Podcasts about Remind

Imagine a seasoned grandfather pulling up a chair beside his restless, frustrated grandchildren — children upset about the apparent success of dishonest people and the seemingly unchecked wrongdoing in the world — and offering them hard-won, life-tested wisdom: don't fret. That is precisely the spirit Lia Girard finds in Psalm 37, written near the end of King David's turbulent life by a man who had seen plenty of evil, committed some of his own, and repeatedly returned to the God who proved faithful through it all. This is not the advice of someone who has lived a sheltered life. It is wisdom forged in the fire of real experience. Psalm 37 was written as an alphabetic acrostic — each stanza beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet — designed to be teachable, memorable, and passed down through generations. And its message is as urgent today as it ever was: do not fret when wicked people seem to prosper. Refrain from anger. Wait patiently for God. Because divine justice is coming, in His perfect timing, by His sovereign hand. We are not called to be passive in the face of wrongdoing. We can still love, still serve, still reach out to those in need. But we are called to keep the faith, guard our own spiritual integrity, and trust that the God who sees every atrocity is not indifferent, and that wrath is not ours to wield. Bible Verse "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger, and turn from wrath; do not fret — it leads only to evil." — Psalm 37:7-8, NIV Ponder Today Fretting is not just unpleasant, it is dangerous. Psalm 37 warns that fretting leads only to evil. Unchecked anger over injustice, left to simmer, can pull us away from faith, integrity, and the peace God desires for us. God sees every atrocity and every wicked scheme. Waiting patiently for Him is not the same as believing He is uninvolved. He sees it all, and Psalm 37 promises that the swords the wicked wield against the poor will ultimately pierce their own hearts. David wrote this psalm as a man of deeply imperfect but genuine faith. His wisdom is credible precisely because he earned it through failure, repentance, and watching God come through in the mess. His counsel is not naive. It is seasoned. Stillness and action are not opposites. Being still before the Lord does not mean doing nothing. We can still love, serve, and reach out to those in need, but we do so from a place of trust rather than outrage, faith rather than fear. A Prayer for You Today God, I know You see our world in turmoil. It's hard to tamp down anger when I see wrongdoing seemingly rewarded with power and success. Help me stop the fretting in my heart. Remind me that You have this. Equip and guide me to do good in my own circle of influence, and to refrain from worry and wrath. Give me an overflowing measure of the inner peace only You can provide — and help me stay hopeful, joyful, and merciful in these confusing times. In Your mighty name, Amen. Don't Miss an Episode If today's prayer helped quiet the noise of a confusing world and anchor your heart in God's justice, we'd love to stay connected. Subscribe to the LifeAudio newsletter at LifeAudio.com for daily prayers, devotionals, and more content to keep your peace steady and your faith strong every day. If you like this podcast, be sure to check out our sister podcast, Your Nightly Prayer - an evening Christian prayer podcast to help you end your day in conversation with God. https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

En el episodio 308 de Rejugando, RaffaValencia conduce un programa cargado de debate, hype y vinagre junto a Eva Farto y Anya Silva. El equipo repasa el último Nintendo Direct de junio de 2026, cerrando por fin la maratón de conferencias del “E3 moderno” entre Summer Game Fest, Xbox Showcase y State of Play. Un Nintendo Direct con luces y sombras El gran titular del evento fue el anuncio oficial de "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake" para Nintendo Switch 2. Aunque el juego era un secreto a voces tras múltiples filtraciones, el debate en Rejugando gira alrededor de una pregunta clave: ¿por qué Nintendo enseñó tan poco? El tráiler apenas mostró a Link durmiendo y el logo del juego, lo que provocó una mezcla de emoción y frustración en la mesa. Anya Silva defendió que el anuncio era necesario y simbólico para cerrar el evento, mientras que RaffaValencia criticó duramente que un remake tan importante no tuviera ni gameplay ni fecha concreta, pese a estar anunciado para 2026. Además, el programa especula con una posible salida navideña del remake, incluso fantaseando con un lanzamiento cercano al aniversario de Nintendo 64. Kingdom Hearts IV reaparece… por sorpresa en Nintendo Otro de los momentos más comentados fue el regreso de Kingdom Hearts IV. Tras cuatro años de silencio desde su anuncio original, Square Enix mostró un nuevo vistazo al juego durante el Direct. El tráiler enseñó algo más de gameplay y confirmó lanzamiento en Nintendo Switch 2, además de PS5 y Xbox. Xenoblade Genesis: el juego que sí supo venderse El verdadero ganador del Nintendo Direct fue Xenoblade Genesis, el nuevo RPG de Monolith Soft. El juego mostró mundo, personajes, ambientación y un espectacular tráiler de ciencia ficción, dejando una impresión mucho más potente que el propio Zelda. El programa también celebra las actualizaciones gratuitas/mejoradas de Xenoblade Chronicles 1, 2 y 3 para Switch 2, con mejoras técnicas y nuevo impulso para una de las sagas favoritas de la casa. Fire Emblem, Orbitales catálogo de Switch 2 Entre los anuncios destacados también se comentan: Fire Emblem: Fortune Wave, nuevo táctico de Nintendo con lanzamiento el 17 de septiembre. Las llegadas a Switch 2 de Dragon’s Dogma 2, Onimusha, Lies of P, Stellar Blade y otros ports third party. El nuevo recopilatorio Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 + 2.8 + 3 + ReMind, que vuelve a reunir toda la saga en una sola edición. Pero aquí aparece uno de los grandes debates del programa: ¿es suficiente este catálogo para justificar comprar Nintendo Switch 2 ahora mismo? RaffaValencia se muestra muy crítico con la estrategia de Nintendo, argumentando que muchos anuncios son ports de juegos ya disponibles en otras plataformas y que faltan títulos exclusivos realmente rompedores. Eva Farto, en cambio, recuerda que para quien solo tiene consola Nintendo, el Direct sí ofrece una avalancha de juegos importantes. La "guerra de pulgares" y el momento más surrealista del evento Uno de los momentos más divertidos del podcast llega al hablar de Nintendo Switch Sports Resort y su nuevo minijuego de “guerra de pulgares”. La imagen de Yoshiaki Koizumi jugando seriamente una batalla de pulgares con los Joy-Con 2 se convierte en running gag del episodio. “la decadencia de la humanidad en su máximo exponente Final Fantasy, Game Key Cards y más vinagre El programa también entra en el terreno polémico con Final Fantasy: Resonance, el nuevo RPG HD-2D basado en Brave Exvius. La recepción es tibia: ilusión por el estilo visual, pero dudas por tratarse de una adaptación de un gacha móvil. Además, se carga duramente contra el formato Game Key Card de Nintendo Switch 2, criticando que algunos juegos físicos no incluyan el contenido completo en el cartucho. Todo esto con las ultimas noticias de despidos en Ubisoft, las ultimas entrevistas de Asha Sharma, la polemica de la IA en Kingdom Hearts y más Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Czy można stworzyć przestrzeń, w której młodzi ludzie poczują się naprawdę wysłuchani, zauważeni i potraktowani poważnie?Już wkrótce Wrocław stanie się miejscem wyjątkowego wydarzenia Re_Mind. Kongres i Festiwal Psychologiczny – przestrzeni łączącej naukę, psychologię, sztukę oraz rozmowę o współczesnym człowieku i jego funkcjonowaniu w świecie pełnym informacji, bodźców i społecznych napięć. To wydarzenie ma stworzyć miejsce do refleksji nad tym, jak psychologia może pomagać w rozumieniu codziennych decyzji, relacji i mechanizmów wpływu, które działają wokół nas niemal bez przerwy.W drugiej rozmowie z cyklu poświęconego temu wydarzeniu przyglądamy się projektowi Miasteczko Młodych – wyjątkowej inicjatywie tworzonej przez młodych i dla młodych. Naszym gościem jest mgr Sławomir Prusakowski z Uniwersytetu SWPS we Wrocławiu, koordynator projektu. Rozmawiamy o tym, jak powstawał program wydarzenia, jakie potrzeby i wyzwania są dziś najważniejsze dla młodego pokolenia oraz dlaczego tak istotne staje się tworzenie przestrzeni sprzyjających dobrostanowi, relacjom i poczuciu wspólnoty. Poruszamy również temat roli ekspertów i doświadczeń rówieśniczych, znaczenia zdrowia psychicznego, aktywności społecznej oraz miejsc, w których można po prostu być sobą – bez presji oceniania i osiągania wyników.Zaprasza Oliwia RenikMontaż: Kajetan Hilszczański

Paulbegins this chapter by saying: “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.To write the same things to you is not tedious to me, but for you it is safe.”Now, when Paul says, “Finally,” he is not ending the letter. In fact, hestill has two full chapters to go. The word simply means “furthermore” or “forthe rest.” Paul is introducing a new section of this wonderful book. Thefirst thing Paul says as he introduces this section is, “Rejoice in the Lord.” Thatshould catch our attention because, remember who is writing this? Paul is inprison. He might be executed. He does not know what the future holds for him.Yet he keeps talking about joy. How is that possible? It is because, as we havealready learned, Paul's joy is not found in circumstances. It is found in JesusChrist. Thereis a great difference between happiness and joy. Happiness depends on whathappens. If things go our way, we are happy. If things do not go our way, webecome unhappy. But joy is different. Joy is rooted in a relationship—ourrelationship with Jesus Christ. It is not based on circumstances. It is notbased on changing things. It is based on the unchanging character of our LordJesus Christ. That means we can have joy even when life is difficult. Thatis why James 1:2 says: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into varioustemptations.” Notice, he did not say if you fall into trials. He said when.Trials are a part of life. Difficulties are a part of life. Heartaches are apart of life. But joy can still be a part of life because Jesus is the sameyesterday, today, and forever. He never changes. TheApostle Paul understood that praise changes things. Praising the Lord prevails over the enemy. The rejoicingbeliever discovers God's strength. Now,let me be clear. Rejoicing does not mean we ignore our pain. There may be somepeople listening today, dear friends, who are carrying heavy burdens. Maybe youhave recently received difficult medical news. Perhaps you are strugglingfinancially. Maybe you are carrying a burden for a child or a grandchild. Orperhaps you are grieving the loss of someone you love. Paul does not sayrejoice in those things. He says, “Rejoice in the Lord.” The Lord is still onHis throne. His love has not changed. His promises have not changed. His powerhas not changed. His faithfulness has not changed. His mercy has not changed. Nomatter what is happening around us, Jesus remains the same. Our joy is not inwhat we possess. Our joy is in Who possesses us—and that is the Lord JesusChrist. Then,as we look at the last part of this verse, Paul says something interesting: “Towrite the same things to you is not tedious to me, but for you it is safe.” Paulwas not afraid to repeat important truths because repetition helps us greatly.We never outgrow the gospel. We never outgrow the cross. We never outgrow ourneed to trust in the Lord. So today, let me ask you a question: What is tryingto rob your joy? Is it a difficult circumstance? A relationship problem? Ahealth concern? Financial pressure? Fear about the future? Then take a fewminutes today and focus on five things that are always true about Jesus. Repeatthem to yourself: His love never fails. His power never diminishes. Hispresence never leaves us. His work on the cross is complete. His return iscertain. When we begin to focus on these truths, I am telling you, joy willrise in our hearts. Joyis not found in perfect circumstances. It is found in a perfect Person—JesusChrist. And that joy can never be taken away. Let'spray together. Father, thank You that our joy is found in You and not in ourcircumstances. Help us to rejoice in the Lord every day when difficulties come.Remind us that You are still on the throne and that Your promises never fail.Help us to fix our eyes on Jesus and find our strength and our joy in Himalone. Godbless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!

Send us your feedback — we're listeningGalatians 6:9 — Do Not Give Up, God Is Still Working Recorded live from London, England — where faith meets the world in daily prayer and global hope. Houston • Brisbane • Abuja • Manila • Bogotá PERSEVERANCE • FAITHFULNESS • HOPE Christian prayer for perseverance • encouragement when progress feels slow • trusting God in difficult seasons • prayer for strength to keep going  Galatians 6:9 (NIV) “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” There are seasons in life when progress feels difficult to measure. We continue to pray, continue to trust, continue to serve, and continue to move forward, yet the results we hoped to see can sometimes feel frustratingly slow. It is often during these quieter seasons that discouragement begins to whisper questions into our hearts. We wonder whether our efforts still matter. We wonder whether our prayers are making a difference. We wonder whether the seeds we have faithfully planted will ever produce the harvest we hoped for. Yet God's work is rarely rushed. Some of His greatest works happen beneath the surface, hidden from our immediate view. While we focus on what we cannot yet see, God continues to work faithfully according to His wisdom, His timing, and His purpose. The Lord has not forgotten your prayers. He has not overlooked your faithfulness. He has not abandoned the work He began in your life. Father, thank You that Your plans continue even when I cannot see them clearly. Thank You that Your faithfulness does not depend upon my circumstances and that Your promises remain trustworthy through every season. Jesus, strengthen me when I become weary. Renew my hope when progress feels slow. Help me remain faithful in the ordinary moments and patient in the waiting. Remind me that every prayer matters, every act of kindness matters, and every step of obedience matters. Lord, help me trust Your timing as deeply as I trust Your promises. Teach me to keep moving forward with confidence, knowing that You are always at work, even when the results are not yet visible. Across the world, from Houston to Brisbane, from Abuja to Manila and Bogotá, may hearts be encouraged to keep believing, keep praying, and keep trusting the God who never stops working. Jesús, ayúdame a no rendirme. Jesus, ajuda-me a não desistir. Jesus, tulungan Mo akong huwag sumuko. Father, thank You that You are still working, even when I cannot yet see the harvest. Amen. Galatians 6 prayer, prayer for perseverance, Christian encouragement, prayer for hope, trusting God's timing, daily prayer, Christian devotion, prayer for strength Christian prayer for perseverance, encouragement when progress feels slow, trusting God in difficult seasons, prayer for strength to keep goingSupport the showDaily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper now reaches 185 countries and 3,012 cities worldwide through the Global Blend Radio network.This is a listener-funded global ministry. If these daily prayers strengthen your faith or help you through difficult seasons, would you consider becoming a monthly prayer partner for just £3 per month?Your support enables us to continue recording, hosting, and broadcasting daily biblical encouragement across the nations — keeping this ministry free and accessible to everyone who needs it.You can support today at GlobalBlendRadio.comTogether, we can keep prayer moving across the world.To submit a prayer request or connect with our global prayer community, visit DailyPrayer.ukBuy me a Coffee 

June 10, 2026 Daily Devotional: “The Solid Ground”Psalm 90:2 ​"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God."  We live in a world that is obsessed with the temporary. Technology updates in a blink, seasons blur into one another, trends fade before we even catch onto them, and our own personal lives can shift dramatically with a single phone call or email. It is easy to look around and feel a sense of vertigo, as if everything we rely on is standing on shifting sand. ​Psalm 90 is unique because it is the only psalm written by Moses. Think about the life Moses led: he grew up in a lavish Egyptian palace, fled to the quiet desert as a shepherd for forty years, and then spent his final decades leading a restless nation through a barren wilderness. If anyone understood what it felt like to live an unstable, transient life, it was Moses. He didn't have a permanent home address. His scenery changed constantly. ​Yet, when Moses sat down to pray, he didn't anchor his soul to his current circumstances, his physical environment, or his own strength. Instead, he looked up at the massive, ancient mountains around him—structures that felt entirely permanent to the human eye—and realized they were just newborns compared to the Creator. Psalm 90:2 is a profound declaration of God's absolute eternity and timeless sovereignty. It is designed to contrast the permanent, unshakeable nature of the Creator with the fragile, fleeting reality of human life. ​When you strip away the poetic phrasing, the verse delivers foundational meanings that can deeply anchor our perspective on life. Moses points us to two beautiful truths about God's nature; ​He is Pre-Existent and He is everlasting; Because before the earth was formed, God already was. He is not reacting to history; He designed it.​ Look as far back as your mind can stretch, and God is there. Look as far into the unknown future as your anxieties try to take you, and God is already there, too. ​When your career, your routine, or your expectations feel completely uprooted, Psalm 90:2 is a reminder that your foundation is unshakeable. You are held by the One who spoke the mountains into existence. He does not change, He does not fade, and He is never caught off guard by the passage of time. ​Trade anxiety for awe when the future feels cloudy or unpredictable, consciously shift your gaze off the temporary problem and onto the eternal nature of God.Remind yourself that the problem you are facing has a shelf life, but the God who loves you does not. ​Anchor your routine and build a small "unshakeable" moment into your shifting day. Whether it's five minutes of quiet prayer before checking your phone or reading a single verse atnight, ground your temporary schedule in the eternal Word. What are you building your security on right now? If it can be changed by an economy, a corporation, or a health diagnosis, it's a shifting sand. Gently release your grip on those things and place your trust back on the Rock. ​Psalm 90:2 means that no matter how chaotic, temporary, or fragile your current season feels, you are held by a God who outlasts it all. Your problems, your transitions, and your challenges have a strict expiration date—but the God who is fighting for you does not.

Here we are, God's daughters, under attack. Every day the enemy attacks with the hopes of distracting us or distancing us from God. That's why we must put on the full armor God has offered us. He doesn't want his girls vulnerable to the devil, he wants us victorious. Last week we studied the first 3 pieces of our God given armor for the spiritual battle: The Belt of Truth The Breastplate of Righteousness The Shoes of Peace Now, it's time for us to pick up our shield. Ephesians 6:16, “In addition to all these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.” Okay girls, let's learn about this shield and about those fiery arrows coming our way. Roman soldiers had 2 kinds of shields. One was a small, handheld shield. This is not the shield Paul is talking about. Paul is talking about the other type of shield – the one almost as big as a door. This shield was called the scutum (pronounced sk-U-tum). This shield, the sputum was about 4 feet high and 2 feet wide, made of layers of laminated wood, then covered with leather and bound with iron. The shield was big enough for a soldier to crouch behind and be completely protected. You've likely seen the movies where soldiers are carrying these large rectangular shields and when the enemy forces shoot their arrows, the soldiers stand together in formation with their door like shields held tightly ,forming a barrier all around them, in front of them and above them. That's the precise image of our faith as a shield. We are protected, but not only protected, we are enabled to move forward even while under attack. In this formation with their shields fully protecting them on all sides, the army wouldn't just crouch and endure the attack, they would MOVE FORWARD. Forward towards the objective. Forward towards the goal. Forward towards their mission. Forward, even while the enemy attacked. This is the power of our shield of faith. Now, what bout those arrows? Paul says the devil shoots “fiery arrows” at us. Soldiers in these days would often dip their arrows into a flammable liquid, then light them on fire before launching them at their enemy like a missile. AND THAT IS SATAN'S STRATEGY AGAINST US. Fiery, blazing arrows. His objective is to destroy you and he'll use every single thing at his disposal to do so. Don't be so naive to think he won't come after you. Scripture says he's “like a roaring lion”, and honey, lions don't care if you're cute, they don't care if you're happy, they don't care if you're rich, they don't care if you've got a whole family depending on you … lions want to kill you. Period. You have been under attack. No doubt, it's been happening. Even just this past week, fiery arrows were flying at you. Let me help you identify them: Arrow 1: Tempt you to sin Arrow 2: Get you to ignore the things that would help you Arrow 3: Make you miserable Arrow 4: Make you doubt Arrow 5: Make you settle Remember when you just ignored praying about it? Yip – that was an arrow. Remember when you didn't make time to open your Bible? Yip – that was an arrow. Remember when you thought it wasn't a big deal and you could hide it? Yip – that was an arrow. Remember when you felt so tired, so defeated and so discouraged that you just sat there? Yip – that was an arrow. Remember when you checked the box but didn't really give it your best? Yip – that was an arrow. Remember when you knew you should, but you didn't – Yip that was an arrow. Remember when you felt guilt and shame over it – Yip that was an arrow. Not to mention all the things you've been dealing with that make you scared, make you hurt, and make you question – All arrows. Now do you see the attacks you are continually facing? This is your every day reality. Girl, you are always under attack. That's why you need this shield of faith. To put it quite simply, the way you defend yourself from Satan's attacks is on a very practical level TRUST WHAT'S TRUE ABOUT GOD. Faith isn't just hearing about God – Faith isn't even just knowing about God – Faith is actively positioning God's promises between your vulnerability and the enemy's fiery assaults. The devil is going to shoot his fiery arrows to tempt you, distract you, discourage you, detour you and defeat you, but that big ol' shield of faith in God's promises is what you actively pick up and hold up to protect you. I know my God. I know his ways. I feel his presence. I receive his strength. I believe his promises. I trust my God. My sister, that is your defense! Faith is what will protect you when the fiery arrows are coming at you. Faith is what will help you advance even when you're under attack. Faith is not optional for this battle, it is essential! So really, what is faith? What a really hard thing to describe. If we're not careful, faith becomes nothing more than hoping or wishing. You know when you apply for a job and you'r pretty sure you're not going to get it because you're not even remotely qualified for it and someone says, “Well, you've got to have faith.” No, that's not faith. That's not what our Bible is talking about. That kind of faith is not a defense. When you're under attack, just wishing that something is true will never give you the defense you need. Let's give faith a real definition. I read about a missionary named John Paton – someone you've likely never heard of before. He was a Scottish missionary who went to the islands of the South Pacific in the 1800's to tell these remote people about Jesus for the first time. He wasn't welcome there. His wife and child died. Yet, he continued. He learned their language, then he set out to translate the entire Bible into their language so they could know about Jesus. While translating scripture, he got to Ephesians chapter 6 and he was stuck on verse 16, “Hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.” Their language had no word for faith. Faith was non-existent in their world, without even a word for it. As John sat in his island hut, stuck on translating this word “faith”, a local man came running and and flopped himself in a chair. He said to John, “It's just so good to rest my whole weight in this chair.” And that's when John knew – that's what faith is. This is how he could explain faith to the islanders. Faith is resting your whole weight on God. With that translation, the islanders understood faith and they came to put their whole weight on God through Jesus. Faith is putting your whole weight on God. If God said it, then it's true, and I believe it. That is faith. Faith is believing what Jesus has done for us, believing what God says about us, and living it out because it's THE truth. That's a shield of faith. Protected from the attacks of the enemy and able to advance! Through the Bible, we know: • God has chosen us. Before this world even began, he predestined that we would be his girls. He chose us first, gave us the family name, and bestowed upon us all the privileges of being his daughters. • God has blessed us. In everything that God has done for us, his intention is to bless us and give us what we don't deserve. • God has sealed us. He put his mark on us saying we belong to him and we're protected by him. • God has promised us an inheritance. We are in line to inherit the kingdom of God and eternal life. Through Jesus, it's our guaranteed destiny. Girl, that's where you're heading and today you're one day closer! God has held absolutely nothing back from you. He's given his all, he's given his best. He's actively taking everything in your life and making it work together for eternally good purposes. And when you put your whole weight on that, you will be able to survive the attacks of the evil one. Not only survive, but advance! When the fiery arrows come flying at you, and they always do – When you're tempted to doubt, leaning towards fear, hurting and questioning, avoiding the very things that will help you most, wandering down paths not meant for you and knocking on the wrong doors – STOP AND REMEMBER WHAT YOU KNOW OF GOD. Remember his promises for you. Remember what he's already done for you through Jesus. But don't just think about those things, LIFT THEM UP. Lift up that shield of faith by actually leaning into what you KNOW IS TRUE ABOUT GOD. Put your full weight on him. You know what you need to do in that moment of wandering, wallowing, wondering and wavering … you need to have a good talk with yourself. Listen here, self, stop this depressed, unhappy nonsense. Stop this wavering. Stop this delaying. Stop wallowing. You stop it now. Stop letting this steal your praise. Stop letting this distance you from Jesus. Stop it. Put your full weight on God. Remember his promises. Lean on them now! It's not going to be easy, but we all need to do this. We need each other to do it for us. Preach to yourself. Remind yourself of God. Arrange your life so that you're in the path of grace as much as possible — reading Scripture daily, praying, surrounding yourself with the right people. Know where you're vulnerable. Look to God, who will grant you the strength that you need. Then put your whole weight in what we know to be true about God. Remember the Roman shield formation? It's one thing to be a single soldier with a shield. Something much better happens when we come together with faith. As we create a shield-wall of faith, we'll be able to advance even when we're under attack. That's why you and I are connected. That's why God has given us an Army of sisters here. We fully put our weight on God in this together and we move forward even while under attack. Where are you being attacked? What fiery arrows are coming your way? What truths about God can you lean into today? Take up your shield of faith! Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Big Idea: Gratitude is the seed, attitude is the fruit.Esther 9:18-32 I. Take time to celebrate your faith. Esther 9:18-22But the Jews in Susa had assembled on the thirteenth and the fourteenth days of the month. They rested on the fifteenth day of the month, and it became a day of feasting and rejoicing. This explains why the rural Jews who live in villages observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a time of rejoicing and feasting. It is a holiday when they send gifts to one another. Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews in all of King Ahasuerus's provinces, both near and far. He ordered them to celebrate the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar every year because during those days the Jews gained relief from their enemies. That was the month when their sorrow was turned into rejoicing and their mourning into a holiday. They were to be days of feasting, rejoicing, and of sending gifts to one another and to the poor. II. Remind yourself of God's deliverance.  Esther 9:23-28So the Jews agreed to continue the practice they had begun, as Mordecai had written them to do. For Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them. He cast the pur—that is, the lot—to crush and destroy them. But when the matter was brought before the king, he commanded by letter that the evil plan Haman had devised against the Jews return on his own head and that he should be hanged with his sons on the gallows. For this reason these days are called Purim, from the word pur. Because of all the instructions in this letter as well as what they had witnessed and what had happened to them, the Jews bound themselves, their descendants, and all who joined with them to a commitment that they would not fail to celebrate these two days each and every year according to the written instructions and according to the time appointed. These days are remembered and celebrated by every generation, family, province, and city, so that these days of Purim will not lose their significance in Jewish life and their memory will not fade from their descendants.III. Pass it on to the future generations.Esther 9:29-32Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote this second letter with full authority to confirm the letter about Purim. He sent letters with assurances of peace and security to all the Jews who were in the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in order to confirm these days of Purim at their proper time just as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had established them and just as they had committed themselves and their descendants to the practices of fasting and lamentation. So Esther's command confirmed these customs of Purim, which were then written into the record.Next Steps: Believe: I need to start my faith journey today.Become: I will spend time celebrating my freedom this week.Be Sent: I will share my testimony with someone this week.Discussion Questions: What are you most grateful for today?  How often do you remind yourself of God's simple gifts when life isn't going your way?Do you have a way of celebrating your faith regularly?  If so, how?Do you know your family's journey of faith?  Does your family know yours?If there were a festival to celebrate your personal faith, what would it be called?With whom did you last share your personal testimony?Ask the Holy Spirit for the opportunity to share God's grace with someone this week.

Send us your feedback — we're listeningJohn 14:27 — Do Not Let Your Heart Be Troubled Today Recorded live from London, England — where faith meets the world in daily prayer and global hope. Chicago • Wellington • Lagos • Singapore • Lima PEACE • CALM • TRUST midday prayer for peace of mind • Christian prayer for anxious thoughts • prayer for a troubled heart • finding calm in God's presence John 14:27 (NIV) “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” By the middle of the day, our minds can easily become crowded. A responsibility still waiting for our attention. A conversation that remains on our hearts. A concern about the future that quietly follows us through the hours. Without realising it, we can begin carrying emotional weight that God never intended us to carry alone. This is often how anxiety works. It rarely arrives all at once. Instead, it gathers quietly, one thought at a time, until our peace begins to feel distant. Yet in the middle of life's pressures, Jesus speaks with remarkable gentleness. “My peace I give you.” Not a peace that depends upon circumstances being perfect. Not a peace that disappears when challenges arise. His peace. A peace that remains steady because it comes from His presence rather than our situation. Father, thank You that Your peace is available to me right now. Thank You that I do not need to wait for every question to be answered before I can rest in Your care. Jesus, quiet the thoughts that are stealing today's peace. Help me release the concerns that I keep replaying in my mind. Where fear has become loud, let Your voice become clearer. Where my heart feels troubled, let Your peace settle deeply within me. Lord, help me walk through the remainder of this day with confidence and trust. Remind me that You are near, You are faithful, and You are working even when I cannot yet see the outcome. Across the world, from Chicago to Wellington, from Lagos to Singapore and Lima, may hearts discover the peace of Christ that steadies anxious minds and brings calm to weary souls. Jesús, llena mi corazón con Tu paz. Jesus, enche o meu coração com a Tua paz. Jesus, punuin Mo ng kapayapaan ang aking puso. Father, I receive Your peace and place the rest of this day into Your hands. Amen. John 14 prayer, midday prayer, prayer for peace of mind, Christian encouragement, prayer for anxious thoughts, daily prayer, trusting God, Christian devotion midday prayer for peace of mind, Christian prayer for anxious thoughts, prayer for a troubled heart, finding calm in God's presenceSupport the showDaily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper now reaches 185 countries and 3,012 cities worldwide through the Global Blend Radio network.This is a listener-funded global ministry. If these daily prayers strengthen your faith or help you through difficult seasons, would you consider becoming a monthly prayer partner for just £3 per month?Your support enables us to continue recording, hosting, and broadcasting daily biblical encouragement across the nations — keeping this ministry free and accessible to everyone who needs it.You can support today at GlobalBlendRadio.comTogether, we can keep prayer moving across the world.To submit a prayer request or connect with our global prayer community, visit DailyPrayer.ukBuy me a Coffee 

A stranger in a bakery made one comment about a young girl’s body — and it sparked a conversation every parent needs to hear. When should we speak up? When should we walk away? And how do we help our kids build confidence in a world where careless comments about appearance are still far too common? In this powerful episode, Justin and Kylie unpack the viral bakery confrontation that divided the internet, explore the lasting impact of body-shaming comments, and share practical ways parents can help children become resilient, self-aware, and emotionally strong. They also dive into healthy masculinity, raising respectful boys, and the simple lesson every child should learn about commenting on other people’s bodies. KEY POINTS: Why comments about kids’ bodies can leave lasting emotional scars The difference between reacting publicly and protecting your peace How to teach children resilience without dismissing their feelings The “30-second rule” for commenting on appearance What healthy masculinity really looks like How to help daughters identify respectful relationships and red flags Using difficult moments as powerful teaching opportunities QUOTE OF THE EPISODE:“Healthy men help the people around them feel safer and stronger.” RESOURCES MENTIONED: Boys: Building Strong Young Men From the Inside Out by Dr Justin Coulson Happy Families podcast News.com.au article discussed in the episode ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS: Teach children that other people’s opinions do not define their worth Model respectful language about bodies and appearance Use difficult social moments as teaching opportunities, not panic moments Encourage kids to notice how people make them feel: safer and stronger, or smaller and ashamed Remind children they never need to tolerate disrespect to be accepted See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whom do you remind people of? At work or in society at large, is it evident that you are a Christ-follower? Jesus is always our supreme example for how to live a godly life in an ungodly world. Peter told us that we should submit to government as well as to management, and now he tells us why we should—because Jesus did and He's the one we follow.

I realised how unfit I was yesterday but it did remind me of something 

JUNE 7, 2026 GRADUATION SUNDAY REV. KENDRA BALLIET ORGANIST JIM ROSS Prelude The Light of Christ Enters the Sanctuary Announcements *Call to Worship God calls us to go into the unknown, trusting that God’s promises are true. Whether we are certain or full of doubts, God blesses us that we may be a blessing. God sends us into the world to journey by faith, believing that God’s blessings are greater than anything we can imagine. Whether the path is straight or winding, God blesses us that we may be a blessing. God gathers us today with trusted companions, those who also follow God’s call, even when it does not make sense to the world around us. Whether we journey with friends or feel all alone, God blesses us that we may be a blessing. As we gather to worship, may we remember that we are God’s people, blessed by God to be a blessing to our world that is hurting and desperately in need of good news. God, form us today as a family of faith, that your blessings might flow out of us and into our world, drawing all people into your promise of abundant life and flourishing. Amen. *Praise Hymn “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” TFWS #2129 *Prayer of Confession: Almighty God, You have set before us the path, but we have wandered on our own to try to find our way. Sometimes we are like toddlers, and we hear Your call and come back. Other times, we are children testing boundaries, ignoring Your call until fear finally makes us look back. And still other times, we are full of youthful rebellion, demanding to be cut loose and set free, not knowing how much we still need to seek Your wisdom and guidance. But most of all, too often we think we are adults and have figured it all out and know our own way, only to stumble and stray so far. Remind us, parental God, that we are always Your children, that we are never fully grown up in Your sight, that we always have much to learn. Help us to seek You every day, to acknowledge that we need Your wisdom and guidance, and help us to return to the path and walk with You. In the name of Christ, who is our companion on this journey of faith, we pray. Amen. Silent Prayer of Confession and Pardon *Affirmation of Faith – “Apostles’ Creed” #881 “Gloria Patri” Children’s Chat Scripture Reading – Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 Morning Message – He Touched Me Offering and *Doxology Sharing of Joys and Concerns Prayer Hymn “He Touched Me” #367 Time of Prayer and Healing with Lord’s Prayer Our altar is always open for prayer and anointing. Communion *Closing Hymn “Lord of the Dance” #261 *Benediction The flowers on the altar this Sunday are given by Dan & Diane Craven to the glory of God and in memory of Dorothy & Earl Craven. Thank you for sharing in this worship service. Please continue to stay in touch through our website (stoneumc.org) and/or by following us on Facebook (Stone UMC). If you have joys or concerns that you would like lifted up in prayer, please fill out the Prayer Card in the pew, on the website, or share them by contacting us at 814-724-6736 or churchoffice@stoneumc.org

Prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first and best response in parenting.LINKS:Download How to Pray God's Word for Your ChildrenFollow Everyday Prayers @MillionPrayingMomsA Prayer to Know His Majesty by Nicolet BellToday we're in Psalm 8 — praying that our children would know how big God is and how much He cares intimately for them. That that would change their perspective. That it would remind them of the God they serve and their relationship with Him. Reference: Psalm 8 Prayer: Oh, Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. Forgive us, Father, for the ways that we lose sight of your majesty and we live small-minded. May we magnify you in our homes. We want to make you a big deal to our children. Lord, teach my children to view you rightly. Remind them of how big you are and assure them of how much you care intimately for them. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Friendship drama is one of the biggest sources of stress for kids — and heartbreak for parents. In this episode, Justin and Kylie unpack the six powerful habits that create strong, lasting friendships and explain how parents can help children build healthier relationships from the very beginning. From loyalty and inclusion to emotional support and trust, these simple but profound friendship skills can shape your child’s confidence, wellbeing, and sense of belonging for years to come. If your child is struggling socially, feeling left out, or constantly caught in friendship ups and downs, this conversation will help you guide them with clarity and compassion. KEY POINTS: The six friendship habits linked to stronger relationships Why loyalty matters more than popularity How gossip quietly destroys trust The difference between emotional support and “fixing” Why belonging at school impacts lifelong wellbeing How small acts of kindness deepen friendships What parents can teach kids about inclusion and empathy QUOTE OF THE EPISODE:“Kids who understand that friendships require active care are far better equipped to keep them.” RESOURCES MENTIONED: Research by Michael Argyle and Monika Henderson on friendship Dr Kelly-Ann Allen’s work on school belonging ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS: Talk with your child about what loyalty looks like in friendship Encourage them to include others and notice who gets left out Teach them to pause before sharing hurtful information Model emotional support by listening without trying to fix everything Help them look for small ways to encourage and serve friends Remind them that good friendships need effort, kindness, and consistency See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The best (and cheapest) therapy for those small things that get under your skin is sometimes a good venting session so you can get it off your chest and move on with your life! And if you're not privy to the first-hand vent-a-thon, then being a fly on the wall listening is hopefully equally therapeutic and also maybe entertaining.     Welcome to Rant Therapy, a podcast short powered by the hosts of the Happy Eating podcast, Brierley Horton and Carolyn Williams, where we periodically share our real-life venting sessions with each other—AKA what we're “so over”.   Rant Therapy: “You Remind Me of My Mother”   Thank you for listening to Rant Therapy on the Happy Eating Podcast. Tune in weekly on Thursdays for new episodes and new rants on Tuesdays. For even more Happy Eating, head to our website! https://www.happyeatingpodcast.com Learn More About Our Hosts: Carolyn Williams PhD, RD: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realfoodreallife_rd/ Website: https://www.carolynwilliamsrd.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RealFoodRealLifeRD/ Brierley Horton, MS, RD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brierleyhorton/ Got a question or comment for the pod? Please shoot us a message! happyeatingpodcast@gmail.com Produced by Lester Nuby OE Productions   To contact Lester -  olelegante@gmail.com

Hey Doc,Were you taught that patients lie?I was.Somewhere during training, the idea got planted that our job is to uncover the truth because patients won't always tell it. Then I became an attending and started experiencing it myself.You spend twenty minutes counseling a patient. You draw diagrams. You answer questions. You document everything.Then somehow…“Nobody explained that to me.”“The doctor never told me.”“I never saw the doctor.”If you've ever walked back to your office wondering whether you're losing your mind, this episode is for you.What surprised me is that it wasn't until I left traditional practice that I gained enough distance to see these situations differently. And recently, while helping run our HVAC business, I watched my husband experience the exact same thing physicians deal with every day.A customer insisted he hadn't been told something that had been explained multiple times.Sound familiar?In this episode, I'm talking about why these interactions can feel so demoralizing, why they contribute to resentment and burnout, and how a little compassion can sometimes protect you more than the other person.Not because patients are always right.But because carrying around the belief that it's you versus them is exhausting.In this episode, I discuss:Why “patients lie” may be one of the most harmful lessons we learn in trainingHow being repeatedly questioned can create resentment and burnoutThe surprising parallels between medicine and running an HVAC businessWhy people often misremember conversations without malicious intentHow documentation protects us when memory and perception don't matchThe role compassion plays in preserving your career longevityIf you've ever felt unseen, misunderstood, or questioned after doing your absolute best for a patient, this episode is my reminder that I see you.And I believe you.

Jeffrey Mosher welcomes back Laketa Henderson, Michigan District Director, SBA, U.S. Small Business Administration, Detroit, MI. The SBA's second Supplier Matchmaking Expo of the year is fast approaching – this Friday in Detroit, in fact. Remind us why the SBA is doing this and why matchmaking events are so important to the health of the American small business dream? The event emphasizes strengthening U.S. supply chains and “Made in America” partnerships. What opportunities does that create specifically for Michigan manufacturers and suppliers? Speaking of “Made in America,” our nation is celebrating Freedom 250 this year. Is the SBA doing anything special? A Patriot Pitch Competition? What is it, what can businesses win, and how can they apply? There are several stages of judging, but competitors have to get by the first round. What are judges looking for from the first-round contestants that will move them on to the “Road to 68”? The criteria judging panels are looking at are: A) Strengthening American competitiveness B) Small Business “punching above its weight.” C) Economic impact and quality jobs D) Business fundamentals and execution readiness Why these four things in particular? The prize pool is $1 Million. How is that broken down between the final five winners?

Hi Mamas, Do you ever open social media for "just a minute" and somehow end up feeling like you're behind? Behind on motherhood. Behind on your goals. Behind on your housework. Behind on life. You're not alone. Today we're talking about the pressure of social media, the comparison trap so many moms fall into, and the powerful reminder that we are often comparing our real lives to someone else's carefully curated highlight reel. I share my own struggles with social media as both a mom and a coach, why healthy boundaries around technology matter, and how comparison can quietly steal our joy, confidence, and presence without us even realizing it. If you've ever found yourself questioning whether you're doing enough after scrolling social media, this episode is for you. In This Episode We Discuss: Why social media comparison is so common among moms • How comparison quietly steals joy and shifts our focus • The difference between real life and online highlight reels • Why even coaches and business owners struggle with comparison • The importance of creating healthy boundaries with social media • How to protect your peace and stay present in your own life • A simple mindset shift to help you stop feeling like you're falling behind This Week's Quote: "Don't compare your real life to someone else's highlight reel."

Walking through the aisles of a home décor store, surrounded by signs declaring "Peace," "Joy," "Hope," and "Strength" — it's a lovely sight, but Emily Rose Massey asks the question most of us don't stop to consider: are those words actually rooted in anything real? Because hope that isn't anchored in Christ is just a sentiment — beautiful to display, but powerless when the storms come. In this episode, Emily draws a clear and urgent distinction between the hollow encouragement the world offers and the true, anchored hope that only God's Word can produce in the hearts of His people. True hope, Emily reminds us, is not something we can conjure through positive thinking or a well-timed pep talk. It is a gift given by the Holy Spirit, cultivated through Scripture, and grounded in the unshakable faithfulness of God. Romans 15:4 tells us that everything written in the Word was written for our instruction — so that through perseverance and the encouragement of Scripture, we might have hope. That hope lifts our eyes above the chaos of our circumstances and fixes them on what is eternal. And it is that eternal perspective — the certainty of a heavenly home and the return of Christ — that fuels us to keep putting one foot in front of the other, no matter how dark things become. Today's Bible Verse "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." — Romans 15:4, NASB Ponder Today Hope rooted in anything other than Christ is empty. Decorative signs, motivational quotes, and self-encouragement have their place — but they cannot sustain you through real suffering. Only hope anchored in Christ holds when the storm hits. True hope is a gift from the Holy Spirit, given through Scripture. The more we fill our hearts and minds with God's Word, the more our capacity for genuine, sustaining hope grows. This is not passive — it requires intentional, daily engagement with the Bible. An eternal perspective is your greatest weapon against despair. When you remember that this world is not your home, the chaos around you loses its power to define you. Being heavenly-minded during earthly trials is what keeps hope alive. Your feelings of hopelessness are not the final word. As children of God, we are called to move beyond what we feel and remind our hearts of what is true. The Holy Spirit is ready to help us in our weakness — we simply need to ask. The hope you carry is meant to be shared. You have been given an anchor in a world that is desperately adrift. That message of hope in Christ is not just for you — it is good news for the lost and hurting people around you. A Prayer for You Today Dear Heavenly Father, You have given me the gift of faith in Your Son, and my hope is not built on what this world offers — fleeting and fragile — but on what is eternal and settled. Help me guard my heart when my circumstances tempt me to give in to despair. Remind me that the chaos of this world cannot cause me to sink, because I am anchored in the hope of the heavenly home that awaits me. May I carry that message of hope to the lost and hurting around me. In Jesus' name, Amen. Don't Miss an Episode If today's prayer helped anchor your soul in something deeper than circumstances, we'd love to stay connected. Subscribe to the LifeAudio newsletter at LifeAudio.com for daily prayers, devotionals, and more content to keep your hope fixed firmly on Christ every day. If you like this podcast, be sure to check out our sister podcast, Your Nightly Prayer - an evening Christian prayer podcast to help you end your day in conversation with God. https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Whom do you remind people of? At work or in society at large, is it evident that you are a Christ-follower? Jesus is always our supreme example for how to live a godly life in an ungodly world. Peter told us that we should submit to government as well as to management, and now he tells us why we should—because Jesus did and He's the one we follow.

Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week.Additional context: Watch the theology teaching video, What is the Bible? 2 Samuel 15 Mike Goble Download TranscriptAll right, so Chet and Spencer are away. Let's get down to business. No, no, no, no, no. My name is Mike. I'm an elder in training here. Last week at the end of the sermon, I had three people come up to me and say that I reminded them of Absalom.I had one person come up and tell me I reminded them of Abimelech and I reminded them that that's not what the story was about and that was Raz. So when they told me that I reminded them of Absalom, I said, "Oh, of course, the striking good looks." And they all pretty intentionally clarified, "No, that is not why. it is because you have long hair and you are trying to convince people to leave this church and go out with you to plant another church. And so that brings me to my first point today. Oak Ridge Church in Lexington will be meeting sometime in January of 2027. Now this is not an infomercial for our church plant, even though we are very excited about that.We're going to be today in 2 Samuel. We're going to be in chapter 15. This is going to be on page 304 of the Bibles that are at your seats. We would ask if you'd consider not using an electronic Bible if you're willing and instead maybe pick one of those Bibles up and we're going to read the Bible together. And we think that's a helpful thing. Before we get started in our text, I'm going to pray for us. Father, we thank you for being our God, for being our salvation.We thank you for your good scripture that teaches us about you. Please Lord, may the Spirit work in our hearts through the foolishness of preaching that we would be changed to be more like your Son in Jesus' name. Amen. All right. Last week we saw that David permitted Absalom to return back to Jerusalem after he initially spent three years in exile after murdering his brother Amnon after Amnon's sin with Tamar. But even though Absalom was back in Jerusalem, he was not allowed to be in the king's presence.And after about two years, he kind of forces himself back into the king's presence by burning down Joab's field. Now, Joab is one of David's nephews. He is the son of David's sister. And he's one of the commanders of David's army. So, Absalom burns down the field, gets his attention, and Joab tells David, and David lets Absalom back into his presence. And then Absalom goes and spends the next four years positioning himself daily at the city gate, rendering judgments and manipulating the people, stealing their hearts is what it says. He is taking them away from their loyalty and their allegiance to King David.He then travels down to Hebron, which is about 18 miles or so south of Jerusalem. And he's got a large group of followers with him. And guys, remember Hebron is actually a pretty significant place. It's significant that he goes down there. So Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the patriarchs, the men from which all of Israel descended, are buried.They're all buried in Hebron. And David himself was was anointed king down in Hebron. So this is a pretty significant place. And now we see Absalom is down there and he's proclaimed as king, but he's not anointed. He's taking it by manipulation. And we're going to see taking it by force.This is the beginning of a full-scale rebellion. And today we're actually gonna look at how David responds and how the people around David respond to what's going on here in Israel. We pick up in verse 13 of chapter 15. And a messenger came to David saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom." Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom," "Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword."And the king's servant said to the king, "Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my Lord, the king, decides." So the king went out and all his household after him. And the king left 10 concubines to keep the house. And the king went out and all the people after him and they halted at the last house. All right.So a messenger comes in and tells David, hey, Israel is going to follow Absalom. So through his manipulation over the last four years, he has won over a significant portion of people that this messenger comes right in and says, "Hey, is the hearts of the men of Israel, they're gone. And they're not just gone from you. They've gone to your son Absalom." Meaning Absalom has the loyalty of these people. So David responds by saying to all his servants that are still in Jerusalem that they need to flee because if they stay, they will not escape from Absalom and he will come quickly and violently and he will ruin them.And so his servants get up with him and they get ready to flee and they leave behind the 10 concubines to maintain the house. And now they're going. And this is a pretty high pressure moment in this story. And we've we've kind of seen stuff like this play out in stories before, right? You know, you know the story the the tale of the prince who his uncle wanted to become king. And so he convinces the prince that the prince killed his dad.And the prince gets so overwhelmed and so scared that he flees. And he leaves Pride Rock. And Zazu and Rafiki have no idea what they're going to do. And we see stories like this in our entertainment. But guys, this happens a lot and it has happened a lot in history.There are so many coups in history from the murder of Julius Caesar to Napoleon taking over France to Castro and the Cuban Revolution. Did you know that in 2024 there was a coup in South Korea where the president of South Korea decided he was going to declare martial law so the legislature you know they couldn't meet or do anything and then well the legislature met anyway and 11 days later he was impeached and then put on trial. That was two years ago. This kind of stuff has been happening forever throughout history. And honestly, when I think about that, I can't help but think back to 1 Samuel chapter 8, where Israel is demanding that they have a king so they can be like all the other nations.And David, their king, is now here fleeing Jerusalem because his son is coming to overthrow him just like so many other nations before them and so many other nations that will come after them. What do you think was on David's mind? What do you think he was thinking about here? You know, the text doesn't directly say, but do you remember what the Lord said through the prophet Nathan in chapter 12? In chapter 12, when Nathan is pronouncing his judgment from God on David for his sin, the Lord says to David that the sword will not depart from your house. And then right after in chapter 13, we find out Absalom kills his brother Amnon.So, one of David's sons kills the other. And now David suspects Absalom is coming for him. So his plan is to flee. And it might be because he's afraid of Absalom. It might be because he wants to avoid conflict with his own son. It might also be acceptance of the judgment of God.And I actually think that the rest of what we're going to look at today supports that idea. Supports that David has accepted what God has planned for him no matter what. All right. So, David's servants are ready to go and they begin leaving Jerusalem together. And let's pick up verse 18. And all his servants pass by him.And all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all the 600 Gittites who had followed him from Gath passed on before the king. Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner, and also in exile from your home. You came only yesterday. And shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go, I know not where? Go back, take your brothers with you.And may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you." But Ittai answered the king, "As the Lord lives and as my Lord the king lives, wherever my Lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will be your servant." And David said to Ittai, "Go then, pass on." So Ittai the Gittite passed on with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by and the king crossed the brook Kedron and all the people passed on toward the wilderness. Okay, so David's leaving and as he's leaving he passes by different people that are highlighted for us here in the text.First there's the Cherethites, the Pelethites and the Gittites. So the Cherethites and the Pelethites are part of the royal bodyguard. So these are warriors who protect David and they go with him. And the Gittites and their leader Ittai are originally from Gath, we're told. And that's a a Philistine city. And the reason that we're told that is because back in 1 Samuel, David when he was originally fleeing Israel, fleeing from Saul when Saul wanted him dead, lived in Gath.And these men followed him when he returned back to Israel. And so he gives Ittai the option. He says, "Go back. You can just go back and align yourself with Absalom. You do not have to come with me." He says, "There's not really a reason for you, Ittai, to go ahead and get caught up in this problem.I'm releasing you from that." And Ittai refuses and he says, "He's going to stay with David even to death." And that is pretty awesome. There's something in us that just kind of loves a display of loyalty and a display of friendship like that. If you remember the famous book series that was adapted into the blockbuster movies, The Lord of the Rings, the whole series, the whole journey, the main character is trying to destroy this ring that he has to carry. And right when he's at the end, right when he's just feet almost steps from being able to do so, he runs out of strength and and by his side with him the whole time is his friend, his best friend that he's known his whole life.And his friend looks at him and says, "I can't carry it for you." And that's the ring, "But I can carry you." And when you watch that in the theater or maybe at your house, you're like, "Yeah, and I can carry it for you, too." You just like get so swept up in it, it's really cool. And your wife says pipe down, but you're like, "No, this is this is awesome." And so we see that and that strikes a chord within our hearts because we love that display of loyalty and friendship.We want to be a part of that display of loyalty and friendship. And so I think that's a really noteworthy thing and I think it's included in that in who he passes by on his way out of town because we get to see that exceptional display of friendship and loyalty to David. So, he's got this large group of faithful friends who in his darkest hour are leaving Jerusalem with him and they're all together and it says that they're weeping and that they're headed into the wilderness. Verse 24, and Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok came also with all the Levites bearing the ark of the covenant of God.And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. Then the king said to Zadok, "carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. But if he says, I have no pleasure in you, behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him." The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Are you not a seer? Go back to the city in peace with your two sons, Ahimeaz, your son, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar.See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me." So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remain there. But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and they went up weeping as they went. And it was told David, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, "O Lord, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness."All right. Now we are going to get into David's response to the situation that he's in. So Abiathar and Zadok, who are they? They are the chief priests. They are part of the Levites and they carry the ark of the covenant. And the ark of the covenant represents God's presence with his people.What does David say? He tells them, "Take it back to Jerusalem." Why? Why would David say that? Part of the answer to that question is because he says, "Zadok, aren't you a Aren't you a seer? Aren't you a prophet?" maybe David thinks, well, if he's back there, he can he can get some information out to me while I'm out here in the wilderness.It might be good to have him back there. And that is part of it. However, I think the main answer, the main reason that David tells him to take the ark, tells them to take the ark of the covenant back, is because he is accepting of the sovereign will of God. And he's doing it with humility. David's response is to essentially resign himself to the will of God. And if he sees the ark again, he knows God has looked favorably on him.And if not, then may God do what seems good to him. In the 1600s, German theology professor Samuel Rodegast wrote a song for his friend who was dying. And the song is called Was Gott tut das ist wohlgetan. Do you got I'll translate that for you for those of you who don't speak German. Whatever my God ordains is right. And one of the verses in this song goes, "Whatever my God ordains is right, he never will deceive me.He leads me by the proper path, I know he will not leave me. I take content what he has sent. His hand can turn my griefs away, and patiently I wait his day." So David resolutely accepts the will of God and he ascends the Mount of Olives weeping and here we see the second aspect of his response. We first see the humble acceptance of the divine will and after that we see him pray. What does he pray?He asks God to make the counsel of Ahithophel foolish. Now, Ahithophel was once David's advisor, but he turned his allegiance toward Absalom. And David here, powerless from a position of humility, asks the Lord to make whatever Ahithophel advises Absalom to be foolish. And we're actually going to see later on that God is going to answer this prayer. But something I want to see is that the two aspects of the response are actually linked together, require each other.Because intrinsic to prayer is humility. It's recognizing that the greatest thing you can possibly do is acknowledge the will of God and the fact that he is ordaining all things. And when you do that, you are going to pray. No, you are. You pray. When you have a heart posture like that, what comes out of it from within you is prayer.Because you finally understand how insignificant you are in affecting outcomes on this earth and you realize that God is sovereign and that God is ordaining all things and you are not God. What happened in Israel when they decided to accomplish their own will? Sexual sin, murder, treachery, it doesn't really go well. And the world around us doesn't really understand this, right? Because what happens when we see tragedies and things like that and people say, "Well, you know, our thoughts and prayers are are with the victims and and the things that have happened, right?" And people just don't like that.They sort of respond back with, "Well, we don't want that. We would rather you do something. We would rather see action. But if you know God and you know your relationship to him and you understand in your heart that what he ordains is right, that what he is doing has a purpose, then you know that the greatest thing you possibly could do would be to pray and to ask him, hey, if it could work out this way, would you change the counsel of Ahithophel to be foolishness? Right? And to commune with God from a position of humility is a really powerful thing.Let's pick back up in verse 32. While David was coming to the summit where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and dirt on his head. David said to him, "If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. But if you return to the city and say to Absalom,"I will be your servant, O king, as I have been your father's servant in time past, so now I will be your servant. Then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel."Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king's house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests. Behold, their two sons are with them. Ahimeaz Zadok's son and Jonathan Abiathar's son. And by them you shall send to me everything you hear. So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.Okay. Here, David tells Hushai, another one of his close friends and counselors, to go back to Jerusalem and act as a spy, essentially to feed information to Zadok and Abiathar, who will through their sons get that information out into the wilderness to David. And so now we finish chapter 15 with David on his way out of Jerusalem. And we begin chapter 16. And as David is out of Jerusalem, Absalom has now entered Jerusalem. Chapter 16 starts, "When David had passed a little beyond the summit, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of donkeys saddled bearing 200 loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred of summer fruits, and a skin of wine."And the king said to Ziba, "Why have you brought these?" Ziba answered, "The donkeys are for the king's household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who faint in the wilderness to drink." And the king said, "And where is your master's son?" That's Mephibosheth. "Where is your master's son?" Ziba said to the king, "Behold, he remains in Jerusalem, for he said, Today the house of Israel will give me back the kingdom of my father." Then the king said to Ziba, "Behold, all that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours."And Ziba said, "I pay homage. Let me ever find favor in your sight, my Lord the king." Okay, so back in 2 Samuel 9, we see the first interaction of David with Ziba. And what's happening there is remember David wanted to honor someone of the lineage of his friend Jonathan. And so he wants to find someone of the lineage of Saul. Jonathan was Saul's son.And he wants to honor him. And Ziba says, "Well, actually, Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth, is here." And David says, "Okay, bring him to me." And he brings him and he honors him. And he says, "You're going to always eat at the king's table." And Ziba then after that is made the servant of Mephibosheth.And now where we are, we've got Ziba coming to tell David, "Hey, just so you know, as you were leaving back in Jerusalem, Mephibosheth went ahead and said, "Awesome. Now I'm going to get the kingdom back because David's gone." Like as if the house of Saul is going to now take back the kingdom. And David kind of takes this just at face value. And I don't know if it's because maybe things have not been working out super well for David. So, you know, when you're not having the greatest of time and you hear a piece of information that's not that great, you're like, "Of course, yeah, that's going wrong, too.The car is broken as well." You know, it's that kind of thing where, yeah, Mephibosheth thinks he's going to be king. I guess that's what he wanted all along. I don't know if that's exactly what David's thinking, but he responds by giving what he had originally given to Mephibosheth over to Ziba. But later on, and we're not going to unpack this as much today, in chapter 19, Mephibosheth is going to dispute this.And we're not actually sure if this is what happened. But from David's perspective, he thinks Mephibosheth has also sort of abandoned him and is looking to gain his own kingdom. And he thinks that's another person who probably is not on his side anymore. Verse 5. When King David came to Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera. And as he came, he cursed continually. And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David.And all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. And Shimei said as he cursed, "Get out. Get out. You man of blood, you worthless man. The Lord has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul in whose place you have reigned. And the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom.See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood. So Shimei, who is one of Saul's relatives, sees things aren't going very well for David. And as David and his guard and all his people with him are are passing by, he starts flinging stones at him and saying a curse at him. And the text sort of reads this as one man just out there flinging rocks into a crowd of hundreds, thousands at David and cursing at him. And we're told he does this because he resents David for what happened to Saul. In verse 9, you see, then Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my Lord the king?Let me go over and take off his head." But the king said, "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, "Curse David, who then shall say, why have you done so?" And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "Behold, my own son seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjaminite? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today."So David and his men went on the road while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust. And the king and all his people who were with him arrived weary at the Jordan and there he refreshed himself. Okay. So Abishai is Joab, the guy who we talked about from last time whose field was burned. He's his brother. So this is another one of David's nephews, one of the children of David's sister.And Abishai, he is not liking this. He does not like what he sees here. This is like, you know, if you're like in high school and maybe you're like having a feud with another person and so like all your friends, they're like shooting that other person dirty looks. Maybe that person's having a party and they're like, "Well, we're not going to go because, you know, our friends are feuding with each other. we're not going to go support that. And then your friend kind of comes up to you and he says, "Look over there at that dead dog. How about I just go bring his head to you?"And you're like, "Whoa." Love the zeal, but no. And so David here tells Abishai, "No." But this isn't the first time that's had to happen because actually back in 1 Samuel, Abishai is with David when David is in the camp of Saul when Saul wants to kill him and Saul is sleeping and David and Abishai are there and see him and Abishai goes let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear and David tells him no and he tells him here no again. So he's being cursed and mocked by Shimei and Abishai will not stand for that.And in his zeal he wants to go kill him. And you know David could have just been like yeah I am so tired of this. I am so sick of this. Go over there and bring me his head. But he does not.Instead, he says, "Let him curse because if God told him to curse, then who are we to question that? And perhaps one day God will look favorably upon it for me." This is David again accepting God's will humbly. He rejects the opportunity to control the outcome by manipulating the circumstances and instead he resigns himself to the will of God. I think that's really hard. And I know some of you feel like you're in the same boat, right?Maybe your mind is three steps ahead of everyone else and you're always trying to engineer the best outcome for yourself, especially if things haven't been going well lately. And so seeing David do this this act of humility is impressive and it's really challenging. We're going to bring our time together with this story to a close today. I want us to look back through some of those themes that we stopped to talk about. You know, we're not kings and queens. We probably will never flee our own homes on foot because of a coup.But a lot of these are reflections of what goes on in people's hearts. And I think some of these things go on in our hearts. First, I want us to reflect on Israel's desire for the king. Their desire to be just like everyone else around them. You know, this was a rejection of God as their king. And we talked about this in 1 Samuel, but now here they are just like everyone else.Because murder and sexual sin and treachery are all just glimpses of what life choosing your own sin and choosing your own will can lead to. And it doesn't ever seem like that. Nobody ever says we want a king and is thinking about a military coup. But yes, sin can take us to the place that we never think we'll go. So where are you tempted to believe these things?Where are you tempted to say that you know better that you desire a king even though that's not what God wants? I mean, I know I'm not supposed to sleep with my boyfriend or girlfriend before we're married, but what's the big deal? I mean, it's just so impractical in this economy anyway to not live together. I mean, I understand that God says I shouldn't lie, but really, honestly, taxes are crazy high, and I don't really believe in them anyway. So, what's a big deal if I count that as a deduction? Where do you think you know better than God?And where will it take you today? Reflect on that and turn from it. You can do it. You can turn from it. You can reject it and obey God, but not in your own willpower. But Romans tells us that we were once slaves to sin, but from a changed heart, we can now obey.You can obey if you have repented of sin and put faith in the gospel because your heart is changed. And only from a changed heart can we obey God. Second, I want us to see the beauty of friendship and the beauty of loyalty. David in one of his darkest hours is surrounded by men who refuse to leave him. So where do we need to be a friend like Ittai the Gittite?Where do we need to say that wherever you will be, I will be, good or bad? Are you sticking it out with your friends? Are you showing it up? Are you showing up when they need you or are you just busy? What do you need to remove from your life so that you can have the space to be there for other people? Some of you have been in rough situations in your life.Some of you are in rough situations and some of you can think of people who have showed up. Some of those people are sitting nearby you in this room. Rejoice in that because guys, you know that's a reflection of God. You know in the book of Hebrews it says that God will never leave us or forsake us. Why? Because he forsook Jesus.And so we are welcomed in a relationship with God that even death cannot sever. And we should reflect that to the friends around us that God has brought in our path. Thirdly, I want us to see David's humble contentment with God's will. We see it in his posture toward the ark of the covenant and in the cursing from Shimei. David accepts whatever God has ordained. And the temptation in times when you're walking a dark road can be to look up at God and say, "No, I am the master of my fate.I am the captain of my soul." And so I ask you today, where are you discontent with what God has sent? work, family, dating, children, health. Remind yourself of his goodness and entrust yourself to him. David ascends the Mount of Olives, weeping, resolved to God's will. And about a thousand years later, a descendant of David will sit at the base of the Mount of Olives in the Garden of Gethsemane. And in grief, he is going to call out to God and say, "Let this cup pass from me."Yet, not as I will, but as you will. And that's Jesus. And that's David's descendant who humbly accepts the will of God and goes to the cross and is punished for sin and he dies and he's buried and he rises again. And because of that, because Jesus has humbly accepted the will of the Father and was crushed, you can humbly accept the will of the Father and live. And the band is going to come back up and we are going to close this morning reflecting on Jesus, on the freedom he brings from our own sinful will and desire, on the relationships that he makes possible for us to have with God and on the example of humble acceptance of the will of God that he showed us on the cross that allows us to accept whatever comes our way.

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Sometimes, when kids have big feelings, they come out in the form of negative self-talk, especially if they're feeling like they don't belong, no one cares about them, or they just can't get it right. Today, I'm talking about coaching kids through negative self-talk, so that you know exactly what to do when your kid says things like “I'm stupid”, “No one likes me”, or “It's all my fault”.You'll Learn:What to do when your kid is having negative thoughts about themselfWhen and how to have a coaching conversation, with a full real-life exampleHow to shift to a more positive way of thinking using the 3 Cs of thoughtsWhy your child might be resistant to coaching or teaching (and what to do about it)It's a big lesson: We can't necessarily change our circumstances, but we do get to change how we respond to them. ----------------------------------------We've all done it, and you've probably heard your kid talk negatively about themself, too. Things like: I'm stupidI'll never be good at thisNobody likes meEveryone hates meYou love him/her moreYou're always mad at meI'm a bad kid No one cares about meIt's all my faultI can't do itAs they get a little older, you might even see these negative statements come up around their appearance: I'm fat, I'm ugly, I don't like my freckles, I don't like my red hair, I don't like my dark skin, etc. Especially between the ages of 0-11, kids are building a set of beliefs about themselves. And as a parent, you want to guide them toward positive core beliefs. That's what you'll learn how to do today.When Your Kid Expresses Negative ThoughtsIt can be really hard as a parent to hear your child say these things about themself. At first, you might freak out a little bit and worry that your kid has anxiety, or they're going to grow up to be depressed and have bad self-esteem. But here's the upside - saying these thoughts out loud, narrating them, is much healthier than keeping them secret and holding them all inside their head. When you know what they're thinking and struggling with, you can help them through it. Here are a couple of other things to keep in mind.This is one specific moment in time. I often talk about parenting the kid in front of you. This is a great example of that. These thoughts and feelings are not who your child is. This is a moment in time. And it's an opportunity for you to talk to them, coach them, and help them with their big feelings and their negative thoughts.These statements are often general and/or exaggerated. When you hear things like, “I always,” or “I never”, it's a sign that they are generalizing. This is a sort of extreme language. You can still validate that your child is feeling that way right now, while also holding the perspective that they won't feel this way forever. Be careful about dismissing or minimizing. Often, when parents hear their child say something negative about themself, they laugh it off or say, “that's not true”, or “don't think like that”. It's a bit of a tricky balance.You don't have to get into a full coaching conversation every time your kid says something negative, but you also don't want to consistently dismiss your child's negative self-talk. You're looking for some middle-of-the-road parenting here, where you're not freaking out, but you're still staying attuned to where your child is.If you're not sure whether something needs to be addressed, look for patterns. If there is a certain statement or insecurity that keeps coming up, that's when you want to dig a little deeper and do some coaching.Coaching Kids Through Negative Self-TalkWhen I use the term “coaching”, I simply mean that you're offering your kid a different way to think. You're teaching them how to think better thoughts. The first step (as usual) is to be sure that you and your child are both regulated and calm before you have a conversation about a thought. It is impossible to learn something new when you are in a Big Feeling Cycle. If your kid is mid-meltdown, they won't be able to connect the dots or think logically. Connection always comes before coaching.When your kid expresses negative thoughts about themself to you, they are looking to you for reassurance. This is one of those times when you being calm is super important. Your worry doesn't help your kid. They're going to borrow your state of mind, no matter what. So let's make it a positive one that helps build their confidence and trust in themself. In these moments, your child needs to borrow your confidence in them. They need to borrow your belief that they are going to learn to love themselves and they're going to grow into a strong adult who can handle lots and lots of things.The goal with a coaching conversation is to fill a skill gap. You're trying to move them from one set of behaviors or thoughts to another. Toward more self-love, accountability, and maturity.I think of coaching conversations as having 3 parts:Reflect on what's been happening. What did they say or do? What pattern have you noticed?Teach. First, you teach why their behavior isn't working. Then, give them a new skill that they can use instead.Practice the new skill. Let's walk through each step in a little more detail.ReflectThere is no “right” time to start a coaching conversation. Maybe the thing you're talking about happened a few minutes ago. Maybe it was yesterday or last week. The more important factor is that you wait until everyone is calm. Give yourself space to think about it a bit.Some kids will want to talk about their thoughts and feelings with you. Some kids won't. What's important is that you give them the opportunity to reflect. And then you validate and normalize what's going on for them. Here are some steps to guide you.Remind them of what they said.Ask them about why they think they said that. Give them time to reflect.Validate. Let them know that it's normal to have those kinds of thoughts.Ask them how that thought makes them feel. Ask them how they want to feel.This last step is a big one, because kids have no idea that they actually have power over how they think and feel. What we're trying to do over the course of their childhood is to teach them that they have the power to change how they think about things. That they get to decide to think positively and feel better. It's a big lesson: We can't necessarily change our circumstances, but we do get to change how we respond to them. Here's an example of starting a coaching conversation and going through reflection:Earlier, I heard you say, “I'm stupid.” Do you remember saying that? What happened that made you say that? It's normal for people to have thoughts like that, especially when you're feeling overwhelmed or you're feeling sad or you're feeling a little disappointed. It makes sense that you would think that because you made a mistake. But guess what? When you think that way, does it make you feel happy or does it make you feel sad? Does that thought help you feel good about yourself? Or does that thought help you feel bad about yourself? How do you want to feel? Okay, well you can keep your sad thoughts, but what about if you tried to think of a different thought?TeachHere, you'll continue teaching that your child has power over their own thoughts (and remember: you can't force them to think positive thoughts). To do this, you'll teach them the 3 C's of thoughts. You catch your thought >> check your thought >> change your thoughtsCatch. Identify the thought. What was I just thinking? “I'm stupid” feels like a fact, but it's really just a thought. Check. Take a closer look at the thought. Is it helpful? Does the thought help you feel better or make you feel sad? Change. If you decide you don't like the thought, and it is making you feel bad, replace it with a more positive thought. The new thought you choose doesn't have to be the exact opposite of the one you are replacing. The positive thought has to be something that your brain will believe. Something that is useful and also true. Going from “I'm stupid” to “I'm smart” might be too big of a jump. You can use what I call a bridge thought as an in-between to get to a more positive way of thinking. For example:Did you know that thoughts and feelings are like clouds? They come and they go. Negative thoughts are like rainy days. Positive thoughts are like sunny days. Sometimes it's raining, sometimes it's sunny. But sometimes a negative thought can get stuck in your head. And instead of just being a temporary cloudy day, it might become part of your everyday weather. Like a rainy day every day in your mind.I don't think you want to have a rainy day in your mind every day, right? Do you want to have a sunny day or a rainy day?Did you know that you get to choose if you want to have a lot of sunshine in your mind or a lot of rain? You get to pick thoughts that make you feel happy and more calm. I'm going to teach you a little thing called the 3 C's of thoughts. You catch your thought; You check your thought; You change your...

What happens at a PATH retreat? Let's pull back the curtain…In this special mini episode, your hosts share an inside look at the upcoming PATH retreat at Campovida in Hopland, California—and more importantly, the heart behind these experiences. If you've ever wondered, “Is a retreat for me?” or “What actually happens there?”, this episode is your invitation to explore, reflect, and maybe even say yes. What This Episode Is AboutThis conversation isn't just about logistics—it's about the why behind PATH retreats.At its core, a PATH retreat is a real-life extension of the podcast: Not just food, movement, or self-care But the intersection of all of it A living, breathing space to pause, reset, reconnect, and REMIND yourself what matters most The retreat is less about checking boxes and more about creating a menu of experiences—you choose what nourishes you. What to Expect (and What NOT to Expect)Let's demystify it: What it IS: A choose-your-own-adventure weekend A blend of:  Gentle movement (like yoga or walking the vineyards) Food + cooking experiences rooted in PATH conversations Breathwork, reflection, and workshops Community, connection and meaningful conversation A space where you can fully be yourself—no expectations  What it is NOT: Not a rigid schedule Not a forced participation environment Not a one-size-fits-all wellness experience Not about perfection (this is a “beautiful mess,” just like the podcast!)  You can participate in everything… or nothing. You can come energized… or exhausted. You can give… receive… or both.The Deeper InvitationAt its heart, this retreat is about the verb “to retreat”: Step away from the noise Reflect inward Reconnect with what you need Return to your life with renewed perspective It's about creating space to restore, reset, reclaim, reconnect, reMIND yourself. Even a short intentional pause can shift your perspective in powerful ways.It's Okay to Feel Hesitant. Many past attendees felt unsure, nervous, maybe questioning if they'd “fit”. And what happened/// They found their way - They chose what felt right.They left with greater ease, confidence, and connection.Sometimes the biggest growth starts by simply walking through the door.  A Glimpse of the ExperienceCampovida, Hopland, California November 13–15Expect: A welcoming Friday evening connection A full Saturday of optional experiences and exploration A grounding Sunday close Alcohol is completely optional, even in a winery setting. The focus is always well-being, not pressure.If something in this episode resonated with you, lean into that feeling.You don't have to “have it all figured out.” You don't have to be ready. Just be willing. Because sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do… is create space to come back to ourselves.Ready? You can apply here. Need more inspo? See the Magical Campovida 

Text: 1 Corinthians 12:4-14, 27 May 17, 2026 Foundry United Methodist Church – Washington, DC Rev. T.C. Morrow Good morning! My name is Rev. T.C. Morrow. For the last twenty-four years I have been blessed to be a part of the Foundry community - first while finishing seminary, then like many of you serving in a variety of ways through the years, and when I formally became a clergyperson in the United Methodist Church, on the extended clergy team. In July, I will be starting as Senior Pastor at The United Church, a joint United Methodist and United Church of Christ congregation in Foggy Bottom. I am looking forward to my next adventures, but I am going to miss this Foundry community. I cannot start naming individuals or that will take all of my time, but I give my thanks to the three senior pastors during my time here: Rev. Dr. Phil Wogaman, Rev. Dean Snyder, and Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli. I give thanks to God for their leadership, their guidance, their solidarity, and so much more. Today we are in the third week of a sermon series exploring foundations of Christian identity and discipleship. In a world full of competing messages about who we are, our purpose, and how we should live, we are returning to some of the core aspects of Christianity. We've already looked at our identity as beloved of God and how we are called to follow Jesus into a way of life shaped by God's love and grace. Today we're exploring the church and our belonging in it, the gathering in community of those seeking to grow in love of God and neighbor. Will you join me in prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen. As the U.S. nears its 250th anniversary, I've been thinking about some of the myths, like manifest destiny, that have shaped - or distorted – the direction of the country. As we gather this morning, not far from us, on the National Mall, others are gathering in what is ostensibly a day of prayer as part of activities marking the anniversary of the country. I looked at the speakers list. By all appearances, it is a Christian nationalist rally seeking to further solidify the myth that Christianity – a particular type of Christianity – is the only thing that will “save America.” I agree there is need for repentance in this country, but I think it is safe to say we deviate on specifics. I know that I do not need to repent for who I am as a lesbian and a beloved child of God. I do not need to repent for supporting my fellow trans Americans, and others who are being demonized and treated cruelly. But we do need repentance as a nation. Repentance from instilling fear and division. Repentance from greed and lies. Repentance from war mongering and violence. Repentance from the scapegoating of trans people, immigrants, non-Christians, and anyone who may be deemed “other.” Repentance from failing to uphold the common good. In today's scripture lesson, Paul names the reality of the diversity of the identities and the spiritual gifts of the community of Jesus followers in Corinth. Uniformity is not the goal; faithful interdependence is. Paul insists that there are indeed differences, and that it is only together, it is only collectively, that we are the body of Christ. Paul does not only acknowledge differences, he goes on to describe that we need the differences: “If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?” Paul describes the need for robust diversity for the fullness of the church. Honoring diversity is biblical. Twenty-four years ago, a young lesbian couple – two cradle United Methodists with parents very involved in the church – decided to find a church home together. Logan and I wanted a church home where we could belong, as our full selves. We looked at a few options, and decided we wanted it to be a United Methodist Church, and with only a few Reconciling congregations at the time – churches that have gone on the record in support of LGBTQ+ inclusion – we ended up at Foundry. Logan quickly joined Jubilate, the choir at the then-9:30 service. Logan went to the Women's Retreat in the first year or two after we started attending, and Peggy Simpson was assigned as her roommate. It was fitting when a few years later the law changed in DC and same-sex couples could get married that Peggy graciously opened her home for our legal wedding, and then we had a celebration at Foundry with a service led by Rev. Dean Snyder. I attended the 2012 General Conference of The United Methodist Church with Rev. Snyder and several other members from Foundry. When there was no forward movement on LGBTQ inclusion through legislative change, LGBTQ+ people and allies sang in peaceful demonstration to the denomination they love and to themselves from Micah 6:8: “What does the Lord require of you?” We walked around the communion table and sang. A table that symbolizes God's reconciling activity through Jesus Christ. In one of the loops around the table, this non-musical child of God standing before you heard a word amidst the cacophony of sounds in the Tampa convention center: Stop waiting for the denominations rules to change. Put yourself forward as a candidate for ordained ministry. We are here today, by the grace of God, with different rules on the books thanks to the tireless work of advocates including several who are in this room today. And after a roadblock or two, a Judicial Council ruling or two, I was commissioned in 2019 and ordained in 2022. While it was my name in deliberations by the Annual Conference or in news stories, I was there as the visible representative of this community that kept saying over and over to the broader church that it was getting it wrong on the treatment of gay and lesbian and bi and trans and other queer people. It was only through the support, love, strength, and organizing work of this community that I was able to go on the journey that was my ordination candidacy process in The United Methodist Church. Christianity is meant to be practiced in community. Some make a theological case for this based on the relational aspect of God in the doctrine of the trinity. Some point to Paul's articulation of the church as the “body of Christ,” where no one body part is sufficient on its own and each part depends on the others. I personally wonder – how are you going to have a potluck by yourself? You can make yourself a dozen deviled-eggs or the best jello salad, but the whole point of a potluck is that no one brings everything, NO ONE HAS TO DO EVERYTHING. Each person does their part. There are certainly spiritual disciplines that are done individually: personal prayer, scripture reading, meditation, reflection, individual acts of compassion and advocacy. But Christianity is not a solo spiritual self-improvement project. Christianity is meant to be practiced in community. There are spiritual practices that we undertake together: worship, sacraments of baptism and communion, serving together, learning together, mutual care, accountability, sharing joys, being there for each other in the tough times. In the midst of a culture that too often celebrates self-sufficiency and radical individualism, the church is a place of interdependence. Paul says to the church in Corinth: “Now there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit, and there are varieties of services but the same Lord, and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” For the common good. Not only for our personal betterment, but we are each given spiritual gifts for the common good. The interdependence is part of how God forms us. We learn generosity by sharing what we have, from a friendly greeting to our time to our resources. We learn humility by recognizing wisdom in unexpected places, including from a six-year-old giving a really good answer to Ms. Natalie during the children's message. We learn patience by working through differences and disagreements. Christian community is not always easy, but it is where we belong. This week I invite you to reach out to someone in the church – someone here at Foundry if you are a part of this community or of your own church community if you are visiting from another. I invite you to reach out to someone to check in with them. Maybe someone who you know has been having a particularly hard time lately, or someone you haven't seen at church in a few weeks or months. You might arrange a time for coffee or a meal, take a walk, or have a phone conversation. Plan brunch, schedule time for your kids to play together at the park, go to coffee hour with the intention of asking at least one person a few questions beyond the polite “how are you?” We live in a culture of curated images, quick fixes, and too often shallow connections. We need to make spaces where we can be our authentic selves. Where we can tell the truth about our lives. Where we can grow in love of God and neighbor. You might reach out to someone thinking that you are “helping” them, but I encourage you to be open to how God may be at work in that connection in ways you did not expect, shaping both of you. In the midst of increasing militarism and authoritarianism, in the midst of greed and lies, in the midst of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and so much more – our way through is together. There are days where we might want to do it alone. And rest and renewal are certainly important. And individual spiritual practices are important. But as Christians we belong together in community with other Christians to learn, to serve, to celebrate, to grieve, to remind each other that we are beloved children of God, no matter what anyone says. The body of Christ is not a collection of isolated spiritual consumers. It is a people learning how to belong to one another. I am looking forward to the next part of my adventure, but I am going to miss this community. I will carry with me so much and I give thanks to God for helping be a community that affirmed that I belong in the church, and that we all belong in the church. So #KeepShowingUp for each other. Give a wide welcome to those looking for a safe space to explore big questions and bring their full selves. Teach the children that God loves them. Let others care for you, and give that same care in return. Try out being an usher, or singing with the choir, or joining the prayer team, or helping out with Children's Worship. Join a small group. Participate in one of the ministries of care and justice. Be a vessel of hope in a world that desperately needs it. Remind each other that #GodIsYetAtWork in you and through you, Foundry United Methodist Church. And may it continue to be so. Amen.

Did Cowser remind everyone why he has a spot in the O's lineup? full 614 Tue, 26 May 2026 11:57:14 +0000 INNsPxkdr6em5B3ezHeUv1lvEUUt0zfr mlb,tampa bay rays,baltimore orioles,sports The Big Bad Morning Show mlb,tampa bay rays,baltimore orioles,sports Did Cowser remind everyone why he has a spot in the O's lineup? 5:30a-10a weekdays on 105.7 The FAN 2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. Sports https://player.amperwavepodcast

Introduction: What About Spiritual Gifts? (1 Corinthians 12:1-11) Spiritual Gifts are FROM God and FOR Every Believer. (1 Cor 12:4-6) Spiritual Gifts Are to Be Used to BLESS the CHURCH. (1 Cor 12:7) Spiritual Gifts Come in Many FORMS. (1 Cor 12:8-10) 2 Corinthians 12:12 - The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. Hebrews 2:4 - while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. Wisdom Knowledge Faith Healing Miracles Luke 9:1 – And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases Prophecy Distinguish between spirits Tongues Interpretation of tongues Spiritual Gifts Are Given at the HOLY SPIRIT'S DISCRETION. (1 Cor 12:11) SEEK God. Consider the INTERSECTION. Take an ASSESSMENT. Take the Spiritual Gifts Test! Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Questions and Answers: What About Spiritual Gifts? Jeff Miller Download Audio Transcript 00:38Open up your Bibles with me, please, to the book of 1 Corinthians 12.00:45While you're turning there, let's just pause for a second, and I'm going to ask that you would please pray for me00:53to be faithful to communicate God's Word accurately and clearly as I should.01:01And I will pray for you to be open to receive what it is that God said. All right, let's pray. Father, sometimes we come to your word and I guess some passages seem to hit some of us more than others. And we're about to enter into a section that according to your word literally is for every single one of us. So I pray.01:31That Your Spirit would be the power behind the wisdom of Your Word and that You would continue to conform us into the image of Your Son, not just individually, but as a church body. Father, glorify Your name as we immerse ourselves into Your Word now. We pray in Jesus' name and all of God's people,02:02Amen. Look at 1 Corinthians 12, verse 1. Paul says,02:07Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.02:18This section of 1 Corinthians has been a big Q&A section.02:25They had sent Paul questions and he was responding with answers.02:28And up to this point, we've mainly been dealing with earthly matters. We've been talking about liberty and marriage and gender. And now we're on to more, I guess you could say, spiritual matters. And he says, concerning spiritual gifts, look at that verse 1, I do not want you to be uninformed. I don't want you to be ignorant about spiritual gifts.02:58Spiritual Gifts. Wow, that's a phrase that really describes the church today. Right? Because as always, church, we will go to either side of the extreme. When we talk about spiritual gifts, immediately you're going to have some people on one end of the spectrum that just completely neglect or ignore them. And think, oh, that's just like,03:28Goofy, charismatic stuff, but we're like sober-minded people. You completely dismiss the role that the Holy Spirit has in the work of the church. They're just neglected. And we do church according to human intellect and creativity. And then you have people on the other end of the spectrum that don't neglect the gifts. You could say they misrepresent the gifts of the Holy Spirit.03:58And over on the other extreme, people are doing all kinds of goofy things in church saying that it's a work of the Holy Spirit. We're slain in the Spirit and we're hooping and hollering and barking and howling. It's a gift of the Spirit. Excuse me. Absolutely essential in your work for Christ. Absolutely essential04:28in the health of the church, in the health of this church, you have to understand what spiritual gifts are, and you have to use your spiritual gift in the church. All right, look at verse 2. He says, you know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to mute idols. However, you were led. What he's doing here is he's setting up a contrast.04:58by idols.05:00And we're going to see this as we go throughout this section,05:03but the Corinthians in their former pagan lifestyle05:07learned a lot of bad methods of worship.05:11Pagan methods of worship.05:13And they brought those into the church.05:15Like, I guess this is how we worship.05:17And Paul here is making the contrast.05:20Like, look, no, no, no.05:22You used to be led by idols.05:24Now, now you are led by the Holy Spirit of God.05:30The Holy Spirit. Somehow, despite how essential His role is in the church, He just doesn't seem to get the press that the other members of the Trinity get, right? I mean, we talk about Jesus a lot. His sacrifice on the cross for our sins. His resurrection from the dead.05:58We talk about God the Father a lot. But God the Holy Spirit, just is essential. The Bible says that every Christian, every born-again Christian receives the Holy Spirit. That's Romans 8 and 9, among other places. That's God's presence abiding in you. Why? Why does God's Spirit live in you? Well, there's two main reasons. One is for character, right?06:28The Holy Spirit manifests the character of Christ in you. That's the fruit of the Spirit. That's Galatians 5. That's love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. That's what the Holy Spirit does in the life of the believer manifesting those characteristics. So it's character. The other reason the Holy Spirit lives in believers is for service.06:58And that's what we're talking about in this passage today. Every believer is given a spiritual gift to be used in the church. And you're like, wow, you know, how do I know that I even have the Holy Spirit? Well, look at verse 3. Paul says, therefore, I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says,07:28Jesus is accursed. And no one can say, Jesus is Lord, except in the Holy Spirit. So how do you know you have the Holy Spirit? Here's a foundational test. How do you regard Jesus? And I don't just mean what do you say about Jesus here in church on Sunday morning or at small group. I mean in your heart, in your innermost being privately,07:58How do you regard Jesus Christ? In your heart, is Jesus Christ everything to you? Because your true heart disposition towards Jesus is manifest by the Spirit. If you're born again, Paul says, you cannot curse Jesus. And apparently some of that stuff was happening in the Corinthian church. That's a whole other study for another time.08:28Paul says, if you have the Holy Spirit living in you, you absolutely will regard Jesus Christ as your Lord. The Holy Spirit. He's not just for preachers and missionaries, by the way. The Christian life, every Christian's life, is a Holy Spirit-led and empowered life. So the question that Paul's getting into here, and Pastor Taylor's going to be talking about this more next week, here's the question on the table.08:58They asked. He's answering, so what about spiritual gifts? I mean, what are spiritual gifts? And how is it that the Holy Spirit uses spiritual gifts in the church? So on your outline, what about spiritual gifts? What about them? Paul's giving us a great foundational teaching on Holy Spirit gifts.09:28Number one, write this down. Spiritual gifts are from God and for every believer. Look at verses four through six. He says, now there are varieties of gifts, but the same spirit. And there are varieties of service, but the same Lord. And there are varieties of activities,09:58is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. He says there's many kinds of spiritual gifts, but notice he says they all come from God. And he really wants to make that point clear because you notice he mentioned every member of the Trinity as being the source of spiritual gifts. You notice that? He talks about the Holy Spirit in verse 4. He talks about Jesus Christ, the Lord, in verse 5. He talks about God, the Father,10:28in verse 6. Spiritual gifts are gifts that come from God. Now, understand that spiritual gifts are different than talents. Okay? Like a skill that you have to play an instrument or to paint a mural. Spiritual gifts are different, but listen. I can show you biblically, and that's a study for another time.10:58come from God. Absolutely.11:03But here we're talking about ministry gifts.11:06Church ministry must be Spirit-powered, not done in the flesh.11:15Why?11:19Because if we're just doing ministry in our power, in man's power,11:25we're going to get man's results.11:27But when ministry is done in God's power, we get God's results. So which do you want? At the end of the day, I want to see what God can do in this church, not what I can do. But you notice the end of verse 6, beginning of verse 7, to everyone, to each. Listen, because every Christian possesses the Holy Spirit, all Christians, all Christians are given a spiritual gift.11:59It's so fascinating because every gift is a characteristic of Jesus Christ Himself. You realize He had everything perfectly. Think about that. Jesus, God in the flesh, who embodied every characteristic perfectly. You see the Holy Spirit giving us a spiritual gift. What's going on here? Here's what's going on. The church is called the body of Christ.12:29And each member is given a gift so that collectively, we as the body of Christ become a sort of representation of Jesus Christ himself. It's absolutely mind-blowing. But God wants the church to be Christ-like, and this is how it happens. We each use our spiritual gift. We're collectively built up in all of the characteristics that Jesus Christ possessed perfectly in the Incarnation.12:57So, spiritual gifts from God for every believer. All right, number two, spiritual gifts are to be used to bless the church. Look at verse 7. He says, to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For the common good.13:28It's kind of funny when you think about it. You're given a spiritual gift, right? But in a real sense, the spiritual gift given to you isn't even for you. Isn't that strange? God's given you a gift, but He goes, oh, that's not for you. That's for everybody else. You see, my spiritual gift is supposed to benefit you.13:57benefit me.14:01And that's why we believe in every member of ministry at Harvest Bible Chapel.14:05If you're attending here, if you consider this your church,14:09we're not shy about asking where do you want to serve.14:15Not because we're like, we need help.14:18We do need help.14:21But that's not the primary reason.14:24It's because if you're part of the church, God has gifted you to bless the church. Right? So I have to ask you, how is God using you in this church? How's God using you? If you've been given a gift that's for the common good, how is that working in your ministry?14:55Now look, I've got to tell you, we are so blessed at this church. We were talking about this not too long ago, but we have a crazy high percentage of people who are actively serving in this church in so many ways. We're not there yet, but that number needs to be 100%. And if you're attending this church and you're not serving, please hear me.15:26I just want to lovingly tell you that God hasn't called anyone to warm a seat. Nobody's spiritual gift is attendance. We need you to be using your spiritual gift for the common good. All right? So spiritual gifts are from God for every believer. Number two, spiritual gifts are to be used to bless the church.15:54And number three, spiritual gifts come in many forms. Here's where we need to spend some time. In this section here, Paul lists nine spiritual gifts. Now, this list is not exhaustive, okay? Actually, we're not going to look there today. We're going to stick in this passage as is our custom. But you can see also Romans chapter 12. You can see Ephesians chapter 4. There are other gifts than the ones that are listed.16:24here. This isn't exhaustive. This is more just representative. Spiritual gifts come in many forms. Let's look at verses 8-10. Paul says, for to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit.16:54To another, faith by the same Spirit. To another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit. To another, the working of miracles. To another, prophecy. To another, the ability to distinguish between spirits. To another, various kinds of tongues. To another, the interpretation.17:24of tongues.17:27Alright, so with spiritual gifts there are two categories.17:31There are speaking gifts and there are serving gifts.17:35But there are also two kinds of gifts.17:38There are permanent gifts.17:40There are gifts that were given that will be active in the church until our Lord returns.17:46And there are gifts that are temporary that were only for a time and purpose.17:51And this is where we get controversial.18:00Because this is where a lot of people have a lot of different opinions. But are you ready to go to Sunday school for a few minutes? Three of you? Okay. Thank you. Tristan always has my back. Always. And some of you are like, I don't know if I want to get out of here.18:23this road. Well, we're going through 1 Corinthians. This is next. And we receive God's Word as presented, right? So let's do it. But I want to talk about temporary gifts. And please hear me out before you storm out. That door's hard to slam, but it can be done. Before you storm out, before you throw anything at me, I would like you to please hear me out for a few minutes, all right?18:53Because this isn't my opinion. This is what the Bible says if you read it straightforwardly. Temporary gifts, sometimes they're called sign gifts. Those are the more miraculous type gifts. Please hear me because this is where I'm going to be misquoted, but not you. Listen, those gifts are not normative today.19:23Do I believe that they still happen? 100% I do. But they are not normative. Okay? So if somebody's like, well, what is Jeff's position on some of these sign gifts? I do not believe that they are normative today. I'm going to show you why. Can God do them? Yes. But, listen close. These sign gifts, are these spiritual gifts19:53that are possessed by people in the day of Paul and the apostles. And the answer is no. They're not possessed by people as they were in Paul's day. God still does them on occasion, not normative, but they're not possessed by people. I want to talk about miracles for a moment. Pastor Taylor and I were talking about this last week.20:23I think when we read the Bible, we get this idea that miracles were just like happening all the time, right? Like Moses woke up and like before his oatmeal, he like fired off five miracles. Boom. Not a man a meal, not oatmeal. But actually miracles in the Bible were actually very rare.20:53And apart from Moses' day, and apart from the day of Jesus in the apostles' ministry, miracles performed through men were actually very rare things. So why did we see so many miracles, especially in Moses' day, and especially in Jesus' and the apostles' day? Because this is why.21:21God performed miracles through people to verify or prove when new revelation was given. That's why it was normative in Moses' day. That's why it was normative for the apostles. Because God was giving new revelation, and that was the way He verified it. Any knucklehead can run around and say,21:51this is the new word of the Lord. And like, how can you prove that? Anybody can say that. God would verify what is actually revelation from him by backing it up with people who were giving not just this message, but performing these miracles. That's why you see that in Jesus. Why did Jesus perform so many miracles? Why did Jesus perform miracles? He's putting on a show, right?22:21He wanted to dazzle people, right? Hey, check this out. Check out what I can do. Anybody got two fishes, five loaves? Let me show you a trick. No! Jesus wasn't an entertainer. Why did Jesus do all the miracles? Actually, He referred to them as signs. Why? Because they were done to prove He is who He said He is. He's like, I'm God in the flesh. And of course, you're going to have people that were like, pfft.22:51I'm not buying that. But when you see this man raising the dead, healing the sick, feeding multitudes, you're like, there's something more to him. Right? Jesus' signs proved he is who he said he is. You're like, awesome, but what about spiritual gifts? Well, same principle here. Listen, to back the apostles'23:21while the New Testament was completed, was being completed, God authenticated the gospel with sign gifts. That's what the Bible says. You're like, where does the Bible say that? Many places. I'll give you a couple. Okay? Like 2 Corinthians 12. Look, the signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience with signs and wonders and mighty works. You see?23:51the true apostles were performing miracles. It was to authenticate the gospel message. Same thing in Hebrews 2.4. It says, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will. Same principle as God was giving us the New Testament. You see, in those days, they didn't have the New Testament completed yet.24:21was being worked on by the Holy Spirit. So when somebody got up and said, let me tell you this message from God, how do we know it was from God? He backed it up with miracles. That's why when you go through the book of Acts, you see miracles less and less and less and less as you go through the book of Acts. We spent like three years in Acts, and that's what you see. In 1 Corinthians here, the book that we're studying, it was one of the earliest24:51written. So sign gifts were still very much a thing when Paul wrote this, but they were on their way out and they were ending as normative spiritual gifts when the New Testament was completed. That's why in none of the other epistles you see any talk about the spiritual gifts of miracles or healings or tongues or interpretation of tongues. You don't see that in any other25:21book in the New Testament.25:25Because it was phasing out.25:28We have God's word complete in written form,25:31so we don't need to verify it with a miracle.25:35God wrote it all down for us.25:37All right?25:39So, with that backdrop, I'm going to go through these quickly.25:44Each one of these could be a sermon,25:45and that's not the intention.25:49Interestingly, Paul does not explain them. He just lists them. I want to give you a little definition for each, a little understanding. So look at your spiritual gifts here, starting in verse 8. The first one is wisdom. What is wisdom? That's just skill in applying the Word of God. Do you know who typically possesses this gift are people that are counselors, whether it's formally or informally, people that are able to say, I understand how to incorporate God's truth.26:19into my life.26:21I can help you incorporate God's truth into your life.26:23It's applying the Word of God.26:24That's wisdom.26:26Next is knowledge.26:30That's understanding the Word.26:34It's somebody that can see Bible facts and knows how they fit together.26:39You know what's amazing?26:40Did you ever see these Christian authors?26:43They take like one subject and they write a whole book about it.26:46That's always amazing to me.26:48Like, how do they do that? They wrote a whole book about one subject? Well, I think a lot of them have the gift of knowledge. Right? Next is faith. Gift of faith. Now, obviously, this is faith beyond believing to get saved, because every follower of Christ has that kind of faith. Right? But you ever notice that there are some Christians that you meet that just seem to have a deeper,27:20Confidence in the Sovereignty of God. You know what I'm talking about? There's some Christians you meet, they could be going through just the worst trials a human being can go through, and they're just like, you know what? God's in control. He's got this. And they're just completely unflappable. They have the gift of faith. Those people are typically the best prayers. Right? Next on the list.27:48is healing.27:51Now again, I believe that this is one of the gifts27:55for people that was phasing out at this point.28:01But what is healing?28:02Well, it's just supernaturally healing a physical illness.28:12I wish I had that gift.28:14I wish it was still a thing.28:17And you might say, well, Pastor Jeff, I think it is still a thing. Because I saw this guy on TV. He was slapping people on the head deaf and they were getting up with full hearing. Interesting about those people, they never go to the cancer ward or the children's hospital. I mean, if I had the gift to heal people, that's the first place I'd go. You're like, oh, so you don't believe in healing? Oh, yeah, yeah. Look, listen.28:47Let's be clear. God still heals. I believe that 100%. And I have seen in this church God miraculously heal people. I believe that God heals. I'm not convinced that Benny Hinn ever did. All right? So next is miracles. Miracles. Like, wait a minute. What's the difference between miracles and healing? I'm not going to bore you with the long systematic Thompson Chain reference.29:17But here's the thing. That word for miracles, when you trace it through the New Testament, was most often connected with casting out demons. That's the difference. That's the distinction. See, that's what Jesus was talking about. Look at Luke 9.1. We'll have it on the screen. It says, and he called the twelve together, look, and gave them power and authority, here it is, over all demons and to cure diseases. So miracles.29:47In the New Testament referred to casting out demons. Again, I believe that was an apostolic era. Do I believe God still does that 100%? Absolutely, yes, He does. Normative? That a person has the gift and is running around doing that? No. All right, next is prophecy. Prophecy. Now, when we think prophecy, when we hear that word, what's the first thing we think of? Like future stuff, right?30:17Tell us the future. Well, sometimes, actually rarely, that's part of it. But you realize that's not what prophecy literally means at all. Do you know what the word prophecy is? It literally breaks down to a compound word that means speak before. You're like, speak before what? Speak before an audience. That's what prophecy is. It's somebody that stands in front of a group of people and says things.30:47Before Them. That's prophecy. It's the public speaking of God's truth. That's what happens when I get up here, Taylor or Brian or Justin or whoever stands up here proclaiming the Word of God. That is prophecy. We are speaking before. Right? Next is distinguishing between spirits. If you're interested, we did a whole sermon series on this.31:17A couple years back, this is what we more commonly call discernment. It's the ability to evaluate if something is from God or not. And in that sermon series, I'm not going to preach it all now, but I'd just like to remind you that that is something that we are all called to do. We are all called to discern what is from God and what is not from God. And again, I'll remind you that we live in a day that it is more crucial than ever because we live in a day where we have access to more information.31:47than we've ever had. You open up your phone, you're going to have 10,00031:51preachers giving you contradictory31:54message about31:55thus saith the Lord. How do we know31:57what God actually said? Discernment32:00is the gift to be able to32:01tell, he's not saying what God32:03said, but this guy definitely is, right?32:05Right?32:10Some people have that gift.32:13Alright, next gift is tongues.32:18Next gift is tongues.32:21You're like, are tongues for today?32:26People ask that, are tongues for today?32:31Yeah, tongues are for today.32:32How would you eat your ice cream otherwise, right?32:38Listen, I'm not going to go too far into this.32:42Oh, you're scared? No, not at all.32:43We're actually going to be doing a very deep dive in this. We're spending four weeks on this subject. But what is tongues biblically? Tongues is the ability to speak in a foreign language unknown to the speaker. It's a known language, by the way. It's not gibberish. It's somebody speaking an already existing language that that person doesn't know. They're just speaking it. Like I said, we're going to spend so much more time on this. And then interpretation of tongues is just simply that.33:13a person that was gifted with the ability to translate what the tongues speaker says. Many forms. One spirit. Oh, speaking of the Holy Spirit, number four. Spiritual gifts are given at the Holy Spirit's discretion.33:47Look at verse 11.33:52He says,33:54All these are empowered by one in the same Spirit34:01who apportions to each one individually as He wills.34:09As He wills.34:11The Holy Spirit, in His sovereignty, determines who does what. That's the Holy Spirit's job. Understand, as your pastor, I did not get to choose your gift. Like, oh, you want to be a part of our church? All right. Prophecy. Okay, how about you? You want to join the church? All right. Healing. You're like, you totally didn't listen to that sermon, did you? I don't get to determine that gift.34:41get to determine that gift. You know what? Preaching looks like a lot of fun. I think I'm going to ask the Holy Spirit for the prophecy gift. He is the one who determines the gift. It is a gift. And the gift giver determines the gift that he wants to give you. The gift giver determines the gift35:12that he wants to give you.35:19And I know this is a hard sell in our day.35:23I mean, Murph, you get it. You go back. We get it.35:27The gift giver determines the gift he wants to give. We get it. The younger people don't get that.35:33Like, why not? Because you know what we do in our day?35:38You know what we do in our day? We have a big event.35:42We have a baby shower, a wedding, little Joey's birthday party. He's turning five. Going to have his party at the Chuck E. Cheese. Do you know what we do today? We tell people what gifts we want, don't we? We do that. Little Joey's turning five. He's registered at Target. Right? Right?36:10Or, yeah, I'm getting married. Yeah, I'm getting married. Yeah, I'm registered at Target. We tell people the gifts that we want. I'm getting married. I want this toaster. I want this knife set. I want this vacuum. And then, I mean, we've done it. Aaron and I will go and be like, okay, this is the vacuum they want.36:40and we buy it and we wrap it up. And then they act surprised when they open it. They open it up and they're like, oh, you got me exactly what I was asking for. Oh, you shouldn't have. But you go back a generation, the gift giver determined what gift you got. Don't try that with the Holy Spirit, okay? You're baptized.37:11I'm registered at Target.37:15Well, we don't get a say in it.37:17It's His gift, right?37:19It's His gift.37:19Do you think I would have signed up for this?37:25Oh no.37:26Oh no.37:30He'll make a better choice than we would anyways.37:33Alright.37:35That's all well and good.37:36But that's really not the question37:39that we're asking right now.37:40The question that we're asking right now is how do I know what my spiritual gift is right I mean it's clear he's given all of us each of us a gift to represent the body of Christ and we're to use it in the common good we saw the kinds and you're like awesome what is my spiritual gift how do I find out what my spiritual gift is all right I'm going to give you three things we're going to close with this three things how do I know what gift I've been given letter A seek God38:10You're like, that sounds like a cop-out. No, look. If you make your life about on-your-face praying and in the Word and just get serving in the church, the Spirit's going to do what the Spirit does. He's going to be at work through you. You're going to figure that out real quick. So just don't worry about seeking a gift. Seek the gift giver. He'll do what He does.38:40That's what he does. Seek God. All right? Letter B. Consider the intersection. Like, what's the intersection? I was studying for this this week. I came across something. I thought it was super helpful. It's one of those diagrams where everything intersects. What do they call that? A Venmo diagram?39:10Venn. Not Venmo.39:20What's a Venmo?39:23Oh, that's giving money.39:26Also a spiritual gift. Right!39:30So you could Venmo your...39:31Alright.39:33I just feel like I had like an inception moment here.39:37Alright.39:38Consider the intersection.39:39Yeah.39:40All right. So I came across this Venn diagram. And I thought it was helpful. I'm going to try to recreate it here. But there's three things here. First of all, this circle here, we're going to call that, we're going to call this one ability. We're going to call this one ability. What is it that you seem, not complicated,40:10You seem like you're able to do this. Right? Of all the gifts. You're like, you know what? That's something that I seem like I'm able to do. I mean, I'm not boasting or anything. It just seems like something that I'm able to do. Okay? And then, with this one, we're going to call this one affinity. That's an idea. Okay. That's affinity. Like, well, that's an idea. Like, what do40:40I enjoy doing.40:42If somebody was like, you can do whatever you want in the church, whatever you enjoy most,40:46what would be the line I get to the front of first?40:50What's my affinity?40:53And then the third thing here, my circles are getting less and less circle-y, but I think you get the idea.41:01This one we're going to call affirmation.41:12You know, you have people maybe in your small group or other people in the church that are, they say to you, you know what? You seem like you have a real gift for teaching. You really seem like you have a gift for praying with people. So the point is this. Consider the intersection right here.41:39This is very likely your spiritual gift. I would say extremely likely. What you're able to do, what you love doing, and what people affirm that it seems like God has equipped you to do, that is very likely your spiritual gift. All right? Then letter C, assessment. Seek God, consider the intersection or assessment. We have a QR code.42:10Go ahead, take your phone out and give that a scan. Pastor Rich sent this along. But this is an online assessment. And really, I think between seeking the Lord, considering the intersection, doing the online assessment, I think that's going to get you all on your way to giving you a deeper understanding of what your spiritual gift is. So go ahead. Go ahead, do the...42:41Either scan that or Venmo me some money. Since you have your phone out and I just learned what Venmo is. Do I have a Venmo? Never mind. Aaron says I don't have a Venmo. All right. Our worship team would make their way up. While they're coming, you know, when I was in high school, I played soccer.43:11In my junior high year of playing soccer, the coach didn't like me. Why? Because I was unlikable. So I sat on the bench most of the season. Now, I knew I had the ability.43:39senior year, we had a new coach, and I didn't sit for one minute that entire season. In fact, I was co-captain of the team. But I got to tell you, I think back to that junior year of playing soccer, and I just remember feeling incredibly frustrated because I felt incredibly useless. You know, you put your shin guards on, you put your cleats on, you put your44:09your soccer uniform on.44:12And you just, I just sat there and watched the whole season.44:16Just sat there.44:21So many times I thought, why am I even here?44:25Why am I even here?44:26What am I doing?44:29I want to tell you, you don't have to worry about that with God's team44:34because there are no bench warmers.44:39God doesn't tell any of His children, you know what? You're nice and all, but you go sit over there. We don't really need you. Or you just wait, and if we decide there's a place we can squeeze you in, we'll see if we can do that. No, no, no, no, no. God's Word has made it very clear that He has called and He has gifted every single one of you.45:08this church. Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, so often we get a gift and we don't say thank you, but Father, we thank you not just for the gift of your Holy Spirit himself who lives within us, but the gift that he has given each of us to serve you and your church. For some people here, Father, this is probably brand new teaching.45:38Never really considered this. And for some people here, Father, maybe we've known this and have sort of strayed from it. But I'm asking today, Father, that your Spirit would grip every heart in this church and grip the church collectively so that we truly, as the body of Christ, might represent the person of Christ.46:08as these spirits are at work in us. So Father, I pray for the person here who maybe has been coming to this church but just hasn't stepped up. Remind them, Father, it's not just a matter of the elders and pastors and ministry team would value your input. Remind them, Father, that you have equipped them to serve your church.46:38We do so to your glory and honor. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Small Group DiscussionRead 1 Corinthians 12:1-11What was your big take-away from this passage / message?What does it mean that spiritual gifts are for the common good (1 Cor 12:7)?Are sign gifts such as healing and miracles still possessed by people today? Why or why not?Why is it important to understand that the Holy Spirit is the One Who chooses what gifts believers receive (1 Cor 12:11)?How do you know if a ministry is done by the power of the Holy Spirit, or done in the flesh (that is, just by “human power”)?BreakoutPray for one another.

https://youtu.be/q9bs_jArVQ0?si=1R8u6nN7BVUDCw-m Welcome to week 4 of 30 Days of Purpose. And today is Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost Sunday 50 days after Crucifixion/Passover Acts 2 – The Holy Spirit is poured out Power for world-wide witness The Spirit came with power. But the power was not random, or goosebump feels. In Acts 1 the resurrected Jesus makes His followers a promise. Jesus has defeated death. Jesus has risen from the grave. Jesus is preparing His followers for what comes next. And He says in Acts 1:8: Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…” Power for what? To be witnesses. Power for mission. Power for purpose. The resurrected Jesus promises power, but He also gives purpose. And that matters because sometimes we ask God for more power, but we have not discovered or surrendered to His purpose. We want God to move. We want Him to strengthen us. We want Him to help us. We want Him to open doors. But if we are honest, we still let distractions lead. That is not just a time management problem. That is a purpose problem. Stephen Covey popularized an idea called the Time Management Matrix. It separates life into what is urgent and what is important. Urgent means it demands attention now. Important means it actually matters. Notice… Important & Urgent Important but NOT Urgent Urgent but NOT Important NOT urgent & NOT Important Here is what I want us to focus on. A lot of the things that matter most are important, but they are not urgent. Your kids are important, but they may not feel urgent until there is a crisis. Your marriage is important, but it may not feel urgent until distance has already grown. Your prayer life is important, but it may not feel urgent until your soul is running on empty. Your health is important, but it may not feel urgent until your body starts breaking down. Your purpose is important, but it may not feel urgent until you wake up one day wondering what your life has been about. Important things rarely scream.Urgent things always scream. Your phone screams. Drama screams. Deadlines scream. Notifications scream. Other people's expectations scream. But God often whispers. Your soul whispers. Your family whispers. Your body whispers. Your calling whispers. Your purpose whispers. And if you only respond to what screams, you will miss what God is whispering. And that is why I am calling today's message: Busy… but Not Building Anything. There is a difference between having a full schedule and building a faithful life. There is a difference between doing a lot and doing what matters. There is a difference between being tired because you were faithful and being tired because you were distracted. If you do not define what matters, urgency will define your life for you. And God has a lot to say about this.Let's look at Nehemiah 6.  Nehemiah knew what mattered.Nehemiah 6:1-4 Nehemiah was a Jewish man living far from Jerusalem, serving as cupbearer to the king of Persia. That might sound like a nice royal job, but a cupbearer was basically a poison detector. He tasted the king's wine before the king drank it. So Nehemiah did not start with a dream job. He did not start in a perfect situation. He was living under a foreign empire, working close to power, but still carrying a lot of pain. One day, Nehemiah heard that Jerusalem was in trouble. The wall was broken down. The gates had been burned. The people were vulnerable. And something broke inside him. He cried.He prayed.He fasted.He asked God for favor. And eventually, God opened the door for him to go back and rebuild the wall. But this was not just a wall. It was restoration.Protection.Identity. Purpose. Nehemiah knew what mattered. And if you have ever felt like God put purpose in you, but you can never find the time to build it, pay attention to Nehemiah. In Nehemiah 6, the wall is almost finished. No gaps are left. Something terribly destructive happens… He gets a note from surrounding leaders who opposed the work send Nehemiah a message… Read these terrible words… Nehemiah 6:2“Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” Doesn't seem terrible or destructive. Seems friendly and neighborly.  They request a meeting. It sounds harmless. Just a meeting. Just a conversation. Just come down for a minute. Nehemiah says they were scheming to harm him.  …but I don't even want to focus on that… I want to point out this… They wanted him to stop what was important and busy himself with something that was urgent but not important. Do you see this? This is more destructive than you realize. They invite him to Ono, and Nehemiah basically says: “Oh no.” I am not coming down. When the urgent tries to steal the important we need to say Oh no. When distraction tries to interrupt obedience Oh no. When people pressure you into something God did not assign you… Oh no. Here is how Nehemiah responded. Nehemiah 6:3“I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down.” Nehemiah knew what mattered. He knew what he was building. He knew the work would stop if he came down. So he refused. Not every invitation is an assignment. Not every opportunity is your opportunity. Not every urgent request deserves your yes. Not every good thing is a God thing. When you know what matters, you can recognize distraction. I am doing something important!And I can't meet with you at this time. Nehemiah 6:4“Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.” How many times? Four times. The distraction came back.The pressure came back.The invitation came back. Important work is not just about one big decision. Important work is about repeated obedience. Distraction is repetitive, so obedience must become repetitive. The habit was not just building the wall. The habit was also refusing to be distracted. The apostle Paul says like this in Ephesians 5: Ephesians 5:15-16“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Be careful how you live. Your time matters. Your attention matters. Your yes matters. Your no matters. Your wall matters. So let's make this practical. What is your wall? Nehemiah had a wall. What is yours? What is the good work God has put in front of you in this season? Not your whole life. Not ten years from now. This season. What matters right now? Your walk with Jesus?Your family?Your marriage?Your kids?Your health?Your calling?Your recovery? Your serving?Your peace?Your obedience? Call to Action: Don't Let Urgent Steal Important Today, I want you to take three steps. If you do not name what matters, urgency will name it for you. 1. Write it.I'm building ______, so I will not come down for ______. Pray over that answer. Do not just write something down. Ask God, “Is this what You are calling me to build?” Then keep it somewhere you will see it. Put it on your mirror.Put it in your Bible.Put it on your dashboard.Remind yourself of your purpose. 2. Start a conversation about your calling. (fill out a Connection Card) Use your connection card to start a conversation. Give us your prayer request.Learn more about your next step. Turn that card in today. 3. Come pray. Prayer is important. But a lot of us only pray when it becomes urgent. Today, make prayer important before life makes it urgent. If you need God to show you what matters, come pray. If urgency has been running your life, come pray. If you know what matters but need strength to stay faithful, come pray. We have people ready to pray with you. The resurrected Jesus promised power for purpose. Come pray and ask the Holy Spirit for power to build what matters.

For Edge God in Podcast Edge God In Podcast 322 The Book of Joshua: “Courage to Possess the Promise.” EdgeGodIn.com | Host: Estella Chavous Championing Human Potential in Christ Download Bible Study Template Learning Objective: By the end of this lesson and series participants will be able to understand how wholehearted love for God and intentional obedience to His Word shape emotional, spiritual, and daily decision-making, and apply these principles through the EIC (Emotional Intelligence in Christ) lens to cultivate trust, faithfulness, and consistent spiritual growth. Scriptures: Joshua 1:8-9 | Philippians 4:13 | James 1:22 | Isaiah 41:10| The book helped them understand five key areas: Courage in times of transition Faith and obedience to God Victory through God's guidance Possessing God's promises Prayer: Heavenly Father,Thank You for being faithful to every promise You make. As we begin this study of Joshua, teach us how to walk in courage, obedience, and trust. Help us move beyond fear, doubt, and hesitation so that we may fully possess the purpose and inheritance You have prepared for us. Strengthen our faith when obstacles seem overwhelming. Remind us that Your presence goes before us and that victory comes through dependence on You. Give us hearts that are committed, obedient, and willing to follow wherever You lead. Teach us to lead with wisdom, live with integrity, and stand firm in seasons of transition. May this study deepen our confidence in Your faithfulness and inspire us to choose You daily in every area of our lives. As for us and our households, we will serve the Lord. In Jesus' name,Amen. Support Resources: Books & Resources: Understanding and Acting on Behaviors that lead to Christ-Filled Relationships: Designed to uncover the key behaviors that influence how you relate to Christ-Awareness, Discernment, Emotion, and Renewal. Situational Meditation Theory and Practice: Finding this space and learning to engage in meditation, contemplation and reflection. Situational Meditation Journal: A companion to the book, cultivating a lifestyle of presence and full engagement in the moment. Emotional Intelligence in Christ Project: Book, 6-Week Study Guide & Course

One week ago, the state of Louisiana’s Legislative Auditor’s office released its annual fiscal review of Grambling State University’s athletics program for the year ending June 30, 2025. The school was cited for a few audit irregularities and quickly announced that changes were being made.  That wasn’t the biggest news, though. Grambling’s athletics department lost $5.1 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025.  Revenues were reported at $9.2 million versus annual expenses of $14.3 million. In percentage terms, Grambling’s revenue was only 64% of the amount needed to sustain the athletics programs at the current level. Grambling wasn’t the only north Louisiana public university whose athletics spending exceeded revenue last year The same Louisiana Legislative Auditor also filed reports earlier in 2026 for Louisiana Tech University, Northwestern State University and the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Each of these four football-playing state universities located north of Alexandria reported losses in their athletics programs for the year ending June 30, 2025.  Grambling’s massive deficit grabbed the recent news headlines, but there is a troubling commonality among Louisiana public schools not named LSU. Louisiana Tech recently cut an expensive deal (rumored to be in the vicinity of $8 million) in order to exit Conference USA and join the more geographically-suitable Sun Belt Conference. That move may turn out to be prudent for the Bulldogs over the long-term.  Louisiana Tech’s annual travel expenses as part of Conference USA totaled nearly $3.5 million.  Nearby Sun Belt rival UL-Monroe’s travel costs for the same year were $2.3 million.  Louisiana Tech is expected save $1 million or more annually on its travel expenses beginning this fall by moving to the Sun Belt Conference. Let’s look under the hood at each of these four universities’ athletics spending.  We’ll finish with a few common sense (cheap) ideas on how to achieve break-even in the future. Grambling State University – 5,200 students (2024/2025 school year) Grambling is nationally known for its athletics and its exceptional marching band.  It was bit surprising to learn that Grambling’s football program had lost $2.5 million in the most recent year.  That amounted to about 50% of the athletic department’s annual deficit of $5.1 million. The football team’s travel costs of $1.1 million last fall were higher than all three of the other north Louisiana pubic schools. The expense summary also showed nearly $160,000 was spent to cover the costs of the school’s spirit groups (for one or more road trip performances). Grambling’s men’s and women’s basketball teams each posted losses in excess of $900,000 for the most recent year. Grambling (like Northwestern State) participates NCAA’s FCS small college football division.  The G-men play in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Louisiana Tech University – 12,145 students (Fall, 2025) The Bulldogs are based in Ruston.  Louisiana Tech’s campus is less than six miles east of Grambling via Interstate 20.  The Bulldogs have been competing in Conference USA and a part of the NCAA FBS major college football division.  As mentioned earlier, Louisiana Tech moves into the Sun Belt Conference this fall. Audit results for Louisiana Tech’s athletics department last year showed a loss of $11.875 million. Football lost “only” about $1.6 million for the year.  Louisiana Tech’s men’s and women’s basketball teams each ran a deficit of about $700,000 apiece.  Other competitive sports at Louisiana Tech lost another $2.6 million.  The school’s income statement showed “non-program specific” athletic costs with a $6 million shortfall. As noted earlier in this report, Louisiana Tech’s overall travel costs playing in far-flung Conference USA were easily the highest in the group.  The Dogs’ annual total of $3.5 million for travel exceeded Grambling ($2.6 mm), UL-Monroe ($2.3 mm) and Northwestern State (less than $1 million). Northwestern State University – 8,402 students (Fall, 2025) The Demons from Natchitoches, Louisiana came the closest to break-even within its athletics programs among these four state schools.  Northwestern State participates in the NCAA’s FCS small college football division in the regionally-aligned Southland Conference. Northwestern State posted a relatively benign loss of $167,245 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025.  The Demons’ men’s basketball program ran the largest deficit at more than $300,000.  The football team came up short by $280,000. Noteworthy, Northwestern State collected nearly $1.5 million in annual student fees to help support athletics.  That was about 10% of the school’s athletics spending.  It was the highest total among these four north Louisiana state schools. University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) – 8,678 students (Fall, 2025) Sun Belt Conference member ULM (like Louisiana Tech) competes in the NCAA’s FBS major college football division.  ULM is expecting to benefit from Louisiana Tech’s arrival in the Sun Belt Conference this fall with increased attendance and revenues expected at home games in all major sports. The Warhawks’ athletics budget is the smallest among the NCAA’s 136 FBS major colleges.  ULM’s overall school budget has been prone to massive shortfalls in recent years, too.  That means that ULM’s $1.5 million athletics department loss in fiscal year 2025 is much harder to cover. Audit results showed the UL-Monroe football program lost a whopping $3.8 million in the most recent report.  The Warhawks’ men’s and women’s basketball teams lost a combined $2.5 million.  Ouch! The school’s institutional support has kept the ULM athletics department afloat for years.  Significantly higher fan support for the Warhawks football and basketball programs is needed immediately.  Otherwise, the school may have no other choice but to consider returning to the NCAA FCS small college athletics division. A few suggestions from SwampSwami to achieve fiscal break-even These four north Louisiana state universities are located within 100 miles of each other.  Each school is a very large and important employer in its home city. These state schools must immediately address their athletics spending and move quickly toward achieving fiscal balance.  At the same time, they must also work harder and more creatively to raise sports revenues over the long-term to grow the athletics programs. First things first – Take immediate cost cutting measures – The simplest and fairest way is to voluntarily reduce athletics spending by cutting a certain percentage across the board.  That could come in the form of job reductions or, perhaps, an across-the-board pay cut for staff making more than $30,000 per year.  For example, a 5% mandatory spending reduction in Year 1 may spur some voluntary budget trimming beyond that level.  Yes, this likely means one less assistant coach, one fewer support staffer, one less charter flight, etc.  The athletics departments must take a hard look at streamlining operations.  Learn to do more with less. Refuse to play long-distance road games unless the school earns a significant profit by participating – UL-Monroe’s football team hits the road for at least two “Clobbering Time” payday games every season. They are often paid more than $1 million to play at large universities such as LSU, Texas A&M, and Alabama with huge stadiums.  ULM receives more money from some of these massive “visitor” paychecks than playing a home game in front of a sold-out stadium.  There are also downsides from being on the receiving end of a couple of massive road losses every season, too.  The football team and local fans can become a bit demoralized about the team’s chances for the remainder of the season. Now, let’s try to grow the revenue side with a few cheap ideas Stimulate increased student, alumni, and hometown support – Student and local support for the athletics programs within each of these four communities (Grambling, Ruston, Natchitoches, and Monroe) must improve.  Local fans want to see their sports teams having a chance to win more than they lose.  Identify sports which are cost-effective and give the school the best chance to hang a new (and long overdue) championship banner. Success in any of the major sports at these four schools can go a long way in rejuvenating and expanding the school’s athletic support base. Improve local marketing and promotion – It may sound corny but handing out free tickets to youth at local elementary, junior high school and high schools gets parents and guardians to purchase tickets, too.  A positive game day experience for that youth can plant a valuable seed about attending that college some day.  Each of these four north Louisiana public universities have thousands of empty seats available at football and basketball games.  A purposeful campaign to encourage and engage more youth at nearby college sporting events will pay future dividends. Inject more game day excitement – Utilize the pregame, quarter breaks, halftime, and post-game times to get fans more engaged.  Experiment with creative new (and inexpensive) ideas to keep the game experience fresh for all ages of fans. They will be more likely to return if they are having more fun at the games. Relentlessly promote ahead – There are only a few home football games played each fall.  Make each game special with its own promotion.  There are, perhaps, twenty home basketball, baseball or softball home games, too.  Give thought as to how to make each home game unique for fans. Target every recent (last few years) ticket purchaser by sending a weekly email.  Remind them of the school’s upcoming weekly sports schedule, special promotions, and discounts.  Utilize all types of social media to reach a wider audience to spread the word about upcoming college athletic events and team opponents. Depend on your own athletics staff to get the word out – Sadly, we live in a world with fewer and fewer exceptional local newspapers.  It is incumbent on each school’s athletics department to take an aggressive role in publicizing and promoting all ticket-based sporting events.  Fans want to know about the school’s upcoming games and events, so take the initiative! The post North Louisiana’s College Sports Programs are Underwater appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

Watch the Devotion Based on Acts 2:21 Remember the Fallen with Resurrection Hope Last month I was in our nation’s capital, and I took some time to walk around the National Mall. When I reached the Vietnam Veterans memorial, I walked around the statue of the three service members. As I stood behind the statues, I noticed that their gaze is fixed on the black granite wall upon which are etched the names of their fallen comrades in arms. Just then a group of men in wheelchairs rolled up. They were a group of Vietnam veterans on their Honor Flight. Some took pictures. Others just sat there with their hands folded, remembering…  This made me think ahead to this weekend. On Memorial Day weekend we remember those who have died in service to our country. But we do not grieve the dead the way that the rest of the world grieves because we have hope. We know that Christ is risen and that he lives. Those who died while serving our country and died clinging in the risen Lord Jesus, they also live!    The apostle Peter quoted the prophet Joel in his Pentecost Day sermon in Acts chapter 2 and he said this: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21).  My prayer for you is that when you take time to remember this weekend – whether you do that on Monday at 3:00 PM local time, the National Moment of Remembrance, or you do that by sticking a flag in your yard, or hanging it on your garage, or laying a wreath on a tombstone – my prayer is that your soul is comforted with Jesus' resurrection promise that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”   Jesus promised the one who was crucified with him, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” This promise confirms that those who died in service to our country clinging to Jesus as their Savior – their souls are with Jesus right now in heaven. I pray that you are comforted with the knowledge that because Christ's tomb is empty that one day their tombs and their urns will be empty, too. Their bodies will rise from the dead and they will live forever remember. The one who died and rose again never to die again did so, so that those who call on his name will never die and that includes you. Prayer: Lord Jesus, as we remember those who gave their lives in service to our nation, comfort hearts that still carry grief and loss. Remind us that death is not the end of those who call on your name. Because you died and rose again, your people have the sure hope of eternal life. Strengthen those who remember the fallen with the promise of your empty tomb. Lord, through the blood and sacrifice of those who have perished you continue to bless our nation with freedoms, most notably, the freedom to proclaim your truths. Prevent further shedding of blood. Grant us peace so that your Word flourishes among the citizens of this great country. In your name I pray. Amen.    Written and recorded by Rev. Paul Horn, WELS National Civilian Chaplain to the Military, San Diego, California. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Note: Scripture reading footnotes are clickable only in the web version.

One hilarious family dinner story turned into a powerful reminder of what really matters most. In this Friday edition of I'll Do Better Tomorrow, Justin and Kylie share the chaos, laughter, and connection that unfolds around their Sunday night family dinners — including the unbelievable lengths one of their daughters went to in order to save money on petrol. But the episode takes a deeply emotional turn when a listener from the UK shares how the Happy Families Podcast helped her leave an abusive relationship and create safety, stability, and healing for her four children. This episode is funny, raw, heartbreaking, and deeply hopeful — a reminder that small moments of connection can shape a family forever. If you've ever wondered whether family traditions really matter, or whether gentle, connected parenting makes a difference, this conversation will stay with you long after it ends. KEY POINTS Why simple family traditions create lifelong connection The hidden power of sharing stories around the dinner table How emotional safety helps children heal from trauma The parenting principle that helped one mum escape abuse Why connection must come before correction The importance of creating calm, stable spaces for children How parents can become a “safe base” for their kids The reminder every parent needs about gratitude and presence QUOTE OF THE EPISODE “They aren’t giving me a hard time. They are having a hard time.” RESOURCES MENTIONED The Parenting Revolution by Dr Justin Coulson Happy Families ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS Start one small weekly family tradition and protect it consistently Create device-free moments where everyone can simply talk and laugh together Focus on connection before correction when emotions run high Respond to difficult behaviour with curiosity instead of anger Remind your children regularly that they are safe, loved, and supported Look for opportunities to build calm, stability, and trust inside your home See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daily Dose of Hope May 20, 2026   Name of God:  Jehovah Shalom – The Lord Is Peace Scripture:  Judges 6:11-24   Prayer:  I come before you today, laying down my anxieties, my fears, and the heavy burdens of the day. Lord, you know the exact situations and unseen battles that are causing turmoil in my heart. Right now, I invite Your presence into my mind, my body, and my home. Forgive me for the times I have allowed the noise and chaos of this world to distract me from Your unwavering faithfulness. I ask that You quiet my spirit and replace my restless thoughts with the perfect peace that passes all human understanding. Guard my heart and mind. Remind me that you are in control and help me to surrender my need to figure everything out on my own. In Jesus' Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently in a study on the names of God in the Old Testament.  Remember, names held a great deal of significance in the ancient world, indicating aspects of someone's identity, character, and purpose.  Certainly, it is the same with God.  God has many different names, all of which demonstrate one aspect of His character.  Today, we are focusing on Jehovah Shalom, which means the Lord is Peace.   The title Jehovah Shalom occurs only once in the Bible, in Judges 6.24, Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace [Jehovah Shalom].   As we know, the name Jehovah means God or Lord, while the term shalom refers to soundness, completeness, harmony and the absence of strife. It is best described by our English word, peace.   Judges is such a hard book to read.  The boundaries and guardrails that God put in place were ignored and things were violent and chaotic.  The time of the Judges was a 350 year period in Isreal's history when people did what was right in their own eyes.  That never works out well.  We are too selfish.  Our inner compass fails us.  We need direction, specifically God's direction.    During this time, God's people were worshiping other gods and sinning against the Lord and other people.  When things got really, really bad, God would lift his hand of protection and the people would be conquered by a foreign power.  That foreign power would oppress Israel and make things absolutely unbearable.  Then, the Jewish people would cry out to the Lord and He would send a judge.  The purpose of the judge was to save the people and defeat the foreign power.  Once the foreign power was defeated, Israel had peace.  They remembered God.  And this lasted as long as the judge was alive, but after the judge died, the whole cycle began again.  At this particular juncture, Israel was oppressed by the Midianites, who left them hiding in caves, without food, livestock, or working tools. Hungry and terrified, they cried out to God for help. He reminded them that their disobedience caused their troubles, but He also sent them a judge, Gideon. Although the Lord commissioned Gideon to save Israel, he felt weak and incapable. Because of his lack of confidence and fear, Gideon asked for a sign. Witnessing the food he prepared for the angel miraculously consumed by fire, Gideon was filled with even greater fear.  He had seen the Angel of the Lord face to face!  The immediate divine response was this, Peace be to you. Do not fear, you shall not die. As a result of these words, Gideon's heart was filled with confidence and courage. He experienced peace in the truest sense. Building an altar to the Lord, he called it Jehovah Shalom or the Lord is Peace. His encounter with the God of Peace had taught him that he was not alone. We live in a world in which peace is often elusive.  There is war, conflict, and division.  We are plagued by depression, grief, anger, or anxiety.  We are all Gideon hiding from the Midianites.  The truth is that the only way to experience true peace is through God.  Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, offers us a peace that passes understanding.  Even in the midst of the most difficult of circumstances, we can experience an inner peace that defies worldly explanation.  Jesus' presence = peace.  Spend some time praying to Jehovah Shalom today.  Where are you lacking confidence?  Where do you need peace? Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

In the third message of “The Seers” series, we revisit the healing of the blind man in John 9 as a picture of spiritual sight and salvation. This teaching centers on a simple but powerful prayer: “God, remind me of the blind me.” Through the story, we're reminded that we were spiritually blind from birth, yet Jesus saw us before we could ever see Him. The message explores how God uses even painful or broken parts of our story to display His glory, and how the process of transformation may be messy, but still deeply effective. The healed man's testimony—“Though I was blind, now I see”—becomes a model for every believer, especially in the early stages of faith when that one truth is enough to change everything. Drawing from 2 Peter 1:9, the sermon warns against forgetting what Christ has done, because spiritual forgetfulness leads to dim vision. As we remember who we were, gratitude grows for who God has made us, and we're challenged to use our new spiritual sight with purpose and clarity.

In this episode, Bart Egnal speaks with executive, author, and leadership expert Barry Moline about what it takes to create authentic human connection in an increasingly disconnected world. Drawing on decades of leadership experience, including mediating high-stakes conflicts and leading organizations through crisis, Barry shares the lessons that inspired his book Connect: How to Quickly Collaborate for Success in Business and Life. From rebuilding trust as a young CEO to helping groups find common ground during conflict, Barry explains why connection is the foundation of influence, collaboration, and effective leadership. Bart and Barry explore practical ways leaders can foster stronger relationships at work, including “connection before content,” intentional conversations, and helping teams connect to a shared purpose. They also discuss why authentic connection matters more than ever in the age of AI, remote work, and digital overload. Whether you lead a team or simply want stronger relationships in your work and life, this episode offers actionable insights on how anyone can create true connection. Learn more at barrymoline.com Show Notes: 00:35 Show intro 01:13 Introducing Barry 01:52 Bart introduces the idea of “connection” 02:24 Barry's story of how he got to this topic 03:33 Early CEO mistakes 03:47 You're either with me or against me 04:43 Different culture than he was used to 05:42 Key advice from senior staff: build relationships! 08:16 2017 origin story for why he wrote the book 09:02 Working on a utility solution as an outside consultant 10:06 Does anybody get along anywhere? 11:11 Why doesn't someone write a book about collaboration? 12:23 Isn't it the CEO's job to bring everyone together? 13:01 It's not the facilitator that is important 13:57 Case study: California's referendum on gay marriage 14:53 Understanding why people voted “no” 16:05 Door-to-door conversations and outreach 19:03 Bart reflects on the campaign 20:17 What is “connection” and what does it mean for leaders? 20:40 Enter connection lightly 21:19 Using icebreakers 22:17 Specific questions that help create connection 23:14 Avoid “How are you?” completely and go to an icebreaker 23:56 How to move beyond to deeper connections 24:09 Where to find a list of workplace-appropriate icebreakers 24:42 Understanding purpose 25:01 Example of a plumber and their importance to society 25:34 Tell employees what they do is important and why 26:27 Remind people why their work is important 27:01 Managers need to be respectful and caring 27:17 Find out what people really want to do in life 27:48 Example of an aspiring filmmaker and communications leader 29:52 Bart reflects on the example 31:10 Bart plays devil's advocate 31:41 As an employee, how do you protect yourself while opening up about your interests? 33:44 Both sides of the conversation need to be judicious 34:18 Story and example of an engineer 36:47 What is the state of connection today? 37:04 Connection has gotten worse 37:24 Connection before content 37:51 You have to be intentional about connection 38:31 10 out of 10 times it will work 38:56 It will take 3 months of consistent effort 39:22 Example of hurricane response 41:40 Bart summarizes the importance of the topic 42:27 Where can people go to find more? 43:00 Thank-yous 43:13 Outro

Let me begin by describing what a toxic person is. Toxic means poisonous, dangerous, harmful, and persistent. So, a toxic person is one who can poison an atmosphere, and their actions and words are harmful and repetitive. Not just a once-in-awhile bad day, but a recurring unhealthy and hurtful behavior. Here are some signs that a person is toxic: They talk more than they listen. They are always right—never admit to being wrong. They are drama queens or kings—drama seems to follow them everywhere. They lack tact and general courtesy. They often lie to make themselves look good or to get what they want. They exhibit controlling behaviors. They love to talk about other people—to gossip. They are in general very negative people. Here's the first thing I want to remind you, as we talk about dealing with toxic people. They are people that God loves, just as much as he loves you. I remember long ago when I worked for a boss who was anything but pleasant; I just found it hard to even be around him. But I remember clearly one day when the thought came to me, no doubt from the Holy Spirit, that God loved him just as much as he loved me. I had to sit down and think about it. How could God love someone so unlovable? But it's true, because God is love, that he loves that toxic person in your life just as much as he loves you. And secondly, that person is not in your life by accident. God is allowing it—not approving of their behavior, mind you—but allowing that person in your life for some good reason. It could be to help you grow in grace, as you learn to deal with them. It could be for the good influence you could have on that toxic person—it could be both. But trust me, God has some good reason for this person being in your life. We are told in Scripture: If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18). That's our assignment for dealing with toxic people. Others may live by more commonly accepted relationship principles, such as, Look out for number one! Don't take any guff! Stand up for your rights! They may have no motivation to live at peace with everyone, but we are called to this Christ-like objective. It is a lofty one; it is often out of step with the world's wisdom; it is often not appreciated or valued by others. But as disciples of Jesus Christ, it is our guiding principle. And for sure, when we can respond to toxic people with more patience, more kindness, and less anger than others, we are demonstrating the love of Jesus, and it won't be missed. Your coworkers may not believe in God. They may never go to church. They may even think you are some kind of religious fanatic, but they cannot escape the difference in the way you respond to toxic people when you allow God's Spirit to empower you to respond like Jesus would. I think your first challenge is to get your own attitude and reactions to toxic people under control. Learn to do some things that will keep you from—as we say—going crazy. Here are four practical things you can do to protect yourself when you're dealing with a truly toxic person. Don't let your thoughts and mind dwell on them all the time. When dealing with such a disruptive and irritating person—on a regular basis, no less—it's very natural to let their behavior occupy your mind and your thoughts way too much. So, if you find you're dwelling on their behavior and you're giving them too much thought time, you need to firmly and swiftly boot the person out of your head. Refuse to let them take over your mind. Philippians 4 tells us to think about things that are lovely, pure, noble—and that pretty much excludes that toxic person. So, stop giving them time in your mind. And how do you do that? You do it by replacing thoughts of them with good thoughts, thankfulness, reciting your blessings, and focusing on God's goodness. That's what it means to bring every thought into captivity and make it obedient to Christ, as we read in 2 Corinthians 10:5. This is a spiritual discipline that will make a huge difference in your life. If you have not already discovered this truth and learned how to take wrong thoughts captive, I recommend a book I've written on it, entitled Think About What You Think About. So, as you head out to work each day, ask the Holy Spirit to remind you to boot those wrong thoughts out of your mind, to help you refuse to allow this toxic person to occupy your thoughts. That is a very important first step. Distance yourself from them as much as possible. You've heard a lot about setting boundaries, I'm sure. The Bible teaches us to set boundaries. For example, these two passages from Proverbs: Proverbs 4:14 – 15: Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way. Proverbs 16:17: The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their ways preserve their lives. And Philippians 4:7 tells us the peace of God will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. So, we have to be wise about distancing ourselves from people who would fill our minds with evil and try to bring us down emotionally. You may not be able to distance yourself from a toxic person physically, if they are a coworker, but if that is not possible, learn to distance yourself mentally and emotionally. Pray each day that God will protect your mind and teach you how to literally tune them out when you can. You know, if you can wear headphones where you work, you could use that as a buffer between you and that toxic person. Even if you don't listen to anything on your earphones, just wearing them creates some distance. Seek relationships at work with uplifting people. Hopefully, there are constructive people in your workplace. Spend time with them, not talking about the toxic person, but talking about fun things, happy things. Uplifting people are a great counterbalance to toxic people. I remember when one of our pastors answered one of my emails with one of his funny quips. It was on a day when I felt like the world was closing in on me—you've had those days, I'm sure. When I read his funny email, I just laughed heartily and thanked God for a friend like him who can always lift my spirits. I've known him more than 25 years, and he has this wonderful gift of finding what I call the “happy spot.” I hope you have people you work with who can always lift your spirit. Look for them and spend time with them as an antidote for the toxic people around you. Watch your self-talk. Don't be your own worst enemy by talking to yourself in discouraging ways. You know, we all talk to ourselves, and typically we believe what we tell ourselves, don't we? So, watch out for your self-talk and use it for good in your life. Talk to yourself on a regular basis with good news. Don't allow your thoughts to linger in negative territory. You can control what you say to yourself! Listen to how the Psalmist talks to himself: Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God (Psalm 42:11). Well, there are four practical things you can do to protect yourself from the toxicity of coworkers who may be causing discord and disharmony where you work. This attitude change toward toxic people has to be a God-thing or it will never be a reality. The good news is as Christ-followers, we have the power to put these into practice, because we have been given God's Spirit, indwelling us and empowering us. And it begins, as so much does, by prayer. Daily praying something like this: “Lord, whoever I deal with today, help me to see them the way you see them. Remind me that you love them and their real need is to know you.” In his book, Reaching for the Invisible God, Philip Yancey advises that it is easier to act your way into feelings than to feel your way into actions.[1] In other words, do what you know is right to do and let the feelings follow, if they will. If you wait on your feelings to kick in before you do what you know you should do, you'll be in waiting mode many days, if you're like me! John wrote: God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16b). Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth (1 John 3:18). This kind of love is an action, not a feeling. It is a decision not a desire. Sometimes the feelings and desires are present; sometimes they are not. Either way, if we live in God, we must live in love. One of the greatest indications that we truly “live in God” and are new creations in Christ Jesus is our willingness to extend this God-love to people who would have no claim on our love otherwise. After all, these toxic coworkers can't expect you to love them, can they? It's not in your job description, and no one can demand it from you. Therefore, when you choose to love in actions and truth, you show a loveless world a little sample of what Jesus is like. You become the love of God reaching out to them, unconditional love, which cannot be explained or ignored. It is powerful in its implications and effects on the relationships of our lives. One small verse in 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us that Love never fails. When nothing else works, try love. When there seems to be no way to improve a relationship, try love. Love never fails. Just as a reminder, tell yourself frequently that workplaces will be workplaces. In most cases, you have a lot of different personalities thrown into one cauldron during working hours. Drama, power struggles, and office politics are often inevitable, at least to some extent. Try to keep yourself as far removed from all this as possible. Concentrate on your own work and excellence and let people be people. — [1] Yancey, P. (2000). Reaching for the invisible God : what can we expect to find? Zondervan.

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Get your Hosea Scripture Journal now. Our shout-out today goes to Jeffrey Mattson from Woodland Park, CO. Thanks for your partnership in Project23. Our text today is Hosea 1:7-9. But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen." When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. And the Lord said, "Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God." — Hosea 1:7-9 What happens when a people who belong to God stop living like they belong to him? That question sits at the center of today's passage. After the birth of Lo-ruhamah—"No Mercy"—another child is born. This time, God commands Hosea to give the boy a name that would have stunned the nation. Lo-ammi. The name means "Not My People." To understand how shocking this would have been, we have to remember the covenant language God used with Israel for centuries. When God rescued Israel from Egypt, he declared: "I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God." — Exodus 6:7 That phrase defined Israel's entire identity. They were the people of God. But now, because of persistent rebellion and idolatry, God declares something unthinkable. "You are not my people." The statement does not mean God stopped being sovereign over them. Instead, it reveals that the covenant relationship had been broken by their unfaithfulness. Israel had chosen other gods, other loyalties, and other sources of security. In effect, they had already walked away from the relationship. Yet tucked inside this warning is an important contrast. In verse 7, God says he will show mercy to Judah, the southern kingdom. And their deliverance will not come through military strength—no bow, sword, army, or horses. Their salvation will come from the Lord himself. This reminds us of a powerful truth: security never ultimately comes from power, politics, or military strength. It comes from God alone. Israel trusted alliances and armies. Judah would soon learn that their protection depended on God's intervention. And the same lesson still applies today. People often place their confidence in systems, leaders, wealth, or national strength. But God repeatedly reminds his people that real security does not come from human power. It comes from him. So today, take a moment to examine where your trust truly rests. Is it placed in things that feel strong and reliable—or in the God who holds history in his hands? Move your confidence back where it belongs. DO THIS: Identify one area where you tend to place your trust in human strength instead of God—and intentionally place that concern into God's hands today. ASK THIS: Why do people often trust systems, power, or security more than they trust God? What does it practically look like to place your confidence in God rather than in human solutions? Where in your life do you most need to trust God right now? PRAY THIS: Father, help me place my trust in you rather than in human strength or security. Remind me that my true confidence rests in you alone. Amen. PLAY THIS: "In Christ Alone"

Mike Johnson, Ali Mac, and Beau Morgan continue to react to and give their thoughts on the Atlanta Falcons 2026-27 schedule release video, continue to react to and give their thoughts on the Falcons 2026-27 schedule, and discuss who they think will be the toughest quarterback the Falcons will face in the first four weeks of the season.

Watch the Devotion Based on Ephesians 1:15-23 Who's in charge here? I don’t know how many movies and TV shows that I’ve watched where there was some military situation and someone bursts through the door or storms onto a battlefield and demands, “Who’s in charge here?!” It’s almost laughable because all that individual would need to do is to look at the rank on the uniform of the war fighters that are standing right in front of them and they would know that this guy or this gal is in charge. But that’s Hollywood.   We ask this question in our own lives, don’t we? Deployed war fighters have reached out to me and asked, “Chaplain Horn, could you please pray for peace, wisdom for our leaders to make good decisions, for an end to this conflict, and strength for us because we’re awfully tired. We’ve been going nonstop since we got out here.” They’re not complaining. They’re just saying, “Here’s where we’re at and really… who is in charge here because there doesn’t seem to be an end to this.”   You don’t have to be deployed to ask that question. We look at rising gas prices, the economic struggle that many of us face, the uncertainty with all of the things going on in our life and we even ask God this question, too, “Like who’s in charge here?”   This past Thursday the Christian Church celebrated the Festival of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ's ascension answers our question, “Who’s in charge here?”   The apostle Paul talks about this in his letter to the Ephesians. In chapter one he offers this prayer on behalf of the Christians in Ephesus and says that he wants the eyes of their hearts to be enlightened so that they see the power of God for us who believe (Ephesians 1:18-19). And then he explains that power, “That power is the same as the mighty strength he asserted when he raised Christ from the dead” (Ephesians 1:19-20). No one else has that kind of power – not President Trump, not Putin, no one in this world has that kind of power to raise someone from the dead. Only God does. Paul says, “I want you to know that power.”   And not only did he raise Christ from the dead but then he goes on to say this: “and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:20). God raised Christ from the dead. Forty days later he ascends into heaven – not to be distant from us. Not to abandon us. Not to make us wonder, “Who’s in charge here?” But to answer that question. Paul says, “He is there far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church” (Ephesians 1:21-22). Jesus ascended into heaven to rule and reign over all things. Even when it looks like he’s not reigning, even when we wonder, “Who is in charge here?” Jesus ascended into heaven to prove to us that he has all rule and power and authority, yes even over death and the grave, over your sin, over war, over all things – and to rule for your benefit because you are his church.   Praise God that Jesus is ascended into heaven. Praise God that he is ruling and reigning for your benefit. Believe it. Trust it. Let’s pray about it.  Prayer: Lord Jesus, King of glory, you ascended far above the heavens, and at God's right hand you rule the nations. Leave us not alone, we pray, but grant us the Spirit of truth that, at your command and by your power, we may be your witnesses in all the world. Be present with our nation's war fighters who are deployed. Remind them of your almighty power at work for their eternal benefit so they may be at peace no matter what their circumstances. In your name I pray. Amen.   Written and recorded by Rev. Paul Horn, WELS National Civilian Chaplain to the Military, San Diego, California. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Note: Scripture reading footnotes are clickable only in the web version.

There are seasons when the voices around us — and sometimes within us — speak so loudly that we begin to forget who we truly are. Guilt whispers that we have strayed too far from grace. The words of others write a story over us that feels more real than what God says. Failure leaves us feeling untethered, and we begin to walk not as beloved children of God, but as people weighed down by an imposed identity of unworthiness and shame. In those moments, we desperately need someone to speak our name and remind us of what is true. 1 John 3:1 does exactly that. The Apostle John does not say we will one day be called children of God, or that we might be if we try hard enough. He says we are — right now, in this moment, with all our imperfections and all our doubts. And as if anticipating our disbelief, he adds a quiet but stunning clarification: and so we are. This is not a self-proclaimed identity we talk ourselves into on good days. It is a reality declared by the Father Himself, rooted not in anything we have earned but in the great love that compelled Him to bring us near, adopt us, and call us His own. When other aspects of life — our failures, our relationships, our sins — try to define us, we can return to this truth again and again. He knows our name. He has declared who we are. And He will keep calling us by that name until we finally believe it. Today's Bible Verse "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." — 1 John 3:1, ESV Ponder Today Our identity as children of God is not self-proclaimed or conditional — it was declared by the Father Himself, rooted entirely in His love and not in anything we have earned or deserved. Guilt, shame, and the words of others will always try to write a false narrative over our lives — but the Sovereign of all has already spoken the definitive word about who we are. John's quiet addition — "and so we are" — is one of the most grounding statements in all of Scripture, a simple but stunning confirmation that our identity in Christ is a present reality, not a future hope. We are not distant individuals straining to reach God — we have been brought near, adopted, and welcomed into the family of God through the love that sent Jesus to lay down His life for us. Even when we forget or struggle to believe who we are, God does not — He knows our name, He calls us His own, and He will keep speaking that truth over us until it takes root in our hearts. Today's Prayer Great God, You are the One who names the stars and spoke the world into being — and You are the One who has already declared who I am. Yet I so easily forget when warring narratives come my way or failure leaves me feeling untethered. Remind me again, gracious Father, that I am Your child — beloved not because I am perfect or have earned Your favor, but simply because of Your love. It was love that sent Your Son, love that led Him to lay down His life, and love that sustains and keeps me today. Help me walk in that love as Your child, living from the truth of who You say I am rather than the lies that try to define me. In Jesus' name, Amen. Enjoy Today's Prayer? If this episode encouraged you, we'd love to stay connected! Subscribe to the LifeAudio newsletter at LifeAudio.com for daily prayers, devotionals, and faith-filled content delivered straight to your inbox. Don't miss an episode — subscribe and share with someone who needs encouragement today. If you like this podcast, be sure to check out our sister podcast, Your Nightly Prayer - an evening Christian prayer podcast to help you end your day in conversation with God. https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Brett records an episode without Christina and Jeff and chats with Melissa Davis (The Mac Mommy) about her start as a mommy blogger and longtime Mac podcaster, her tech-support work, and the strange lack of closure when online friends disappear. They trade mental-health and chronic-illness updates, Adderall vs. Vyvanse, difficulty finding curious doctors, and being labeled “worried well.” Don’t worry, they nerd out on mechanical keyboards, Karabiner, and remapping keys. GrAPPtitudes include Bartender 6 Pro, Sortio for AI tagging, Sketch Party TV, and Karabiner. Sponsor OneSkin improves your skincare routine with science-backed skin care products. With over 10,000 five-star reviews and validation from clinical studies, OneSkin has made a name for itself in the skincare industry. If you’re interested in trying OneSkin for yourself, you can get 15% off your order with the code OVERTIRED at oneskin.co/OVERTIRED. Chapters 00:00 Meet Melissa Davis 00:56 Early Podcast Days 02:20 Tech Support Seniors 05:52 Digital Legacy Work 06:50 Sponsor: OneSkin 08:14 Mental Health Check In 08:34 Insomnia And Focus 13:19 Doing Time Tracker 16:04 Suspenders And Stenosis 20:18 Mobility And Home Hacks 22:10 Melissa Health Update 23:25 ADHD Meds And Mutations 25:25 Curious Doctors Matter 27:59 Vyvanse Vs Adderall 30:26 Tracking Mood With Data 32:27 Cane And Somatic Therapy 36:09 Somatics For EDS 36:50 Yoga Modifications 38:19 Polycystic Liver Shock 39:20 Fatphobia In Healthcare 40:56 Pole Dancing Reality Check 41:55 Mechanical Keyboard ASMR 45:56 Nail Art And Picking 49:09 Keyboard Layout Rabbit Hole 01:00:59 Shortcuts And Muscle Memory 01:03:12 GrAPPtitude App Picks 01:14:07 Karabiner Power Tips 01:17:30 Wrap Up And Thanks Show Links hEDS Doing Timing Royal Kludge Keyboard Gamakey Silent Linear Switches EPOMAKER Switch Benefit Section EPOMAKER AegisSil Keycaps Set SketchParty TV Karabiner Sortio Bartender Pro Day One Join the Conversation Merch Come chat on Discord! Twitter/ovrtrd Instagram/ovrtrd Youtube Get the Newsletter Thanks! You’re downloading today’s show from CacheFly’s network BackBeat Media Podcast Network Check out more episodes at overtiredpod.com and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Find Brett as @ttscoff, Christina as @film_girl, Jeff as @jsguntzel, and follow Overtired at @ovrtrd on Twitter. Transcript Nails and Keys with Melissa Davis (The Mac Mommy) [00:00:00] Meet Melissa Davis Brett: Hey, this is Brett Terpstra. I am without my usual cohorts, Christina and Jeff. Um, so I, I wanted to, you know, get a, get an episode out for all of you listeners, and I reached out to Melissa Davis, known as The Mac Mommy. Um, I don’t, I, I don’t know if they’re still known as The Mac Mommy, but in m- in my lifetime they have been. Um, Melissa, why don’t you introduce yourself, let people know, like, M-Ma- long time, like Mac personality, podcaster. Tell us where you came from. Melissa: Where did I come from? Outer space. Uh, I came from being a mom. I, I, I will admit, this is hard to admit, But I will admit I started out as a mommy blogger. That’s, like, kind of a bad word nowadays. Brett: back, back, yeah, this is way Back when Melissa: [00:01:00] Yeah. Early Podcast Days Melissa: so we’re talking, like… Well, my oldest is gonna be 20, Brett. My oldest is gonna be 20 this summer. End of, end of June he’ll be 20 years old. So that’s about how long I’ve been doing podcasting. I mean, I started, I started, like, when… Well, you know what? I started listening to Adam Christianson’s The MacCast Brett: But you know what? I started Sure. Like one of the very first podcasts, Yeah. Melissa: still, I still listen to him on the Mac Geek Gab. Like, his voice is just so soothing to me. I used to… Like, that was the f- Back when I had, I had, I remember I had, like, an old G4, uh, Quicksilver Mac, and in the stinky little back room of our old house. And I used to, I used to download the podcasts, burn them on a CD, put them in my Walkman, ’cause I didn’t have an iPod yet at the time. I wasn’t that… I was never really that cutting edge. And I’d burn them on a CD, I’d put the CD in my Walkman, and then I would sit and nurse, I would nurse my baby. I, [00:02:00] and I would have to tuck the, uh, the headphones, you know, I’d have the ear- the, the wired, kinda like I have now, uh, and tuck it behind my back, like, behind my shoulder, because otherwise he’d, like, yank on the cord. And I would just listen to podcasts while I nursed. And I… And then, uh, then I met Victor Cajiao, and I started just kind of being, like, a serial podcaster, showing up here and there, and then it just kinda grew from there. Tech Support Seniors Melissa: Um, and I do… So I do tech support. I’m an IT tech s- tech support person. I… People call me their computer guru. I mostly work with, uh, the senior population, our, our vintage people, which I, I’m slowly becoming one of them. We’re all, we’re all gonna go that way. Brett: I feel like anyone who does Mac tech support deals with probably an, a, a population that skews older. Melissa: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it’s actually, it’s actually more– I will say it’s actually more difficult to work with somebody younger. Like, especially people my age or people [00:03:00] that are like, say, in their sixties I consider pretty young, 70 even. Uh, yeah, so but it’s, you know, the people are so, so interesting. You can learn so much. I love working with this population because they’re like encyclopedias, and the stories they tell you and the things you learn, it’s pretty amazing. And I could just, I could just spend– I have actually spent all day with some of them. Some of us just have really great chemistry and, you know, it’s… They– I, I’m also– I have ADHD, that’s no secret. And I think when you get older, um, not– it doesn’t affect everybody, but I do see a lot of what could be either they, they have ADHD or it’s like a– Brett: they have Melissa: of creeps in and it’s just a natural process of aging, cognitive decline. So, yep. Brett: have a lot of patience. Sure. S- some of my, some of my most interesting relationships over the last 10 years have been with, uh, Mac users in their late 70s, [00:04:00] 80s. And, uh, like they’ve been– They’re very– Like, they’re definitely… The people that I’ve known have been technically capable and very interested in learning. That’s why they follow me. That’s how I meet them, right? They’re like, they read my blog, which is just all nerd stuff. And, and so they’re, they’re technically competent, and they’re doing things that I can only aspire to be doing in my 70s and 80s. Um, I had a guy who was writing his memoirs at, in between like mountain bike rides. And so here’s the thing, though, is when you, when you know someone online and they’re in their 80s and you stop hearing from them for a Melissa: Yes. Yes. Brett: you have to assume that they have passed on. and that is sad, and you never really get any closure because you don’t know their friends or family. You [00:05:00] never get like a notice, an obituary. You don’t, you don’t know where these people go, um, and you don’t know how to check in on them once your normal channels of communication are severed. Melissa: Yeah, we’re at that age where we probably start reading the obituaries. Like, I haven’t heard from so-and-so in a while. Let me check the obits." Brett: I had, I had– Before NVUltra went on for, what’s it, like five years now, uh, without a release, um, I had a project called BitWriter with David Halter. And Melissa: remember you mentioning that, yeah. Yeah, and you wondered. Mm-hmm. Brett: he stopped responding. Melissa: you find out any at all? Any, Any, concrete… Brett: Nothing. I have put feelers out everywhere I can think of. I have no idea what happened to him. Melissa: went Richard Simmons, huh? Brett: yeah. Yeah. With less Melissa: No contact. No contact. Aw. Digital Legacy Work Melissa: I, I’m lucky that, uh, in my line of [00:06:00] work, I do typically hear from the family if they’ve passed on, because I form kind of a bond with a lot of people. I, I typically don’t lose clients unless they die, so… Brett: and you have some, like, in real life connections to Melissa: Oh, yeah. Yeah, I do, I do both. I do… I have some clients where I’ve never met them in person, I’ve only ever done remote. Uh, and then, but most of my clients are, are local, the majority of them. But I, I still s- see them remotely too, so yeah. I’ve, I’ve actually been hired by some people, um, mostly I’ve had two male clients who they got a terminal illness, they knew they were terminal, and they followed me online and they pretty much hired me to take care of their surviving spouse. So that, that was… that’s a difficult thing, but I’m just honored that they chose me to, to help them out with that. So I’ve kind of been a bit of a digital undertaker in that regard. Sponsor: OneSkin Christina: I want to take a moment to share something that has significantly improved my skincare routine, OneSkin. [00:07:00] So we all have those days when our skin doesn’t feel its best, and I’ve certainly been in that boat, especially recovering from surgery. And I was tired of navigating through endless products that promised results, but often fell short. And that’s when I discovered OneSkin. It was founded by scientists dedicated to longevity, and this brand stands out for its commitment to real science over marketing hype. They tackle the fundamental question of how to actually slow down skin aging rather than just masking it. And their groundbreaking ingredient is, uh, ZeroS01, and it’s a proprietary peptide designed to help deactivate the damaged cells that contribute to aging skin. Since incorporating OneSkin into my routine, I’ve actually been noticing some improvements. My skin feels smoother. It looks more vibrant. Um, it’s definitely more moisturized, and so this is benefiting from its focus on supporting collagen and strengthening the skin barrier. With over 10,000 five-star reviews and validation from clinical studies, OneSkin has made a name for itself in the skincare industry. If [00:08:00] you’re interested in trying OneSkin for yourself, you can get 15% off your order with the code OVERTIRED at oneskin.co/overtired. That’s 15% off at oneskin.co/overtired using the code OVERTIRED. Thank you for supporting our show by checking them out Mental Health Check In Brett: Um, so do you wanna do a mental health Melissa: Sure. Brett: I, I know, I know you’ve listened to the show before. I know you know how this works. Melissa: how this works. Brett: Would you like to start? Melissa: I think I would like to hear you start, and then I’ll, I’ll add on Brett: that sounds good. Insomnia And Focus Brett: Um, so sleep continues to be a major issue for me. Um, I actually for four days in a row last week, I got eight hours of sleep a night, which was insane. I felt so good. Um- The first night… So I take [00:09:00] Lamictal for bipolar, and if I miss my evening dose, I crash and I sleep in the next morning, and I sleep soundly. Like, it’s the best sleep I can get. And then I wake up and all of a sudden the withdrawal kicks in, and then I’m shaky and dizzy for half an hour after I take the dose. Um, but that’s after, like, a solid night of sleep, and it never works two nights in a row. And, like, I’ve tried, like, maybe if I take Lamictal in the mornings instead of the evenings, maybe I’ll sleep through the night. It doesn’t work after that first missed dose. Um, but then I just, without making any changes in my lifestyle, started sleeping, and I thought finally after, like, two years of insomnia, I had turned a corner, because I can’t remember the last time I got eight hours of sleep for more than two nights in a [00:10:00] row. And then it ended, and then I was up. I’ve been up since 2:30 today. Melissa: I wondered, yep. Brett: I mean, I went to bed at 8:00, so that’s still nine, 10, 11, 12, 11, Melissa: I actually dozed off on the couch around 8:30. Like, if only I could just be in my bed right now, just be, like, transported. Yeah. Oh. Brett: Oh, I, I wish. If I could go back to bed… Like, sometimes I’ll, I’ll lay back down around 7:00 or 8:00 and get, like, another half hour of sleep, but it’s really that, like, uninterrupted block of deep sleep that I need, not… I take naps during the day, and I can usually fall asleep for half an hour, um, given that I’m usually functioning on five hours of sleep anyway. But anyway, um, I– That, that’s just kind of par for the course for me, so, like, any, any of our listeners know that that’s gonna be the first thing I report. Melissa: are you, [00:11:00] like, kinda competing? Like, are you trying to get eight hours because that’s what’s prescribed? Have you ever thought about Brett: be- actually, what works eight and a half, like I’ve, I’ve… Back when I had the option to sleep more than five hours, like, I did a lot of kind of experimentation and Melissa: know where your sweet spot is. Brett: Well, it… See, the sweet pot- spot changes as you age, though, and you need less sleep as you get older. So, so I can’t say for sure that eight and a half hours is still my sweet spot. Um, and I think honestly, if I can sleep seven hours, I feel pretty good, and I consider seven hours a good night’s sleep. Melissa: Yeah, ’cause mine’s like between four and six. Brett: really? Yeah. See, Melissa: feel Brett: I don’t function well. Oh, I don’t function well on anything less than seven hours. Melissa: I just have a love-hate relationship with sleep. I just don’t– I just hate to sleep. I just would rather be doing other things. Life is [00:12:00] just too interesting. Brett: I get that. I– get that. I– as someone who’s bipolar and has had like manic episodes where I’m up for five days straight, like I, I love not sleeping. Um, w- when, when I have the mania to give me energy and back it up. It’s when I’m just dragging all day and feel like a zombie. The thing– The, the plus side to it is the more tired I am, up to a certain point, the better I can focus. Like my brain slows down and it’s really easy for me to get into hyperfocus. And like most mornings I’m up at, you know, 2:30, 3:00 and I just start coding. And I can not only hyperfocus, but I can switch focus between three or four different projects like simultaneously. I hit compile on one, I move on to the next one, and I can rotate [00:13:00] through them and like keep track of all of it. And then right around 10:00 AM, my ability to do that ends and suddenly I like flip to a project and I cannot for the life of me remember what I was doing, which is why I’ve spent my life building note-taking apps and, and time tracking tools. Melissa: Yep, same thing. Doing Time Tracker Brett: dude, h- d- I don’t… You might not be familiar with my project Doing. Melissa: N-no, but I– you alluded to something. that’s not what you’re working on with Dan though, is it? Brett: No, no, that’s gonna be Melissa: Dan on that too. I, I, don’t know what it is yet, but yeah, I’m, I’m Brett: Oh, it’s… Yeah, it’s gonna be cool. Melissa: that’s so exciting. Brett: no, Doing is a command line tool where you can type things like, “Doing now podcasting with Melissa,” and it starts a timer for like what I’m doing now, and then I can ask it if I leave and come back, I can say, “What was I doing?” And it’ll tell me, [00:14:00] “You’re podcasting with Melissa.” Obviously, that’s a weird example ’cause I’m not gonna leave in the middle of this. But then it can give you like totals, time, tag-based time totals, uh, for your week and everything. It can show you like what you finished yesterday. Um, it’s not so much a task tracking app as it is a tool for keeping track of what you’re doing in the moment. Um, for, for people like me who switch between four projects at once, it’s really handy. And some guy, some fucking guy Melissa: Some fucking guy. Brett: it, rewrote it in Rust, and it is really good. it is really good. Uh, he like, I- Oh yeah, I use Melissa: Okay, ’cause Brett: This is, this is separate. this is this is a little more ‘ intentional than Timing. Um, I use both. They kind of work together, and Doing can actually import Timing’s JSON exports. So you can turn your, you can turn [00:15:00] all your Timing data into command line, uh, readable Doing files. Um, but anyway, this guy rewrote it in Rust with my permission, and he gave me full credit on the page. And I think I’m switching ’cause Doing is written in Ruby, and Ruby is slow, and Rust is fast. And like my Doing file where it stores all of my current projects, like my Doing items, gets so big that it can take Doing like up to five seconds to respond when I ask it, “What was I doing today?” Which is five seconds is a long time on the command line. Um, and his Melissa: pretty instantaneous. Brett: his version is like 100 milliseconds. Boom. But anyway, Melissa: It’s almost like you built your own little AI thing. Like, what was I doing? What Brett: kinda, kinda, yeah. Melissa: you doing, Dave? Brett: This is, this [00:16:00] was built long before AI was a common thing, but the other thing that’s contributing to my mental health Suspenders And Stenosis Brett: is suspenders. Melissa: Ah, yes. Brett: So I have I have gained 100 pounds, um, not, n-not of my own choice, but like I had rapid weight gain and I recently got a stenosis diagnosis, which I hate the Melissa: telling you, I’m telling you, we’re like 23 and me here. I’ve got that too. Brett: apparently during one of my, like when I gained 50 pounds in like six weeks, my body was looking for places to store all the new fat and decided my spine might be a good place for that. Um, so I have fat in my spine and I have degrading discs. This is separate from my love of suspenders, so I’ll get back to [00:17:00] that. I, um, Melissa: Wait till you get it in your eyeballs. Brett: Oh, for real? Melissa: Yeah, you can have… I have, um, what’s it called? Cholesterol. Yeah, if you look at your eyes really close, if you see like a white kind of w- ridge around your irises, that’s cholesterol. Brett: Oh, wow. Yeah, I hope, I hope that hasn’t happened yet, but who knows? Um, Melissa: Brings out Brett: I– So I have all this, I have all this extra weight and I had a lot of trouble with belts. A, belts hurt ’cause they dig into my, my gut, and they don’t really work. I, every, every time I stood up, my butt crack showed and I had to like wiggle my pants up. And then I I tried a pair of suspenders and it was like a l- a switch had been flipped. All of a sudden my pants just stayed up without any constriction around my waist, just like they just stayed with me wherever I went. And now I can, [00:18:00] I can tuck my shirts in and it actually looks kinda cool when you got the suspenders look going on. Which means, so like for a long time I only wore one brand of shirt, um, and because they, it was, it fit my belly and it was long enough and like it wasn’t, wasn’t baggy around the top and didn’t hang off my belly like a muumuu. Melissa: Mm-hmm, Brett: And like, so I, I, I only wore this brand of shirt and I own like 15 of them, and I would just cycle through Melissa: dresses, they’re just your Walmart $10 cotton tank dress. Love it. Brett: Yeah. But now that I can tuck my shirts in and feel okay about it, I can buy those extra large nerd shirts, ones with funny slogans and stuff on them. And normally those would hang straight down off my belly, and I hate the way that looks. But now I can tuck those in, which means I can get back to wearing funny, [00:19:00] ironic T-shirts, and it, it’s like opening up a whole new world of possibilities Melissa: That is a bonus for mental health. Brett: every day now I put on my suspenders and it makes me happy. Um, Melissa: wonderful. It’s almost like a, like a mobility aid. Brett: Kinda, yeah. Melissa: yeah. Brett: of, I– So I, I have a monopod, um, like a tripod that folds up into a walking stick, and it’s nice and light and it is an adjustable height ’cause it’s designed to be used as a camera tripod. Um, and I’ve started walking with it Melissa: yeah. kinda like you’re Brett: I c- yeah. Yeah. Like one of my fat friends has s- literal like ski poles. They’re like half height ski poles and they walk with them and it helps them a ton, and I Melissa: Yeah, hikers use those. Brett: try that out. But a walking stick [00:20:00] really does help with my stenosis, but I can still, even with a stick, I can only walk for about five minutes, which is about .3, Melissa: Yeah. Brett: 3, .3 miles. Um, and then I have to stop and sit, and it’s been a real pain, literally. Mobility And Home Hacks Melissa: And is standing difficult, too? Brett: standing is worse than walking. Melissa: thing, yeah. Standing’s worse. Brett: Yeah. Like if I am in the kitchen and I’m at the stove cooking, before the onions start to brown, I have to sit Melissa: Yeah. Yep. Brett: Uh, so we now have a stool in our kitchen, Melissa: Do you have one in the shower? Brett: yes. Well, our shower, our shower has a nice, like the back of the tub is a seat. Melissa: Oh, okay. Yeah. Brett: I don’t know if this house was designed by old people or not, but, um, but it’s certainly everything is relatively [00:21:00] accessible in that way. Um, but the stool in the kitchen means I can cook dinner. Emptying the dishwasher is the worst for me. That just like bending over, picking stuff up, and then just moving back and forth, like the five feet across our kitchen. My– I, it takes me three stops, three rests to get a dishwasher emptied. Um, and then I’m kind of ruined after that. I hate it. And I hate that I Melissa: stress mat? Brett: What’s that? Oh, you mean Melissa: mat to stand on? Gotta get, gotta Brett: think that would help? Melissa: Oh, yeah. Yeah, I have Brett: used to have one Melissa: and one in front of the kitchen, and I don’t even, I don’t even, do the cooking. Brett: Ha. I used to, I used to have one of those in front of the stove when I w- when I didn’t have pain, but just because I was really getting into cooking and I was spending a lot of time, and I was starting to feel it in my knees. Um, yeah, maybe I should do Melissa: I think it’s a fatigue [00:22:00] mat, I think they call it. Brett: Yeah. Melissa: Yeah, Brett: That sounds Melissa: plus they look cool if you get little designs on them and stuff. Yeah. Oh, we could spend the day talking about just mobility aids and ergonomics and all that kind of stuff. Melissa Health Update Brett: Well, it’s your turn. Talk about whatever you like. Melissa: Yeah, you give me some ideas to talk about. Um, yeah, I struggle with a lot of the same things that you do. Um, I’m always like kinda comparing notes every time you post something. I’m like, "Oh No, ‘Cause you talked about Have you … You haven’t started the injections yet, have you? Brett: No, and they just delayed those. I don’t get them until like June 20th or something. Melissa: nervous about those for you, because I’ve had those and I’ve decided to just swear off them, so I’ll just kinda give you just a heads-up. I mean, it does raise your blood sugar, so that’s not great, and, um, it can give you the roid rage, kinda make you angry, so that’s something to watch out for, and more weight gain, so …But it’s like one of those things where you just have to kinda try [00:23:00] it and see if it works, because if it does work, then you could be more mobile and then maybe drop a few pounds and get some of that weight off of your spine. But if it doesn’t work, just know that that can happen, Brett: my doctor did not mention any of those side effects, so good to Melissa: Yeah. Yeah. It’s, it’s the chronic life, so that’s, that’s what, that’s what, uh, affects my mental health, so I’m, I’m really good at faking it. I am actually … I will say I’m actually feeling a little bit more even. ADHD Meds And Mutations Melissa: I’m on, uh … I love when you talk about different prescriptions and stuff. Uh, I just mentioned, so I’m taking Adderall. That is, ugh, it’s a mixed bag. Um, I wanted to ask you about Vyvanse, cause that’s the next thing for me, but it’s, like, super expensive, so I’m trying to make Adderall work as best I can, but I’m, I’m in the process of playing with the dosage. But I think she told me, like, the highest was 30. The thing is, uh, I’ve had genetic testing done, and [00:24:00] I have this condit- not a condition, but it’s a I’m a mutant. It’s a genetic mutation called, it’s, it’s just initials. It’s MTHFR, lovingly known as Brett: you process your, your, chemicals twice as … fast. I have Melissa: Yes, faster processing in the liver. So that’s when she told me, ’cause she started, uh, me out on methylphenidate, and I was like, “Well, what about Adderall?” Because it, I see it work for my kids, you know? The kids are chip off the old block, right? And so I’ve had them tested too, and all three of us are positive for that. It’s lovelin- lovingly known as the motherfucker gene mutation. Um, yeah, so, and it is. It’s, it’s quite a bitch, um, ’cause it causes a whole bunch of other problems. And of course, we’ve talked about Ehlers-Danlos, so I have, uh, hypermobile Eh- Ehlers-Danlos. I’m having a hard time … I’m just having a hard time with that in general, mental health wise, because there’s just not enough awareness about it, enough people, and doctors, doctors and nurses. And you know, I’ll, I’ll say I wanna, I would love to be able to get [00:25:00] to a point where I can just say, “I have H-E-D-S,” or heads or what- however they’re gonna pronounce it, and, like, somebody know what that is when I go in for an appointment. But I still have to explain it, you know? And then that, that cuts into my time. ‘Cause they only … When you’re, when you’re our age, they only give you, like, 15 minutes, if that. When you’re much older, ’cause I’ve had to take, I’ve had to take family members to the doctor, they get a whole lot more time. But, uh, you know, it’s like, "Oh, you’re, you’re too young to be this sick. You’re too young to be this old," Brett: Right. Yeah. Curious Doctors Matter Brett: Um, I did– I found that doctor for me that knew exactly what all those acronyms meant, knew exactly, like, not only did they know what POTS was, they knew like seven different kinds of POTS and what tests to use to narrow it down. And then she got called up to National Guard Melissa: Oh, I wondered, I wondered, what happened to that doctor, ’cause it sounded so Brett: I waited. I was on a, I was on– I w- I had an appointment scheduled that was gonna be six months from the time she [00:26:00] left. Um, and I had it scheduled, and it was on July 7th. And then I got a letter in the mail saying that her Guard duty had been extended, and now I can’t see her again until September. And, like, I’ve, I’ve tried seeing other doctors that work with her, but none of them have the knowledge she has, and it was such a relief Melissa: Is this the curious one? Okay. I always think about you whenever I’m either looking for a provider or in the, in the midst of, of getting, you know, shuffled around to a new provider. I’m like, “I hope they’re curious,” ’cause that made– that meant so much to me when you explained about how a doctor needs to be curious. I’m like, “That’s what I need.” I need somebody… Or even just my therapist. I have a new, a new therapist that I see, and she’s really curious, and I really, really like that about her. That’s something that helps with mental health, is when somebody’s curious, ’cause I’m Brett: it goes h- it goes hand in hand with credulousness. Like, [00:27:00] first they have to be willing to believe you, and like, especially when it comes to invisible issues like EDS. Like, you have to be willing to believe a person and then be curious enough to look for answers. Like, the first step is believing, and the second step is curiosity. Melissa: Yes. I’ve already had my patient record marked as… Have you ever heard this one? Worried well. Brett: No. Melissa: I looked it up. It’s basically hypochondriac. Brett: Yeah, that’s what I was gonna guess. That Melissa: Yep. I actually– I was proud of myself because I actually did confront the doctor about it and I said, “What does this mean?” I said, “I, I looked it up and it kinda concerns me ’cause it makes me look like a hypochondriac.” And she said, "Oh, no, no, that’s just a, a code that we use when we don’t have something else to assign to it so that insurance will pay." Bullshit. Brett: Yeah, right? I feel like that’s exactly the kind of [00:28:00] thing insurance doesn’t pay. Melissa: Mm-hmm. so Vyvanse Vs Adderall Brett: what do you wanna know about Vyvanse? Melissa: Um, a- and I know it’s different for everybody, but I just kinda wondered what your take was on it. Um, how– can you compare it to Adderall at all for me, Brett: Yeah. Melissa: no comparison? Brett: it’s basically a non-abusable, I would call it lower lying version of, of Adderall. Like, it’s in the same family of stimulant as Adderall, but it can’t– It isn’t processed or it’s… I don’t remember how the mechanics of it work, but you can’t snort it basically. Like, it doesn’t, it doesn’t do anything Melissa: Which I wouldn’t wanna do anyway ’cause there’s nothing up here. Brett: Sure. Sure. And then, yeah, I’m not suggesting that was gonna be a problem for you. Um, but it’s also, like, it’s way, um, for me anyway, it’s way calmer. [00:29:00] Um, and there are people that say it doesn’t do anything at all. Um, especially a lot of people, a lot of people say the generic version doesn’t do anything, um, and that the name brand version does, but I haven’t found that to be true. Like the generic, which you’re correct, still costs like 200 bucks a month, um, for the generic. Um, but it is– It’s not my favorite. Melissa: I wondered why– what made you stop taking it. Did it just not work for you? Brett: No, I still take Vyvanse. Um, yeah. Um, I used to take, um, Focalin, which I loved. Melissa: That really worked for my kiddo, yep. Brett: but it also triggered my mania, Melissa: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Brett: so I was always walking this line of like, do I wanna be super productive and manic with like weeks of depression in between, [00:30:00] or do I just wanna be somewhat productive and stable? Um, which is why I’ve stuck with Vyvanse, and my doctor loves it enough for me that she won’t, she won’t prescribe anything else for me at this point. Like, I’ve asked about switching. I’ve asked about moving back to Adderall and things like that, but, Melissa: It seems like you’re, like you’re kinda on an evening out. Brett: Yeah, I haven’t had a manic episode for a couple years now. Tracking Mood With Data Melissa: Do you track it? Do you– Like, have you ever seen those– I keep seeing these ads for it ’cause, you know, the algorithm feeds us the stuff for wearables that are, um, called– I think it’s called Visible, so it makes your symptoms more visible instead of invisible. Like, do you track it? Do you Have you nerded out on your own data? Brett: like my mania and depression? Melissa: Yeah, like do you track it and look at graphs or anything like that to Brett: See, I’ve never had to use an external tool because I can just look at GitHub contribution graphs, and I can look at [00:31:00] my RSS feed, and I can see exactly, like for a period of like eight years, I can pinpoint exactly where my manic episodes were, um, because that data is historically preserved out there on the internet for all to see. Um, it’s, yeah, it’s– Well, and that’s, like I built tools that gathered that, those various sources of data. Um, and then there was a, a tool called, um, I forget. Melissa: cool, though? Hmm. We’ll think Brett: But it could pull, it could pull in all that data. Um, Bell Beth Cooper, Hello Code, I can’t remember the name of the app. Melissa: Yeah, it’ll come to you eventually. Brett: sure. Uh, but it could pull in like your GitHub, uh, commits along with like what the weather was at the time, how many songs you listened to that Melissa: Oh, day one sorta does that, yeah. Brett: Does it now? Melissa: A little bit, yeah, your locations, [00:32:00] um, if you turn on some of those things. Like not– I don’t think it does the music and things like that, but Brett: I haven’t used it for a while. I haven’t used it for a Melissa: I was gonna switch to the journal app. I was actually really… I held off on upgrading to Tahoe for the longest time, but that one kept nagging at me ’cause I thought, oh, you know, maybe. I mean, as much as I love Day One, I, I thought about, I thought about actually switching over, but no. I tried it. I’m, I’m gonna stick with Day One. Brett: Cool. All right. Cane And Somatic Therapy Brett: Um, so did you have, did you have more to add to your Melissa: Oh, I was gonna, I was gonna add on to what you were talking about with the suspenders. I did start… I think you probably… Well, yeah, you commented on it. Um, I started using a cane, and that I have mixed feelings about that. Um, I should have brought it in here so I could show you. I’ll show you later, ’cause, uh, anyway, it’s, it’s purple. I did get a pimp cane. That’s what my husband calls it. I thought, damn it, if I’m gonna use, like, a cane, then it’s gonna be [00:33:00] purple, and I’m gonna like looking at it, as much as I hate to use it, so. So I’ve been trying to use it. I… What you were talking about with, uh, with finding a curious doctor, I do have new physical therapist, um, so I’m really happy about that. Same kind of thing where she’s super booked. I think that’s just how it is. Like, the really good ones, they’re good, and, you know, it shows because it’s, it’s hard to get in to see them. So yeah. So I’m, I’m looking forward to that. We’re gonna be doing… Have you heard of somatic therapy? Brett: Yeah. Melissa: Yeah. So ha- have you tried it? Do, do you like it? Okay. That’s, that’s what I’m embarking on. Brett: I actually have a friend who teaches classes in it. Melissa: Oh, Al probably knows about that. Brett: y- yeah, Melissa: Yeah, I’ll, I’ll Brett: and it is, it is amazing how hard just doing things, doing motions you’re used to, but doing them very slowly and intentionally. It is like you– Just like, Just like, doing y- like a clamshell where you drop your knee, you’re [00:34:00] on your back and you drop your knee down to the side and bring it back up. Like that motion, most of us, even infirmed people can do that okay. You try to take… You try to do that and take like five breaths in each direction, and you’ll start shaking. It’s very Melissa: Ah, uh-huh. Yep. Brett: Yeah, but it’s good. Like it’s g- it really retrains your muscles. It really, it strengthens, retrains, and helps with, uh, finer motor control. Melissa: Oh, that’s interesting. Yeah, I, I’m, I’m a little bit on the skeptical end of it, so that’s why I’m, I’m glad that, that you, you vouch for it too. It’s like I know that it works, but I just… I guess I wanna understand the science of it a little bit more. Like, for example, I’ve tried, uh, acupuncture, and I just didn’t feel like it did, did anything for me. I think you have to be, like, a believer, and I just Brett: think so. Melissa: I, I, I even did that on purpose knowing that I kinda felt like it wasn’t gonna work. I was like, well, what if I just go into this? ‘Cause, [00:35:00] ’cause I talk to people and they’re like, "Well, you have to believe in it." I’m like, but what if I don’t? I just don’t, you know? I’m, I see it Brett: it’s not medicine if you have to believe in it. Melissa: Yeah. I mean, I see it work for other people. I know there’s, you know, such a thing as placebos and things like that, and I don’t know, it’s, it’s woo-woo and I, I, I like woo-woo stuff. I, it just, it didn’t do anything for me, so… It’s not to say that it doesn’t work for other people, but it just did not work for me, and I, I kind of, I, maybe I just, uh, did that on purpose when I, I try- probably just tripped myself up going into it thinking, well, I just don’t believe it, so if it works, then there must be science behind it. And then, then, I’ll believe. But it didn’t work out, so. So the, I’m a little bit on the fence about the somatic thing, but the, the, the gal that I’m working with is just so, she has EDS herself, and like, like what you were saying, like, she, she knows all about it and she could even, you know, tell me the, the type that she has, and I was like, I met, I met, actually last week I met two zebras in one week. [00:36:00] You, you’re familiar with the, the zebra mascot? If you, uh, the saying goes, if you hear hooves, think horses. But we’re not horses, are we? Yeah, so Yeah, so that’s, that’s our, our Somatics For EDS Melissa: EDS Brett: somatic– somatics you don’t have to believe in for them to work. Melissa: Okay, that is Brett: it’s an actual physical therapy method that trains the finer muscles, um, that surround your larger muscles and, and strengthens those, and it– Yeah, it’s for real. It’s, yeah, it’s not like a… It’s soma- I think, Melissa: w- totally Brett: ’cause I I had the same reaction when someone said somatics, ’cause I think, “Oh, that’s some holistic idea of the body, um, of soma,” and it’s… No, it’s, it’s got legit physical therapy behind it. Melissa: And, Yoga Modifications Melissa: you used to do a lot of yoga too, so that probably makes Brett: I still do. Melissa: Yeah? That’s [00:37:00] wonderful. Brett: it’s gotten really hard. Um, I can’t, I can’t– So I get dizzy Melissa: Yeah. Brett: going from sitting to standing, um, and my back gives out if I am in, like, horse or warrior two for more than a couple minutes. Um, and I can’t do cobras because I have a belly like a nine-month pregnancy. Um, so I have to do, like, prenatal yoga, um, which is actually a thing. Melissa: that’s a good idea. I’m glad you brought that up. I should look Brett: a- and I do chair yoga, um, where I I take the class that everyone else takes, but I modify it to work with… Like, there, there are defined moves that you do with a chair instead of. Instead of doing down dog, you do, like, a 90-degree down dog holding the back of a chair. Um, and you put, like, a knee on the chair to do warrior two, so you’re actually [00:38:00] resting. And Um, and you can do it fully seated too and get at least the arm exercises out of it. So I’ve been trying to maintain, maintain flexibility and some endurance. I’m not doing yoga the way I used to do it, but I am still Melissa: I’ve seen some of your poses. It’s pretty impressive. Brett: Yeah, back in the day. Melissa: W- when you could be upside down. Polycystic Liver Shock Melissa: I should look into that because I, you know, although I’m done having babies, like far done having babies, I have… You probably know about this too, I have polycystic liver disease, which is a really rare type of liver disease, and it’s not fatty liver. Oh my God, I have to keep telling doctors that. That’s the other thing. It’s like, it is not fatty liver. It is not. It- they’re cysts. It’s a totally different thing. I’m basically full of bubbles. So I… But it feels like that’s why I went in to get it. I didn’t actually get that checked. I found it accidentally when I went in for an heart, for a heart CT. That’s when they found it, and for a, a breast MRI, so [00:39:00] both those, those types of scans caught it. The other parts were fine, so my heart’s fine, so that’s a relief. But yeah, so this was a bit of a shock. And so I don’t know exactly what it means moving forward, um, but my entire liver is, like, engulfed in cysts, so. Right? But my blood work is, is fantastic right now, so I’m just gonna keep Brett: That’s good. Melissa: hoping it stays that way. Brett: That’s something. Fatphobia In Healthcare Brett: Um, I I have heard for a long time about, um, doctors being fatphobic and, and always assuming that, um, always assuming that your health i-issue is because you’re fat and not even looking for underlying issues, which has been an interesting experience for me because that really never happened to me. Melissa: Mm. Brett: Um, at least not once I switched to Gundersen from, like, a local clinic. Then I realized that it’s not just being fat that gets you [00:40:00] stigmatized, it’s being a fat woman. Melissa: Mm, I was gonna say try having a uterus and being Brett: yeah. Yeah. Um, like I talked to one of my best friends, April, who he’s, has been on Melissa: by, women doctors. Brett: Yeah. Yeah. And that’s, that’s what April tells me. She tells me all these horror stories. Even after finding care she trusted, she still has to deal with people saying, “Well, if you just lost some weight.” Like, she’s been fat her whole life. She’s in better shape than most skinny people Melissa: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Brett: I mean, she does sit-ups with 50-pound plates and does, like, five, 10 miles at a time on her, like, on her bike and, like, she’s in great shape and still has to walk with the ski poles, and she’s getting her second knee replaced this week. And, like, it, it’s just infuriating to hear the way that doctors dismiss Melissa: You know what the problem is, Brett? Brett: goes through [00:41:00] when Pole Dancing Reality Check Melissa: Not enough doctors have watched fat pole dancers. That is the problem right there. They need more education. Brett: Um, yeah. There’s, there are a couple of, um, queer burlesque shows Melissa: shows, yes. Brett: in my area that almost always include a plus-size pole dance, and it is amazing to Melissa: Oh, it’s mesmerizing. It should be an Olympic sport. Remind me to send you the, the link to, unless you’ve already seen it, have you seen the Deadpool pole dancer? Brett: No, I don’t think Melissa: you are in for a treat. We might just have to put that in the show notes, but I don’t know, I don’t know if your listeners are that, are into that It’s fully clothed, but it’s, there’s even blue Crocs involved. Brett: So this is nobody that you’re seeing on the Melissa: I wondered, yep. I wondered, yeah. Aw, he looks so soft. Mm. Mechanical Keyboard ASMR Brett: So you’ve [00:42:00] gotten really into mechanical keyboards. Melissa: have, I have. In fact, uh, I was gonna, I was gonna see how this might sound, but I, I brought my little box of key caps to show you so that I could say, welcome to my ASMR channel. Brett: That would… is is that a thing? I bet there are ASMR, like, key switch testing. Melissa: yeah, yeah. I’ve run across a couple of videos where, you know, they’ll have a hashtag ASMR in there, and that’s, that’s what it is. Do you experience ASMR yourself? Brett: No. Melissa: No? So when you listen to those videos you don’t get like the s- the tickling of the spine and stuff? Brett: No. Melissa: I do. It actually, it goes, it… I forget. I always forget what the acronym stands for, but it, you know, has something to do with the meridian. So if you can i- imagine your brain like split in half, and I feel it right on this side. It goes, it goes like the, down the back of my head, behind my ear, and down into my shoulder. It [00:43:00] is the funkiest feeling, and I love it. I love it so much. Even when we were talking about animals in the, in the beginning and I even had a cat that would come and just like kind of lick my ear and, oh, I just, I love that. Most people cannot stand that sound. They have the opposite condition where they can’t handle somebody chewing gum. My grandfather had that. Um, some, some kinda, it ends in a tonia. Misatonia or something like that, um, where… I don’t know. Do you have any of those like sound sensory issues? I have a lot of Brett: really don’t. I’m very, I’m very, like, sound Like, I like loud, heavy music. Like, that does something for my psyche. Um, but general sounds, they neither bo-bother me nor stimulate me. Melissa: imagine what that’s like. I just can’t. I’m So bothered, and my kids too, and you know, ugh, God, Brett: So El Melissa: has been problematic. Brett: El is, El is, definitely sensitive to sound, um, in a way that Like, even my [00:44:00] mechanical keyboards can’t be, can’t be on the same floor of the house as Elle. We pretty much live in silence, and that’s fine for me most of the time because, like, it just doesn’t affect me either way. So, like, keeping things quiet is easy, and I focus well in silence. And then when Elle’s gone, I blast my music, and w- when I’m in the car, I blast my music, and then the rest of the time I live in the quiet place. Melissa: Mm-hmm. In The Quiet Place. Brett: Yeah. Melissa: Yeah, we have- something a little similar, but m- my husband and I have, uh… We have our his and hers kind of setup here in, in the, in our den, in our inner study. So he’s got his side and I’ve got my side. So we’re together, and he does a lot of grading papers, and he’s really good about putting his, his earbuds in and just tuning the whole world out. He’s… It’s fascinating to watch that man just [00:45:00] execute. I mean, I just am so envious of people who can just execute. But the, the, the, yeah, the sensory, it’s all about the sensory stuff for me when it comes to keyboards. I actually thought about… I don’t know how popular it would be, but I also thought about making a podcast, a video podcast, that would highlight the intersection of nail art and mechanical keyboards. Because I’ll tell you, that’s actually what… I’ve always loved mechanical keyboards, but yeah, the, the one that I had, someone had given me a, a Matias, and oh, it’s, it’s so loud, but it’s like high-pitched. It’s kinda sharp. And it was even kind of annoying to me after a while. And then it does not, it’s not a mechanical keyboard in that you can’t pull the switches out, so you’re kinda stuck with what you got. Like, you might be able to change the key caps if you could find them, but couldn’t change the switches. And something happened to the S key, and I was like, “All right, it’s over,” so. But I can’t get rid of them either, so one of these days I wanna have like a display of, of keyboards. [00:46:00] Nail Art And Picking Melissa: But what got me, what got me into saying, “Okay, I’m finally, I’m just gonna invest in a keyboard because it’s ergonomically important to me,” is I have… And I can’t pronounce it, so I’m not even gonna try, but there’s a condition, and it’s a self-diagnosed thing. But I, I am a picker. I pick my skin a lot. Um, I think it’s called derma something Anyway, so I wasn’t gonna try to pronounce it. But, uh, I’ve always had that condition since I was a kid. I didn’t even know it was a thing. I just thought everybody get, uh, picks. But then during the pande- during the pandemic, it got super bad. Like, I had, I had, um, some panic attacks and, you know, as a lot of probab- people probably did. But it got so bad to the point where I had picked my fingers and they were bleeding and they were throbbing and they were hurting. And I said to one of my kids, I said to my youngest, I said, “Can you just, like, if I, if I’m picking, can you just let me know?” And then I regretted doing that because then he took it on as this, like, full-time job, you know? And it kinda [00:47:00] gave him anxiety, and I thought, “Oh, okay, that, that was a bad thing to do.” So I s- I let him off the hook. I said, “No, you don’t have to tell me anymore.” Um, because, yeah, ev- even if I went to, like, just kinda, like, clean under my nail or something. So it was actually causing a real problem for the family that I was just picking so much. And it’s not just my fingers, it’s, like, other parts of my body. So I thought to myself, “Well, what can I do about this?” And so I started putting fake nail tips on. And I hate to be all, like… I don’t know, I’m not, I try not to be, like, a very vain person, but I really started kinda falling into the nail art side of things, and I, I just recently learned how to do gel and work with, um, uh, what’s it called? Uh, not resin. So I… Oh, that’s another ASMR thing. Do you like to watch resin pours? Brett: I do, actually, yes. Melissa: that’s… Okay, so if you like resin pours, if you like to watch the viscosity and the way the, the chemicals, like, form together and when they, when they mix colors in and stuff, [00:48:00] that’s what it’s like with nail art but on more of, like, a macro level because it’s, you know, you’re working with small stuff. Like, just, just recently I learned how to do… So I’m showing Brett this on, on camera, but I recently learned how to do the kind of nail polish that you take a magnet and you run the magnet along it, and it makes this, like, a cat’s eye. Brett: Yeah, that’s cool. Melissa: I love it. So, so that, so combining nail art then, and I thought, “Well, now I’ve got these long nails,” but all of my keyboards have been these flat, really low-profile keyboards. And, you know, I just, I started to dread it. So then I was kinda caught between a crossroads. Like, either I leave nails off and I can type really, really fast and have high accuracy with no nails, but then as soon as, as soon as I get, like, a little snag or something, then I start picking and then it’s just, it’s all over then. Or I try to find a way to work with these nails. So that’s what I started thinking, “Well, maybe if I had higher keys.” And so then I just, yeah, rabbit hole. [00:49:00] Went down the rabbit hole, and I’ve, I’ve just kinda been there ever since. And, uh, it really, I think, uh… Let’s see. How long ago did this start? It’s only been about maybe like six months or something like that, so. Keyboard Layout Rabbit Hole Melissa: But in that time so I’ve started, um, building a collection of switches. So I’ve been really interested in both the key caps and the switches. Um, I’ve got my baseboards. I like my Royal Kludge the best. This is… I’m gonna show Brett my Royal Kludge. So, so this is what it’s looking like right now. Brett: Yeah. Melissa: It is very purpley. Um, I did post some pictures. I can… I don’t know if you do pictures in show notes, but I could take some pictures for you It’s got a knob. It’s got, um… Let me see if I can do it real Brett: Do you use the knob. I have a couple keyboards with knobs and even a joystick, and I never actually use them Melissa: Good question. Um, I, I use it, I try to use it for volume at [00:50:00] times, and that’s probably what I use it for the most. But this one does have a… Let’s see if I can get this into focus here, backwards and upside down. It’s gonna be upside down, but you see how you can put, you can put your logo Brett: Oh, yeah. Nice. Melissa: got my The Mac Mommy little logo on there. Otherwise, it gives you the time in military format, so that’s kind of handy to have. Um, but yeah, it’s… To be honest, I, I love the, I love this Royal Kludge because it’s nice and heavy, and I love the form factor. It’s got a number pad, um, because I’m, because I am a grown-ass adult and I need a number pad. Um, but it’s nice and heavy. It doesn’t, it doesn’t move around my desk a lot. I kind of have to type, like, kind of crooked, ’cause that’s just the way my neck goes to the wrong way and stuff like that. So I like being able to fit it on my desk. I have a, I had a larger one made by Red, uh, what is it? Redragon. This is the one that I started [00:51:00] out with. Gonna make lots of noise here. But as you can see, this one is way bigger. And it was, as much as I liked it, I mean, I fell in love with it, but what was happening was my accuracy was, like, really thrown off because I fe- I kept feeling like it just needs to be, like, a couple centimeters to the right or a couple centimeters to the left. It just wasn’t centered very well. So this one, my husband gets all the hand-me-downs, so that one went over onto his desk. Uh, and then I also have a baby keyboard here, and this is another Redragon. This is my little mini one. Brett: that’s, that’s the kind of keyboard I mostly use, like a 70% keyboard. Melissa: Yeah, I think this one’s even 60. Um… Brett: My– The one I’m using right now is, uh, 60. There’s no, there’s no function row, there’s no arrow, there’s no keypad or, like, arrow pad. Um, Melissa: No [00:52:00] arrows? How do you live without arrows? Oh, do you, you mapped your keys to something Brett: so it looks like this, Melissa: nice. I love the Brett: that the, the space bar is split in two. Yeah, my, my, my partner says it looks like, uh, gay ’80s. It’s all pink and blue and purple. Um, but the, the space bar is split, and the right half of mine functions as something called a mod key, and when I hold that down, then my I, J, K, and L keys become arrow keys. Melissa: Oh, wow. Brett: once you get used to it, you never have to take your hand off the home row. Melissa: Oh my God, that must be amazing. Brett: It– Yeah, once you get used to it, it, it’s so… Like, g- moving to a keyboard that doesn’t have that is kind of tortuous. On my MacBook Pro, I have remapped it using Karabiner so that Melissa: [00:53:00] That’s what I’m using. Brett: if I hold, the semicolon down with my pinky, then H-I-J-K-L become, Melissa: Oh, nice. Brett: become arrow keys, so I still don’t have to move my hand all the way down and to the right. Like, that’s such a inefficient movement that then I have to, like… Because I don’t have great feeling in my fingers, so finding, on a low-profile keyboard, finding the, the homing buttons again Melissa: Oh, do you use the humming buttons? See, that’s the thing, I was never taught that. I mean, I took like a ty- I took like a typewriting class back in high school, and I just didn’t like it. I, I just taught myself. I just… I’m an autodidact that way, so I just taught myself. Brett: my dad, back in 1984, we had a typing program on our PCjr, and I Melissa: It wasn’t Mavis Beacon, was it? Brett: remember. I don’t remember. All I know is, like, It taught you touch typing, and it would give you [00:54:00] these lessons, and you would basically just mirror what was on screen. And at the age of seven, I was typing at about 68 words per minute on an, on an old IBM PCjr keyboard. Um, got a lot faster through high school and everything. But yeah, I was, I was, from day one, I was raised to be a touch typist, and, and I took all the classes they had in school. Melissa: But you still touch Brett: labs. Yeah. Melissa: Uh-huh, yeah. So you don’t do the home rows. Brett: No, that is touch Melissa: Oh, touch typing, so you do feel… for the bumps. Brett: Yeah, I feel for the bumps, and then I just, like, my f- my key, my fingers never really leave the Melissa: Oh, yeah. See, I wish I could do Brett: centered home row. Yeah. It’s, it, it’s good. Um, Melissa: And you’re using the split, so my gosh. Brett: What– You get used to that too. Um, like, [00:55:00] I can’t do it with the split far apart. I’ve seen people use, like, splits, like, way out to the sides, and I can’t, my, my brain doesn’t do that. Like, my hands have to be within, like, six inches of each other. Melissa: I always thought, it would be so cool to have something where you could have it, like, raised up like this, right? And use your hands sideways. Brett: Yeah. Well, that’s I mean, that’s essentially, I have, on the bottom of this keyboard, I have these risers. Melissa: Oh, uh-huh. Oh, Brett: So it sits, right now I have it at about a 45-degree tent, tent, tent. Um, but it can go up to more like an 80-degree tent, where you’re actually Melissa: Wow. Brett: uh, almost like you’re clapping, you’re typing. Um, I don’t Melissa: of that. I have a, a, handshake mouse. Brett: Vertical mouse. Melissa: You like… Is that what you have for a mouse too? Brett: no, I, I love Melissa: Trackballs. Oh, trackpads. Oh, okay. Brett: Apple’s Magic Trackpad changed my life. I’ve never used– I’ve never gone back to a [00:56:00] mouse since the first Magic Trackpad came out. Melissa: So you’re all about the gestures then? Brett: yeah, Melissa: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. That’s great. Brett: Bet- bet- better touch tool for the win. Melissa: You know what it is for me, is because of the type of work that I do, and this is very much true for both of us, you do these things because of the type of work that you do. The type of work that I do, I’m in everybody’s homes, so I have to ty- I have to be able to type and use their mouse and, I mean, it’s actually a very dirty job. So I keep hand wipes with me everywhere. Um, that, that was why during the pandemic I was like, “I am not coming to your house and I am not touching the stuff that you just picked your nose and…” Yeah, mm-mm. But, so, so i- it’s been kind of keeping me almost like a purist in a way as far as keyboards have gone all these years. I, I finally just kind of let go and embraced this recently, th- which is why I’m so excited and why I’m just kind of nerding out on it, because when, when I worked [00:57:00] in, like, I’ll call it the industry, um, I got my f- my start in prepress. So I worked in prepress, I was a typesetter, and we had… That’s what I kind of miss. We had the old clunky beige keyboards, and I had my muscle memory such that I think my o- my Option key would have, like, the indentation of my nail on it. You know? ‘Cause I had, just like you have, keys that are programmed. I could… I was a Quark queen. I don’t know if you’re familiar with QuarkXPress? Brett: Oh, yeah. Yeah. I was a graphic designer. I I know Quark. Melissa: Yeah, I loved it. I was… And, and I used it back in the OS 9 days, OS 7 really, is when I started out. Uh, I did not like the OS X vers- OS 10 version of Quark. Did not like it at all. Brett: No, but that’s Melissa: it was slow. Brett: Adobe came out with, what was, what was Adobe’s… InDesign. Yeah. By the time I had started, by the time I had started my own ad agency, we were all InDesign. Melissa: Oh, [00:58:00] nice. Okay. I mean, it was a Brett: and none of the, none of the print shops expected Quark files Melissa: Yeah. Oh, it was so expensive. I remember I had to buy it when I was in college, and I remember it cost, like, $800. I’m probably still paying for that, damn it, in interest. Yeah, so that, that’s how I got my start originally, and that’s how I was doing… I, I went to… So I have, I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts. I went to college in order to be a designer. I wanted to be a designer designer, and that’s what I, what I thought I was good at and thought that I liked doing, ’cause, you know, “Oh, you’re a girl. Go to art school. You like to draw.” You know? I’m always bitter about that because I really wish that I would’ve been able to go… I mean, this was, you know… I’m, I’m 51, so this was back in the day where girls, girls don’t do computers and girls don’t do coding. G- girls don’t do computer science. They didn’t even call it computer science. They didn’t even call it graphic design back then. It was commercial art. Um, so I studied that and, you know, I liked it ’cause I thought, “Well, this is what I could, I could take my art and make [00:59:00] a living into it.” And then fast-forward, um, I just started to fall in love with the technical troubleshooting side of things. So as, as good as I was at the technical typesetting and the technical, like, putting prepress things together, you know, um, uh, key sheets and s- you know, things like that. Do you remember, was there, uh, did you ever use a program called Quick Keys? That was one of the ones Brett: familiar. Melissa: you could map your own keys to things. So w- when I was in prepress and doing typesetting, I used that program and I, I mapped all my keys, and I had all these quick keys and stuff so I could go really, really fast, you know? So when they wanted something done fast, they gave it to me, and I could just fly through documents with this. But then as people learned that I was good at this kind of stuff and troubleshooting, they’re like, “Oh, hey, Roger needs, you know, has a problem. Can you go help him?” So I’d go over to his cubicle, I sit down, and he’s got nothing. You know, he’s got [01:00:00] no quick keys, no nothing, and you just kinda get lost because your muscle memory just adapts to it. And I couldn’t help people the way… And, and that was what it was about for me. I really liked more helping people and troubleshooting and the technology side of things than the actual design process. So I kind of went to the other side with it. And so I just kind of, like, vowed that, okay, I’m not gonna do any kind of, like, customization on my own workstation because then I’ll, my, my muscle memory will map to it, and then when I go to sit down to help somebody else, I won’t… You know, I’ll be so much in my own world that I won’t be able to help them. And so I just kind of, like, remained a, a pu

The big question for today is, can we find contentment in things? Have you ever listened to a very successful person complain about the fact that his wealth doesn't make him happy? How the success of life has left him or her empty? Of course, you have. We've all heard stories like that, but pay attention to that—because it's really important. Watch people roll their eyes when they hear those stories. Why do they do that? Because they're thinking, “Yeah, just give me some of that emptiness. I'd like to live on that side of town for a while,” but that attitude misses the point that's trying to be made. From the past to now, there have been at least multiple millions of these stories, these laments from very successful people who would trade it all to be content. Millions and millions of successful, but unhappy people. It's when we're confronted with numbers like that, that we should say to ourselves, “Wait a second…I need to think that through. Maybe having things and fame and success really doesn't satisfy.” It's then we start walking the right road to contentment. April Motl is a writer in California who works with her husband in ministry. Recently, she made a fascinating point. She said, “About six months ago, my husband said he thought the Lord was trying to teach him to be content with mediocrity. ‘Mediocrity? Never! We should always be striving for the best,' I thought to myself. But in light of a few life lessons of my own, I think I now understand what my husband was saying. It's easy for us to want the best life has to offer, but sometimes ‘the best' is learning to be content with what we have.” Hebrews 13:5 says, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have. Because God has said, never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you.” You don't actually need to hear another story of unfulfillment from someone you've admired to know that stuff doesn't ultimately satisfy. You have only to think about your own life and realize that what God has given you materially is not the ultimate prize. It's only when you're in harmony with Him that you begin to know a life of contentment. Let's pray. Father, we know in our hearts that things don't bring fulfillment. That fact is plain to us, no matter how much we have. Help us be mindful that in you alone, we find the desires of our hearts. Remind us daily not to pin our hopes for the future on what we can acquire today. In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

Do you or your spouse make excuses for having an affair? Remind yourself that your marriage is a covenant with your spouse. The responsibility rests upon both you to confront, repent and restore your marriage.Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/lovelanguageminuteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we look at the letter R in SHARE, we'll be reminded of who Jesus is and all He has done for us. Jesus is with us, and He alone satisfies our hearts with Living Water. This week, we'll learn how to remind people of who Jesus is in the midst of everyday life and conversations.

Have you ever wondered if the people you've lost are still with you somehow? My guest this week, Mark Anthony, known as the Psychic Lawyer, is a fourth-generation psychic medium AND a practicing attorney. Such a fascinating combo, right?  We talk about the electromagnetic nature of the soul, what near-death experiences actually tell us about consciousness, and the heart-touching work he does with Helping Parents Heal. Fair warning: some of his stories gave me full-body goosebumps, and I was in the middle of a peri-menopause hot flash.

Your kids aren't just listening to what you say about Jesus — they're watching how you live it.LINKS:Download How to Pray God's Word for Your ChildrenFollow Everyday Prayers @MillionPrayingMoms A Prayer for Geniune Faith by Nicolet Bell In today's episode, we're taking a hard look at Matthew 23 and what Jesus had to say about the gap between teaching truth and actually living it. Spoiler: he didn't go easy on the religious leaders who got it wrong.The good news? We don't have to be perfect. We just have to be genuine — and the Holy Spirit fills in the rest. Reference: Matthew 23:1-12 Prayer: God, it's a shame to have the right words but the wrong heart. Remind me always of who you want me to be. Please help me to always be honest with myself and others and to keep my heart in the right place. I pray that I would have the strength to continually step down to lift other people up and help me to help my children do the same. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

It has never been easier to consume someone else's faith. With a podcast in our ears, a devotional feed on our phones, and a favorite teacher's voice filling our commute, we can absorb an enormous amount of Christian content without ever spending quiet, personal time with God ourselves. And slowly, almost imperceptibly, our spiritual lives begin to look less like deep-rooted plants and more like transplanted flowers — imported from someone else's garden, struggling to survive in soil that was never their own. Paul saw this same tendency in the church at Corinth. Believers were forming camps around their favorite teachers — Paul, Apollos, Cephas — as though the worker was responsible for the growth. Paul was quick to correct them: the teachers were only servants. God was the One making things grow. And the only foundation that could ever truly hold was Jesus Christ Himself. That warning speaks directly into our age of faith influencers, online pastors, and Christian celebrities. Their insights can be genuinely helpful — but they cannot replace what only a personal relationship with Jesus can give. Second-hand faith will only take us so far. If we want to thrive rather than wither, we need roots that go all the way down into Christ Himself — the One who died to give us life, and in whom alone we are invited to truly boast. Interested in creating something new with us!? Take Our Newsletter Survey! Bible Verse "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." — 1 Corinthians 3:11, NIV Ponder Today Consuming Christian content is not the same as communing with Christ — no teacher, pastor, or influencer, however gifted, can substitute for a personal and growing relationship with Jesus. Paul's warning to the Corinthians applies directly to us today — when we align ourselves too closely with a human worker, we risk placing our trust in the servant rather than the One who causes all growth. Second-hand faith — borrowed from the experiences and practices of those we admire — will eventually begin to wither, because it was never rooted in our own encounter with the living God. Teachers, authors, and pastors can be genuinely helpful tools in our growth, but they are only ever planting seeds or watering — God alone is the One who makes things grow. Jesus Christ is the only foundation that can hold — His death and resurrection are not just the starting point of our faith, they are the center around which everything else must be built. Today's Prayer Lord, I confess that I sometimes spend more time listening to what others say about You than I do communing with You personally. As helpful as many teachers and pastors are, their words are not what bring true growth — only You deserve that glory. When I am tempted to build my faith around a favorite voice rather than around You, redirect my heart. Remind me that You are the reason I am saved, the foundation that cannot be moved, and the only One in whom I should boast. Deepen my roots in You, Lord, so that my faith is my own — grown in the soil of a real and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In His name, Amen. Enjoy Today's Prayer? If this episode encouraged you, we'd love to stay connected! Subscribe to the LifeAudio newsletter at LifeAudio.com for daily prayers, devotionals, and faith-filled content delivered straight to your inbox. Don't miss an episode — subscribe and share with someone who needs encouragement today. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Most of us grew up in a world that had a quiet but persistent message running underneath everything: be more, achieve more, become someone better than who you currently are. Somewhere along the way, the simple truth that you are worthy of love exactly as you are got buried beneath a pile of comparisons, expectations, and the nagging sense that you are not quite enough. It is a heavy thing to carry — and it is not what God says about you. Ephesians 2:10 uses a word that stops us in our tracks: poiēma — translated as handiwork, workmanship, or masterpiece. You are not a rough draft that God is still embarrassed by. You are His artwork, created intentionally in Christ Jesus, with good works planned specifically for you before you ever drew your first breath. No one else can do what God uniquely prepared for you to do, which means the world needs you to be fully, unapologetically yourself — not a lesser imitation of someone you wish you were. God does not love the version of you that you are striving to become someday. He loves you right now, exactly as you are, with an everlasting love that does not waver based on your performance or your progress. Today is an invitation to receive that truth, to let it settle into the places where doubt has taken root, and to walk forward in the quiet confidence of someone who knows they are deeply and deliberately loved by their Creator. Today's Bible Verse "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." — Ephesians 2:10 Ponder Today You are not a rough draft — you are God's masterpiece, intentionally and carefully crafted by a Creator who makes no mistakes and holds no regrets about how He made you. God has prepared good works specifically for you — works that only you can do, which means the world needs you to be fully yourself rather than a copy of someone else. The cycle of striving to be smarter, wealthier, or more successful in order to feel worthy is a lie — our worth is not earned by achievement but declared by the One who created us. God's plans for your life are unique to you — you don't need to compare your path to anyone else's, because His purposes for you were prepared long before you arrived. God loves you with an everlasting love right now, not someday when you have it all together — receiving that truth is not arrogance, it is the beginning of walking in the freedom He intended for you. Today's Prayer Dear God, it has been challenging for me to accept myself as I am. I have often longed to be someone smarter, more capable, or more put-together than I feel. Help me to know that I am accepted, beloved, and cherished exactly as I am in Your eyes. Guide my heart to the comfort of knowing that I am Your handiwork — a masterpiece You created with purpose and intention. Remind me that there is only one me in the world, and that the good works You prepared for me can only be done by me. Thank You for believing in me even when I have doubted myself. All praise and glory belong to You. In Your Son's name, Amen. Enjoy Today's Prayer? If this episode encouraged you, we'd love to stay connected! Subscribe to the LifeAudio newsletter at LifeAudio.com for daily prayers, devotionals, and faith-filled content delivered straight to your inbox. Don't miss an episode — subscribe and share with someone who needs encouragement today. If you like this podcast, be sure to check out our sister podcast, Your Nightly Prayer - an evening Christian prayer podcast to help you end your day in conversation with God. https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The actor and comedian is keenly aware of humanity's limitations, but he's not giving up. Thoughts? Email us at theinterview@nytimes.com Watch our show on YouTube: youtube.com/@TheInterviewPodcast For transcripts and more, visit: nytimes.com/theinterview   Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.