Podcasts about our elders

This conversation with Leah Rampy, author of Earth and Soul, emphasizes the importance of connecting deeply with the Earth amidst climate chaos. By exploring themes of kinship, responsibility, and deep listening, we uncover ways to foster relationship with nature that can lead to sustainable solutions for our planet.  Learn more about Leah HERE. Buy Leah's book, Earth and Soul HERE.Learn more about Daniel and Unshod HERE.Leah Rampy is a writer, speaker, and retreat leader who weaves ecology, spirituality, personal stories, and practices to help others deepen their relationship to the natural world. She is the author of the award winning Earth & Soul: Reconnecting amid Climate Chaos and a frequent speaker on spiritual ecology and leadership in these uncertain times. Leah co-authored and co-facilitated with Beth Norcross the six-part video series on The Spiritual Wisdom of Trees: Insights from Our Elders in collaboration with the award-winning film maker Jane Pittman and sponsored by The Center for Spirituality in Nature. Leah and Beth are co-authoring a book, Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees, to be published by Broadleaf Books in April 2025.​She has led over a dozen pilgrimages to sacred places in the US and internationally for the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation where she previously served as the Executive Director and continues as an adjunct staff member. She is the founder and leader of Church of the Wild Two Rivers, affiliated with the Wild Church Network, that meets regularly to deepen spirituality through time in the natural world. Leah also offers retreats through Friends of Silence, a nonprofit honoring the work and intent of the late, well-loved author, Nan Merrill. Through Shepherd University's Lifelong Learning Program, Leah teaches classes on ecology through the lens of current writers. Her essays on living more fully connected to Earth in these uncertain times have appeared in the Anthology of Appalachian Writers (Barbara Kingsolver edition), The Cardinal Anthology Vol 1, and Soul Food; Nourishing Essays on Contemplative Living and Leadership. She is a member of West Virginia Writers.Leah holds a doctorate in Curriculum from Indiana University. She has extensive leadership experience as an executive in Fortune 100 organizations and in nonprofits and has offered executive coaching and consulting to individuals and organizations through the business she founded in 2001, Illumined Way, LLC.She lives with her husband in a cohousing community in Shepherdstown, WV, where members collaborated to build and now to run their village with a focus on community, environmental responsibility, and Earth care. She co-founded Save Our Soil, a volunteer organization to promote soil health, local food, native plants, and regenerative agriculture in the Eastern Panhandle and beyond. The Rampys have two adult children who live in Virginia, and two dogs who live at home.

Our Elders bring us the message today: "Love In Action". They look at the plans for the church going into the new year, showing our love, and the importance of serving.

Our Elders, Richard and Kathy Howell speak on the 3 things we need to mature in Christ. Prayer, the Bible and fellowship.

In this episode I discuss the lack of respect people have in the country, and how it is effecting us as a nation. I also discuss how this lack of respect within our society has cost us our most important class within the population. Our Elders…

“After 79 years of experience, I've been able to widdle itdown to one word. But you actually have to have had 79 years of hundreds of things going wrong in your life in order to understand what that one word means.”Our Elders have lived and learned. Their knowledge has been distilled down to life's simplest and most powerful secrets. But taming the mind to allow life to be simple is hard for young people. When their elders tell them how it is, it just doesn't land. This is normal and we all have to learn some lessons the hard way. But in recent years, traditions have become increasingly rejected and morals get more distorted every day. Social media fills every void in young people's lives, targeting their minds with useless information that rarely promotes the principles they need to move toward a good future. The wisdom of our elders is needed now more than ever before.But we're fortunate to have men like Raymond Aaron who have a strong voice in the world, and who's wisdom and life experience changes lives for the better every day. Raymond has been a professional speaker for 40 years, traveling to all corners to teach and also to learn from some of the best leaders in the world. A recent near death experience revealed his true mastery of mind as his thoughts went to gratitude for his life in the moment he thought he had breathed his last breath. Such simple thoughts to have and ones that likely saved his life.Raymond has learned that the single most important thing for anyone to have is gratitude.A few books Raymond wants young people to read so that they can open their minds and live life to their potential:A Message To Garcia. A free book that can be found here. https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/17195Siddharthahttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52036.SiddharthaThe Richest Man In Babylonhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1052.The_Richest_Man_in_BabylonTo learn more about Raymond Aaron, go to https://aaron.com/home/.You're invited to come to a Sovereign Circle meeting to experience it for yourself. To learn more, go to https://www.sovereignman.ca/. While you're there, check out the Battle Ready program and check out the store for Sovereign Man t-shirts, hats, and books.

Dive into the world of water professionals with a seasoned thought leader, Adam Tank, co-founder of Transcend, as he guides you through the maze of marketing challenges in the water sector. In this episode, Adam brings over 15 years of industry expertise to unravel the complexities of building an online presence for water companies. Feel the tug of limited time and budget? Adam Tank understands the struggle. Join us for a candid conversation infused with humor and anecdotes as we explore Adam's water journey. Whether you're just starting your online presence or a marketing enthusiast in the water treatment industry, Adam shares practical insights on the dos and don'ts of marketing, the impact of social media, and effective budgeting and communication strategies. This episode promises more than just knowledge; it's a journey toward clarity in your marketing strategies. Adam's powerful wisdom unfolds as he declares, "Social media, used properly, is the most powerful network building and brand building tool that has ever existed in the history of the world." Don't miss the chance to gain a unique perspective and elevate your approach to marketing in the water treatment realm. Tune in for a wealth of actionable insights and discover the secrets to authentic engagement. Enhance your marketing strategies with Adam Tank's expertise, and let's navigate the waters of the industry together.   Timestamps 1:00 - Trace Blackmore emphasizes continuous learning to prevent burnout 8:00 - Call to action: Leave reviews, like, and subscribe to the podcast 12:18 - Upcoming events for water treatment professionals 23:00 - Introduction of Adam Tank and discussion on mentorship 29:55 - Importance of digital presence and advice for starting marketing 32:00 - Customer engagement and rules for creating a message 38:00 - Consequences of not investing in marketing 41:00 - Exploring different social media types and content strategies 50:00 - Advice on budgeting for marketing 52:00 - Humorous stories about dealing with online critics 58:00 - Reflection on the impact of positive feedback from fans 1:02:00 - Lightning round questions 1:07:00 - Closing thoughts and a sneak peek of James McDonald's 2024 podcast episodes   Quotes “The internet is an amazing vehicle for serendipity. Start small. Don't overthink it. Share about your day and go from there.”- Adam Tank “People want to connect with people. People want to connect with people who they like and trust.”- Adam Tank “Authenticity. Authenticity is key when using social media platforms.” - Adam Tank “Social media, used properly, is the most powerful network building and brand building tool that has ever existed in the history of the world.”- Adam Tank “Going viral isn't the goal, the goal is to find a tribe of people online.” - Adam Tank “Start with a single post. Start with a single reshare. Write a couple of sentences, put it out into the world, and see what happens.” - Adam Tank   Connect with Adam Tank Phone: 913.940.4381 Email: atank@transcendinfra.com Website: www.adamtank.com Transcendinfra.com Podcast: Water We Talking About LinkedIn: in/adamtank company/transcend-infra Read or Download Adam Tank's Press Release HERE   Links Mentioned Water We Talking About Podcast Write of Passage Online Writing Course Build Your Second Brain Evernote  Monday.com WEF video game “Water 2050”  The Rising Tide Mastermind Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses Submit a Show Idea   Episodes Mentioned Ep 181 with Jim Lauria and Adam Tank - Social Media Water Geeks Ep 279 with Jim Lauria and Adam - Water We Talking About Hosts Ep 22 with Tim Fulton Ep 230 with Walid Khoury Ep 278 with Antoine Walter Ep 280 with Tim Fulton - Retaining Top Talent   Books Mentioned To Know Water Is To Love Water (Coming Soon) by Jim Lauria The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss  1000 True Fans: Use Kevin Kelly's Simple Idea to Earn A Living Doing What You Love by Jon Longhurst  The Black Swan, Second Edition: The Impact of the Highly Improbable: With a new section: "On Robustness and Fragility" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill    Periodic Water Table With James McDonald First off, what is BCDMH? Is it considered an oxizider or nonoxidizer? In what form is BCDMH available? How is BCDMH fed to a system? What are its reaction byproducts with water? How is its concentration in the system measured? How is it controlled? Is it fed continuously or intermittently? Does pH have any impact upon BCDMH? Water temperature? What's its chemical formula?    Elevate this holiday season by giving and helping One Simple Wish (www.onesimplewish.org/site/donate)

The Full Moon Eclipse in TAURUS will be our last eclipse in Taurus since they started Nov 19, 2021. Go back to this time to get an idea of what chapter is finally closing for you as this does mark a GRADUATION point for many. This eclipse may be a memory maker for many of you so pay attention! And find out what this moon will mean for you through all signs at the end!  0:00 The Echoes of Our Elders  16:30 The Pendulum Swings Back 1:32:03 All Signs LIVE EVENT Awaken the Mystic Within: A Shamanic Passage via the Taurus Full Moon Eclipse https://www.nicolefrolick.com/product-page/awaken-the-mystic-within-live-event CONNECT w/ MARY  WEBSITE: http://www.marydusina.com/  FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/mary.dusina.7  IG: https://www.instagram.com/mary.dusina31 2024 Astrological & Tarot Forecast and Predictions https://www.nicolefrolick.com/product-page/astrological-tarot-forecast-predictions SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe to iTunes and leave me a 5 star review!  This is what helps the podcast stand out from the crowd and allows me to help people find a refreshing spin on spirituality with a great blend of entertainment and credible advice. Storefront: https://stan.store/nicolefrolick Website: http://nicolefrolick.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/nicolefrolick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolefrolick/ Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/@nicolefrolick Spotify: shorturl.at/fikF7 iTunes: http://apple.co/2ve7DtE PayPal: https://paypal.me/theforbiddenjourney Alcheme: https://alchemyacademy.teachable.com/p/alcheme  Merch: https://www.nicolefrolick.com/shop --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/enlightenup/support

Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota Nation) is an award winning writer and 2020-2025 MacArthur Fellow. Her satirical comedy, The Thanksgiving Play, made her the first known female Native American playwright on Broadway at the Helen Hayes under the direction of Rachel Chavkin. Her new plays in 2023 are Wicoun (Cornerstone Theater Company), Democracy Project (Federal Hall), Fake It Until You Make It (CTG Mark Taper Forum), For the People (Guthrie), and the national tour of Peter Pan (Networks). Selected past plays include What Would Crazy Horse Do? (KCRep), Landless and Cow Pie Bingo (AlterTheater), Average Family (Children's Theater Company of Minneapolis), Teaching Disco Squaredancing to Our Elders: a Class Presentation (Native Voices at the Autry), as well as numerous productions of The Thanksgiving Play, making it one of the most produced plays in America. Larissa created the nationally recognized trilogy of community engaged theatrical experiences with Cornerstone Theater Company; Urban Rez, Native Nation, and Wicoun. She and her collaborator, Michael John Garcés, spend years on each project in an Indigenized community engagement process. “The engagement itself is the art form.” These projects have earned them national funding and an appointment to Arizona State University. Larissa's company with Ty Defoe, Indigenous Direction, recently produced the first land acknowledgement on national television for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC and continues to consult for them. They also consult for the largest theater organizations in the country. Larissa also writes in film and television, most recently as a creator for NBC, Disney Channel, Dreamworks, Muse, Netflix and others. She is based in Los Angeles with her husband, the sculptor Edd Hogan, and represented by Jonathan Mills at Paradigm NY. She is especially honored to follow in the footsteps of the last known Native American playwright on Broadway, Lynn Riggs. Photo credit: Conor Horgan Website: http://www.hoganhorsestudio.com/ https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2023-2024-season/for-the-people/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/larissafasthorse/

Jae Starks talks about how fan favorite characters in anime are treated, preparing for High School and more while talking about other topics from The Dreaming Boy is a Realist (1), Reign of the Seven Spellblades (2), Undead Murder Farce (3), Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation (4), Sweet Reincarnation (5), The Great Cleric (6), Rurouni Kenshin (7), Bleach (8), and Jujutsu Kaisen (9)!Preparing for High School (3:13)What is Tough Love? (20:25)Importance of Our Elders (28:51)Reuniting with Someone You Loved (36:56)Uplifting Others Who Are Feeling Down (41:44)The Future of Polygamy & Polyamory (47:54)Becoming a Spy (57:59)Targeting Fan Favorite Characters (1:05:34)Benefits for Blowing Bubbles (1:15:38)Watch the full Livestream on Sundays:https://www.youtube.com/jaesunstarkshttps://www.twitch.tv/jaesunstarkshttps://www.facebook.com/jaesunstarkshttps://www.kick.com/jaesunstarks

Our Elders and Pastors have read through the book "Church Elders" and Rick Welty joins in to discuss the importance of a Biblical understanding of Elders.

Frank Ocean, what are you doing out there in the desert? This week, Josie's busy filming, so Alycia and Yasmine sit down with Dare We Say associate producer Fiona to talk all things Coachella. Then, we get wise during Advice to Our Elders, answering questions from the elderly (anyone over 30) about makeup contouring, party beverages, and whether or not trends have an age limit.

The Order of the Golden Prawn joins the Shieldbearers and spends some downtime before traveling to Yeonido for Sins of Our Elders.

The Order of the Golden Prawn joins the Shieldbearers and spends some downtime before traveling to Yeonido for Sins of Our Elders.

This episode is giving VMA Vanguard because we are LEADING! Josie, Alycia and Yasmine dive into the VMA's, Addison Rae's mom dating Yung Gravy, and Yas' confrontation with Ben Shapiro at Podcast Movement. Then, the girls explore the lowkey highkey erosion of church and state and the way religion has manifested throughout their lives. Plus, a new segment: Advice to Our Elders. Our biggest piece of advice? Keep dancing from womb to tomb, girl!

Welcome to Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel!! Wizards of the Coast gave us an early look at what's in their new book Journeys Through The Radiant Citadel! This One Shot features the adventure Sins of Our Elders, a level 6 adventure! Our cast: @Blerd Without Fear! : https://twitter.com/BlerdMinusFear @Simply_JXN : https://twitter.com/simplyjxn @finamenon : https://twitter.com/finamenon @3llebelle : https://twitter.com/3llebelle Joel - https://twitter.com/RunawayRobot_ #RadiantCitadel #WizardsoftheCoast #dnd ----- Join the community Discord! https://discord.gg/3CMbQhp This is an edited recording of a livestream over on https://twitch.tv/RunawayRobot_ If you enjoy this content, head over there and catch the show live! Latest schedule available on Discord!

When Kevion Speaks, healing happens in real time. Seriously. Just listen to these words that come about in our conversation in the way they come about. Kevion is a Word Master, a Weaver of Spells, a Master Teacher and Provider of Nature Medicine. He is a practicing shamanic healer and he conducts personal and group ceremony leveraging sound, energy medicine, and nature to help people heal. He is also a public grade school teacher who helps connect children with holistic and organic food production practices! His wisdom transcends his years, while his skillset transcends all labels. Above all else, Kevion is just a beautiful human.   It isn't too long before we are taken into a deep Flow State discussing the nature of our own healing journeys, our ritualistic lifestyles, the nature of struggle and lessons discerned from within our relationships, the importance of stillness and introspection, and what human relating might have looked like in times of prehistory when the divine duality within each of us was more freely expressed than it is today. And thats just like the first half hour!! We also dive into: Lessons from our elders and contentment in a simple life well lived The romanticizing of trauma work and distortion of life through the experience of screening technology The depth of connection and access to Wisdom we can achieve in ritualistic interaction with nature The value of teaching our children what real food looks like and where it comes from  Kevion's experience of getting to bring his light and ecological wisdom to suburban grade school classrooms where he teaches an interactive program on Agricultural Science and Technology.  Show Notes: You can find Kevion https://www.instagram.com/kevion.devante/ (@kevion.devante) on instagram Check our our two prior conversations here on the concept of Peace, sound healing, tantra, and sex magic: https://www.foragerhealthinitiative.com/podcast/sexmagic (https://www.foragerhealthinitiative.com/podcast/sexmagic) https://www.foragerhealthinitiative.com/podcast/peace-with-kevion-devante (https://www.foragerhealthinitiative.com/podcast/peace-with-kevion-devante) Time Markers: @6:02 - 20:54 Introductions, The Struggles of Deepening Your Spiritual Practice, and Unconventional Thoughts on Healing & Relationships @20:54 - 34:45 Intimacy and Consideration as Normalcy, and Finding a Place of Compassion @34:45 - 43:06 The Retaliation of an Isolation Virus, Making Love a Priority in Your Life, and Exploring the Adult Human Psyche @43:06 - 52:21 Simplicity in the Darkness - Disconnected People Don't Have to Feel, and Connected People Don't Have a Choice but to Search for Feeling @52:21 - 1:07:14 Looking for a Simple Life Well Lived - Lessons from Relating With and Consideration of Our Elders and Young Ones  @1:07:14 - 1:11:58 The Screening and Distortion of Life by Way of Duality and the Romanticizing of Confronting Your Darkness @1:11:58 - 1:22:20 Being a Glitch in the System and Guiding Young Ones to Walk their Own Path @1:22:20 - 1:44:11 Kevion's Experience of Sharing Nature, Wisdom, and Compassion with the Next Generation as a grade school teacher @1:44:11 - End - Kevion's Methods and Philosophy for Connecting with Nature

This is a GenteCare Health Alert from HealthCare Untold about the COVID-19 virus Omicron that is spreading quickly through our families and our communities. Many of us are getting sick with flu like symptoms. The symptoms of Omicron that makes it different it from the flu are: **The loss of smell and taste, which you will not find with the flu. **High fever and sometimes severe headaches, which is being reporting by those infected with Omicron. If you do have those symptoms, it's much more concerning that you may have gotten COVID than the flu. Because Covid testing is now taking more days to get your results, it's important to take better care of yourself for your family and your community If you can't find n95 or kn95 mask wear two masks even if you are vaccinated. Wear a disposable mask and a cloth mask. This virus is staying longer in the air and can get through a single cloth mask. It's also really important get your Covid 19 vaccines. The data shows that those without vaccines are the vast majority in our hospitals. Our Elders are also at high risk for hospitalizations, so wear your masks for the elders around us. If you are NOT vaccinated, then double mask to protect yourself and others around you. Don't be afraid to tell people you you are sick that's the responsible thing to do, so they can take extra care of themselves Help Stop the spread of Omicron! This is a GenteCare Health Alert from HealthCare UnTold.#cdc.gov#chhs.ca.gov#latinocovid.org#healthcareuntold#gentecare

Ilakuilluki – To share them Cuqlliipet niutaakaitkut, "ilakuilluki caqinek pingq'rkut." – Our Elders used to tell us, "always share what you have."

Matthew 20:20-28; 1 Peter 5:1-3 We're right in the middle of our September teaching series simply entitled, “We are Crossgate.” At Crossgate Church, we have a definition of a disciple that goes like this: “A disciple is a growing follower of Jesus, who lives and loves like Jesus and leads others to follow him.” If we're going to “live and love like Jesus,” then that means we should also L-E-A-D . . . lead like Jesus in whatever context he has placed us. If you're a parent . . . lead like Jesus. If you're an older sibling . . . lead like Jesus. If you're a supervisor of anyone in a professional context . . . lead like Jesus. If you're a husband . . . lead like Jesus. If you're serving in any leadership capacity in this church . . . lead like Jesus. We're going to see today that servant leadership is the ONLY way to lead.       1)  The Gold Standard for Servant Leadership (Matthew 20:20-28)  Who is the gold standard for servant leadership? Who is the ultimate pace setter? Jesus Christ! When Jesus was teaching his disciples on this matter, He drew a comparison between (1) on the one hand worldly power and selfish ambition and (2) on the other hand godly posture and selfless submission. He said, “If you want to be great, you've got to be a servant; if you want to be first, you've got to be last.” You've heard me say it before and I'll say it again, “The higher you go, the lower you must be willing to become.” After giving them his expectation, Jesus then referred to his example—he said, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.” In other words, Jesus put his money where his mouth was. There's nothing more powerful than an example, and Jesus knew how to give an example, didn't he? Regardless of where and in what capacity you lead, I want to strongly encourage you to live, love, and LEAD like Jesus!          2) The Pace Setters in Servant Leadership (1 Peter 5:1-4) Let's talk about leadership in our church. We've got several types of leaders at Crossgate—LifeGroup leaders, Deacons, Trustees, Ministry Team Leaders, Pastors, Staff, and Elders—and I would expect that all of our leaders are pace-setting, servant leaders. But when it comes to leadership . . . and servant leadership, in particular . . . where does the buck stop? Yes, it stops with the Elders. (1 Timothy 3:1-7) (Titus 1:5-9) In the New Testament, each local church had multiple Elders, men appointed by the apostles and key leaders to be responsible for everything that happened or failed to happen in that church. As the Lead Pastor at Crossgate Church, I'm also the Lead Elder. I am absolutely committed to setting the pace at Crossgate Church. In fact, I've got four priorities for myself as your Lead Pastor and Lead Elder that I've had since day one, December 8, 2019: (1) preach the Word, (2) love the people, (3) lead the leaders, and (4) set the pace. “I am what I am by the grace of God—and not without result. I worked harder than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God that is within me.” (1 Corinthians 15:10) I've challenged our elders along these same lines. And I'm proud of our Elders. Yes, we gather monthly in the conference room to make big decisions on behalf of our church. But they've also shown themselves to be pace-setting servant leaders—from leading LifeGroups and Discipleship Groups to being “basin and towel” men who serve in children's ministry and waiting tables on Wednesday nights in Wholly Grounds. So as we prepare to enter into our nominating process this week, I urge you to bathe this in prayer. Our Elders are the foundation of our leadership here at Crossgate Church and we all need to ask God for wisdom and direction as we add proposed leaders to our Elder Board. I am a huge proponent of transparency, and if you have ANY questions about this process, you can reach me directly at phil@crossgate.org. 

Bible Study with Jairus - Colossians We are striving to speed read several volumes of the Bible every month. The main consideration is to help some brothers and sisters who aren't able to read further when they reach Exodus in the Old Testament, and Romans in the New Testament. This will help those new ones to have a rough understanding on the contents of some books in the Bible. We started to speed read the Old Testament, from the first book up to the Book of Ruth. Meanwhile, we have done the opposite in the New Testament. We began to speed read from the Book of Revelation up to Colossians. Although it's just a passing glance, it might help some of our brothers and sisters who have never read the Bible from cover to cover. This time, the inspiration that I got after speed reading Colossians is how Paul dealt with carnal Christians in the church at Colossae. Originally, we arranged a speed reading of 3 letters: the letters to the Colossians, and First and Second Thessalonians. But because of the rich content of Colossians (one meeting will take up most of the time), we will have one Bible study session on both First and Second Thessalonians later. I had an inspiration after I read Colossians and First and Second Thessalonians. In Colossians, it was dealing more with carnality in the church. While in First and Second Thessalonians, it was dealing more with Christians who are easily deceived in church. As Paul mentioned in Colossians, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (NIV, Colossians, 3:2), and advised Christians in the church at Colossae to forgive each other.  In First and Second Thessalonians, it talks a lot about the lessons of the Antichrist which led people to be deceived. What does this mean?  Even when people are long time church goers, we  find that many Christians may actually possess the knowledge and truths of the Bible, but when something really happens, they still can't overcome their own flesh. For example, we know that God isn't happy with the divisions in the church and hopes that all of us can get along with each other, but when something happens, we will still form sects and factions.  This is a common situation in churches today. Another situation we find in today's church is people who don't have much biblical knowledge and haven't meditated on the truths of the Bible.  They may not have strong fleshly desires but they are easily led astray by wrong teachings leading to greater losses.  Both of these situations are ubiquitous in the church. Today, let's talk about Colossians. First of all, we have to clarify that there are fleshly or other problems in the church at Colossae but it isn't entirely a bad thing. For example, in the church at Corinth, there were also a lot of problems that existed. Thus, Paul wrote two letters to them, revealing many truths about Christ. There's background information behind every letter. Similarly, Colossians has a special background.  Paul wrote four letters in prison - Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.   There's very important historical background behind these letters. I asked a Christian who attended our Bible study, to imagine that he was Paul, he was in prison, he only had a little time left and the conditions were poor, but he has to say something important right from his heart to write these letters. Of course, after writing the letters, it has a lasting significance, letting the churches benefit from them for thousands of years after. But often, there is a latent cause in writing them initially. For example, when I mentioned the chaos in the church at Corinth, including the man who had married the stepmother, it leaves Paul with no choice but to write a long letter to them. What is the background of Colossians here? There are many things in the Bible that are not accounted for, but it doesn't mean that they didn't happen. I shared a story I personally heard. Soon after I received salvation, a brother told me of a situation that had happened in the church. There was a man who had been in the church for a long time and his car was accidentally hit by a newcomer causing minor damage. This man insisted on filing an insurance claim to let the newcomer compensate. Someone tried to persuade him to give a little grace to this newcomer, let him compensate just a little money, but the man refused. Naturally, in the end, the newcomer stumbled. The person, who told me the story, said that the man whose car had minor damage didn't have enough grace. He lacked real Christian love.  He regarded his own car as more important than the newcomer's stumbling. Of course here in the United States when we encounter such things, there is no reason not to file an insurance claim. The point that the person telling the story was trying to make is that we should look less at the circumstance and have more grace toward the person to avoid having them stumble. I don't know whether a situation like this is a common occurrence in the church, but as far as my own experience is concerned, there are indeed many similar situations. On the one hand, we are Christians. On the other hand, we are human beings. Humans have fleshly desires. When we talk about the love of Christ, we may speak clearly and logically, but when our interests are involved, the flesh often speaks louder than the spirit and we lose. After sharing this story in the meeting, I asked everyone “Is there a similar situation in the church at Colossae that Paul is concerned about?” As stated in Colossians 1:7, the church in Colossae was taught by Epaphras, and he also reported the situation of the church to Paul and others. Is there a possibility that after Epaphras told Paul about the grace of God to the Colossian church, he also told Paul about the situation in which some brothers and sisters become competitive, irreconcilable and unforgiving when they are in the flesh? And that these brethren are actually those whom Paul knew, even loved, or personally brought to be saved or trained? Is it possible that the two parties are both loved by Paul, but are incompatible, leading Paul to worry in prison and to write a letter to the Colossians to mediate them? Both are Paul's love, so Paul can't blame one, and hold the other in high regard. He must be very careful in dealing with this subtle situation. If these situations are possible, if you were Paul, how would you deal with it? We don't know if Paul was facing these things, but we know that in the life of the contemporary church, we often have to face these situations. We assume that this may be the background behind Paul's writing. Let's see how Paul's letters respond to this situation.    Suppose the parties involved are all Paul's acquaintance, and the two people are still arguing, it will be difficult for Paul to directly judge who is right and who is wrong. And judging right or wrong may not be a good choice because the dispute between right and wrong is often in the realm of the mind, the flesh, or the soul. What Paul needs to do is to help the members of the two factions to break carnal, and spiritual strongholds, enter the mind of Christ in the heavenly, and look at these problems from the eyes and perspective of God. When they can look at these problems from a Heavenly perspective, they can escape from earthly, carnal, and spiritual strongholds and they will be able to forgive, tolerate, and mutually compromise in love. If you were Paul, how would you start writing this letter? Of course, he wouldn't begin by blaming the two brothers. Instead, he avoided direct accusation. He started from a very high place - Heaven. Paul's slant at the beginning of Colossae is very high. Paul began by praising the believers of Colossae, saying he heard the praise of the Colossian believers from Epaphras, which he mentioned in 1:4: "because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God's people." (NIV) After praising the Colossian believers, Paul switched the thread of conversation to directly mentioning the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 12 Giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified youto share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (NIV) Then Paul used this opportunity to say that, “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” (NIV, Colossians: 1:15). He added, “But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” (NIV, Colossians: 1:22). From here, we can speculate that what Paul means is we have eliminated all strife on the cross of Christ. Paul then uses his experience again to testify that, “Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.” (NIV, Colossians: 1:24). Paul mentioned how he was called to complete God's Word. He revealed the mystery hidden by God over the ages - Christ is our hope of glory. Paul has struggled and worked hard for this. He wants us to maturely dedicate our life to God. In this chapter, Paul seems to be saying good things. It appears that he doesn't have any criticism. But in the second chapter, Paul slowly began to raise the obscure issue of the Colossians. Of course, when Paul ended the letter, he never forgot to give encouragement and comfort to the audience of his letters. Some people call this type of writing a "sandwich". This kind of writing is very common in the Bible. For example, Jesus' seven letters to the seven churches in the book of Revelation are also in the format of a “sandwich." It praised the faithfulness of each church in the beginning. After which, it criticized the church in the middle. In the end, there were words of encouragement and promise again. Let's take a look at how Paul began to put "meat" in this "sandwich" from the second chapter (we will use meat as a metaphor for Paul's criticism). In verse 2:4, Paul said that, “ I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.” (NIV) This sentence implies that in the church of Colossae, some people will use flowery words to deceive the Christians in Colossae. 2:8 says, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ”. (NIV)   This sentence has implicit meaning. In the church in Colossae, there are those who will use philosophy and empty deception according to human teachings rather on Christ, leading the Christians in Colossae astray. Thus, in the second chapter, Paul especially revealed many of the mysteries of Christ in these two negative situations. Then at the beginning of third chapter, Paul immediately encouraged the Christians in Colossae to set their minds on things above and not on earthly things (NIV, Colossians: 3:2). Chapters 3:1-4 are some of my favorite verses: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory”. (NIV) Paul becomes more and more straightforward in here. 3:5 says, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” (NIV) 3:8 says, “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” (NIV)  3:9 says, “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.” (NIV) 3: 12-15 also say, “12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (NIV) I shared my experience and said that when I was starting to learn to serve, I was with a brother who was a little older than me. We had a dispute when we once served together in the Church.   Our Elders in the church did not criticize us, but they let us sing Colossians 3:12-15. So at this bible study, my wife and I sang these same verses again to the tune of a hymn. Why is Paul particularly emphasizing here that as God's chosen people, we must have compassion, kindness, humbleness, gentleness, patience, and even if there is a discord between people, we must always bear and forgive each other as the Lord forgive us? It is not enough to just forgive, but we must also have love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect unity. So although these are just speculations, perhaps things such as carnality and strife among people really happened in the church in Colossae. Ultimately, the reason why such things happen is due to the fact that their life is not mature enough to let the life of Christ rule their lives. So Paul said in 3:16-17 (NIV), 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” In chapter 4, Paul has hardly any criticism. Instead, he began to comfort, encourage and greet. 4:2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (NIV) 4:6 says,  “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (NIV) In conclusion, Paul ended the four short chapters of Colossae with a lot of greetings. Although our sharing is of a speed reading nature, or a passing glance, we can see that many of the verses in Colossians are written with a delicate touch. Let's pray and try to fathom the implications of these verses. This will be beneficial to our Christian life because it especially helps us to grow up into Christ, overcome the flesh, and even enter and preserve Christian unity.      

Wisdom from Our Elders.... Being Better Representatives

*Content Warning! The audio version (and maybe the written version) of this message, may be highly troublesome to those who have experienced disabilities and/or seizures. I have done my best to make the written manuscript easier to read. – Pastor Jonathan Today I'm talking about freak accidents. I am going to tell a true story of sudden death, a tragedy that hit me personally. Our Elders and Deacons recently did a mental health training through Harbor Christian Counseling in Boston

*Trigger Warning! The audio version especially, but also potentially the written version of this sermon, may be highly triggering to those who have experienced disabilities and/or seizures. Today I'm talking about freak accidents. I am going to tell a true story of a sudden death, a tragedy that hit me personally. Our Elders and Deacons recently did a mental health training through Harbor Christian Counseling in Boston and I asked them how to preach on triggering issues. They said to

Guest: Alec Prentice - Attorney & Elder Law SpecialistThis week's show is called "Legal Issues for Our Elders." Listen to host Jean Newell as she discusses everyday real estate concepts. A show about everything on real estate from foreclosures to Feng Shui.

Title: “Caring for Our Elders in the Face of Financial Uncertainty” Guest: Ande Frazier, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of myWorth LLC; author of “Fin(anci)ally Free: 11 Conversations To Have With Yourself About Life, Money, and Worth” Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a myriad of health and financial challenges—many of which impact our elders with particular force. Learn secrets of financial crisis management and strategies for elder care from financial consultant and CEO, Ande Frazier. For more information, check out: www.myworthfinance.com or www.andefrazier.com

Our Elders, Josh Cushing and Eric Frei, will be sharing from God's Word on passing our faith to the next generation based on Deuteronomy 6.

Our Elders by Valley View Church of Christ

Take advantage of the elders who are willing to share their successes, experiences and failures we you question yourself or a situation such as seeking employment from a shady company. Our Elders could possibly help you / giving you ideas or caution you on your one path to become successful.

Serena Wills Serena Wills is a native New Yorker and currently resides in the Washington, DC area. She holds a BA in Policy Studies from Syracuse University an MPA from Virginia Tech and studying for her MA in Health and Wellness Coaching. She's a nonprofit guru, a published author and spoken word artist. Her previous publications include her first poetry book titled, Reconstruction, Pieces of Life, Volume 1 was released in 2014 and is available on her website, Amazon and Barnes and Noble. She's also published in numerous anthologies and is a contributing writer/health and wellness blogger for online magazines and websites. Serena is a mother to her beautiful son and is an advocate for Ovarian Cancer, GYN Cancers, HIV/AIDS, Lymphoma and Lyme Disease research and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.. Recently, Ms. Wills was on our show talking about Taking Care of Our Elders. During our conversation, Ms. Wills talked about: – Why did she want to chat about this subject – Some of her mother shares mother's battle with ovarian cancer, how it impacted her and how she became a care giver for her mother – The need for balance when you are a caregiver – The support she received and the support she did not receive while her mother was sick – The importance of elders having life insurance – Self care is a must if you are a care giver You can contact Ms. Wills via: Website Facebook Twitter Email Visit The Dr. Vibe Show™ at https://www.thedrvibeshow.com/ Please feel free to email The Dr. Vibe Show™ at dr.vibe@thedrvibeshow.com Please feel free to “Like” the “The Dr. Vibe Show” Facebook fan page here God bless, peace, be well and keep the faith, Dr. Vibe

This week the co-hosts discuss Episode 2.06 titled “Line of Our Elders”. Hosted by: Carla Stillwell, Chris INPAQ Sutton, Derrick Anthony and Legionnaire. Visit www.PapiChuloRADIO.com. Download many more episodes via PapiChuloRADIO.com/Archives. Follow the show on Tumblr: QueenSugarsCourt.tumblr.com Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter and YouTube: @PapiChuloRADIO. Are you interested in joining the Papi Chulo […]

Original Recording dates: March 3rd, March 17th, and April 7th Guests: Jean, Meghan (Elder Wisdom Campaign), and Marlene This episode features three different days' worth of recordings. The first segment is Jean, coming to read a story from her life, that was originally featured in the Guelph Mercury. Then I spoke with Meghan who works at the Village of Riverside Glen, about the Schlegel Villages Elder Wisdom Campaign - this is an excerpt from their campaign: "Ageism is a form of discrimination, particularly experienced by seniors. Our Elders have a great deal of wisdom to contribute to their communities. However, societal norms marginalize seniors, treat them with disrespect, make them feel unwelcome and otherwise generalize as if they were all the same. In June we celebrate the Wisdom of the Elder through a Social Media campaign called #ElderWisdom. Join us this June as Seniors from accross Schlegel Villages will visit their local High School and share wisdom with students." Third is my interview with Marlene from St. Patrick's Day when I visited Riverside Glen, and brought my son Otis with me. Totally fun. Hope you like it!