Podcasts about obstacles

This episode is a replay from The Existential Stoic library. Enjoy! Everyone has problems. Where do our problems come from? Can we ever be free of problems? In this episode, Danny and Randy discuss the origin of problems.Subscribe to ESP's YouTube Channel! Thanks for listening!  Do you have a question you want answered in a future episode? If so, send your question to: existentialstoic@protonmail.com

[Mark 10:46-52] When faith meets obstacles—both situational and relational—the story of Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46–52 invites us to persist in calling out to Jesus.

Show LinksSelf-Paced Resources:Subscribe To The Interview Podcast: https://yourlevelfitness.com/podcastNew To The YLF Philosophy? Start Here: ylf30.comDaily Accountability And Structure For Your Self-Paced Inside/Out Process: https://yourlevelfitness.com/daily-emailQ&A Response YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjSupgaY5KA66MD2IdmCwFhLFbDe-pk1lIndividualized Guidance From DarylJoin The YLF Experience: https://app.moonclerk.com/pay/5t93iox9udm3Compare All Service Levels: https://yourlevelfitness.com/coachingGet Your Merch, Mugs & Wall QuotesShop The Current Collections: https://yourlevelfitness.shop/collectionsObstacles are not interruptions to your life. They are part of your life.In this episode, I talk about why leaning into obstacles instead of resisting them is one of the most important skills you can develop. Because no matter who you are, no matter what path you are on, obstacles are going to happen. Some will be minor. Some will completely change your direction. Some will slow you down in ways you never expected.But none of them have the power to take you out unless you stop trusting yourself.We talk about the emotional weight that comes with difficult moments. The discomfort. The uncertainty. The pauses that sometimes last longer than you want them to. And why allowing yourself to feel those moments is part of navigating them in a healthy way.This episode reinforces that you do not need to rush your healing or force yourself forward before you are ready. Sometimes collecting yourself takes time. Sometimes it takes weeks, months, or longer. But through it all, the most important thing you can do is continue trusting that you will find your way forward.Because you will.Life continues to move forward. You continue to move forward. And the strength that you need to navigate obstacles has always been inside you.This is about removing the mental tug of war. This is about reconnecting with yourself. This is about learning to move through challenges from a calm headspace and deliberate pace so you can continue building your life through the inside/out process.Please share this episode with anyone you think would be interested in listening to it.Visit darylperrypodcast.com for links to the show page on each of the major podcast directories. From there, you can subscribe and share this pod.For comments, questions, topic ideas, possible collaborations please email daryl@yourlevelfitness.com

The Red Sea seemed like a dead end but God commanded a march into the impossible. Why does He ask them not to use the easy route? Discover how to silence fear and move forward when every instinct screams to retreat today.

This episode of the Life Legacy Podcast features entrepreneur Cam Bawden, who shares his journey from a driven young dreamer wanting financial success to a seasoned business leader focused on intentional living, faith, and legacy. Cam discusses building and scaling businesses — including his pest control company Green Mango — and the emotional and financial challenges he faced along the way, including six years without income and navigating investor setbacks.The conversation explores the importance of belief systems, mentorship, resilience through hardship, and faith-driven decision-making. Cam emphasizes that success comes from consistent effort, surrounding yourself with the right people, and learning through experience rather than traditional education alone.The episode also dives into personal fulfillment beyond financial success. Cam explains how selling a company and achieving financial milestones didn't automatically create happiness, highlighting instead the importance of structured routines, balanced priorities, and intentional design of one's lifeOther major themes include marriage and partnership, parenting and wealth stewardship, the power of commitment, and creating systems that allow entrepreneurs to build businesses without sacrificing family and personal fulfillment. The episode concludes with Cam's core philosophy: success comes from being intentional, disciplined, and consistent.Key Themes & TakeawaysEntrepreneurship & Business LessonsSuccess comes from modeling successful people and executing consistently.Perseverance is often more important than talent.Hard seasons (like six years without income) often precede breakthroughs.Investor setbacks can force clarity, better stewardship, and stronger leadership.Mentorship accelerates growth by helping avoid unnecessary mistakes.Mindset & Personal GrowthBelief expands when you see ordinary people achieve extraordinary results.Obstacles should be viewed as detours rather than roadblocks.Intentional routines and “sacred rhythms” create sustainable success.Money solves problems but doesn't provide fulfillment.Faith & ValuesFaith and tithing play a major role in Cam's decision-making and peace.Seeing God as a “business partner” reframes giving and trust.Spiritual discipline provides clarity during high-stress periods.Relationships & FamilyA supportive spouse is foundational to long-term success.Small daily acts strengthen marriage more than grand gestures.Commitment and reliability build lifelong trust.Legacy & LeadershipLeadership means holding people to high standards while helping them succeed.True legacy comes from integrity and keeping your word.Balanced success across life categories creates sustainable happiness.CONNECT WITH CAM BAWDENhttps://www.instagram.com/cbawden/ https://www.youtube.com/@ThePremiumMindset https://www.tiktok.com/@cameron.bawden LISTEN/WATCH/SUBSCRIBE TO THE “YOUR LIFE LEGACY PODCAST”*Apple Music - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-legacy-podcast/id1740167449 *Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2Cd8XFP59Ar864GcaoEDxW *YouTube Podcasts - https://www.youtube.com/@thelifelegacypodcast  *Amazon Music Podcasts - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b1949e1f-a973-47da-b1e0-538945afa748/the-life-legacy-podcast *iHeartRadio Podcasts - https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-life-legacy-podcast-165910407 CONNECT WITH “THE LIFE LEGACY PODCAST”*LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaxon-cummings-%F0%9F%92%AD%F0%9F%8E%A5-24b40a149/ *Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lifelegacypodcast/ *TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@lifelegacypodcast *YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@thelifelegacypodcast *Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558217934317 *Threads - https://www.threads.net/@lifelegacypodcast *X - https://twitter.com/lifelegacypod *Website -  https://your-life-legacy.com/ 

In this expansive episode of Hidden Wisdom, Meghan Farner is joined by returning guest Phil McLemore for a deep, practical teaching on meditation as the highest form of prayer. Phil presents meditation as an ancient practice of awareness, union with God, and transformation.Together, they explore the difference between mindfulness and transcendental (yoga) meditation, why stillness is essential for spiritual perception, and how meditation aligns with Jesus' own teachings on prayer, the inner kingdom, and becoming “one” with God. Phil offers step-by-step guidance on posture, breath, mantra, handling distractions, and receiving meditation as a feminine, receptive flow of grace rather than a forced effort.This episode also addresses common fears around meditation, ego resistance, spiritual ego, emotional release, and discernment—grounding the practice firmly in Christ-centered theology, embodiment, and character transformation. For anyone seeking a deeper experience of God, inner healing, and true at-one-ment, this episode serves as both teaching and invitation.00:00 | Introduction & why meditation matters for spiritual growth03:00 | Phil's background & discovering meditation through pain06:10 | Meditation as prayer, not self-improvement07:20 | God in the present moment & spiritual awareness09:00 | Mindfulness vs transcendental (God-centered) meditation12:50 | Jesus' model of prayer & the Aramaic meaning of “pray”16:30 | Awareness of awareness & inner stillness19:00 | Yoga, atonement, and union with God23:00 | Still mind, pure heart, and scriptural foundations29:40 | Preparing for meditation: time, place, posture34:00 | Harmonizing the body & devotional intent43:10 | “Don't pray to God—pray in God”46:20 | Breath as the gateway to Spirit52:35 | Diaphragmatic breathing & nervous system safety56:00 | Mantra meditation & examples (“Be Still,” “Peace, Be Still”)01:05:30 | Handling intrusive thoughts & ego resistance01:11:50 | Concentration vs meditation: receiving grace01:15:40 | Oneness, transformation, and Christ-consciousness01:23:30 | Obstacles, emotional release, and patience01:31:30 | Discernment, symbolism, and avoiding spiritual ego01:33:30 | Character transformation as the true fruit01:37:15 | Closing reflections & invitation to practice Join the Contemplative Prayer + Meditation Q&A with Meghan and Phil McLemore, on February 16th at 7pm MT. Register here! Hidden Wisdom initiates truth-seekers into the Mysteries, guiding listeners toward a lived experience of the Divine that awakens and transforms faith—without dismantling family or community. Pursue your Journey: ✨ Hidden Wisdom App – Coming Spring 2026! Pathway programs, community, library, events and more! Join the waitlist for updates, sneak peeks, and discounts!

In this podcast, Tavershima Ayede explains that building rapport with potential clients shouldn't be left to chance. Instead of just making small talk, he suggests using a structured game plan to make every conversation count.The Strategy of ConnectionTavershima argues that "winging it" with random questions is a missed opportunity. He recommends using specific frameworks to keep the conversation on track: * The 5W Method: Asking Who, What, Where, When, and Why. * The POGO Acronym: A classic Zig Ziglar technique focusing on Person, Organization, Goals, and Obstacles.Why Structure MattersBy focusing your questions on a prospect's personal background, their company's goals, and their specific pain points, you do two things: * Validation: You make the client feel heard and understood. * Transition: You create a natural "comfort zone" that makes it much easier to pivot from a friendly chat into a serious business pitch.The Big TakeawayRapport isn't just about being "nice"—it is a strategic tool used to uncover what a customer actually needs.

Missions and missionaries at home and to the world.

1, The Motives for Unity 2, The Characteristics of Unity 3, The Obstacles to Unity 4, The Promotion of Unity 5, The Joy of Unity

Ever been told you should have a crappy day? That's exactly what happened when Adam from my inner circle challenged me to record during a rough patch. Plot twist: I couldn't do it. I don't have many bad days anymore, and when I do, I can't imagine passing that off on you. But I can share what I've learned about flipping those moments when gray skies show up. Because sometimes bad days last for months, and every human I know has them. The question isn't whether you'll have them, it's what you do when they arrive. Featured Story Adam cornered me on an inner circle call. "Scott, do a podcast on a crappy day. An authentic one." He wanted me to stop hiding behind the optimism and show the real stuff. I'm having a pretty good day, so this can't be it. "Come on, say something to make it a crappy day," he pushed. I couldn't manufacture it. But I promised the next time I have one, I'll do it just for him. And I'll blame it on him too. Adam's from South Africa, a hot mess who knows it, but he's a good hot mess. His challenge got me thinking. What if instead of waiting for a crappy day, I shared how I actually deal with them? Important Points If it didn't kill you, it's not that bad. When everything feels like it's ending, remember you're still standing. Get grounded fast by asking what's really going on. Life makes you whine and exaggerate, but it's never that bad. Find a path out even when you don't want to. You might be the only one who can fix it, and that's lonely but powerful. Memorable Quotes "A shot of bourbon sometimes makes you happy for the moment, but it doesn't fix anything. You know what to do instead." "The obstacles are the way. They're not things you avoid, they are your path forward. The challenge is transformation." "Sometimes I look in the mirror and say, okay dumbass, you know better. You know what to do. Get out there and do it." Scott's Three-Step Approach Get grounded by reframing what's actually happening now. Once you see it clearly, you can do something about it. Find even a tiny spark of hope to hold onto. A picture, your dog's wiggle butt, anything that moves you forward. Take one physical action now. Stand up, take a step, repeat. Once you're moving, everything changes naturally. Chapters 0:02 - Adam's challenge: do a podcast on a crappy day 1:23 - Why I can't fake a bad mood for the content 1:59 - How bourbon and yelling work (but don't really) 5:10 - Get grounded: what's really going on here? 7:18 - Find hope in your grandson's smile or dog's butt 9:22 - Real friends judge you (and that's beautiful) 11:00 - Obstacles are the way, and random happy thoughts Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I don't know a single soul who hasn't hit a few speed bumps on the road to success. But the real question isn't whether you'll face obstacles; it's how you're going to move past them to build the life and the business of your dreams. How do you actually manifest that "big stage" vision? On this episode of The Wealthy Speaker Podcast, I am thrilled to welcome back my former client, Penny Tremblay. Penny is joining us to share her incredible journey of resilience, and she's going to show you exactly how to clear the debris and start manifesting your absolute best life. You're going to want your notebook for this one!Highlights you won't want to miss:Obstacles & Manifesting Your Life and Business 0:00Penny's current business model 1:00Overcoming some pretty big obstacles 4:00Keep on keeping on 8:00Manifesting what you want 15:00Working your CRM for better customer relationships 19:00Making your dreams come true 23:00Prioritizing what's most important 28:00Staying in touch 30:00See you next time 38:13If you want some great advice on how you can overcome obstacles and manifest great things in your life and business, you simply can't afford to miss this episode!For access to FULL SHOW NOTES, including video and links, visit: https://www.speakerlauncher.com/category/podcast/

For those of you on your eating disorder recovery journey, you know that feeling stuck or unmotivated is often part of the healing process and sometimes it is difficult to remain hopeful. In this episode, we dive into the practice of Hope Mapping with Allyson Inez Ford. A tool originally created by Dr. Shane Lopez, Hope Mapping can help you set realistic goals, overcome obstacles, and find hope again in recovery.   We'll explore how to reconnect with your values, recognize small but meaningful milestones, and navigate setbacks without losing sight of possibility. You'll learn practical strategies for turning abstract feelings of hope into actionable steps, understand the importance of using your supports, and discover how a clear vision can help guide your journey toward nourishment, self-compassion, and wellbeing. Whether you're just beginning your recovery or have been on the path for a while, this episode provides tools, insights, and encouragement to help you map out a future filled with hope and healing.   If you enjoy our show, please rate, review, subscribe, and tell your friends and colleagues!   Interested in being a guest on All Bodies. All Foods.? Email podcast@renfrewcenter.com for a chance to be featured.   All Bodies. All Foods. is a podcast by The Renfrew Center. Visit us at: https://renfrewcenter.com/

On this Salcedo Storm Podcast:Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis represents the 11 congressional District in New York. She sits on the powerful House Committee on Ways and Means committee among others. She is also the assistant whip for the caucus.

Welcome to the Influence Podcast! I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. In this episode, I talk to Melissa Alfaro about her new book, The Heart of a Pathfinder: Charting Paths for the Next Generation. "A pathfinder's greatest motivation is not the sustainability of their legacy but their ability to launch members of the next generation into their call," Alfaro writes. "Obstacles don't discourage pathfinders. They see obstacles as opportunities to clear a path so the next generation can step into their purpose. Pathfinders take risks. They path the price because they realize that their greatest legacy is not what they have built with their hands, but the paths that they have opened for others with their feet." Alfaro is senior pastor of Tab Church in Houston, Texas, along with her husband Jay. She is an executive presbyter of the Assemblies of God, as well as chair of the Network of Women Ministers.   SPONSOR AD This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of A Disciple's Growth. Get a clear and practical roadmap for following Jesus with depth and purpose. Drawing from Scripture, the power of the Holy Spirit, and real-life examples, discover seven key dimensions of spiritual formation—Bible, Holy Spirit, missions, prayer, worship, service, and generosity—that shape believers into fully devoted disciples. For more information about A Disciple's Growth visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.   SHOW NOTES 00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad 01:58 — W hat was the impetus for writing this book? 04:25 — What is a pathfinder, and how is a pathfinder different from other ways of describing leadership? 09:43 — You write, "There are three areas that the enemy uses to cause us to camp out in the shadows and stop the flow of God's presence in the life of a leader: comfort, fear, and offense." Expand on that insight. 15:02 — Talk about the kinds of things leaders need to think and do when bad stuff interrupts life. 20:15 — Are ministers embarrassed to admit they have personal things that interrupt their lives? 23:01 — What lessons should we take from Nehemiah during the seasons of ministry when we face obstacles in ministry? 28:50 — How do we use our unique voice for Kingdom purposes, and who are the "five people every leader needs in their life" that you mention? 37:08 — What types of resources does the Network of Women Ministers provide? 41:35 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging? 42:44 — Conclusion

2/5/2026 ONE SURE FIRED WAY TO GUARANTEE OBSTACLES ARISEEPISODE 1736It seems to me the universe is aware of leaders who rock the boat. Murphy's law catches a ton of blame. “Something bad is going to happen at the least opportune time.”If my theory is accurate, the one sure fired way to insure obstacle arise is well… watch the video. When everything is going well expect something to go wrong. In the realm of energy, it's inevitable to make waves. https://j-loren-s-school.thinkific.com/products/live_events/Leadingleadersretreat_________________________________________________________Leading Leaders Podcast is a short but impactful leadership video, blog and podcast distributed 5 days a week by J Loren Norris to promote faith, family and freedom in the face of a global leadership drought.Leadership Training, Interviews and EntertainmentVisit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.StoryPowerAcademy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more training material#leadingleaderspodcast #storypower #transforminggracetv #jlorennorrisLOOK FOR LEADING LEADERS PODCAST ON THESE PLATFORMS:- OBBM Network TV- WorldTrumpetTV- Apple Podcast- Spotify- Amazon- RumbleCopyright 2026 Tell It Like It Is Inchttps://my.linkpod.site/Jlorennorris 2/4/2026 I STAND CORRECTEDEPISODE 1735One of the hardest things to do in leadership is to admit fault. Acknowledging mistakes, errors, bad judgment leading to wrong decisions seems like weakness and defeat. A leader must be strong. Others must be willing to accept responsibility for negative outcomes. Leaders need to maintain their air of superiority. Your coming competition is an arrogant machine which most people trust at face value. Most people assuming AI has no opinion or bias, has access to all the data it needs and is immune to bad choices. As a leader, I believe your greatest advantage in the coming decade is the value of your humanity. Invest your wealth, your energy and your soul into becoming a better human for everyone's sake. https://j-loren-s-school.thinkific.com/products/live_events/Leadingleadersretreat_________________________________________________________Leading Leaders Podcast is a short but impactful leadership video, blog and podcast distributed 5 days a week by J Loren Norris to promote faith, family and freedom in the face of a global leadership drought.Leadership Training, Interviews and EntertainmentVisit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.StoryPowerAcademy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more training material#leadingleaderspodcast #storypower #transforminggracetv #jlorennorrisLOOK FOR LEADING LEADERS PODCAST ON THESE PLATFORMS:- OBBM Network TV- WorldTrumpetTV- Apple Podcast- Spotify- Amazon- RumbleCopyright 2026 Tell It Like It Is Inchttps://my.linkpod.site/Jlorennorris 

Talks brokered by the US seek to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Many civilians in Ukraine are suffering in freezing temperatures after Russian attacks on heating and energy supplies. Negotiations are to continue, despite big divisions. But what are those sticking points? And could an end come soon? In this episode: Alexander Bratersky, Independent Analyst and journalist in Moscow Oleksiy Goncharenko, Ukrainian opposition member of Parliament and a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Steven Erlanger, Chief Diplomatic Correspondent in Europe for The New York Times Host: Tom McRae Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Guest: Sinan Ciddi. Ciddi assesses the possibility of democracy in Turkey, discussing the structural obstacles and political dynamics that shape the country's democratic trajectory.1900 TURKEY

If you've been following Miles O'Brien's reports from Antarctica, you know he's with an international group of researchers trying to measure what's happening to the rapidly melting Thwaites Glacier. Their work has been trying to capture information in ways that have never been done before. O'Brien has an update on how all that turned out, for our Tipping Point series. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

If you've been following Miles O'Brien's reports from Antarctica, you know he's with an international group of researchers trying to measure what's happening to the rapidly melting Thwaites Glacier. Their work has been trying to capture information in ways that have never been done before. O'Brien has an update on how all that turned out, for our Tipping Point series. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In this ScreenFish 1on1 interview, DeVon Franklin, producer of RELATIONSHIP GOALS, discusses how working with Michael's book reshaped his understanding of relationships. He reflects on the biggest obstacles relationships face in today's Instagram-driven world and explores the importance of challenging each other for growth. DeVon also shares his thoughts on why healthy conflict can lead to the best outcomes, both in love and in life.RELATIONSHIP GOALS streams exclusively on Prime Video on February 4th, 2026.

Obstacles, adversaries, pitfalls, and bad luck. It's going to be there. It's going to happen.

Show NotesEpisode Title: Turning the Tides: Toni Eastwood on Courage, Confidence & Creating a Life on Your TermsPodcast: Real Women Stories in Partnership with Women On PurposeHost: Lisa QuaitGuest: Toni Eastwood OBE MBA✨ Episode IntroductionThis week, the tables turn. Instead of being the one asking the questions, I step into the guest seat as Lisa Quait interviews me for a powerful, emotional, and deeply honest conversation about confidence, courage, and creating a life on your own terms. From leaving school with no qualifications and being bullied into silence, to becoming a national trailblazer for women in business, building million-pound ventures, and ultimately redesigning life and work from the sunshine of Spain – this episode is not a highlight reel.It's the real story. This conversation is for anyone who has ever:Felt they didn't fitFollowed the “right path” only to feel deeply unhappyBuilt success that looked good on paper but felt emptyKnown they wanted more freedom, but didn't know how to get thereIt's about redefining success, trusting yourself, and having the courage to choose a life that actually feels like yours.

Lisa is an online fitness coach.   She specialises in helping busy mums lose weight and keep it off.   I've been working with Lisa for the past six months in my business mentorship program and she is doing tremendous work with her clients. I'm very excited to share her journey and expertise with you on today's show.    Timestamps (may vary by 2-4 minutes based on your podcast platform.   02:48 Introduction to Transformation 06:00 The Journey of Change 08:42 Mindset Shift: From Dieting to Lifestyle 11:41 Tools for Healthy Living 14:56 Modelling Healthy Habits for Kids 17:44 Balancing Life and Fitness 20:46 The Role of Accountability in Transformation 28:43 Meal Planning for Busy Lives 35:22 Overcoming Common Obstacles for Busy Moms 42:22 Finding Balance in Nutrition and Exercise 49:26 Mindset and Resilience on Low Energy Days   Sponsored by my business mentorship  https://briankeanefitness.com/mentorship-and-business-coaching     Kellie fennel podcast  https://briankeanefitness.com/podcast/467-kellie-fennell-on-simplifying-weight-loss-breaking-your-addiction-to-the-weighing-scale-and-avoiding-comparison-syndrome     (Website) https://www.lisamaddockfitness.com/   (Facebook) www.facebook.com/bodifyfitnesscoaching/   (Instagram) www.instagram.com/lisa_maddock_bodify_fitness/   Lisa Maddock Podcast https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/lisa-maddock-fitness-lisa-maddock-63GZUyid5Fw/?srsltid=AfmBOopxAqjtDZX2p5u-R2w7j6lLNC_UAVHGPJcQBES6VzAaHnyC9SCB  

What happens when a "thankless" and "joyless" corporate career meets the external pressure of a massive company takeover? For my latest guest, Sandra Catania it was the catalyst for a total spiritual awakening.In this episode I sit down with a former marketing pro who turned a mandatory move into a mandatory soul-searching journey.From negotiating licensing rights to receiving intuitive messages during reflexology sessions, her story is a masterclass in trusting the "nudges" of the universe. Key Highlights:TheCorporate Exit: How a Corbis (Microsoft) takeover provided the push needed to leave e-commerce behind. The Forced Pivot: Why a thumb injury was actually a "divine redirection" toward full-time Oracle card reading. Healing the "Witch Wound": Overcoming the fear of judgment to finally trust her own intuition.Listen now to learn how to find the "guiding light" within your own obstacles.

Chase Jacobs | Romans 12:9-21 | 1. The Obstacles to Genuine Love 2. The Origin of Genuine Love 3. The Overflow of Genuine Love

Many people choose mediation as a way to get divorced in hopes that it will cost less, go fairly quickly, and result in a better coparenting relationship. My guest in this episode is divorce mediator, David Louis, who talks about some of the obstacles to effective communication that can hinder the mediation process. 

Visit ⁠⁠http://pmpdoctor.com/⁠⁠ for more PMP practice questions.In the PMP Exam Mindset, "Removing Impediments" is the ultimate expression of Servant Leadership. Your job is to act as a "shield" for the team, clearing the path so they can focus on delivering value without distraction. Definitions to Know (The "Nuance")While the exam often uses these interchangeably, understanding the slight differences helps you prioritize: Impediments: Anything that slows down the team (e.g., a slow server or unnecessary meetings).Obstacles: Barriers that can be avoided or moved with effort (e.g., a missing stakeholder approval).Blockers: Specific issues that cause a total stop on a task or story (e.g., a critical software bug). 

WOW!!!

Impossible goals are rarely impossible. They just require a different way of thinking, acting, and deciding when things stop feeling obvious. Kendall Berg sits down with Sarah Arnold Hall to unpack why most people abandon big dreams right at the moment progress actually begins. They break down why obstacles are not a signal to pivot, quit, or start over. Obstacles are part of the process. Sarah explains how high achievers mistake discomfort for failure and reset their goals too early. Kendall brings this into the workplace, showing how career momentum is built by staying consistent, acting like the role you want, and iterating instead of jumping strategies. This conversation reframes what persistence really looks like. From starting closer to the goal instead of over preparing, to using the mindset of "it's working" to stay grounded during the dip, this episode offers a smarter approach to achieving goals that feel out of reach. If you have ever questioned whether to push through or walk away, this episode will help you make that decision with clarity. In this episode, we discuss Why do impossible goals feel harder right before they start working How do you stay consistent when progress feels slow or unclear What does it mean to start at the end instead of the beginning How can acting like the role you want accelerate career growth When should you persist versus pivot or quit a goal What's one "corporate game" rule you've learned the hard way?

Abbé Matthieu Raffray est un prêtre catholique traditionaliste de l'Institut du Bon Pasteur, docteur en philosophie et enseignant à l'Université pontificale Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin.Chaîne Youtube (personnelle) : ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@abbematthieuraffray/⁠Chaîne Youtube 2 (Pour une foi) : ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@UClIviWSsWzPb-07tY7NpS6g ⁠Instagram : ⁠https://www.instagram.com/abbe_matthieu_raffray/?hl=fr⁠X : ⁠https://x.com/abberaffray⁠ CHAPITRES :0:00 Introduction0:54 Science et religion en opposition3:35 Réflexion sur l'existence de Dieu5:41 Science et métaphysique, une réponse6:44 Évolution et dogmes religieux12:26 La création de l'homme15:56 La tension entre science et foi20:32 La Bible et l'actualisation de la foi21:50 La vision catholique de l'écriture24:13 Relation au texte et à la vérité27:08 La nature de Dieu29:49 Dieu et le temps32:03 La création et la liberté34:17 La nécessité de la cause première36:32 Qui a créé Dieu ?43:07 La fin du monde et la réconciliation49:01 Spiritualité moderne et quête des jeunes52:11 Consommation matérielle et quête spirituelle55:08 Surconsommation de la fausse spiritualité56:21 La modernité et ses défis58:48 Critique de la modernité1:03:42 La vertu et le mythe de Prométhée1:10:22 Obstacles à la vertu1:14:21 La lutte quotidienne du prêtre1:21:57 La souffrance et le péché1:30:38 Jugement après la mort1:37:37 Phénomènes paranormaux et spiritualité1:45:10 Mission et engagement du prêtre1:53:29 Confiance en Dieu1:58:10 Prédication sur le continent numérique BIOMÉCANIQUE :​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠La Lettre Biomécanique⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠™⁠⁠ Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

William Sarradet and Nicholas Frank discuss exhibition open calls, including obstacles around related costs, and recap some opportunities currently happening in Texas. “It's hard to overstate the importance of social connections... Your network is really important, and it's not just the people that are going to get you into the Whitney Biennial, it's the people who are going to support you throughout the stages of your career.” See related readings here: https://glasstire.com/2026/01/25/art-dirt-open-calls-opportunities-obstacles/ If you enjoy Glasstire and would like to support our work, please consider donating. As a nonprofit, all of the money we receive goes back into our coverage of Texas art. You can make a one-time donation or become a sustaining, monthly donor here: https://glasstire.com/donate

In this week's edition of the Capitol recap, We'll get an update from Vermont Public's Peter Hirscheld and Lola Duffort about how efforts to reform the state's education system are going

When obstacles show up on the path to your dreams, it's easy to wonder: Is this a sign I should stop? In this powerful episode, I answer a client's deeply relatable question about resistance, roadblocks, and self-doubt when pursuing a meaningful dream. Obstacles are not a stop sign, but a predictable part of growth when you're stepping into unfamiliar territory. In this episode, you will learn the difference between fear-based resistance, misalignment, and challenges that are actually preparing you for your next level.I also introduce the concept of taking a "brave thinking breath", a simple but powerful practice to calm the nervous system and unlock creative solutions when things feel overwhelming. This episode is for anyone who feels stuck, discouraged, or uncertain about whether to keep going—or pause and realign. You'll walk away with clarity, confidence, and a renewed sense of trust in your journey. If you would like some help with figuring out how to transform your life! I can help you create a vision for a life that you absolutely love living. Click here to arrange a session with me. If you're enjoying the podcast, please share the show with a friend or, even better, leave a review to ensure others can benefit from it too! WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THE EPISODE Why resistance is normal when pursuing meaningful goals How to tell if obstacles are fear, misalignment, or growth Why growth often feels uncomfortable before it feels aligned How to calm your mind and access creative solutions FEATURED ON THE SHOW: If you're enjoying the podcast, I'd love to hear from you! Please share the show with a friend or even better, leave a review to ensure others can benefit from the podcast.

Three weeks into a legislative session that's supposed to produce one of the most consequential school-governance overhauls in state history, lawmakers are knee-deep in the “inherent contradictions” that make meaningful reform so elusive.

Send us a textHeather and I are talking about challenges leaders face.  OverworkAvoiding bad applesRecovery timeHeather and I would love to hear about some of the common challenges you face. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/leading-for-wellness/202601/how-to-overcome-common-leadership-challenges

In Parshat Bo, G-d tells Moses something unexpected: “Come to Pharaoh.” Not go… but come.In this episode Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores a profound teaching from the Zohar and Chassidic thought: when we face a “Pharaoh” in our lives… fear, resistance, heartbreak, failure, or a person who seems to block our freedom… we are never sent alone. G-d says: Come with Me.Even more startling, G-d adds: “Because I hardened his heart.” The resistance itself is Divine. Not to stop redemption, but to reveal it.Through Torah, Kabbalah, psychology, and powerful stories (including the donkey in the pit and a letter from the Rebbe), this class reframes life's hardships as portals, not barriers. What feels like opposition is often the very force meant to uncover our deepest strength, courage, and soul-power.This is a class about fear, faith, resilience and discovering that the path forward is often a winding one, but it always leads upward.Key TakeawaysYou never face adversity alone. “Come to Pharaoh” means G-d walks with you into your hardest moments.Resistance is not random. Some of the strongest opposition in life is part of the redemption process itself.Pharaoh is not in control. What looks overwhelming is often a tool, not a tyrant.Obstacles are portals. Life's blockages are invitations to excavate hidden strength.Growth is uncomfortable by design. Muscle only grows by tearing and so does the soul.The dirt can bury you or elevate you. Shake it off. Step up. Rise.Your hardest challenges may reveal your greatest light. You discover who you truly are not when life is easy, but when it demands more of you.#Judaism #chabad #Kabbalah  #ParshatBo #Torah  #TorahPortion  #TorahLessons#ComeToPharaoh #NotAlone #FaithOverFear #KabbalahForLife #SpiritualResilience #PortalsNotBarriers #InnerFreedom #DivinePlan #SoulStrength #JewishWisdom #TheZigZagPath #Redemption #chassidus #RabbiBernath #lubavitch #Rebbe Available now:Paperback (US): https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638Paperback (Canada): https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1069217638Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6Support the showGot your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.comSingle? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.Donate and support Rabbi Bernath's work http://www.jewishndg.com/donateFollow Rabbi Bernath's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernathAccess Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

In this episode, you'll hear 40 minutes of a 60+ minute webinar that fully explains the energetic + science behind WHY you feel personally victimized by the spiritual world. Why you feel slapped in the face since "waking" up, recognizing your intuition + acknowledging energy... And why you've been bombarded by obstacles.Mentioned In This Episode:Advanced Intuition Training Level 1 (currently open as of Jan 21, 2026!) - https://www.alexandraninfo.com/intuition-level-1The full webinar recording lives in our $50/ mo Unf*ck Yourself Membership here: https://www.alexandraninfo.com/membership.In the full recording (the other 20+ minutes) Alexandra breaks down ingredients on a deeper level, how to get information that's source-truth + best for your highest potential, pulling other people's strengths into your Creator Field + more.Advanced Intuition Level 1 is where you start to hone your intuition, amplify your manifestations by 83%, and become your own authority: https://www.alexandraninfo.com/intuition-level-1FOLLOW ME Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/alexandraninfo TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@alexandraninfo You Can Also Listen to Unf*ck Yourself Podcast HereSite - https://www.alexandraninfo.com/podcast Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unf-ck-yourself/id1647393740 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OfhtVIbV73xuSrZ2MnXKZ?si=f3fabaa47ca4482e YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@AlexandraNinfo

Send us a textIn Parshat Bo, G-d tells Moses something unexpected: “Come to Pharaoh.” Not go… but come.In this episode Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores a profound teaching from the Zohar and Chassidic thought: when we face a “Pharaoh” in our lives… fear, resistance, heartbreak, failure, or a person who seems to block our freedom… we are never sent alone. G-d says: Come with Me.Even more startling, G-d adds: “Because I hardened his heart.” The resistance itself is Divine. Not to stop redemption, but to reveal it.Through Torah, Kabbalah, psychology, and powerful stories (including the donkey in the pit and a letter from the Rebbe), this class reframes life's hardships as portals, not barriers. What feels like opposition is often the very force meant to uncover our deepest strength, courage, and soul-power.This is a class about fear, faith, resilience and discovering that the path forward is often a winding one, but it always leads upward.Key TakeawaysYou never face adversity alone. “Come to Pharaoh” means G-d walks with you into your hardest moments.Resistance is not random. Some of the strongest opposition in life is part of the redemption process itself.Pharaoh is not in control. What looks overwhelming is often a tool, not a tyrant.Obstacles are portals. Life's blockages are invitations to excavate hidden strength.Growth is uncomfortable by design. Muscle only grows by tearing and so does the soul.The dirt can bury you or elevate you. Shake it off. Step up. Rise.Your hardest challenges may reveal your greatest light. You discover who you truly are not when life is easy, but when it demands more of you.#Judaism #chabad #Kabbalah  #ParshatBo #Torah  #TorahPortion  #TorahLessons#ComeToPharaoh #NotAlone #FaithOverFear #KabbalahForLife #SpiritualResilience #PortalsNotBarriers #InnerFreedom #DivinePlan #SoulStrength #JewishWisdom #TheZigZagPath #Redemption #chassidus #RabbiBernath #lubavitch #Rebbe Available now:Paperback (US): https://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Experiment-What-Would-Your/dp/1069217638Paperback (Canada): https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1069217638Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FR2QNJL6Support the showGot your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.comSingle? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.Donate and support Rabbi Bernath's work http://www.jewishndg.com/donateFollow Rabbi Bernath's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernathAccess Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

“Send Coach John a message”A good morning of reflections and connecting. I found this one of many that I needed to let percolate a bit in my mind and heart. It comes from Seek Wiser (@SeekWiser_) and it reminds us that “Your greatest weapon is your mind. Train it to see opportunities, not obstacles.” So many things going on around us and throughout the world. I'm working hard to not get distracted by trying to keep up with all of it. I'm trying to focus in on being in the moment a bit more and seeing opportunities and not victim thinking of doubt, worry and not believing in myself.  If I can use this and connect with this thought, more moments that I have throughout each day - wow… there's going to be some good things coming from those choices.  Hope this works for you too my friends.  Thanks for listening.  Please take a few moments to subscribe & share this with someone, also leave a 5 Star rating on Apple Podcasts and ITunes or other services where you find this show.  Find me on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/coachtoexpectsuccess/   on Twitter / “X”:  @coachtosuccess   and on Instagram at:  @coachjohndaly  - My YouTube Channel is at: Coach John Daly.   Email me at: CoachJohnDalyPodcast@gmail.com     You can also head on over to https://www.coachtoexpectsuccess.com/ and get in touch with me there on my homepage along with checking out my Top Book list too.  Other things there on my site are being worked on too.  Please let me know that you are reaching out to me from my podcast.  ** I would appreciate anyone to try clicking on the top of the show notes where it says "Send us a text" to leave a few thoughts / comments / questions.  It's a new feature that I'd like to see how it works. **

What if the fear you've been carrying is actually pointing you toward your next breakthrough?In this episode of the Visibly Fit Podcast, I sit down with my friend Justin Maina, also known as the Fear Hunter. This conversation was completely unplanned, Spirit-led, and honestly one of my favorites.Justin shares how he went from being deeply insecure and fearful to stepping onto the American Ninja Warrior course—without ever watching the show before he was selected. We talk about what it means to face obstacles you can't rehearse for, how fear and perfectionism often work together to keep us stuck, and why faith requires movement even when clarity feels incomplete.We also connect the dots between physical health, mindset, and spiritual endurance. When we care for our bodies—the temple that houses the Holy Spirit—we're able to show up stronger, serve others better, and live out our calling with greater confidence. Justin offers powerful analogies from Ninja Warrior, practical wisdom for breaking limiting beliefs, and encouragement for anyone who feels stuck in “analysis paralysis.”This episode is filled with insight, laughter, faith, and real-life application. And yes… stay until the end. There is a backflip.

In this  "flashpoint" episode, I'm encouraging you to face things that need re-structuring with new focus. It's the time to align with your deep intuitive awareness that can provide answers to life's questions. Journeying around the zodiac with each new moon offers specific guidance for life and Soul direction.  The Moon offers a pathway for stepping into these feared parts of self on both a collective and personal level. What is being called for, is a deep Soul healing, “trusting there's light in the darkness”.  Listen to yourself, and then reach out to other people.Saturn has been called the “taskmaster” of the zodiac; it's the planetary influence that provides the teaching and lessons on what it means to move in a meaningful and realistic way. Obstacles and challenges are the ways in which the energetic directives make an individual aware of the need for life course correction.  It's very important to recognize that Saturn provides structure through routines and doing things step by step.  With this lunar cycle, the awareness of rebirthing is centered on being aware of one's growth and acquiring personal wisdom.  It is essential with Saturn energy to recognize that every action taken has consequences. Asking the question, “what do I need to learn in this situation” could be an ongoing “mantra”.As a Cardinal sign, Capricorn embodies the innate capacity to scale the heights through building for long-term growth in the present time.This sign specializes in seeing and moving toward the big picture.  Leaving a legacy for generations to come is part of the Capricorn Soul mission.Cardinal signs and planets are the Initiators and Action Takers of the ZodiacCapricorn is an ambitious sign that plays the “game of life” in a big way.In this sign, wanting and reaching for greatness is of paramount importance.Capricorn depicts the archetypes of the “ Pathfinder and Builder.  This sign is associated with getting crystal clear on the “dream” and bringing it into reality. This sign deals with getting strategies and plans activated through ambitious drive, while not taking no for an answer.Capricorn relishes climbing steadily with purpose.  There is a calm and single-mindedness that is rock solid.  This sign is concerned with creating lasting change.  Let's have an Astrology Conversation. I look forward to seeing you. Now is the time.https://www.soulsoundinsights.com/light-reading.htmlhttps://www.soulsoundinsights.com/music-musings-meditation.htmlI am proud to announce my new offering as a Certified Creative Depth Coach. As a Creative Depth Coach, I provide guidance, support and soul insights on how to discover, explore and navigate your life by recognizing your magnificent "Creative Genius". Some of my modalities and Soul tools are "Art as Process" EFT Tapping, Sound and Music for Inner Journeying , using the wisdom of Astrology, Tarot, Oracle and Numerology. l Enjoy Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Taurus Drumming Video:https://vimeo.com/769123538/b344b2b541"Calling the Wild" or " QuickSilver and Astro Magic" Original Music by MaeRuth McCants

Lauren and Trey dive into the global sensation that is Heated Rivalry, HBO's hit hockey romance that has captured hearts and sparked important cultural conversations. The series follows rival pro hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov whose public feud masks a deeply charged, secret romance. It is a story that brilliantly captures the tension between attraction and obstacle that fuels desire.Lauren shares why this show resonates so deeply with her, especially through the lens of Jack Morin's EROTIC EQUATION: Attraction + Obstacle = Excitement, and his Four Cornerstones of Eroticism: Longing & Anticipation, Violating Prohibitions, the Search for Power, and Overcoming Ambivalence. Together, they explore how episodes 1 through 5 vividly dramatize these elements in ways that feel both erotic and emotionally honest.They also discuss the continued tragedy of homophobia in sport and how the obstacle of being gay, while deeply unjust, remains a powerful and very real tension shaping the story. Rather than romanticizing this pain, Lauren and Trey name the cost of secrecy while honoring the truth of the world these characters are navigating.The conversation celebrates the role of female friendships in the series, not simply as allies, but as muses and positive influences in the lives of both Ilya and Shane. Lauren also highlights the presence of supportive, loving parenting through the character Kip's father and why representations of unconditional love matter so deeply for queer people and families alike.If you are struggling to live fully in your queerness, or if you are learning how to better celebrate and support your child's queerness, Lauren invites you to request a free consult at www.sexedforyou.com/freeconsultStay tuned for part two of this conversation when Lauren and Trey finish the series and return to explore how the story unfolds.About Us: Lauren and Trey are partners living in Central Virginia where Lauren owns and operates, SEX ED FOR YOU. She provides comprehensive sexuality education and embodied coaching to individuals, partners, and parents.Through a biopsychosocial approach, Sex Ed for You works to restore positive and respectful approaches to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as increase the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence. (WHO)Sexual health is fundamental to the overall health and well-being of individuals, couples and families, and to the social and economic development of communities and countries. (WHO) When individuals are blocked from sexual health they are stunted from developing a sense of sensual play and enjoyment. • Learn more about Sex Ed for You at ⁠⁠https://www.sexedforyou.com⁠⁠• Schedule a FREE CONSULT with Lauren today: ⁠⁠https://www.sexedforyou.com/freeconsult⁠⁠• Learn more about partnered communication best practices on Sex Ed For You's Instagram Page: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/sex_ed_for_you/⁠⁠• Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos about sex, partnership, communication, and love: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@thepartnershippodcast⁠⁠Reminders: This is not a "how to" podcast, but rather a "how they" podcast. Please listen to our opinions and then come to your own! Learn from our mistakes or give our techniques a try! It's all up to you. Lauren is NOT a therapist. She is a Certified Holistic Sexuality Educator and Embodied Intimacy and Relationship Coach.

Leading Into 2026: Executive Pastor Insights Momentum is real. So is the pressure. This free report draws from the largest dedicated survey of Executive Pastors ever, revealing what leaders are actually facing as they prepare for 2026. Why staff health is the #1 pressure point Where churches feel hopeful — and stretched thin What worked in 2025 and is worth repeating Clear decision filters for the year ahead Download the Full Report Free PDF • Built for Executive Pastors • Instant access Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We're continuing our special series responding to insights from the National Executive Pastor Survey with an executive pastor from a prevailing church. Today we're joined by Eric Garza, Executive Pastor at Cross Church. Cross Church is one of the fastest-growing churches in the country, with 12 campuses across South Texas, serving both English- and Spanish-speaking congregations. In this conversation, Eric helps unpack the number-one fear expressed by executive pastors in the survey: running out of space and not knowing what to do next. Is your church growing but feeling physically constrained? Are facilities, kids' space, or parking holding you back from what God may want to do next? Eric offers practical, hard-earned wisdom from leading through rapid multisite expansion. Facilities don't just limit space—they shape momentum. // At Cross Church, growth has come through both campus planting and mergers or acquisitions of existing churches. In both cases, facilities either enable momentum or quietly choke it. Sustainable space must support all aspects of ministry—not just a worship room. Parking, kids' environments, lobbies, restrooms, storage, and office space all play a role. A building that works on paper can quickly fail if it can't support the full weekend experience. Don't rush into permanence. // One of Eric's strongest recommendations is to resist the pressure to own a building too early. Several Cross campuses began in leased spaces, which reduced operational burden and allowed the church to test viability without long-term risk. Leasing removes concerns like insurance, major maintenance, and long-term liability, freeing leaders to focus on ministry. If a campus stalls or misses the mark, leaders can pivot without being locked into a costly asset. Location matters more than you think. // Some facility lessons are learned the hard way. Eric humorously—but seriously—warns against launching next to railroad tracks or industrial zones. Visiting a facility during a Sunday morning timeframe is essential. Noise, safety, curb appeal, and accessibility all influence guest experience. Cross has launched campuses in libraries and event centers, learning to adapt acoustics and layouts while prioritizing safety and hospitality. Capital campaigns need margin. // Eric is candid about capital campaigns. Churches often believe in faith for a number that rarely materializes at full scale, especially since capital giving sits above normal tithes. Meanwhile, construction costs almost always rise. Cross learned the hard way that campaign timelines and construction timelines rarely align. Building 10–15% margin into every campaign accounts for inflation, surprises, and delays. If surplus remains, it becomes a testimony of generosity rather than a crisis averted. Remodeling vs. rebuilding requires sober math. // Acquiring an existing building can be a gift—or a trap. Before knocking down walls, Eric urges leaders to get third-party inspections and cost estimates. Some remodels quietly approach the cost of new construction while delivering less functionality. Evaluate whether a building should serve as a long-term campus, a ministry center, or even collateral for future development. Sometimes the wisest move is not to hold services there at all. Define a clear facility standard. // Over time, Cross Church developed a consistent “Cross standard” across campuses—shared color palettes, stage layouts, kids' safety ratios, and ministry flow. While floor plans differ, the experience feels familiar. This standard helps teams evaluate remodels quickly and ensures families know what to expect. It also clarifies where compromise is acceptable and where it's not. When space is tight, simplify strategically. // Not every constraint requires construction. Cross has increased capacity by adding services, adjusting service times, and consolidating kids' age groups when space is limited. Combining grades temporarily doesn't dilute quality—it preserves momentum. Eric defines excellence not as “having the best,” but “doing the best with what you have.” Obstacles are reframed as opportunities to steward growth faithfully. Communicate the season clearly. // Your people can endure inconvenience when they understand the why. Leaders don't need to share every detail, but they should frame facility strain as evidence of impact, not failure. Clear vision keeps people focused on mission rather than discomfort. To learn more about Cross Church, visit crosschurchonline.com or follow @crosschurchrgv on social media. You can also connect with Eric directly on social media at @ericpgarza. Watch the full episode below: Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: Risepointe Do you feel like your church’s or school's facility could be preventing growth? Are you frustrated or possibly overwhelmed at the thought of a complicated or costly building project? Are the limitations of your building becoming obstacles in the path of expanding your ministry? Have you ever felt that you could reach more people if only the facility was better suited to the community’s needs? Well, the team over at Risepointe can help! As former ministry staff and church leaders, they understand how to prioritize and help lead you to a place where the building is a ministry multiplier. Your mission should not be held back by your building. Their team of architects, interior designers and project managers have the professional experience to incorporate creative design solutions to help move YOUR mission forward. Check them out at risepointe.com/unseminary and while you’re there, schedule a FREE call to explore possibilities for your needs, vision and future…Risepointe believes that God still uses spaces…and they're here to help. Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. So glad that you have decided to tune in. We are in the middle of, in the in the midst of, is maybe a better way to say, these special set of podcasts where we’re responding to what you said in the National Executive Pastor Survey, which turned out to be the largest dedicated or direct executive pastor survey that we’re aware of ever, which is kind of cool. And hundreds of people were you know, logged in and told, gave us a sense of where ministry is at. And what we’ve been doing is spending time with an executive pastor from a prevailing church, and frankly, people I like, to get their ah thoughts on kind of what was surfaced. Rich Birch — And today we’ve got a big one. This is a significant issue. In fact, it was the single biggest fear that was expressed. We asked a question around, what’s your kind of biggest fear for this year? And nearly one in five executive pastors expressed fear about this. And what is that fear? It’s the whole issue of our facilities, space, capital projects, that sort of thing. Many churches are running out of kids space, parking, seating, lobby capacity. Rich Birch — You know, we’re all worried about in inflation of construction costs. If you got a building quoted on five years ago, you’re going to want to get it quoted on again, you know, renovation, building, all of this stuff. And, you know, we’re excited to have ah today a return guest, Eric Garza with us. He is from a fantastic church, Cross Church, which is located in Texas. It’s one of the fastest growing churches of ah in the country, and they have 12 campuses, if I’m counting correctly. So Eric has thought about facilities and so excited to have you back on the show, Eric. Thanks for being here.Eric Garza — Rich, thanks for having me back. Good to have an opportunity to have a great conversation about a big topic for a lot of pastors and executives across the country. Yeah.Rich Birch — Well, you’re going to solve all our problems for us today, Eric. So.Eric Garza — It’s just some nuggets of what I’ve learned and experienced. But if I can make your life and your world a little bit better, awesome.Rich Birch — That’s great. That’s good. Kind of tell us a little bit about Cross again, kind of set the context, you know, give us a bit of sense of the the church.Eric Garza — Yeah, so we’re in deep south Texas. Most of our campuses are within a half hour north of the US-Mexico border. So right at the bottom of the tip of Texas. 30 years going on 31 years as a ministry. In the last eight years, we went from one site ah to now seven locations, physical locations and 12 campuses.Eric Garza — We’re a bilingual ministry, which means we do we have English campuses and we have Spanish campuses. And we recently, last year in 2025, launched our first campus outside of our region in San Antonio, Texas. Rich Birch — Love it.Eric Garza — And you can imagine a lot of ah victories and a lot of challenges, ah you know leaving your space, your comfort area, the region where you’ve been, for 30 years and then heading out and venturing off into what we believe God called us to do in in Central Texas.Eric Garza — So ah just phenomenal growth. We’ve seen God’s hand up on our ministry and it’s come with, ah like I said, a lot of wins and a lot of challenges we’ve had to navigate. And being a a predominantly Hispanic ministry that reaches both English congregants and Spanish congregants, dealing with cultural, political issues in our region of the country ah has just been a whirlwind. But as anybody could imagine, it’s been a big learning season for us for expansion. You know, I know we’re talking about facilities going from one side to multisite and all of that that entails operationally, logistically, financially. So I wouldn’t say we know it all. We certainly don’t if we’re always learning. But man, if if we can just impart any wisdom, we’re we’re all for that.Rich Birch — Love it. Well, I would say I actually re-looked at a lot of these fears. And the overall tone, if you were to kind of summarize the the conversation that people seem to be expressing is like, there’s this sense from a lot of executive pastors, listen, our ministry could grow, but our space, frankly, is holding us back. And we’re not entirely sure what the path forward is. It’s like, we we see the physical space issues, but I’m not sure where to go from here. So I’d love to jump right in. Eric Garza — Sure.Rich Birch — How have you, as you’ve looked at your seven physical locations, 12 campuses, how do you evaluate facility limitations? And are they the things that are actually restricting growth or does the issue lie somewhere else? How do you, how are you discerning that when you look at, you know, this, this whole issue?Eric Garza — Yeah, a lot of our of our growth has come from us planting campuses, but some of our growth has come from, I guess, what the corporate world calls mergers and acquisitions, where we’ve merged or really acquired other ministries who either had an existing facility that we took over. Or where we partnered with them through the acquisition and launched a campus in a new building or a new facility.Eric Garza — So some of the things that we’ve done is, there’s a whole process, right, that that it’s entailed with going multisite. And one of those big key indicators of whether the campus or the church plant is going to succeed is whether they have a sustainable facility that can house all aspects of the ministry. And sometimes that can be difficult to find.Eric Garza — For example, you don’t just want meeting space to have services, right? You need maybe an office space, you need childcare space, you need a meeting space, you need lobby, restrooms, you need adequate parking. And all of those factors come into play when you’re looking to find the right spaces. So for us, We’ve just been blessed that ah either we’ve have you know gone through the capital campaigns, we’ve gone through the funding, the you know internal funding to build new facilities, or the acquisition that we’ve ah done over the last couple of years already had an existing facility, which is a plus. Because instead of building, we just went into a remodel phase to bring that building up to what we would call our Cross-standard to house our campus and facility. And so I mean it’s It’s a holistic approach. Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah.Eric Garza — You look at parking, kids space. What you don’t want to do and what what we’ve run into in the past, is it’s okay to to launch with limited space, but if you’re launching and you already have a couple of hundred people that are gathered, you’re going to want to find a space that’s going to give you ample room to have one or two services without having to crunch yourself in the short term. And it’s going to, in in in a larger sense, going to really facilitate some challenge and some angst and frustrations early on. And you want to minimize as much of that, especially when you’re when you’re launching and you’re setting out to start a new campus or a new church.Rich Birch — Yeah, so that’s one of those kind of pinch points would be too small, right? Like I’m assuming you’ve ended up in facilities where it’s like, okay, this is this just frankly is too small. Eric Garza — It’s not going to work. Rich Birch — And so we’ve got to, it’s not going to work. We’re going have to start with three services and that, you know, or something like that. Or we’ll start with two and we’ll be pinched too quickly. Are there any other kind of tripwires that you’ve run into that are like, oh, like it might be great on these five things, but this, these, if it’s not these two or three, if these aren’t right, we were not going in there. Are there any other things to get to, as you said, a sustainable facility? Are there any kind of big no-nos that you’ve bumped into, or maybe you wish you knew before? Yeah. Tell me about that.Eric Garza — Yeah, a couple of things. Number one is don’t ah start a church next to the railroad tracks. That may sound a little funny.Rich Birch — No, tell me more.Eric Garza — You never know that during your Sunday morning message at your 10 o’clock service, roughly about 10:40 a.m., this train… Rich Birch — Oh, gosh. Eric Garza — …who’s two or three blocks away is going to come blaring out ah and just completely disrupt your sound and and your service and your message for a few minutes. So it may sound comical, but ah yeah, definitely don’t do that. Right.Rich Birch — No, that’s very good.Eric Garza — Yeah.Rich Birch — That’s well, and even going and seeing, that’s a great takeaway because even going and seeing the facility during a Sunday morning, like, cause you wouldn’t know that if you’re there to just Tuesday afternoon or something, you would have no sense of that. Eric Garza — Yeah.Rich Birch — But, but cause it might be a train, but there’s, I could see lots of things where.Eric Garza — Trains are not confined to Monday through Friday.Rich Birch — Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.Eric Garza — They’re there every day as they need. And so you just you just never know. That has to happen a couple of times, and it’s incredibly frustrating. Rich Birch — Yeah. That’s interesting. That’s good.Eric Garza — And so you play it off the middle of the service, but man, it can it can mess it could mess with some stuff. The second thing I would say is is this when looking for a facility. There’s obviously some innate some internal perhaps pressure or self-imposed pressure as a pastor or an executive to want to get into a permanent facility right away.Eric Garza — One of the things that helped us early on with with a couple of our campuses is we actually rented. And here’s the benefit of renting or leasing, even for a year or two, as you grow that site is number one, you’re not worried about insurance, right? You’re not worried about lawsuits. You’re not worried about maintenance or you’re paying for that, right? But there’s a lot that you minimize when it comes to overloading your mind and your brain about what you have to handle.Rich Birch — Yep. Eric Garza — Alright. And so you pay a fee, but the building’s clean when you come in. And right after you set, you know, you tear down your equipment for the service in your kids area, you don’t have to worry about that because you’re leasing a space. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Eric Garza — And so if you can minimize, like I said, as much of the overload of operations and facilities on the front end, that’s that’s a great a great thing. And most spaces, right, what we did early on is if we had an event center where we would rent the main auditorium uh we would use conference rooms or or multi-purpose room for child care. We would safe proof them, right – all of our protocols in place. But that’s what we would do early on, and it would give us a chance to test and gather some data. Rich Birch — That’s so good.Eric Garza — Is this going to work long term? Right. Number one, we don’t believe we missed God. But if after a couple of years, this isn’t going anywhere. Well, thank God we didn’t buy a building… Rich Birch — Right. Eric Garza — …because now we’re you know up a creek without a paddle, as they say. And so leasing is not is not an entirely bad idea on the early outset.Rich Birch — No, that’s great.Eric Garza — But definitely the neighborhood that you’re in, right beside the town that you’re in, you want to be in a centrally as centrally as you can, centrally located as you can, and and not next to a railroad track or any industry or warehouses where there’s going to be trucks, just for safety concerns, for the curbside appeal. And so that’s why public libraries or where we had actually launched started campuses was at a public library – acoustic set because we couldn’t be so loud. So all of those facility concerns are are really things you want to keep in mind.Rich Birch — Yeah, I love that. I love the idea of the rental on the front end. What a great way to, it’s good use of capital. It’s a good, you know, it it gives you a chance to test… Eric Garza — Yeah. Rich Birch — …even if you stay for a couple of years, that’s, you know, that’s fantastic. So you’ve been through multiple, you know, capital campaigns, this whole process of like, we’ve got to raise money and then get a facility renovated or, you know, you know, expanded or whatever. Rich Birch — What, what do you wish you would have known before all that? Well, are there a couple like things that either, you know, you stumbled upon, you stubbed your toe or you wish, man, I wish somebody would have told me this. Are there any things that stand out to you?Eric Garza — Number, I think the first one is this. You have an you have a number in your mind, and you of course you believe God for it. It…Rich Birch — And it’s lower. It’s going to come in lower every time.Eric Garza — …it is. Every single, unless God does a miracle, which he is more than able to do… Rich Birch — Yes.Eric Garza — …it’s going to come in lower. And so I think have have high anticipation but realistic expectations… Rich Birch — Right. Eric Garza — …because most capital campaigns are campaigns that are above normal giving.Rich Birch — Yeah. Okay. Yep.Eric Garza — Right. And so at least for us, it’s above normal giving. Rich Birch — Yep.Eric Garza — We encourage and we get people to give towards a specific capital campaign, which is for a specific campus or a specific project or or what have you. But you have this number in mind and then if you can tend to early on. It’s not coming in yet. Or maybe you’ve done it for a year or give a specific timeline.Rich Birch — I see. Okay. Yep.Eric Garza — And you can get quickly discouraged, especially with capital campaigns where you’re like, we’re halfway through this thing and not even half has come in yet, or of what we thought would come in. And so it’s easier to get discouraged. But that was a big thing is that number in your mind, it’s going to be lower. And that’s not a bad thing. Right. That’s not a bad thing.Eric Garza — People are giving to a capital campaign above giving of their normal giving, sacrificially, they’re giving by faith. They’re giving with expectation. But at the same time, for those of us on the inside, right, those of us who are managing the resources and what have you, it’s it’s about having a realistic expectation that we have the faith that God can do it. But we’re all going to budget ourselves knowing that if there’s a high probability, not impossible, there’s a high probability that the number we had in mind, is not going to be what comes in for the capital campaign.Rich Birch — Let’s talk about that there. So there’s an interesting, um so I’ve seen that for sure in churches. There’s an interesting kind of tension that pulls in two different directions. One, you can have exactly what you’re talking about, which is, you know, we thought we would go in, we we were hoping we would raise X and we raised something less than that. Eric Garza — Yeah. Rich Birch — But then the other part of it is we were hoping the project was going to cost X and it costs X plus, you know, it’s costing us more than, than we anticipated. How do you manage that tension? How have you been able to kind of navigate that? That’s a, that’s a tough tension.Eric Garza — Yeah, the longevity of the capital campaign is gonna is not always going to be exactly match, it’s not going, rather, to exactly match what the building construction cost was at the beginning. Prices fluctuate and prices change.Eric Garza — And so let’s say you have let’s use so a rough even number, a million dollar capital campaign for your church organization. And the construction is going to cost, I don’t know, $900,000, $950,000. Well, a million dollars should cover it. But by the time a million dollars or shortly or short of that comes in, well, your budget is now at 1.2 or 1.3. Rich Birch — Right. Eric Garza — It’s fluctuated. And so the what’s congruent at the beginning can be really a little bit financially off by the time that can…In other words, the timelines of the capital campaign and your building projects sometimes don’t align perfectly. And we’ve run into that too, where we’ve had to take from our operating budget a little bit, or we’ve had to really emphasize a certain amount during the campaign, because that’s what needs to come in. We’ve you know met with with key givers and donors of the church. And those are challenges that you navigate ah during the capital campaign process. Rich Birch — Sure. Eric Garza — And and like I said earlier, it’s it’s challenging because, well, let me backtrack and say this.Eric Garza — This is why on the front end, you should add margin into your capital campaign… Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Eric Garza — …which we didn’t do that, perhaps the first go around. But certainly the later ah seasons, we added margin in our capital campaigns to account for any fluctuation in construction costs. And if there was ever in a surplus, well, we would tell the church it’s because of your giving and because of your support and generosity that we had more than enough come in. Rich Birch — That’s good.Eric Garza — And so now we’re going to use those funds for X or they’re going to go back to the general fund or or whatever whatever the case. But I think that the key that would be to incorporate some 10 to 15% margin in your capital campaign on the outset to account for anything that might happen 12, 15, 18 months down the road.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. That’s really good. That’s good. You maybe just saved somebody a lot of headache two years from now… Eric Garza — Yeah. Rich Birch — …because of that part of the conversation. I want to go back to something you talked about earlier. You’ve had multiple buildings that you’ve acquired or you’ve merged with, and you were talking about remodeling and there’s like, that can be a blessing and a curse. Like it can be amazing. Like, wow, this is great. And…Eric Garza — You never know what you’re going to find.Rich Birch — …you know, you open up, you open up a wall and who knows what’s behind that wall. And, you know, there’s all that. And you talked about bringing it up to the Cross standard. Talk me through what how have you decided what that is? What is the Cross standard? And how do you what are the common things that you find, Oh, we’ve got to make this change. And how have you kind of defined that as you think about projects like that?Eric Garza — Yeah, so over the last few years, we’ve pretty much honed in on, I guess, the vibe and the look of what we want our campuses to to feel and look like.Rich Birch — Okay.Eric Garza — They may be different ah floor plans because some of them we built, some of them we acquired, properties we took over. But as far as color schemes, we do our very best to match wall colors, sanctuary colors. We use the same stage equipment, both branding and layout as best as possible across all of our sanctuary auditoriums, our stages. Eric Garza — Our kids spaces, ah we have an internal ratio of how many teachers or volunteers per infants, per toddlers, for school-age children we want. And so that determines our spacing. And so sometimes we’ve got to knock some walls down or build some walls in to accommodate for for what, like I said, our standard of ministry, both in appeal, but also in care for for our congregants and for our families.Eric Garza — And so when we remodel, you’re right, there’s some things that once you knock down a wall, you’re not going to know until you knock it down. And that’s where that, you know, that margin comes in. But for the most part, right, we’ve had we do inspections, we get we get third party opinions on the building, on the cost estimates, and like we would encourage anybody to do, right.Eric Garza — But that’s our Cross standard is the look, the feel, the equipment, the wall colors, you know is there enough space for our our guests, connect area, our next steps area for first impressions. Does every ministry have adequate space to store their items – all of those factors come into play in deciding how we’re going to remodel a facility. Eric Garza — And I’ll say the second thing is this is why before you break or before you knock down a wall, get an inspector or or get some people either in your church or in the construction industry or somebody that you know in in your community. Because sometimes when you have a building, your initial thought is to remodel. That may not always be the most financial financially wise decision. And here’s why. Because you may not know all that you’re going to encounter, you may in the long run end up spending just as much as if you had built a brand new facility with the exact floor plan you want.Eric Garza — And so that’s where you’re evaluating and deciding, is it more feasible to remodel this building for X amount of dollars? Or are we within 5% to 10% budget margin, where we might just say it’s it’s in the best interest of the church perhaps to use either this facility as collateral for our next building or a brand new building, or is it better to use it a multisite building, excuse me, multi-purpose building, and we end up building a new facility…Rich Birch — Right.Eric Garza — …for the church or for the campus. And so those cost estimates are going to help you make the best, most informed decision of where you’re going to steward the resources financially in either remodeling or in building a site.Rich Birch — Yeah, I love that. One of my favorite churches, Mercy Hill Church in North Carolina, they they had a building that was given to them and they did, they weren’t entirely sure what to kind of, it was in a part of town, they weren’t necessarily sure they wanted to launch a campus and just they had a campus closer and all that. And they ended up using it turned it into a really a student center and it’s a fantastic ministry building and it’s active, you know, five, six days a week.Rich Birch — Now they don’t do Sunday morning services there, but they do all kinds of other stuff, which is fantastic. Like is a great, you know…Eric Garza — And we’ve seen that too. Yeah. They use for leadership meetings, for small chapel receptions… Rich Birch — Yeah. Eric Garza — …or gatherings or next gen events, youth, young adults, even renting it out to the community as a means to supply income to the church…Rich Birch — Yep. Yep. On a daycare or something.Eric Garza — …to like, you know aligned organizations, of course, whatever your church policy is. But yeah, sometimes the best use of that building is not for church services.Rich Birch — Have you, have you run into facilities that you’ve evaluated and then decided, no like this is going to cost way too much to renovate and we’re, so we won’t go forward with it. Have you run into that after evaluation?Eric Garza — Well, not entirely, but I’ll say this…recent… Rich Birch — I know that risk is there for sure.Eric Garza — Yeah, there is risk. There is risk. And the risk assessment is different when you’re leasing a space or remodel… Rich Birch — Right. Eric Garza — …and when you’re when you’re obviously building your own facility, as far as and including the costs associated with that. One of our campuses recently, and I mean in the last 24 months, before we moved into our new building was leasing a space and we were given the option to remodel the space we were leasing. Because though it was suitable for what we needed for the ministry, for Sunday services and and all the other ministries, parts of it were not really conducive to growth for the congregation and for the ministry.Eric Garza — So we did contemplate remodeling. I think I think what kept us from doing that number one is whatever you remodel for the landlord the landlord is going up keeping. And so the return on that investment would be short term and not long term, We were already in the midst of building our building but we were growing at a rapid rate, and so we were eight, twelve months out from from being in our building and the campus was growing, and so we needed a short-term solution. Rich Birch — Right.Eric Garza — So we did think, Well, we’ll spend X amount of dollars to remodel our site where we’re leasing before we get into the new building. But we found out that shifting our service times and and doing different different strategies ended up alleviating in the short term the constraints we had to give us a time to get into our new building, which is now more than enough space for us to grow for for years and years to come.Rich Birch — Right. That’s cool. Yeah. Cause I’ve said as a, I feel like I’ve been in a ton of conversations with XPs where, you know, they’re talking about this issue and you know, there’s like a building that they’re, maybe it’s another church that’s come to them and they’re having a conversation and they’re, I would say their mindset is like, I’m not sure we should do this. Like this is, they’re like, this other church came to us and statistically, actually the most likely for these mergers to succeed are when the joining church comes to the lead church. Eric Garza — Yeah.Rich Birch — So they would come to your church and be like, Hey, we’re interested. So it actually happens a fair amount. And I’ve, I feel like I’ve talked, tried to talk so many executive pastors into like, man, it’s gotta be a really bad building. If particularly if it’s like has debt or has no debt or very little debt on it, it’s gotta be a very bad building to not want to take it. Cause it’s like, you know, you can, you can take, invest, you know, a moderate amount of money. You don’t need to dump a ton into it and get something great. And like you said, as long as you’re above board with everybody, you know, five years from now, if it doesn’t work, you could take that asset, sell it and move on and use those resources somewhere else.Eric Garza — And that’s very good because when you talk about acquiring a ministry, especially if it has a low balance on their mortgage or or they don’t have much to pay off the building, and if you’re in a position to pay that off within the first year of acquiring the ministry… Rich Birch — Right. Eric Garza — …think of a collateral and the equity that your organization now has because of that new facility that’s in your portfolio.Rich Birch — 100%.Eric Garza — And I know it sounds very business-minded, but when you’re looking to expand into the future, even at another site in your church ministry organization, you now have more collateral, more resources to leverage for a better financial position in the future when you do want to actually build a building. Eric Garza — And the second thing is this, if you’re acquiring a ministry that already has an existing building, in most cases, it’s already built out for church purposes. So that’s very helpful. So at that point, you may be putting in a smaller amount and just… Rich Birch — Right. Eric Garza — …you know, refurbishing it, painting the walls, putting some new equipment, some new screens, maybe be changing out the flooring a little bit, or some of the fixtures in different spaces… Rich Birch — There’s technology or whatever, yep. Eric Garza — …because it’s already built out for a church. And so that’s the benefit of going or acquiring in a ministry if you’re going that route that already has an existing facility.Rich Birch — Yeah, we had, ah we were running, our budget was about $8 million dollars and we were, we had a church come to us and they were, they had really, they had had a tough season and the summer before we ended up merging with them or they joined us really, they had multiple Sundays where they had two people show up on Sunday. They had the person that was preaching and the guy that was opening the door, like it was, it had really atrophied down.Rich Birch — And I remember in one of those conversations, they had had a bit of a roof problem. The facility was worth just probably south of 2 million. It was like ah a great facility, but they had a roof problem. And I remember one of the the elders leader person, he said, you know, we we got a quote on the roof and it’s it’s going to cost maybe about $15,000 to fix. Do you think you guys will be able to fix that? And they had no debt and were going to give us their building. Rich Birch — Well, like I humbly had to say like, like, yeah, we’ll we’ll be okay. Like, it’s gonna it’s gonna be fine. Like, you know, I what I didn’t want to say is like, I feel like our youth guys have like wasted $15,000 this year. Like, you know, like it’s like we can, you know, the exchange just on paper. And again, that’s not why you go into those conversations. Eric Garza — Of course.Rich Birch — But a part of that is, particularly in our seats as executive pastors, that’s a part of what we have to wrestle through and think about those things. So let’s get back to the renovation thing. A lot of what churches were talking about is like, pressure of like, man, I just, our physical facilities are, are holding us back. Rich Birch — Any other thoughts around, you know, changes you’ve made to increase capacity or, um you know, things that maybe are like some low hanging fruit or creative solutions that have that, that maybe we’re not thinking about, but as a leader who’s been through this, you know, you’ve been, you’ve wrestled through that, that we, we could, you know, benefit from.Eric Garza — Yeah, absolutely. A couple of things. You can please everybody, right? Rich Birch — That’s good. Eric Garza — And so I think one of the ministry pressures well, we want to please the next gen. We also want to please the child care. We also want to please the elders of the church. And we also want to please the younger families of the church and young professionals. And when you’re when you’re in a facility that wasn’t originally built according to your specs, it’s going to be difficult to do that.Eric Garza — And so you have to focus, as we have, on the most critical areas, sanctuary and child care. If you don’t have child care, it’s going to be a barrier to growth because families or parents are not going to have the comfort level they need to come to your church on a regular basis and to be a part of the community. And so for us, when we’ve remodeled, the first things we look at are sanctuary and then the kid space. Do we have enough adequate kids space?Rich Birch — That’s good.Eric Garza — Some of the solutions when we’ve been limited in space is is launching multiple services to we have a smaller sanctuary or a smaller space, we’ll offer more service opportunities. Or when it comes to our kids ministry, we’ve evaluated with our kids directors and our our kids department of how can we best merge age groups to maximize the space that we have. So if you have right an ideal facility where you have you know your child your child care divided by grade level or age level, sometimes you have the amenity to do that and many times you don’t. And so what we’ve done is instead of having first grade on their own, maybe we’ll put you know kindergarten and first grade level kids together.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Eric Garza — We’ll put second and third together, fourth and fifth together as a way to consolidate because we don’t have the space that we prefer to have, at least in this season. And so for us, sometimes you’re not watering down in essence, the content, the quality, but you are consolidating in the short term or even medium term… Rich Birch — Right. Eric Garza — …if you will, if that’s even a term, to make adequate space for the constraints that you may have. Rich Birch — That’s good.Eric Garza — And so you have 600 members and you only have 200-seat sanctuary, 250. Well, that’s an opportunity for three services. Rich Birch — Right.Eric Garza — Is that is that is that Is that a strain? Well, it can be if you see it from core perspective versus a perspective of, Man, we’re so large and we have the space. You know, one of our core values at our church is excellence. And we’ve defined excellence as not having the best, but doing the best with what you have.Rich Birch — Oh, that’s good.Eric Garza — So we may not have a thousand seat auditorium for this growing congregation, but what we do have, we’re going utilize it and steward it to our best ability. So if that means two or three services, well, God give us the strength and the people to manage and to lead and to execute three strong services every weekend, or every Sunday, in order to meet the need of the congregation that we have.Eric Garza — And and I think one of the biggest things, Rich, is also communicating this. It’s keeping them current, right. You’re not going to go into all the details per se, unless that’s your preference and that’s your senior pastor’s prerogative. But to share with them the overarching theme of, hey, here’s where we’re at as a ministry. Here’s our facility. And here’s what we’re going to do to continue to offer as best a ministry as we can, while at the same time being cognizant of the challenges that we’re facing.Eric Garza — We said this to our staff and to our church many times, is we don’t look at obstacles as negatives. We look at obstacles as opportunities. Okay.Rich Birch — That’s so true.Eric Garza — If this is what we have, how can we be as excellent as possible with what we have? If that means going to a third service, well, then we’re going to give it a shot because what we don’t want to do is allow facility constraints to translate into diminished capacity or into a diminishing congregation and I’m talking about numerically. Because the diminishing congregation numerically also means a diminishing budget and revenue financially because you have less givers in the seats. And that’s those are some of the challenges that you got navigate so we don’t see it as obstacles. We don’t see obstacles necessarily as a challenge we see that’s an opportunity of okay how can we navigate around this mountain if you will to continue to provide as excellent a ministry as we can.Rich Birch — Yeah, I love that. I love your example of the kids age size rooms. Because I think you’ve you’re articulating a tension that whenever we’re, particularly for launching we talked a lot about this, like renovating other spaces and new campuses and all that, where I think really is germane to our job as executive pastor to to manage this tension of we want it feel, you know, the language you used was Cross standard. It’s absolutely has got to be Cross standard, but there will be areas where we’re going to have to compromise. Like that is just true. And a part of what we have to do, we have to use our leadership and our discernment and, you know, get the right players in the room and have the conversation. And, you know, somebody using your example, somebody kids’ ministry to be like, no, we can’t combine them together. That’ll be terrible. And it’s like, we’re going to be fine. Like, we’ll figure it out, you know. Eric Garza — Yeah [inaudible].Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s going to be okay. We’ll we’ll help that navigate. And that’s one example, but there’s a ton of those that can come up in these, you know, in these renovations for sure.Eric Garza — Yeah, absolutely.Rich Birch — That’s good.Eric Garza — and And people are always going to have opinions. Rich Birch — Right.Eric Garza — But I’ll say this from experience. And I mean, no ill intent towards anybody in your congregation or your ministry.Rich Birch — No.Eric Garza — Most of the people that are criticizing are the people that aren’t giving anyway. And so I’m not saying ignore them by any means. They’re part of your part of your ecosystem. They’re part of your church, they’re part of your flock.Rich Birch — Yep. That’s very true.Eric Garza — But it’s always with a grain of salt because the people that are really bought into your ministry are going to walk through those opportunities alongside you, ah hopefully with the best attitude that they possibly can muster up because this too shall pass.Rich Birch — Yes.Eric Garza — Right.Rich Birch — Yes.Eric Garza — If you’ve gone out in faith to plant or to grow or to expand your congregation, this is a temporary season. It’s not a permanent season. You won’t always be at three or four services, right? Or multiple services.Eric Garza — At some point, if God is in this and you really believe He is, and I believe He is for many organizations and ministries, the timing will be right when you have a facility that can house what you need, or that can provide the amenities and space that you need. And so for parents, for givers, for guests, it is just letting them know as best you can, even subtly through announcements or even messages and say, hey, we’re in a season of growth and expansion. Growth doesn’t always look you know perfect. And so we have seasons where we’re going to navigate some some challenges and opportunities as best we can to get us to an end goal.Eric Garza — This is a means to an end. What we’re going through is a means to get us to where we want to go as a ministry. And as long as you keep it at the forefront, tying it into the vision of the house, you’re going to see that in a large sense, you’re going to have people rally behind that idea and unfocused, if you will, from the constraints of their of the facility to the broader appeal of what God is doing in the ministry.Rich Birch — Yeah, that is so good. Friends, you should go back and re-listen to what Eric just said there. That is some wise advice. And obviously from somebody that’s been in the trenches a lot, that’s been my experience as well. The people, the complainers, I’m reading through the book of Job right now. And I’m like, man, his friends are just like, this guy needs better friends.Eric Garza — Yeah.Rich Birch — And that that reminded me of the people you’re talking about. Like…Eric Garza — Yeah.Rich Birch — You know, there’s these people who are just, you know, sniping from the cheap seats and they’re not really engaged in the mission where, man, those people that are right on in the middle of it, they’re like, let’s go, let’s lean in.Rich Birch — And man, that’s the kind of person, I’m hoping as I transition into older age that I’m that person, you know, because we have a number of those people at our church that I look at that are like, these are incredible saints who have seen so much change. And who I’m sure lots of things annoy them, but they’re fired up for the mission. They’re excited in our case to reach unchurched people, to see people who far from Jesus connected.Eric Garza — If you’re not changing, you’re not making progress, right? Rich Birch — Yeah, absolutely. And the fact you the fact that your ministry is facing opportunities or obstacles rather disguised as opportunities is proof positive you’re going somewhere. Rich Birch — Yeah.Eric Garza — You’re not a stagnant ministry. You’re not a you’re not a lazy ministry, right? You’re not apathetic. You’re really out in the field of vision that God has given you or to your senior leadership. And so it’s proof positive, right? And so take that as an badge of honor in some way to say, we must be doing something right.Rich Birch — So good. Well, Eric, just as we’re coming to kind of land, this has been a great conversation, hopefully been helpful for you, friends, as you’ve have been listening in. But as we kind of come to land today’s conversation, what’s a question or two that that you’re kicking around for this year at at Cross as you’re thinking about 2026? Where’s your head at? What are the things you’re wondering? It doesn’t have to be about this, could be anything.Eric Garza — Yeah, well, ah thanks for letting me speak into that, Rich. I think for me as an executive and looking at our ministry, you know, looking at the previous 30 years and looking at the next decade, if you will, of where God is going to take our ministry, being one of America’s fastest growing churches, being the largest bilingual Hispanic-led ministry in the country. We’ve, you know, like I’ve said in a previous episode with you, we haven’t had any precedent for us in our context. And so we’ve navigated a lot of uncharted waters and learned from both wins and losses and different opportunities and struggles to get us to where we’re at now. Eric Garza — I think one of the biggest questions facing the church at large in 2026 is how the church is going to respond to the ever increasingly fast-paced changes that we’re seeing on the political front, on the cultural front. I’m not saying that the church has to be a political response. The church has to be, has to provide a biblical response to what we’re seeing.Rich Birch — Yep. Eric Garza — And with the fast paced nature of culture and society and trends, I don’t believe it’s the church’s responsibility to respond to every trend or to everything, but certainly the overarching elements of our current culture and political dynamic where there is a biblical either mandate or precedent for it, that the church would speak it into that and provide biblical perspective… Rich Birch — That’s good. Eric Garza — …and and and wisdom for how people should think about certain topics that have a biblical or moral prerogative. And so navigating that as an organization, because as a growing church and being such a large ministry, if you can imagine the opinions. We have people in our church who are conservative and who some who are not. We have people who belong to one political party over another. We’re in multiple communities. And so different communities have different demographics, different cultural contexts, different policy initiatives. There’s a lot going on.Eric Garza — And as a church ministry, especially as that we’re multisite, one of the biggest questions I’m asking myself and our team is how do we, number one, stay biblically founded, right? And unwavering in what the biblical standard is.Eric Garza — Number two is how do we address the different things and different occurrences in different communities that we’re in? If we were just one site and one community, well, then we would just be I guess you could say in our own little space and our own little focus. But we have multisites, so we have multi-focus, if you will, at how we continue to provide as excellent a ministry as possible… Rich Birch — That’s good. Eric Garza — …keeping Jesus at the forefront, above the fray, and at the same time, giving a biblical perspective so that people have the right biblical worldview for how to walk out their journey of faith their relationship with Christ, but at the same time, how to respond to what’s happening in our world. I think for many times, for for many years, really for decades, the church has abdicated its biblical responsibility, if you will, to speak into things, not from a political perspective, but from a biblical perspective.Eric Garza — And because that abdication of responsibility we’ve seen a lot of things that have happened. Thankfully, in recent seasons, in recent years, we’ve seen a a shift where faith is now at the forefront. And so though I have that question, my biggest, I guess you could say prerogative is to leverage that people are focused more on faith, that people are open to faith now more so in our country, that people are focused more on this person of Jesus and is to leverage that as an opportunity to really hone in and speak into people’s hearts and minds and into the different communities that we’re in so that they have the right biblical perspective, the biblical worldview to carry out what God has enabled them or called them to do.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. I love I love what you’re saying there. And you know I know had a friend say, you know if you’re, you know, we we all are serving in a context. We serve in a particular time, in a particular cultural context, and God’s called us to lead in that context. And if you’re not feeling the pull from, you know, multiple sides, multiple polarities, you’re like, well, everybody here agrees with me then it means you’re not actually reaching your community, you know. And the fact that you’re feeling that tension means, okay, like there’s there’s people from a wide variety of, and it can be all different political is one, but there’s lots of different ways to think of that.Eric Garza — Yeah.Rich Birch — And yeah, that’s that’s so true. I really appreciate this. Well, Eric, you’re you’re a blessing to us. I thank you so much for for giving us time today and helping us think about these things as we kick off into 2026. If where do we want to send people if they want to track with you or with the church?Rich Birch — How do we how do we want to get people connected to Cross?Eric Garza — Yeah, well, Rich, thanks for the opportunity. And it’s what a blessing for us and for me personally to be able to just share some thoughts. And if it helps anybody, well, praise God for that. I think if you want to follow the church, we’re crosschurchonline.com or crosschurchrgv on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, all of, you know, most of the social media platforms.Eric Garza — If you want to connect with me, I’d be happy to connect with you at Eric, E-R-I-C-P Garza on any of social media platforms. It’d be a h privilege for me to help you guys and to share some thoughts and even answer questions. I’d be more than happy to do that. If I can serve your ministries in any way, by all means, feel free to reach out to me on any of the social media platforms.Rich Birch — Nice. Thanks so much, Eric. Really appreciate being here today, sir. Thank you. Eric Garza — Thank you, man. God bless. Appreciate it.

Whether you wanna lose weight, attain more success in your business, or just become a better you, excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure. But our guest will get you motivated, energized, and working to be the best possible you. Are you ready to finally shed those unwanted pounds or achieve a more positive and productive life?Natalie Jill is a Fat Loss Expert And Creative Sales Strategist who helps women ReIgnite, ReDefine and ReBrand what aging has to mean! In the 50+ crowd herself, she is changing conversations around age, potential, and possibility! In addition to her Midlife Fat Loss Business,  She helps entrepreneurs skyrocket their sales by up-leveling their unique relatable, and compelling STORY, expanding their brand online, and fixing their sales process. Natalie is also the creator and host of the top-ranking Listen Up! with Natalie Jil?l?She chats with Dr. Friedman about breaking bad habits, building a healthy diet for YOUR lifestyle, and how she kills FAT every single day, (False Assumed Truths.)To learn more about Natalie Jill or to get her amazing and empowering books, visit www.Nataliejill.com To inquire about working directly with Natalie go to:  www.BrandStoryExpansion.com.

This month we are focusing on Habit 1: Building a Personal Inventory.My goal is to help you build habits peacefully so that you can impact your world powerfully.In the Hello Mornings Daily Podcast, I share a simple tip based on our monthly theme and then I close the podcast with our 3-Minute Morning Routine.THE 3-MINUTE MORNINGGod Time: Pray Psalm 143: 8 (Minute 1)Plan Time: Prayerfully Review Your Calendar  (Minute 2)Move Time: Take 5-10 Deep Breaths (Minute 3)That's it! Adjust as needed and use as your pathway to a growing morning habit!Want to go deeper with our workshops, journals, Bible Studies and accountability ? Join The Hello Mornings Academy, where we help Christian women build habits and reach goals peacefully so they can impact their world powerfully.GOODIES: Click here to download our FREE morning routine goodies.COMMUNITY: Click here to learn more about the Hello Mornings Academy.BOOK: Click here to get the Hello Mornings BookCheering you on,❤️ Kat Lee   

ResourcesLast week's episode :Episode 228. How 4 Simple Steps Can Transform Your Family's Struggles into Amazing Wins This Year Moving Beyond Fear:Episode 50: How to Openly Communicate What You Really Want Episode 147: Do Sensitive Conversations end up creating conflict in your relationship?Episode 179. Conquer Fear and Embrace Your Blend with Confidence and ClarityEpisode 98. Is fear of being vulnerable keeping you from loving your spouse wholeheartedly?Coping with Impatience:Episode 105. What powerful traits do you need to successfully blend and stay united?Episode 89. Feeling Stuck in the Change Process?  Change Isn't the Issue - Transition IsEpisode 72. The Best Way to Create Healthy, Bonded RelationshipsEpisode 159.  How to Stay Hopeful as a Stepparent When You're Continually Rejected and HurtOvercoming Limiting Beliefs & Excuses:Episode 120. 3 Valuable Lessons That Saved Our Marriage and Blended FamilyEpisode 165. How important is your mindset when it comes to blended family life?Episode 217. Feeling Overwhelmed and Powerless?  How to Regain Hope with Tools that Heal [with EJ & Tarah Kerwin]Episode 51. Overcoming DiscouragementManaging Emotional Pain:Episode 187. Basics for Blending:  How to Tolerate and Manage Discomfort and DistressEpisode 202. How to Break Free from Painful Cycles and Enjoy Deeper Levels of Intimacy [with Ron & Nan Deal]Episode 139. The Most Common, Challenging Pain Point Every Blended Couple ExperiencesEpisode 107. 3 Disheartening Realities That No Couple Want To Go Through - But We all Have ToEmbracing the Lone Ranger position:Episode 209. Breaking Free from Self-Doubt: 5 Habits to Build Confidence and Trust in YourselfEpisode 215. Does Your Relationship Feel Hopeless?  Why Giving Up Might Not Be the AnswerEpisode 65. 6 Simple Steps for Inviting Your Spouse to Get Help With YouEpisode 138. How Relational Dysfunction Plagued Our Marriage and How We Finally Broke FreeReady for some extra support?Schedule your FREE coaching call here:  https://www.blendedfamilybreakthrough.com/free-call

From the archive: This episode was originally recorded and published in 2022. Our interviews on Entrepreneurs On Fire are meant to be evergreen, and we do our best to confirm that all offers and URL's in these archive episodes are still relevant. Nastassia C. S. is a startup launch expert, D.E.I. strategist and founder of The Mind Designer. She helps founders develop authentic leadership skills, so they can create inclusive and innovative workplaces. Top 3 Value Bombs 1. Remember yourself. Remember that you are launching a business, and ultimately, always a human being with feelings and values with your own personal definition of success. You are your own best guide. 2. Business values are an amazing way for entrepreneurs to know whether they are on the right track or not 3. If you are the first woman of color to launch a certain type of business, you have a built-in network. If you're representing a community that you happen to be part of, or an identity they hold that you are really proud of, you have a built-in network. Sponsors HighLevel - The ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies. Learn more at HighLevelFire.com. Cape - Cape is a privacy-first mobile carrier, built from the ground up with security as the priority. Visit Cape.co/fire to sign up today.