Podcasts about Nonfiction

Episode Summary: If you’ve ever struggled with discouragement, and we all have because life is full of disappointment and disillusionment, then this episode is for you. In honor of National Day of Encouragement, my co-host, Rev. Jessica Van Roekel and I talk about How to Find Biblical Encouragement for Your Everyday Life. Discouragement can rob us of joy, peace, and a sense of purpose. Encouragement is more than a feeling - it’s a powerful tool to propel us toward hope and confidence even when life feels less than happy. Today we’re going to talk about how to find biblical encouragement for your everyday life. Quotables from the episode: In 2007, a group of young people at the National Leadership Forum at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas saw a lack of encouragement as one of the main obstacles that people face. While dedicating a day to encourage others is noble, we can experience encouragement every day when we turn to the Lord and receive his encouragement. The challenge to receive biblical encouragement is when we know God’s promises but don’t see him working. This topic is close to my heart because I’ve seen firsthand how knowing God, and his promises have encouraged me in the face of difficult and seemingly unchanging circumstances. I know many of our listeners and viewers struggle with discouragement, and my prayer is that today’s conversation will bring encouragement and hope. Knowing God’s names helps us learn to trust him. When we trust him, it’s easier to experience encouragement in our every day. Psalm 9:10 says, Those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Relationships are an area where we can experience extreme discouragement. Personality differences can create division. Unforgiveness leads to rifts. It can feel discouraging to desire a healing in a relationship, but every effort is rejected. We’ve talked about the temptation to judge God’s goodness based on humanity’s failures. If our in-person relationships are broken, and we don’t have a vibrant or growing relationship with God, we grow discouraged because we were made for relationship. Friend, if you’ve found yourself in a place of discouragement—especially when you're facing relationship struggles—you are not alone. As a neuropsychologist, I’ve seen how deeply our relationships impact not only our emotional well-being but also our brain health. God designed our brains for connection. We were created in His image, a God who is relational by nature, and He wired us for fellowship—with Him and with each other. When our relationships are strained, whether due to misunderstanding, unmet expectations, betrayal, or emotional distance, our brains register it as a threat. That triggers our stress response—what we often call “fight, flight, or freeze.” Over time, if that stress continues unchecked, it leads to anxiety, depression, trouble sleeping, and a foggy, overwhelmed mind. Our thought life becomes a battlefield, and discouragement sets in. But here's the hope: God doesn’t leave us to navigate this alone. He sees every tear, hears every unspoken word, and knows the condition of our hearts and minds. Psalm 34:18 reminds us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Our healing begins when we bring both our brain health and our relational wounds to the Great Physician. Practical steps include tending to your thought life—taking every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5), practicing forgiveness to unburden your heart, and choosing truth over lies. Sometimes that means setting healthy boundaries or seeking wise counsel. And always, it means leaning into the One who offers peace that transcends understanding. Your brain can heal. Your heart can mend. And your relationships can be restored—if not with others, then certainly with the Lord, who is the source of all true comfort and strength. Discouragement may visit, but it doesn’t have to take up permanent residence. Knowing God as Abba leads us to know God as a wonderful Father. (Galatians 4:6) He is the Alpha and Omega – Jesus was in the beginning as the Word of God and he is God’s final word for all eternity. (Revelation 21:6) As Adonai, we recognize his leadership in our life. He is our Lord and Ruler. (Ezekiel 16:8) El Chay, or Living God, reminds us that the entertainments, enticements, and other distractions are not worthy of worship. (Psalm 84:2) El Roi, The God Who Sees, encourages us with God’s mercy, grace, and comfort. We are not invisible to him. (Genesis 16:13) Jehovah-Jireh, The Lord our Provider, tells us God is our provider, and it is the same Hebrew word as Moriah, the region where God sent Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. God may ask us to give something up, and he gives us himself in return, and becomes all we need. (Romans 8:32) Jehovah-Nissi, The Lord Our Banner, paints the picture that we live under God’s banner. It was the name revealed when Moses erected an altar to commemorate the defeat of their enemies. It encourages us that we live under God’s victory. He goes before us and comes behind us to make us victors in life’s battles. (Exodus 17:15) The Lord Our Healer, or Jehovah-Rapha, encourages us because God heals our hearts in the here and now. (Exodus 15:26) The Lord is Peace, Jehovah-Shalom, our security, sufficiency, and serenity. (Judges 6:24) Jehovah-Tsuri, the Lord our Rock, helps us remember God is permanent, faithful, protective, a firm foundation, a hiding place and shelter. (Psalm 18:2) Knowing the names of God gives us insight into his character, which encourages us when we face different situations where we need to rely on a different aspect of God’s character. For example, if someone feels discouraged because of life’s chaos, remembering God is Jehovah Shalom encourages their heart because God is their serenity. God is a covenant making and covenant keeping God. The primary promise of the covenant is the Lord’s promise to “be God to you and to your offspring after you.” The goal of God’s covenant with humankind is to bring salvation, not just to one nation, but to the entire human race. This covenant was eventually fulfilled through Jesus Christ as his followers began to spread the good news about him throughout the world. God made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the Israelite nation, David, and finally the whole world through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Covenants, or promises, are conditional because they are based on the agreements of two parties. God cannot go back on his promises, but we can refuse the comfort of the promises when we fail to take God at his word and allow doubt to lead us to sin. Because of God’s covenants, we have promises like the promise of his presence. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Do not be afraid for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” (NLT) Deuteronomy 31:8, “‘Do not be afraid of discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (NLT) Isaiah 43:2, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. Joshua 1:19, “This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Those are wonderful reminders of God presence. I know I’ve needed to believe them by faith because sometimes what I see, and what I feel don’t match up with what I know to be true. I also cling to the promise of Victory found in: John 16:33, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Exodus 14:14, “The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, persecutions, and troubles I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Isaiah 40:29, “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.” God promises to guide us: Psalm 32:8, “The Lord says, I will guide along the best pathway for your life. I will advise and watch over you. Psalm 37:23-24, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Psalm 23:1-2, ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. Not only does God promise us his presence, victory, and guidance, but he also promises rest, life, peace, and forgiveness: Rest: Matthew 11:28-29, “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Life: John 3:16, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Peace: Isaiah 26:3, ‘You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.” Forgiveness: 1 John 1:9, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleans us from all wickedness.” Our faith grows when we plant our feet on God’s promises. (Psalm 34:18) He is close to the broken hearted and rescues those who are crushed in spirit. (2 Cor. 4:8-9) We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (Isaiah 54:17) “No weapon that is formed against you will succeed; And you will condemn every tongue that accuses you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD. I think it starts with looking at the end of Hebrews 11, knowing the stories of those who have gone before us, remembering the past so we can encourage ourselves in the present and build hope for the future. Hebrews 11 opens with this verse: Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. The next several verses list people who lived by faith and received what God promised and those who died without receiving things promised and yet, they are commended for having faith. It’s faith in the promise maker which matters. Looking at our circumstances for “proof” of God keeping his promises leads to disappointment. Remember, faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. Sometimes, we need to cling to other’s people’s stories when our stories are littered with doubt and disappointment. One story which encourages me when I am feeling discouraged is Mary, Martha and Lazarus when Lazarus became ill and died. That story reminds me that things are not always as they seem, but God always has a plan and he sees the end from the beginning. he bible is full of encouragement and doesn’t sugarcoat the difficulties people of faith faced. If Job can lose his entire fortune, family and health and still remain faithful to God—believing him to faithful and true—then I can look beyond my circumstances and see that God is bigger than what’s right in front of me. I can take the magnifying glass off of the things in my life that discourage me and point my magnifying glass to the God who breathes stars and breath in my lungs. I am encouraged by Abraham, when he looked the impossibility of his reality (too old to have children) and yet remained believing that God would fulfill his promise. I’ve been in situations where I couldn’t see a way forward and following Abraham’s example encourages me so much. Knowing God intimately is a great first step toward experiencing biblical encouragement. Understanding his heart and loyalty toward us is key. Second, we can remember to look beyond what we see to what we know to be true. Sometimes feelings follow an act of faith. Take Hebrews 11 to heart. Recommended Resources: Reframing Rejection: How Looking Through a Different Lens Changes Everything By Jessica Van Roekel Sacred Scars: Resting in God’s Promise That Your Past Is Not Wasted by Dr. Michelle Bengtson The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner AWSA 2024 Golden Scroll Christian Living Book of the Year and the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Christian Living and Non-Fiction categories YouVersion 5-Day Devotional Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, AWSA Member of the Year, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Devotional category, the 2023 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 1 YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 2 Revive & Thrive Women’s Online Conference Revive & Thrive Summit 2 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 1 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 2 Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2020 Best Christian Living Book First Place, the first place winner for the Best Christian Living Book, the 2020 Carolina Christian Writer’s Conference Contest winner for nonfiction, and winner of the 2021 Christian Literary Award’s Reader’s Choice Award in all four categories for which it was nominated (Non-Fiction Victorious Living, Christian Living Day By Day, Inspirational Breaking Free and Testimonial Justified by Grace categories.) YouVersion Bible Reading Plan for Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Free Study Guide Free PDF Resource: How to Fight Fearful/Anxious Thoughts and Win Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Henri and Reader’s Choice Award Hope Prevails Bible Study by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Reader’s Choice Award Free Webinar: Help for When You’re Feeling Blue Social Media Links for Host and Guest: Connect with Jessica Van Roekel: Website / Instagram / Facebook For more hope, stay connected with Dr. Bengtson at: Order Book Sacred Scars / Order Book The Hem of His Garment / Order Book Today is Going to be a Good Day / Order Book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip / Order Book Hope Prevails / Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter (@DrMBengtson) / LinkedIn / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube / Podcast on Apple Co-Host: Jessica Van Roekel is a worship leader, speaker, and writer who believes that through Jesus, personal histories don’t need to define the present or determine the future. She inspires, encourages, and equips others to look at life through the lenses of hope, trust, and God’s transforming grace. Jessica lives in rural Iowa surrounded by wide open spaces which remind her of God’s expansive love. She loves fun earrings, good coffee, and connecting with others. Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Here's a riddle: why can a $150,000 “good” book deal leave you with less money this year than a $50,000 “very nice” deal?In this episode of Your Path to Book Publishing, we're unpacking the reality of book advances—what they are, how they're paid, and the contract details that matter more than the headline number.If you're a nonfiction author exploring traditional publishing as a path to boost your credibility, speaking opportunities, consulting pipeline, or business growth, this episode will give you the clarity you need.Here's what you'll learn:How book advances actually work (and why you don't usually have to pay them back).The three factors that matter most: math, timing, and terms.How payouts are structured across signing, manuscript delivery, and publication.The five categories of book deals—from “nice” to “major.”Why most books never “earn out” their advances—and how that impacts your royalties.Two critical clauses to check in your contract: accounting methods and sub-rights.Whether you're thinking about publishing strategies, comparing self-publishing vs. traditional publishing, or just curious how author royalties really stack up, this episode will help you understand what's behind those big book deal announcements.

Skandalista, prorok, a może ikonograf współczesnej Francji? Kim jest Michel Houellebecq – bohater najnowszej odsłony raportowego cyklu FICTION / NON-FICTION?Mój znakomity gość, na którego życzenie omówimy powieść „Serotonina”, nazywa Houellebecqa twórcą oraz jedynym przedstawicielem „realizmu kostycznego”.Powieści tego francuskiego pisarza wytrącają ze strefy komfortu, czasem bolą, czasem są wręcz nie do zniesienia. Pytanie – po co Houellebecq tak bardzo nas prowokuje? Czy wciągając czytelnika do świata duchowej i emocjonalnej pustki, moralnej brzydoty i autodestrukcji próbuje go przed czymś przestrzec?Czy „Serotonina” to opis nadchodzącego zmierzchu zachodniego społeczeństwa XXI wieku? Diagnoza rozpadu francuskiego społeczeństwa? A może rozpaczliwa oda do miłości? A jeśli tak, to czy Houellebecq, słynący z wyjątkowej obsceniczności na granicy pornografii, jest tak naprawdę nowym romantykiem?A może to tylko kolejna pusta etykieta, bo wielkość tego francuskiego powieściopisarza polega między innymi na tym, że nie sposób go zaszufladkować?Jaki obraz współczesnej Francji i Francuzów, ich tęsknot, marzeń, grzechów i upadków rysuje Houellebecq w „Serotoninie”, a także innych swoich powieściach?Prowadzenie: Agata KasprolewiczGość: Grzegorz DobieckiKsiążka: „Serotonina” Michel Houellebecq / tłumaczenie: Beata Geppert / Wydawnictwo W.A.B---------------------------------------------Raport o stanie świata to audycja, która istnieje dzięki naszym Patronom, dołącz się do zbiórki ➡️ ⁠https://patronite.pl/DariuszRosiak⁠Subskrybuj newsletter Raportu o stanie świata ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠➡️ ⁠https://dariuszrosiak.substack.com⁠Koszulki i kubki Raportu ➡️ ⁠https://patronite-sklep.pl/kolekcja/raport-o-stanie-swiata/⁠ [Autopromocja]

Christopher Blackwell is an award-winning journalist currently incarcerated at the Washington Corrections Center, where he is serving a 45-year prison sentence for taking another human's life during a drug robbery (something he takes full accountability for). Deborah Zalesne is a legal expert and law professor at the City University of New York School of Law, where she teaches contracts, corporate law, and commercial law. Together, they wrote Ending Isolation: The Case Against Solitary Confinement (forthcoming from Pluto Press), which weaves together first-hand accounts of incarceration and solitary confinement with legal and medical analyses. Together with Dr. Terry Kupers and Kwaneta Harris, they wrote Ending Isolation: The Case Against Solitary Confinement (https://bookshop.org/p/books/ending-isolation-the-case-against-solitary-confinement/0a24fd8bf0aabec1?ean=9780745351278), which weaves together first-hand accounts of incarceration and solitary confinement with legal and medical analyses to illustrate the devastating impacts of solitary confinement on survivors, their families, and the communities they are part of (both inside and outside of prison). In this episode, I talk to Debbie and Chris about the history of solitary confinement, the legal frameworks that prevent reform from taking root, the challenges and abuses incarcerated individuals face when asserting their rights, and how the realities of solitary confinement differ from how it is portrayed to the public. They also discuss the Journey to Justice Bus Tour (https://journeytojusticetour.com/) they have put together, in partnership with Unlock the Box (https://unlocktheboxcampaign.org/) and Look 2 Justice (https://www.look2justice.org/), to help educate the public about the experience and impacts of solitary confinement.

When the pandemic hit, Stephen Grant — a married father of two recently diagnosed with cancer — lost his corporate job and urgently needed health insurance. So he became a rural mail carrier in Appalachia. In this episode, Michael Smerconish talks with Stephen about his book "Mailman: My Wild Ride Delivering the Mail in Appalachia and Finally Finding Home." They explore the surprising intimacy between mail carriers and their communities, the physical demands of postal work, and what delivering America's packages revealed about the state of the country. Funny, honest, and deeply human — this conversation delivers! Original air date 4 September 2025. The book was published on 8 July 2025.

Weekly shoutout: Check out Lynchpins, our ongoing David Lynch tribute series! Hi there, we're back! Today I am delighted to be arts calling Camille U. Adams once again! (https://www.camilleuadams.com/) About our guest: CAMILLE U. ADAMS, Ph.D. was born and raised in beautiful Trinidad and Tobago. She is the author of the explosive memoir How To Be Unmothered: a Trinidadian memoir, finalist in the Restless Books Prize in New Immigrant Writing 2023. (https://linktr.ee/Camille_U_Adams) Camille is a memoirist, a poet, and a nature writer. Camille has been awarded Best of The Net—nonfiction 2024. She has received five Pushcart Prize nominations and three Best of the Net nominations for her memoir writing. Camille's work has also received recognition as a notable essay in Best American Essays 2022. Her writing has been long-listed in the Graywolf Creative nonfiction Prize 2022 and selected as a finalist for The 2021 Orison Anthology Award in Nonfiction. Her other honours include an awarded fellowship as an inaugural Tin House Reading Fellow, an inaugural Granta nature writing workshop fellowship, an inaugural Anaphora Arts Italy Writing Retreat Fellowship, a McKnight Doctoral Fellowship, a Community of Writers Fellowship, A VONA scholarship, and a Roots Wounds Words Fellowship. A Tin House Summer Workshop alum, Camille has served as a juried reader for Tin House for two consecutive years and as a moderator for two author panels. She has also received support from Kenyon Writers Workshop, Grubstreet, and others. In addition, Camille has been an associate CNF editor at Variant Lit and an assistant memoir editor at Split Lip Magazine and at The Account. She has long taught English and creative writing, emphasising the importance of strong craft, beautiful prose, and ugly truths. Having earned her MFA in Poetry from City College CUNY and her Ph.D. in Creative Nonfiction from FSU, Camille currently teaches creative writing and literature in New York City. She is at work on her second memoir. Thanks for this amazing conversation, Camille! All the best! -- Arts Calling is produced by Jaime Alejandro. HOW TO SUPPORT ARTS CALLING: PLEASE CONSIDER LEAVING A REVIEW, OR SHARING THIS EPISODE WITH A FRIEND! YOUR SUPPORT TRULY MAKES A DIFFERENCE, AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN. Much love, j artscalling.com

Pippa speaks to writer Hedley Twidle . about his most recent publication, which is a collection of literary non-fiction writing called The Interpreters. The book was edited by Hedley and Sean Christie and has been published by Soutie press. Lunch with Pippa Hudson is CapeTalk’s mid-afternoon show. This 2-hour respite from hard news encourages the audience to take the time to explore, taste, read and reflect. The show - presented by former journalist, baker and water sports enthusiast Pippa Hudson - is unashamedly lifestyle driven. Popular features include a daily profile interview #OnTheCouch at 1:10pm. Consumer issues are in the spotlight every Wednesday while the team also unpacks all things related to health, wealth & the environment. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Lunch with Pippa Hudson Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 13:00 and 15:00 (SA Time) to Lunch with Pippa Hudson broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/MdSlWEs or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/fDJWe69 Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Summary: Jesus told us to go into all the world and share the gospel. Yet many Christians admit they struggle with the confidence to do so. In this episode, my son, Blake, joins me to talk about how to start natural conversations that open the door to sharing your faith with others. Together we share practical ways to make those conversations genuine and meaningful. Quotables from the episode: God tells us to go to all the ends of the earth. And he says that it's his desire that none would perish, not even one. So we have a responsibility to share our Christian faith with others while we still have the time. My faith really became my own when I went off to college. One of the big focuses of our church’s college ministry was evangelism. We were practicing evangelizing towards students who maybe didn't have a worldview set in stone yet. Lots of students who were leaving the home and flying the nest for the first time and looking for an explanation for the world around them. Something to cling to as they looked for hope and as they looked for something to identify themselves with. Since graduating college, handful of years ago, I have moved into a job in the professional workforce where I am around adults who now have a set worldview. And my practice of evangelism has had to change from inviting people who are seeking a worldview to adopt the worldview of Christianity and pursue our loving God and Savior, while they were just looking for a way to identify themselves. And that was an easy invitation to now discussing with strangers and coworkers who have set worldview and who have set opinions on Christianity, which has definitely been a shift. It is important to ask people about themselves and to ask people about their beliefs and even when people aren’t comfortable talking about themselves, people are generally willing to talk about their hobbies and their beliefs about the world and how the world operates and how the world should operate. Efforts to evangelize with people can be difficult because even if it’s true that you were sinful and there’s a solution to sin and we can be forgiven for it, people don’t care about the sin if they don’t think that the God that says these things are sin exists or they don’t think that God has any impact over their life or over what happens after their life and so it’s not until you get people to a place where they recognize this God is real and he does have an impact on our life and what happens after our life that they care about what he says is sin and what he says is wrong. We all start with questions of “who am I?” “Where did I come from?” “Why and I here?” “How am I supposed to treat other people while I’m here?” and “Where am I going?” Two important questions are “what do you mean by that? Why do you believe that?” People don’t care what you have to say, until they know you care. even just asking the question, what do you mean by that, it shows that you have interest, you care about their beliefs and where they came from. Right. And I think that that question is powerful and it serves multiple purposes because when people have legitimate hurts, you don't want to just immediately jump to the Bible and go, well, you shouldn't have been hurt by that because that's not how God is. - Or God works all things together for good. Right, which is true. And that's a helpful response for Christians who you're close to and you know that that will hold some value to them. But for someone who's not a Christian, that response will necessarily feel insensitive. - Yes. - And so to ask, what do you mean by that when you're discussing with someone who has legitimate hurts from the church or legitimate hurts from people who are Christians, further clarifies what their beliefs are, which is helpful for you because you get an understanding of what you're actually responding to. Recommended Resources: Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions by Greg Koukl Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity’s Toughest Challenges by Greg Koukl Sacred Scars: Resting in God’s Promise That Your Past Is Not Wasted by Dr. Michelle Bengtson The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner AWSA 2024 Golden Scroll Christian Living Book of the Year and the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Christian Living and Non-Fiction categories YouVersion 5-Day Devotional Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, AWSA Member of the Year, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Devotional category, the 2023 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 1 YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 2 Revive & Thrive Women’s Online Conference Revive & Thrive Summit 2 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 1 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 2 Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2020 Best Christian Living Book First Place, the first place winner for the Best Christian Living Book, the 2020 Carolina Christian Writer’s Conference Contest winner for nonfiction, and winner of the 2021 Christian Literary Award’s Reader’s Choice Award in all four categories for which it was nominated (Non-Fiction Victorious Living, Christian Living Day By Day, Inspirational Breaking Free and Testimonial Justified by Grace categories.) YouVersion Bible Reading Plan for Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Free Study Guide Free PDF Resource: How to Fight Fearful/Anxious Thoughts and Win Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Henri and Reader’s Choice Award Hope Prevails Bible Study by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Reader’s Choice Award Free Webinar: Help for When You’re Feeling Blue Social Media Links for Host: For more hope, stay connected with Dr. Bengtson at: Order Book Sacred Scars / Order Book The Hem of His Garment / Order Book Today is Going to be a Good Day / Order Book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip / Order Book Hope Prevails / Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter (@DrMBengtson) / LinkedIn / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube / Podcast on Apple Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Listen here to Episode #27: Michael's 2017 conversation with Dr. Jean Twenge about "iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us" Listen here to Episode #240: Michael's 2023 conversation with Dr. Jean Twenge about ""Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents—and What They Mean for America's Future."

We love fielding very specific readerly requests that will also appeal to a wide range of readers, and today's episode is just that. Lynn Bain describers herself as an accidental entrepreneur. While she loves to read a wide range of genres and styles, she's here today to get Anne's help in identifying good business books to read alongside her beloved stack of fiction. Lynn's tried a bunch of business books and found they haven't worked out well for her. But Lynn is also confident that there are good titles out there and she would love to find them, because she knows they will really benefit her, personally and professionally. She and Anne explore this today and Anne makes recommendations that fit this particular section of Lynn's reading life. If you have ideas for Lynn, please share those by leaving a comment on our ​show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/492​. That's where you'll also find the list of titles discussed in today's episode. Our Fall Book Preview is right around the corner! This signature event includes our live unboxing party on Thursday, September 18th, and our 12-page digital booklet featuring the selected titles. It's always a great time. Enjoy this event and access our library of bonus episodes and past previews by joining our Patreon community. Find out more at patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To mark 20 years of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits some of her most memorable conversations with acclaimed non-fiction writers Lisa Taddeo, Malcolm Gladwell, Anne Lamott, Maria Konnikova, and Alain de Botton. This anniversary collection captures the insight, candor, and wisdom of five extraordinary thinkers whose work continues to shape how we see ourselves and the world around us.For a chance to give your own TED Talk, fill out the Idea Search Application: ted.com/ideasearch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I begin a six-part series on Ralph Waldo Emerson's journaling habits. Emerson didn't see his journals as a place to record daily events—he saw them as a savings bank for ideas. I'll explain what that means and why changing how you view your journal is the first step toward making it a tool for thinking. I'll also share a book recommendation that can help you choose the right kind of notebook for this practice.

On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: overflowing bookshelves + a fun way to count your finished reads Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: we are bossing some more TBRs The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site). .  .  .  .  2:29 - Ad For Ourselves 6:45 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week 9:55 - Meredith's Floor Lamp 10:46 - “The Number of Books I've Read This Year” desktop counter from Etsy 13:06 - Our Current Reads 13:32 - A Duke Never Tells by Suzanne Enoch (Kaytee) 16:18 - Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare 17:16 - The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North (Meredith)  18:32 - The Whisper Man by Alex North 22:05 - Ordinary Time by Annie B. Jones (Kaytee) 24:48 - Annie B. Jones on Instagram 25:25 - The Dark One (Vicious Lost Boys, 2) by St. Crow (Meredith)  26:13 - Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie 26:36 - The Never King (Vicious Lost Boys, 1) by Nikki St. Crow 30:07 - Shutter by Ramona Emerson (Kaytee) 34:19 - Withered Hill by David Barnett (Meredith) 37:28 - Slewfoot by Brom 38:28 - The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier 38:34 - Boss My TBR From Catherine Bridgewater 40:19 - Blood Sisters by Vanessa Lillie 40:21 - North Woods by Daniel Mason 40:24 - After the Crash by Michel Bussi 40:27 - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty 40:29 - The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher 40:42 - Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry 40:43 - Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann From Lisa Stone 44:05 - Broken Country by Claire Leslie Hall 44:08 - My Friends by Fredrik Backman  44:10 - Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson 44:13 - Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaughy 44:17 - The Unseen World by Liz Moore 44:25 - Today Tonight Forever by Madeline Kay Sneed 44:37 - Happy Place by Emily Henry 49:36 - Meet Us At The Fountain 49:40 - I wish to become (or really, have already been) a correspondent. (Kaytee) 49:52 - The Correspondent by Virginia Evans 51:56 - I wish that for every book it had a perfume-type scent to transport you back to that particular experience of reading it. (Meredith) 52:06 - Ffern | Organic Eau de Parfum 53:40 - The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister 56:35 - Chrissie on Instagram and at Sarah's Bookshelves Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. September's IPL comes to us from: Words Matter in Pitman, NJ. Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business.  All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

Episode Summary: Not one of us is exempt from loss. We lose what we expected, what we thought we believed, what we dreamed, our sense of security or identity. We lose friendships. We lose people we love. What do we do with the disruption, the devastation of loss? How do we survive unpredictable grief, ongoing suffering, and the questions about God that happen in the dark nights of our lives? None of us want to be in seasons of sorrow. But sometimes the dark nights of life and faith have strange gifts. On the other side, we find ourselves free from the superficial in our lives. We discover peace and the assurance that we are loved. And we may experience a deeper, more honest relationship with the God we found in the dark. In this episode, I sit down with pastor and author Aubrey Sampson to talk about navigating deep loss and learning to sense God’s presence in the darkest seasons. Quotables from the episode: For me, writing was a prayer, writing was an anchor to God, writing was trying to figure out what in the world was happening when everything felt very out of control. And ultimately, writing did become a lifeline to hope in the midst of something that felt very hopeless. Grief is also very difficult to find language for, to explain, because it can feel like so many jumbled, opposed, and poignant metaphors or events all at once. Grief is like jumping on a cheerless trampoline, a constant disorientation between adrenaline and gravity. Grief is an empty, dilapidating playground, a sad, stoic icon of lost memories and what could have been. Grief is a firestone, full of uncontrollable destruction and rage and simultaneously a mudslide, sloppy, shocking and unstoppable. Grief is a planet, vast, cold, and mysterious, and grief is somehow also a roly-poly pill bug, often unnoticed by others, unarmored and earthy. The questions I was asking felt like almost like I described them in the book as like baby-deer questions. They just felt very vulnerable to me to be asking a God that I have centered my life around questions like, "Are you real? Is your arm too short to heal cancer? Where are you? Are my prayers hitting the ceiling fan or are they actually going to your ears, Lord?" I was asking some questions that I sort of felt like I should not be asking these, not because I felt ashamed. I know God can handle our hard questions. It wasn't that. It was just like, I should be beyond these questions by now. But the grief was so tender, Michelle, and so close. Some of my prayers were like, “how could you? Like, how dare you?” And part of it was her journey. She experienced healing from cancer about a year in and they didn't call it remission yet. But the doctors did say, this is great, cancer -free, the chemo's done what it should, and then about three months later, it came back with a vengeance. So that was some of it too. The whiplash of it made me ask God some really difficult questions. Like, “can you do anything good in this, God? Like, this feels so lacking in goodness, so lacking in hope, so lacking in beauty you are taking a mom away from three young sons you are taking a daughter away from parents a sister away from sister. Can your goodness reach even into this place?” There's just so many situations that prompt those honest gut level questions. Like, I know you God, but I don't understand. I don't understand and God often doesn't answer our why, but he does invite us to be honest with our questions. I mean, I think about so many in the Bible and some of the questions they ask, you know, it'd be easy to say, well, how could they dare? But we ask our own variety of those same questions. And I find it helpful to read those questions in scripture because, you know, you find some comfort in, "Okay, these were historical, ecumenical, faithful followers of God throughout history, and yet they are asking God the same questions. How long, O Lord? How lonely, I feel." Lamentations is full of these, like, "How could you? How dare you? How will you fix this?" And so to be able to know that actually, though it feels opposite of our faith. Actually, this type of posture before God is a very, I think, crucial part of our faith journey. I think God actually allows us and wants us to ask those questions on purpose as part of our spiritual formation. Again, we kind of get into our heads as if this isn't faithful or something's wrong. I'm going backwards spiritually, but then when you read those questions all throughout scripture, you can find some comfort in like, okay, these people are in the Bible, right? They were faithful followers of God. They're asking the same questions I'm asking. Yeah, God used them as examples for us. That's it. To teach us, to encourage us. One thing that you want as a Christian, even in your darkest hours, is for God to come for you with a sense of comfort. Holy Spirit provides you peace. Holy Spirit provides you a sense that God is with you. God sees you. God is around you. And what I found in my season of grief was that was not occurring. I could not sense God with me. I couldn't hear God speaking to me. I could not “connect with God.” I was just like, “God, where are you? Like, I can't even sense your spirit comforting me and I need you more than ever.” And I began because of the Lord's kindness, I was meeting with a spiritual director at the time. And I began to read about a very common spiritual experience again throughout history, again throughout the Bible, called the Dark Night of the Soul. Which, again, we tend to use it a little generically just to me, and I'm going through a hard time, that's a Dark Night of the Soul. A dark night of the soul was coined by St. John of the Cross right after the Spanish Inquisition. And what he talked about was the very thing I'm talking about, when you cannot sense God answering your prayers, when you cannot sense God's nearness, when you cannot see what God is doing, that sense of God's quote "absence" is actually what it means to walk through a dark night of the soul. That can happen in grief, it can happen in loss, it can happen just in life, midlife crisis, it can happen. And what we find in dark nights of the soul is something that We know to be true, God never leaves us nor forsakes us. But for some reason, God does tend to pull back that "felt sense of His presence." And part of what God is doing, we can't all understand everything God is doing, but part of what God is doing is teaching us that our faith is not just about a feeling. Our faith is about the object of our faith, Jesus. And so, whether we're "feeling" the presence of God or not, can we choose to have faith that says He is true, His character is true, He is steadfast, I will keep believing, I will keep leaning in, I will keep being faithful even when I can't "feel" Him. And there's something mysterious and explosive and actually good that we find in dark nights of the soul even though it's often quite painful and confusing. Michelle, it is hard to sort of find yourself on the grief map when you're in it, especially when it's fresh. And so sometimes you don't know is where I'm at normal, okay, should I be farther along than I am. And the hard part is, depending on the context texture from, often people want you to be further along than you actually are. And you're just not, I mean, it just until you've walked through grief, you, you don't know, no, no, no, I can't move faster than I can move. I am right where I am. And that's as far as I can go. I wrote about these, these three different moments in darkness to try to at least help readers, grievers, someone walking through any type of loss or transition to sort of go, "Okay, I might find myself here." And also, to say any of those places are right where you're supposed to be. God is not rushing you past the finish line of pain. Some of us, I think, like I said, rush past it or pretend it isn't happening, but just to go, "Okay, God, things are changing. This is a new season. I don't necessarily like it. I don't really enjoy why I'm here, but I'm going to trust you've got some discoveries for me. And so, I'm going to keep open to whatever you're doing as the night falls. And then the next phase, midnight, I mean, this is where I wrote about my best friend's jet death and just everything changing. I mean, it is just the onslaught of grief that you feel physically, you feel emotionally you experience spiritually it's in your body it's in your mind it's you know you know this from the mental health world your brain is flat you can't really function the way that you used to function and I wanted to put some language for that again just to say it is normal and your only job is to be gentle with yourself at your spiritual midnight your emotional midnight like just Be kind to yourself. Be kind to yourself. I think we want to learn the lesson and we want to build the muscles and we want to build resilience. We want to grow in our depth and our meaning. That will come, but it is okay to be right where you are for as long as you need to be, especially in that initial onslaught of grief. We write a lot about that in the section on midnight. And then the last section, when I was very careful not to do, Michelle, and I think you'll appreciate this as one who talks about her own depression. I didn't want to say, "But the sun is coming. Sunrise is on its way." I did not want to write another book about, like, quote, "sunny spirituality," because that's not always what healing is. Healing isn't always darkness to light. Sometimes healing is this gradual progression of, "Oh, I see a little glimmer of hope here." Okay, here's some light coming through. I think so often we celebrate like the mountaintop, or the victory and we forget to celebrate what a courageous thing it is to step out in community again after loss or try something new after loss or frankly put pants on and go to Target after loss like those are victories. And so, I wanted to write and sort of normalize that healing can look dramatic. And in a moment, healing can also be very slow. And isn't, you know, isn't always just your sun. Sometimes it's like, you know, here's some stars in your darkness, that's healing too. In one sense, I think you do the things you don't do, meaning you rest Sabbath if you're not someone who has done that before, try to sleep if you can. I think this is a time to take up spiritual practices of slowness, stillness, silence, listening. I guess what I'm trying to say is there's not a lot you have to do. And especially early on in the dark night of the soul. And I said this before I will say it again and again and again, be gentle with yourself. I mean, you know, any listener who or view or who has been through loss knows, you often can't even remember like what shampoo is or how to shampoo your hair, let alone want to, or want to, that's a very good point, or even have the desire to. So I think a thing you do is be gentle with yourself Loss, grief, darkness can be very isolating. And so I think it is so important that you allow yourself intentionally to reach out to the safe people in your life. That doesn't have to be everybody. You don't have to be best friends with everyone who wants to come around you or, but who are the safe, trusted people that you can say, I can't pray right now, so I need you to pray for me. I am hurting right now. I need somebody just to know. I think the community piece is so important. We are not meant to do the faith journey alone. We're not meant to do grief alone. We're not meant to do darkness alone. We need some traveling companions. And again, you get to choose who those people are. There are some people for some reason that it just can't go with you in dark places and that's okay. But if you have some safe people that can't, you know, let them be a lifeline to you. It's hard in grief because people will often very well meaning ask you, what can I do for you? What do you need? And you just don't have the wherewithal to do it. So, on the flip side, I would say if you are walking with someone who's in a dark season, don't even ask, just say, I've sent you a Chipotle gift card, it's going to arrive in your mail, Uber Eats, whatever it is. I've sent you a gift card to any service, use it when you need to. I think some of that proactive approach for someone who's walking through darkness is really helpful too. Oh, for - Sure, because it's almost like the brain fog and the decision fatigue is so great that it's too hard to think about what I could ask someone else to do. Plus, if you've just lost having to ask someone for help, you risk rejection, which is another form of loss. So, what about the person who feels like their faith is being shaken by their dark night? What would you say to that person? Because we know the enemy is crafty and he seeks to steal, kill and destroy and he watches so intently. So, he knows when we're at our weakest point, so how do So how do we fight back against that? - Yeah, I think that is so good because what you don't want to do is get in a mindset where you are thinking God caused this pain in my life. God is not the author of pain, author of evil. God in Jesus conquered death. So those things are not from God. But what we and trust is that God is in them, redeeming them, making all things new. I think it's important to know this again, this is a normal part of your spiritual walk. I think sometimes again, we can think, the scaffolding of my faith is being shaken, that's bad, that's bad, that's bad. But sometimes to be disillusioned spiritually is a really good healthy thing because you're not living an illusion anymore. And so, some of the things that you have clung to that are false ideas about God, about faith, God is actually shaking those up on purpose. And that's something good he does in darkness is you find, you know, your faith is a little more explosive, a little more intimate, because you've embraced mystery and God's bigness and the boxes that you put God in suddenly God is breaking out of all of that is very good all of that is part of spiritual formation it can feel like it's you're going backwards but again if you can keep leaning in staying connected to God you find on the other side of that a greater intimacy with God however what you just talked about the spiritual attack that can come. I do think we have to be wise about this. I have a good friend who talks about these are the moments when you just have to contend for your faith. Like Jesus, I am not going anywhere. I am putting my anchor of faith in the ground. I am believing that you are good. I am believing that you do good. Any light otherwise is from the enemy, I plead the blood of Jesus over it and I will not walk in it. And so that's a hard muscle when you are depressed, dark, grieving. It's hard to kind of know what's spiritual attack, what's, you know, my just mental state is not okay, what is just, I'm sad, right? And so, I do think this going back to community where it's so helpful to have your other friends pray for you and you don't have to wherewithal to do it yourself. And to say, okay, Lord, I hate everything about this, but you have called yourself faithful and so I'm going to believe you are faithful. I think there's some work we have to do, Michelle, like to remember in the darkness what we knew in the light, remember in the desert what we knew in the garden seasons of our lives, remember in the valley what we knew on the mountaintop, like there is some work of recall, okay. God has been good to me, God has been good throughout history, God's character is true, I will choose to believe that even though this is like the fight of my life right now, and God honors that kind of faith and that kind of wrestle, he really does. And I appreciate what you're saying about remembering what we knew in the light and taking that into those dark places. I think it's also so important for us to remember, just as you said, God doesn't cause pain. He doesn't cause hardship. But God is always concerned with us growing. I love to garden. I'm a very impatient gardener, but I love to garden. But what it has taught me is that the most crucial growth happens below the soil in the dark place. And while none of us wants to go through pain and suffering, if we can appreciate that God is in that dark place and cultivating something good, that's a hope line that we can hold on to when it doesn't feel good. Think about Jesus in the garden. That was a dark place. His friends wouldn't even stay awake, right? And yet it was a good thing that came out of it because even though he was so honest and I love his honesty, Father, if there is any other way that this cup could pass from me, please, please do it, but ultimately, I want your will, not mine. And I think that's so important for us to remember that our savior of the world went through that dark night. Thankfully God is so patient with us. - Yes. - Oh, so patient with us. And I began to sense God sort of lovingly drawing me back to the word, but not for performance, not for study, not for output, not even for preparation. Just, "Hey, you're my daughter. Why don't you just come and read one song, read one, one little verse?" And I began in my mind to call it inchworm Bible reading where I just would read one song and then I would read it again. And then the next day read it again. And I was not accomplishing anything deeply spiritual, very profound. But there was something healing. And it won the words of the Psalms and this beautiful book of prayers and poems and laments for the people of God. And a lot of them are about pain and suffering. So that was one to find language for what I was walking through. But also, it was like, I felt like, again, God just let me be a human being and not a human doing. And I just got to sit in his presence. And it didn't matter how much I accomplished, it didn't matter that I made some beautiful social media post, wrote a sermon based on the reading, it was just about connecting with the father. And the Lord was again, very patient with me. And in time, I just began to sense all of that was God kind of reminding me, “I'm here, I'm still here. There's a rope tethering you to me. I am not going to let you go." And so that inchworm Bible reading, as silly as it sounds, became very profound. I feel like God found me again in that. It's such a profound act of worship and faith to run to God with those things because he would rather us come to him with that type of anger and raw questions and authenticity than walk away in apathy. And so whatever you can do, whether it's journaling, praying aloud in your car, writing, singing, painting, Whatever it is to give those heart things to the Lord is in itself an act of worship and connection and a tool. When we go through such incredibly painful times, like the dark night of the soul that we talked about before the break, it's natural in our humanness to ask, why did this happen? Those questions are the right questions to be asking. Those are the questions that God loves to hear. And so, I would invite you to ask those questions to God and wait as long as it takes for God to answer. You do not give up. But I would also say this, hope is coming, light is coming. The dark night does not say dark forever. Grief stays for a very long time, but it changes shape. I grieve my best friend Jen differently. We just celebrated her 45th birthday. I grieve her differently on her 45th birthday than I did two years ago. I still miss her deeply. The grief is different. I am different. The way I experience grief is different. I've had new losses since Jen and those are different. And so, it is okay to also remind yourself that hope is coming. You can continue to choose to hope even when you feel hopeless, can ask other people to hold that for you and you can't hold it yourself. I think, again, that's a beautiful part of the Christian faith is it's not meant to be individual; it's meant to be collective and communal. And so, Michelle, I can borrow your hope and your faith when I don't have any and you can borrow mine when you don't have any and all of those things the Lord will use to bring you back to a place of hope and delight and goodness and even joy again in His presence with other people and hope for the future. What you're walking through is normal. It is not antithetical to your faith, but part of the faith journey. I want to tell you to keep leaning into Jesus because he is faithful and true. And I would also, I think about the words of Psalm 40:40 where David says I'm at the bottom of my pit and what I found Lord is that you lifted me out and I kind of referred to this subtly a minute ago but there is that spiritual tether connecting you to God if you're a person in Jesus and God is not going to let you stay in your pit the rest of your life God is not going to you alone in your pit. And in fact, what's so beautiful about Jesus in his suffering, he crawls down in our pits with us, does not leave us alone in them. And so you have a friend in suffering who is actually in it with you, but outside of it able to redeem it and able to make something beautiful and new in the situation that seems so painful now. I just want to remind you that the temptation is great to pull away from God and from others especially when we've just gone through a period of loss, but I'm encouraging you consistent With God's admonition that you continue to cry out to him be honest with him ask the types of questions that Aubrey shared that she asked. There's no shame in that and God is big enough to handle that. Scripture References: Psalm 88:12 “Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?” Psalm 88:1 “Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you.” Recommended Resources: What We Find in the Dark: Loss, Hope, and God’s Presence in Grief by Aubrey Sampson Sacred Scars: Resting in God’s Promise That Your Past Is Not Wasted by Dr. Michelle Bengtson The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner AWSA 2024 Golden Scroll Christian Living Book of the Year and the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Christian Living and Non-Fiction categories YouVersion 5-Day Devotional Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, AWSA Member of the Year, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Devotional category, the 2023 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 1 YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 2 Revive & Thrive Women’s Online Conference Revive & Thrive Summit 2 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 1 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 2 Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2020 Best Christian Living Book First Place, the first place winner for the Best Christian Living Book, the 2020 Carolina Christian Writer’s Conference Contest winner for nonfiction, and winner of the 2021 Christian Literary Award’s Reader’s Choice Award in all four categories for which it was nominated (Non-Fiction Victorious Living, Christian Living Day By Day, Inspirational Breaking Free and Testimonial Justified by Grace categories.) YouVersion Bible Reading Plan for Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Free Study Guide Free PDF Resource: How to Fight Fearful/Anxious Thoughts and Win Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Henri and Reader’s Choice Award Hope Prevails Bible Study by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Reader’s Choice Award Free Webinar: Help for When You’re Feeling Blue Social Media Links for Host and Guest: Connect with Aubrey Sampson: Website / Facebook / Instagram For more hope, stay connected with Dr. Bengtson at: Order Book Sacred Scars / Order Book The Hem of His Garment / Order Book Today is Going to be a Good Day / Order Book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip / Order Book Hope Prevails / Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter (@DrMBengtson) / LinkedIn / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube / Podcast on Apple Guest: Aubrey Sampson (MA, evangelism and leadership) coplanted and is on staff at Renewal Church, a multiethnic congregation in Chicagoland. She is an author a coach with Propel Women Cohorts and the cohost of The Nothing is Wasted Podcast. She is passionate about helping hurting Christians find God’s presence in their pain. She and her husband, Kevin, and their three hilarious sons live, minister, and play in the Chicagoland area. Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Send us a textIn today's episode, I'm honored to chat with Le Ly Hayslip, internationally known Vietnamese-American author, philanthropist, peace activist, and speaker. Le Ly grew up in central Vietnam during the American-Vietnam War and later authored two bestselling memoirs, When Heaven and Earth Changed Places and Child of War, Woman of Peace. Her story of resilience inspired Oliver Stone's 1993 film Heaven & Earth. Beyond her writing, she founded two humanitarian organizations—East Meets West Foundation and Global Village Foundation—dedicated to rebuilding Vietnam through education, medical care, and essential resources.Episode Highlights:Her upbringing in a rice-farming family of 6 children in central Vietnam, living under the pressures of both American forces and the Viet Cong.The importance of protecting family gravesites and places of worship as a way of preserving identity and tradition.Why her book cannot be published in Vietnam, and how Oliver Stone's film adaptation offers another way to experience her story.How returning to Vietnam in the 1980s inspired her lifelong humanitarian work.Her invitation to visit the beauty of Vietnam, where she leads trips in both the spring and fall.✨ Le Ly also shared with me about the upcoming Global Village Foundation Awards Gala to celebrate 30 years of U.S. & Vietnam diplomatic relations at the  on 11/15/25. You can find more information on the Global Village Foundation website. Le Ly's story is one of survival, forgiveness, and hope. As she says, “We cannot change the past. But if each of us stands up to change the world, we will change the world.”Connect with Le Ly:WebsiteGlobal Village FoundationInstagramShow NotesSome links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.Books and authors mentioned in the episode:Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East by Baird T. SpaldingMany Lives, Many Masters by Brian L. WeissRamtha: The White Book by RamthaBook FlightOn the Ho Chi Minh Trail by Sherry BuchananPerfect Spy by Larry BermanDancing in the Light by Shirley MacLaine

Mike talks with Rana Dasgupta, recipient of a 2025 Windham-Campbell Prize in Nonfiction, about the pleasures of the 1958 novel The Leopard as well as its Visconti-directed film adaptation and how both projects reflect on our present tenuous moment. Born in Canterbury, United Kingdom, Rana Dasgupta has lived in the United States, India, and France. His work includes Tokyo Cancelled (2005), a collection of contemporary folktales, and a novel, Solo (2009), which won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize (2010). In 2014, he published his first nonfiction work, Capital: The Eruption of Delhi. His clear-eyed observation of 21st-century crises lies at the heart of his highly anticipated forthcoming book, After Nations (2026), which explores the dissipation of the powers of the nation-state and seeks ways for us to navigate the resulting confusion. As an essayist, Dasgupta has contributed to distinguished outlets such as Harper's, Granta, and The New Statesman. For several years, he taught a course on 21st-century culture and ideas at Brown University. His lectures on the nation-state, and the possibilities beyond it, have been hosted by the Berggruen Institute, the Serpentine Gallery, the House of World Cultures, and elsewhere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode stars Curtis Smith (Deaf Heaven, Communion, Bad Monkey & many others). It was recorded over the Zoom between the This Podcast Will Change Your Life home studio in Chicago, IL and Smith's Keystone State home in July 2025.

Ep 058 – Nonfiction. Historian John Lisle discusses his new book, “Project Mind Control: Sidney Gottlieb, the CIA, and the Tragedy of MKULTRA.”‘The inside story of the CIA's secret mind control project, MKULTRA, using never-before-seen testimony from the perpetrators themselves.Sidney Gottlieb was the CIA's most cunning chemist. As head of the infamous MKULTRA project, he oversaw an assortment of dangerous―even deadly―experiments. Among them: dosing unwitting strangers with mind-bending drugs, torturing mental patients through sensory deprivation, and steering the movements of animals via electrodes implanted into their brains. His goal was to develop methods of mind control that could turn someone into a real-life “Manchurian candidate.”In conjunction with MKULTRA, Gottlieb also plotted the assassination of foreign leaders and created spy gear for undercover agents. The details of his career, however, have long been shrouded in mystery. Upon retiring from the CIA in 1973, he tossed his files into an incinerator. As a result, much of what happened under MKULTRA was thought to be lost―until now.Historian John Lisle has uncovered dozens of depositions containing new information about MKULTRA, straight from the mouths of its perpetrators. For the first time, Gottlieb and his underlings divulge what they did, why they did it, how they got away with it, and much more. Additionally, Lisle highlights the dramatic story of MKULTRA's victims, from their terrible treatment to their dogged pursuit of justice.The consequences of MKULTRA still reverberate throughout American society. Project Mind Control is the definitive account of this most disturbing of chapters in CIA history.'Subscribe to the War Books podcast here:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcastApple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULbSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZFollow the show here:Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

This week's Memoir Nation is the last of our summer best-of round-up episodes. We chose to pair Victoria Chang and Carvell Wallace because these were two of our most heartfelt guests who delved deeply and honestly into some of memoir's deepest emotions: shame; love; anger; happiness; and more. These interviews were a couple that most touched us for Chang and Wallace's articulation of process, making connections, and staying with the emotions that move you. We hope you enjoy and Memoir Nation will be back next week with a new season and a new episode. We can't wait! Carvell Wallace is a writer and podcaster who has contributed to The New Yorker, GQ, New York Times Magazine, Pitchfork, MTV News, and Al Jazeera. His debut memoir, Another Word For Love, explores his life, identity, and love through stories of family, friendship, and culture and was a 2024 Kirkus Finalist in Nonfiction.  Victoria Chang's most recent book of poems is With My Back to the World, published in 2024. It received the Forward Prize in Poetry for Best Collection. Some of her other books include The Trees Witness Everything, OBIT, and Dear Memory: Letters on Writing, Silence, and Grief. She has written several children's books as well. She has received multiple fellowships and prizes and is the Bourne Chair in Poetry at Georgia Tech and Director of Poetry@Tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Gare, Steph and I share short, bingey books we highly recommend!Books We Talked AboutEveryone Is Lying to You – Joe PiazzaThe Favorite Girl – Monica AryaThe Mad Wife - Meagan ChurchThe Grave Artist – Isabella Maldonado & Jeffrey DeaverHappy Land – Dolen Perkins-ValdezBath Haus – P.J. VernonShort & BingeyEverything Is Tuberculosis – John GreenThe Trap – Catherine Ryan HowardThe Locked Door – Freida McFaddenLiars – Sarah MangusoThe Retreat – Krysten RitterI Did It for You – Amy EngelLula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books – Kirsten MillerBlack Sheep – Rachel HarrisonThe Woods Are Waiting – Katherine Green Get Bookwild MerchCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackCheck Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and GregFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

Join Mike Wills as he recollects his thoughts on some his favourite books he read this week Presenter John Maytham is an actor and author-turned-talk radio veteran and seasoned journalist. His show serves a round-up of local and international news coupled with the latest in business, sport, traffic and weather. The host’s eclectic interests mean the program often surprises the audience with intriguing book reviews and inspiring interviews profiling artists. A daily highlight is Rapid Fire, just after 5:30pm. CapeTalk fans call in, to stump the presenter with their general knowledge questions. Another firm favourite is the humorous Thursday crossing with award-winning journalist Rebecca Davis, called “Plan B”. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Afternoon Drive with John Maytham Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 15:00 and 18:00 (SA Time) to Afternoon Drive with John Maytham broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/BSFy4Cn or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/n8nWt4x Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Summary: Marriage is a commitment borne on the wings of love that embraces the whole person, warts and all…for better, for worse; for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. But at a time when commitment levels are low and failure rates are high, we need to be pro-active in protecting our marriages, and looking at them from a biblically-based, hope-filled perspective. Dr. Gary Lovejoy and I talk about the keys to long-term marital success and happiness. Quotables from the episode: Every relationship has its unique issues, but there are identifiable patterns that predict the most likely outcomes in the struggle to make a good life together. You say that aggressiveness and passivity are both a cover for fear. What do you mean? Well, because when we're fearful we have different possible reactions. Sometimes when we're fearful we lash out because we think that aggression will protect us. And this is particularly true for men, And it's also true for women too, but they'll lash out in various ways of being angry. Sometimes sadly enough, it can even lead to physical, espousal abuse. And all they may, in their fear, may withdraw. They just say, "I'm afraid to talk, I'm afraid to share, I'm afraid to open." Sometimes they come from families where they were very close families. No one talked about anything. All issues and conflicts were simply buried. And that's, so that becomes their M.O. Humility is often misunderstood. I look at humility in terms of the ability to understand who we are and who God is and the difference between the two, and that there is an inexplicable relationship between humility and self -esteem. People who have low self -esteem, we think, oh, they're humble. You know, they're always putting themselves down. That's not humility. Actually, humility requires self-esteem. The two are so closely interact-related. What Paul was saying is that the husband must be humble enough to serve his wife and to love her and the wife is doing turns serve her husband and By serving loving, loving and serving are two sides and same point if you love them. You'll want to serve them if you sir and as you serve them you love them more and so there's a reciprocity there that's definition of humility and it's essential for a good strong marriage, because if you don't serve one another, you don't respect each other. And if you don't respect each other, you don't have the kind of intimacy that can otherwise be possible. You talk about the family as being, I love this term, incubator of bad habits. What do you mean by that? Well, what we learn in how to resolve conflict is we watch how it's done in home. The only models we have are the ones that we're at home. We don't live with anybody else. We just live with our parents and our family. And if what goes on at home is mom and dad don't talk to each other, or they have arguments and never resolve them, or they yell at each other constantly, or they withdraw, then dad draws, or mom withdraws in the cold atmosphere, and that's how they handle every conflict, and then eventually wears off, and then the next day, or it's OK, that's how they learn to resolve conflict. And so when they go into their marriages, they know nothing different. And so they walk in, and they're handling conflict the way their family always is. So, it's fair to say then transparency is the hallmark of a good marriage? Absolutely. If we're not transparent, there's no way we can deal with the issues. You know, the issues don't go away simply by ignoring them. And a lot of people handle them that way, they just hope they'll go away and they ignore them. But conflict is not a bad thing. We think conflict, oh, that's a bad thing, but I don't view it as bad a thing. I view it as opportunities for growth. Because if we all, there are sometimes couples who succeed, actually succeed in becoming clones of each other, because they both fear conflict. So they cover over their differences and they come in and their whole marriage is a pretense. And it's not that satisfying. The first thing that's important in resolving conflict is to come at it, not from an accusation point of view, but say, but talking about how can we make things better. There's some things that I'm not sure how to handle well, and so I thought if we can sit down and talk about it, that maybe we can figure out a better way to handle it. Now it's a "we" thing, not a "you" thing. Once you make it "you" thing, it's an accusation. If it's a "we" thing, then, and in every way, you say, well, it's not, I'm not at fault. My part of my, my spouse is at fault. You say, no, in every conflict, each person is doing something wrong. Even if you think you are the one who is the victim, it's how you respond as a victim that may be part of the problem. So, so anytime I was working, when I worked with couples, I always talked about how they can digest each other's roles and, and, And how they can see that they have some things to do to grow in this relationship just as much as their partner does. So it’s a reciprocal thing. Marriage is a commitment borne on the wings of love that embraces the whole person, warts and all. Protecting your marriage from the assaults on its integrity and loyalty is paramount to preserving it. Many couples start marriage with false expectation, weak commitment, or past wounds – all that eventually come to the surface when relationships face challenges. It’s incumbent upon every couple to periodically assess the current state of their marriage to determine if there are any ways they relate to each other that are perceived to be disrespectful or that draw down the level of trust in one another. The unexamined life is simply not an option if you want a satisfying marriage. Contemporary marriages fail at close to 50%. For those who marry again, second marriages fail at 67% and third marriages at 73%. Most marriages die from apathy. Most of us don’t learn from failure the first time around. Divorce is trifling with God’s work…the truth is you will never have a union between two perfect people. Recommended Resources: Marriages in the Bible: What Do They Tell Us? By Gary H. Lovejoy, Ph.D. Light in the Darkness: Finding Hope in the Shadow of Depression By Gary H. Lovejoy, Ph.D. 8 Things Every Woman Should Know About Depression By Gary H. Lovejoy, Ph.D. Sacred Scars: Resting in God’s Promise That Your Past Is Not Wasted by Dr. Michelle Bengtson The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner AWSA 2024 Golden Scroll Christian Living Book of the Year and the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Christian Living and Non-Fiction categories YouVersion 5-Day Devotional Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, AWSA Member of the Year, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Devotional category, the 2023 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 1 YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 2 Revive & Thrive Women’s Online Conference Revive & Thrive Summit 2 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 1 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 2 Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2020 Best Christian Living Book First Place, the first place winner for the Best Christian Living Book, the 2020 Carolina Christian Writer’s Conference Contest winner for nonfiction, and winner of the 2021 Christian Literary Award’s Reader’s Choice Award in all four categories for which it was nominated (Non-Fiction Victorious Living, Christian Living Day By Day, Inspirational Breaking Free and Testimonial Justified by Grace categories.) YouVersion Bible Reading Plan for Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Free Study Guide Free PDF Resource: How to Fight Fearful/Anxious Thoughts and Win Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Henri and Reader’s Choice Award Hope Prevails Bible Study by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Reader’s Choice Award Free Webinar: Help for When You’re Feeling Blue Social Media Links for Host and Guest: Connect with Dr. Gary Lovejoy: Website For more hope, stay connected with Dr. Bengtson at: Order Book Sacred Scars / Order Book The Hem of His Garment / Order Book Today is Going to be a Good Day / Order Book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip / Order Book Hope Prevails / Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter (@DrMBengtson) / LinkedIn / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube / Podcast on Apple Guest: Dr. Gary Lovejoy earned his doctorate from United States International University. He was in private practice in professional counseling for over 40 years, specializing in marriage counseling and in the treatment of anxiety disorders and depression. He is the author of Light in the Darkness: Finding Hope in the Shadow of Depression and 8 Things Every Woman Should Know About Depression. Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Bestselling authors William and Lara Bernhardt discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Candace Kade, the author of The Hybrid series, a YA sci-fi trilogy.00:00 Opening ThoughtsLAST CALL for WriterCon 2025 at the Skirvin Hilton in OKC over Labor Day weekend, August 29-September 1. Over 60 speakers and over 100 breakout sessions, pitching, manuscript reviews, private consultations, etc. It's also a great opportunity to meet other writers, people who share your hopes and dreams, form critique groups or gain beta readers, or present your work at the Open Mic. It is NOT too late to register! Learn more at: www.writercon.com/conference/03:51 News1) Siegel and Shuster Plaza Opens in Cleveland07:43 Craft CornerDesiree Duffy from Black Chateau and Books That Make You explains the FIVE main benefits of writing conferences. Some of them may surprise you...11:59 Interview with Candace Kade25:52 Parting WordsONE LAST TIME! Join us at WriterCon 2025! www.writercon.com/conference

Michael's conversation with longtime sportswriter and bestselling author Michael Bamberger, author of "The Man Who Heard Voices: Or, How M. Night Shyamalan Risked His Career on a Fairy Tale." In his relatively young career, M. Night Shyamalan achieved phenomenal commercial and critical success. His films 'The Sixth Sense,' 'Unbreakable,' 'Signs,' and 'The Village' grossed over $1.5 billion (at the time of this 2006 interview) and reinvented the thriller genre. Because Shyamalan has worked outside of the Hollywood system, however, his filmmaking habits and personality have remained largely unknown. But reporter Michael Bamberger obtained unprecedented access to Shyamalan during the tumultuous production of his film Lady in the Water, and in The Man Who Heard Voices exposes the struggles and triumphs of this modern-day Hitchcock at work. Listen to Bamberger talk the book here. Original air date 3 August 2006. The book was published in July 2006.

Publishing Talks started as a series of conversations with book industry professionals and others involved in media and technology, mostly talking about the future of publishing, books, and culture. It was great fun talking with people in the book industry about the evolution of publishing in the context of technology, culture, and economics. In the […] The post Publishing Talks Interview with Lauren Woods of LitBox first appeared on WritersCast.

Since it premiered in 2009, "RuPaul's Drag Race" has steadily grown to become one of the most popular reality competition shows on television. It has won a total of 29 Primetime Emmys and spawned multiple spin-offs, including the ever-popular "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars," which just completed its 10th season, and numerous international competitions. For its 17th season, "RuPaul's Drag Race" recently earned eight Emmy nominations, including for Outstanding Makeup for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program. Previous Emmy winners Natasha Marcelina and former contestant Raven are two of the show's nominees in this category, and they were kind enough to chat with us about their most recent nominations, how the show changed their lives, and what working on such an unapologetically queer program means to them. Please listen to the interview below, and be sure to check out "RuPaul's Drag Race," which is now available to stream on various streaming services and is up for your consideration for this year's Emmys. Thank you and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Notes and Links to Camille Adams' Work          CAMILLE U. ADAMS, Ph.D. was born and raised in beautiful Trinidad and Tobago. She is the author of the explosive memoir How To Be Unmothered: a Trinidadian memoir, finalist in the Restless Books Prize in New Immigrant Writing 2023.    Camille is a memoirist, a poet, and a nature writer. She has been awarded Best of The Net—nonfiction 2024. She has received five Pushcart Prize nominations and three Best of the Net nominations for her memoir writing. Camille's work has also received recognition as a notable essay in Best American Essays 2022. Her writing has been long-listed in the Graywolf Creative nonfiction Prize 2022 and selected as a finalist for The 2021 Orison Anthology Award in Nonfiction.    Her other honours include an awarded fellowship as an inaugural Tin House Reading Fellow, an inaugural Granta nature writing workshop fellowship, an inaugural Anaphora Arts Italy Writing Retreat Fellowship, a McKnight Doctoral Fellowship, a Community of Writers Fellowship, A VONA scholarship, and a Roots Wounds Words Fellowship.    A Tin House Summer Workshop alum, Camille has served as a juried reader for Tin House for two consecutive years and as a moderator for two author panels. She has also received support from Kenyon Writers Workshop, Grubstreet, and others.   In addition, Camille has been an associate CNF editor at Variant Lit and an assistant memoir editor at Split Lip Magazine and at The Account. She has long taught English and creative writing, emphasising the importance of strong craft, beautiful prose, and ugly truths.   Having earned her MFA in Poetry from City College CUNY and her Ph.D. in Creative Nonfiction from FSU, Camille currently teaches creative writing and literature in New York City. She is at work on her second memoir. Buy How to Be Unmothered: A Trinidadian Memoir   Camille U. Adams' Website    Excerpt from How to Be Unmothered     At about 2:55, Camille talks about her ideal writing environments and she and Pete bond over Pete's  At about 5:00, Camille responds to Pete's question about what books and stories resonate with her students-she references Javier Zamora and Derek Walcott and Jamaica Kincaid At about 8:00, the two discuss purchasing details for How to Be Unmothered At about 9:15, Camille shares great early feedback for the memoir  At about 11:35, Camille responds to Pete's question about her early reading loves At about 14:30, Pete cites Jamaica Kincaid's masterful work and Camille shouts out George Lanning, Samuel Selvon, Paul Keyes Douglas, and other masterful Caribbean writers At about 16:50, Camille responds to Pete's questions about the “push-and-pull” of colonialist language and history in Trinidad At about 21:00, Camille highlights Daniel José Older's brilliant work as the two discuss evocative language  At about 22:25, Camille cites calypso and its performances as a keen example of the dynamic nature of language   At about 24:05, Camille and Pete discuss the book's dedication and epigraph (eek-Pete first calls it an “epitath”), with Camille sharing an insightful story on an idea's generative appearance in her head At about 28:40, Camille responds to Pete's question about the significance of her memoir's chapter titles as different trees At about 31:05, Pete and Camille set out the exposition for the memoir, especially the pivotal opening scene; Camille expounds on the long drive recounted and how it serves as a sort of cultural and historical tour of Trinidad At about 35:00, Camille talks about her  At about 36:25, Camille talks about the Trinidian term “hotfoot,” as the two discuss double standards for men and women At about 38:20, No spoilers! as Pete highlights an evocative and creative section about rum At about 40:55, Camille reflects on an “initiation” and on ideas of dominion over nature At about 44:00, Camille examines ideas of being a child and expectations and tropes around parent-child alienations At about 46:50, The two discuss an evocative series of scenes and ideas of intimacy and forced burdens At about 49:40, Camille responds to Pete's musings about the somatic sensations depicted in the book, including introducing the wise, apt saying: “there is no past tense in the body” At about 54:00, Camille describes traumatic experiences heaped on children in general and on herself, as she reflects on ideas of “property” and a lack of agency At about 58:00, Camille talks about why she can't and won't live with “unlove” At about 1:00:00, Camille discusses ideas of joy and resilience and vulnerability and “strip[ping] words of meaning and connections to political and psychological consciousness  At about 1:04:50, Camille highlights a meaningful song, The Journey” by Chris “Tambu” Herbert  At about 1:07:40, Camille teases her second book      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Hannah Pittard, a recent guest, is up at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of flawed characters, protagonists who are too real in their actions, and horror and noir as being where so much good and realistic writing takes place.    Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.     This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 289 with Jahmal Mayfield, who writes gritty crime novels that touch on large social issues. His stellar SMOKE KINGS was inspired by Kimberly Jones' passionate viral video, “How can we win?”    This episode airs on August 26.    Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.

Bestselling authors William and Lara Bernhardt discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Sydney Pruett, a therapist who helps authors make their characters (fiction and nonfiction) psychologically compelling and consistent.00:00 Opening ThoughtsWriterCon is almost here! Come join the best writers conference in the Southwest. Over 60 speakers, over 100 breakout sessions covering every aspect of the writing life, craft, agents, publishers, marketing, and more. Pitching, consults, manuscript reviews, and much more. It is NOT too late to register. For more info, visit: www.writercon.com03:41 News1) Audiobook Walking Clubs Gain Popularity2) Fan Fiction Leads to Controversial Online Chatter13:07 Craft CornerJon Meyers talks about the vaue of writers conferences—and his upcoming MasterClass on memoir.18:18 Interview with Sydney Pruett30:25 Parting WordsHave I said this already? Come join us at WriterCon! www.writercon.com

Upon hearing of Gerry Spence's passing away at 96 years old this week, we remembered this conversation from deep in the archives, with the trial attorney and bestselling author on his book "Bloodthirsty Bitches and Pious Pimps of Power: The Rise and Risks of the New Conservative Hate Culture." Gerry Spence takes dead aim at the media demagogues who wield their power with virulent effect: The likes of Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham, Bill O'Reilly and others - who occupy the bully pulpit of the "new American hate culture" - TV and radio programs shaping opinions of millions of Americans. Original air date 12 October 2006. The book was published on 3 October 2006.

Ep 057 – Nonfiction. New York Times Bestselling Author Garrett M. Graff discusses his book, “When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day.”‘June 6, 1944—known to us all as D-Day—is one of history's greatest and most unbelievable military triumphs. The surprise sunrise landing of more than 150,000 Allied troops on the beaches of occupied northern France is one of the most consequential days of the 20th century. Now, Pulitzer Prize finalist Garrett M. Graff, historian and author of The Only Plane in the Sky and Watergate, brings them all together in a one-of-a-kind, bestselling oral history that explores this seminal event in vivid, heart-pounding detail.The story begins in the opening months of the 1940s, as the Germany army tightens its grip across Europe, seizing control of entire nations. The United States, who has resolved to remain neutral, is forced to enter the conflict after an unexpected attack by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. For the second time in fifty years, the world is at war, with the stakes higher than they've ever been before. Then in 1943, Allied leaders Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill meet in Casablanca to discuss a new plan for victory: a coordinated invasion of occupied France, led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Failure is not an option. Over the next eighteen months, the large-scale action is organized, mobilizing soldiers across Europe by land, sea, and sky. And when the day comes, it is unlike anything the world has ever seen.These moments and more are seen in real time. A visceral, page-turning drama told through the eyes of those who experienced them—from soldiers, nurses, pilots, children, neighbors, sailors, politicians, volunteers, photographers, reporters and so many more, When the Sea Came Alive “is the sort of book that is smart, inspiring, and powerful—and adds so much to our knowledge of what that day was like and its historic importance forever” (Chris Bohjalian)—an unforgettable, fitting tribute to the men and women of the Greatest Generation.'Subscribe to the War Books podcast here:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@warbookspodcastApple: https://apple.co/3FP4ULbSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3kP9scZFollow the show here:Twitter: https://twitter.com/warbookspodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/warbookspodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/warbookspodcast/

[REBROADCAST FROM October 4, 2024] We air highlights from our October Get Lit with All Of It book club event with best-selling author and historian Erik Larson. He discusses his latest history of the Civil War, The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War.

Will Parker Anderson is a senior editor at Waterbrook and Multnomah (an imprint of Penguin Random House). He's also an important resource as a writing coach and book industry expert.   Will discusses how to navigate the often fraught waters of the Christian nonfiction market, and how we can all help support work that is excellent and edifying.

In order to catch a really great wave, 100 foot or otherwise, you need to be extremely patient, waiting for that next great “set” (group of waves) that's going to put you in position for the ride of the day — or ride of your life. It's also true for those making films about surfing, including director Chris Smith (“American Movie”) and the massively talented — and patient — team behind the hugely successful series, “100 Foot Wave,” which, this year, dropped its third, and, in some ways, most ambitious season yet.   Executive Producer Joe Lewis (“Fleabag”, “Transparent”) returns to “Top Docs” to discuss the third season of this epic series, which follows big wave surfing icon Garrett McNamara, his wife Nicole, and a thoroughly engaging cast of characters as they span the globe, chasing those elusive giant waves. Joe describes the devastating experience for the community when surfing legend Marcio Freire loses his life at Nazare and the once-in-a-decade opportunity that arrives out of the blue for Garrett and his tightknit group to surf at mythical Cortes Bank in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Ultimately, through a seemingly endless pursuit of surfing dreams, it turns out that the greatest rewards for these restless souls may be waiting for them back home.   “100 Foot Wave, Season 3” is available for streaming on HBO Max. The film is nominated for the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series, Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program, Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program, and Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program.   Follow: @JoeLewis on Instagram and X @topdocspod on Instagram and X    “Top Docs” is now on YouTube!   Hidden Gem: “Burden of Dreams”   The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

Michael spoke with longtime Philadelphia sports journalist Ray Didinger in a Free Library of Philadelphia event about Didinger's memoir, “Finished Business: My Fifty Years of Headlines, Heroes, and Heartaches,” in May 2021. In his book, the legendary sportswriter shares a heartfelt story that begins with the Eagles' epic Super Bowl LII win. From growing up a diehard fan to becoming a Hall of Fame journalist, Didinger reflects on five decades covering Philadelphia sports — from locker rooms and press boxes to TV studios and even Hollywood. With warmth, humor, and deep Philly pride, he offers unforgettable stories and insights from a life in sports. The book was published on 26 May 2021.

Episode Summary: When God plants a dream in your heart, the journey to seeing it fulfilled can be filled with challenges and delays. In this Sacred Scar Story, Grace Fox shares how she held onto the calling God gave her through years when opportunities seemed out of reach. She opens up about the lessons learned in the waiting, the perseverance it built, and the deep assurance that God’s timing is always perfect. If He has given you a dream, this conversation will encourage you to trust Him to bring it to pass. Quotables from the episode: My husband and I worked at a year-round Christian camp for eleven years, and God had made that abundantly clear that we were supposed to be there. The director of that camp seemed to struggle with women who demonstrated leadership qualities. That was where I wrote my first three or four books, and I was a speaker but this director didn’t give me any opportunity to use these gifts. I had so much shame because others noticed that I was a speaker and yet wasn’t being given the opportunity, and when they would ask why I wasn’t being used right there where I worked, I had no answers for that. I lived with a deep sadness within my heart. I lived with a sense of rejection, and a sense of “what’s wrong with me? There must be something wrong with me.” Because I didn’t have the opportunity to practice the gifts that I thought God had given me, I began to question if I misheard God. It was almost like Jesus not being able to heal in his own hometown. One morning during my quiet time, I prayed, “If this is of you, then will you do something with it? Will you use it? But if this is not of you, take away the desire because I don’t want to spend any more energy or negative emotions on this, wishing I could do this but not having the opportunity.” At 7:00 that morning, I received a call from a woman about 40 miles away asking me to speak at her women’s event. It was like God saying, “Grace, I heard your cry. I see you in your pain and I just want to assure you, it’s not all in your head. You do have this gifting, and I’m going to bring it about in my time.” And He did, eventually. All of a sudden, doors started opening for speaking engagements. So, I began flying out of there to speak to groups who invited me to come when I wasn’t being asked to speak in my own place. During that time, while I was waiting for that to come about, I cleaned a lot of toilets, scrubbed a lot of pots and pans, and baked a lot of birthday cakes for kids who came to camp or counselors that were there during the spring and summer. I really developed a lot of humility during that time and patience in waiting for God to bring my dream to fulfillment. When the camp director left and another director assumed the position, who had been on staff longer than we had been there, he approached me and said, “Grace, I need a speaker for a women’s event coming up and I think you’ve waited long enough. Will you do it?” There have been a couple other camp directors since then, since we left, and they have all invited me back to speak at my old stomping grounds. I learned from that that if God plants a dream in your heart, you need to not rush ahead, trust in God’s timing because he will bring it to pass but there is a lot to learn in the journey to getting there. I think God needed me to learn perseverance because what I do now requires perseverance too. I can’t do this in my own strength. I don’t want to try to do this in my own strength—it’s done in His strength. It’s also given me an empathy for other women who are younger than myself, but they also feel like God has put a dream in their heart but wonder why it isn’t happening. I get to share with them, “Be patient. Don’t give up. Because if God is in this, He will bring it to pass. It’s the lessons learned along the way that really matter. It’s the character we learn in those hard places.” If God is in it, don’t quit until He says so! Persevere and learn what you can along the way. Scripture References: Mark 6:4-5 “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household is a prophet without honor.’ So He could not perform any miracles there” Luke 16:10 NLT “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.” James 5:11 NIV “As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” Recommended Resources: Sacred Scars: Resting in God’s Promise That Your Past Is Not Wasted by Dr. Michelle Bengtson The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner AWSA 2024 Golden Scroll Christian Living Book of the Year and the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Christian Living and Non-Fiction categories YouVersion 5-Day Devotional Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, AWSA Member of the Year, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Devotional category, the 2023 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 1 YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 2 Revive & Thrive Women’s Online Conference Revive & Thrive Summit 2 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 1 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 2 Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2020 Best Christian Living Book First Place, the first place winner for the Best Christian Living Book, the 2020 Carolina Christian Writer’s Conference Contest winner for nonfiction, and winner of the 2021 Christian Literary Award’s Reader’s Choice Award in all four categories for which it was nominated (Non-Fiction Victorious Living, Christian Living Day By Day, Inspirational Breaking Free and Testimonial Justified by Grace categories.) YouVersion Bible Reading Plan for Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Free Study Guide Free PDF Resource: How to Fight Fearful/Anxious Thoughts and Win Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Henri and Reader’s Choice Award Hope Prevails Bible Study by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Reader’s Choice Award Free Webinar: Help for When You’re Feeling Blue Social Media Links for Host and Guest: Connect with Grace Fox: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube For more hope, stay connected with Dr. Bengtson at: Order Book Sacred Scars / Order Book The Hem of His Garment / Order Book Today is Going to be a Good Day / Order Book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip / Order Book Hope Prevails / Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter (@DrMBengtson) / LinkedIn / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube / Podcast on Apple Guest: Grace Fox is the award-winning author of 14 books including her latest release Names of God: Living Unafraid. She’s a member of the First 5 Bible study writing team for Proverbs 31 Ministries, co-hosts the podcast “Your Daily Bible Verse,” and co-directs International Messengers Canada—a missionary sending agency with 300 staff serving in 30 countries. She and her husband live fulltime aboard a sailboat near Vancouver, British Columbia. Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What marketing principles remain true regardless of the tools you use? What are the different ways you can market your book, whatever your genre? In this episode, I share two chapters from my audiobook, Successful Self-Publishing, Fourth Edition. In the intro, Pricing strategies on The Biz Book Broadcast; What to do Three Years Before your […] The post Book Marketing Tips For Fiction And Non-Fiction Authors With Joanna Penn first appeared on The Creative Penn.

"Mind Over Murder" podcast hosts Bill Thomas and Kristin Dilley are joined by best selling true crime author Cathy Scott, who fills us in on her new writing project, a biography of the legendary author Ann Rule. Cathy Scott Website:  http://www.cathyscott.com/CrimeCon:  We're going to CrimeCon again, folks! Join us in Denver for new merch, some MOM listener hangouts, and a lot of fun! Use the code MINDOVERMURDER to get 10% off your tickets between now and September! See you there!WTKR News 3: One year after development in Colonial Parkway Murders, where do things stand?https://www.wtkr.com/news/in-the-community/historic-triangle/one-year-after-development-in-colonial-parkway-murders-where-do-things-standWon't you help the Mind Over Murder podcast increase our visibility and shine the spotlight on the "Colonial Parkway Murders" and other unsolved cases? Contribute any amount you can here:https://www.gofundme.com/f/mind-over-murder-podcast-expenses?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customerWTVR CBS News:  Colonial Parkway murders victims' families keep hope cases will be solved:https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/colonial-parkway-murders-update-april-19-2024WAVY TV 10 News:  New questions raised in Colonial Parkway murders:https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/new-questions-raised-in-colonial-parkway-murders/Alan Wade Wilmer, Sr. has been named as the killer of Robin Edwards and David Knobling in the Colonial Parkway Murders in September 1987, as well as the murderer of Teresa Howell in June 1989. He has also been linked to the April 1988 disappearance and likely murder of Keith Call and Cassandra Hailey, another pair in the Colonial Parkway Murders.13News Now investigates: A serial killer's DNA will not be entered into CODIS database:https://www.13newsnow.com/video/news/local/13news-now-investigates/291-e82a9e0b-38e3-4f95-982a-40e960a71e49WAVY TV 10 on the Colonial Parkway Murders Announcement with photos:https://www.wavy.com/news/crime/deceased-man-identified-as-suspect-in-decades-old-homicides/WTKR News 3https://www.wtkr.com/news/is-man-linked-to-one-of-the-colonial-parkway-murders-connected-to-the-other-casesVirginian Pilot: Who was Alan Wade Wilmer Sr.? Man suspected in two ‘Colonial Parkway' murders died alone in 2017https://www.pilotonline.com/2024/01/14/who-was-alan-wade-wilmer-sr-man-suspected-in-colonial-parkway-murders-died-alone-in-2017/Colonial Parkway Murders Facebook page with more than 18,000 followers: https://www.facebook.com/ColonialParkwayCaseYou can also participate in an in-depth discussion of the Colonial Parkway Murders here:https://earonsgsk.proboards.com/board/50/colonial-parkway-murdersMind Over Murder is proud to be a Spreaker Prime Podcaster:https://www.spreaker.comJoin the discussion on our Mind Over MurderColonial Parkway Murders website: https://colonialparkwaymurders.com Mind Over Murder Podcast website: https://mindovermurderpodcast.comPlease subscribe and rate us at your favorite podcast sites. Ratings and reviews are very important. Please share and tell your friends!We launch a new episode of "Mind Over Murder" every Monday morning, and a bonus episode every Thursday morning.Sponsors: Othram and DNAsolves.comContribute Your DNA to help solve cases: https://dnasolves.com/user/registerFollow "Mind Over Murder" on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MurderOverFollow Bill Thomas on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillThomas56Follow "Colonial Parkway Murders" on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColonialParkwayCase/Follow us on InstaGram:: https://www.instagram.com/colonialparkwaymurders/Check out the entire Crawlspace Media network at http://crawlspace-media.com/All rights reserved. Mind Over Murder, Copyright Bill Thomas and Kristin Dilley, Another Dog Productions/Absolute Zero ProductionsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mind-over-murder--4847179/support.

Michael's conversation from five years ago this month with Former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe's, about his instant bestseller "Beyond Charlottesville: Taking a Stand Against White Nationalism." It is McAuliffe's behind-the-scenes account of the deadly 2017 “Unite the Right” rally. He examines the events that led to the violence, and reflects on Virginia's troubled racial history and how President Trump reacted to what happened. McAuliffe also explores what must be done to prevent future acts of hate and extremism. Original air date 2 August 2019. The book was published on 30 July 2019.

Artistic process|Music & Pop Culture with Tony Kessel|Author of It's All In The LyricsToday we're talking with Tony Kessel, author of It's All In The Lyrics: How Music Helped Me Heal and Find My Voice. In this music memoir, he built the playlist of his life, discussing topics ranging from the nostalgic impact of music, mental health, coming of age, and pop culture. Tony is married with five kids. His primary occupation is as a full-time Soldier with the New Mexico National Guard.Links:https://dualistmedia.com/https://www.instagram.com/dualistmediaTags:Mental Health Advocacy,Mental Health Awareness,Music,Music Commentary,Music Interviews,Nonfiction,Artistic process|Music & Pop Culture with Tony Kessel|Author of It's All In The Lyrics,Live Video Podcast Interview,Phantom Electric Ghost Podcast,Podcast,PodmatchSupport PEG by checking out our Sponsors:Download and use Newsly for free now from www.newsly.me or from the link in the description, and use promo code “GHOST” and receive a 1-month free premium subscription.The best tool for getting podcast guests:https://podmatch.com/signup/phantomelectricghostSubscribe to our Instagram for exclusive content:https://www.instagram.com/expansive_sound_experiments/Subscribe to our YouTube https://youtube.com/@phantomelectricghost?si=rEyT56WQvDsAoRprRSShttps://anchor.fm/s/3b31908/podcast/rssSubstackhttps://substack.com/@phantomelectricghost?utm_source=edit-profile-page

Episode Summary: Being busy is a drug for most people. We believe that busyness is a badge of honor, that constant activity is good, and that productivity (whatever that means), makes us worthwhile. People like to talk about being busy all the time, but oftentimes their relationships suffer. So often we sleepwalk through our days, but there is a tremendous gift in practicing awareness in this present moment. In a culture that gives accolades for business and achievement, we run the risk of forgetting how to be present. Scripture reminds us to “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) but how often do we willingly slow down? My guest, Courtney Ellis and I talk about how to be present in the moment and reap the benefits. Quotables from the episode: What would it look like to love my actual neighbors? What would it look like to press into this particular church? What would it look like to make our kids' schools our schools and really put our feet on the ground and help in all the ways that we can? And so this book came out of that desire that my husband and I had and that commitment we made before God to really try to live into the ministry of stability as long as he called us to. That's a big change after moving six times in six years. It is, it is. You learn some bad habits when you move a lot. Friends in the military, friends who have to move a lot and they say, yeah, you pick up some bad habits. So, we had to unlearn a lot of bad habits. You talk about leaning in and being present. So, what are some practical ways that we can choose to be present in the moment? And then what are some of the benefits? There are so many small, beautiful ways we can choose to be present. Often the easiest one is just to keep your phone in your pocket or your purse because it's fascinating. You'll be at the grocery store, and you see people standing in line and you can time it. People will stand in line patiently for about 30 seconds and then the hand goes down and the phone is out. And it's not that they're being impatient, but might as well use the time to do the word or scroll Facebook or whatever it is. And so, part of this, practicing this attentiveness toward God and being present in the moment is simply resisting that urge to do the easiest thing which is to pull out technology and distract ourselves. Sit near a window and just take a few minutes and observe what you see and it's almost like your soul is the shaken up snow globe and as you sit all of that snow starts to settle and you may hear from God, you may hear things in your own heart that you've been kind of stuffing down and as you're present to yourself, present to what you see around you, present to the Lord, beautiful things can happen. When we can make decisions in our lives ahead of time and leave them closed, it opens up our minds to new possibilities. It gives us new energy. And that's the difference between kind of leaving or living poised to leave and living planning to stay. And God may call us to go tomorrow, but today, if that decision is closed, we have all of these possibilities in front of us that we can turn our full attention to without already being fatigued. You refer to limits as a God -given grace. What do you mean by that? I don't like it. I'm going to start with that. I don't either. Talk about that for a minute. Yes. I want to be infinite. I want to keep going. I want to keep running. But limits ultimately are a grace and they're a reminder to us of our creatureliness that we are part of God's creation. We are not God. Even small things like coming to the end of a day and needing to go to sleep is a reminder of the limits God has set in our days, in our world, in our life. Multiple times a day we have to stop and eat. And that's an intentional creation of God. God could have created us to not need food. God could have created us to eat once a year. But these intentional checks and balances in our lives are an opportunity to practice dependence on God, to understand that our finitude is not burden, but it's grace, even if we are not always able to receive it in that way. Why do you call yourself an achievement addict and what does this have to do with learning to take a Sabbath rest? Yes, I would imagine I'm talking to another achievement addict here on the show. It takes one to know one. Yeah, I, especially early on in my life, that was where I would receive a lot of praise and adulation. And so I really grew into this. I am what I do. And if I've done enough in a day, I can feel good about myself, you know, when my husband and I compare notes at the end of the day and he'll say, "How was your day?" I still will most often jump to, "Well, I got a lot done and I feel really good about that." It's like, "Do you? Okay, let's talk about that. And there's nothing wrong with achievement, there's nothing wrong with being a driven person. But where you encounter some difficulty is when that becomes your identity. So, on a day where I'm ill, on a day where, you know, the kids didn't cooperate, on a day where something unexpected got thrown on my plate ministry -wise, does that mean I'm less of a person because I didn't check off my list? No, it doesn't. It means that God is the God of interruptions and God is the God of limitations. There's great grace in realizing that we are, you know, the old cliche, we're human beings, we're not human doings. and God has created us that way out of love and care and grace so we can rest at the end of the day even while leaving things undone. And that is the message of Sabbath is that once-a-week God commands doesn't invite doesn't suggest God commands that we rest from our labors and not because everything is done not because everything is polished and finished. And I love what Eugene Peterson, wonderful Presbyterian author has to say about Sabbath, which is that if you work with your mind, you should Sabbath with your hands. So, there should be worship, but also, you know, often my husband is out in the garden on Sabbath because that allows his mind to rest. But if you work with your hands, you should Sabbath with your mind. Busyness keeps us from stability and stability is what healthy people and a healthy society desperately needs. The United States has traditionally been one of the most mobile countries in the world with the average American moving about eleven times in their lifetimes. By contrast, Europeans move about four times. Busyness and the transitory nature of our lives and jobs means fewer deep connections with others. Fostering community is some of the toughest, most painful work we engage in. Being present means that we deliberately choose stability. In a world marked by transience, envy, and rootlessness, committing to stay put is a radical, unusual act. Transience threatens to dull our awareness of God. While stability may not always be our choice (like with a job relocation), it is something to be sought after. Remembering to pay attention can be the trickiest spiritual practice of all. Being present is about choices: setting aside time to rest (Sabbath) but also setting aside distractions (like technology). Sabbath is not a gift to you because you've achieved enough. It's actually a gift so that you will rest from your achievement and that's hard. In fact, you write remembering to pay attention can be the trickiest spiritual practice of to hack that a little think in many ways, those are the two primary spiritual disciplines, but what I'm learning is the older I get that the fundamental spiritual practice for all of us is learning to pay attention, to pay attention to God, to pay attention to our neighbor, to pay attention to what God is stirring up in our own souls, to pay attention to what God's stirring up in our broader culture. A lot of it comes back to those practices of noticing and being present with people. This is what Jesus did so well. Jesus was present with people who were very different than he was, people who had been wearing t -shirts with slogans that he did not agree with. And he did that by simply being present with people, by sharing meals with them, by having conversations, by noticing, he meets the woman at the well and through the power of the Holy Spirit, he knows things about her that we wouldn't have known, but we can notice, and we can love as Jesus loved. And so in building community, some of the best tools we have are not going on 100 miles an hour so we can pause at the mailbox and say, "Hey, how was your day?" So we can notice the person in the grocery store check-out line. So, it's slowing down and then practicing that same attentiveness, that spiritual practice of noticing with people. A big percentage of our listeners and viewers are dealing with pain, whether it's physical pain, it's emotional pain, relational pain, or even spiritual pain. So how can we learn to find God's presence in the present moment in the midst of our pain? What a good question. I think the first thing I'd say is sometimes you need to escape the pain a little bit and that's okay. Sometimes what you need are six episodes of the Great British Baking Show and God honors that and God blesses that. God doesn't always force us to face down our pain every minute of every day. So, it's kind of two feet of walking, we face it and then we take a breather, we take a rest, we take a nap. But I think the surprising thing, and we read this so often throughout the journey of Scripture, is that in those most painful moments, we find an intimacy with God that we don't find any other time. I would want to leave them with the gentle permission to slow down, to look up and look around, and to see what grace, God has strewn right in your path, right in front of you. It's easy to look for greener pastures. It's easy to lean into the dissatisfaction that our culture showcases all around us, but truly God has strewn our world with such delight. We slow down and start to look up. It's ours for the taking if we will slow down and be present in the moment. Scripture References: Matthew 5:34 We are warned not to “be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.” Matthew 24:42-44 “… keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Jeremiah 29:7 “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Recommended Resources: Present: The Gift of Being All In, Right Where You Are by Courtney Sacred Scars: Resting in God’s Promise That Your Past Is Not Wasted by Dr. Michelle Bengtson The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner AWSA 2024 Golden Scroll Christian Living Book of the Year and the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Christian Living and Non-Fiction categories YouVersion 5-Day Devotional Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, AWSA Member of the Year, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Devotional category, the 2023 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 1 YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 2 Revive & Thrive Women’s Online Conference Revive & Thrive Summit 2 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 1 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 2 Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2020 Best Christian Living Book First Place, the first place winner for the Best Christian Living Book, the 2020 Carolina Christian Writer’s Conference Contest winner for nonfiction, and winner of the 2021 Christian Literary Award’s Reader’s Choice Award in all four categories for which it was nominated (Non-Fiction Victorious Living, Christian Living Day By Day, Inspirational Breaking Free and Testimonial Justified by Grace categories.) YouVersion Bible Reading Plan for Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Free Study Guide Free PDF Resource: How to Fight Fearful/Anxious Thoughts and Win Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Henri and Reader’s Choice Award Hope Prevails Bible Study by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Reader’s Choice Award Free Webinar: Help for When You’re Feeling Blue Social Media Links for Host and Guest: Connect with Courtney Ellis: Website / Facebook / Instagram / X For more hope, stay connected with Dr. Bengtson at: Order Book Sacred Scars / Order Book The Hem of His Garment / Order Book Today is Going to be a Good Day / Order Book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip / Order Book Hope Prevails / Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter (@DrMBengtson) / LinkedIn / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube / Podcast on Apple Guest: After six moves in as many years, Courtney Ellis found herself longing for the stability of one place. Her new book Present: The Gift of Being All In, Right Where You Are explores God’s call to be present, cultivating community and contentment right where we are. Courtney is a graduate of Wheaton College and Princeton Seminary. She trained to be an English lit professor before following God’s call to full-time ministry. She and her husband, Daryl, have three children and live in southern California where they pastor. Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Bestselling authors William and Lara Bernhardt discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Abigail O'Bryan, who recently released her first novel, Iron Rose—a dark YA reimagining of Beauty & the Beast meets Hunger Games.0:00 Opening ThoughtsYou are cordially invited to WriterCon, our annual writers conference, this year at the Skirvin Hilton in Oklahoma City over Labor Day weekend, starting Friday, August 29. Over 60 speakers and over 100 sessions, pitching, contests, manuscript reviews, private consultations, etc. But the best thing about it is that this is a real community of writers, people eager to help, people who have your back and understand the challenges of being a writer in today's world. I think people are often surprised by how warm and welcoming the group is, and how many friends they make and keep after the conference is over.04:36 News1) AI Whistleblower Act Proposed2) You Might Be Able to Copyright Your Face11:07 Craft CornerThis week's writing craft chat comes from Friend of the Podcast Betsey Kulakowski, author of the bestselling Veritas Codex series and a new book, The Veil of Secrets. Today she addresses the gigantic benefit of attending writer conferences.13:37 Interview with Abigail O'Bryan33.21 Parting WordsDid I mention WriterCon yet? Of course I did. Come join us! Take your writing dreams to the next level.Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit.William Bernhardt www.williambernhardt.comwww.writercon.com

Alice Kaltman on Alice's Big Book of Mistakes Guest: Alice Kaltman Host: Molly Southgate Episode Title: Laughing at Life's Stumbles: Alice Kaltman on Mistakes, Growth, and Writing Honestly

Michael Smerconish is joined by journalist and bestselling author Garrett Graff to discuss his powerful new oral history, "The Devil Reached Toward the Sky: An Oral History of the Making and Unleashing of the Atomic Bomb." On the 80th anniversary of Hiroshima, they explore the bomb's development, the people behind it, the decision to use it, and its enduring legacy. With over 500 voices included, Graff's work captures the triumph and tragedy of one of the most pivotal moments in human history. Original air date 6 August 2025. The book was published on 5 August 2025.

Fiction gets all the fun, but nonfiction is where reading meets the real world. In this episode, we're talking about supporting strong nonfiction comprehension, from science texts and history books to instructions, maps, and diagrams. We'll walk through how to help kids identify key ideas, evaluate sources, and develop the critical thinking skills they need to navigate informational reading across subjects. Find Secular Curriculum with our Resource Selector https://www.homeschool-together.com/secular-resources Support The Podcast If you like what you hear, consider supporting the podcast: https://homeschooltogether.gumroad.com/l/support Consider Leaving Us A Review If you have a quick moment, please consider leaving a review on iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/homeschool-together-podcast/id1526685583 Show Notes Build Your Library - https://buildyourlibrary.com/ Torchlight - https://torchlightcurriculum.com/torchlight/ Blossom and Root - https://www.blossomandroot.com/ The Boys in the Boat - https://amzn.to/4f8fo8F Connect with us Website: http://www.homeschool-together.com/ Store: https://gumroad.com/homeschooltogether Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/homeschooltogether Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/homeschooltogetherpodcast/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/homeschooltogetherpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/hs_together The Gameschool Co-Op: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gameschoolcoop/ Email: homeschooltogetherpodcast@gmail.com

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Episode Summary: Today, we’re tackling an issue that affects millions of people: loneliness. In a world that’s more connected than ever through technology, many of us still feel isolated and unseen. Studies show that loneliness has become a public health crisis, impacting our mental, emotional, and even physical well-being. According to a recent study, 1 in 3 adults reports feeling severely lonely. The CDC links social isolation and loneliness to depression, anxiety, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and more. Loneliness has the same impact on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. But there’s good news: loneliness isn’t the end of the story. God created us for connection, and by taking intentional steps, we can build meaningful relationships that bring hope, healing, and joy. Stay tuned as Becky Harling and I unpack practical tips and faith-based solutions to combat the epidemic of loneliness and rediscover the power of authentic connection. Quotables from the episode: According to a recent study, 1 in 3 adults reports feeling severely lonely. The CDC links social isolation and loneliness to depression, anxiety, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and more. Loneliness has the same impact on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Loneliness is feeling disconnected. You could be in a crowded room with lots of people. It doesn’t mean that you don’t have people around you, you just don’t feel connected to those people, and so you can feel isolated even in a crowd. Busyness is one of the chief problems that have contributed to our society’s deep loneliness. People are busier today than they’ve ever been. We’re always off to the next appointment, the next thing, the next activity, and as a result we don’t know our neighbors. We don’t have time for friends. We’re on this continual treadmill that has taken over our lives and it’s become detrimental to us and yet we seem to wear busyness as a badge of honor. We have lost the ability to have meaningful conversations with people. We’ve lost the curiosity element where like every single person is an amazing creature designed in the image of God. I want to be curious and know who they are. I want to know what’s important to them and why it’s important to them and those conversations really build the deeper connections. The first small step is to reach out to somebody that you know and say either let’s go to coffee, because I want to know you better. Better yet, invite them into your home or coffee. For the listeners who may feel a little afraid, my encouragement is to do it afraid. Just do it afraid, but learn to reach out to people. When you bring humility into a friendship, not only are you modeling the behavior that Jesus taught us. Paul reminds us, have this attitude in yourself, which was also in Christ Jesus. He was humble, even though he existed in the form of God, he didn’t clamor after that. Instead, he took on the form of a bond servant. When you come to a relationship with humility, it levels the playing field, and you allow the other friend to feel safe. We are never more like the enemy than when we’re criticizing somebody because the enemy is the accuser of the brethren and so to be like Jesus we’re not going to stand around and accuse people because he didn’t do that….so offer compassion. When you’re tempted to take offense, or when you already have, I like to ask myself a few questions. How is it helping me to take offense? Usually it doesn't help me, it hurts me, right? How, what do I need to take responsibility for here? You know, what's the meaning I'm making in my head? We all tell ourselves stories, right? And so when we're tempted to take offense, what happens is we sell ourselves a story. You know, like maybe this person is so rude to me or they don't honor my space or they don't value my opinions. And it's likely not any of those things, you know, first of all, people might not even really be thinking about you. And you know, we tend to think, what is she thinking? What are they thinking? Well, they're not thinking about you. They're thinking about their own problems. So, you know, offer people grace, don't get offended so easily. If you’re trying to keep up an image, some kind of persona that you’re projecting to the world, that’s a burden. And it’s going to weigh you down. Why not just be vulnerable? Be yourself. Choose who you’re going to be vulnerable with. If you have good friends, dare to be vulnerable if you want the friendship to go deeper. That’s one of the benefits of cultivating these deeper connections is the opportunity to have such a degree of vulnerability that you can pray for them, that you can ask them for prayer. I think prayer is one of the most vulnerable things that we can do. We're vulnerable before our Lord, but then when we ask for prayer, we're vulnerable before the one that we've asked for prayer from, and when they ask us for prayer. That's about the most vulnerable that you can get with someone. But it does foster that connection. We have to take a risk. If you are feeling lonely today, I want to talk directly to you. Pretend that we're just sitting across the table having coffee. I want you to know that you are never really alone because Jesus is the one who said, "I will never leave you. I will never forsake you." If you're a widow, you are never alone. Jesus is with you. If you're isolated in a new community, you are never alone. Jesus is with you. And as you cultivate your friendship with Jesus and you grow more secure in His love, it's going to give you the confidence then to let that love flow out to others. The first thing for you is to cultivate that deep friendship with Jesus. Go to him in prayer, tell him everything, you know, go to the word of God, listen to worship music, take a walk and just talk with Jesus. But cultivate that friendship first and foremost. Scripture References: Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Hebrews 10:25 “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Recommended Resources: Cultivating Deeper Connections in a Lonely World by Becky Harling How to Listen So People Will Talk by Becky Harling How to Listen So Your Kids Will Talk by Becky Harling Sacred Scars: Resting in God’s Promise That Your Past Is Not Wasted by Dr. Michelle Bengtson The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner AWSA 2024 Golden Scroll Christian Living Book of the Year and the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Christian Living and Non-Fiction categories YouVersion 5-Day Devotional Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, AWSA Member of the Year, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Devotional category, the 2023 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 1 YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 2 Revive & Thrive Women’s Online Conference Revive & Thrive Summit 2 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 1 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 2 Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2020 Best Christian Living Book First Place, the first place winner for the Best Christian Living Book, the 2020 Carolina Christian Writer’s Conference Contest winner for nonfiction, and winner of the 2021 Christian Literary Award’s Reader’s Choice Award in all four categories for which it was nominated (Non-Fiction Victorious Living, Christian Living Day By Day, Inspirational Breaking Free and Testimonial Justified by Grace categories.) YouVersion Bible Reading Plan for Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Free Study Guide Free PDF Resource: How to Fight Fearful/Anxious Thoughts and Win Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Henri and Reader’s Choice Award Hope Prevails Bible Study by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Reader’s Choice Award Free Webinar: Help for When You’re Feeling Blue Social Media Links for Host and Guest: Connect with Becky Harling: Website / Podcast / Instagram / Facebook / LinkedIn / X For more hope, stay connected with Dr. Bengtson at: Order Book Sacred Scars / Order Book The Hem of His Garment / Order Book Today is Going to be a Good Day / Order Book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip / Order Book Hope Prevails / Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter (@DrMBengtson) / LinkedIn / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube / Podcast on Apple Guest: Becky Harling has a degree in Biblical Literature and is a speaker and Bible teacher. The host of The Connected Mom podcast, Becky has a passion for helping women find hope, healing, freedom, and life transformation through Jesus Christ. She is the author of many books and Bible studies, including her recent release, Cultivating Deeper Connections in a Lonely World. Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Is long form reading a dying pastime? Journalist and cultural critic James Marriott joins EconTalk's Russ Roberts to defend the increasingly quaint act of reading a book in our scrolling-obsessed, AI-summarized age. He urges juggling a paper book and a Kindle, recounts ditching his smartphone to rescue his attention, and shares tactics for finding the "right" beach novel and biography. He and Russ also debate the value of re-reading, spar over Dostoevsky, celebrate Elena Ferrante, and swap suggestions for poetry that "puts reality back in your bones." Throughout, they argue that the shallowness of social media makes the best case for diving into the dense, intellectually difficult, yet uniquely transformative power of books.

Charlie takes an hour of questions live from CK Exclusives subscribers, including: -Who had the best of the Tucker Carlson/Ted Cruz debate? -Does AI have a role to play in education, or should it be banned? -What are the secrets to writing a non-fiction work? Become an Exclusives subscriber and ask Charlie a question on-air by going to members.charliekirk.com.Get new merch at charliekirkstore.com!Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.