Podcasts about priests

We hope you enjoy today's Scripture reading and devotional aimed at motivating you to apply God's word while strengthening your heart and nurturing your soul. Today's Bible reading is Leviticus 8. To read along with the podcast, grab a print copy of the devotional at https://www.crossway.org/books/daily-joy-hcj/. Browse other resources from Mary Willson Hannah. Follow us on social media to stay up to date: Instagram Facebook Twitter

We welcome Fr. Peter Stravinskas to discuss why many young priests are leaving the priesthood, from weak intellectual formation, cultural pressures, isolation, and the lure of celebrity. Father finishes with Timely Thoughts. Show Notes Opinion: Why do young priests leave?  Apostolic Letter A Fidelity that generates the Future of the Holy Father Leo Xiv on the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Conciliar Decrees Optatam Totius and Presbyterorum Ordinis (8 December 2025)  A candid conversation about the source of vocations iCatholic Mobile The Station of the Cross Merchandise - Use Coupon Code 14STATIONS for 10% off | Catholic to the Max Read Fr. McTeigue's Written Works! "Let's Take A Closer Look" with Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J. | Full Series Playlist Listen to Fr. McTeigue's Preaching! | Herald of the Gospel Sermons Podcast on Spotify Visit Fr. McTeigue's Website | Herald of the Gospel Questions? Comments? Feedback? Ask Father!

What's it like to have the responsibility of discerning whether a man or woman would be a healthy and suitable priests or religious?Dr. Anthony Isacco shares his humble insights into the quietly holy work of psychological assessments in the process of discernment.Support the showThank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters! Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.Follow us on Instagram & FacebookInterested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for IntegrationMusic: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

PCTV is back! Greg and Ryan are here with a whole new slate of shows that you should be streaming right now. We're kicking things off with the multi-award winning ADOLESCENCE currently streaming on Netflix. What shows would you recommend we check out next? Let us know at poppingcollarspodcast@gmail.com or hit us up on socials Check out Scott Galloway's Notes on Being a Man Also, look up Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt Find us on the web at poppingcollarspodcast.com Don't forget to pick up some awesome merch Check out our Youtube offerings Read Greg's ramblings about movies at Letterboxd

Leviticus 8; Exodus 28-19; Hebrews 5:1-6Rev. John Trapp

Warnings of Earthquake Judgments (1) (Audio) David Eells, 1/25/26 I'm going to talk to you today about many warnings about earthquakes that have been prophesied to come to America. Some of these are old, and some are recent, which confirms them because God is still speaking through His prophets. God warns ahead so that many get the warning. If it was immediately fulfilled it wouldn't be a warning. He has been patient and very merciful towards people.  A recent earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 struck off the coast of Oregon at 7:25 p.m. PT on January 15, 2026, according to preliminary data. The quake occurred offshore at a shallow depth of about 7 km, which is why it was widely felt across western Oregon and coastal communities. No tsunami warnings were issued by the National Tsunami Warning Center, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Early reports indicate the epicenter was well offshore, but shallow quakes travel far — and fast. If you felt shaking, swaying, or a sudden jolt, you're not alone. The offshore area near the Oregon–California border is part of a seismically active region where earthquakes occur regularly due to the interaction between tectonic plates along the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Most earthquakes in this area occur offshore and are often not felt on land, though larger events have the potential to be widely felt along the Pacific Northwest coast. (This 6.0 quake, which happened very near a fault line, is a precursor to a much larger earthquake.) https://x.com/JosetteCaruso_/status/2012012701334024207?s=20 https://x.com/KristyTallman/status/2012057788932112687?s=20 It seems the Lord is blessing America to undo the damage done by liberals, who also have pushed the Land for Peace upon Israel, for which God said He would judge the US with earthquakes. It seems He is judging the liberals' rebellion against law and government. I believe the Lord told me that we are seeing spiritual earthquakes happening. We are certainly seeing spiritual shifts and separations of the earth here, a polarization of left from right. A clear separation of radical left from what is right. The Lord has shown us that He can fulfill prophetic dreams, visions, and prophecies in a physical or spiritual way (and sometimes both), depending on the actions of His people. Considering His mercy and grace being shown toward America, are we still going to see great physical quakes judging America? We are seeing tremendous precursors of earthquakes come and miraculously go as if by God's hand. He is still telling us He is going to judge apostate Christianity in America, bringing them into Babylonish captivity. Are these precursors being put down to show God's mercy once more, or are they a warning to pray against coming quakes? We saw massive riots and demonstrations on the East Coast in DC and the West Coast in Portland during and then following the inauguration. In the last several months, we've seen protests and riots against ICE, the National Guard, and other law enforcement in Los Angeles, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, New York City, Minneapolis, and other cities. These could be symptoms of the spiritual earthquakes. Are the physical quakes still coming, or will both be true? This event has been considered in the past as a potential warning of a POSSIBLE pending large earthquake on the west coast. Now, let me share with you some revelations the Lord has given concerning these earthquakes.     More Shaking and Tsunami to Come for Russia and Japan and then for California     8/3/25 Alison Pound (David's notes in red)   The Lord says: The ring of fire is erupting. One side has gone off. The other side, where California is, will react to the Russian side. Do you remember, I will shake the earth like a cottage. (A cottage has a flat floor, walls and a roof) Think of how big the Earth is. Then think of Me shaking it. One side goes down, the other side goes up. Then it is the turn of the first side to go up, whilst the other side goes down. There was no breakage, no land fell off into the sea on the Russian side. But when the Californian side reacts to the Russian side shaking, the land will break up, and a chunk will fall into the sea. Everyone will be able to see this chunk sticking up at the cracked edge and submerged under the sea at the outer sea edge. Keep watch. The shaking on the Russian side has not ended. There will be more before the other side reacts. On the Japan and Russia coastlines, there will be another tsunami. This will be most devastating. It will happen first, and then the shaking will begin on the US coastline. Alaska will not be devastated at this time. But the Japan tsunami and the Russia shaking will set off the other side of the ring of fire. No, this is not a tribulation quake. These are the birth pangs. They lead up to the tribulation. The tribulation begins in America after WWIII, when she is bombed. Then, in a series of events, the World Order will be brought down hard upon the whole earth. (The present day prosperity of NESARA/GESARA under Trump's administration will be reversed as we can clearly see in Revelation chapters 12 and 13.) A moment of triumph for satan. A moment is all I will grant him. To wear out the saints. The earthquakes will not stop when the tribulation begins. It will not be like that. Volcanic eruptions will continue. Weather events, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, famines, plagues. But in all of this, I Am with you! TO HIS CHOSEN: You are Mine! Psalm 91. It will not come near to you. I will not allow it. I will preserve My beloved. All of My precious ones. Only those who have not prepared themselves by drawing near to the throne of Grace will be taken out of the way in those days. Sleep (death) will be a merciful act of God in those days. Isaiah 24:19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. 20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.   To Whom it was Given to Hurt the Earth and Sea 01/04/26 Alison Pound Revelation 7:2   Thursday 1st January 2026 I Am about to visit Japan. And then California also. Everything I told you I would do, I will do to them. I Am about to do it. I told you. My true prophets will know because I will tell them. Just before I do it, I will tell them. I will say to them, it is time. I will tell them to brace for impact. Because you, and they, will feel the impact of what I Am going to do. The shaking and the destruction of the earth and the people in those places will be immense. Shocking. It will be all that the survivors around the earth can talk about for a long time. That is, when they start talking. Because when this happens, at first, they will not talk. The shock will hit them. Some will then shake their fists in the air and will no longer follow Me. These ones did not know Me at all well before. But others will turn to Me in a big way. Prepare for this. Many will want to talk about Me suddenly. They will have questions. They will want to get right with Me. And My hand of mercy will be outstretched to these. Be ready to speak. Donald Trump is going. He will go shortly after California goes. And California is about to go. The seabed is in turmoil. Out of California, the underwater volcanoes are coming to life. Angels have been sent to command them to erupt. Angels are My messengers. They put My judgments into action. Remember the scrolls and the decrees? (The Book of Revelation, see below) Keep watching and waiting. When you see that Japan has had a magnitude 8 earthquake, a tsunami will follow. Then you will know California is next. The shaking will shift tectonic plates. I will shake the earth like a cottage. I have not told you this before, but this earthquake, the one that takes out California, will be felt further away than any earthquake before it. Other volcanoes in the vicinity will also erupt. Remember, I told you to keep an eye on the ring of fire? This is the time. This is the time when shipping will be interrupted and new paths will be found for the ships in order to bypass the volcanic activity. [In 2012 the Lord spoke about this, but I just did not understand at the time. He said: Way below the earth's crust, there will be a disturbance far greater than any before. Out upon the waters of the Pacific, there is going to be a disturbance that comes from far below. Shipping will be lost at this time. There will become an area that must now be avoided.] The Earth will never be the same again after this. Many, many sea creatures will die and will be washing up on far shores. This will go on for months. Dear one, this will be a terrible time for the people of the earth. Very trying. But incredibly, the wicked will continue to be wicked. It will be like they think time is short and they must get a whole lot more wickedness in before they go. Their hearts will harden, if that were at all possible. And although I Am in judgment mode and I Am very angry, I will be very controlled and perfect in all My judgments. You will have access to Me at all times. I will not be like the angry father here on earth who does not want to talk to anyone when he is in his angry mode. I do not want you to keep away from Me. But draw near and remain. This is the only way. Revelation 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,   California! This is What is Going to Happen 6/23/22 McKana Isaiah 24:20-21(KJV) 20. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. 21. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. Considering the impending grave danger and catastrophe coming shortly, there is not enough warning to alarm and prepare the people in the regions. The imminent danger is not localized to a specific place or region. From what the Lord revealed to many of us, the nature and intensity might vary but the East, the West, the North, the South and the Center are in the same prophesied calamities of the judgment hands of Almighty God. The Lord has shown me in dreams and visions, over eight times, what is coming to California. The revelations given were: 1. Swarms of earthquakes in the ring of fire, two times. 2. A big earthquake in the region of California, many times. 3. Buildings in Los Angeles rattle, give off and crumble to the ground like dust. 4. Buildings all the way down the mountain range of the west coast rattle and crumble like the side of a mountain crumbling and falling off to the ground. 5. The land under the Pacific Ocean moves to the East, Northeast, and towards the East Coast. 6. The land from the floor of the Pacific Ocean moves, climbs over the coastline, and crumbles, bringing total destruction. 7. The land moving from the floor of the ocean, over the coastline, cracks the land along the fault line and breaks off the land to throw it down to the ocean. I have seen this in a vision which looked like “real action.” From these visions, dreams, and revelations, this is what is going to happen to California. There will be wide, big swarms of earthquakes along the ring of fire, under the ocean, on the coastline of North and South America, East of Australia, East of the small islands in the Pacific, East of the Philippines, East of China, Japan, Russia, and South of the land and coast of Alaska. This earthquake will bring about the movements of the floor of the ocean. The land of the floor of the Pacific Ocean, east [she means west] of California and Oregon, will move towards the East Coast. One part of the floor of the Pacific Ocean moves to the East and then to the northeast to be submerged under the land on the floor, subducted. The next part of the land from the floor of the Pacific Ocean, South and adjacent to the first one, will move towards the East Coast. It will climb over the East (West) Coast of California. It will crumble and fall back to the floor and will ultimately break off the East (West) Coast of California along the San Andria fault line. This land movement and the shaking, so big, will bring a big tsunami to go further East and inundate the inland. All, what I have seen.   One of the visions below will give a short glimpse of what is befalling California.   California Earthquake-Last Warning (Vision of October 15, 2017. 1:30 AM and 4:00 AM)  I see chairs and tables being pushed. A few, finely dressed people are pushing a whole set of tables and chairs as they are together, quarter of a football size, all at once, row after row. They are pushing them first to the East, then to the North and push them all to store them in a house, big auditorium-like setting. One group is pushing the set of tables and chairs to the North-East and storing them in the same way. They pushed it over a high cliff like stairs. After they are done, the whole stairs made of stone collapsed and sank to the ground, crumbling. I turned to the right, and a row of high-rise buildings was crumbling like the side of a mountain, falling to the ground with the dust cloud and debris falling to the ground. I looked far to the North. There is a range of mountain buildings. The buildings look resting on a small but very long range of hills. They started crumbling from the North down South. I started screaming loud “Sound the alarm, warn them, tell them!” to the station on the left, but it is too late. No alarm, no warning, no escape. The whole row after row of the buildings along the mountain range collapsed and fell to the ground with so many people in them. No warning, no time to escape, all gone. I held my head and started crying, screaming and shouting, then I woke up. Then at 4:00 AM, I saw another dream, the same region, first a standing metallic pole, a wave from the pole to the West and from the pole to the North. It is an Earthquake with the poll, Epicenter, close to and in the middle of the range of the mountain building I saw above, the fault lines. It is an Earthquake like we have never seen before, a California Earthquake. I have to think, inquire, and ask what it is. It is the land moving like a table Cascadia Subduction zone and the San Andreas fault line. I saw the California Earthquake few years ago. This one is a warning that time has run out and is imminent. Sudden without warning. Lord have mercy.   California  Summary of Visions and Dreams from 2016  1. Thou city who claims to be the City of the Angels, who has exalted yourself into heaven and sent all the dirty, filthy things of fashions and things, till even the foreign countries come here to pick up our filth and send it away, with your fine churches and steeples, and so forth, the way you do, remember, one day you'll be lying in the bottom of this sea The world is falling apart, fifteen hundred mile chunk of it, three to four hundred miles wide, will sink maybe forty miles down into that great fault out yonder. William Branham, 1933. 2. The earthquakes began in the west, around Idaho and Wyoming, and then quickly spread in every direction. I saw a huge earthquake hit Utah and then California. There were earthquakes all over California, but they were especially devastating in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. San Francisco appeared to turn upside down. Sarah Menet-1979 3. The United States is going to experience in the not-too-distant future the most tragic earthquakes in its history. One day soon this nation will be reeling under the impact of the biggest news story of modern times. It will be coverage of the biggest, most disastrous earthquake in history. It will cause widespread panic and fear. Without a doubt, it will become one of the most completely reported earthquakes ever. Television networks will suspend all programming and carry all day coverage. David Wilkerson Prophecy 1994 4. The shape of the United States is going to change if we do not cry out to God. Whenever man turns away from God it will start to decay. The Earth will not yield itself to you. Earthquakes are not going to strike only the coastal areas of the United States but also the Midwest of the United States. JOHN PAUL JACKSON, 2007 5. A massive Earthquake that seemed to crack off the coast of California. It reminded me of a saltine cracker that just cracks in two. The great cities of the West Coast fall into the ocean all the way from Mexico to Alaska and a giant wave flooded inside, and much of the West Coast was not there. It has disappeared into the Pacific Ocean. Maurice Sklar, March 14, 2014 6. The landscape of America is about to change. There will be many signs I perform as a warning for your nation. The Lord says, the oceans will come as far as the Rockies in some areas on the West Coast. The Grand Canyon will begin to fill with water. Dr Patricia Green, 7/7/2015 7. There is a massive earthquake coming to America, says the Lord. There is a massive earthquake that is about to take place; we have never heard of this kind. Everything will shake, says the Lord. My people are not listening says the Lord. This earthquake will wake up everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Times are changing, and that means our earth is changing. Be ready for change these days. Everything will happen quickly, says the Lord. When the world is saying peace, peace, then comes a sudden destruction. Dawn Obrien 6/21/2016 8. I saw a very devastating Earthquake in the West Coast of the US, with collapsed buildings and the earth split, from South to North along a fault line, and people scrambling to save the victims. McKana, 5/23/2013   “Redmond #9 – Unforgettable”  Julie Teig - 5/5/2011 (David's notes in red) (First, I want to give a little background: I used to be a volunteer member with a group that helped with wine competitions for charity events, which is why God gave me this dream the way He did. Briefly, wines would be tasted and judged by professional wine makers, writers for wine magazines, and wine distributors, etc.) On or about May 5, 2011, I had the following dream: I was at work and someone had given me a very large bottle of red wine as a gift. I no longer drink much wine, so I decided to re-gift it to my boss, Bill, because I know he and his wife like to entertain and enjoy wine. My boss said, “Wow, this is great! Call Lindsey (his wife) and tell her you are coming over to dinner with this wine.” I felt a little uncomfortable about calling her and inviting myself to dinner, and I didn't really want to go because they had recently moved into a new high-rise condo downtown, and I had visited them previously, but I don't like heights too much. (They are on the 37th floor). The bottle of wine, like I said, was very large and, in my mind, I was thinking “magnum”, but the bottle appeared to be much larger than that. I told my boss, “Let's see what, if any, award the judges gave this wine in the competition!” The label on the wine bottle said, “Redmond #9” so I'm reading over the spreadsheet listing all the wines, searching for it, and I found it listed just as the label reads, “Redmond #9.” I noticed that it did not receive a medal, but in the comments made by the judges, it only said, “Unforgettable”. End of the dream, and I woke up. After playing it over in my mind several times, I knew I was to remember “Redmond #9, Unforgettable” So I started asking the Lord what that meant, and is it “unforgettable good” or unforgettable bad”…? I received a revelation then the following Saturday, May 7, when I was watching a video posted by Glynda Lomax where she was talking about the very strong feelings she was having about a large earthquake coming to America, and she kept saying “8+, 8+ earthquake,” and then I remembered my dream and the wine bottle, “Redmond #9, Unforgettable.” (meaning 8+ 'magnitude' earthquake) http://wingsofprophecy.blogspot.com/p/videos.html So I started searching on Google maps for “cities in the US named Redmond,” and I found in the first few hits Redmond, WA, and Redmond, OR. The two cities are approximately 6 hours and 330 miles apart. This area or location seemed relevant to someone's dream that was recently shared about a possible tsunami hitting the Western part of the US from an earthquake (upper US area). Then, even more recently, the supposed next BIG earthquake to hit at the 188-day interval shows it as the upper Northwest US. (I remember this but we've looked and cannot find it, it's lost from the site now)  In addition, since the wine bottle in my dream appeared to be much larger than a magnum, which holds the equivalent of 2 bottles of wine, I searched for wine bottle sizes. I found this chart very interesting! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_bottle   Volume (litres) Ratio Name Notes 0.1875 0.25 Piccolo "Small" in Italian. Also known as a quarter bottle, pony, snipe or split. 0.25 0.33 Chopine Traditional French unit of volume 0.375 0.5 Demi "Half" in French. Also known as a half bottle or split. 0.378 0.505 Tenth One-tenth of a U.S. gallon* 0.5 0.67 Jennie "White Spirit" in Welsh. Also known as a 50 cl bottle. Used for Tokaj, Sauternes, Jerez, as well as several other types of sweet wines. 0.620 0.83 Clavelin Primarily used for vin jaune. 0.750 1 Standard   0.757 1.01 Fifth One-fifth of a U.S. gallon* 1.5 2 Magnum   2.25 3 Marie Jeanne Also known as a Tregnum or Tappit Hen in the port wine trade. 3.0 4 Jeroboam (a.k.a. Double Magnum) Biblical, First king of Northern Kingdom. "Jeroboam" has different meanings for different regions in France.[5] 4.5 6 4.5 6 Rehoboam Biblical, First king of separate Judea 6.0 8 Imperial   6.0 8 Methuselah Biblical, Oldest Man 9.0 12 Mordechai Biblical, Cousin of Esther Queen of Persia 9.0 12 Salmanazar Biblical, Assyrian King 12.0 16 Balthazar Early Christian folklore, one of the Wise Men 15.0 20 Nebuchadnezzar Biblical, King of Babylon 18.0 24 Melchior Early Christian folklore, one of the Wise Men 20.0 26.66 Solomon Biblical, King of Israel, Son of David 25.0 33.33 Sovereign   27.0 36 Primat   30.0 40 Melchizedek Biblical and other Middle East religions   Then about a week later, a woman who used to work in our office in San Diego, CA, sent an update email telling us she was working in our Seattle, WA office now and that she and her family had finally arrived safely and had found a nice place to live in “Redmond, WA” which reminded me of my dream and prompted me to get this written down and send it to you.   Please Check Out of Hotel California Soon Brian Lake – 3/7/2022 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginning of sorrows.” Mark 13:8 The Lord Jesus gave me a dream during the early morning hours of March 1, 2022. I found myself swimming in the Pacific Ocean somewhere off the coast of Southern California. The water started to churn, and all of the swimmers were being tossed around. After realizing that this was a tsunami, I started shouting for people to get to higher ground. The strength of the swirling waters made it very difficult for them to get back to shore. As I was starting to drown, I woke up. Christian prophetic warnings have gone out to California for nearly 100 years. Because the great earthquake has not yet happened, most Californians now ignore any and all earthquake warnings. Joseph Brandt was shown the great California earthquake in his 1937 dream/vision. He was also shown the collapse of the Boulder (Hoover) Dam. https://444prophecynews.com/dream-earthquake-sink-los-angeles-much-of-california-and-japan-joe-brandt/ Millions have hardened their hearts and refuse to leave the state. They love the good weather and numerous attractions that California provides. They love Hollywood, the Music Center, and their professional sports teams. They love swimming in the ocean and skiing in the mountains. (idolatry) Many of my family and friends do not understand or comprehend the magnitude and extent of this prophesied great earthquake. They remember the Northridge quake (1-17-1994) and the Whittier Narrows quake (10-1-1987). They reason that the next quake could not possibly be any larger than either of those two. Unfortunately, this quake will affect a wide area: from north of San Francisco to Cabo San Lucas. All of the beloved Pastors, Rabbis, and Priests in California have been warned, in one way or another, about this great earthquake. Most of them have chosen not to warn their congregations. As a result, the blood of their sheep will be on their own hands. (Ezekiel 33) All glory to the Lamb and the One who sits on the throne! In Messiah, Brian Lake   West Coast Evacuation Not as an Escape Clause 8/5/25 LaTonya Canada-Christ August 1, 2025 “LaTonya, take a message: “It is My will that My people love Me, truly love Me – not as an escape clause or insurance policy. I desire for them to actually enjoy My ways, right living, and honoring one another in the beauty of holiness. It is not inconceivable to think that I would want My people to want to be with Me, not as a chore or task, but in genuine fondness, service, and requited love. Why is this such a foreign idea? I want love and closeness as much as the next. But I will not accept scraps like a begging dog. For I am a GREAT KING! The offer is still open, but for some, it will be too late. That is all.” Jesus Christ, the Great King of kings.   Evacuate the West Coast 8/5/2025 - LaTonya Canada-Christ Saints, Last week, upon hearing of the earthquakes in Russia, I began to pray for my loved ones and friends. 16 years ago, we were called to warn WA churches and the West Coast state authorities of earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis. So, I asked the Lord whether I should warn my family and friends who have refused the warnings previously to evacuate. And the following was His response. “LaTonya, I know you want to warn them, but they have been warned. They don't want Me, so what does it matter to warn them to move? Where can you go from Me? Pray that they discern a need for My salvation of their souls and return to Me.” For those who are not hardened, warn them to evacuate their sin and the West Coast, seeking the Lord's direction. The key is salvation first. When COVID happened, the Lord asked me a question. “Why do the people have to wait to lose everything before they heed My warnings to move?” He said, “When the disasters happen, then people figure out how to move, if they live to do so.” We are praying for all concerned. Jesus gave us free-will. Note: The 5 state authorities warned were Hawaii, CA, OR, WA, and Alaska. Psalms 2:8, Nehemiah 4:14, Deuteronomy 7:9, Ezekiel 36:24-33, Acts 17:30-31   I Will Not Stop It! Earthquake Warning 4/15/2019- Ken Dewey A MESSAGE FROM THE LORD I move at His command now: I AM that I AM and I move now to warn you again of the soon coming storm of Earthquakes coming upon many people. I speak first now of Japan, for I see that in the ground [plates of the Earth below Japan], alignment that is ready for another even greater Earthquake. I move to warn you that you, who have ears to hear, must hear, prepare your hearts and lives for this day is coming, that will be a most terrible time. If you are trusting in Me, I will move My mighty hand to help you, but I CANNOT STOP THE PLATES FROM MOVING because there is so much false worship of Idols in Japan, and men turning to stones to worship, I cannot hold My judgment upon such evil worship. In Japan, so many today are worshipers of themselves, and see themselves in the Light that are led to do all that is both false and evil, saying it is all good. SHAKING WILL COME. I SEE IT COMING. 1,2,3 IT WILL BE, shaking will start… The Shaking will be like a trigger on a gun, that when it happens, it pulls the shaking in the coast of North America. California is in direct hit of the coming shaking. For those who are watching, know that the plates are lining up for the shaking. All know that it is coming, and coming soon. Prepare your hearts for it, for I will NOT STOP IT. The sin is too great, and the door has been opened too wide for the enemy to destroy you. You have chosen him over Me, and walk deliberately away. I speak not just to Japan and California, for the shaking coming which I wrote in my Word will happen, and SHAKE MANY PLACES across America, and the World. But watch Japan, knowing that it triggers even more….. Know it is coming, prepare your hearts because the Shaking will come, even now it is in the ground, working. Thus saith the Lord, open your hearts now to Me and repent and receive My only way to escape. Run to the finished work and see your Savior, for HE HAS DONE ALL TO SAVE YOU. Do not put it off, do not be so deceived to think you will yet have time, because TIME IS SHORT. I have many people whom I love and will help them in their many trials and troubles. I WILL NOT FAIL YOU WHO TRUST ME. I have written this Word as I have heard it in Spirit Speaking. Lord, open your people's eyes to see and hearts to know and be ready for such a time coming. Help, O Lord, remember mercy. Desert Prophet Eve Brast, in a dream, saw 7 large earthquakes that went around the world, disrupting the crust. These first 3 revelations resemble this in magnitude and scope. Bill Weather was shown 8 signs by the Lord for a Mega Japan Quake and tsunami to ruin the U.S. West coastline as a sign of, weeks later, the coming of the California Mega Quake. (Dates are always subject to change due to the Lord's people praying and judgments being delayed, etc. A delay is not necessarily a delete. See: Prophecies, Dreams & Visions: Date setting and delays? How to judge the false.) Below are prophecies by Joe Brandt and William Branham from the 1930's that confirm what the Lord is showing Bill Weather: In 1937, Joe Brandt saw an Earthquake sink Los Angeles, much of California, and Japan. (Many times God lessens the severity of a judgment through prayers of faith.)    The Coming Earthquake Introduction by Jessica Madigan (Mei Ling) On Christmas Eve, in 1965, my husband, my closest friend, Fran Brandt, and her husband, Joe, were celebrating with sandwiches, and coffee, and fruit cake...For some reason, Joe—Fran's husband—ventured to speak of the coming California earthquake. ... Joe was saying that he had an accident—a fall from a horse when he was 17, and for days he had a concussion. During this period, a continuous dream came again and again—as if he were viewing a tremendous earthquake and inundation in California and other parts of the world. I listened—politely—made some comment, and turned to talk to Fran about a new movie—or some equally world-shaking event. I was vaguely aware that Joe had brought in a sheaf of papers—and he said he would put it in my downstairs desk [in 1965] until I had time to read the "dream". That time did not arrive until, by accident, I came across them this last week [in 1967]—pages upon pages—written in a boy's handwriting, about the coming California earthquake. It would take weeks to research all this material—but I phoned my former geology professor and read portions to him. COULD THIS HAPPEN? COULD CALIFORNIA GO DOWN IN JUST THIS WAY? WOULD OTHER AREAS BE AFFECTED IN A MATTER OF HOURS? He answered in the affirmative. Joe had written (sleeping and dreaming—and in drowsy awakening—about positions of various FAULTS, strata of rock, earth movements, so much material that a geologist of many years would scarcely attempt such a work [this geological data was omitted from Jessica's book]. Yet—here it was—waiting for me to find it for two years. ... Consciously, he knew nothing of geology or of the possibility of a coming earthquake. The notes are 30 years old—yellowed with age—and yet there is a clarity and an unbelievable reality in them. Some of the highlights must be given—because, I am certain now, as I was not certain on Christmas Eve of 1965, that the California earthquake WILL come . . . and its coming is close at hand. Since Joe covered the AREAS AROUND THE WORLD WHICH WOULD BE AFFECTED, not all of these can be given, ... but for those of us in THIS LAND . . . especially CALIFORNIA, these are the highlights of that vision.    Dream of an Earthquake Sinking Los Angeles, Much of California and Japan Joe Brandt - 1937 (Link) I woke up in the hospital room with a terrific headache—as if the whole world was revolving inside my brain. I remember, vaguely, the fall from my horse—Blackie. As I lay there, pictures began to form in my mind—pictures that stood still. I seemed to be in another world. Whether it was the future or it was some ancient land, I could not say. Then slowly, like the silver screen of the "talkies," but with color and smell and sound, I seemed to find myself in Los Angeles—but I swear it was much bigger, and buses and odd-shaped cars crowded the city streets. I thought about Hollywood Boulevard, and I found myself there. Whether this is true, I do not know, but there were a lot of guys my age with beards and wearing, some of them, earrings. All the girls, some of them keen-o, wore real short skirts. . . and they slouched along—moving like a dance. Yet they seemed familiar. I wondered if I could talk to them, and I said, "Hello," but they didn't see or hear me. I decided I would look as funny to them as they looked to me. I guess it is something you have to learn. I couldn't do it. I noticed there was a quietness about the air, a kind of stillness. Something else was missing, something that should be there. At first, I couldn't figure it out, I didn't know what it was—then I did. There were no birds. I listened. I walked two blocks north of the Boulevard—all houses—no birds. I wondered what had happened to them. Had they gone away? Again, I could hear the stillness. Then I knew something was going to happen. I wondered what year it was. It certainly was not 1937. I saw a newspaper on the corner with a picture of the President. It surely wasn't Mr. Roosevelt. He was bigger, heavier, big ears. If it wasn't 1937, I wondered what year it was. . . My eyes weren't working right. Someone was coming—someone in 1937—it was that darned, fat nurse ready to take my temperature. I woke up. Crazy dream. The next day: Gosh, my headache is worse. It is a wonder I didn't get killed on that horse. I've had another crazy dream, back in Hollywood. Those people. Why do they dress like that, I wonder? Funny glow about them. It is a shine around their heads—something shining. I remember it now. I found myself back on the Boulevard. I was waiting for something to happen and I was going to be there. I looked up at the clock down by that big theater. It was ten minutes to four. Something big was going to happen. I wondered if I went into a movie (since nobody could see me) if I'd like it. Some cardboard blond was draped over the marquee with her leg six feet long. I started to go in, but it wasn't inside. I was waiting for something to happen outside. I walked down the street. In the concrete they have names of stars. I just recognized a few of them. The other names I had never heard. I was getting bored, I wanted to get back to the hospital in Fresno, and I wanted to stay there on the Boulevard, even if nobody could see me. Those crazy kids. Why are they dressed like that? Maybe it is some big Halloween doings, but it don't seem like Halloween. More like early spring. There was that sound again, that lack of sound. Stillness, stillness, stillness. The quiet is getting bigger and bigger. I know it is going to happen. Something is going to happen. It is happening now! It sure did. She woke me up, grinning and smiling, that fat one again. "It's time for your milk, kiddo," she says. Gosh, old women of thirty acting like the cat's pajamas. Next time maybe she'll bring hot chocolate. Where have I been? Where haven't I been? I've been to the ends of the earth and back. I've been to the end of the world—there isn't anything left. Not even Fresno, even though I'm lying here right this minute. If only my eyes would get a little clearer so I can write all this down. Nobody will believe me, anyway. I'm going back to that last moment on the Boulevard. Some sweet kid went past, dragging little boys (twins, I guess) by each hand. Her skirt was up—well, pretty high—and she had a tired look. I thought for a minute I could ask her about the birds, what had happened to them, and then I remembered she hadn't seen me. Her hair was all frowzy, way out all over her head. A lot of them looked like that, but she looked so tired and like she was sorry about something. I guess she was sorry before it happened—because it surely did happen. There was a funny smell. I don't know where it came from. I didn't like it. A smell like Sulphur, sulfuric acid, a smell like death. For a minute I thought I was back in chem. [Chemistry class]. When I looked around for the girl, she was gone. I wanted to find her for some reason. It was as if I knew something was going to happen and I could stay with her, help her. She was gone, and I walked half a block, then I saw the clock again. My eyes seemed glued to that clock. I couldn't move. I just waited. It was five minutes to four on a sunny afternoon. I thought I would stand there looking at that clock forever waiting for something to come. Then, when it came, it was nothing. It was just nothing. It wasn't nearly as hard as the earthquake we had two years ago. The ground shook, just an instant. People looked at each other, surprised. Then they laughed. I laughed, too. So this was what I had been waiting for. This funny little shake. It meant nothing. I was relieved and I was disappointed. What had I been waiting for? I started back up the Boulevard, moving my legs like those kids. How do they do it? I never found out. I felt as if the ground wasn't solid under me, knew I was dreaming, and yet I wasn't dreaming. There was that smell again, coming up from the ocean. I was getting to the 5 and 10 store and I saw the look on the kids' faces. Two of them were right in front of me, coming my way. "Let's get out of this place. Let's go back East." He seemed scared. It wasn't as if the sidewalks were trembling—but you couldn't seem to see them. Not with your eyes you couldn't. An old lady had a dog, a little white dog, and she stopped and looked scared, and grabbed him in her arms and said: "Let's go home, Frou, Frou. Mama is going to take you home." That poor lady, hanging on to her dog. I got scared. Really scared. I remembered the girl. She was way down the block, probably. I ran and ran, and the ground kept trembling. I couldn't see it. I couldn't see it. But I knew it was trembling. Everybody looked scared. They looked terrible. One young lady just sat down on the sidewalk all doubled up. She kept saying, "earthquake, it's the earthquake," over and over. But I couldn't see that anything was different. Then, when it came, how it came. Like nothing in God's world. Like nothing. It was like the scream of a siren, long and low, or the scream of a woman I heard having a baby when I was a kid. It was awful. It was as if something—some monster—was pushing up the sidewalks. You felt it long before you saw it, as if the sidewalks wouldn't hold you anymore. I looked out at the cars. They were honking, but not scared. They just kept moving. They didn't seem to know yet that anything was happening. Then, that white car, that baby-sized one, came sprawling from the inside lane right against the curb. The girl who was driving just sat there. She sat there with her eyes staring, as if she couldn't move, but I could hear her. She made funny noises. I watched her, thinking of the other girl. I said that it was a dream and I would wake up. But I didn't wake up. The shaking had started again, but this time was different. It was a nice shaking, like a cradle being rocked for a minute, and then I saw the middle of the Boulevard seem to be breaking in two. The concrete looked as if it were being pushed straight up by some giant shovel. It was breaking in two. That is why the girl's car went out of control. And then a loud sound again, like I've never heard before—then hundreds of sounds—all kinds of sounds; children, and women, and those crazy guys with earrings. They were all moving, some of them above the sidewalk. I can't describe it. They were lifted up. And the waters kept oozing—oozing. The cries. God, it was awful. I woke up. I never want to have that dream again. It came again. Like the first time, which was a preview and all I could remember was that it was the end of the world. I was right back there—all that crying. Right in the middle of it. My eardrums felt as if they were going to burst. Noise everywhere. People are falling down, some of them are hurt badly. Pieces of buildings, chips, flying in the air. One hit me hard on the side of the face, but I didn't seem to feel it. I wanted to wake up, to get away from this place. It had been fun in the beginning, the first dream, when I kind of knew I was going to dream the end of the world or something. This was terrible. There were older people in cars. Most of the kids were on the street. But those old guys were yelling bloody murder, as if anybody could help them. Nobody could help anybody. It was then I felt myself lifted up. Maybe I had died. I don't know. But I was over the city. It was tilting toward the ocean—like a picnic table. The buildings were holding, better than you could believe. They were holding. They were holding. They were holding. The people saw they were holding and they tried to cling to them or get inside. It was fantastic. Like a building had a will of its own. Everything else breaking around them, and they were holding, holding. I was up over them—looking down. I started to root for them. "Hold that line," I said. "Hold that line. Hold that line. Hold that line." I wanted to cheer, to shout, to scream. If the buildings held, those buildings on the Boulevard, maybe the girl—the girl with the two kids—maybe she could get inside. It looked that way for a long time, maybe three minutes, and three minutes was like forever. You knew they were going to hold, even if the waters kept coming up. Only they didn't. I've never imagined what it would be like for a building to die. A building dies just like a person. It gives way, some of the bigger ones did just that. They began to crumble, like an old man with palsy, who couldn't take it anymore. They crumbled right down to nothing. And the little ones screamed like mad—over and above the roar of the people. They were mad about dying. But buildings die. I couldn't look anymore at the people. I kept wanting to get higher. Then I seemed to be out of it all, but I could see. I seemed to be up on Big Bear near San Bernardino, but the funny thing was that I could see everywhere. I knew what was happening. The earth seemed to start to tremble again. I could feel it even though I was high up. This time it lasted maybe twelve seconds, and it was gentle. You couldn't believe anything so gentle could cause so much damage. But then I saw the streets of Los Angeles—and everything between the San Bernardino mountains and Los Angeles. It was still tilting towards the ocean, houses, everything that was left. I could see the big lanes—dozens of big lanes still loaded with cars sliding the same way. Now the ocean was coming in, moving like a huge snake across the land. I wondered how long it was, and I could see the clock, even though I wasn't there on the Boulevard. It was 4:29. It had been half an hour. I was glad I couldn't hear the crying anymore. But I could see everything. I could see everything. Then, like looking at a huge map of the world, I could see what was happening on the land and with the people. San Francisco was feeling it, but she was not in any way like Hollywood or Los Angeles. It was moving just like that earthquake movie with Jeanette McDonald and Gable. I could see all those mountains coming together. . . I knew it was going to happen to San Francisco—it was going to turn over—it would turn upside down. It went quickly, because of the twisting, I guess. It seemed much faster than Hollywood, but then I wasn't exactly there. I was a long way off. I was a long, long way off. I shut my eyes for a long time—I guess ten minutes—and when I opened them I saw the Grand Canyon. When I looked at the Grand Canyon, that great big gap was closing in, and Boulder Dam was being pushed, from underneath. And then, Nevada, and on up to Reno. Way down south, way down. Baja, California. Mexico too. It looked like some volcano down there was erupting, along with everything else. I saw the map of South America, especially Colombia. Another volcano—eruption—shaking violently. I seemed to be seeing a movie of three months before—before the Hollywood earthquake. Venezuela seemed to be having some kind of volcanic activity. Away off in the distance, I could see Japan, on a fault, too. It was so far off—not easy to see because I was still on Big Bear Mountain, but it started to go into the sea. I couldn't hear screaming, but I could see the surprised look on their faces. They looked so surprised. Japanese girls are made well, supple, easy, muscles that move well. Pretty, too. But they were all like dolls. It was so far away I could hardly see it. In a minute or two, it seemed over. Everybody was gone. There was nobody left. [Brother Branham said: "Japan . . . she's ready to rock to pieces right now. And there's no way you can stop it, because they have neglected to do exactly what God told them to do. Instead of preach Gospel, they have built buildings, and had fine scholarships, and educations" (Uncertain Sound, #61-0415E)]. I didn't know time now. I couldn't see a clock. I tried to see the island of Hawaii. I could see huge tidal waves beating against it. The people on the streets were getting wet, and they were scared. But I didn't see anybody go into the sea. I seemed way around the globe. More flooding. Is the world going to be drenched? Constantinople. Black Sea rising. Suez Canal, for some reason seemed to be drying up. Sicily—she doesn't hold. I could see a map. Mt. Etna. Mt. Etna is shaking. A lot of area seemed to go, but it seemed to be earlier or later. I wasn't sure of time, now. England—huge floods—but no tidal waves. Water, water everywhere, but no one was going into the sea. People were frightened and crying. Some places they fell to the streets on their knees and started to pray for the world. I didn't know the English were emotional. Ireland, Scotland—all kinds of churches were crowded—it seemed night and day. People were carrying candles and everybody was crying for California, Nevada, parts of Colorado—maybe even all of it, even Utah. Everybody was crying—most of them didn't even know anybody in California, Nevada, Utah, but they were crying as if they were blood kin. Like one family. Like it happened to them. New York was coming into view—she was still there, nothing had happened, yet the water level was way up. Here, things were different. People were running in the streets yelling, "end of the world." Kids ran into restaurants and ate everything in sight. I saw a shoe store with all the shoes gone in about five minutes. 5th Avenue—everybody running. Some radio blasting—bigger—a loudspeaker—that in a few minutes, power might be shut off. They must control themselves. Five girls were running like mad toward the YMCA, that place on Lexington or somewhere. But nothing was happening in New York. I saw an old lady with garbage cans, filling them with water. Everybody seemed scared to death. Some people looked dazed. The streets seemed filled with loudspeakers. It wasn't daylight. It was night. I saw, like the next day, and everything was topsy-turvy. Loudspeakers again about fuel tanks broken in areas—shortage of oil. People seemed to be looting markets. I saw a lot of places that seemed safe, and people were not so scared. Especially the rural areas. Here, everything was almost as if nothing had happened. People seemed headed to these places, some on foot, some in cars that still had fuel. I heard—or somehow I knew—that somewhere in the Atlantic land had come up. A lot of land. I was getting awfully tired. I wanted to wake up. I wanted to go back to the girl—to know where she was—and those two kids. I found myself back in Hollywood—and it was still 4:29. I wasn't up on Big Bear at all, I was perched over Hollywood. I was just there. It seemed perfectly natural in my dream. I could hear now. I could hear, someplace, a radio station blasting out—telling people not to panic. They were dying in the streets. There were picture stations with movies—some right in Hollywood—these were carrying on with all the shaking. One fellow in the picture station was a little short guy who should have been scared to death. But he wasn't. He kept shouting and reading instructions. Something about helicopters or planes would go over—some kind of planes—but I knew they couldn't. Things were happening in the atmosphere. The waves were rushing up now. Waves. Such waves. Nightmare waves. Then, I saw again. Boulder Dam, going down—pushing together, pushing together breaking apart—no, Grand Canyon was pushing together, and Boulder Dam was breaking apart. It was still daylight. All these radio stations went off at the same time—Boulder Dam had broken. I wondered how everybody would know about it—people back East. That was when I saw the "ham radio operators." I saw them in the darndest places, as if I were right there with them. Like the little guy with glasses, they kept sounding the alarm. One kept saying: "This is California. We are going into the sea. This is California. We are going into the sea. Get to high places. Get to the mountains. All states west—this is California. We are going into the. . . we are going into the. . ." I thought he was going to say "sea," but I could see him. He was inland, but the waters had come in. His hand was still clinging to the table; he was trying to get up, so that once again he could say: "This is California. We are going into the sea. This is California. We are going into the sea." I seemed to hear this, over and over, for what seemed hours—just those words—they kept it up until the last minute—all of them calling out, "Get to the mountains—this is California. We are going into the sea." I woke up. It didn't seem as if I had been dreaming. I have never been so tired. For a minute or two, I thought it had happened. I wondered about two things. I hadn't seen what happened to Fresno and I hadn't found out what happened to that girl. I've been thinking about it all morning. I'm going home tomorrow. It was just a dream. It was nothing more. Nobody in the future on Hollywood Boulevard is going to be wearing earrings—and those beards. Nothing like that is ever going to happen. That girl was so real to me—that girl with those kids. It won't ever happen—but if it did, how could I tell her (maybe she isn't even born yet) to move away from California when she has her twins—and she can't be on the Boulevard that day. She was so gosh-darned real. The other thing—those ham operators—hanging on like that—over and over—saying the same thing: "This is California. We are going into the sea. This is California. We are going into the sea. Get to the mountains. Get to the hilltops. California, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, Utah. This is California. We are going into the sea." I guess I'll hear that for days.    Confirming Prophecies of William Branham A prophecy that I made about 1935 or something like that, said: "The time would come that the sea would weep its way into the desert." Look what'll take place. If those thousands of square miles fall down into the lava of the earth and slide in, there'll be millions who die at one time. And that'll cause such a tidal wave. . . Remember, plumb up into the Salton Sea is a hundred or two hundred feet lower than the sea level. That water will probably come almost to Tucson with that tidal wave coming across there. And the sea shall weep its way into the desert (William Branham, Trying to do God a Service without being in the Will of God, p. 6:25). [The Spirit of the Lord came upon the Prophet as he was preaching in Los Angeles]: "We don't know what time. And you don't know what time that this city one day is going to be lying out here in the bottom of this ocean." "O, Capernaum," said Jesus, "Thou who exalted into heaven will be brought down into hell, for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom and Gomorrah, it'd have been standing till this day." And Sodom and Gomorrah lays at the bottom of the Dead Sea, and Capernaum's in the bottom of the sea. Thou city, who claims to be the city of the Angels, who's exalted yourself into heaven and sent all the dirty filthy things of fashions and things, till even the foreign countries come here to pick up our filth and send it away, with your fine churches and steeples, and so forth the way you do; remember, one day you'll be laying in the bottom of this sea. There's a great cavernous honeycomb under you right now. The wrath of God is belching right beneath you. How much longer will He hold together this sandbar hanging over that? That ocean out yonder, a mile deep, will slide plumb back to the Salton Sea. It'll be worse than the last day of Pompeii. Repent, Los Angeles. Repent the rest of you and turn to God. The hour of His wrath is upon the earth. Flee while there's time to flee and come into Christ." Let us pray." (Choosing a Bride, p. 35:3-5). [And again]: "The last meeting I had in California, while speaking, and didn't know nothing happened till I got on the street, It told California, I said, "Capernaum, Capernaum, the city that's called by the name of the angels (that's Los Angeles), you've exalted yourself into heaven, but you'll be brought down into hell. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom that's been done in you, it would've been standing till this day." "Now, the last few days, the great roaring and popping. Then, here come out a paper of science that said, "It's all honeycombed; it's got to go under." They just know it." "And you watch, the water will come plumb back into the Salton Sea. Los Angeles is doomed for judgment. I tell you before it happened, that you might know when it does happen. I never spoke that by myself. And I've never had Him to tell me one thing but what happened. And you can bear record of that. That's right. When? I don't know." "I went out, and they told me what I said. And I listened, went back and searched the Scripture. You know, Jesus said, almost in the same words about Capernaum; and Sodom and Gomorrah was in the bottom of the Dead Sea, I suppose was then. And later, about a hundred years later, Capernaum slid into the sea, and it's in the sea. The same God that put Sodom in the sea for its sins, the same God that put Capernaum in the sea for its sins, the same God will put Los Angeles in the sea for its sins, that city of corruption." (Works is Faith Expressed, p. 8:61-64).

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Fr. Jacob and Fr. Sean discuss the representation of priests in film, especially the priests in the new film from Rian Johnson, Wake Up Dead Man. They then discuss various themes that the film wrestles with.

Pretty much every single appointment of Pope Leo's has been disastrous but its not enough to cause some observers to accept the truth.Sources:https://www.returntotradition.orgorhttps://substack.com/@returntotradition1Contact Me:Email: return2catholictradition@gmail.comSupport My Work:Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/AnthonyStineSubscribeStarhttps://www.subscribestar.net/return-to-traditionBuy Me A Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/AnthonyStinePhysical Mail:Anthony StinePO Box 3048Shawnee, OK74802Follow me on the following social media:https://www.facebook.com/ReturnToCatholicTradition/https://twitter.com/pontificatormax+JMJ+#popeleoXIV #catholicism #catholicchurch #catholicprophecy#infiltration

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For a very long time humans have been getting sick. Sometimes we have gotten sick more easily than at other times. From time to time we get sick from things a human body has never before encountered. Sickness is always present with us. And while injury we can understand–like breaking a leg, or having a rock hit your head–sickness can be as mysterious to people in 2026 who trust the science as it was to our ancestors 4,000 years ago. “Why did one patient heal,” my guest Susan Wise Bauer writes, “while another rotted? And what about the shivering, miserable sufferer who simply awoke with a sore throat and cough, after going to bed healthy and filled with plans the night before? It is the constant presence of sickness, not injury, that has shaped the way we think about ourselves and our world.”Susan Wise Bauer's books include The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home (fourth ed., 2024) and The Story of Western Science: From the Writings of Aristotle to the Big Bang Theory. Her most recent book is The Great Shadow: A History of How Sickness Shapes What We Do, Think, Believe, and Buy. 0:00 Introduction 1:45 What This Book Is and Isn't 4:35 Did Hunter-Gatherers Get Sick? 9:50 Guilt and Sickness 14:00 Doctors as Priests 21:30 The Four Humors 25:15 Humoral Theory and Colonialism 29:45 Occasionalism: God's Will and Disease 35:55 The Black Death 40:45 The History of Drugs 45:50 Vaccines: Jenner and Cowpox 50:30 The Early 20th Century: Disease Returns 54:25 The Pax Antibiotica 58:30 Wellness Culture 61:45 COVID and What Hasn't Changed 67:15 Closing

Betsy and Greg are back for a new round of movies that were nominated OR should have been nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards 30 years ago. This time we're looking at the 1996 nominees (the movies of 1995) and we're launching with the absolutely thrilling APOLLO 13. What's your favorite movie set in space? Let us know at poppingcollarspodcast@gmail.com or send us your recommendation on socials Find us on the web at poppingcollarspodcast.com Don't forget to pick up some awesome merch Check out our Youtube offerings Read Greg's ramblings about movies at Letterboxd

We read today of the triumphant arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem and the adulation that the ordinary people gave him, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” [Matt. 21 v.9] “The whole city was stirred up …” [v.10] We pondered the comparison of this with his return to earth. What is, we wondered, the answer to the question Jesus posed at the end of another parable, “…when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” [Luke 18 v.8]The focus of our thinking, after reading today's chapter, was in understanding the attitude of mind he will be looking to see.  From v.33-45 we read his parable of the tenants in the vineyard – the lesson he was teaching is clear.The Jewish nation up to that time had had the responsibility of looking after God's vineyard – but they had failed their responsibilities.  After listening to this parable “they perceived he was speaking about them” [v.45] and so, in their generation the parable of their failure as tenants of God's vineyard was fulfilled – “He will put those wretches to a miserable death” [v41], Forty years later Jerusalem, its Temple and the nation were no more.But Jesus added: “and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits …”  And so, after Jesus left the earth his disciples set about fulfilling this, their role – and in their generation succeeded, greatly helped when Christ called Paul to be an apostle.  But most in the generations that followed fell into the same trap of ‘self-importance' as the Priests had done. However, history shows there was renewed zeal and Christ-mindedness among those striving to be worthy “tenants” when God's word was printed for all to read .But nowadays?  Are today's tenants in God's vineyard any better than those against whom Jesus told this parable? The kingdom is only for those “people producing its fruits” [v.43] the rest “will be broken to pieces” [v.44] when he comes!  It will be too late then to realise they have not kept “the narrow way.”   We prove we are on the right path, serving the LORD in his vineyard when we produce the right kind of fruit and profess the same message of hope Jesus taught – also show we have taken his character into our hearts and made it ours. Read James 3 v.12-18. 

In this special Sunday School lesson, we explore the Gospel of John as a retelling of the Exodus story. Tracing themes of deliverance, worship, living water, and new creation helps illuminate how John presents Jesus as the one who forms God's people as His children. The discussion moves toward a reflection on the Church as a kingdom of priests, with forgiveness at the heart of Christian vocation, inviting us to read Scripture more attentively and to consider how these themes shape both faith and daily life.⛪ Church of the Incarnation is an Anglican (ACNA) parish in western Henrico, Virginia, committed to:

Bishop Martin of Charlotte, NC has banned all altar rails and kneelers for Holy Communion at all Masses by January 16, 2026. Priests and laity have appealed to Rome and are peacefully protesting with Rosary rallies. Dr. Taylor Marshall comments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

LEVITICUS 10 — UNAUTHORIZED FIRE, SOBRIETY, AND PRIESTLY DISCERNMENT (PART 2)“Surviving Near Holy Fire After Judgment”Teachers: Kerry & Karen BattleAhava ~ Love AssemblyThis Torah class continues Leviticus 10, following the judgment of Nadab and Abihu and the establishment of accountability after Yahuah revealed His accepted standard in Leviticus 9.In Part 1, we examined unauthorized fire, immediate judgment, Aaron's silence, and why grief did not override obedience.Leviticus 10 now moves from judgment to instruction for survival.This portion of the chapter establishes how priests are to remain alive, discerning, and faithful in the presence of holy fire.This is not emotional teaching.This is covenant instruction.WHAT WE COVER IN THIS MESSAGE1. Sobriety and Discernment Before YahuahLeviticus 10:8–11Yahuah speaks directly to Aaron and commands sobriety. This instruction is not about lifestyle control but about preserving discernment. Near holy fire, impaired judgment is deadly. Priests must be able to distinguish between the qadosh and the common and teach Israel accurately.2. Service Continues After JudgmentLeviticus 10:12–15Priestly service does not stop because judgment was severe. Obedience continues with greater restraint. Covenant order is preserved even when leadership has suffered loss.3. Rebuke, Discernment, and RestraintLeviticus 10:16–20Moses rebukes Aaron for deviation, because leadership must always be examined. Aaron's explanation is accepted because restraint is not rebellion. Presumption adds action without command. Wisdom withholds action out of fear of Yahuah.WHY THIS MESSAGE MATTERSDiscernment is required near holinessSobriety preserves lifeLeadership remains accountableRestraint is honoredPresumption is judgedCovenant order is protectedLeviticus 10 teaches that survival near holy fire requires discipline, clarity, and fear of Yahuah, not enthusiasm or impulse.SCRIPTURE REFERENCES FOR STUDYLeviticus 9–10Exodus 40Deuteronomy 4 • Deuteronomy 12Numbers 15 • Numbers 20Ezekiel 9 • Ezekiel 24Malachi 21 Samuel 24Proverbs 23Every section is taught precept upon precept.ABOUT AHAVA ~ LOVE ASSEMBLYWe teach the Pure Word of Yahuah.No religion.No tradition.No compromise.Our teaching follows the Sovereign Blueprint:Law | Precept | Example | Wisdom | Understanding | Prudence | Conviction | Fruit of the Ruach | Final Heart CheckSUPPORT THE WORK — GIVE VIA ZELLEZelle QR at: ahavaloveministry.comZelle only.No CashApp.No PayPal.FINAL WORDYahuah reveals His standard.Judgment enforces it.Discernment preserves life.Restraint protects the altar.Leviticus 10 governs how priests survive after accountability has been revealed.Final Heart Check:Now that judgment has already fallen, will your response show discernment, restraint, and fear of Yahuah, or will it presume upon access?

“Can women be priests?” This question opens a discussion on the roles of gender within the Church, touching on the norms that allow married priests in the Eastern Rite but not in the Latin Rite. Other topics include whether the Pope could teach ex cathedra without consulting the Magisterium and advice for fostering a young boy’s appreciation for the Mass. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 02:33 – Can you clarify the norms that dictate that men can be married priests in the Eastern right Catholic Church but not latin right? 12:14 – Would the Pope ever teach ex cathedra without consulting with the magisterium? 17:03 – What advice would you give a young father of a boy so he has an appreciation for the Mass? 29:45 – Cy says all kids need is Mr. Rogers 30:33 – Does dispensationalism have a different understanding of what the Gospel is and what a Christian is? 40:38 – Why can't women be priests? 47:30 – Are there other Apostolic Churches other than the Coptic, Orthodox and Catholic? 51:52 – Why does the conversation turn to whether a Pope is liberal or conservative, shouldn't the conversation be, is he orthodox?

A Sunday morning sermon by Pastor Brett Deal.Can you imagine what it must have been like in Jerusalem when the wise men showed up? Children fetching water. Merchants selling in the market. Scribes dutifully copying the biblical scrolls for synagogues near and far. Priests serving in the Temple. Meanwhile, King Herod, is looking over his shoulder to see what family member he needs to kill next. Like a neurotic groundhog, whenever Herod saw his shadow, someone suspiciously drowned, was strangled, or ended up in a vat of honey. Maybe that day started out like any other…that is until these foreign wise men rolled into town seeking a royal audience, searching for the new king of the Jews. This sent Herod—the current king of the Jews—into a rage, and everybody in Jerusalem felt it (Matthew 2.3)!Upsetting news like this required a general assembly of the religious elites. Herod called for the chief priests and scribes to reveal through their scrolls where this Messiah was to be born (2.4). Steeped in Scripture, they unveiled the answer from Micah the prophet (Micah 5.2). They knew the promise of the Messiah, foretold to David who would reign over God's people forever (2 Samuel 7.14). He would be a Shepherd King (2 Samuel 5.2), born in Bethlehem, the little hamlet of David's own birth.How unnerving it must have been to tell the temperamental Herod the answer to his question! The stark contrast must have been unsettling to share. According to Leslie Allen, “It is within this drab frame of royal misfortune that Micah sets a glorious picture of royal majesty. The figure of failure of verse one stands as a foil to his radiant counterpart here.” The Lord was bringing a true king for His people, a Shepherd King for His sheep in Israel and among all nations (Micah 7.14-15; John 10.16). If you're Herod, or someone benefiting from his governance, this news spells disaster. But, if you are poor, seeking relief, oppressed in search of solace, if you are wise men from the East following a star, this is absolutely good news! The Advent of the Messiah is the promise of a Shepherd who cares, who brings healing with His touch and peace in His reign (Malachi 4.2; Matthew 11.28-30).

Vaera 5786 - Kings or Priests

Sponsored by Pray Latinhttps://praylatin.comSources:https://www.returntotradition.orgorhttps://substack.com/@returntotradition1Contact Me:Email: return2catholictradition@gmail.comSupport My Work:Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/AnthonyStineSubscribeStarhttps://www.subscribestar.net/return-to-traditionBuy Me A Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/AnthonyStinePhysical Mail:Anthony StinePO Box 3048Shawnee, OK74802Follow me on the following social media:https://www.facebook.com/ReturnToCatholicTradition/https://twitter.com/pontificatormax+JMJ+#popeleoXIV #catholicism #catholicchurch #catholicprophecy#infiltration

Featured playlist: The Church (That Meets in My Home) — https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5Yobt1jZDd9Zzn8Ufa-BNciyYv04Cl6mMy books:Exalted: Putting Jesus in His Place — https://www.amazon.com/Exalted-Putting-Jesus-His-Place/dp/0985118709/ref=tmm_pap_title_0God's Design for Marriage (Married Edition) — https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Design-Marriage-Married-Amazing/dp/0998786306/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493422125&sr=1-4&keywords=god%27s+design+for+marriageGod's Design for Marriage (Pre-married Edition) — https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Design-Marriage-What-Before/dp/0985118725/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_topSupport us - become a CTC Partner: https://crosstocrown.org/partners/crosstocrown.org@DougGoodin

Today we try to get to the essence of the Miluim, the 7-day consecration of the Priests. We will discover that they are almost becoming part of the architecture of the Temple itself!

What's in a name? Well, quite a bit on this episode of the PC Music Diary! Greg and Ricardo have put together a super-sized list of their favorite songs that feature a person's name in their Name Songs Playlist. Have you ever met someone named after a song? Let us know the story at poppingcollarspodcast@gmail.com or drop us a line on socials Find us on the web at poppingcollarspodcast.com Don't forget to pick up some awesome merch Check out our Youtube offerings Read Greg's ramblings about movies at Letterboxd

Priests and money? Answered prayers and free will? A second repentance? Join us for Called to Communion with Dr. David Anders.

Welcome to the Christmas series! It is time for God to announce the arrival of his only begotten Son. Who shall He choose to proclaim his arrival to first? Kings? Priests? No… He sends a choir of angels to lowly shepherds.  Sign up for special devotionals at StoriesoftheMessiah.com. As we dive deeply into iconic Bible heroes' enthralling narratives, we find more than just stories of faith and miracles. We discover a recurrent theme, a spiritual undertone that connects each tale to the grandeur of the Gospel. They're not just standalone legends; they're threads in a divine tapestry, weaving a story that foreshadows Jesus Christ, the ultimate hero, the promised Messiah who brings light to the darkest corners of history. For more Bible stories download the Pray.com app.  To learn more about Rabbi Schneider visit https://discoveringthejewishjesus.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We'll meet up with pastor James Kaddis in Exodus chapter 29. Before Jesus came and died for our sins the Priests would regularly make sin offerings, to provide a covering for the sin of the people. Today we'll see why that was necessary, and how it beautifully points to the Lamb of God who would become the sacrifice we need to remain in fellowship with God and spend eternity with the Lord. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29?v=20251111

Fr. Mitch Pacwa joins for his Cultural Connection segments to discuss the latest from Minneapolis and more. Marcus Grodi visits to talk about his book "Learning Contentment" and how it applies to the present. Plus, Matt Lamb stops by to discuss rhetoric happening on college campuses, and a new proposed bill that would punish priests who refuse to violate the seal of confession.

Get your FREE PHONE as a new Charity Mobile user with every new line plus a FREE power bank while supplies last, now through February 2, with promo code LOOPCAST at https://bit.ly/LOOPcast_CharityMobileWhat does President Trump actually want from Venezuela, and is Greenland next in line? We break down the strategic, economic, and geopolitical stakes behind the headlines. Meanwhile, priests in Charlotte are raising serious concerns and taking them directly to the Vatican. And finally, we reveal the truth behind a bizarre Hilton ICE scandal that exploded online. All this and more on the LOOPcast!Timestamps:00:00 Welcome to the LOOPcast03:25 Venezuela + Greenland35:36 What is Trump Doing With the Hyde Amendment? 47:53 Good News55:27 Something Rare Happened in the Charlotte Diocese01:13:00 Twilight Zone01:27:28 Closing PrayerEMAIL US: loopcast@catholicvote.org SUPPORT LOOPCAST: www.loopcast.orgSubscribe to the LOOP today!https://catholicvote.org/getloop   Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-loopcast/id1643967065 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08jykZi86H7jKNFLbSesjk?si=ztBTHenFR-6VuegOlklE_w&nd=1&dlsi=bddf79da68c34744 FOLLOW LOOPCast: https://x.com/the_LOOPcast  https://www.instagram.com/the_loopcast/ https://www.tiktok.com/@the_loopcast https://www.facebook.com/LOOPcastPodcast Tom: https://x.com/TPogasic Erika: https://x.com/ErikaAhern2  Josh: https://x.com/joshuamercer Daily Prayer:Soul of Christ, sanctify me.Body of Christ, save me.Blood of Christ, inebriate me.Water from the side of Christ, wash me.Passion of Christ, strengthen me.O Good Jesus, hear me.Within your wounds hide me.Permit me not to be separated from you.From the wicked foe, defend me.At the hour of my death, call meand bid me come to youThat with your saints I may praise youFor ever and ever. Amen.All opinions expressed on LOOPcast by the participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of CatholicVote.

1 Peter 2:4-12 (ESV)Andrew, Isack, and Edwin discuss our place in Peter's metaphor of God's household. We are the living stones built together to make up the temple and dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=23995The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

Daf Yomi Zevachim 115Episode 2195Babble on Talmud with Sruli RappsJoin the chat: https://chat.whatsapp.com/LMbsU3a5f4Y3b61DxFRsqfMERCH: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BabbleOnTalmudSefaria: https://www.sefaria.org.il/Zevachim.115a?lang=heEmail: sruli@babbleontalmud.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/babble_on_talmudFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Babble-on-Talmud-100080258961218/#dafyomi #talmud00:00 Intro02:58 Asham bachutz for a mechuser zman55:40 Who was responsible for the avodah on Mt Sinai01:12:14 Conclusion

The priests of the diocese of Charlotte have turned to Rome by submitting a dubia challenging the banning of altar rails and reverent reception of holy communion.Sponsored by The Co-Redemptrix Course By Dr Ed Mazzahttps://edmundmazza.comSources:https://www.returntotradition.orgorhttps://substack.com/@returntotradition1Contact Me:Email: return2catholictradition@gmail.comSupport My Work:Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/AnthonyStineSubscribeStarhttps://www.subscribestar.net/return-to-traditionBuy Me A Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/AnthonyStinePhysical Mail:Anthony StinePO Box 3048Shawnee, OK74802Follow me on the following social media:https://www.facebook.com/ReturnToCatholicTradition/https://twitter.com/pontificatormax+JMJ+#popeleoXIV #catholicism #catholicchurch #catholicprophecy#infiltration

New Cardinal Has No Issue with Women Priests and Gay Relationships?

We're going way back to a time most people think is only a myth: when Pixar consistently released good movies! Join Betsy, Greg, and Liz as they discuss the first time we met Joy, Sadness, and the gang living inside Riley's head in the brilliant INSIDE OUT. What's your favorite emotion and what do you think it would look like? Let us know at poppingcollarspodcast@gmail.com or send us a picture of your emotional spirit animal on socials Find us on the web at poppingcollarspodcast.com Don't forget to pick up some awesome merch Check out our Youtube offerings Read Greg's ramblings about movies at Letterboxd

Royal Priests | Robbie Hilton | Calvary Church

Send me a DM here (it doesn't let me respond), OR email me: imagineabetterworld2020@gmail.comToday I'm honored to introduce you all to: Institutional and ritualistic abuse survivor, whistleblower and overcomer, published writer and author, public speaker and podcaster, travel lover, campaigner of historical child abuse, and a man determined to speak out, challenge institutional defensiveness, and advocate for survivor-led accountability and change: Rafael Viola A little bit about Rafael and what you can expect to hear on today's episode: In the gritty underbelly of 1960s Britain, where poverty gripped families like a vice and the Catholic Church loomed as an unassailable pillar of holiness, a young boy named Rafael Viola was thrust into a nightmare that would test the limits of human endurance. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Rafael grew up in a bustling household of many siblings amid the stark realities of deprivation. In 1969, at just nine years old, Rafael's family relocated to Coventry, England, seeking better fortunes. But the transition shattered him. A psychological test labeled him "severely retarded" - a misdiagnosis that would haunt him for years. His mother, unable to read or speak English fluently, unwittingly signed papers committing him to the care of the local authority. As a Catholic, he was sent to Croome Court, a so-called boarding school run by the Sisters of Charity of St. Paul's Apostle under the Birmingham ArchdioceseFrom the moment he arrived at nine and a half, Croome Court became a chamber of horrors. Housing around 150 children - many who were orphans, traumatized children, and children labeled as "feeble-minded" - the institution was a breeding ground for unimaginable atrocities. Nuns, priests, and staff wielded terror like a divine right.But the abuse went far beyond bruises. Priests and staff ritualistically raped, abused and tortured children, in a pattern dating back to the 1930s, as reports later revealed. Allegations of murder surfaced - two children killed by the same order of nuns. Rafael himself endured beatings, waterboarding, scrubbing filthy toilets in pajamas with drain fluid, and being locked in pitch-black cupboards for days without food. Today, Rafael stands unbowed - a messenger of truth, protected by a higher force. "I think I'm a messenger... I had to go through all that pain and suffering to tell my experiences." He amplifies survivors' voices, demanding justice, compensation, and change. "These atrocities are still going on... we have to stop it." CONNECT WITH RAFAEL: -Purchase his book "Stealing Lives": https://a.co/d/58ypG6m-X: https://x.com/RafaelViola17-Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/violarafael/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rafael_violaYouTube: @RafaelViola-l8p - https://www.youtube.com/@RafaelViola-l8pCONNECT WITH EMMA / THE IMAGINATION: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@imaginationpodcastofficial                    EMAIL: imagineabetterworld2020@gmail.com OR standbysurvivors@protonmail.comMy Substack: https://emmakatherine.substack.com/BUY ME A COFFEE: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theimaginationVENMO: @emmapreneurCASHAPP: $EmmaKatherine1204All links:Support the show

In this episode, the focus is on clergy abuse—a topic made even more pressing by recent headlines. The featured guest, Sandy Phillips Kirkham, shares her harrowing ordeal of being abused by a charismatic youth pastor starting at the age of 16. Sandy discusses the grooming process, the five years of abuse, and how she was ultimately expelled from her church while her abuser was merely relocated. She delves into the long-lasting impact of the abuse on her life and her spiritual journey, how she concealed her trauma for 27 years, and how she ultimately confronted her abuser. Sandy also provides valuable insights and actionable advice for preventing abuse and supporting victims within church communities. Her story is also detailed in her book, ‘Let Me Prey on You,' which offers a detailed account of her journey from victim to advocate. 00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message 00:47 Welcome to the Podcast 01:32 Introducing Today's Topic: Clergy Abuse 02:17 Sandy Phillips Kirkham's Early Life and Church Involvement 06:22 Meeting the Abuser: The Charismatic Youth Pastor 08:43 Red Flags and Grooming Tactics 13:51 The First Inappropriate Act 16:37 The Abuse Escalates 21:06 The Aftermath and Church's Response 28:15 Life After Abuse: Marriage and Keeping Secrets 32:09 Protecting Future Generations 35:17 The Importance of Sex Education in the Church 36:32 Techniques for Discussing Sex with Children 37:22 Personal Experiences with Sex Education 38:20 Triggering Memories and Emotional Breakdown 40:13 The Journey of Healing Begins 41:31 Understanding Clergy Abuse and Self-Forgiveness 43:52 Confronting the Abuser 47:07 Challenges in Seeking Justice 54:47 Preventing Abuse in the Church 01:00:31 Supporting Victims of Clergy Abuse 01:05:07 Final Thoughts and Resources Sandy Kirkham and her husband Bill enjoy life with their two grown children, two beautiful granddaughters, and two fairly well-behaved dogs. Sandy continues to use her voice to help victims of clergy abuse. She currently serves on the board of Council Against Child Abuse. Sandy has spoken before the Ohio Senate, a Maryland court, and appeared on a local television show in Boston. Her story, “Stolen Innocence,” was told in a documentary produced by The Hope of Survivors. Sandy works with survivors conducting victim support conferences. She has participated in The Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) panels moderated by SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), sharing her perspective from the non-Catholic point of view. Sandy has been a presenter/speaker at major events on clergy abuse including the Hope & Healing Conference. Sandy has earned a certificate of completion from the Faith Trust Institute entitled, “A Sacred Trust: Boundary Issues for Clergy and Spiritual Teachers.” https://sandyphillipskirkham.com/ https://www.facebook.com/KirkhamAuthor/  sandykirkhamauthor@gmail.com  Purchase her book “Let Me Prey Upon You” on amazon: https://sandyphillipskirkham.com/shop/let-me-prey-upon-you/   Link Tree   Website: https://dswministries.org Subscribe to the podcast: https://dswministries.org/subscribe-to-podcast/ Social media links: Join our Private Wounds of the Faithful FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1603903730020136 Twitter: https://twitter.com/DswMinistries YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxgIpWVQCmjqog0PMK4khDw/playlists Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dswministries/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DSW-Ministries-230135337033879 Keep in touch with me! Email subscribe to get my handpicked list of the best resources for abuse survivors! https://thoughtful-composer-4268.ck.page #abuse #trauma Affiliate links: Our Sponsor: 753 Academy: https://www.753academy.com/ Can't travel to The Holy Land right now? The next best thing is Walking The Bible Lands! Get a free video sample of the Bible lands here! https://www.walkingthebiblelands.com/a/18410/hN8u6LQP An easy way to help my ministry: https://dswministries.org/product/buy-me-a-cup-of-tea/ A donation link: https://dswministries.org/donate/   Sandy Phillips Kirkham [00:00:00] Special thanks to 7 5 3 Academy for sponsoring this episode. No matter where you are in your fitness and health journey, they've got you covered. They specialize in helping you exceed your health and fitness goals, whether that is losing body fat, gaining muscle, or nutritional coaching to match your fitness levels. They do it all with a written guarantee for results so you don't waste time and money on a program that doesn't exceed your goals. There are martial arts programs. Specialize in anti-bullying programs for kids to combat proven Filipino martial arts. They take a holistic, fun, and innovative approach that simply works. Sign up for your free class now. It's 7 5 3 academy.com. Find the link in the show notes. Welcome to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast, brought to you by DSW Ministries. Your host is singer songwriter, speaker and domestic violence advocate, [00:01:00] Diana Winkler. She is passionate about helping survivors in the church heal from domestic violence and abuse and trauma. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counseling or qualified medical help. Now here is Diana. Hello. Welcome everyone. Welcome to my regular listeners, as well as some new listeners that have joined us today. I have a great guest for you today. We're going to be talking about clergy abuse today. Religious leader, abuse. Pastor, youth leader. You've seen this in the news recently with all these preachers being arrested or charged with sexual misconduct or rape or [00:02:00] pedophilia. I'm sure you've seen the news. Well, today we're going to hear a story about a woman who's been victimized in that way and she's fighting back. So let me read her bio for you. A church is where an insecure 16-year-old girl should feel welcome, happy, and most importantly, safe tragically. For some, the church can become a place of great harm. Sandy Phillips Kirkham details her account of how charismatic youth minister preyed upon her, a betrayal which left her broken with a shattered faith and the ultimate shame of being blamed enforced from the church she loved. Despite a successful and happy life, is a wife, mother, and friend. Sandy successfully concealed her abuse for [00:03:00] 27 years until a trigger forced her to face the truth. Sandy's story will take you on her journey of healing. Her strength and courage will inspire you. Let me pray upon you her book details. Sandy's journey from innocent 16-year-old, a victim to a survivor, and advocate. We please welcome Sandy Phillips. Kirk, welcome Sandy to the show. Thanks so much for coming on. Well, thank you for having me. I'm glad to be here. Wow. So I've been listening to you on the Preacher Boys podcast and thought you had a really great story, and so I wanted to come and bring you on so my listeners can hear your story as well. Mm-hmm. So tell us a little bit about your home and your church environment growing up. Let's [00:04:00] start from the beginning here. Okay. I'm the oldest of five. My parents were divorced when I was about seven, which that was really the impact of my life, of just how it altered everything about that time in my life. Then my mother remarried and we moved in with my stepfather shortly after my father remarried, and so I was dealing with these blended families and it was just very confusing for me at the time, my parents and stepfather did not attend church. So I, I wasn't a part of a church until I was about eight, and that's when my best friend who lived up the street invited me to go with their family, and I went with them and I went every Sunday after that, I absolutely fell in love with church. It was a place that I felt safe. I think it provided for me a place away from home that I felt comfortable and I got attention there. I was very active even as a small child. I went to vacation Bible school, church camp, love Sunday School. I sang in a junior choir. Really, it was a just a great place for me to [00:05:00] be. When I was 13, I was baptized and then my faith really deepened and my involvement in the church became even more so, started teaching Sunday school and teaching vacation Bible school. I started serving on committees with adults and doing more of the activities that would, , just be more in depth than just typical youth group activities. So, it's just no exaggeration to say that if the doors of the church were open, I was there and I loved it. I loved serving God. I felt that was the place for me, and everything about it was brought me joy and peace in the church. Wow. You really, were very sincere in your faith. It was not a fake one. I hear a lot of stories of. Being brought up in the church and being made to go to church and, you just go through the motions kind of thing. But it sounds like it was the opposite for you. It was that you really believed this with all your heart. Was that a fundamental Baptist church you were going [00:06:00] to or what? It was a church, Christ Christian Church, which is similar to the Baptist. It's an independent church. Yeah, that's the church. That was so something happened while you were serving the Lord and loving God. You met your abuser? Yes. Shortly after I turned 16, our church hired a new youth pastor, and from the moment he arrived, he was totally different than anyone we'd ever seen before. He was very charismatic, very dynamic. His sermons were really like nothing we'd ever heard before, and people were just drawn to him. He had a personality that people found themselves wanting to be around him. They wanted to please him. So he was very good at asking people to do things and they didn't hesitate. It, it was just a different kind of atmosphere. When he came to the church, the youth group exploded in numbers. We went from like 25 to almost 200 in a very short time. Even the [00:07:00] adult church was growing because people just came to hear him preach because he was so good at what he did. He was 30, married with two children, but he really acted more like our age group. He dressed like we did. He. Went to our football games at school, he knew our music. So he just, he really, he was tuned into us and in return we found ourselves, all of us being willing to please him and wanna do anything we could to make the youth group and the church better. So when people think of a profile of a child abuser, they usually think, oh, some dirty old man, that his roaming fingers or what have you, but this youth pastor sounded like, okay, he was really good looking and hip and really loved the young people. Mm-hmm. Is that typical of. Well, it's, it's typical in the sense that it's not the, dirty old man hiding in the bushes. Most abusers [00:08:00] are people we know. They're people that we like. They're usually people that, connect with people very well, and that's what makes them so dangerous because they're not obvious with what they do, and they're very good at that. They pretend to be one of us. They pretend to care, but in reality, their goal is to find a way to take advantage of the most vulnerable in, in the group. And so, predators are usually drawn to places where they will find vulnerable people. The gymnastics team is an example of that. The Boy Scouts, anywhere where you can, and certainly the church because we are welcoming into people who are in need. Oftentimes. Then there are many people in the church who are vulnerable to these types of men, and sometimes women. Were there any red flags? That you should have seen or noticed when you were around this youth pastor? Well, he came with so many different ideas and different ways of doing things. And one of the things that he was doing now, this was in the [00:09:00] seventies, so cultures were changing and it was free love and kind of thing. But he came into our church and he expected everyone to hug each other. So we were always hugging each other. And he also expected us to say how much we loved each other and that we love you and not just that I love you in Christ. He would simply walk up, give you a hug and say, I love you. Now you know, that may seem innocent, but that's a little odd for that pastor to be saying those kinds of things. And it also blurs the lines because when you say to someone, I love you, that can be confusing to. Young teenagers and even to vulnerable adults. So, but he did that with everybody. It wasn't like he picked someone else special, but, so the hugging in the contact was kind of a red flag in the beginning. But for me personally, I babysat for his family. His wife worked evenings. Mm-hmm. So one night after he came home, he asked me to go to his basement and listen to a song by Neil Diamond. [00:10:00] Well, it felt a little weird 'cause I'd never. I've been around a pastor that wanted to talk to me about anything but church in the Bible. But I went to the basement. Yeah. I mean a Neil Diamond song. So I went to the basement. I know, but that's a trigger factor for me sometimes. So anyway, I went to the basement and he put this record on and I sat down on the couch and instead of sitting in a chair or another place, he came on the couch and sat very close to me. And I remember feeling uncomfortable, but I didn't say anything. 'cause I thought, well, he is just sitting next to me. It's no big deal. But that's a red flag that I felt because it felt uncomfortable to me. And then the other times that I would babysit for him. His wife wouldn't come home till late in the evening, so he would come home around seven or eight and after the kids were in bed, instead of taking me home, he wanted me to sit and talk with him all evening. So we'd talk about the Bible or we'd talk about church, and sometimes he'd ask me what I thought of his [00:11:00] sermon, which at age 16, I'm flattered that this man has any idea that I would have some opinion about this great sermon that he just gave. So I didn't see anything wrong with that because he's my pastor. But had that occurred with my 30-year-old neighbor down the street, every time I went to babysit, I know I would've come home to my mother and said, okay, this is weird. Mm-hmm. Every time I babysit, this man wants to sit and talk to me all evening. I mean, what interest would I have as a teenager wanting to talk to this 30-year-old married man? But because my pastor was who he was and he tapped into our common connection of the church and God, and again, many times he would give me books to read 'cause he wanted me to get better in my deep, in my spirituality. So I didn't see anything wrong with it because of who he was. And so I just accepted that behavior, which is another tool and technique. They look for ways to get into you. Mm-hmm. [00:12:00] That don't seem obvious. And that was, so those were two red flags for me. Now as far as the congregation goes, I was in his office a lot by myself, but so were other kids, because he would actually call us into his office and say, I want you to come in and tell me what's going on in your life. Talk to me about your problems. Instead of us going to him, he would encourage us to come into his office. So while that probably wasn't a good thing, no one saw it as a bad thing. It seemed normal, but he called me into his office a lot more than the other kids. And later on there were people who did say to me, there were times when I wondered why he said something to you like that, or I noticed something one time. And so I think people notice some things, but no one thought enough of it to say, okay, there's something going on that doesn't seem right. So those were the red flags that I think in the beginning were very subtle. But they were hard to see, [00:13:00] and this is really important to distinguish these things because I was groomed by a guidance counselor in seventh grade. Mm-hmm. But he was one of those dirty old men that, he was doing creepy stuff. Yeah. But I never would have seen myself. A pastor and he's talking about spiritual things and he's talking about God and mm-hmm. He's not talking about sex. He's not watching, you're not watching dirty movies together. No, he's not, buying you sexy lingerie. It's, Hey, he's doing spiritual things. Mm-hmm. It's a setup. It's that grooming process you're talking about. It's pulling someone in to gain their trust, in a very di diabolical way, because he's using the church to do that. That's really scary. That scares mm-hmm. Scares me to death. What were the first times that he did something really inappropriate that you were just like, whoa? Well, the very [00:14:00] first time, was after a youth group meeting that was held in my home. I was the song leader. He put me in a leadership position, and it was very important to him that the evening always go well and that we were to make people feel welcome. And so at the end of the evening, I was nervous because I wanted to make sure that he thought everything went well. And he came up to me in my hallway and began telling me how great the evening was and how proud he was of me. And I was on Cloud nine. I was flattered that he felt that way. I felt good that the evening went so well. And then he just slowly bent down and he kissed me. And it wasn't, it was a kiss, but it seemed somewhat innocent to some extent. And I, I remember thinking, I think he just kissed me. Then my next thought was, well, he's my pastor and I don't think he would be doing anything he shouldn't be doing. And it was just a quick kiss. And he's always hugging people. And so maybe this is just his way of showing his appreciation for the evening. It was really [00:15:00] the only way in my 16-year-old mind that I could justify it because I couldn't think about this man doing anything he shouldn't be doing. And this was a person that everyone loved and thought so highly of, so how could I think he was doing something he shouldn't be doing? So I just let it go. I didn't think anything more about it. I mean, did you have any sex ed or anything? Did you know the birds and bees? Nine. Well, yeah, I'm 16. I did. Yeah, I did. But I wasn't, I hadn't dated much. I wasn't allowed to date till I was 16, so I hadn't had any dating experience. I had one kiss before this with a boy at camp. So I wasn't. Worldly or knowledgeable about all those things. But, and again, it was such a quick innocent type kiss. He didn't grab me, he didn't push me against the wall. I just, and again, I think for me it was okay if he's, if this is more than just a kiss, then what do I do with it? So therefore I'm just gonna say it's [00:16:00] nothing because I don't know what else to do. Um, wow. I let it go. I let it go. But as I babysat for him, he, sometimes when I would leave, he would kiss me and sometimes he wouldn't. So, I didn't see it as a con, kind of a continual thing that he was always wanting to kiss me. He always hugged me. But the kissing became more intense as it went along. So it, it would be another year, before he would have sex with me. And so that grooming process and kind of pushing the boundaries each time he was with me, finally ended with him having sex with me. Oh, wow. Now, some of us listening are like an adult having sex with a child or 16-year-old. Can you unpack that a little bit more, the process of how he got to that point? I mean, that the first time you had intercourse, I mean, did he, you know, go to a hotel with you and you had a candlelight dinner, or was it in the backseat of the car?[00:17:00] Was it an accident? It wasn't an accident. He was very deliberate and I had every intentions of having sex with me that night. I babysat, I was babysitting, I put the kids to bed, I walked down the steps. I assumed that we would go into the living room. Or the family room, sit on the couch and talk about the things we always talked about. But instead, he stopped me at the bottom of the stairs and he took me into the living room, and immediately put me on the floor and began undressing me. Um, and wow, I froze. I, I literally froze and I kept thinking to myself, he's going to stop. He's going to stop. And that the entire time he's whispering into my ear how much he loves me, that he would never hurt me, and that he can, I can trust him. And then he kept asking me, do you love me? Do you love me? And I, of course, I'm answering yes, because well, yes I do, because that's what I've told him for the past year. I, I, I just, I was so confused and what my real reaction was, I froze. Mm-hmm. Um, he, he sort of pushed my head under the [00:18:00] stereo. And so when he is starting to get farther than I thought he would ever go. I blocked, I just blocked it out and I started reading the serial numbers underneath the stereo. Oh my goodness. Just to be thinking of anything else. Um, at one point he then just picked me up and took me upstairs. He literally put me on the bed, penetrated me, and that was it. And I was horrified. I was absolutely horrified. I, I wanted to cry. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do. Um, he left the room, told me to get dressed, and he would take me home. And I remember sitting on the bed and I put the bedspread around me because I was so embarrassed that I didn't have my clothes on. Mm-hmm. Oh, wow. Um, and then I just remember thinking I just had sex. I'm no longer a virgin. I just had sex with this man and. He took me home. Now, in the [00:19:00] book, of course, I go into a little bit more detail, but Right, he took me home and just before I got outta the car, he said to me, now, you know, this is something between the two of us, you can't tell anyone. And of course I'm thinking, who would I tell? I, I don't want anybody to know. I just did this. So, that was the first time. And then I think I, at that point I kept thinking, you know, I've had sex with him. So now I'm committed to him again. I'm at this point, I'm 17 years old. I'm still like, what do I do with this? I don't, I don't know what to do with this. Um, and he was convincing me that he loved me. He was convincing me that he needed me in his ministry and that God, this was God's will in our lives. He threw that at me. Eventually he would say to me that we were married in God's eyes. I mean, twisting the scripture and using God as a reason that we should be together. And so. I started to accept that. There were a couple times I went to him and told him that I couldn't do this anymore. I felt [00:20:00] guilty. He would respond in one of two ways. One, he would say to me how much he needed me, how much he loved me, and that he couldn't live without me. So that was the guilt part of it. Or he would respond and by saying to me, you know, you're no longer a virgin. No one else is gonna want you. I'm the only one that knows how to love you, and you are committed to me, and this is gonna be the way it is. And I saw no way out. I didn't see a way out. And so the relationship continued for five years. Wow. Five years. It went on for five years. That is a long time. And it, during that time, he became more aggressive physically. Uh, he hit me. He became sexually more deviant. It just progressed. It got worse and worse. And to a point that I finally, I was, my self-esteem was so low. I hated myself for what I'd been doing. So I finally just accepted that this was my life. I knew [00:21:00] I'd never get married. I knew I'd never have children, and this wouldn't be over until he said it was over. This went on for five years and nobody in the church noticed it. Your parents didn't notice it. You know, people say, well, where were your parents? Well, first of all, my parents were thrilled. I was in church. I mean, this was a time in the seventies when drugs were. Prevalent girls were, having free sex. So for them, what safer place could there be than to be in church? So, and they saw his intention toward me and his involvement with me as a good thing. I mean, he would take me on hospital visits with him. I mean, they saw this as being positive. And they knew how much I loved being there and that it was a place that I liked to go. So they didn't see it. And many in the church didn't see it began because who suspects the pastor of such behavior. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And especially in the seventies when this wasn't an open topic like it is now, you wouldn't have dared thought anything like that. And so [00:22:00] it's not uncommon for people in the church, to miss the signs and to ignore what they really do see, because they just can't believe that it would be something that would be happening in their church because then they'd have to do something about it. Yes, exactly. When did it all come crumbling down? It does crumble. Eventually it does. Two elders became suspicious and followed him one night and found us together in a hotel room. And then from then on, the next month and a half was an absolute nightmare for me. Hmm. It was initially hoped that they could keep what he had done, quiet and keep it from the congregation. Now, I have to say one thing before I forget. This wasn't his first incident of sexual misconduct. Oh. Prior to and just after he was awri, he arrived at our church. A young woman from his first church came forward and accused him of sexual misconduct. When he was [00:23:00] confronted by my elders, he didn't deny it. He said it was true. He asked for forgiveness, that it would never happen again. It was a mistake. So within six months. That's when he was kissing me in my hallway. So this, so these elders were aware that this was the second time that there had been an incident with this man of sexual abuse and misconduct. But in spite of that, they tried to keep it quiet in hopes of moving him to another church. And so I was told during that time where I was to sit, how I was to respond to questions. I wasn't to talk to anyone. I wasn't to tell anyone about what had happened, including my parents. And this was all in an effort to keep it quiet. Well, that effort failed. And so it was determined that he should address the congregation. He did it in a very vague way, just simply said that he'd sinned. He'd sinned against God, and he'd sinned against his wife. And that was his confession. That was it. Two days later, he had me meet [00:24:00] him in a hotel room after that confession in front of the congregation. Now. He was moved to the next church. He was given a going away party. There was actually a vote to maybe keep him, but the vote failed and they decided to move him to the next church. About, two weeks, three weeks later, I was called in by the elders, and this is probably the hardest part of my story for me. Mm-hmm. I was called in by the elders and I was told that because of my behavior I was to leave the church. I was devastated. I loved that church. It was the only church I knew, and here I was being told by these two elders that I wasn't fit to worship there any longer. Mm-hmm. He could be forgiven and given a second, third chance. I couldn't be, I was told that to leave the church. I wasn't given any counseling. I wasn't helped in any way. I was simply told to leave and I did. I left. [00:25:00] And that I told people many times, as horrific as the abuse was, having been told to leave, that church had a greater impact on me spiritually than the actual abuse did. I don't think I ever recovered from that. It still haunts me to this day to some extent. That response of the church really devastated me. So that was the crumbling, as you called it? It came crashing down and I would, I left the church. So did that change your perception of God? What was your relationship with God this time? Yes. You were kicked outta the church, but. Well, I felt a disconnect from God. I never blamed God. I never felt like God caused this to happen. I, in fact, I carry the blame and the shame. I felt guilty for what I had done. And so I never blamed God, but because of the relationship being tied in with God and the [00:26:00] prayers that this man would give, and then, you know, he'd give these wonderful sermons about marriage and sanctity of marriage on a Sunday morning after having sex with me the night before. I had difficulty separating all of that, and there were so many trigger factors associated with the church and prayer that God really did. It was hard for me to have any kind of relationship with God. I did. I didn't become an atheist like a lot of victims do, and who become angry at God. I simply just. I just put him on the back burner. I knew he existed, but I didn't have a connection with him any longer. So for 27 years, I, I never prayed. I never opened my Bible. I went to church because when I met my husband, he was a Methodist. And I thought, well, I'll go to the Methodist Church. It's a different denomination. Mm-hmm. I'll just go on. It should be fine. It didn't work that way. I had anxiety attacks in church. I, his [00:27:00] reminders of him were constant, but I forced myself to go. I made sure that I went because I knew when we had children, I wanted them to have that church experience. But every time I walked past the minister's office, I got a knot in my stomach. Oh yeah. It had nothing to do with that minister. But you understand that. I mean, it, but I did that for 27 years. It became my norm. I just knew that when I walked past that office, I was gonna get a knock my stomach, certain hymns. I can tell you what his favorite hymn was, and every time that was played, that's who I thought of. I couldn't pray. It was so, I did have a deep, deep disconnect for 27 years, and I have to tell you, I missed it. I actually mourn that loss of my spiritual life, but I didn't know how to get it back. Because I'm keeping this secret. I'm still carrying guilt and shame. I couldn't forgive myself. I didn't feel worthy to be in church. So with all of that mixed in, I just put myself on autopilot and said, [00:28:00] well, this is the way my life will be and I'll just have to accept it. It just sounds so unfair. Somebody that loves the Lord so much and served in the church and so innocent and being kicked out. Oh, but it sounded like maybe meeting your husband would've been a positive thing for you. How did you guys meet? I actually worked at his office, so I met him there. We dated for about two years, and I just found him to be a kind, loving soul. He was very unassuming. He wasn't arrogant. He didn't, he wasn't a boastful type of person. He didn't like taking credit for things, even though he deserved it sometimes. He was just a good hearted person, and I just, I fell in love with him immediately. I really did. I thought this was a great, great guy. I mean, I will tell you, I have said many times because before I met him, I was on a destructive path. I did not have any self-esteem. [00:29:00] I saw myself just simply as some sex object that, I was only good for that. And so when I met him, he saved my life because he loved me for who I was and showed me that I was worthy. So I've often said to him, you saved my life, and he will respond back with you made mine, and you can't get any better than that. So meeting him was a turning point for me, but I kept a secret from him for 27 years, and I lived in fear that he'd always find out that I'd had this affair with a married man. And I know in my heart that it wouldn't have made a difference to him. But people who've been abused never forget the words, don't ever tell. And I never forgot those words. And I never forgot what the consequences could be if I were to tell someone. Because when my elders found out, they blamed me. And I, I couldn't bear the thought that if I were to tell him. [00:30:00] Somehow he would find fault with me, or I wondered, would he wonder why I didn't feel confident enough to tell him? Would he feel betrayed that I kept a secret? Would he see me differently sexually? All those fears that I had while unfounded were still present in my mind. And so I never could tell him. And I had to do a lot of play acting and pretending, through our married life in the sense that the times I was having trigger factors, I had to hide them. And I know he would've been supportive, but I couldn't see that. Because while trauma affects you at the time of the abuse, it's lifelong. It doesn't leave you. And so I lived with that for 27 years. So did you have. Intimacy issues when you were together? Was that what you're talking about? The triggering? No, I, know a lot of victims do, and that's understandable. I really didn't, because he was so different from my abuser [00:31:00] and I recognized that my abuser was emotionally violent mm-hmm. And physically, he just wasn't loving in any sense of the word. I was simply used for sex. Mm-hmm. And I didn't have that with my husband. And so I could separate that a little bit. But I think the guilt of hiding the secret had an impact on our marriage as far as my able to be intimate with him in an emotional way. I'm really glad to hear that. I, you are not the first person that I've heard that. The victim has hidden a secret from her husband. I passed her and a pastor's wife and her husband did not know. Mm-hmm. Children didn't know, and it was a family member that was the abuser. And I kept telling her, you've got to tell him. Mm-hmm. You know why? It's because, and I was thinking this when I was listening to your, the other shows that you were on. I'm thinking about your children and your grandchildren. If I was abused, [00:32:00] I would be like. How do I keep my children and grandchildren from going through what I just went through, you know? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Well, that's an interesting thing because most people would assume that my daughter, I would've been all over it and worried sick every time she left the house. Yeah. But I actually had the opposite, reaction because keep in mind, I didn't see myself as an abuse victim. I saw myself as someone who participated, who willingly went into this relationship and stayed in it willingly, which is not the case when you're abused. There's the control, the manipulation, all of those things that play into keeping a victim in a relationship and they see no way out. So for me, I just assumed I got one bad apple in the whole barrel, that this didn't happen to other people and that I had an affair. But my daughter, who I knew, she would never have an affair with a married man, I just knew that. So I. Sent her on [00:33:00] retreats. I sent her to church camp without fear because again, I'm thinking, okay, this just doesn't happen to other people and this is not something I need to be concerned about with her. However, with my granddaughters, it's totally different because now I understand what really occurred and the damage that can occur when you've been abused. And so with my granddaughters, her mom and dad have talked to them, about good touch, bad touch. And I too have talked about to her, but I've been a little bit more probably detailed about it. Mm-hmm. And as she gets older, these men, the techniques change as you get older and they, after they go after teenage girls, so mm-hmm. Hopefully I'll be able to help her understand, what happens when someone's grooming. I want her to understand her personal space, that if you're not comfortable when someone hugs you, it's okay. That's right. Say I, I don't want you to touch me that way. Mm-hmm. Or say if they don't feel comfortable and we put a lot on kids to do that. 'cause here [00:34:00] we're asking a child to say to an adult, no. Mm-hmm. So it's okay to go to your mother or your mom and say, can you tell so and so Uncle Jimmy or whoever it is, I don't wanna be hugged. So we need to make sure our kids understand that their personal space is their space. And if they don't want someone in that space, it's okay to say no. I also think it's important to tell kids that good people can do bad things. Yeah. Because, as we talked about earlier, our abusers are not strangers. They're not mean people. Mm-hmm. They're usually good people. They're usually people who've given us gifts. They're people who help us. They're people who tell us how wonderful we are. So it's hard for children, even adults, to see this individual who. Who on one side is a good individual who does a lot in the church, who's done all these wonderful things. And so we, we have to tell these kids, just because they're a good person doesn't mean they can't do bad things. And so that's kind of the message I hope to get to my granddaughters that I didn't give to my [00:35:00] daughter. And fortunately she didn't have any issues with church or any, anybody abusing her. But I certainly did not, guide her in the right way in that sense because I just, like I said, I just assumed that I was the only one that this would ever have happened to. Well, I think, I hear a lot in the church that they don't teach sex ed because they don't want the kids to go out and have sex. Mm-hmm. And so a lot of these kids are like ignorant as to, what is healthy and what is not proper, yeah. We need to teach 'em that our bodies or are going to respond. They were built that way. God intended us to have feelings. You know, when we are around the opposite sex, that's normal. Mm-hmm. So we need to make sure kids understand. But there are barriers and there are boundaries that need to be taken. But you're absolutely right when we don't talk at it, then we figure it out on their own. And we could, we can all imagine when you're leaving teenagers to [00:36:00] their own devices to figure out things. That's probably not gonna lead in a good spot. No, we have the internet now, which when we, right. When you and I were younger, we didn't have the internet. We didn't have cell phones. No. If you wanted a Playboy magazine, you had to go to that kind of a neighborhood to get something. Yes. You know? Yes. It was a lot more difficult. Yes, absolutely. But too many parents are embarrassed to talk to their children about sex and, you know, everybody listening needs to listen. You need to find a way to talk to them about these things. And one of the techniques that I use with my daughter, just in talking about sex in general, kids don't want to hear their mom and dad talk to 'em about this. So what I did would say, I read a magazine article about this girl who did such and such so that I put it off on something else that's, a non-entity of a person. And I'll say, or Have you ever heard of this? And of course I know she's got a little embarrassed, but I, it opened the dialogue without me coming [00:37:00] out and saying, have you heard of oral sex? Instead, I would talk to her and say, I heard this about this. This is what kids are doing, blah, blah, blah. So you kind of have to find techniques and ways to sneak around it sometimes, but you absolutely need to talk to, because they know it's out there and they're going to experiment. That's just part of being a teenager. Yeah, my parents chickened out. They just gave me a book to read. Same, probably the same book. I got, I forget what it was called. Where did I come from? Or something. It was a cartoon book. Mm-hmm. And I'm grateful for that. And, they just, after I finished the book, do you have any questions? Yeah, yeah. I had a lot of, older people that were friends and I would actually go to my older. Senior citizen friends and ask them questions rather than ask my parents. Right? Yeah, yeah. It's more comfortable that way for sure. Like I said, it's not the topic that we like to talk to with our kids and our kids don't wanna hear it, but being uncomfortable is not an excuse not to do that. And in school you get [00:38:00] the basics of the mechanics of it, but then that ends, that's all you get there as well. And that's not as helpful either. Yeah. The sixth grade menstrual cycle, health class. Yeah, exactly. That's it. They separate the girls and the boys. Yeah. We were all really embarrassed and Yes, yes. Yeah, exactly. Great information. So let's, circle around back to, okay, you've been hiding this secret forever. Mm-hmm. And nobody knows about your past. And then one day you got triggered. So what happened that day? Well, that's the first chapter of my book, and that is one day I was driving to a golf tournament in Tennessee. We live in Cincinnati. I was driving, my daughter was in college. She was playing in a golf tournament. I was driving down there and I was about halfway when I saw an exit sign for the town of Kingsport, Tennessee. And that is the. Town to which my [00:39:00] abuser was sent after he left our church, and it just sent me over the edge. Mm-hmm. All of a sudden I'm thinking, I'm in the town where he lives. Am I close to his house? Am I close to the church where he's now a minister? I mean, even though it'd been 27 years, I thought he was probably still there. I didn't know, but that's what my mind was telling me. I, all of a sudden I felt his presence in the car. I, I could smell him. I could hear him. Oh. I was, it was unbelievable to me what was happening to me. I didn't even know what was happening. I pulled to the side of the road Oh, good. And I sobbed. Yeah. I sobbed for about 20 minutes and I was just trying to figure out what was happening because anytime I had trigger factors before I could manage them, I could control them. I kind of let them happen and then I push 'em back down. Mm-hmm. This one wasn't going back down and I was a mess. I was just an absolute mess. I was able to get through the weekend. I drove back home and all I could think about was, what am I gonna do? What am I gonna do? [00:40:00] I wanted to stop thinking about him and I couldn't. I spent the next two weeks, really in anxiety. I, my husband would leave for work and I would just walk around the house, wring my hands, trying to figure out why I was feeling the way I was feeling. What was I gonna do with these feelings till at one point I finally decided I was gonna tell my best friend, and I was absolutely petrified to tell her because for the first time in 27 years, I was going to utter the words. I was sexually abused by my youth pastor. And I remember thinking, he's gonna find out and I'm gonna get in trouble. I just, I was 49 years old and I'm still afraid of this man. But I did tell her, it was, it took me a long time to, to get the words out, but I did, she was very supportive. She was very kind. She was patient as she waited for me to tell her. And so that started my journey of healing just by telling that first person. I then told two or three other of my close friends, so the four of us spent [00:41:00] many days and many hours on the screened in porch of one of my friends just letting me talk. Mm-hmm. And being able to express what had happened to me. I wasn't ready to tell all of the story. I mean, there's parts in the book that I won't go into here because they're pretty mm-hmm. Embarrassing and some things that I did. So I wasn't ready to tell them everything, but I told them enough that it helped me start to release what had been done to me. And so that was the first thing that I did, I think. And then the next thing I did, which was so valuable, and I encouraged victims to do it as well, I just read everything I could on clergy abuse or sexual abuse in itself. So I began to learn the terms of grooming, manipulation, gaslighting, and then I could see how he methodically used each one of those things on me to get me to do the things he got me to do, and to stay in that relationship for those five years. And that was huge for me. So [00:42:00] it was, for the first time as I began reading, I understood that I had been abused. Now, it still took me a while to admit that I really was sexually abused because I didn't want that label. I didn't wanna be an abuse victim. And there was a part of me. We all wanna be loved. And so there was still a part of me that I wanted to think that there was some part of him that cared about me, that this wasn't just purely about sex and that he wasn't just using me for his own gratification. And I had to get past that. I had to finally come to terms with, no, this man didn't do the no one who loves you, would do the things he did and ask the things he did of me. So that took me a while, to finally admit, okay, this was an abusive relationship. So I told someone, educating myself, and then I had to learn to forgive myself. I had to let, I had to let go of the guilt [00:43:00] and shame because any guilt and shame belongs squarely on him. This was a man that I should have been able to trust. It was in a place that should have been the safest place on earth for me. And he took advantage of a vulnerable teenager who had, I didn't have a major crisis in my life, but he knew my home life was an upheaval at times. He knew that I didn't see my dad very much. So he used that to against me. And I had to forgive myself for being who I was at the time and being able to respond the way I did for the coping skills I had at the time. Sure. You can look back. I, and I think, why didn't I say this? Why didn't I do that? But I couldn't because of, of the re of the relationship he had created between us. Mm-hmm. I had lost all power. He was in complete control of this relationship, so I had to forgive myself and that wasn't easy either. Then, and I don't know that this is something all victims should do, but I just felt this need [00:44:00] that I needed to confront him. I just felt like I couldn't move past this unless I was able to face him. Now, I had no contact with him for 27 years. I didn't even know if he was still alive, but I hired a private investigator and he found him ministering in a church in Alabama. And so I had my investigator contact him and we set up a time and a meeting that we would meet. And I took my husband, I took my friend who was a counselor and another friend who was at the church at the time. Um, I wanted her at this point. You told your husband at this point, I'm sorry. Yes, that's correct. I, it was probably three months after I told my friends, that I said to him I would like to meet him in his office and talked to him about something and. I was terrified. I don't know how else to say it. I just was so afraid. Not that I needed to be, but I was. And I probably sat there for almost, [00:45:00] I would say, 40 minutes and just cried. I was able to finally get out. I'm okay, the kids are okay, and then I started crying again. He couldn't have been any more supportive, more loving. I remember looking at his face and I said I was sexually abused by my youth pastor, and he didn't. His expression didn't change, and then I said. I was their babysitter and his face just dropped. And for the first time, I could see the pain I was feeling was reflected in his face. It was, I almost wanted to hug him to say, I'm sorry. 'cause I could see how much it hurt him to know that this had been done to me, especially as a baby. I mean, the picture became complete for him once I said that. And so he was very supportive. I think he was worried about me confronting this man, for a couple reasons. But one, I think he was worried that I would be disappointed in his reaction, and that I would be expecting too much of this [00:46:00] person to understand what he did to me and show any kind of remorse, and that I, it would hurt me even more. And one of my fears was that, I was afraid he wouldn't meet me. I was afraid that he was gonna say, no, I'm not gonna meet with you. And my husband said, oh, he's gonna meet with you all right? Because if he doesn't meet with you, you just tell him. Call the church secretary. We'll call every elder. We're gonna, he, somebody's gonna hear your story if he doesn't want to hear it. So he did agree to meet with me. I went down to Alabama and the meeting took place and I said the things that I wanted to say to him. I wanted him to get what he did to me. But he didn't, he never could understand the damage. It was almost as if, okay, I shouldn't have done it and I'm sorry I did it. Okay, now what do you want? It was, get away. You bother me? Yes. And his greatest fear as most narcissist, and I believe he was, narcissistic, but his greatest fear was that I was going to demand that he be removed from the ministry. I mean, that's what he [00:47:00] was most concerned about, how this was going to impact him. And he should have been out of the ministry. So I went to his. Boss. I was told this, and something happened 27 years ago. He, we think he's safe. We're not worried, in spite of the fact that during the meeting he had admitted that there had been multiple occurrences of sexual misconduct throughout his ministry. Not all teenagers, some were most were probably women. And then he said he had gone to therapy because he had been identified as a sexual addict. And I kept thinking, who, what? What world, what world? Does this make sense that a man who has been identified by a psychologist as a sex addict belongs in the ministry? Nope. But here was this church. So I sent a letter to his 11 elders thinking, okay, somebody in this eldership is gonna see this. Is I something's wrong here. Not one responded totally [00:48:00] ignored me. 11 elders totally ignored me. Wow. No worries. So then, I decided to go to his denominational leaders, which were in Indianapolis. And there again, while they were sympathetic to my story and apologize that it happened, they said, we're an independent church. Our churches hire and fire their own ministers. We have no control and if they choose to keep this man, we can do nothing about it. And so what, I was shut down and basically I had no place else to go. I had pretty much. Done everything I could do. And it wasn't my place in the man that he be removed. I expected the church to be, the church was to do the right thing. Exactly. I assumed so naively that once they heard my story and once they understood the background of this man, surely someone would say, this isn't right. But again, keep in mind he's very charismatic. He brings in [00:49:00] people, he brings in money. And to be fair, and probably I'm being a little too gracious, these men are very good at manipulating not only the victim but the congregation as well. They're very good at getting control of the congregation so that they find themselves following this man no matter what he would do. Yeah. And that's basically what happened. There was going to be, I got a four page letter from his boss telling me that, know, I'm going to. Ruin this church if I continue on this path and that I'm going to feel all this guilt because I'm gonna be responsible for the damage that I will do to pe people's spiritual lives. I mean that, it was an incredible, I put the letter in the book, I, because it is so incredibly, hard to believe that someone write that to a victim of abuse. Just So that was What year did that happen? 2004. Okay. So we did have. We did have the internet. Oh, yes. And this was after the Catholic, [00:50:00] church had their, exposure of sexual abuse within their church. So yes, this was, it was out there for sure. This wasn't something that you would think, oh, I can't believe this happened. And again, he had admitted to these past instances. I mean, this wasn't someone who was saying, oh, I don't know what she's talking about. Or, oh, this is the only time it ever happened. He had been in therapy because he was a sexual addict, So he wasn't registered as a sex offender? I guess not. And in my case, at the time of the abuse, the age of consent was 16. So I had no legal recourse because of I was either legally age of consent. Now that has been changed in Ohio. It's now 18. It's now 18, but many states it's still 16. There are several states where the age of consent is 16. Now, the interesting about that is. His contact sexual contact with me was not considered a crime. However, if he had been my high school teacher, it would've been a crime. What, so pastors I know [00:51:00] does not make sense. It does not make a leg of sense. No, it does not. So it, they don't consider him a teacher. They don't cons, they don't, they considered an affair. A mutual. Relationship if he'd been my teacher, that's a different story. So yeah, I had no legal recourse. And that was frustrating. But I couldn't change that. So it was what it was. I just had to accept that he, yes, he belonged in jail. Yes, there's no doubt and should be registered as a sex offender, but I'm not so sure that even if he's registered as a sex offender, these people in Alabama and wherever he is now, would. Even take that as a concern. Well, you know, the millennials now, they'll just, they just post stuff on Facebook and Twitter and call the evening news and they have, yes. News people at their doorstep, right. Ready to mm-hmm. Track this guy's name through the mud. Mm-hmm. But you didn't choose to do that, I guess. No, you know, I'm very careful about naming him in the sense that, part of my story is that I [00:52:00] reconnected with his wife. She actually divorced him after they moved, because again, he committed sexual misconduct. She was 20, I think, at the time, so it wasn't a minor, but that's beside the point. This is a man in a position that, a professional who does not cross boundaries like that. So, to no one surprise, he committed sexual misconduct the third time, so she divorced him. And part of, I guess letting go of some of the guilt that I felt, I wanted to. Connect with her to at least tell her, not that I was responsible for what happened, but how very sorry I was for her pain and suffering as well because she was part of the youth group. I mean, she was there at the church all the time. We sang in the choir together. So it was like I had a relationship with her. Oh wow. To some extent. And of course when, we were found, when he was found out by the elders, she was upset and she of course, didn't wanna have anything to do with me, which is understandable. So I actually think I [00:53:00] also wanted to give her the opportunity to say whatever she felt she needed to say to me if she wanted to. I mean, I didn't know what she was gonna say or react. I thought maybe she'd hang up on me. I didn't know. So I called her one day. My investigator found her phone number and gave it to me, and she couldn't have been any more gracious. I, she never blamed me. She understood as she, as the years went on, what this really was just like I did. She's remarried. She's has a wonderful husband now. And so I visited her several times. We keep in contact. And so part of my not wanting to expose him too much is that it would be hurtful to her. And he does have children. Now. I know that, well, whatever consequences are as a result of this are all on him, but I don't feel the need to add to that. That's not my purpose in speaking out. And so, mm-hmm. I've gone to his church leaders, I've done everything I can to get him removed from the ministry. And nothing, it's just [00:54:00] he's still, I don't know that he's still a pastor, but he still remains in good standing within that denomination to this day. Yeah. I mean, sometimes we have to just let God. Right. Dish out the justice. It may not be in our timeline, it may not be the way that we think it should happen, but Right. He's not gonna get away with this. No. And again, I did my part. Yes. So my conscience is clear and I am able to say I did what I could do and whether or not they removed him, I certainly hope that I maybe put some doubt in some of their minds and maybe questioned their motives in keeping this man. I don't know. But, I feel I did what I could do and I feel good about that. I feel good about that. Absolutely, you should. And what I'm really interested in is, you're trying to keep this stuff from happening to other people, so, I mean, what can we do to prevent some of this stuff? Well, it's [00:55:00] difficult again, because these men are among us as wolves in sheep's clothing, and so they're difficult to spot. But a couple things. I think the first thing I would tell people is if something doesn't seem right. Keep your antenna up. Don't just ignore it or just don't think, oh, well that can't be true because he's the pastor. Mm-hmm. If it's behavior that you wouldn't accept in someone else, or it's something that you would question in someone else, then question it in the pastor or the choir director, whoever it is. Don't be blinded by the person. The persona that they're presenting to you. So that's the first thing I would say is keep your antenna up. The other thing is we, and we're churches, I think are doing better about this, but you've got to have policies in place that say, no, you're not taking a 16-year-old girl on your hospital visit with you. Yes. That's, that's not normal. That's not right. What is she doing going on a hospital visit with you in a car? And of course now we have the texting [00:56:00] and there should be absolutely no texting between a pastor, a youth minister, and anyone in the congregation. And that includes, no, don't forget the meeting for the church luncheon. No, there should be no texting because you, it's too hidden and it's too easily moved to the next step. And that's how it starts. You know, all of the abuse when it's someone you know, it always starts with small things and subtle things. It doesn't, innocent things. Innocent things that, yeah, that, that are innocent. But so that's why, so no texting. Yeah. So put in the policy, those places of, when you take a 10-year-old child to the bathroom, you make sure there's another adult with you. Absolutely. That's for your safety as well as for the child's safety. Mm-hmm. So I, I think we need to be aware. And then I would also say watch for the vulnerable in your, among your church or your group. Watch for the kid that's got issues at home and is looking for a father figure. Be aware that they're going to be more susceptible to someone who's a predator and pay [00:57:00] attention to their cues and kind of keep in touch with them as well in a sense of asking questions and how they're doing and be the kind of a person that they might feel comfortable coming to if something were to happen to them because they're the ones that are gonna be most vulnerable, to a predator. So that's kind of, an overview of what. Maybe a help to try and stop and prevent some of this. Yes, I like lots of video cameras. They're cheap now. You can put a camera, you can hide cameras all over the church facility and Yes. And I think too, talking to this about this issue to the congregation before anything happens, maybe having a person in your congregation who is the go-to person on this topic, who, who's researched what all these grooming and manipulation is so that they are even more equipped to, to notice the signs. So you have a person who's kind of in charge of that topic and then address it to the congregation once a year and say, here's our policy and here's what we expect of our pastors and here's what we would hope you would [00:58:00] do if you notice something. So it just brings it out so that people feel like if there is something that they know is going on or something's wrong, they feel comfortable going to someone about it. Those are all really great tips for leaders and, church members. So what, what if I am listening and I am being subjected to some of this stuff, what should I do? Well, what you need to do and what is the hardest thing to do is to tell someone. Yeah. And it's hard to do because when you're in an abusive relationship, you are being controlled by your abuser. And the narrative is what he is directing. And so he's going to tell you, look, you can tell anybody you want. They're not gonna believe you. And he tells you that over and over again. He's also going to tell you that you are going to be in trouble if you tell anyone. And then there's that problem of you sort [00:59:00] of care about this person. Here's someone that has been helping you, who's been your mentor, and you don't wanna get him in trouble. So with all those dynamics involved, it's very difficult for victims to come forward. But I am telling you, you don't wanna wait the 27 years that I did no. And live with this guilt and the shame and the angst and the anxiety. First of all, it's not worth it. You're not doing anyone any favors, especially yourself, because there is help out there. But they can only help you if you're able to be able to tell someone. And believe me, I understand how difficult that is. It's not easy. Mm-hmm. But I would hope that I hearing my story and others that you will understand that there is help out there and you need to tell someone. 'cause it won't end until you tell someone. And if you need to, you go to someone that you trust. And if you need to, you go outside the church. Yes. You tell someone you know is going to listen to you. [01:00:00] Hey, I tell my listeners, you can call me anytime mm-hmm. And email me and I'm sure you'd say the same thing. Exactly. Reach out to Sandy if mm-hmm. You need somebody to talk to. Mm-hmm. Or you don't know what is the next step I need to take here? Right. It is scary to make First step. It's very scary. Very scary. Absolutely. So then there's the rest of us, those that have not experienced clergy abuse, maybe we're members in the church, maybe we're friends or family. What are some helpful things for us to do to support a victim? Helpful things to say, maybe there's things we shouldn't say, well, that's a yes. First, I would say anytime you're aware of a victim of clergy abuse or anybody who's been abused, whether it's clergy or not, reiterate to that victim that it was not their fault and that there was nothing they could have done, should have done that would've prevented this. And by doing that, you are [01:01:00] telling that person they're free to speak to you. And victims need to hear it over and over again because we do blame ourselves. Children as young as five will blame themselves because they allowed someone to touch them 'cause mommy said not to. And the that guilt in that shame that victims carry, it's difficult to let go of it. So to hear someone say to us, it's not your fault is so freeing. So that's the first thing. The second thing I would say is. Let them know that you will listen to them without judging them, and you will hear their story without being shocked that you are able to say, tell me everything you need to tell me, or Tell me as little as you wanna tell me. Give them a comfort place to go to talk. And then I would say, and this is difficult for people who have spiritual lives or who are part of the church, be very much aware that things such as prayer and Bible reading and [01:02:00] scripture can be very triggering for those who've been abused in the church. Mm-hmm. So things that you would find comforting like prayer. Can be a very major trigger factor for victims. And so instead of saying to a victim, I'll pray for you, or Can I pray with you? The best thing you could say would be to phrase it in such a way as to say, I understand because of what you've been through, prayer can be difficult. And so I would like to pray for you, but I would completely understand if you don't want to pray or you won't, don't even want me to pray for you. And so you've opened up the door to say to this person, wow, I don't have to feel guilty because I can't pray. You know, when we've grown up in the church and we've been told how wonderful church and prayer and all those things are, we still carry that guilt too because we're no longer connected to God. So to have a person on the outside. Recognize that these can be trigger factors is again, a gift. It's a [01:03:00] gift. So those things I think would be the most helpful when dealing with a person of clergy abuse. And give them time. Don't push forgiveness. Don't push trying to get them back into church. 'cause some victims will never be able to go back to church if you let them find their own pace of time and you do it without judging them. And I know that's kind of hard sometimes for Christians and people in the church because we love the church and we find it to be such a wonderful place and we want this person back in the church. Yes. But it, it may not be the best place at that point for that victim. Such valuable advice. I That is awesome. And again, back to like, when you're talking about the sex education, open up the dialogue, you know? Yeah. Bring it up. Bring it up before they bring it up. Again, I read in the newspaper that this girl was molested by, a gym teacher. You know that, that ha I know that happens. And then let 'em know that if. It is, like you said, allowing that comfort to be able to [01:04:00] talk to someone. I think for me it was important to give my side of the story. No one had a clue that he was emotionally and verbally and physically abusive to me. They saw this as a little love affair and that we had this, magic little love affair. Evil temptress. Yes, exactly. And so I wanted them to know the full story. That was important for my healing too. And they did that. And, they welcomed me back to the church. I went back, I've been back a couple times for, a youth group reunion that we had. So, and that was difficult. But again, I thought that was necessary for me to move forward. I had to let go of my past. I had to figure out, not to forget it, but how was I going to incorpo

Liz and Ricardo are wrapping up the year in reading by recapping the New York Times Top 10 and highlighting their personal Top 5 books of the year. What's on your best of list for 2025? Let us know at poppingcollarspodcast@gmail.com or send us your top 5 on socials Find us on the web at poppingcollarspodcast.com Don't forget to pick up some awesome merch Check out our Youtube offerings Read Greg's ramblings about movies at Letterboxd

How Christ used elements of a Trust to set the people free; William the Conqueror; Remedies; Common Law and new law (Equity) in 1066; "Fairs"; Pie-powder courts; Statutory Trusts; Separation of funds; Corporate governments; Sacred Purpose Trusts; Church separate from State; Ekklesia = called out; Golden Calf was a trust; Burnt offerings; Corporations don't die; 2 or 3 witnesses; Defining "trust"; Q from Mark: What is the Sacred Purpose?; "Sacred" = Holy = Separate; Temple Area; Trust purposes; Witness and record; Statutory Trusts; Corporation of Christ; Representative beneficiary; State churches; Living stones of the altars; Separated offerings; Christ's words on treasuries; William the conqueror; Common Law?; Robbing widows and orphans; Church Trust to feed God's sheep; "Sovereign Citizen"?; Statute of Mortmain; Obamacare?; Cloward and Piven - overburden welfare state?; Caring about the liberty of others; Falsely seeking asylum; Investing in your neighbor; Tens, Hundreds and Thousands; Trusting your minister; Early American example; Learning to be Israel; Blind guides for modern Christians; Legal Title; Use tax; Q from Aroostook Acoustic: Melchizedek having elements of a trust; Priests receiving offerings to redistribute to others; Corporation created for limiting liability?; Fundamental elements of a corporation; Family as a corporation; Law of the father; U.S. Corporation; State-formed marriages; Understanding legal vocabulary; "Corporation sole" - Passing one head of family to another; "world" = state; Your member ID from the world; Christ's system; Abimalec; Caesar; Calling no man Father; Hung up on "Trust"; Q: Trusts don't deal in real property?; Sheep offering example; For the benefit of another party; Elements of a trust; Federal Reserve notes - redemption; "Free Church Report" book; Church recognition; Saturninas; Establishment by witness; Purposes of Christ; How you've gotten into bondage; Welfare snares; Grantor - property given entirely - not a party to the trust; Christ's purpose - conforming to it; Christ's government; Parens patria; Risk?; Walk of faith; Q: Why call it a "trust"?; "Ministry"?; Setting our neighbor free; Charity; What makes The Church holy?; Care; Q: Duncan McLeod - Christmas songs?; Melchizedek's blessing to Abraham; Sons of God by adoption?; Moses: "Let MY people go"; Making God your father; Prodigal Son parable; Freeing others; Bah Humbug kid; Giving is not seasonal; Celebrate Christ by doing what He ACTUALLY said; Church "Service"; Doers of the Word; The song of Moses and of the Lamb; Church organization; Ministers = Men you "trust" - responsibility; Offerings belong to Christ; Citizens of the United States; Overseers and Protectors; Ministers separate from the world; Holy Spirit the comforter/protector; Pilate's trial of Christ; Right Reason of Christ (logos); "Religion" duty; "ex-officio"; Record keeping; Appetite for benefits; Loving other people; Who is worthy of trust?; Social safety net unspotted by the world; Strong delusion; The grace of God; Other peoples' money; Do what Christ said.

It is time for God to announce the arrival of his only begotten Son. Who shall He choose to proclaim his arrival to first? Kings? Priests? No… He sends a choir of angels to lowly shepherds.Today's Bible verse is Luke 2:10, from the King James Version.Download the Pray.com app for more Christian content including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Pray.com is the digital destination for faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Toby Wilkinson. Alexander the Great besieged Gaza, dragging its governor to death to mimic Achilles and signal his dominance. Seeking divine validation, he trekked to the Siwa Oasis, where priests confirmed him as the son of Zeus Ammon. He later founded Alexandria, orienting Egypt toward the Mediterranean. 1842 EGYPT

Read Online“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; for he has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David…” Luke 1:68–69These words are the beginning of Zechariah's song of praise, traditionally called the Benedictus, which he prayed as soon as his mouth was opened at the circumcision of his newborn son, John the Baptist. Priests and religious pray this beautiful song in the Liturgy of the Hours every morning. It recounts the whole plan of salvation that God began with Abraham, outlines the role of the prophets, and points to Zechariah's son, John, as the “prophet of the Most High” who will “go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins” (Luke 1:76–77).As we prepare for the great Solemnity of Christmas Day, Zechariah's song gives us much to ponder. He begins by blessing God Who “has come to his people and set them free.” Christmas is not only about the Most High God Who took on the form of an infant long ago. It's also an ongoing coming to us by grace and the Sacraments. That same Most High God continuously descends into our souls as He is made visible to us in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Therefore, each of us must sing Zechariah's song with the same vigor and conviction every time we attend Mass or encounter God's presence in our lives.Why did God come to us? He came to set us free. Christmas must be a time when we acknowledge the ways that our sin oppresses us. We need a Savior. We need freedom. We need forgiveness. The only way to be receptive to our Savior is to humbly acknowledge how much we need Him.We see this in Zechariah's song when he speaks of the role his son John would play in the whole plan of salvation. John was to give God's people “knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.” Seeing our sins is essential. Our culture tempts us to downplay sin, to see it as normal or even acceptable. Some hold up their sin with great pride. We must avoid being influenced by this tendency and recognize our sin with clarity and honesty.Understanding the kind of God we have greatly helps us to see our sin and our need for a Savior. Zechariah goes on to say, “In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Our God is not only compassionate, He offers us a “tender compassion.” He did not come to condemn, but to free us from “darkness and the shadow of death” so that we could be led into the “way of peace.” Deep down, we all want this. The only way to receive it is by listening to John the Baptist's preaching that we must acknowledge our sins and repent.Reflect today on the true meaning of Christmas. God became Man to save us from darkness, sin, and death. He came to set us free from all that binds us, oppresses us, and misguides us. He came to free us from the evil one's lies and the many ways that those lies have permeated our lives and culture. Join with Zechariah today in his song of praise for the gift of salvation, and strive to pray his prayer with the same faith he had.Blessed are You, Lord my God, for You have come to Your people to set them free. Mighty Savior, as I prepare to celebrate the great Solemnity of Christmas, please help me to see how much I need You in my life. Without You, I am lost and live in darkness and death. Free me, and help me to repent and to receive Your gift of salvation. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Philippe de Champaigne, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.