed oil allergy card to use at restaurants $7,491 Retail Value (FREE FOR YOU!) Once you've purchased the book at your local Barnes & Noble, email support@ketokamp.com with a photo of your receipt, and we'll grant you full access to all of these goodies!! You'll learn: Why most Ozempic users gain the weight back The 3 foods sabotaging your metabolism How to eat, fast, and fuel your body for real results The exact 7-day reset plan to feel unstoppable How to access $7,000 in bonuses when you grab Metabolic Freedom at Barnes & Noble
Director Ted Balaker talks about the film that documents how we've made an entire generation weak by telling them they are victims.Order Sharyl's bestseller “Slanted: How the News Media Taught Us to Love Censorship and Hate Journalism” at Harper Collins, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books a Million, IndieBound, Bookshop!Subscribe to both of Sharyl's podcasts: “The Sharyl Attkisson Podcast” and “Full Measure After Hours.” Leave a great review, and share with your friends! Support independent journalism by visiting the new Sharyl Attkisson store.Visit Sharyl Attkisson's Free Substack, SharylAttkisson.com and www.FullMeasure.news for original reporting. Do your own research. Make up your own mind. Think for yourself.
Order The Memory Palace book now, dear listener. On Bookshop.org, on Amazon.com, on Barnes & Noble, or directly from Random House. Or order the audiobook at places like Libro.fm.On June 13th, 2025, I'll do a special, one-night-only live show at the Tribeca Audio Festival in New York City, joined by two of the audiobook's readers: Carrie Coon and Lili Taylor! www.thememorypalace.us/events.The Memory Palace is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Radiotopia is a collective of independently owned and operated podcasts that's a part of PRX, a not-for-profit public media company. If you'd like to directly support this show, you can make a donation at Radiotopia.fm/donate. I have recently launched a newsletter. You can subscribe to it at thememorypalacepodcast.substack.com. Music Pale by Akira Koresuma The Things Left Unsaid by Caleb Burhans VIII. Juliet by Matthew Bourne Dream House III: After Dust from Mary Ellen Child's beautiful album, Ethel. Here I Am, Two Warships, by Spirituals Notes You can listen to the whole, original recording here, and an enhanced, speed corrected version, here. One of the best places to learn about Herb's life is this documentary. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices