Podcasts about Northern Scotland

Gillian Swinton grew up watching her grandmother maintain a family farm in Northern Scotland - and used her experience to cultivate the rural lands of New Zealand. Now based in Central Otago, Gillian and her partner Hamish live on a 2.7 hectare property - embracing their own journey of living a self-sufficient and more simple life. Gillian has shared her own story of homesteading with tips and tricks in her new book The Good Life. "All of a sudden, we've got two-and-a-half hectares and sheep and bees - and it snowballed." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week the UK energy sector is waiting with bated breath for the Labour Party's first budget as oil firms are set to receive an increased rate of tax.  Erikka kicks the show off by discussing the final warning shots fired by the country's oil and gas operators. The industry has not shied away from voicing concern with the Labour government's plan, however, this is the last ditch effort to have their voices heard before Rachel Reeves announces Labour's changes next Wednesday.  Next up, Mat has been looking into nuclear energy and how Viaro Energy is considering small reactors to power operations. Decarbonisation of oil and gas assets is a point of contention as some platforms struggle to electrify but Viaro has come up with a novel solutiuon.  Finally, the UK is finally setting out an energy infrastructure plan and Ryan asks, why has it taken so long?! Transmission infrastructure is key to achieving the energy transition and pylons have become a point of contention. As this was announced by the National Energy System Operator (NESO), SSEN Transmission announced plans to build 1000 homes in Northern Scotland as it looks to roll out infrastructure in the region.

00:48 The mystery of Stonehenge's Altar StoneStonehenge's central stone came from Northern Scotland, more than 600 miles away from the monument, according to a new analysis of its geochemistry. It is commonly accepted that many of the rocks that make up the iconic neolithic monument came from Wales, 150 miles from the site. Previously, it had been thought that a central stone, called the Altar Stone, had also come from this area, known as the Preseli Hills. The new work suggests that the ancient Britons went much further, perhaps ferrying the Altar Stone hundreds of miles, to place the rock at the centre of Stonehenge.Research Article: Clarke et al.News: Stonehenge's massive slabs came from as far as Scotland — 800 kilometres away12:12 Research HighlightsHow a parasite could help scientists break through the blood-brain barrier, and the physics of skateboard moves.Research Highlight: Engineered brain parasite ferries useful proteins into neuronsResearch Highlight: How expert skateboarders use physics on the half-pipe14:13 A new way to break bondsChemists have demonstrated a way to break Selenium-Selenium bonds unevenly, something they have been trying for decades. Chemical bonds have to be broken and reformed to create new compounds, but they often don't break in a way that allows chemists to form new bonds in the ways they would like. Breaks are often ‘even', with electrons shared equally between atoms. To prevent such an even split, a team used a specific solvent and a combination of light and heat to force the selenium bonds to break unevenly. This could potentially open up ways to create compounds that have never been made before.Research Article: Tiefel et al.News and Views: Innovative way to break chemical bonds broadens horizons for making moleculesSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello again dear listeners. I know it's been some time since I released a new episode of The Skylark Bell, but I believe you'll feel it was worth the wait as you listen to this strange, uncanny tale I cooked up after a solo train ride to Inverness while visiting Scotland earlier this year.Join Melissa's Patreon for early access to podcast episodes, music downloads, and more: http://www.patreon.com/melissaoliveriContact: theskylarkbell@gmail.comThe Skylark Bell official website - http://www.theskylarkbell.comThe Skylark Bell on Instagram: @theskylarkbellAuthor/Producer: Melissa Oliveri - http://www.melissaoliveri.comAll music by Cannelle: http://www.cannellemusic.comCannelle on Instagram: @cannelle.musicFULL TRANSCRIPT:Things with Wings Productions presents: I Met Him on the Train - A Special Episode written exclusively for The Skylark Bell podcast. I'm your host, Melissa Oliveri.   Hello again dear listeners. I know it's been some time since I released a new episode of The Skylark Bell, but I believe you'll feel it was worth the wait as you listen to this strange, uncanny tale I cooked up. I found myself once again staying with my dear little friend Russell the cat this week, and he once again worked his magic. I wrote this story over the course of 2 days, pulling inspiration from a recent trip to Scotland where I set off on my own on a 3 hour long train ride each way from Stirling to Inverness. Russell kept me company into the night and in the early morning hours as I followed the winding path of the story that came spinning out of me. It started as a title: I Met Him on the Train... then I had to sort out the details. Who did I meet? What did they do? Why was it important? What happens next? And after that? And finally, how does the story end? All those questions will be answered... well, sort of, if you've listened this far into the podcast, you know I'm not one to wrap things up with a tidy little bow, I much prefer to leave room for interpretation, and imagination. Before we dive into the story, I'd one again like to thank Lauren and Rachel for the use of their apartment over the course of this week. The opportunity to house and cat sit for them gave me the calm and space I needed to write. And now, at last, it is my pleasure to invite you to settle in… grab a blanket, and a warm drink, or perhaps, if it is also warm where you are, turn on a fan and grab an ice cold lemonade, and let's get started. ----------- I met him on the train It was a Tuesday morning, and I was running late. The trains had been delayed due to flooding on the tracks after days and days of torrential downpours. I didn't notice him at first, and in fairness, when I eventually did, there was nothing much to notice. He was quite an ordinary man, not memorable in any particular way. I had headphones on and was staring out the window as the train barrelled North. I admired the landscape stretching out in a blur of greens, browns, and yellows as the sun rose over the Scottish Highlands. His presence came to my attention at a quaint little station about halfway between Glasgow and Inverness when I heard him say “G'day,” while my playlist was between songs. I turned from the window to glance at the seat across from me.  Average height from what I could tell with him sitting down. Non-descript features, civilian clothes in neutral colours. Everything about him was... the word generic comes to mind. Never in a million years would I have guessed... well, that will come later. Our gazes crossed paths, and he held fast, staring into my eyes in a way that made it impossible for me to look away. His facial expression, like the rest of him, was completely neutral. I felt a mounting desire to get up and change seats but found myself paralysed by his unwavering stare. Finally, he blinked, smiled a plastic sort of smile, and the spell was broken. Oddly enough, he now looked somewhat friendly and approachable, but with an undercurrent of something terribly, terribly wrong that I couldn't quite put my finger on. “Lovely day we're having after all that rain, don't you think?” he asked.  Something was off. Had his lips moved? I couldn't tell if I'd heard him with my ears or if the words had somehow miraculously been channelled directly into my brain. I nodded silently, still locked firmly in my seat by some invisible force, whether from an outside source or a mechanism inside my body I couldn't tell. “Wonderful town, Inverness, I think you'll quite enjoy it,” he mentioned, casually. Again, I couldn't tell if his lips had moved. Perhaps he was a ventriloquist? I acquiesced with a single nod.  “Lovely town, Inverness...” he mused, letting the thought trail off as he turned his head to look out the window. I noticed his movements were mechanical in nature, not quite human. The spell broken entirely now, I blinked, and also turned to look out the window. The view outside seemed tinged with an indigo tone that hadn't been there before, as though someone had painted over the window with a thin layer of watercolour. Suddenly a thought occurred to me, “How did you know I was going to Inverness?” I asked, turning to look back at him. I stared in shock at the empty seat across from me. My eyes scanned the train car, both in front and behind me, but the man was nowhere to be seen. Had I dreamt him? Yes, that must be it, I must have dozed off with my head leaning on the window, lulled by the steady movement of the train, and had one of those strange dreams brought on by weeks of insomnia and a diet comprised mostly of chips and curry.  I chuckled sheepishly and turned my gaze back to the outside world. The train was immobilised at a small-town station. I let my eyes travel from left to right at the people waiting on the platform, first noting a middle-aged woman with mass of red hair cascading down her shoulders, her coral sundress was blowing in the breeze. Next to her stood a tall man in shorts and a hoodie with a backpack slung over his shoulder, the two looked like they'd struck up a friendly conversation, both flashing shy smiles at one another. My gaze travelled the empty space between them and landed on the third and last person standing on the platform. My stomach churned as I saw the man who, only moments before, had been sitting across from me. I felt the cognitive dissonance shake me to my core as I watched him stand patiently waiting to get on the train. The train doors hadn't opened yet, he couldn't have gotten off the train and onto the platform in the time since I'd last seen him in his seat. The long signal tone sounded and the doors to the train cars slid open. The man in the hoodie and woman in the coral sundress entered the car behind me, and the impossible man climbed into mine. I watched, fixated, stunned silent, shaken, as he made his way down the aisle and slid into the seat across from mine.  “G'day,” he said with a nod. He seemed completely normal. So normal it felt abnormal. His tone was normal, his face was normal, his smile was normal... not a sign of the strangeness the previous iteration of him had been drenched in. He also didn't have that strange hold on me, and I found myself able to respond to him and, thankfully, move. I shifted in my seat and nodded a greeting back at him. “Are you traveling for work or for pleasure?” he asked in a friendly, casual tone. “I'm taking the day to explore Inverness,” I replied, reeling at the impossibility of the situation.  “Wonderful town, Inverness, I think you'll quite enjoy it,” he commented, striking fear in my heart as I recognised the words his doppelganger had uttered before suddenly vanishing only a short while ago. “There's a bookstore there,” he carried on conversationally, as though nothing was amiss... but so, so much was amiss. “It's called...” his voice trailed off and his eyes lifted toward the roof of the train car as he scanned his memory, “...Peakey's... Peakey's Book Shop. It's slightly off the beaten path, but you should take the time to find it.”  He paused briefly before carrying on, “Would you like to know the secret to writing a great story?” he asked. I provided an uncertain nod in response. It was uncanny that he should ask me that, I'd been suffering from writer's block for months, and looming deadlines from my publisher had caused an endless string of sleepless nights. If this strange man on the train had the secret to breaking the curse, I was willing to listen.  “Enduring curiosity,” he replied, his mouth curling into a knowing smile. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes; the surreal conversation was over.  We didn't speak the rest of the way. The train eventually pulled into the station at Inverness and we both got off. I had every intention of following him out of the station to see where he'd go, but he disappeared into the crowd like a plume of smoke dissipates into the wind. I walked out of the station and marvelled at the architecture of the buildings across the street. I had put together an itinerary, but decided to cast it aside in favour of getting lost in the streets and maybe stopping somewhere for lunch if it suited my fancy.  I pushed through crowds of tourists, my eyes scanning for a way out of the madness. “I wonder where this goes?” I said out loud as I veered into a narrow alleyway between two stone buildings. I got to the end of the alleyway and gasped at the view. A joyful smile immediately spread across my face; I had forgotten how much I loved exploring a new city on my own.  Spread out in front of me was a river with three bridges stretching across it, each with their own architectural style. At the far end, on my side of the river, I saw a castle mostly covered in scaffolding. I had read it was under renovation and had no plans to waste my time trying to get a good view through the construction fence, so I forged ahead and walked across the bridge closest to me. The view from the opposing shoreline was lovely. I noticed a series of old buildings and church steeples peeking out from the lush green of the treeline that stretched along the river on the other side. That was one advantage to all the rain we'd had, vegetation was flourishing. I walked along the road that ran parallel to the river until I came to a pedestrian bridge and crossed back toward Inverness. Once back on the other side I decided on a whim to walk toward one of the churches, and discovered a small graveyard tucked away behind it after following a narrow winding trail forged between a stone wall and a row of shrubs. I'd always liked a quiet walk through a graveyard, exploring the inscriptions on the gravestones, wondering about the lives lead by the people buried there. I spent more time in the graveyard than I should have, and my shoes and socks took on water as the overgrown grass was drenched from recent downpours. At the very back of the graveyard, I noticed a tall, slim gravestone with a tangled mass of vines on top. Intrigued, I gingerly made my way over to it. I was surprised to discover, upon closer inspection, that the tangled mass of vines was, in reality, a large bird's nest. I stood on my tippy toes to try and see the contents, but it was too high for me to get a good view. I sighed and took a step back to look at the gravestone, and noticed a faint series of letters mostly covered by a layer of moss. I gently ran my hand over the stone and watched as the moss crumbled to the ground. I gave the stone a series of quick wipes with my palm and squinted to read the inscription. My brow furrowed in concentration as I tried to decipher the name engraved on the stone, but time and the elements had rendered it illegible. Beneath it, however, were the words Lived a life of enduring curiosity, and underneath that: 1905-1974. Enduring curiosity: The same words the man on the train had said to me. I shuddered involuntarily at the memory of him and his doppelganger. A cold drop of rain landed on my cheek, startling me back to the present moment. I looked up at the sky and noticed a band of dark clouds had rolled in while I was busy inspecting the gravestone. I turned and began walking away when a loud screech made me turn on my heel in shock. The bird was huge, I'd never seen one like it. I stared in awe as it landed in the nest, pulling its massive wingspan closed as it curled up and all but disappeared behind the tangle of branches and dry grass. Its colouring was mostly grey and black, and its size imposing, but its most striking feature was its eyes, which were the colour of garnet stone. I shivered and scurried out of the graveyard, exiting through a different gate than the one I had come through on the way in. The rainfall was gaining momentum now, and I turned to look down each end of the small, deserted street I found myself on, desperately looking for shelter. To the left I saw an easel on the pavement with an arrow pointing toward a green door. Whatever business it was, I'd find a reason to be in it if it got me out of the rain. I half jogged down the street to the door and quickly pulled it open. The smell of old books hit me immediately, and I took a step back through the still open door, braving the rain to read the sign above it: Peakey's Book Store. Discomfort set it immediately. The man on the train had told me about this place, and there was something wrong with the man on the train. I took a few steps into the bookstore and stopped to get my bearings. Row upon row of floor-to-ceiling shelving lined the tiny, cramped shop, every shelf filled to the brim with books, and piles of overstock books on the floor next to them. At the center of the store a metal spiral staircase extended to a second-storey mezzanine, also lined edge to edge with books, and also with droves of books stacked on the floor. I checked the signage, the books appeared to be divided by Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Children's Books. I decided to check the children's books first, hoping to find a vintage copy of Alice in Wonderland with original illustrations. I scanned the 3 bookcases in the section from top to bottom, but though there were many copies, I didn't find quite the edition I was looking for. Next, I wandered to a series of shelves labeled Fiction and found they were sorted by author name. I looked for Daphne DuMaurier, one of my favourites, but the three books of hers they had were ones I already owned.  I carried on perusing the store, row by row, shelf by shelf, pile by pile... Not looking for anything in particular, but rather enjoying the warmth of the shop and the endless possibilities within the pages of each and every book. I was also keeping an eye on the weather through the store's only window, which provided a narrow glimpse of the outside world. I wasn't sure how much time I'd spent in the shop, but eventually it looked like the sky was clearing and I decided it was time to head out. I gingerly made my way around the piles of books on the floor and was about to leave when a small book haphazardly placed on top of the checkout counter caught my eye. I picked it up and read the title out loud: “I Met Him on the Train”. It was a relatively small book, hardcover with a dustjacket that featured a view of the Scottish Highlands through a train window. I turned the book over in my hands, noting there was no author listed anywhere on the cover. My curiosity aroused; I cracked the book open to the first page...                    I met him on the train It was a Tuesday morning, and I was running late. The trains had been delayed due to flooding on the tracks after days and days of torrential downpours. I didn't notice him at first, and in fairness, when I eventually did, there was nothing much to notice. He was quite an ordinary man, not memorable in any particular way. I had headphones on and was staring out the window as the train barrelled North. I admired the landscape stretching out in a blur of greens, browns, and yellows as the sun rose over the Scottish Highlands. His presence came to my attention at a quaint little station about halfway between Glasgow and Inverness when I heard him say “G'day,” while my playlist was between songs. I turned from the window to glance at the seat across from me.  Average height from what I could tell with him sitting down. Non-descript features, civilian clothes in neutral colours. Everything about him was... the word generic comes to mind. Never in a million years would I have guessed... well, that will come later. Our gazes crossed paths, and he held fast, staring into my eyes in a way that made it impossible for me to look away. His facial expression, like the rest of him, was completely neutral. I felt a mounting desire to get up and change seats but found myself paralysed by his unwavering stare. Finally, he blinked, smiled a plastic sort of smile, and the spell was broken. Oddly enough, he now looked somewhat friendly and approachable, but with an undercurrent of something terribly, terribly wrong that I couldn't quite put my finger on.  “Lovely day we're having after all that rain, don't you think?” he asked.  I slammed the book closed, my heart racing. What in the world? How could this book in a tiny second-hand bookstore on a quiet street in Northern Scotland be describing the exact series of events that had transpired earlier in the day? I worked to regain control of my functions, and with still-shaking hands reopened the book. I scanned through the pages, and sure enough, the rest of my journey was described in detail. Meeting the first man's doppelganger, walking the streets of Inverness, crossing the first bridge, coming back across the river and exploring the graveyard, the large bird with the garnet eyes, and finally, finding the bookstore. I tentatively turned the page.I'm not sure how much time I spent in the shop, but eventually it looked like the sky was clearing and I decided it was time to head out. I gingerly made my way around the piles of books on the floor and was about to leave when a small book at the end of the checkout counter caught my eye. I picked it up and read the title out loud: “I Met Him on the Train”. It was a relatively small book, hardcover with a dustjacket that featured a view of the Scottish Highlands through a train window. I turned the book over in my hands, noting there was no author listed anywhere on the cover. My curiosity aroused; I cracked the book open to the first page and was shocked to find my own story written and bound within its pages.  I slammed the book closed, my heart racing. After a few minutes of working to regain control of my functions, and with still-shaking hands, I reopened the book. I scanned through the pages, and sure enough, the rest of my journey was described in detail. I carried on reading, finally reaching the point where the book crossed into the future.  Again, the racing heart. Did I want to know what would happen next? I stared at the last paragraph for a solid minute before turning the page.I glanced up from the book's pages, troubled and more than a little uneasy. Suddenly, I came to a realisation that sent me reeling. Every patron in the bookstore looked like the man from the train...  My brow furrowed in confusion. What?? I had noticed a woman with a little boy in the children's books when I first came in, and I had crossed paths with a young couple as I came down the stairs just a few minutes ago, what was this book talking about?! Every fiber in my body was begging me not to look up, but the process was unstoppable. I slowly lifted my head and tore my gaze from the book's inexplicable pages. At the back of the store, I saw a man climbing a ladder to reach for a book on one of the top shelves; from the back he was wearing ordinary clothes and looked to be of average height. I glanced at the second-floor mezzanine and saw a man sifting through a series of war books. I could see his profile and felt a mounting sense of dread rise from the pit of my stomach. My breath caught in my throat as I scanned the remainder of the bookshop. The man crouched on the floor sifting through a pile of paperbacks, the man in the children's section holding an antique book up to the light, the man walking up the stairs in the most ordinary way... all of them identical, and all with the same unsettling mechanical movements and neutral facial expression as the first man from the train. “Wonderful town, Inverness, I trust you've enjoyed it?” came a voice from behind me. I recognized it instantly and had to fight the urge to run. I slowly turned to face the man from the train. The second one, the one who made casual conversation and moved in a human way, the one who had life in his eyes. He was standing behind the checkout counter with a receipt pad in his hand, a gleam in his eye and a smile only slightly teasing the corner of his mouth.“I... I'd like to purchase this book,” I stuttered, stumbling over my words. I felt the room spin, the endless supply of books melding into a blur of paper, dust, and typeface.He nodded and leaned on the counter to write up my receipt. I leaned on the counter to catch my balance. The man folded the receipt in half, then straightened his body and extended his arm across the counter to hand it to me.  I gingerly took the paper from his grasp as I reached my other hand into my pocket to grab my wallet. I unfolded the receipt to check the total, but was instead greeted with a short, two-word message: Enduring Curiosity. Confused, I looked back up at the man, but he was gone. I turned to scan the bookstore, only to find it completely deserted save for the endless assortment of books lining its walls and piled on its floor. I slipped his receipt into the book and tucked it under my jacket for safekeeping, I didn't trust the Scottish weather to behave for very long, and I didn't want the book getting wet. I stepped out onto the street and saw a handful of people milling about, to my great relief each one appeared to be an individual. A woman carrying a bin full of books bustled past me and entered the bookstore, I heard someone inside greet her, it was not the man from the train. I shook my head and carried on down the street, meandering through the heart of Inverness. I wandered into a place called Victorian Market, which contained a food hall. I circled every booth and settled on one that was serving Cullen Skink, a traditional Scottish chowder which I hadn't had an opportunity to try yet. It was wonderful. I meandered through the market's various shops and restaurants, then carried on exploring until I found a small bakery tucked at the end of a narrow side street. I selected two delectable pastries that would serve as my lunch. I sat on a park bench to savour my dessert and take in the view, then eventually made my way to the station to catch the last train back to Glasgow. I sat in the same seat I had sat in on the way to Inverness and stared out the window, listening to music as the landscape outside went scurrying by in a blur of green, brown, and yellow as the sun set on the Highlands. I was sitting backwards this time, always a strange sensation. The train stopped at several small towns, the same ones it had stopped at on the way North. Between two songs I heard someone say, “Good evening.” I looked up to see the man from the train, once again sitting across from me. I felt no shock this time, I simply smiled at him. “Lovely town, Inverness...” he mused, looking out the window.“Indeed, it is, a place filled with enduring curiosity,” I said. He didn't turn to look back at me, but his reflection in the window gave me a glimpse of the smile teasing the corner of his mouth. I turned to look out the window myself, wondering what was behind the mountains in the distance, wondering what would happen tomorrow, wondering whether the man on the train would disappear again in a moment.The man did not disappear from the train, he got off a few stops before mine like an ordinary person. We didn't speak or make eye contact again before he left. I scanned the platform after he got off, curious to see which direction he would go, if anyone would be there to greet him, or if his doppelganger would then climb into my train car and take his place, but he vanished into the crowd like a plume of smoke dissipates into the wind, and his replacement never came.As the train neared Glasgow, I pulled the small, strange, book from inside my jacket. “I met him on the train,” I whispered as I ran my finger over the letters in the title. I gently cracked the book open, only to find every page completely blank. My story was, as of yet, unwritten... but I now knew the secret to writing a great story: Enduring curiosity. I pulled a pen from my bag and got started:  I met him on the train... ----------Thank you so much for listening, I truly hope you enjoyed I Met Him on the Train, an original story written exclusively for The Skylark Bell podcast.  If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating or a review, they are both greatly appreciated. You can also support my work by subscribing to Patreon. Patreon supporters get early access to ad-free podcast episodes, digital downloads of my  music, and so much more. It's the first place I share my creations. However, if you prefer not to subscribe, but would like to make a one-time contribution, you can do so via your podcast platform. Any and all financial support is greatly appreciated.Once again, thank you for listening – I'm Melissa Oliveri, writer, composer, and producer of The Skylark Bell Podcast.  Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/theskylarkbell/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Dive into the mysterious world of the Picts with Kelly Kilpatrick, a linguist and explorer, on the second episode of the "Explorer Albert" series. Unravel the enigmatic story of the Picts, ancient inhabitants of Northern Scotland, known for their fierce resistance against the Romans and their cryptic stone carvings. In this episode, Kelly shares her groundbreaking work decoding the Pictish language, revealing insights into a civilization that has long captivated historians and archaeologists alike. Join us for an intriguing conversation that spans Celtic history, archaeological adventures, and the unlocking of ancient secrets that could rewrite our understanding of early European cultures. The post Decoding the Picts with Kelly Kilpatrick first appeared on DR. ALBERT YU-MIN LIN.

Welcome back to the 10 Adventures podcast! Today, I had the pleasure of chatting with Patrick Davies, the author of "Where Skylarks Sing," a captivating book that chronicles his walk across England, from Land's End in Cornwall to John O'Groats in Northern Scotland. Patrick embarked on this incredible journey in 2021, seeking solace and reflection after a challenging period that included caring for his father, who battled Alzheimer's.   In our conversation, Patrick shares the impetus behind his decision to undertake this classic English walk, weaving in personal anecdotes about his career as a British diplomat and the emotional toll of witnessing his father's decline. What sets Patrick's journey apart is his unique route, starting from Lizard Point in the far southwest and ending at the most northern point on the mainland, adding extra challenges and breathtaking landscapes to his 1400-mile trek.   For those eager to follow Patrick's journey more closely, you can find his daily photos on Instagram (@PatrickJDavies) and delve into further details on his website (PatrickJDavies.com). Don't miss the chance to read "Where Skylarks Sing" for an immersive experience into Patrick's remarkable journey, filled with personal growth, stunning landscapes, and heartwarming encounters. Happy reading, walking, and adventuring!   About Us

Episode 167 of The Adventure Podcast features animal and wildlife photographer, sailor, and grandparents, Karen and Mark Bennett. They recently sailed from their home in the South of England, up past the Hebrides, through Northern Scotland and on to the Faroe Islands, all in pursuit of free-roaming wild ponies. In this episode, Karen and Mark talk about combining their two individual passions together, and integrating Karen's photography into their sailing adventures. They discuss how the journey came about, what happened when they were sailing, why they're so driven by their individual passions and what it was like bringing them together. It's a broad and far-reaching conversation with an under the radar couple who are quietly doing the things they love.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, Nick chats with Anush Newman, Managing Director at JMAN Group, the global data consultancy specialising in the private equity market. Anush's story makes for a fascinating listen. He cut his consulting teeth in the oil and gas industry, working in roles that took him all over the world, to locales as exotic as Kazakhstan, Sellafield and Northern Scotland! After tiring of all the travel, Anush embarked on a successful contracting career which eventually led (by way of a broken spreadsheet!) to the creation of JMAN, the global data consultancy Anush founded with his cousin Leo. Fast forward to today, and JMAN now a team of over 200 consultants working across London and Chenai with plans for further global expansion. Earlier this year, they were recognised as one of the Times ‘Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies' with an annual growth rate of over 80%. But Anush and JMAN's journey hasn't been without its hiccups, and in this episode Anush shares openly the challenges they faced and how they managed to turn them around to go from almost going under to becoming one of the UK's fastest growing firms. If that wasn't enough, there's a whole host of other fascinating topics that Nick and Anush discuss in this one, including… - Anush's decision to move from the stress-free world of contracting to running his own firm - How breaking a client's Excel spreadsheet led to the lightbulb moment behind JMAN - The single-minded approach that led to JMAN breaking into the private equity market - Creating a ‘one-team' culture in an organisation that spans the globe If you want to learn the secrets of someone who's gone from contractor to successful consulting leader, then this episode is a must listen. We hope you enjoy the show! Reach out to Anush: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anush-newman-b314476/ Learn more about JMAN: https://jmangroup.com/ Books, magazines, and websites mentioned in the show: Legacy: What The All Blacks Can Teach Us About The Business Of Life, by James Kerr The Captain Class: The Hidden Force Behind the World's Greatest Teams, by Sam Walker The Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing and Thinking, by Barbara Minto

Join Producer Scott as he chats with drummer and NCH Host Grant Hutchison on this special episode of the Neutral Cider Hotel podcast!Stop #4 on his trip through the UK finds Producer Scott heading north...to the coastal town of Anstruther in Scotland to spend some time with a cider rockstar and literal rockstar as well as a cider shop owner, Grant Hutchison.Over the adorable squeals of his baby daughter Wren, Grant and Producer Scott got right into a proper chat and spoke about how he's been getting on for the past year. They also talked music and Grant's feelings about getting back into it after Frightened Rabbit ended. You see, last year Grant joined this Scottish band called The Twilight Sad as their drummer and soon after joining, they went on a massive worldwide tour opening for a little band called The Cure!!! So, it was really interesting to hear how that came about.They also talked about his ambitions to expand cider in Northern Scotland, an exciting bit of news about his legendary cider shop Aeble, and his aspirations for the future of the Neutral Cider Hotel.It was so nice hearing two longtime friends (and a wee baby) have a proper catch-up. We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as they did.Please do check out the other conversations from this trip in the podcast feed or any other episodes you've missed. Our socials are a great place to stay connected with us (links below), or send us your voice messages and let us know how you're doing! Thanks for listening to the Neutral Cider Hotel podcast!The Team:Gabe is a cider expert: The CiderologistGrant has two cider businesses: Re:Stalk and Aeble Cider ShopMartyn loves to write about cider: CiderShitExecutive Producer/Editor: Scott RiggsThe Rest of The Team:Music: Billy KennedyConnect:Instagram: NeutralCiderHotelFacebook: NeutralCiderHotelThreads: NeutralCiderHotelTwitter: NeutralCiderPodYouTube: NeutralCiderHotelListen and share episodes on our website: https://www.neutralciderhotel.com/ Leave us a voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/neutralciderhotel Email: neutralciderhotel@gmail.com

There's a lake in Northern Scotland that's shrouded in mystery, and its waters have concealed a mystifying tale for over 1,400 years. The lake is called Loch Ness, and in it lives a creature known the world over as the Loch Ness monster. But does a prehistoric creature really lurk in the waters of the loch, or are all of the sightings simply a figment of people's imaginations? Join me as I explore the many facets of the ever evolving saga of the Loch Ness Monster. Contact: barrypirro@yahoo.com Website: ConnecticutGhostHunter.com Main Theme: "Witch" by Barry Pirro

GB2RS News Sunday the 20th of August 2023 The news headlines: National Coding Week G5RP Trophy nominations RSGB 2023 Convention   National Coding Week is taking place from the 14th of September, but the RSGB is dedicating the whole of September to amateur radio and coding activities. This is a great way to try something new, extend your skills or share your knowledge with your local club, school or community group. You can find out more on the RSGB's coding page at rsgb.org/coding  and, if you would like to get involved, please contact ESRG member John Hislop, G7OHO via g7oho@rsgb.org.uk  If you are taking part, whether on your own or in a group, the RSGB would love to share what you're doing so that you can inspire others. Please email details to comms@rsgb.org.uk The G5RP Trophy is an annual award designed to encourage newcomers to HF DXing. The award is not limited to youngsters or the newly licensed. It is open to anyone who has recently discovered and made significant progress in HF DXing. If you are an established HF DXer and want to recommend someone to be awarded the G5RP Trophy for 2023, now is the time to send in your nomination. Your nominee should be an up-and-coming HF DXer who has made rapid progress in the last year and has some real achievements to show, for example, a good total of new countries worked or some HF DXpedition activity. Please send your nominations to Ian Greenshields, G4FSU by email via hf.manager@rsgb.org.uk  Nominations should arrive no later than Friday the 15th of September 2023. The RSGB Convention is being held between the 13th and 15th of October. The programme is nearly finalised and contains some fantastic speakers on a range of amateur radio subjects. In addition, there will be a buildathon where you will also gain invaluable advice about how to run a similar event at your club, local school or community group. The early bird booking price has been extended to the 14th of September so don't miss out – book now! Full details of the programme will be published soon. For more information and to book, visit rsgb.org/convention Today, Sunday the 20th of August, John, GW3JVB is operating from Steep Holm Island in the Bristol Channel. The Worked All Britain square for the location is ST26 and the IOTA reference is EU-120. John hopes to be operational from approximately 1000UTC to 1930UTC. Using SSB, he is most likely to be working on 40 and 20m, but may also be available on other bands, depending on the weather and conditions. If you hear John on the air, please give him a call. You can read more about John's amateur activities on his blog via gw3jvb.uk International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend is taking place this weekend. There are lots of stations on the air waiting for your call. To see a list of registered stations, visit illw.net Neil Bauers, G4JUV has created ‘Camper Ham UK' on Facebook. It is for anyone who likes camping and operating their radios, both licensed and shortwave listeners. Motorhomes, vans, caravans, tents and bivvy bags are all OK. Just take a radio! As well as the usual technical discussions about radios and antennas, the group is interested in antenna-friendly camping sites and good spots for portable operation. In the future, there may be meetups organised by group members. For more information search for ‘Camper Ham UK' on Facebook. Please send details of all your news and events to radcom@rsgb.org.uk  The deadline for submissions is 10 am on Thursdays before the Sunday broadcast each week. And now for details of rallies and events The Rugby Amateur Transmitting Society Rally is taking place today, Sunday the 20th of August. The venue is Princethorpe College, Princethorpe, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV23 9PY. The event begins at 10 am. For more details contact Steve, G8LYB on 07956 855 816, email rally@rugbyats.co.uk or visit rugbyats.co.uk Lincoln Short Wave Club Summer Rally is also taking place today, Sunday the 20th of August. The venue is The Festival Hall, Caistor Road, Market Rasen, LN8 3HT. The doors are open from 9.30 am and admission is £2. Free car parking and refreshments are available. Tables cost £10. For more information, contact Steve via m5zzz@outlook.com or phone 07777 699 069. The Red Rose Summer Rally is taking place today, Sunday the 20th of August. The venue is St Joseph's Hall, Leigh, WN7 2PJ. The event features free parking, a café, traders, individual stands, club stands, low-cost bring and buy, and a raffle for a new digital radio. For more information visit wmrc.co.uk Torbay Annual Communications Fair will take place on Sunday the 27th of August. The venue will be Newton Abbot Racecourse, TQ12 3AF. This will be an indoor event with free parking. The doors will open at 10 am. A bring-and-buy area, on-site catering, and an RSGB bookstall will be available. For more information contact Pete, G4VTO on 01803 864 528, Mike, G1TUU on 01803 557 941 or email rally@tars.org.uk Milton Keynes Amateur Radio Society Rally will take place on Sunday the 27th of August. The rally will be held at a new venue this year – Heron's Lodge Guide Activity Centre, Bradwell Road, Loughton Lodge, Milton Keynes, MK8 9AA. The venue is opposite the National Badminton Centre and has excellent modern amenities together with free on-site parking, catering and disabled facilities. The entrance fee is £3 and doors will be open to the public from 9 am. Outdoor pitches and indoor tables are available. For trader and exhibitor enquiries please email rally@mkars.org.uk  For more information see mkars.org.uk Now the Special Event News Celebrating the centenary of the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise, special callsign II6PN is in use until the 31st of October. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, Logbook of the World, eQSL, or via IK6IHU. For details of a certificate that is available, see QRZ.com 8S80AA is the special callsign in use throughout 2023 by Vasteras Radio Klubb, SK5AA to celebrate its 80th anniversary. QSL via Club Log's OQRS is preferred but is also available via the bureau to SK5AA, or direct to SM5FUG. More information about the club can be found at sk5aa.se  LA100K is the special callsign in use by Akademisk Radioklubb, LA1K to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its foundation. Based in Trondheim, it is the oldest amateur radio club in Norway. The special callsign will be in use until the 31st of December. QSL via the bureau, or direct. Now the DX news Laurens, PF3X will be active as TF/PF3X while touring Iceland until the 25th of August. He will operate SSB and digital modes on the HF and 6m bands. QSL via Logbook of the World and eQSL, or direct to his home call. Chris, OE6CUD plans to visit the Lofoten Islands, EU-076, the Vesteralen Islands, EU-033, and Senja Island, EU-046, while touring Norway by car until late October. He will be QRV as LA/OE6CUD and will operate mainly CW on the HF bands. He might also give QO-100 a try. QSL via home call, direct or bureau, Logbook of the World and eQSL. Now the contest news On Tuesday the 22nd of August, the SHF UK Activity Contest runs from 1830 to 2130UTC. Using all modes on 2.3 to 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Next weekend, the CQ RTTYops Worldwide RTTY Contest has two sessions between the 25th and 27th of August. The first session is between 2200UTC on the 25th and 1200UTC on the 26th. The second session is from 1200 to 2359UTC on Sunday the 27th. Using RTTY only on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is a signal report and the four-digit year of your first licence. The Worldwide Digi DX contest runs from 1200UTC on the 26th to 1200UTC on the 27th of August. Using FT4 and FT8 on the 160 to 10m bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is your four-character locator. Next Sunday, the 27th, the UK Microwave Group 5.7 and 10GHz Contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC. Using all modes on 5.7 and 10GHz frequencies, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Thursday the 17th of August 2023 Sunspot activity continues as we head towards the solar maximum. We have had a reasonably settled Sun over the past week. The Kp index never exceeded 3.33 and was generally in the ones and twos all week. We also had no M- or X-class flares to worry about with only minor C-class events occurring. The solar flux index stayed in the 140s and 150s, only topping out at 160 on Wednesday and Thursday. So, it was not a bad week for HF propagation as we head towards the end of August. There are signs that propagation is improving due to the seasonal change in the chemistry of the F2 layer. With a move towards more monoatomic species and fewer diatomic ones, it means that it is becoming easier to ionise. Daytime critical frequencies are currently around 6 to 7MHz according to the Dourbes Digisonde, giving a maximum usable frequency over 3,000km of between 18 and 21MHz. 28MHz Sporadic-E contacts have all but finished, but don't write the 10m band off as you may get the odd surprise. 20m still seems to be the best DX band this week, according to the Chiltern DX Club, with 17 and 15m also contributing. FO/F4FJH in French Polynesia; E51JD in the South Cook Islands; and FH4VVK in Mayotte have all been heard on 20m SSB, while 3D2AG in Fiji has been worked on 15m CW.   And now the VHF and up propagation news The fine summer-like weather has returned, at least for this weekend and up to about mid-week before it becomes more unsettled again. So, Tropo will be worth exploring, especially this weekend and during the first part of next week. Note that, in these warmer summer months, Tropo is often better overnight and early morning, especially those misty ones, but tends to decay as the ground warms in the morning sunshine. However, coastal paths often remain good throughout the day so Tropo paths across the North Sea or English Channel could be worth a look from your holiday deck chair! The Sporadic-E season is slowly coming to a close, but it is still worth a check in the evening tea-time activity window to make sure nothing is missed, and even better if you can add a morning check-up at around 1030UTC. The recent Perseids meteor shower may have added some useful meteor debris as fuel, so it is certainly not time to give up checking just yet. However, you may have to manage your expectations on the higher VHF bands. Meteor scatter is still a good bet in the tail end of the Perseids shower and the usual random meteors increase around dawn. Rain scatter is always an option in the summer months so keep a watch on weather radar displays for the brighter thundery rainfall echoes, especially later next week. There have been some interesting propagation on 50MHz down to the equatorial belt in the late evenings with D2UY in Angola working FT8 stations in an arc from the Canaries around through Northern Scotland, and the whole of the UK to Turkey with ‘Trans-equatorial sounding' fading patterns, making decodes difficult sometimes. Moon declination goes negative again this Sunday, shortening Moon visibility windows and, as we are past apogee, path losses will fall all week. 144MHz sky noise is low to moderate until next Friday peaking at 2900 Kelvin on Saturday morning.    And that's all from the propagation team this week.

Isaac McHale is the chef at The Clove Club in London and one of the most successful British chefs of our time. Born in Orkney and growing up in Glasgow, Scotland, McHale started working at the local fishmonger at the age of 14. After working in Sydney and Copenhagen he returned to London to work with legendary chefs Tom Aikens and Brett Graham. After a few years in the experimental Young Turks chefs collective, he opened his own restaurant, The Clove club in Shoreditch town hall, in 2013. We meet Isaac McHale at his restaurant, and hear the story of his way from Northern Scotland to the best restaurant kitchens in the world, and how he became one of the chefs that redefined British cuisine. Isaac McHale will tell us about his journey to the top of the restaurant world and at the end of our talk he will reveal his favourite restaurant recommendations in London and out in the world.All of the recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available for free in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 17th Century Scotland the devil was causing havoc. During a time of religious upset stories of evil ghosts and hauntings where all the rage. Today's tale takes us to a small farm in Northern Scotland where a family home was infested with an evil presence and endured three months of strange and violent activity. Horror Con Scotland Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/horror-con-scotland-aberdeen-2023-tickets-416971411717 Website: www.scottishandscared.com Contact Us: scottishandscared@gmail.com Instagram: @scottishandscaredpod Team: @stefanietyre @sashatyre

In this episode, I chat to Jane Rutherford, a haematology speciality doctor in Inverness. As part of a team of 5 consultants, 2 advanced nurse practitioners, and herself, she covers both NHS Highland and NHS Western Isles, an area comprising over 15,000 square miles and a population of over 350,000 people. Life can be a real challenge - from dealing with snow drifts, tidal islands, and small boats, the team manage to provide first class haematology care to patients with acute leukaemias, ITP, haemophilia, and everything else in between. This is a wide ranging chat about the trials and tribulations as a rural haematologist. If you do want to get in touch with Jane about possibly going to work in Inverness, feel free to email her: Jane.Rutherford@NHS.scot

Laura and Shannon have a chat about a few different topics. The start of the episode references the moon that is full in our sky right now, the changing of seasons yet again, as we here in the Southern Hemisphere slide out of summer and adopt to slower, more reflective pace of Autumn, Laura share some correlating information about how even our body's hormones are affected by the change in daylight hours- keep listening for a overview of what and how Melatonin and Cortisol regulate our sleep cycles. Shannon then shares some intriguing information on the life of Robert Ogilvie Crombie, also known as ROC, after reading his diary ‘The Occult Diaries of R.Ogilvie Crombie', he has also written ‘Encounters with Nature Spirits: Co-creating with the Elemental Kingdom.' Crombie, a self-taught historian and esotericist, shares his many experiences with fauns, land spirits, elementals, and even encounters with the Great God Pan himself. Eventually his rendezvous with the forest-dwelling, multi-dimensional folk would bring him to the Findhorn Community. Findhorn is a combination Ecovillage, New Age Retreat Center and preserve in Northern Scotland on the Moray coast. There is so much to delve into with this man's life, and Findhorn- we will be doing a further episode into the amazing garden and eco-village he co-created at a future time. Happy 44th birthday to the magical, generous, creative and insightful woman that is our Shannon. What a blast it is to record this podcast together, Slainte! Support Turns Out Network Here Visit Shannon's, and Asha Moon's websites below Asha Moon Shannon Cotterill Have a witchy question to ask? Get in touch, we would love to hear from you! tospsychic@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @turnsout_shesawitch Presented by Shannon Cotterill & Laura Turner. Production & original music by Matt Turner @turnzout_media

After years of being a golf professional at various clubs in Scotland Michael McAllan now resides at Nairn Golf Club. Nairn Golf Club is ranked #20 in Scotland and #3 in Northern Scotland. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/travelroyally/support

Danny Cannon returns to direct Pennyworth Season 3 Episode 7 Don't Push It and John and Derek chat all about it in spoiler filled detail. Pennyworth Season 3 Episode 7 “Don't Push It” Synopsis Episode Written by: John Stephens Episode Directed By: Danny Cannon Following Alfred Pennyworth's promise to Miss Zahra Khin, to find and bring back her incarcerated father, he and Dave boy search the Outer Hebrides of Northern Scotland for any sign of the prison he's held in. After a wasted day searching Alfie is bothered by seeing an impossible boy in the desolate landscape. Locals tell Alfie that The Prison is there, but it is Without Walls and he should follow the boy he saw. With Dave Boy unwilling to leave the comfortable pub, Alfie locates the Prison entrance on his own. He's immediately hit with memories of the worst moment in his life. However, the warden quickly knows Alfie is there and increases the prison's defence system, the Psychic Fence, to capture him. Alfie pushes through the mind-affecting device and locates Mr Khin. Before being able to escape with the reluctant inmate, Alfie gets captured by The Warden and her team. As she tries to use her mysterious mind altering tools to “Fix” Alfie, he's saved by Lucius Fox and Dave Boy. Lucius explains that the Psychic Fence is one of the People with Enhancements he tried to cure in the past. The powerful PDub brought Alfie here to put him out of his misery. Alfie kindly obliges and returns Zahra's father to her. Meanwhile after his father's murder Thomas Wayne is no longer responding to calls from his wife Martha. She is torn between going to Gotham or investigating a connection between John Salt's mysterious experiments, following his death, and the English Government. A lead Prime Minister Aziz seems desperate for her to ignore. Cast of Pennyworth Season 3 Follow us and Subscribe to the Podcast If you want to keep up with us and all of our podcasts, please subscribe over at https://tvpodcastindustries.com. Where we will continue to podcast about multiple TV shows we hope you'll love. If you want to just follow Pennyworth each week search for "Pennyworth Podcast" and subscribe to just these episodes. Next time on The Pennyworth Podcast We will be back next week with Pennyworth Season 3 episode 8 "Red Marauder". We hope you'll join us over on "TV Podcast Industries" for our coverage of lots of other TV shows. Including Marvel's She Hulk, Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power and lots lots more. We hope you join us for more podcasts soon. Until then, Keep Watching, Keep Listening and stay safe. Derek and John TV Podcast Industries All images and audio clips are copyright of Epix TV, HBO Max, Warner Horizon Scripted Television and their respective copyright owners.

At 98, Alex Polowin, one of Canada's most prominent Second World War veterans, passed away at his home in Ottawa. He was the last surviving veteran of HMCS Huron, who, after the war, spoke regularly to thousands of people across Canada and Europe about his experience as a 17-year-old Jew fighting Nazis. He saw action on D-Day and served in the Soviet Union and Northern Scotland; he helped sink a German battleship; and he even charmed political leaders, including Queen Elizabeth, with his gentle humour and harmonica skills. In his twilight years, he became good friends with The CJN Daily's own Ellin Bessner. The two forged a bond, particularly during the pandemic, which isolated Polowin, alone, in his home. On today's episode, Ellin remembers Alex Polowin's life and accomplishments, and you'll hear from a few family members—as well as former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole, who worked closely with Polowin, and spoke at his funeral in mid-August. What we talked about: Watch Alex Polowin play “Lili Marleen” for the Ottawa Jewish Historical Society Read "Ottawa Jewish war veteran awarded Canada's Sovereign Medal for Volunteers" Read "The Toronto Board of Rabbis calls on Benjamin's funeral home owners to ‘uphold their sacred responsibilities' after complaints" Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Production assistance by Gabrielle Nadler and YuZhu Mou. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.

Join Annie and Jenny on a trip around the world. The year is 1852, the Potato Famine and Highland Clearances are causing devastation, and hundreds of Scots board The Hercules, a ship destined for Adelaide, but struck by horrific disaster. As they leave their home in Scotland to start a new life halfway around the world, storms, disease, and sharks all plague the voyage. This episode looks at why these people left their homes, the journey they undertook, and their lives in Australia, if they survived to live them.  This episode is sponsored by WeeBox - go to www.weebox.co.uk and enter the code ‘Story10' for an exclusive discount! Book tickets for the National Museum of Scotland exhibition Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life here: www.nms.ac.uk/anatomy You can support Stories of Scotland on patreon, visit www.patreon.com/storiesofscotland to join up! References:  Devine, T. M, “The Scottish Clearances: A History of the Dispossessed, 1600-1900”, 2019, Penguin Devine, T.M, “Scotland's Empire: The Origins of the Global Diaspora”, Penguin, 2004 Hunter, James, “Scottish Exodus: Travels Among a Worldwide Clan”, Mainstream, 2005 Richards, Eric, “Highland emigrants to South Australia in the 1850s”, Northern Scotland, Vol 5, Feb 2015 Reportings from the Inverness Couier, Cork Examiner, Edinburgh Evening Courant.  You can read the ship registers here: www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/guides/highland-and-island-emigration-society-records

After an unscheduled break due to an acute illness we are back in the saddle with an all new episode.  In December of 1900, the ship, Archtor, was off the coast of the Flannen Isles in Northern Scotland in treacherous waters.  The lighthouse that normally guided them safely was not lit.  After docking at their scheduled landing several days later, they notified the Northern Lighthouse Board.  A ship was set sail for the Flannen Isles and when it arrived a week later (delated because of weather) the three experienced men manning the lighthouse had vanished and there was evidence of a storm on the west dock of the lighthouse; while the east dock was relatively untouched.  The Northern Lighthouse Board superintendent, Robert Muirhead had described the damage as “difficult to believe unless actually seen”.  Join Ben & Tom as they speculate and try to dispel some myths of what happened to the men at the Flannen Isles lighthouse on this episode of Will Continue To Monitor. This episode is sponsored by EKO Health.  To find out more about their digital stethoscope, check out www.ekohealth.com and use code JSP for $50 off your order. This episode is sponsored by CBD Stat.  The most powerful CBD product on the market.  THC free.  If you are in healthcare, you can get a 40% discount at www.cbdstat.care/healthcare .  For our listeners that aren't in healthcare, you can get a 20% discount just for listening to our show by using JSP20 at checkout.  www.cbdstat.care Will Continue To Monitor Social Media Facebook – www.facebook.com/WCTMpodcast Instagram – www.instagram.com/wctmpodcast Twitter – www.twitter.com/wctmpodcast TikTok – www.tiktok.com/wctmpodcast  

Durness Golf Club is an amazing Hidden Gem found in the north coast of Scotland. This gem has an electric fence around the greens to keep the wildlife from leaving tracks in your putting line. Alistair has kept this course in pristine condition bringing it in at #18 in Northern Scotland! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/travelroyally/support

In our first interview episode of the year, we're joined by the amazing Stephen Coates, who has been researching, documenting and sharing the history of our favorite oddities in the record world, X-Ray Records. He is a music arts producer and archeologist of forgotten stories. We were lucky to be able to carve out some time with Stephen, live from the wilds of Northern Scotland, to learn more about these special and historical pieces. We talk about our connection with music, how it is viewed from one country to another, felt between cultures and classes, and how the simple act of hearing your own voice can be transformative. Be sure to order his new book ‘Bone Music', the follow up to his first publication on the subject ‘X-Ray Audio'. Preorder ‘Bone Music' here: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/bone-music More on Stephen:X-Ray Audio: https://www.x-rayaudio.com/Xray Audio Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49aWAHqi200X-Ray Authentication: https://x-rayaudio.squarespace.com/x-rayaudionews/2019/3/12/bone-buyers-bewareBureau of Lost Culture: https://www.thebureauoflostculture.com/Bureau of Lost Culture Podcast - https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/bureau-of-lost-culture-stephen-coates-g0y5_Fosniw/Real Tuesday Weld - https://therealtuesdayweld.bandcamp.com/ This episode's music was provided by Stephen, a recording of ‘Mambo' cut directly to an x-ray courtesy Alexander Moskalenko. At the very end after the outro catch some other samplings including Nadia sings Certinsky, Nyáréjszaka Volt 'It Was Summer Night', and Ella Fitzgerald 'Lullaby of Birdland'. THANK YOU TO OUR AWESOME SPONSORS!The ones that make your vinyl needs even more accessible with so many great codes and resources. Other Record Labels - Who've gifted our listeners - you! - a 50% code in their store for the myriad of resources compiled there using the code WIV50 at checkout! https://www.otherrecordlabels.com/store Selektor Record Bags - Our new favorite record bag: https://www.theselektor.com/us/Koeppel Design (pronounced Kep-ul) - Sleek and sophisticated, handmade record collection organization! Get $10 off your first order of $85 using the code WOMENINVINYL at checkout! https://koeppeldesign.com/Eargasm - High fidelity ear plugs! keep your hearing protected in style! Eargasm has a great deal for you with 10% off your order using, you guessed it, discount code: WOMENINVINYL at checkout. www.eargasm.com/ Glowtronics - Custom slip mats - you already love the WIV branded slipmat, but think, you can make your own! Get 15% off using the code: WOMENINVINYL15 at www.glowtronics-store.com/ Nugen Audio - Innovative, intuitive, award-winning professional audio plugins and software for all your creative music producing and sound design needs! Use code WOMENINVINYL for 20% off at check out: https://nugenaudio.com/womeninvinyl/ Vinyl Revolution Record Show - Attend one of the longest running record shows out there. 55 dealer tables filled with vendors from all over the east coast and tons of rare and collectible vinyl records! Find more at: https://www.instagram.com/vinylrevolutionrecordshow/ Want to be a sponsor too? Email us: info@womeninvinyl.com As always, join the conversations on Instagram or send us a note at: MEDIA@womeninvinyl.comCheck out www.womeninvinyl.com for past episodes, the store, job board, and the growing library of resources!Don't forget to like, subscribe and give us a review on your favorite podcast delivery method! You can also contribute to furthering our mission at https://www.patreon.com/womeninvinylWhere you'll find all of the B-Sides, Deep Cuts and amazing extras, and contribute to the creation of scholarships and educational opportunities to further the demystification and infiltration of more Women and Non-Binary identifying humans into the Vinyl Making Space!

Episode 082 of The Adventure Podcast features Chris Dyer, a Crofter/Archaeologist/Historian/Firefighter, who lives on a smallholding on the Shetland Isles off the coast of Northern Scotland. We met Chris while working on a project in the Shetlands for Best Made Co. He moved there from England some time ago and has built a life for himself amongst the once derelict stone walls of Garths Croft, the property he bought and has since renovated. In this episode, Matt talks to Chris about his life on the island, the traditions of the place and why living a quieter, simpler, deliberately harder life might be the way forward.Listen for stories of island life, living in harmony with the land, and escapism.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-adventure-podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Karen Penny is a powerhouse, a force of nature, a walking Wonder Woman. Over the last two and a half years she's covered ten and a half thousand miles, got through ten pairs of boots, ten hats, one thousand custard creams, three birthdays and two wedding anniversaries. And single-handedly raised £126,000 – and counting – for Alzheimer's Research UK. I'm not sure which is the more staggering really – the ten and half thousand mile trek or the £126,000 she's raised. Either way, it's an extraordinary feat. Excuse the pun. Karen Penny has traversed the whole of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales including over 110 of their islands. She says walking's in her bones, and so when she saw the effects on both her mother-in-law Alma and father-in-law Kingsley of their vascular and Alzheimer's disease she decided to put her best foot forward to raise awareness of dementia. On 14 January 2019, three years after Kingsley died, the 56-year-old retired legal professional set out from her home in Pennard on the south Gower peninsular with a 20kg knapsack strapped to her back. Just over a year later the pandemic struck, the country was placed under lock down and she was forced to alter her plans, returning home before setting off in permissible directions.Karen says the darkest months were in Northern Scotland. “Part of the learning curve has been learning to cope with loneliness,” she says. “There are days that have been very hard, when you wake up questioning ‘why am I doing this, it's hideous outside and I haven't seen a soul for days”. But she persevered, powered on by the support of hundreds of people she met on the walk, some of whom were living with Alzheimer's, and some of whom joined her for a few miles. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our first episode! Charles and I walk through a few new products to arrive in the shop and then a blind tasting! Charles brought in a sample of something special and by nosing & tasting, I had to try and guess the age, distillery, cask type etc. My grade was a B- according to Charles, I'll take it! We do reveal live, on the show, what the whisky was but we will also list it in the next podcast release notes. Then we go on to discuss Clynelish, one of our favorite distilleries in Northern Scotland and what makes it so special. Ending on the big, big news in the whisky industry; the purchase of The Whisky Exchange, an online retailer, by Pernod Ricard - holy crap! New Bottles to the shop: Smooth Ambler Old Scout Straight Rye Single Barrel | 4YRS | 58.4% ABV New Riff Balboa Straight Rye | BIB | Balboa Heirloom Rye Grain | 50% ABV Wemyss Malts Single Cask Clynelish "Coastal Orchard" | 19YRS | 269 Bottles | Hogshead | 46% ABV Our Podcast Name: It's Whiskey #FFS (For F****'s Sake!) #FirstFillSpirits @firstfillspirits www.firstfillspirits.com Podcast Music: Isaac Joel, Goldenseal

Suilven is one of Scotland's most impressive peaks. Fergus Collins joins two old friends for an expedition to climb this magnificent mountain in Assynt and discover some of the intriguing and sometime brutal history of the region. Along the way they encounter fantastic wildlife in stunning wild surroundings. Image Gavin Meredith See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

All Things Enchanted comes to you from Isha Lerner, author of best-selling Inner Child Cards: A Fairy Tale Tarot, Triple Goddess Tarot, Power of Flower Book/Deck Set, Tarot of the Four Elements, and multiple publications translated around the world. Isha is the creator and owner of the Power of Flower Healing Essence company, a flower remedy business/website offering vibrational healing flower essences around the world. She is an international astrologer, teacher, and consultant and was a member of the Findhorn Community in Northern Scotland in the early magical days from 1976 to 1981.Enchanted at an early age in all things connected to nature, flowers, healing, stories, and metaphysics, Isha found her way as a young traveler, spiritual seeker, mother, business woman and healer, step by step, believing in the laws of synchronicity and life changing interventions.She calls these synchronistic occurrences, Enchantment; a magical moment or experience that changes things forever, perhaps in the wink of an eye.  All Things Enchanted incites curiosity about the things we see… don't see…and perceive. It's a wondrous world, and Isha wants to share it all with you. Join in…and let's get enchanted!More about Isha:Isha Lerner is the CEO of Power of Flowers Healing Essence Company, as well as an internationally-recognized astrologer with a deep interest and broad background in mythology and fairytales which form the foundation of her prowess as an interpreter of Tarot.She co-authored best-selling Inner Child Cards: A Fairy Tale Tarot and is author of The Triple Goddess Tarot, The Power of Flowers book/deck set, and The Tarot of the Four Elements.Isha's intensive understanding and experiences with 'out of body' and para-normal states of consciousness lives at the root of her compassionate work as teacher and healer. Her many years of work within this field has inspired her to research the 'meaning of incarnation and evolution' through past life research and the study of 'stories' i.e. the mystical meaning of fairy tales and myth.Isha's work has bridges across countries and cultures and was honored to be a part of the Findhorn Community in Northern Scotland from 1976 to 1980.Isha has three adult daughters and five healthy and beautiful grandchildren.To learn more about Isha and her work, and to contact her regarding speaking engagements, appearances, interviews, workshops, and more, visit her website.All Things Enchanted podcast is produced by Katya Lerner and Buzzword Consulting.

The more you write, the better you'll get at it. Some think that you're naturally born as a good writer, but that's not the case. Practice is the only thing that'll make you better. In this episode of the Am Writing Fantasy podcast, Autumn and Jesper aim to make your journey a bit easier with some advice on fiction writing which you can go and implement right away. Tune in for new episodes EVERY single Monday.  SUPPORT THE AM WRITING FANTASY PODCAST! Please tell a fellow author about the show and visit us at Apple podcast and leave a rating and review.  Join us at www.patreon.com/AmWritingFantasy. For as little as a dollar a month, you'll get awesome rewards and keep the Am Writing Fantasy podcast going.  Read the full transcript below. (Please note that it's automatically generated and while the AI is super cool, it isn't perfect. There may be misspellings or incorrect words on occasion). Narrator (2s): You're listening to The Am writing Fantasy Podcast in today's publishing landscape, you can reach fans all over the world. Query letters are a thing of the past. You don't even need an literary agent. There is nothing standing in the way of making a living from writing. Join two best selling authors who have self published more than 20 books between them now onto the show with your hosts, Autumn Birt and Jesper Schmidt. Jesper (30s): Hello. I'm Jesper. Autumn (31s): And I'm on, Jesper (33s): This is episode 133 of the am writing fantasy podcast. And then we are talking about how it well today, Right? And the, I suppose this could be both a very broad topic as well as very narrow one. All of them. Autumn (49s): Yes. When I saw the topic for this one this morning, I was like, oh, this was the one we were like, oh, you know, we'll, we'll, we'll come up with some tips. It'll be fine. I'm thinking, I wish we had done some more specifics of it. I sat down and I wrote out some tips. I did my homework for this one. I Ramez. Jesper (1m 7s): Wow. That's that's good. So you're probably gonna have some very, very good tips today. Autumn (1m 12s): Yeah. You sure this is a couple of them. I think you probably already have on your list and I know you already have a list, so I'm not that worried. Jesper (1m 19s): Yes, I do have the list yet. Autumn (1m 20s): So I just knew that this sort of melting away or we're there in the U S at the moment. So yeah, I don't like warm weather. I always laugh when I was in a science class and found it out there. There's a fly that you think that it gets below 85 degrees Fahrenheit. There is some protein in it's brain that unwinds, it, it kind of like fall's over and ex dead and you cool it down and be like, oh yeah, there really is it all. I heard that I'm like, its true. I always send my brain kinda just like go and it gets too warm and I get too warm and I've just not myself. And I'm like, is this true? It's about 85 degree is definitely my, my threshold. Autumn (2m 3s): And it's, it's not, it's probably, it's supposed to be cooler today as it goes to the upper eighties, it's been in the nineties, but it's high humidity. Jesper (2m 11s): Like literally there's tender storms around. So we're at ed, the 90% humidity. You walk out, say side and it's like breathing water and it's just, oh I can't do that. Just know. Autumn (2m 24s): So you're gonna fall over at any minute now. And the act it until somebody comes in, cools you down. Good. Jesper (2m 30s): Yeah. So if you are suddenly left in charge of the podcast on your own, if people are listening and you're like, where's all that up. Well, that's how I passed out. It's fine please. Don't I got a cool drink and to turn off my AC for the recording. So, you know, listeners I'm care about you, but the sound quality I turned off my AC, which means we are going to wrap this one up quick. In about 10 minutes. We are going to be done on out of here. Oh, but that's okay. Autumn (3m 2s): It'll be a, yeah. You don't know if you saw the Instagram picture, but I, I took my dog and Dalton very well. It took my dog to the vet and he did very well. And he was so excited to get out of the cabin because of the, you know, Adam has been away north. So it just makes me and him and it's been too warm to go for a walk. You, it looks like he looks like a fizzy gig with legs. Okay. If anyone needs to picture my dog and he's a Fizzigig with legs, small legs, you are a small X. And so I hadn't been walking him is way too hot for him. He's he was bred for the Northern Scotland. He does not like the heat either, but we knew he was so excited to go somewhere to the vet. He was like whining and the car. He never whined, but the whole time. Autumn (3m 43s): So you would just chattering away. Then finally we got back from the, but we got out of the vet and I looked at him and he looked at me and like, you wanna go walk you so it, you know, and so even though it was so hot, I drove him to a nice, there's only so many places around here that there is forested and water for. It does not have a ton of water compared to me and where it used to live. And so we did the hike around this lake and I throw him in, had him go chiefs, frogs. He is a M predator dogs. So he loves choosing small creatures like frogs, the defenseless creatures. He likes feeling things. He is a home murderer. I sleep the next door every night. Autumn (4m 23s): I mean the dragon he is. So that's where it he's been. He has been the inspiration for, to have of my small sidekick characters. And by the time we got to the top part of the hike, I just looked at him and then bring it swimsuit. But screw it. I jumped in with them and we had a little bit of a swim. It was good. So how are things on your side? Yeah, well, yeah, I think for the most part is just a lot of sports on TV these days to be all right. It's an exciting though. So we have sports again, right? Jesper (5m 0s): Yeah. It's pretty cool. You know, and we, of course, so we're recording a bit ahead of time here. 'cause we are trying to bang some episodes to cover for some of the occasion we're of course we're still going to release episodes even though we're going to be on vacation. So we're trying to prerecord. So that's just to say that what I'm about to mention now already took place some time ago, by the time you listened to this. So that's why it might seem off a bit time wise. But anyway, we watched the world cup final in ice hockey this past weekend and it was between Canada and Finland. Oh, those are two good teams. So that's exciting. Yeah. Yeah. So it's a nerve wrecking experience. Autumn (5m 41s): You know, as the listeners might Jesper (5m 43s): Know my wife, his finished and my son's AR also finished citizens, ah, as well as Danish. So, you know, you, you can work out who we were rooting for it Canada. Not really, but honestly I feel so bad for my youngest son because during the, over it, it went to the overtime. And then I dunno if it was a couple of minutes of something into, I don't know, I don't remember it, but into the over-time one of the Finnish players makes like this slightest mistake. Oh, you know, and on this level and the world cup final, just the slightest mistake. It does not go on punished at the squat at the winning goal as sort of some of my youngest son, he was so sad that he started crying. Jesper (6m 34s): He was so, so sad. And even in the next day he woke up a and I ask it, I always asks him in the morning, went when the boys we go have all their way is to ask them how the slept not really good was so, so sad. I'm so sorry for this little guy you just met so much to him. Two when that final and that's he is going to need therapy is gonna remember this 20 years from now. He'll remember it. I'm sure it was like, I I'm pretty sure he was in there. It was, it was good. But we had a new channel now though, because of the European championship in sucker kicking off this week. Jesper (7m 16s): So nice. Actually on Saturday then Marc will play against Finland. Ow. Oh, that's cool. So who do you route for in the family? Just like, it's so much of a dilemma, but I actually, to be honest, I think its worst for my son. Then it is for me, 'cause, you know, I I'm born and raised and Denmark show. Yeah, of course I route for Denmark. Right. But that's, that's the tough one because they're both. So who do you roofer? I don't know. We can draw straws and the thing of switch halfway through this, just let the family too and to, and that's fair. No, that's just the way it is going to be. Jesper (7m 58s): My, my son, my son is a soccer coach. I actually asked him. So how are you gonna handle the fact that the Finland plays against them mark? And he, he is, he was sort of, you know, looking at, into the sky for the moment thinking, and then he said, well, I think I'm going to sort of paint down the middle and then I'll have Finland and then Denmark one on each side, Autumn (8m 22s): They're adorable. Narrator (8m 26s): Oh, weak on the internet with The Am Writing Fantasy Podcast. Jesper (8m 30s): Okay. So I notice that the Am Writing Fantasy Facebook group has passed 5,000 members. Now I think we have 5,200 or something when I checked this morning and goodness knows. But at the time this has released, it's probably gonna be 6,000. Its crazy. There is so exciting. It's a lot of fantasy authors in one place really is. We are a very powerful and well I'd say the group, we're not even that quiet. Autumn (8m 58s): We're quite feisty. Like it it's fun and chatty and supportive and talk fitness, the art and characters and life and promotions. It's it's there there's always something going on in there, right? Jesper (9m 12s): Yeah, for sure. I, when I, I posted about the podcast episode where we talked about a worst things you can do to a character. And that was an episode 1 28 and I laughed so much. So Terri and the response, did you see that right? Autumn (9m 27s): No, no. I have to go in and see it. I haven't been in there. I had a small computer swapping issue that we'll discuss later, but I was kind of absorbed into fixing a problem. So no, I didn't go see it, but no, with Terry an say she is pretty funny. Yeah. And remember, we're talking about bad things to do against characters here. So, so disrespected from Terry on is of course in that nature and therefore also pretty nasty. Jesper (9m 54s): So can you just didn't wanna hear it? Autumn (9m 56s): So yes is definitely. Jesper (9m 58s): OK. So she said, quote, I have one that I didn't realize until after the fact that I killed every once you loves her parents, her had adoptive mother, one of her children. I'm pretty sure if she ever met me, she would slap me. And of course, oh yeah. I always, I could see that. I think in that episode I said, I always feel bad for my favorite characters because I'm so mean to them, but I know that it can take it out, but I'm so mean to them. And as you said, when I was going through my cursed phase this year and you're like, well, you're just the, you're the hero in some story. And the author thinks that you're going to, you need to be tortured a little bit for some character development. Autumn (10m 39s): Yeah. That's great. I love it. Yeah. I imagine, imagine you could talk to them in real life. They're like, why are you doing all this to me? Well, on the other side you will come out a better person. Just trust me. It was just like, no, I didn't want to try it. Just stopped doing it. I want an easy day, Darren. It. So whenever your yelling into the universe and this is so unfair and unjust, think about your characters talking to you. That's how they feel. Yeah. Could I just fall ones have one single chapter where nothing bad happens, please. It's a long healing because your unconscious no, no. Jesper (11m 20s): The, the group is definitely been so much fun recently. So I do love it over there. Yeah. So if you are a deal list, now haven't joined us yet. The just search for Am Writing Fantasy in the group section of Facebook and you will find us. Yes and no. Actually I noticed that Ernest Hemingway had the following tips when it comes to writing well, so I thought that was probably an interesting place to start. So he said sounds good, shoot. Autumn (11m 54s): Yeah. You said you should stop all. You should use short sentences and also right. Short, first paragraphs. Jesper (12m 2s): What do you think of those two tips to start off all of them? Autumn (12m 6s): I would say you use varied sentences, but I definitely think a short lead in sentence, especially with like your first, not how people worked so hard with that first line of their novel, but I sometimes think just a short kind of punchy one that makes you go ha is a fantastic way of opening a story and keeping that first paragraph kind of short. But I would definitely say I noticed this and I've talked with other authors about this currently because of the size of reading screens, like Kindle screens are kind of small and people need on their phones, shorter paragraphs and shorter sentences are definitely becoming the norm because you don't want to read something that is literally a wall of text on your phone screen. Autumn (12m 50s): So some paragraphs have gotten down to like two sentences, which sometimes I think that's crazy, but I also have to admit whenever I see something that's longer than like three sentences, I'm like, oh for goodness sakes. So in some way, or you could say it, Ernest Hemingway was way ahead of his time. Jesper (13m 8s): He was thinking about the Kindle before it even existed. Autumn (13m 10s): Exactly. And he just, he was a head of the curve. Jesper (13m 14s): He nailed it. Autumn (13m 15s): But I do you like some Hemingway quotes because he was the one who said write drunk, edit sober. I'm like, yeah, that is, that's the wonderful writing advice. So yeah. I'm not sure you're convinced About that one, but one at least, but then Right tipsy, then don't be drunk on writing. I did. Jesper (13m 33s): Right. Autumn (13m 33s): Actually just see that as a famous quote by somebody else to always be drunk on your writing because it'll keep you inspired. Okay. Yeah. That's one of those fancy quote things that sounds really good, but in reality it's right. You really like that, but probably not. But I mean, yeah. I don't know. I, I sort of have some things that sort of, it's both here and there and whatever. So I mean there was no particular order to do it. Jesper (14m 5s): Right. Tough. To be honest. Yeah. I did the same thing. It just, yeah. It's just some thoughts about this and that. He and they're right. Well, how come we both shared you share thought and I'll share a thought and I'm sure we have some thoughts in common because I know one of mine is, is totally already on your list. I already know it. Okay. Yeah. We can do that. So do you want me to start? Autumn (14m 25s): Sure. Since you've volunteered, go ahead of you or you can stop it. That's okay. If you want, you want to, if you feel like that's so important then right. If you're intimidated and want me to go first, I can do that just to make all of your mind, then you want to go, go, go, go. I'm going to melt here. Come on. Quick, quick, quick. Jesper (14m 48s): Yeah. Well I think for stop, there is something to be said about using like simple and direct language. I think clarity brings a lot in order to improve one's writing. So, but I think as well, I want to say that there are no like real fixed rules that you need to follow. And there's nothing like once you've learned these rules, then your writing will be the best it can ever be that this doesn't exist. And so I feel like that's probably the, one of the best things to get out there before we even get any further into this topic. Autumn (15m 25s): No, I totally agree. And actually that was one of the, it's not on my list, but it, it was one of my thoughts is there, there are a few rules for writing, but at the same time, there really aren't. Like I said, one of my favorite poems as the Jabber walkie, which is a hundred percent nonsensical words, but I love it cause its so much fun to say, so you don't have to even use real language. You can completely make it up and be famous for centuries. 'cause it is such a fun poem. So there really aren't any rules, but you need to take everything we say and everything that editors other authors, other readers say and figure out what fits your style and what you want to create with your writing. Autumn (16m 8s): But you should also, you know, if you're just learning, following some of the top guidelines will help you maybe figure out where your going with your own author, voice and style. Jesper (16m 24s): Yeah. I agree in that. I think as well that, I mean, of course we're going to, we're going to share some tips here and of course is not that wants you just ignore tips and I, it, it's a good take on board, the good advice and so on and, and, and figure out what works for you. But at the same time, I think the point is just don't follow it blindly, you know? Autumn (16m 49s): Oh, he's be purposeful. Yes. But do you think that makes sense, but for your first one where you talked about brevity, I mean, I agree that's such a, I mean there's so many, there are so many quotes about you. No kill your darlings, cut out the flour and the language. You know, if it, the fewer words that you can use to say something really helps you don't need to be over prosaic. There are some genres, maybe the literary genres and stuff where you, where those flowery prosaic languages are fun and they're more accepted, but mostly, I mean, fantasy has some beautiful descriptions, but then it has a lot of, you know, action and things happening and punchy language. Autumn (17m 30s): I especially love short, punchy sentences. It helps me to know some really long ones. Yeah. So figure out you'd do some varied, but I definitely, I recently had an editor say that they had never read a story. I think how did she say it that, you know, use their was so well-described and so vivid and real, but you such minimal amount of words. Very I'm very minimalistic, I guess in my word choice, I don't repeat myself, but I don't have tons of weird new words. I just, I want the story to shine. Not how I say the story, right? No. Yeah. It makes a lot of sense. Alright. So are you ready for my first tip? Jesper (18m 12s): Yep. For sure. Autumn (18m 13s): Some how this became a competition again. Jesper (18m 14s): I think so. Well, yeah, that's it. I was just thinking about it before and then I thought, well, I'm not going to say anything because I don't want to draw attention because the point of this episode is really not to make one of our top 10 coroner, the source of competition listed at all. So I'm going to stay away from that. And I'm just going to listen to your advice now. Autumn (18m 32s): All right. Well, mine is, is a typical one that you'll hear everywhere, but I have a specific purpose for it, but I would say if you want to learn to write, well, you do need to read and read in your genre. But I would say don't just read. My advice is actually to take your favorite book and rip it apart and find out why does your favorite book? What makes it tick? What is the plot? How are characters introduced? What are the sentence likes? What is your favorite scene? Don't just read it, but actually pull it apart and look under the hood and see what's there. It's like your own little study. You know, if you're in high school is your, your private study tasks or whatever when you're going to work on your own. Autumn (19m 14s): So do that. It really helps. I think to look at something you absolutely adore and not just say I love it. That's my favorite book with is find out why one in it. Do you really love? And you will learn probably more from that than I think I did in my college classes on the writing. So go and go and tear it apart. Jesper (19m 36s): Look it adverb reuse. That'll really tell you and your genre, how may or how often you should be using adverbs, how often you, you should be using SED versus growled or whispered, looked at your favorite story and don't mimic it, but pull it apart. C why you like it? I put it back together in your own style and see what you create. Yeah, I think I remember you said at some point as well, that when you need it to get your head into the right sort of writing mentality or writing space, then you read, or you read a bit of George RR Martin, I think you set at some point and then your right back into where you want to be. Autumn (20m 10s): Yeah. He, there is something about his writing that is so fluid and concrete in this deep point of view that I can re I have a few favorite paragraphs and some pages that I can read one of his, and it's just, it instantly resets my mind at this is the level of writing I want to do and I can get back into my own voice, but it reminds me of the voice that I'm trying to find. Jesper (20m 34s): Yeah. I'm still struggling with that. To be honest, I fully agree with, with your response or you advise in terms of reading aloud in this genre. And I do that as well. I, I always, I'm always reading a book, one book on the other, but I think, I don't know why, but I'm really struggling with finding something that I really like. Mmm. Most of it, I try to even pick up the stories that are hugely popular and stuff like that. And I just don't, I don't, I don't, they don't engage me very well. I don't know what's going on. Maybe I'm just weird. I don't know. I don't disagree. The last three or four books I've picked up. Jesper (21m 16s): I've been frustrated and the little disappointed and yeah, its I'm in a definitely, I'm trying really hard to find something I'm enjoying. I'm actually thinking, I want to go read some open sticking to it like an epic fantasy and regular fantasy, you know, heroic fantasy. Autumn (21m 34s): I actually think I want to go read some literary fantasy, which has a stronger emphasis on foreshadowing and really deep plots as well as really strong characters. So you sometimes don't do as well in the characters, but I think I just want to cut my teeth on something with some really strong plot lines. Cause if I read something else that is nonsensical, I'm going to bash my head against the wall or my kid at all or something. Jesper (21m 58s): Yeah. I'm not going to mention the name of either of the book or the author here, but I am reading the one that is insanely popular right now at the moment. I, I, I'm only okay. To be honest, I'm an only like 15% into it. It it's a very, very long book, like fantasy books sometimes. Huh. But if it's just not engaging at all, I mean the writing is okay, but it it's in the past episode we talked about writing and the point of view and with just the way we ride and that is so much more engaging and this is not really. And the point of view is so it's a bit like, yeah, I dunno. It's a bit boring, but that's off topic now, but I just want to, yeah, it was just your tip there made me think about how even sometimes if you pick up some very, very popular books and you start reading them, they might not really do much for you. Autumn (22m 49s): So yeah. But again, that only just support the fact that you should read a lot because your, you know, keep reading different books and so on. Yeah. And that's why I said, yeah, don't just read. Don't just pull apart any books or whatever it is. Your favorite book, you read that one, figure it out. Why it's your favorite? That's the worst. Jesper (23m 9s): Yeah. That's a good advice. All right. Okay. Then the next one here is it might be the one that I feel is the most important one, to be honest, maybe because this is very simple, in some extent, in some sense, but also very complicated, but it is really figuring out what you want to say. Autumn (23m 31s): Oh, I like that because anyone can string sentences together, but you need to have a story to tell. Yes. And outlining really helps here. To be honest, I was going to ask you you're into that. You should learn the plot and we'll all right. Jesper (23m 48s): Yeah. We, of course, do we have a full step-by-step hook on how to plot a novel, but if you're interested, you, you can search for plot development on Amazon and you'll find it, but we should really not why it was mentioning it. The reason I'm mentioning it is that going through the motions of trying to understand your story before you just start writing, even if you, even if you're not applaud and you don't wanna do like a full of plot or whatever, but trying to get your mind around, what is this story really all about? And what is it that I really want to say that will help your writing tremendously and make this story so, so much better then when you just sort of doing a brain dump on the page. Jesper (24m 29s): Right? Autumn (24m 29s): I agree. Yeah. I mean, whether you outline or like I said, I, I, we have YouTube videos on just a 15 minute, half an hour outline, which can do so much for guiding you in a direction, even if you're a pantser. But yeah, I think knowing the purpose of the story and maybe the theme of the story, all of those things can really want, it will help you right. Faster. 'cause you'll know you're going and the right direction. Your not just wondering leaf through the maze lost, but it'll really help you make a better story. And you'll write better. Because I mean, the point is, is to write a story and to tell tales, there's times that I'm like, oh, this is so cool. I want to go into that, but I don't have to be a short story of somewhere else. Autumn (25m 12s): It, it doesn't really involve what is important for the story. And this plot are the subplot. It, it doesn't really need to be in there. So that'll help you with your writing. And so that you're not having readers, I work coaching with other authors and you don't want your, we are going, why didn't you mention this name? Why did you bring this up? And then you never mentioned it again. Oh my gosh. I hate it. When I read that as a reader, that your, like, why didn't you tell me this? If you never do anything with it, and that's a good point about the YouTube videos. So then we have like, I dunno, I will guess like modern 150 video is probably on the Am Writing as a YouTube channel. Jesper (25m 48s): So if you need to find some inspiration about how to do a plot four series or a shorter plot overview or what, probably whatever you can think of almost go to the Am, Writing Fantasy as a YouTube channel, because they're actually YouTube videos on their that is not on this podcast feed. Right. It's all right. That's the first one is before we switched to you. Autumn (26m 10s): Yeah. Yeah. Before we switched to podcasting, we did YouTube videos. So there's probably like a hundred videos, I would guess that it's not on the podcast feet. So yeah. Go, go and explore a bit then if you, if you need some help, so you'll definitely find videos. That'll help you. You taught me what B rolls, where we had those or some really good videos. Jesper (26m 29s): So I think we still get comments on them. So I know people are still watching though. So yeah. Only wanting is to some of those videos are very old. So the first video is on the channel. They with those, well, not professionally reduced in this political like that, the advice are good, but the production value is not right. I mean, we all improve in time. Autumn (26m 50s): Right, right. Yeah. Yeah. Indeed. You ready for my second tip? Jesper (26m 56s): Yup. Go ahead. Autumn (26m 57s): All right. Mine is learn the craft, very vivid characters. And I was going to say realistic, but I don't actually mean realistic because I hate to say it real people, real people could be a little boring. It. So you want someone who is personality, who a friend once said, this, describe this other person to me that they were like a motorboat when everyone else was at the canoe. And like their weight just kinda topples you right over. That's kind of what you want your characters to be that whole idea of larger than life. But you also want them to feel like they really could exist. So there are three dimensional. They have likes and dislikes. Autumn (27m 39s): Those are really important to you by creating a character that is just beautiful overpowers, maybe, and so many ways, but it also feels like someone, you really want them to be your friend or you desperately do not want them to be your enemy. Create those types of characters and people are gonna be like, whoa. Wow. That is amazing. Right? Jesper (28m 1s): No agree. And characters with the characters. Those are why people come back to the stories. It, it is not the old wall plopped on the day. What really engaged as the reader is to character. So fully agreed at, at this insane, the important it, it might not be directly. Autumn (28m 20s): Well. Yeah, just some, it depends on how we interpret improving the writing. It, it, it's not specific writing. Jesper (28m 29s): So, but, but again, my, my, my point about figuring out what you want to say, it's not Pacific Pacific to the sentences either. Autumn (28m 36s): Right. So, but it's yeah. It's about storytelling, I guess. Yes. How do we know how to tell your story better? How's that? Yeah. Yeah, indeed. So when you have two ones that I'm like short and quick, one of them we already touched upon too. I'll just get those out of the way. And then I'll move on to the T two to another one. Okay. So the first one you talked upon that don't use the complicated words. So I had that one as well. And then another variation of that is use different metaphors. That what you used, you used to see, you know, find new ways of saying something that, that will improve the writing quite a lot as well. And so that, that was to small, easy ones, but that's a good one. Jesper (29m 17s): We get out the way. And then the next one I have here is any words that can be stripped out without losing the meaning. Cut it out every time as the more, once you remove the bed and the story we'll get. Autumn (29m 34s): All right. I agree. I was just probably a point where you have removed too many, but occasionally losing meaning that's true. It without losing, meaning it, occasionally I do it because I'm, you know, the, the editor hat usually on, in the two of us and I'm often taking it out words, but then all of a sometimes stop and be like, I needed that, right. I'll be like this, I'm adding something massively something, or being a massively booming. You, you know, something I'm adding in there because those words are fun. It's good to remember to put in some of those fun adverbs, the occasionally, but it is. And there's times where I'm editing and I'm like, okay, there's four words that I can turn into one. Autumn (30m 18s): And I will always switch to something that is, or miss Ernest Hemingway must be, you know, I'm channeling him at times. I just really likes, just shortened up the sentences to drop all of the does. They call it sticky sentences, which is what I learned through pro writing aid. I didn't know they had a term, but when you have something that has all those filler words, like in the, a, all of those little ones that we really don't have, meaning there, the, just the little bit's there, that kinda connect everything with two, the more of this stuff, you can remove the sh punchier in more concrete, your sentences, our, and the more you get out of them, you don't get lost. And all of those little words that your, like, why are we, are we going with the sentence? Autumn (31m 1s): You don't want it to have those sticky ones. They make people just stop and go, wait, I have to start over again. I don't know what you were saying. Jesper (31m 9s): No, I agree. Absolutely. Autumn (31m 11s): All right. Yeah. So I actually went to the ones on my list was learned, apply it, but I think we kinda, we kinda covered that one is important, but I would say for fantasy again, this is not a sentence structure, one, which is funny. I'm employed, I'm the editor and I'm avoiding all the sentence structure ones, but I would say, learn to world, build something unique and then learn how to share it with readers without info dumping or confusing the crap out of them. What are the stories I just recently read, which is interesting, because I actually meant to mention this one with the characters as well. But again, I won't mention any names, but it was an impressive world and this was not Brandon Sanderson. Autumn (31m 55s): I would say that it, it was someone else and very impressive world. And really in depth, all this history, I was so freaking confused, you know, horrible job explaining any of how it related to the world and how old, who these people and God's in all of these things. We're I literally had two, I finish the book and I kinda had an idea of it. And then I read through the glossary and then I'm like, oh, they'll still don't get it. It's sad. I had to literally just suspend my own questioning or I would never have gotten past probably the third chapter, because I'm like, this doesn't make sense where you please explain what the frig you were talking about. Autumn (32m 40s): He just horrible. And he was the same way with some character. Is he literally didn't describe the character, a sidekick. It's all three quarters of the worst of the novel. Up until that point. I knew one thing about the sidekick. Okay. Well, how it looked at three quarters of the ways through the novel, I've finally got a description. It was like, thank you read. I've got an hour to revise everything, but I just thought of till now, but he also did the same thing with it. It was one of the first times I've read a book where I can, honestly, I see a lot of authors saying, you know, I don't know how to right. Men, if they're all women or a woman saying, I don't know how to write. Autumn (33m 22s): So men take it. I don't know how to right women. So all of the few times I can say you have two types of women in your novel assassin coldhearted or mousy and an insane. And was it, so then I say it, right? Vivid characters, right? Vivid characters of every genre at color race, no one should be one of two characteristics because I finished it going. I don't care who is buying this book. They're not women. I read it. And I'm kind of like this almost insulting I'm either. So these are my two types of characters. So learn the moral build and learn how to describe things. Autumn (34m 3s): It makes sure you described things appropriately, but tone info dump it. So that's, that's, that's circled back to what my point was is you should create something amazing in this world that I just read was really, truly unique and amazing. I think for what the hits I caught out of it. I, I assume it, it seemed it under the hood from what I was gathering. I just don't know how it works. Jesper (34m 30s): It reminds me of the advice to give when you are to Reed, the Silmarillion, have you ever read that one? Autumn (34m 37s): No, I haven't. I will. I swear. Jesper (34m 40s): Yeah, I have it all my Kindle. And I'm going to read it for the second time, but it, it is, it's a very nerdy book to read, of course, because it's not really a story as such. It's more like a wool compendium, but their advice when reading the Silmarillion. So I can give this to you now. That is, since you haven't read it, but the device is just read it. You know, you're going to get like 250 names of this, on this father to that blah, and do not try to understand who is, who just read and ignore it because you're gonna get so lost and you have no idea, five pay it later. What the heck is actually who, here we go, it's impossible to follow full glossary's and all that, but I just forget it. Jesper (35m 22s): I just read it for, you know, the history of the world and just ignore. Autumn (35m 27s): All right. Okay. All right. It that's the only way to read the Silmarillion the, without going insane, right. Jesper (35m 34s): That's right. Autumn (35m 35s): I will keep that in mind this speaking of that, and don't know if you're, so I just saw and share it on Patriot and Patriot how to create your own magic book. I'm just going to stick with my own philosophy of how to do that. And I'll ignore the similarity. I can't even pronounce it today. And I told you what my brain is slowly, this proteins, all we need to speed it up. All right. But yeah, so I'm going to, I will save that for later in cooler weather. Jesper (36m 5s): Okay. I found a piece of advice from George Orwell. Now this is not something new to most of us, I think, but at the same time, it's, it's a good reminder. That is not to use passive voice when you can use active voice. Autumn (36m 26s): That's a good reminder. Jesper (36m 28s): Yeah. So the example all with all wheel uses was the Mann was spitting by the dock that is very passive at this very passive and not very engaging. And it is better to say the DOK with the man is active and it's much more engaging. And again, we talked about the point of view we early on, and if you right, and the point of view, you usually do not have the passive voice problem as much at least. Autumn (36m 52s): Yes. And I, I, it's funny. I have seen that with editing a lot of books. I do it too, that I often see something in passive voice that you don't need to have to switch to the now. And they have, like, she was sitting down. You can just change that to, as she sat down. Yeah. I've noticed that if you see a was, and then a verb adding an ending and an I a T G I can guarantee you that is the verb. That should be where the was was, or was it is most, what is it just became a talk to her Susan episode. And I I've just seen it so many times. I maybe, because I'm like editing like crazy since like may or April or something, but I just I've seen that so often. Autumn (37m 38s): And so many different authors that I'm like, this is really, it could just be, I don't see any one else having this roll, but if you have a was, and some of the verb finding and ending an ING, it is just getting rid of the, was it turned the verb into the act of choice. That's all you need is perfect. It'll be like, you're writing that much stronger because you'll be an active voice and it will not be this kind of passive. Oh, is that she was sitting down? No, she sat, she just sat down. So it's fine. Yeah, no, and dude. Jesper (38m 8s): Yeah. And it was funny. My next one was M to right. Informative and punchy dialogue. So I think we covered that. All right. Autumn (38m 16s): Yeah, I did. Yeah. I like punchy dialogue. My editor sometimes does it like my punchy dialogue, but I like my punchy dial. OK. But so my, as one is actually my last one on my list is to add humor to your writing. So yeah, a lot of is a tough one for a of people. I mean, a lot of authors use romance or friendship as a good subplot as a way of binding characters is getting an emotional event investment from the reader. But there's that old saying that if you can laugh together, you can stay together. When they talk about marriages, it's also true with your characters and with your readers. Autumn (38m 57s): If you can make them laugh out loud, they will kind of love your book just the little bit more of than even a romance scene. So keep that in mind. I liked snarkey characters and I loved sarcasm. So I, you know, you're gonna definitely find that on my books. But then at times it's, I've had a few Maverick meanie at kind of characters. And even in the book, I just read that I couldn't understand the world. And I didn't really like some of the female characters because there were like one of two types, except for the main, the hero's wife who ended up in prison for three quarters of the novel doing absolutely nothing. But anyway, there were parts the parts of the book. Autumn (39m 38s): I absolutely adored because some of the banter between characters and this kind of devil may care, sarcastic attitude. I'm like, dude, I like you. So that overcomes quite a lot of sins. Jesper (39m 53s): No, I agree. I agree. Fully a M adding human makes a huge difference, but I personally find it very, very difficult also to come up with something that feels like smart enough, if you know what I mean, my name of humor is it's difficult. I think so. And so I do think it's funny cause I know when the best scenes I come up with our, one of those, one's like, you know, your in the middle of the cooking dinner or something, you're like, oh, this was the perfect dialogue. And you have to basically burn everything is shut everything off and do you run it right? It down. There's something about humor where I think it just is something that comes, you can create it at another thing. Autumn (40m 34s): It comes from inspiration. But when it comes, you're like, oh, this is the perfect. So I do think, but it, if you could develop that, learn it. I don't know. Do it learn the improv? That would be a good class to learn, to do some fun humor and you just come up with some stuff. Yeah. But I think it will really, it would add a lot to a lot of stories that I read and they seem good, but man, if you can make me laugh and especially if you start T my goal and every, every interaction with people is to make them snort the hot or very cold liquid. That is perfect. Oh yeah. Jesper (41m 14s): That's good advice. I have two more and then I think that's it they're short. So the first one is just very simple, but make sure to hook the reader. Autumn (41m 24s): Oh yes. That's simple, but very effective. It is. And I think M not to make you take longer, but we say hook and people understand concept, but I think sometimes they don't realize what that actually means and concrete advice. And its, it can be anything that you just want to make them read the next sentence, whether its curiosity, whether it's and emotional outcome, you just wanna make some, keep reading and all hooking. It is it's, there's a lot of different ways of doing it from emotions to curiosity to, I don't know. Jesper (41m 58s): So shadowing excitement. Yeah. That's all you do. It's finding that reason that the, you hit the paragraph or the period and you go, no, I got to know what comes next. Yeah. I mean, especially with the first chapter, Autumn (42m 11s): Of course that's important Jesper (42m 15s): And the next one is also a very short, but I just sort of general good advice. Just not really about the writing itself, but it's more taking a break from it and you know, walk away from your writing, leave it alone for a bit and then come back and have a look at it with a fresh pair of eyes. That's usually going to help a lot to improve the text. I think so too, especially if you're editing or you're writing and you do hit that wall, especially to me editing, if you, if the words are starting to run together and you were just kind of fed up or you're, if you find yourself trying to finish on an artificial deadline, that you were completely a hundred percent in control of walk away from it don't force yourself. Autumn (43m 0s): I admit, I just kind of took a weekend break. I meant to like edit a zillion chapters and instead I finished reading a book and then I did a really good drawing. Sorry, Jesper. I didn't get my editing done, but I've felt so much better when I opened it up on Monday, I was like, oh, you know, boom, boom, boom. Just got stuff done. It floats so nicely. So yeah. Everyone needs a break every once in a while, once and awhile for sure of it. Yeah. And I think sort of maybe to round things off, I think it's worth saying that the more you're right, the better you'll get at it and why I'm saying that it is because some, some people think that you were like natural born as a good writer, but that's not the case. Jesper (43m 49s): You know, practice is the only thing that'll make you better. Yeah. And of course it is challenging, especially because writing is very objective. Then that only makes it even more challenging, but you get better as you go along and it also gets easier as you go along. Autumn (44m 5s): So it looked at me. I sometimes we could do things in reverse, but in general it gets easier, but you have to. So I live in reverse sometimes too, but I agree. I mean, when I look back at my debut novel versus what I'm writing, now you get a better, you get better. Your next book. There's a certain point where you have done the best you can for your skill level right now. Just go to your next story. It's okay. And just keep writing. Jesper (44m 40s): So amen. So next Monday we are doing something slightly different because we have collected a bunch of questions from our listeners and we are going to answer as many as we Narrator (44m 54s): Can. If you like what you just heard, there's a few things you can do to SUPPORT THE AM WRITING FANTASY PODCAST. Please tell a fellow author about the show and visit us at Apple podcast and leave a rating and review. You can also join Autumn and Jesper on patrion.com/AmwritingFantasy For as little as a dollar a month, you'll get awesome rewards and keep The Am Writing Fantasy Podcast, going, stay safe out there and see you next Monday.

Listen to the podcast with this player: The lighthouse at Sumburgh Head, established in 1821, is the oldest lighthouse in the Shetland Islands, a part of Scotland. The light station is on a dramatic promontory at the southern tip of Mainland, Shetland, the largest of the islands and the fifth largest island in the British Isles. It was designed by Robert Stevenson, one of the most prolific and celebrated lighthouse engineers in the world. The tower is 56 feet tall, and the light is about 300 feet, or 91 meters, above the sea. Because Sumburgh Head is exposed to severe weather conditions, the walls of the lighthouse were built twice as thick as usual. Sumburgh Head Light Station. Wikimedia Commons photo by Ronnie Robertson. The station was automated in 1991 and the former keepers’ houses and the other buildings except for the lighthouse tower are now owned by the Shetland Amenity Trust. The Trust has renovated and restored the buildings to create a world-class visitor attraction. Brian Johnson’s connection with Sumburgh Head Lighthouse goes back many years, beginning when he took a position as Supernumerary Assistant Keeper in 1969. Most of Brian’s lighthouse career was spent as a mechanical technician. He refurbished the foghorn at Sumburgh Head, and on special occasions visitors can watch as he expertly starts the diesel engine to sound the foghorn. Brian Johnson (Shetland Amenity Trust) Jane Outram first visited Shetland for three weeks and is still there 18 years later. She initially worked with the archaeological team of the Shetland Amenity Trust. When a position as a guide at Sumburgh Head became available in 2015, she jumped at the opportunity. Then, in 2019, she made the move to the site supervisor position. Jane Outram (Museum of Scottish Lighthouses) Here is the transcript of the interview: JEREMY D’ENTREMONT I'm speaking today with Jane Outram and Brian Johnson, who are associated with the Sumburgh Head Lighthouse in Shetland, which is part of Scotland. Thanks so much for joining me today, Jane and Brian. I really appreciate it. JANE OUTRAM Thank you, it’s great to be here. JEREMY First of all, can you explain where the Shetland islands are and where Sumburgh Head is? JANE Yes, of course. So Shetland is an archipelago of around 100  islands, 15 of which are inhabited. And we are located approximately a hundred miles off the northern tip of mainland Scotland and due west of Bergen in Norway. And Sumburgh Head is the rocky headland at the southern tip of mainland Shetland. This is where the North Sea meets the North Atlantic. JEREMY So how do people get to Shetland from mainland Scotland? JANE So there are two options for getting to Shetland. You can take an overnight ferry from Aberdeen, which takes between 12 and 14 hours, or you can fly. And there are several flights every day from Scottish airports, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness , and Aberdeen. JEREMY Okay. I was reading that the weather conditions at Sumburgh Head can be very harsh. So what sort of weather do you get there? JANE Well, really, the weather here is no worse than any exposed headland in Northern Scotland. Lighthouses by their very nature and purpose tend to be situated in very exposed locations. And I'm often surprised that even on a windy day, how sheltered it can feel within the grounds of Sumburgh Head. But overall, it doesn't rain very much in Shetland. And we have mild winters with temperatures between five to ten degrees warmer than other places on the same latitude. And this is down to the influence of the Gulf Stream. That's not to say that we don't get our fair share of wind here. Margaret Anderson, an assistant keeper's wife, told us that she could remember watching her husband, Leslie, on his hands and knees against the strength of the wind, trying to reach the tower. And Tommy Eunson, who was an occasional keeper at Sumburgh Head from 1968,

It's feeling a little like home today on the Daily Faith show. Philip's guest is from a small fisherman's town in Northern Scotland called Fraserburgh, close to Philip's hometown. Pastor Mark Ritchie has an encouraging story of faith that will bless your heart and bring you joy. When he was a young boy, he accepted the call of God on his life and gave his heart to Jesus. Since then, he has traveled all over the world, where he is now the Pastor of Liberty Church Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. On his journey, in service to the Lord, there was always a choice to be made between the easy path, and the hard path. And for Pastor Mark, he chose the path of Faith. A road that kept him close to Jesus and hanging on to every Word of God. Despite the challenges, it was the most rewarding road, of exhilarating faith, with no regrets, that led him to a deeper relationship with God. God has given him a passion for the ministry, and you can see the light of Jesus in his eyes. We hope that today's story will be one of great encouragement and strength to your heart, and we pray that you will take the road of faith to where the Lord is guiding you.

The Mysterious Ancient SpheresFour hundred and twenty geometric stone spheres have been found in the vicinity of Neolithic stone circles in Northern Scotland, with 169 coming from Aberdeenshire alone. Outside Scotland, examples have been found in Ireland at Ballymena, and in England at Durham, Cumbria, Lowick and Bridlington. One was recently spotted by the author over 6,000 miles away that came from an important megalithic pyramid site in South America.Most of the Scottish spheres are around 3 inches (7.6 cm) in diameter, with some examples 3.6 inches (9 cm diameter) and date from 3200 BC to 1500 BC. Some show beautiful craftsmanship and symmetry, others show artistic mastery, while some look rough, badly made, or unfinished. However, some of the better-preserved examples have diameters within one millimeter of each another. Most were all discovered within the vicinity of Neolithic monuments known as recumbent stone circles. The type of rock varies from easily carved sandstone and serpentine, to difficult, hard granite and quartzite. One of the most striking aspects of the spheres is the intricate geometry that appears to show the five Platonic Solids, a long time before Plato was born.

Head of Sales for Smart Generation, Chris Smith & Head of Pricing, Tom Putney, discuss the changing nature of Balancing Services Use of System (BSUoS) charges, why we've seen an increase in the value of BSUoS and why 'flipping' is occurring in Northern Scotland.

On the science episode this week, I first unpack the recent discovery of an ancient Norse drinking hall in Northern Scotland. A team of researchers from the Archaeology Institute at the University of the Highlands and Islands has unearthed the remains of a large Norse building at the site of Skaill farmstead in Westness, Rousay. This incredible find has also shown other settlements on top of the hall, helping researches to piece together a better picture of life in the area throughout the years. Then I look at the award-winning interactive site from NASA, Home, and City, that details all the scientific advancements made from space exploration that impact everyday items in your home and your city. The NASA website is homeandcity.nasa.gov

Host Kyle Surlow (@ksurlow) discusses this week's events in golf, including the Golf Channel's cameramen and television crew going on strike, leading to some less-than-ideal coverage of the Sony Open in Hawaii. Other topics on today's podcast include San Geronimo Golf Course in Marin County closing, Nick Saban buying a golf course, Callaway's new Rogue woods, Tiger Woods' odds to win The Masters and complications at Mike Keiser's new project, Coul Links, in Northern Scotland. Finally, at the end of the program, Kyle is joined by friend Andrew Whiting to discuss their experience at Aetna Springs' last day of operation this past Sunday. In addition to talking about their experience, both speculate on how the golf course could have been salvaged.   This episode of the podcast is proudly presented by GOLFGUIDE.net

Join Richard and Shawn as they join a brand new Reality TV show called Eden. This show was started in Britain that puts 23 contestants in Northern Scotland in a Reality Social Experiment.  The group is left with no supervision and try to build Eden over a year.  The problem is that after a four months the show is cancelled and no one tells the contestants.   This intrigue leaves Richard and Shawn an opening to play through how they would survive in multiple Reality TV shows.  Would Shawn be able to work with his Dad on the Alone Discovery show? Or would he fail and want to leave after an hour.   Richard and Shawn also discuss their experience with all kinds of Reality TV shows.  They start with the Real World from MTV and end on Survivor.  Would either of the two go on a Reality TV show?   Give a listen to The Language of Bromance in Episode 174 Eden on Channel 4. Follow Language of Bromance @LanguageOfBro Email EatTheBeaver@LanguageofBromance.com Like us on Facebook Leave a Review and Subscribe on Apple Podcast, Google Play Music,  PodBros Network and Stitcher. Become a LOBarmy Patreon Go to TweakedAudio.com and use the Promo code LOBarmy to get 33% off your order.   About Language of Bromance   Together Richard and Shawn formed the podcast The Language of Bromance and from there it has been nothing but fun. The duo laugh about things they go through, stories in the news and even getting serious discussing net neutrality along with other issues. Every so often their friendship turns to a bitter rivalry with their nerdiest creation the draft episodes. An original take on a best of or a top 10 list. The draft episodes are done like an NFL Draft 7 rounds where Richard and Shawn flip-flop picks on various topics.

Welcome to a brand new RPG drama series called HEX Adventures! Join our adventurers, (Hamish O'Toole, Zachariah Smith, Dr. Anna Fitzwilliams, and Perdita) as they meet up and set off to investigate a mysterious sighting in the Russian Far East. They were each given notes requesting them for the mission and coordinates leading them to an empty field in Northern Scotland where we begin. Tag along for the excitement and to hear Adam's first time GMing in any RPG! Music and Sound by Syrinscape. store.syrinscape.com/what-is-syrinscape/?att The app that putting sound into the hands of the gamers.

In 3200 BC, Orkney Island off the coast of Northern Scotland was home to a small farming village called Skara Brae. For reasons unknown, after nearly six centuries of continuous habitation, the village was abandoned around 2600 BC and its stone structures covered over--perhaps deliberately, like the structures at Gobekli Tepe. Although now well-excavated, very little is known about the peaceful people who lived at Skara Brae or their origins. Who were they and where did they go?Drawing on his in-depth knowledge of the connections between the cosmology and linguistics of Egyptian, Dogon, Chinese, and Vedic traditions, Laird Scranton reveals the striking similarities between Skara Brae and the Dogon of Mali, who still practice the same cosmology and traditions they once shared with pre-dynastic Egypt. He shows how the earliest Skara Brae houses match the typical Dogon stone house as well as Schwaller de Lubicz’s intrepretation of the Egyptian Temple of Man at Luxor. He explains how megalithic stone sites near Skara Brae conform to Dogon cosmology, each representing sequential stages of creation as described by Dogon priests, and he details how the houses at Skara Brae also represent a concept of creation. Scranton shows how the cultivated field alongside the village of Skara Brae corresponds to the “heavenly field” symbolism pervasive throughout many ancient cultures, such as the Field of Reeds of the ancient Egyptians and the Elysian Fields of ancient Greece. He demonstrates how Greek and Egyptian geographic descriptions of these fields are a consistent match with Orkney Island. 

Something a bit different this week. While Lewis is away, sunning himself on the beaches of Northern Scotland, Ian has taken the opportunity to have a chat with his flatmate Paul about Star Trek Into Darkness. This chat does not … Continue reading →

In this episode, I have a look at two areas using Geo Tourism. One is starting and one is well established. Also, there's a television report and a quick peek at the new Geocaching website. This plus upcoming events and Podcast Rewind.Visit show sponsor Landsharkz.Links is Show:GC2TK5M The Doctor Who Series: The Second Doctor (Multi-cache) in British Columbia, Canada created by Time Lord Icenrye with Time Lord Cecil-EGCGC2R1VF Doctor Who Series: Finale (Unknown Cache) in Indiana, United States created by Time Lord Cecil-EGCM & his crack team of MinionsGC2RKZ0 We'd Like to Meet You (Event Cache) in British Columbia, Canada created by Hobo and MissDesoto Times Tribune - Modern day treasure huntModern Day "Treasure Hunt" Gaining Popularity in ValleyPreview of Geocaching.com May 4th Website Release - Latitude 47Gold Country GeoTourism ProgramYouTube - Gold Country GeoTourismGC2V5VC Outdoor Cacher Event (Event Cache) in Bayern, Germany created by sammy84 + quadgaryGC2M2WK First Campout of Summer (Event Cache) in Northern Scotland, United Kingdom created by Will & CarolGC2QDEE We Want To See More In Seymour (Event Cache) in Indiana, United States created by dorothy&scarecrowGC2M125 3rd Annual Brunch in Buford: Population 1 (Event Cache) in Wyoming, United States created by Team SCRGC2VFPW Breakfast At The Red Rooster (Event Cache) in New Brunswick, Canada created by yndsGC2TJXC N.R.G. Celtic Lunch (Event Cache) in Ontario, Canada created by N.R.G.Cache-A-ManiacsGeocaching PodcastTwin Cities Geocaching Podcast

Customs of the Fey in Northern Scotland This is our Autumn Holiday Special for 2010. We've got a fantastic collection of customs and history about the Fey in Northern Scotland, three great pieces of music, some listener feedback and a superb poem about Summer by Alexander Pope. Top all that off with our usual chat, and you've got a superb show. Hope you enjoy it and have as much fun as we had making it! We chat about the new Irish film 'Ondine' with Colin Farrell (IMDB) which is the story of a 'Selkie'. In addition, we mention the new Cuchulainn film 'Hound' which we have blogged about previously and Gary mentions a new film about Scottish clans at war, called 'The Clan'. You can find out more at www.theclanmovie.com. Full Show-notes, with all credits, can be found on our main Website at http://celticmythpodshow.com/autumn2010 Running Order: Intro 0:41 News & Views 1:43 Shades of the Green by Claymore 3:57 Fairies by Walter Gregor (1881) 7:54 King of the Fairies by Anne Roos 22:27 Summer by Alexander Pope, (1709) 26:51 Herne by Jenna Greene 30:05 Listener Feedback: Tim 36:01 Out-takes 38:28 We hope you enjoy it! Gary & Ruthie x x x Released: 23rd Aug 2010, 41m It's always great to hear from you! Email garyandruth@celticmythpodshow.com, or leave us a message using Speakpipe   Shades of the Green by Claymore High-energy and committed!!! England born Chris, as well as Jim and Derrek like to enjoy ourselves, and like to get everybody around us to have a fun time, but we also are very dedicated musicians. Although it may seem like Claymore is just about jumping around and not appearing serious, all of us are committed to being the best at what each of us do. We have our regular drummer Don (Otto) Wilson out with us on most occasions also. We are truly passionate about the music. We are also very grateful for our family and friends, who come out or support us in many different ways. You can find out more details about Claymore on their website or on their Contributor Page on our website.   Fairies by Walter Gregor (1881) This section comes from the book 'Notes on the Folk-Lore of the North-East of Scotland' and the introduction says: This is an ethnographic study of the inhabitants of the North-Eastern area of Scotland in the mid-19th century, at a time when an agrarian, barter economy still prevailed. Life was hard among these remote coastal communities, and they lived in fear of maleficent witches and the 'Evil Eye'. Many of the rituals, taboos and folkways in this book are to ward off witchcraft directed against economic mainstays such as livestock and fishing. The book has many fascinating bits of lore, as well as extensive oral poetry, all in Scots dialect. (There is, thankfully, an extensive glossary at the end, in case ye're na sure what all the clatterin's aboot.). There are also detailed descriptions of holidays, weddings, and other celebrations, which reveal that life was not completely grim. [Sacred Texts] The chapter we read from is specifically about Fairies and customs associated with them. [source]   King of the Fairies by Anne Roos Anne has graciously allowed us to play King of the Fairies which is a superb folk piece from her album, A Light in the Forest. More details about Anne and her albums can be found on her Contributor Page.  Anne’s music repertoire spans traditional Celtic (Irish, Scottish, Welsh), English, folk, religious and secular, Early, Renaissance and classical music, to Broadway, contemporary, pop and Jazz, and is virtually unlimited. She can easily provide the traditional “Canon in D” and “Here Comes the Bride” for a wedding processional, and play classic Frank Sinatra or Metallica at a reception. Her ability to faithfully play such a broad range of musical styles has helped to establish her popularity. Visit Anne's website celtic harp music or find more details on her Contributor Page.   Summer by Alexander Pope, 1709 Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 – 30 May 1744) was an eighteenth-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. He is the third most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson. Pope is famous for his use of the heroic couplet. [Wiki] The poem comes from the wonderful poetry.about.com. Summer from the Second Pastoral See what Delights in Sylvan Scenes appear! Descending Gods have found Elysium here. In Woods bright Venus with Adonis stray’d; And chast Diana haunts the Forest Shade. Come lovely Nymph, and bless the silent Hours, When Swains from Sheering seek their nightly Bow’rs; When weary Reapers quit the sultry Field, And crown’d with Corn, their Thanks to Ceres yield. This harmless Grove no lurking Viper hides, But in my Breast the Serpent Love abides. Here Bees from Blossoms sip the rosy Dew, But your Alexis knows no Sweet but you. Some God conduct you to these blissful Seats, The mossie Fountains, and the Green Retreats! Where-e’er you walk, cool Gales shall fan the Glade, Trees, where you sit, shall crowd into a Shade, Where-e’er you tread, the blushing Flow’rs shall rise, And all things flourish where you turn your Eyes. Oh! how I long with you to pass my Days, Invoke the Muses, and resound your Praise; Your Praise the Birds shall chant in ev’ry Grove, And Winds shall waft it to the Pow’rs above. But would you sing, and rival Orpheus’ Strain, The wond’ring Forests soon shou’d dance again, The moving Mountains hear the pow’rful Call, And headlong Streams hang list’ning in their Fall! But see, the Shepherds shun the Noon-day Heat, The lowing Herds to murm’ring Brooks retreat, To closer Shades the panting Flocks remove, Ye Gods! and is there no Relief for Love? But soon the Sun with milder Rays descends To the cool Ocean, where his Journey ends; On me Love’s fiercer Flames for ever prey, By Night he scorches, as he burns by Day.   Herne by Jenna Greene "Her ethereal music is inspired by Celtic lore and nature myth. She believes both nature and music are powerful healers. Fused together, her music will take you on a journey to sacred groves, standing stones and places of beauty within yourself." Herne is a Celtic god who embodies masculine energy. He symbolizes the dark time of the year. Autumn is his time of power. I always think of this beautiful myth when the autumn leaves begin to fall. Jenna can be found on Myspace, but her own website provides lots of useful information. You can find out more details about Jenna on her Contributor Page on our website.   Listener Feedback We play some audio feedback from Tim, the Reverend Sylvanus Treewalker who is the host of Pagan Persepectives on Blog Talk Radio. The show was re-launched on the 22nd August and we hope to have a new promo to play you soon. The Revered Sylvanus Treewalker presents the Pagan Perspectives show. He presents a show that deals with issues that Modern pagans deal with. Also he will discuss traditions and practices of many different Pagan groups. You can find out more about the Pagan Perspectives on their website. They also have an online social community on the Ning network.   Get EXTRA content in the Celtic Myth Podshow App for iOS, Android & Windows Contact Us: You can leave us a message by using the Speakpipe Email us at: garyandruth@celticmythpodshow.com. Facebook fan-page http://www.facebook.com/CelticMythPodshow, Twitter (@CelticMythShow) or Snapchat (@garyandruth), Pinterest (celticmythshow) or Instagram (celticmythshow)   Help Spread the Word: Please also consider leaving us a rating, a review and subscribing in iTunes or 'Liking' our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/CelticMythPodshow as it helps let people discover our show - thank you :) If you've enjoyed the show, would you mind sharing it on Twitter please? Click here to post a tweet! Ways to subscribe to the Celtic Myth Podshow: Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher   Special Thanks Diane Arkenstone The Secret Garden. See her Contributor page for details. Kim Robertson The Hangman's Noose. See her Contributor page for details. Jigger Time Ticks Away. See her Contributor page for details. Evan, Cloture from the album Alice and Rever... Peut-etre... Part 1 from the album Rever... Peut-etre... See the Contributor page for more details. Flavio Simone, Au Revoir from the album Naissance. See the Contributor page for more details.   For our Theme Music: The Skylark and Haghole, the brilliant Culann's Hounds. See their Contributor page for details.   Extra Special Thanks for Unrestricted Access to Wonderful Music (in Alphabetic order) Anne Roos Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of her masterful music to Anne Roos. You can find out more about Anne on her website or on her Contributor page. Caera Extra Special thanks go for permission to any of her evocative harping and Gaelic singing to Caera. You can find out more about Caera on her website or on her Contributor Page. Celia Extra Special Thanks go for permission to use any of her wonderful music to Celia Farran. You can find out more about Celia on her website or on her Contributor Page. Damh the Bard Extra Special thanks go to Damh the Bard for his permission to use any of his music on the Show. You can find out more about Damh (Dave) on his website or on his Contributor page. The Dolmen Extra Special thanks also go to The Dolmen, for their permission to use any of their fantastic Celtic Folk/Rock music on the Show. You can find out more about The Dolmen on their website or on our Contributor page. Keltoria Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of their inspired music to Keltoria. You can find out more about Keltoria on their website or on their Contributor page. Kevin Skinner Extra Special thanks go for permission to use any of his superb music to Kevin Skinner. You can find out more about Kevin on his website or on his Contributor page. Phil Thornton Extra Special Thanks go for permission to use any of his astounding ambient music to the Sonic Sorcerer himself, Phil Thornton. You can find out more about Phil on his website or on his Contributor Page. S.J. Tucker Extra Special thanks go to Sooj for her permission to use any of her superb music. You can find out more about Sooj on her website or on her Contributor page. Spiral Dance Extra Special thanks go for permission to use Adrienne and the band to use any of their music in the show. You can find out more about Spiral Dance on their website or on their Contributor page. We'd like to wish you 'Hwyl fawr!', which is Welsh for Goodbye and have fun, or more literally Wishing a Good Mood on you!   Save Save

Tech UK - Episode 8UK specific: 1. Digital TV Switchover begins in Northern Scotland - http://www.cable.co.uk/news/digital-tv-switchover-begins-in-northern-scotland-19759075/2. UK Best Buy sales best in world - http://www.totaltele.com/view.aspx?ID=4552833. Tories use YouTube to get last minute  votes - http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/tories-use-youtube-for-final-voting-push-6876934. UK iPad prices announced and Orange data plans announced - http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/apple/ipad-uk-price-and-release-date-announced-687980 and http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/orange-unveils-ipad-data-plan-costs-6880183 minute news bulletin:1. Gmail back in the UK - After a company claimed that it had the rights to the gMail name in October 2005, Google only allowed UK users to use the @googlemail.com suffix in their email address. UK users can now sign up to gmail with an @gmail.com email address. Previous users of @googlemail.com accounts can receive their email at the same @gmail.com email address  - so if your email address was hello@googlemail.com, all email from hello@gmail.com will also be redirected there. http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/google-resurrects-gmail-in-the-uk-6871072. YouTube to let users charge for rentals - YouTube's product manager, Hunter Walk, revealed that they will be allowing some content owners to charge for their uploads and creations. This could potentially be fantastic for both indie film makers who want to make money while getting their work out online, or it could spell disaster as consumers pay for sub-standard material.http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-20004114-36.html3. Group video chat coming to Skype - Skype announced Thursday that it will be offering 5-way video chat starting on May 10th, this will initially be free but SKype has said that they will soon charge for this feature. Caling plans have also been changed and there are savings of up to 60% for users. Unlimited calls to one country, calling landlines costs £3.39 a month. If your subscription includes any of the following countries, calls to both landlines AND mobiles are included: Canada, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, United States.4. Google Goggles Now Translates - Google Goggles, Google's visual search app for Android is getting a new update. Now, users can take a photo of any text in a foreign language, the app with use Optical Character Recognition software to turn it into text and subsequently puts into Google translate - translating back to English. So next time you're abroad and need to know what something is on the menu, take a photo and find out in seconds! Just watch that data bill...http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/google-goggles-turns-cameraphone-into-translation-tool-6877975. Apple and Visa Partner Up - "This summer, Visa will make it possible for iPhone users to wave their device in front of a contactless payment terminal to make transactions, thanks to an Apple-certified hardware accessory.You will need an iPhone case that will include a secure memory card that will hold Visa's contactless payment application, called Visa payWave. The application, which is compatible with the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS, can be password protected and includes advanced security technology to uniquely identify each contactless transaction."http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/05/06/visa_apple_aim_to_simplify_transactions_with_iphone_payment_terminals.htmlGeneral tech news:1. Ubuntu 10.04 arrives - http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2010/04/ubuntu-1004-arrives-with-extended-support-and-less-brown.ars2. iPad reaches 1 million sales, faster than the iPhone - http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/05/03/apple_announces_ipad_sales_top_1_million.html3. Major security flaw found on facebook - http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/serious-security-flaw-found-in-facebook-s-privacy-settings-6875154. Internet Explorer's Market Share below 60% - http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/internet-explorer-market-share-dips-under-60--6873695. Google to launch e-book store this summer - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1273138/Google-Editions-launches-summer.html?ito=feeds-newsxmlEMAIL! techukpodcast@gmail.com    feed://feeds.feedburner.com/TechUKPodcasthttp://techukpodcast.blogspot.com/--------

Transcript -- An introduction to the geology of Northern Scotland.

An introduction to the geology of Northern Scotland.

An introduction to the geology of Northern Scotland.

Transcript -- An introduction to the geology of Northern Scotland.

The Gift of Conversation Picture in your mind two businessmen sitting in an airport coffee shop, briefcases open, papers out spilling all over the table, earnestly in conversation about something important. Or two women sitting in a charming English tea room over a pot of Earl Grey. Or a young couple walking hand-in-hand down a beach as the sun is setting. So romantic. Or two older men sitting in a boat with fishing poles in their hands. Or two little children playing in a sandbox, making sounds like engines and front end loaders and bulldozers and doing some other things too. Or two older women sitting in rocking chairs on a front porch looking out over a mountain valley, reminiscing. Or two fans sitting together at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park conversing over a Triple-A baseball game. Or two teens with cell phones that just can't seem to stop talking, just something to discuss at every moment. All kinds of exciting things going on. All of these things, reflections of the great gift of conversation that God has given us, and I can't imagine going through a day without it. And it is a deep and theological principle that our desire to converse, to communicate, to have relationships, comes because we are created in the image of God. And as hard as it is for us to imagine, there was a time that there was only God and nothing else. Father, Son and Holy Spirit, eternally existing in three persons and able to have conversations among themselves. Inter-trinitarian conversation predates the creation of the world. And that gift of conversation, of relationship, of communication, one person to the next, was conferred on us at creation and it was discussed first before it was given. In Genesis 1:26 God says, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness and let them rule." And so there's an inter-trinitarian conversation about how we, male and female, are going to be created in the image of God, and part of that would be the ability to carry on conversations, the ability to have relationships with other persons. And I believe the gift of conversation in all of its richness unifies the verses we're looking at today. We're going to talk about heavenly conversation. We're going to talk about conversation between us and God in prayer. Praying about all things. We're going to talk about a different use of the word "conversation," just having to do with daily lifestyle, the way we carry ourselves in the physical world and the fact that we have an audience watching that all the time. And how important it is that we carry ourselves then with integrity. And then we're going to talk about the incredibly vital conversation of the Gospel. Sharing the words of life with those who need to hear it the most, that's what unifies our passage. Now, let's begin with the issue of prayer, conversation with God. Daily devotion and prayer. Look at verses 2-4. It says, "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful, and pray for us too that God may open a door for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly as I should." We come immediately to the strategic importance of prayer. Conversation with God: A Daily Devotion to Prayer (vs. 2-4) The Strategic Importance of Prayer Now, for many years as we have received prayer cards from the church and people fill them out, one mystery brother or sister in Christ has written a single word on the card again and again, and that word is "revival." That brother or sister knows very well, we'll know what to do when we get that card, and we do. And we yearn to pray for revival. Now, you may ask, "What is Revival?" Revival is a moving of the sovereign Spirit on an individual, on people, on a church, usually with two great fruits, personal holiness, and evangelistic fruit, conversions. Lost people brought to faith in Christ, personal holiness and conversions, and that in obvious, open, magnificent ways that only God can get the credit for. Now, those that have studied revival again and again have seen a unifying theme, and that is concerted, extraordinary prayer. Dr. AT Pierson, who was the biographer of George Müller, one of the great prayer warriors in history, once said, "There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer." Edwin Orr, a historian who made his focus the history of revivals, he agrees with this and he documents the prayer movements that are connected with great periods of revival again and again. The First Great Awakening, certainly, the Second Great Awakening. In 1857 there was the Businessmen's Prayer Meeting Revival that happened in Manhattan, New York, if you can imagine that. But there they were, it was 1857 and this Christian businessman named Jeremiah Lanphier sent out some advertisements throughout the city that there was going to be a businessmen's prayer meeting at noon, at a certain time, at the Dutch Reformed Church building in downtown Manhattan. This was advertised widely throughout the city, but the first time only six people showed up. Well, they prayed, they prayed fervently. And the next week 14 people showed up. And the next week after that 23 people showed up and then they decided they were going to meet every day for prayer. Not once a week, but every day at noon. By February of 1858, every church and public hall in Manhattan was filled up at noon with people praying. Imagine that, picture that in your mind. Incredible. Horace Greeley, the great editor of the New York newspaper that urged people, "Go west, young man," that one, published, he wanted to find out what was going on, so he sent a reporter around with horse and buggy, not having telephones or anything like that, they had to physically be there. And so this poor reporter flogged his poor horse and got to as many meetings as he could during the noon hour of prayer. He managed to get to 12. That's really quite remarkable, maybe a record of reporting, at least in New York City. And he found over 6,000 people meeting in those 12 meetings, actually, 6,100. It was a landslide of prayer, a revival, and it moved up the Mohawk River and groups all over in upstate New York, and then it spread throughout New England, and eventually, all over the country. Baptists, in upstate New York along the Mohawk River that winter had to cut holes in the ice to baptize people. Praise God for this baptistery here. I can just say that as one who's had to stand in it, but praise God. But they were so on fire for the Lord, they didn't care what the temperature of the water was, they just wanted to give public testimony to their faith in Christ. And DL Moody, the great evangelist, was converted during that prayer revival. That's what led him eventually to faith in Christ, and to his ministry. Again and again, prayer has been the undergirding and the beginning of revival. 1904, there was a great revival in Wales, the Welsh Revival. It started with a Welsh miner named Evan Roberts, who felt the call to preach, to get out of the coal mines and to preach. And he began training in seminary. And another man came and started preaching along the theme, "O God, bend me." And he began to pray this prayer, "O God, bend me." In other words, bend me to your will, transform me, make my will your own. Let me live only for your glory. "O God, bend me." So Evan Roberts started going around and preaching. And he preached in one Wednesday evening prayer meeting, it was the only slot he could get in that local church, not a well-known preacher at all. But he preached a simple message, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and then some simple steps to personal revival, four of them. Step number one, you must confess any known sin to God, and you must put any wrong done to others right, make it right. Anything you know that you've done wrong, make it right. Secondly, you must put away any questionable habit. Anything about what your conscience is smiting you, put it away. Thirdly, you must obey the Spirit promptly. Whatever the Spirit prompts you to do, you must obey Him promptly. And finally, you must confess your faith in Christ publicly. These four things. Well, it wasn't long before God was pouring out His blessing on these prayer meetings. And just like happened in Manhattan, New York, now it was in Wales. And it was a tidal wave of revival. Within five months, there were 100,000 people converted throughout the country of Wales. It was interesting, a number of years later, five years later, a skeptic named Dr. JV Morgan wrote a book to debunk the revival, on the grounds that of the 100,000 people that had claimed a faith in Christ, only 75,000 were continuing to attend church regularly. Now, you tell me, is that not a revival, when the skeptic is saying 75,000 five years later are still walking with the Lord, God has worked in a mighty way. Now, it started there in Wales, but it spread all over Great Britain, Scandinavia, Continental Europe, North America, Australia, Asia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and in every location it was the same pattern, again and again. It always began with people praying, seeking the face of God. Now, what do we mean by extraordinary prayer? Well, we pray here, worship service every week. I pray, others pray, we had an opportunity to pray. You pray before meals, I would hope, and give thanks to God for the food. You have your daily prayer times, but that's not extraordinary prayer, that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about when people get together at 6:00 in the morning, in large numbers and pray for hours. When people meet together at lunch every day, for months on end, and give themselves to praying for the things of God, or when they spend half a night pouring out their hearts in prayer. Now, that's extraordinary revival. Now, I would contend, that when that kind of prayer is going on, the revival is already happening. It is the revival to move people out of their selfish holes and up into a great concern for the the things of God and the things of other people, the revival's already occurred, but we know it's not going to stay put there. Prayer is strategic. God has ordained prayer as a primary means for advancing His glory and His name to the ends of the earth. Why is it strategic? Well, first of all, it's strategic because it humbles us. It humbles us, and it also empowers us. Isn't that amazing how we can be both humbled and empowered? But so it is. It humbles us in the asking, and it also glorifies God in the giving. And prayer is strategic because through prayer, without moving, we can touch the distant parts of the Earth, to the ends of the Earth, we can reach out with prayer. Now, Paul here in Colossians is calling Christians to a commitment of prayer. Constant devotion in prayer. He says, "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Now, the word "devote" has a simple meaning of, "Just continue. To keep doing something, to have a commitment to it." The Commitment of Prayer: Constant Devotion Many hear sermons on prayer, they get moved, they get motivated, something changes for a day or so, and then it fades away like the morning mist, like the dew on the grass in the morning. That's not what Paul is calling us to here. He's calling us to a movement of prayer, of commitment to prayer. The Greek word here means, to stand fast in prayer, to be fully devoted to the prayer, to hold firmly onto prayer despite all obstacles. To be immersed in it, to cling to it. David Brainerd, a missionary in the 18th century, a contemporary of Jonathan Edwards, was a missionary to the American Indians, an incredibly godly man, and his diaries have had a revolutionary effect on the worldwide missionary movement. Tremendous devotion poured out in those diaries. And you'd read these entries, April 12th, "Spent the entire day in prayer." January 27th, "Though the day was cold, my body was covered with sweat, simply because of my excursions in prayer." Again and again you get these readings. "Spent two thirds of the day in prayer. Wrestled much in prayer for the Indians." This kind of thing. It's a devotion and a commitment to prayer, and that's I think what Paul's calling us to. Now, it's not easy to do, because faith-filled prayer has tremendous obstacles. Let's take the same old three we always wrestle with, the world, the flesh and the devil. First the devil, he opposes prayer, in individual Christians, and in churches, because he knows that it moves the hand of God, for His own glory. And so therefore, he's going to try to squelch prayer movements as best he can. The world opposes prayer because of its fast-paced achievement orientation, the fact that it's so distracting, so alluring, so enticing, and therefore there are things we'd rather do than spend a bunch of time praying. The world has already captured our affections, and we don't want to give time to prayer. And then there's our own nature. Our own nature. We are very prideful. We want things done in our own way and in our own time. And we tried prayer back then, and God didn't do what I wanted. I was reading, as I was preparing for this sermon, reading about a pastor who came across his school-aged son, a young boy. He heard him praying, he kept praying. "Tokyo. Oh, God, make it Tokyo. Make it Tokyo, oh, God." And he thought, "My son's being called to mission work in Japan." Well, it wasn't the case. He had taken a geography exam, and he had put that Tokyo is the capital of China, and he was saying, "Make it Tokyo, God. Make it Tokyo." Have you ever prayed like that? Not your will, but mine be done, oh Lord. Move that will, that you established before the foundation of the world, that pillar, that unshakable... Move it to suit my needs. That's the way we tend to pray. "Make it Tokyo, oh, God." We're prideful, and so therefore, when we don't get our way we give up in prayer. We are self-centered, we don't really care very much about the needs of others. We are weak, we're easily swayed, we make commitments, and then we give up on them. And we are unbelieving as well and prayer is such faith-filled work. Think about, for example, the battle between Joshua and the Amalekites, when Moses is up on the hill, and he's lifting up his hands in prayer. Joshua's down there on the battlefield and he is fighting with a sword in his hand. Do you think that Joshua took a break in the middle of the battle? His arm is getting tired. He's like, "Amalekites, if we could just have a break for a few minutes?" Absolutely not. He kept fighting, and he knew that he needed to keep fighting, because it was physical, obvious, sensory work. But Moses, many times his hands go down that day. Godly man. But many times his hands go down. Finally he starts to get the cause and effect. Okay. My hands go down, we start to lose. And so, they prop his hands up with stones, and they hold him up so that he can keep his hands extended in prayer. But that's the way it is with us. We don't see the cause and effect, and therefore we don't know why we should keep praying. God's going to do what He's going to do anyway, so we think. These are all obstacles to prayer. But Paul is calling on us to overcome those obstacles and to devote ourselves to prayer. He's calling on us to make it a lifestyle, to weave prayer throughout our day. He says in another place, in 1 Thessalonians 5, that we should “pray without ceasing.” Now, this means, obviously, daily time spent in prayer, your morning devotions. You wake up in the morning, you have your time of prayer. Or concerted times when you get together, you can schedule a time and be with Christians. But, I think it also means weaving prayer throughout the day. Charles Spurgeon was somebody who did this. He just seemed to live and move and have his being in an atmosphere of prayer. He just moved through the day in prayer. I was reading a biography recently of Spurgeon, and Steve Miller was talking about C.H. Spurgeon on spiritual leadership. And he mentioned an occasion in which one of his friends, Spurgeon's friends, came from Brooklyn, a Dr. Theodore Cuyler, to visit him. And Spurgeon went with Dr. Cuyler for a walk through the woods, something they loved to do, just to be refreshed out in nature. And Spurgeon had a tremendous sense of humor, and something struck him as funny, and he shared that with his friend, Dr. Cuyler, and they both just began to laugh. And their hearts were just knit together as they were laughing. And then suddenly Spurgeon stopped him, and he said, "Come, Theodore. Let's thank God for laughter." And Theodore Cuyler reflected on this years later, said, "This is the way it was with Spurgeon. He moved from a jest to a prayer and back again at the breadth of a hair." And so it should be, I think, with us. We are just constantly living, and moving, and having our being in the presence of God. Enoch walked with God. Noah walked with God. We can walk with God, and we immerse our days in prayer. And so, he says "Devote yourself to prayer." But I think we also need to step back and be strategic in our prayers as well. What are the big themes of life? What is the purpose of history? What is God doing in the world? We need to be devoted to that in prayer. Jesus said in Matthew 9, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out laborers into His harvest fields." So we need to devote ourselves to the big strategic picture as well. Not just thanking God for laughter. We should do that. But also praying that God would thrust out laborers into His harvest fields. So devote yourself. The Manner of Prayer: Watchful, Thankful Now, he gives us here the manner of prayer. He speaks of being watchful and thankful. Later in this, he talks about wrestling, we'll get to that, God willing, next week. Wrestling in prayer, it's labor. But here he talks about being watchful. Paul commands us to pray in a state of watchfulness. Now, what does that mean? Well, I think it means at least, can we just agree that it means at least you should be awake at that time? You should be awake while praying? Now, I will confess to you, I've had some very quiet, quiet times. They're like time warps, you know what I'm saying? You know what happened, you know I'm a little too comfortable. You know, it's a little too early. And so I had an incredible time of 75 minutes of prayer with the Lord, don't remember any of it. Just whoosh, right through. And there are times that I literally just need to pace back and forth, just pace, and walk, and talk out loud, because I'm going to fall asleep. So we need to be watchful in prayer and not fall asleep. Imagine setting up a time with the president or some other dignitary, and falling asleep in their presence. This is not a good thing. And so, therefore, we ought to be watchful in our prayers. But I think it involves more than that. I think it means giving diligent attention to our prayer lives. Preparation, I think, is part of it. How do you prepare yourself to pray? Do you have a prayer sheet? Do you have a prayer notebook where you keep records of specific requests, and when they were answered by God? Do you have some sheets to help you in worship, or in confession of sin? Do you have some things to help you? There's nothing wrong with that. As a matter of fact, I would urge it, because our minds can become blank, and then we'll see a brother or sister, and we had told them we were going to pray for something, and we didn't do it. So I think you take the church's prayer list, you take your own, make your own prayer list. Get the directory of the church and just go through names and things will pop into your mind as you see their names, that's what I do. And so you're watchful in prayer, you're alert and you're preparing for it. Another way to look at it, not just that you're awake, and not just that you have been diligent in preparing the prayer time, but that you're expecting God to answer. You're expecting Him to do something. Prayer is going to move the mighty hand of God, the Sovereign King of the universe. And just one movement from His hand is worth more than any of the other efforts we could put toward something. Recently I was watching a movie, it was done by an outreach, as an outreach by a church in Georgia, the movie's called Facing the Giants, maybe some of you have seen it. It's about an embattled football coach struggling in his life with various issues, very discouraged, and thinks that he's going to lose his job. A lot of things going on for him at home, struggling. And at a key moment in the film, a godly janitor who's spent much of the time just going from locker to locker putting his hands on the lockers and praying for these students. God bless those kind of people, the heroes that you never see, and the prayer warriors that do all these kind of things behind the scenes. But he felt God was leading him not to be behind the scenes anymore in this one area. And he came to the coach and he read some Scripture to the coach that was appropriate for the situation. That God had set before him an open door that no one could close, and that he needed to make the most of his opportunity as coach there. To bloom where it is planted. Well, he said, "God led me say that to you," and then he went off. Well, the coach is just sitting there a little bit stunned. Then he got up and he followed this man, and he said, "Did God tell you to come say that to me?" He said, "Yeah, I think He did, I believe He did." And he said, "Well, I want you to know I have been struggling with depression. I've been discouraged. But I've also been praying." Then the janitor said, "You know, I heard a story once about two farmers, both desperate for rain, it was a drought. Both of them prayed for rain, but only one one went out and prepared his fields. Now, which of those two are you?" That's very convicting. I guess God wasn't done using the janitor that day. Now, which of the two are you? Are you acting like God actually will answer your prayers? Take a step back, are you praying any such prayers that'd be worth answering? Anything specific for His kingdom and His glory. And second step, are you expecting Him to do it? Jesus said in Mark 11:24, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours." You're like, "Oh, Jesus, you need to be more careful, you know I was going to leave this to name it and claim it." Jesus just says it. We know in the analogy of Scripture, we are going to be bound in by the will of God, and frankly, we don't want anything but the will of God, that's what believe means. Faith is stepping into God's world as it really is, not creating an alternate universe. But He says, "If you believe you have it, you have it." As I was going over this sermon this morning, I said, "Do I pray like this?" And at that moment, I felt the Spirit just leading me to pray that someone would come here today who needed to hear the Gospel. I mean an outsider, as is mentioned here in Colossians, who's never come to faith in Christ. And I felt that the Lord was leading me to stop right at this point in my sermon and pray for that individual to come to faith in Christ. That they would look to Christ whose blood was shed on the cross for them, that they would receive forgiveness of their sins by simple faith in Christ. Will you all pray with me for that individual? Father, I prayed this morning that someone would come here who needed to hear the Gospel. And that today would be, for them, the day of salvation. And I trust you right now and ask that you would move in that person's heart, and that they would fear Judgement Day, and find in the Savior all of the love, and compassion, and mercy that they need to free them from a life of sin and from fear of death, and that they would come to trust in the Savior. I pray this in your name, Lord Jesus, amen. And I've been convicted by this. Do I pray like this? Do I trust God for actual things for His kingdom? Being watchful in prayer. And what about being thankful? When God answers that prayer, should we not go back and say, "Thank you, God, for doing it"? And when He answers many prayers, should we not in the relationship go back and say, "You did it, Lord. To God be the glory, thank you"? We should. It's part of the relationship. And so we need to go back with thankfulness. The Focus of Prayer: Gospel Success Now, the focus of prayer, verses 3 and 4, is Gospel success. "And pray for us, too," he says, "That God may open a door for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly as I should." This should be the center of our prayer life: What is God doing in the world? Why are we here? What are His purposes? And His purposes are to call out “from every tribe, and language, and people, and nation,” a multitude greater than anyone can count, and save them from their sins, and sanctify them by His Word, and glorify them, and make them just like Christ. And they will dwell with him forever and ever. That's what He's doing, that's big. We ought to pray big like that, then. “Our Father in Heaven, may your name be hallowed, and may your kingdom come, and may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” I want to pray big things like that. And notice how the mighty Apostle Paul asks for prayer for help in this area. Look what he prays for, he says, "Pray for us, too. I need prayer. Pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message." He's asking for prayer. He feels his weakness. "When I'm weak then I'm strong," he's not too strong to ask for prayer, he wants prayer. And look what he asked for, he asked for an open door for the message. A fair hearing of the Gospel. Specifically, it's a prayer that God would exert His sovereign power over the wills of unbelievers to get them to be open to the Gospel ministry. Does God have that kind of power? Can He actually turn the heart of a king or an emperor so that there is an opportunity for the Gospel? I tell you He can, He's done it again and again. Proverbs 21:1 says, "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, He directs it like a watercourse whichever way He chooses." It's happened again and again. The Lord granted Joseph favor in the eyes of his jailer. Genesis 39:21. The Lord granted Daniel favor in the eyes of the Babylonian officials so he didn't have to eat the food that would defile him. The Lord granted Nehemiah favor in the eyes of King Artaxerxes so he could go back and rebuild Jerusalem. Nehemiah 1:11. The Lord granted Esther favor in the eyes of her husband, though he had not invited her, and the penalty for coming in uninvited is death. Still, Esther 5:3, God granted her favor. Does God have the power to change the heart of a potentate? He does. It's happened again and again. I was reading in the church history the story of Columba, who was a sixth century Irish monk whose heart burned with missionary zeal, who established Iona as a training place for missionaries, Irish missionaries going out all over continental Europe. But one place that God had laid on his heart was Northern Scotland, where the fierce Picts were. These people were so tough, the Highlanders, Scots, that the Roman Empire didn't want to mess with them, and built Hadrian's Wall as a result. Did not want to take on the Picts. Well, Columba took them on, and he went into their country, and he went right to the main fortress at Inverness, and wants to see King Brude, and he wants to tell him the Gospel. Well, the king is stunned, and doesn't want to have anything to do with this man, and sends him away. Well, he doesn't go away. He sets up shop right outside the walls of the fortress, and just begins to fast and pray. Well, it isn't long before the king invites him back in, and listens to what he has to say. The door is opened for the Gospel, the king eventually came to faith in Christ, and many of those Picts did as well. Columba brought the Gospel to northern Scotland by fasting and prayer. Notice that Paul also asks for clarity in presenting the Gospel. The Gospel is infinitely deep. Paul was amazingly learned. At one point, someone had said, "You're out of your mind, Paul, your great learning is driving you insane." Some people have gone insane trying to read Romans 9 through 11, and trying to figure out what that means. So there are depths of the Gospel, there are deep concepts and thoughts, there's meat. But Paul is here praying for simplicity and clarity: "Pray that I might make it clear as I should." A similar prayer he requests in Ephesians for boldness. In Ephesians 6:19 and 20 he says, "Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly as I should." Again, he's putting his weakness out on the line: “If you don't pray for me, I might wimp out. I might be a coward at a key moment. I might turn away from a great Gospel opportunity. Pray for me that I might be bold.” Well, I think we ought to just apply this to each other. Let's pray for each other that so-and-so would have an open door for the Gospel, and that they would make it clear as they should, and that they would be bold and courageous. We pray this three-part prayer at our staff meetings: God, give me an opportunity to witness today, and give me the clarity to see it, and the boldness to take maximum opportunity of it. Pray that for yourself, that could change your life. God, give me a chance to witness today, and give me the eyes to see it, and the boldness and the heart, to take advantage of it. So that's what Paul prays for. Conversation in Action: A Carefully Observed Walk A Watching World The second aspect of conversation is just our daily lifestyle. Conversation in action, a daily observed walk. Look at verse 5. He says, "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders, making the most of every opportunity." We are living our lives before a watching world. We're on a stage, and the world is watching us. And it's not by accident God has ordained it so. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither does anyone light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it up on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven." God has lit a light inside you, the light of the Gospel. You are the light of the world, He's going to put you up on a stand and let your light shine all around. You are on a stage, you are being watched. And what he's talking about here is, be very careful how you live in front of the unbelievers who are watching. Now, I believe, from this point forward in the section we're looking at today, everything that Paul says is geared toward producing, living in such a way that lost people will come to you and ask you about Jesus. That you live in such a way that they will come and say, "Please tell me what's going on in your life, I want to know." And there's a verse behind this. This is 1 Peter 3:15, it says, "Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, and always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience." So in other words, be ready for business, open for business. Live in such a way that people are going to be attracted to you, and want to ask you about Jesus, or at least ask what's different about you, what is going on in your life. Like the Philippian jailer who brings Paul and Silas out in the middle of the night, trembling, falls in front of them and asks them this question: "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Wouldn't you love to have that happen to you this week? Maybe you don't want the public beating without a trial, or to be in the jail in the middle of the night or any of that, but maybe you would like somebody to fall down in some sense before you and say, "What must I do to be saved?" And how ready would you be to tell them the truth? The Need for Wisdom So that's what I think Paul's getting at. And first he says there's a need for wisdom. Paul says, "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders," and then he says, literally, "Redeeming the time." You need to redeem the time. Now, last week I preached on slavery, and the idea is of a captive, someone in chains, and you pay redemption money, and get the captive out of chains. Well, how is time then like a kidnapped captive? Well, to some degree, because it says in Ephesians, "The days are evil," you've got to go rescue the day. If you are passive toward the day, you will lose it, it will be gone. You must aggressively go, as the Latin people put it, carpe diem. You have to go seize the day. Like David and his men had to go rescue their wives and children from the raiding party that came, the Amalekites that came, so also we have to go rescue the day. Redeem the day. Redeem the hour, redeem the day, or you will lose it, that's what he's getting at. George Whitefield, in effect, said, "There's no better way that I could obey the Scripture than by sharing the Gospel with somebody." And he said, George Whitefield said, "Woe to me if I should spend half an hour in a carriage with someone without sharing the Gospel of Christ." That's how we redeem the time. That's how we act in wisdom toward outsiders: Share the Gospel with them. The Need for Integrity And there's a need for integrity, because basically, you never know who's watching. Daniel had enemies who were watching him, he didn't know it. They watched him carefully to try to find some dirt on him so they could get him fired from his job. There was nothing to see. And they said, "We'll never find anything against this man, he's always at work, or praying, or doing something. The only way we can get him is with his prayer life," and that's what they tried to do. But they could not find any dirt on him. So we have to be people of integrity, living what we proclaim. Conversation in the Gospel: Speaking the Words of Life Speaking the Words of Life The third kind of conversation he talks about here is sharing the words of life, the Gospel, look what he says in verse 6: "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Now, I just said a moment ago, we have to put our Christianity on display, we have to set a good example. But may I say to you, with all due respect, no one is going to get saved from their sins by watching what a good example you are of the Christian life. No one is going to get saved by watching how you live, not at all. God has ordained that it is word and not action that saves souls. Christ's actions, yes, but when it comes to us, we are to share the word of life. We are to speak the words of the Gospel. Romans 1:16 says, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." It is the power. The Gospel message is the power of God for salvation. Later in that same book, Romans 10:17: "Faith comes by hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Or in James 1:21, "Humbly accept the word planted in you which can save you." So we need to be ready to share the message of the Gospel. Now, recently Andy, and Eric, and I went to a conference out at Ridgecrest, a Building Bridges conference, and Don Whitney was there. And he was talking about, how well do we know the Gospel? And he was teaching a Sunday school class, and he asked them, "Do you think you know the Gospel pretty well?" And they said, "We've been hearing the Gospel for years.” Longer than you, sonny! That kind of message. And he's like, "Alright, that's fine." So he passed out some sheets of paper and some pens. He said, "I want you to take 10 minutes, and I want you to write down the Gospel message. Just write it down. And boy, did they struggle. You see, they'd heard the Gospel so many times they could recognize it when they heard it, but they couldn't articulate it, they couldn't speak it. Some time ago, I memorized a quick four-part outline of the Gospel on these headings: God, man, Christ, response. What do we say about God? He is a king, a creator, a law-giver, a judge. He is also savior. What do we say about man? He is sinful, and separated from God, all of us, created in the image of God, but yet sinful. What do we want to say about Christ? He is the eternal Son of God, who came into this world, who shed His blood on the cross, died, was buried, the third day He was raised to life. He is the only savior for the world. And what do we say about response? You must repent and believe this good news for the salvation of your soul. Are you able to do that in your own different style? Can you communicate the Gospel so that when someone comes, your speech is filled with grace, seasoned with salt, you're able to communicate the Gospel. If not, then study. “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman who doesn't need to be ashamed, but who rightly divides the word of truth.” Gracious Speech Gracious speech. Now, when I think of gracious speech, I think at least it means this: Mannerly, okay? No coarse language, no gossip, no slander, no off-color jokes, no worldliness. Your speech should reflect a heart filled with Christ. So gracious speech, but more than that, filled with the words of grace, with Scripture. Memorize lots of Scripture. Fill your heart with it, and when you open your mouth, Scripture may flow out. Because whatever you fill your heart with, that's what's going to come out of your mouth. So there you stand at a beautiful mountain valley, or one of those scenic overlooks, there's some people, strangers near you. What comes out of your mouth at that moment? "Boy, isn't that beautiful?" Well, that's very common, anybody would say that. Why don't you try something like this: "You know that the Scripture says that ‘God's righteousness are like the majestic mountains?’ What do you think that means, that God's righteousness is like majestic mountains?" "Gee, I never thought of it." "Well, it says it in Psalm 36:6. " Well, there's a conversation starter. They might say, "Woah, what a weirdo!" They might. Or they might come back and talk to you, and be interested in what you have to say. Or perhaps you're discussing a sensational crime, and a trial, and an issue of crime and punishment is the topic. What could you say that would be gracious at that particular moment? You could say something like, "Only the grace of God in Christ could cover a crime like that." Something like that. And a realization that I could, if it weren't for God's grace, I could commit a crime like that, a humility. Let your conversation be full of grace. Or you're standing there at Kroger, at the produce section, or Food Lion. I'm not endorsing one or the other, please. You get into all kinds of difficulties. Harris-Teeter, what are the others? Anyway, you're at a supermarket, and there's the produce. And somebody's there and you're going through. You could be silent, you could grab your cucumbers, whatever, and you could go. Or you could redeem the time. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders, and say something about Christ. And you'll say, "They'll think I'm weird!" Well, they might. Is it worth it to you, though, that you might actually get in a conversation with somebody and lead them to Christ? Is it worth it to run the risk that they'll think you're weird? "I'd rather they not think about me at all than that I might actually bring them to Christ and they'd spend eternity in the presence of God." Oh, don't do that. Pay the price. Say something about Christ. Let grace flow out. I love this one pastor who, whenever he was asked by his church people, "How are you doing?" he always answered the same way: "Better than I deserve." Well, that's a gracious answer. Better than I deserve. "What do you mean, better than I deserve? Are you some kind of secret murderer?" Say, "Well, in one sense I am. The Sermon on the Mount says that if you're angry at your brother, it's like murder." Whatever, get in a conversation! Challenge Satan's status quo, go after the lost people, that's what I'm urging. Salty Speech Now, what does it mean, "full of grace seasoned with salt"? Well, I spent a little time learning about salt. Actually, at Barnes & Noble, there's a whole book, a 400-page book on the history of salt. And you're thinking, why in the world would you buy a book like that? Well, you buy a book like that if you're an expository preacher coming to Colossians chapter 4:6 and you know you're going to have to say something about salt. And after a while, you read and you start learning some things about salt like, for example, it's the only rock that we eat. That's an interesting thought, isn't it? Are there any other rocks that you know that we eat? I don't know of any. It's indestructible by water and by fire. It's a fascinating substance, really. I asked my mother, who's a chemist, "What is salt used for in the body?" and she started getting into all these ionic transport systems, and I said, "I'm not going to tell the people that. I don't get it, so there's no point in communicating." But it's essential to the body. And when you sweat it goes out, you gotta take salt back in to live. But what did Paul mean? Now, that's the real question. And if you look at Scripture, salt is used in a variety of ways. For example, it's used to season or flavor food. And there's some kinds of food that are just tasteless without it. I was reading one of those Arabian Nights stories, and there's this sultan, and he's got these three daughters. And he wants the daughters to come into his court and express their love for him. Well, what kind of man would do that? But at any rate, the first two daughters come in, and they give a flowery speech, "You are the... " You know, all this. And then the third daughter comes, and she's quiet and more studious, and she says, "You are the salt in my food." And he's actually insulted, actually enraged, and he ends up banishing her. Well, some time later, he is traveling through, and he stops at a place for a meal. And the meal tastes terrible, bland. Well, guess who cooked it? It was his daughter. And she gets finally to make the point. You bring out the flavor in the food, alright? And so it is there's certain kinds of things, starches, potatoes, whatever, that without the salt, they're totally bland. So there's an issue of flavorful speech, something that's fascinating, something that's worth listening to, not bland. It could be that. Or it could refer to salt's preservative aspects. The fact that salt preserves meat, it's a desiccant, it dries out the meat so bacteria doesn't spread all over it. And back in the days before refrigeration, it enabled people to eat meat for long periods of time after it was slaughtered. And so it was an issue of purity, freedom from corruption. So let your conversation be pure conversation, let it be holy, let it stop gossip, let it stop slander. It comes to the salt block in you, and it just doesn't go any further, because you turn it around with a gracious statement, and then make it a Gospel opportunity. You're a salty person, and you're stopping the spread of corruption, because we're the salt of the earth. There's another aspect, too, it says that all grain offerings, in Leviticus 2:13, should be offered with salt. And so all of the grain offerings were offered with salt. Well, what does that refer to? It refers to a covenant of salt. It says, in Numbers 19, "A covenant of salt that God made with Israel." It says in Numbers 19, "I have made a covenant of salt with my people." He says in 2 Chronicles 13, that, "God gave the kingdom to David as an everlasting covenant, a covenant of salt." And so I think it goes from preservative to eternity. Something that's preserved for eternity cannot change. And so let your conversation bring people's minds up into God's eternal covenant, salvation through faith in Christ. Speak of eternal things, things worthwhile, things that are worthy of conversation. Let your conversation be rich. And so, therefore, I think you ought to ask questions of people. You ought to ask questions. Ask, "Do you ever think what happens when you die? What do you think happens when you die?" Or say, "Let's say you're on your deathbed, you're in your 80s, and you've had a successful life. And you're looking back at a successful life. What elements are in that successful life, how do you count success?" Or ask this question: "Why do you think so many lottery winners end up worse off at the end in their lives than they were before they won the lottery?" Ask a question like that. Or, "What image do you have of Heaven?" or, "What image do you have of Hell?" These kind of thoughts. Or this one: "Why do you think Jesus Christ had such an impact on human history?" Ask those kinds of questions. But let your conversation be full of grace, seasoned with salt. Reasoned Speech And why? So that you may know how to answer everyone, this is reasoned speech. Answer what? Well, they're going to ask you questions like this: "Why am I here? What is the meaning of life? What happens to me when I die? How can I get my sins forgiven?" Will you have an answer for them then? When you've lived this kind of life, and you've enticed them into the Gospel, they will ask you to give a reason for the hope that you have. Be ready and share the Gospel then. I want to close just with an exhortation. After worship today, we have a meeting, you heard it already announced. It's in the bulletin, Connection Partners, it is our attempt to reach out to visitors who come our church. We are privileged to have a steady stream of visitors to our church. Some of them that come are not believers yet. This is an opportunity for you, evangelistically, to get involved in the spread of the Gospel. Many people that come are already Christians, but many are not. Those that are already Christians may be looking for a church, they may be new to the area. It's a strategic ministry, but it's also a chance to share the Gospel. The more laborers we have for that harvest field, the fewer, or less burdened it is on any one person. Just like those that take time to pray during Sunday morning worship. So I'd urge you to give consideration to come to a relatively brief meeting, I guess it can't be that brief if there's going to be food. But at any rate, it's going to be brief enough to eat the food, and to discuss Connection Partners. And I would urge you to consider sacrificing some of your time in being part of our ministry to guests and visitors. Close with me in prayer.

Episode 13: Gene discovers that Gary has returned from Europe, and is living in California! Well, he actually already knew that, but this is the first podcast the two guys have done since all of that happened. OK, "seemed" to happen... Gary describes a kind of impromptu international ACIM gathering that took place in Northern Scotland, and also tells some interesting stories about an official Course in Miracles gathering in California. Also currently happening in California, the re-appearances of Arten and Pursah, who now sit on a "new" couch - and Gary explains why. He also explains why he decided to move to California as opposed to Hawaii, his well-known "first love". Gary has a bold idea concerning how to determine the authenticity of self-proclaimed "Masters" here in the material world; and he and Gene discuss the differences between religious doctrines and the "real spirituality" approach to God as presented in ACIM.