Podcasts about Remind

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 21; 2 Chronicles 33; John 4 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! It's August 2nd, and we're on day 215 of our year-long journey through the Scriptures. I'm Hunter, your host, Bible reading coach, and a fellow traveler through these life-giving pages. In today's episode, we'll explore the rise and dramatic turnarounds in the reigns of Manasseh and Amon from 2 Kings 21 and 2 Chronicles 33—stories marked by heartbreaking rebellion, profound repentance, and the relentless mercy of God. Then, we'll move into the Gospel of John, where Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman at the well, offering her—and each of us—the living water that truly satisfies. As we read, we'll reflect on the deep thirst that only Christ can quench, the radical forgiveness He offers, and the invitation to worship in spirit and in truth. Join us as we open our hearts and let the Word point us to the One who knows everything about us yet loves us just the same. Whether you're feeling spiritually parched or longing for a fresh encounter, this episode is for you. Grab your Bible and let's dive in together. TODAY'S DEVOTION: Thirsty this woman was. And she was willing to admit it. She wasn't too proud to admit that she was thirsty. “Yes, Teacher, give me this water.” She said she knew that she was dying of thirst—that unless something changed, she would die. After five husbands, she was dying inside. But Jesus offers her this living water. Water that truly satisfies. Jesus mercifully offers those who are dying of thirst living water. Relief from the endless cycle of sin and shame. Sin and shame. Sin and shame. Relief from our past. Forgiveness. She says, “he told me everything I've ever done.” And although these words were not written, you could complete the statement with these: And he loved me just the same. It was this radical acceptance and forgiveness from a kind and merciful Messiah that delivered her from her desperate thirst. He knows everything, and he loves us just the same. Are you thirsty? He knows. And you have a kind and merciful Savior who is making a point of pursuing your heart to give you the water that will quench your desperate thirst. So drink well of that water. Remember that your Messiah is kind and he pursues your heart, knowing everything you've ever done and loving you just the same. Live in the light and joy of him and drink well. That's the prayer that I have for my own soul. That's a prayer that I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that's a prayer that I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Jesus is my shepherd. You have called me by my name into the life of the beloved. Here in the stillness, I remember that I am not alone. I belong to you and to the great communion of saints and sinners held together in your love. Remind me, Lord, that every breath is grace, every encounter is a chance to give what I have received—mercy without measure. When I forget who I am, when I lose my way, lead me again to still waters. Restore my soul, renew my hope. Reroute me in the joy of simply being yours. Amen. The Lord's Prayer: And now, as our Lord has taught us, we are bold to pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.   OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Send us a textII Corinthians 1Paul begins his second letter to the Corinthians by praising God as the source of all comfort during times of affliction. He shares his own sufferings, explaining that trials teach reliance on God rather than on oneself. Paul assures the Corinthians that just as they participate in suffering, they will also receive God's comfort. He recalls a life-threatening experience in Asia, where he “despaired of life” but was delivered through God's power. Paul emphasizes the importance of prayer, illustrating how the appeals to God by saints contributed to his deliverance. He then defends his integrity, stating that his words of exhortation and sacrificial actions are sincere and guided by Christ. Paul concludes by affirming that God has sealed believers with the Holy Spirit, ensuring their eternal security in Christ.Our God is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He cares for His children and feels for those enduring trials and losses. He offers eternal comfort through a relationship with Jesus Christ. God also provides comfort through His power to improve circumstances over time, as well as through the support and love of fellow believers. We can face all trials with confidence if we trust in God's abiding grace and the power of prayer to seek His mercy and assistance. To cultivate true hope, Paul taught the people about the loving Father, the reigning Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit within us. This remains the most essential and transformative message we can share with others.  Mighty Father, we thank You for being the God of all comfort who strengthens us in every trial. When we face suffering, help us rely on You rather than ourselves. Remind us that just as Christ suffered, we too will encounter hardships, but through Him, we also receive untouchable and abiding hope. Teach us to share the comfort You provide with others, so we may encourage those in need. Strengthen our faith and remind us that Your promises are always true in Christ. Seal our hearts with Your Spirit and guide us to walk in trust and gratitude daily. Thought Questions: -       What does it mean to say your Father is the “God of all comfort”? How does He help you maintain confidence and peace in times of affliction?  -       How does suffering teach you to rely on God over yourself? Is that a valuable process? And how does that affect your view of trials? -       Paul states God always comes through on His promises (v20). What are some of those promises that fill you with hope in all circumstances?

Ben Criddle talks BYU sports every weekday from 2 to 6 pm.Today's Co-Hosts: Ben Criddle (@criddlebenjamin)Subscribe to the Cougar Sports with Ben Criddle podcast:Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cougar-sports-with-ben-criddle/id99676

Tiff and Dana discuss how dental practices are being innovative in 2025, including A.I., apps, and other technologies that will streamline the busy work and help teams focus on being human. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:02) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. Dana and I are back here today. We are really excited. We just did actually a really fun podcast. think that was probably, I think Dana, I don't know. I think that was one of my favorite podcasts we probably ever recorded. I love that stuff. So Dana, thanks for being here. How are you today?   Dana (00:22) doing good excited to get you know I always I know I say this a lot but I truly am just excited to have some time.   The Dental A Team (00:29) Thank you. Thank you. I know I   actually I still have it on my mind. I need to put it in my click up click up organizer. You guys shout out to that. I need to get the soft skills training on there. So I was thinking about that a lot. So you make you make my day Dana. Thank you. I appreciate that. ⁓ You guys virtual teams are weird and they were like   It's just weird. But I think the weirdest part to me or the oddest part is how sincerely close I feel to everyone. Like Dana, I feel like we're best friends and we never get time together. Like the last time we had time together, truly the last time we had time together, I guess, was when we did the December, we did the shopping for the kids in December, the give back. Prior to that was like,   Disneyland last, that was two years ago, right? Two years ago, I think he's time flies, time freaking flies. So, but I feel like we were just together last weekend. Like it's weird. It's a weird thing that has come really far. So on that note, anyone who's considering a virtual team member, it can work really well. I mean, we've got Josh who's in the Philippines and I feel like I know that man. Like we've hung out together.   Dana (01:45) Thank   The Dental A Team (01:47) That's so weird. He's in the Philippines you guys it's nighttime when he's working for us And I'm like groggy just starting my day And he's already lived an entire day and his family sleeping like wild and I feel like I know   Dana (02:01) We know things about his baby girl. We know things about his wife, his band. And it's like he's not even in the country on the same time zone. It's just virtually over the computer. It's crazy. Yeah.   The Dental A Team (02:12) Yeah,   it is really crazy. It's insane to me how far things have come. I think it's really cool. think 2020, we're going to call it 2020, not the other word we could call it, did a lot for us in a lot of ways. There is a lot of bad, I will never just credit that, but I think it forced innovation. 2020 forced human innovation.   I think it was things that were already like in the works in the background or whatever, but it just pushed it to the forefront. And the innovation that has come in the last five years has been insane to me and the amount and what we've been able to handle and what we've been able to consume as humans is wild to me and working remotely and working on a virtual team is definitely something that came out of that. I remember, I remember Karen and I when everything first started happening.   We were like, shoot, okay, it is time to innovate or die, quite literally, innovate or die as a company, because things are drastically changing. Dana, we were in offices constantly, constantly. And then all of a sudden we were like, guess what? You're not allowed to leave the state. Actually, you can't even leave your house. Like don't breathe on anyone. Don't look at anyone. Like it was wild. And that was when,   Dana (03:22) Yes.   The Dental A Team (03:30) Kiera and I got on a call and we were like, what the heck? How do we continue to help offices? And that was when we switched and started doing so much virtual. And it really spun, like it worked really well. We had so many offices that during shutdown, we're doing a ton of training with us. We were building operations manuals and really prepping for reopening. But it also brought a space of like, holy cow, Tiff and Kiera cannot do this alone. Like it brought on so much.   And I think it just like speaks to the spiral of innovation that we've had in the last five years in our company and just in the country as a whole in the world realistically. But Dana, I'm so excited. You came not too far after our 2020 whirlwind of guess what? We're going to do everything by video now. And I was like, ⁓ crikey, here we go. This is going to be fun.   And you came on board with us. So thank you for being here. You have changed the game for us. And I know changed the game for so many of your clients. ⁓ And Dana continues to help us innovate constantly. It is something that she is really, really good at. is brilliant and just constantly thinking of another way, like, and then the, the, and then theory, like, yes, you can do that, but then also you could do this. I'm like, dang it. Thank you. So Dana, thank you for being here. ⁓   I don't know if you guys know this or not, a lot of our topics, we choose our topics, a lot of them, or we decide like, what are we gonna talk about today or what practice do we wanna highlight or chat about? then there are topics that are given to us that I can't really say that I don't have a lot of control on that because they're given to me at the beginning of the year, well, the end of the year for the beginning of the year.   And I go through them and I'm like, yes, these are fantastic topics. These are going to be great newsletters. Doctors are going to find a ton of value in this. And then as discussed about 15 minutes ago with Dana, I need to layer on top of that. This is the and then and say, how are we going to make a podcast about this? Because we have, we have run into that today. ⁓ but I'm really actually excited. We did our research, we did our due diligence and we've chatted about this a few times and   Speaking of innovations, there's been so many innovations everywhere that have helped dentistry just really take a new foothold in the scene of medical. And I think that you guys can all agree with that. Dentistry is one of the top survivors of 2020. And we're really thriving in this world. It's just never, never going away. So tons of innovations. We've talked about the tech. We talk about the tech a lot. actually did one, um, Dana, I did a podcast.   not too long ago with Christy about really getting dental assistants involved in the tech and the innovations there. And that was fun. And this one kind of, guess, is dental assistants too, but we really wanted to highlight some infection control innovations and not just like look at, oh, this is so cool. And, know, I don't know, when I started in 2003, we were doing this and now we're doing this. Like, I don't want to just dive into those, but I really want to talk about some things that are up and coming on the scene.   But with that said Dana thinking of my past and aging aging us both here. You're welcome Do you remember? Do you remember go walking into the room? No masks sometimes I had gloves like it was like whatever and dirty tray in one spot and just like spraying everything Everywhere to where you could barely breathe in that room. I remember I remember gosh   This must have been like 2006, 2007. I don't remember what happened, but something changed, right? With infection control. Do you remember stocking up on the Lysol cans? And like your whole office was like a cloud of Lysol. You couldn't even breathe. And now I'm, you know, curious to see what my lungs are gonna look like in the future and what Lysol really does to your lungs. But like, it's just so fun to look at.   Dana (07:30) Yep.   The Dental A Team (07:42) These are the things we used to do. I used to walk into an operatory with what was it called? What is it? It starts with a B. It's a Birex. I can see the bottle, the clear bottle with the green writing, yellow, you know, squirt, and just like squirting every surface I could possibly see. And then aerosoling with Lysol, walking away, coming back.   Dana (07:43) Hmm.   Pyrex, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.   This is... Yep. Everything. Yeah.   The Dental A Team (08:11) wiping it down with calvicide wipes, spraying it again, and then walking away and then walking in with a patient and being like, oh, let me dry that. And I'm drying the chair because there's still byracks on the chair or Lysol in the air and the patient's coughing. Dana, do you remember those days? I hope some of us do.   Dana (08:15) Yeah.   I do and   honestly too because I grew up like I was a child in a dental office a lot and I actually even remember when like gloves were optional.   The Dental A Team (08:35) That's right.   Yeah, I was like, I know what you're   gonna say. I know what you're gonna say. Yeah.   Dana (08:45) Yep, yeah, we're even gloves.   We're just kind of like an option for something.   The Dental A Team (08:50) Yeah. Do you remember   when they would say, well, this is more to protect me than it is to protect you. So that's why I don't wear them. I remember that too. I'm like,   Dana (08:56) Yeah. ⁓   I wash my hands. we're gonna like, I just think about it now all the time. I'm like, ⁓ my like, the places we have come.   The Dental A Team (09:05) ⁓ what we did.   places we   have come, the things we have done not knowing. hope there are so many of you out there laughing. I know that there are a lot of you out there that are like, what are they even talking about? Because you may not have even been born yet. So welcome to Jenna String. We're glad you're here. Just be happier. Be happier coming out of the scene now. ⁓ Anyways, some of the things that I have   Well, we looked up some things today, Dana, and some of the things that one thing I was really excited about something that you mentioned when we were chatting earlier. I want you to kind of talk about what you think, how you think ⁓ practices could really utilize this was one there's like up and coming on the scene. I don't think that there's anything really out there yet that's solid, but up and coming on the scene like automated ⁓ knowing automatically if a sterilizer needs to be ran or what.   write the sterilization pieces. So that's, that's looking really cool, the AI side of automating those types of things to keep a good schedule. But Dana, one thing that was on there that we were looking at was really like tracking those things and making it so that it is digitized. And I think that's massive, because these checklists that we create with practices, right, I have so many dentists that are like, well, cool, we've got like an end to day sheet, but like, what about their monthly? What about their weekly? What about the stereo?   strips. And as a dental assistant, I never remember to do those dang things. And when I did, I never looked at them, right? And I'm like, just having shine, take it, take it away. Tell me if it's good or not. Like, but these automated tools, I think will be super helpful. So Dana, what do you think? How do you think that innovation is really going to benefit practices? And how can they implement something like that right away, that they could truly automate some of these things?   Dana (10:53) Yeah, and I think it's really just doing some research and finding things that are definitely our companies out there who that have started and even in the AI platform where they're just automatically tracking your sterilization. They're automatically making sure that all of your sterilization batches that come out are.   are good and it's logging it for you with dates and paths and fail and, and all those pieces, which I think is just really, really super cool. I know that oftentimes when I get new offices, you know, they're like, well, how do I get my OSHA pieces in place? And how do I and having things like this that are just automated that like, what, what a cool tool and what cool things that I think we're seeing coming for dentistry in that area.   The Dental A Team (11:34) Yeah. Where do you feel like practices could ⁓ ramp up what they're doing now to automate it? Like, I feel like I'm thinking we use ClickUp for everything, which I mean, we have spent, I'm not going to lie. We spent a couple of years getting really good at ClickUp and we have a whole team working on it behind us, but something like that even, right? Where it's like sending these automated email reminders or there's apps out there.   Dana (11:45) Mm-hmm.   No.   The Dental A Team (12:01) with the Remind apps. I know the schools use a Remind app even, but there's like those ⁓ family calendar apps that text you when things are coming up. Like how can we be innovative without waiting for AI to get better or waiting for, you know, Elon Musk or someone to think of something incredibly crazy that no one's ever thought of, but how can we be innovative with the tools that we already have?   that maybe we're seeing people are just aren't really doing these things and they easily could.   Dana (12:31) Yeah,   and think some of it comes down to like that saying, know, know thyself and be free, right? Well, if you're somebody that needs automated reminders, find a way to do it. There's boomerang on your email that you can, you can simply just email yourself and say, sterilization test strip, right? And then you boomerang it to yourself every 10 days or every number of days that it's required for you in your area. And so I think just like finding ways things that are hard don't   typically have to be hard. You just have to find a way to make it easier. And there are so many.   things out there, software, resources, and oftentimes too, like they're even cost effective or there's no cost, right, for some of these too. And so I think it is finding the pieces that are hard for you to keep track of, and then find something, whether it is a management tool or whether it is just a reminder system or whether it is one of these AI ⁓ pieces that are coming or are here. I think it really just is looking and figuring out how you can pivot.   and how you can use the technology that is around you because man, just, the things that are at our fingertips to make things easy and to help with the things that we kind of like just hit our heads on the wall against every single day, they're here and even more is coming and it's really cool.   The Dental A Team (13:54) I couldn't agree more. I have so many systems set up. I tell my practices constantly. Like I my memory, I my memory has never been super fantastic. I remember the things I want to remember, I suppose. Right. But I have so many like I have it down to like, in my calendar, it'll say like, don't forget to leave for your hair appointment. Last Friday, like you've got to drive, right? You got so many pop ups and reminders, then I'll set. I'll just set simple alarms with a label on my phone sometimes that   we'll make sure that I remember to do that off the wall thing. I think you're right, Dana, that we, I think we tend to overcomplicate things. And we try, we try to tell ourselves that we don't, we're not smart enough, or we don't know the thing, or that's not my space, right? I'm not a tech person. I'm not a techie person, but I can tell you, there are plenty of techie people out there that have created systems that I can use.   as a template to create it to be and work however I need it to work for me so that no, they saw me true. You're 100 % spot on with that. I know that I need these reminders. And so I look for the tools that will help me do that. I think making sure doctors, practice owners, leaders, making sure you guys remember you don't have to be the ones that think of this for everyone else. had...   a call yesterday, Dana, with a group of managers that are near and dear to my heart. I've been working with these ladies for years, gosh, like, I think since 2018. And I love them. They're so fantastic. But one of the questions yesterday was like, what do I do when they just keep forgetting to do the thing I asked them to do? And I'm like, well, one, right, Dana, make sure that you've got a date set. And like you said, like a reporting back system, you said that earlier on a different podcast. But also, Dana, don't   You believe I know you teach this to like, I don't need to be the one that creates the system for you to make sure you get it done. If I take that autonomy and that creativity from you, you're likely going to forget, right? Yeah.   Dana (15:55) Mm-hmm. Yeah, I agree with   you. And I think team members know themselves.   Hands down better than you do as leaders or or we do as your coach and so sometimes I'm like just sit down and ask them like what can we put into place? What do you think will help you? What do you think we can do to support or what system do you think that we can build in? That's because not everybody is a checklist person Sometimes people need reminders on their phones. Sometimes people need reminders on the schedule. Sometimes people need Something that comes to them via email whatever it is, but oftentimes team members because they know themselves better than   anyone can come up with something that will actually truly work versus the 30 things we throw at them trying to solve it.   The Dental A Team (16:37) I totally agree with you. Totally agree with you. And that's, that's been helpful in my life for me to be able to have that autonomy and, be empowered to create what's going to work for me. And one of the biggest spaces there is, and then this comes to like the infection control things too, like what's the result we're after. If we know the result we're after, we are, we are very smart beings. We are insanely intellectual. If we know the result we're after,   likely we can come up with a plan to get us there. We just, we have to be given that space and the availability to be able to do that. So I think it's huge. think, gosh, Dana, like this little, I mean, we both have these notes up here that we're like, gosh, there are some really cool things coming down the pipeline. Like they sound awesome. Automated waterline disinfection system. Like, holy cow, that's so cool. If you have this, please write it and tell us more about it. Like,   I know there's so many things that have come out of the last five years and just watching these startup companies or companies that are just starting to do this new thing, watching them do this and jump onto the scene has just been really, really cool. I think do some research, you guys. There's some cool things in here that we don't know enough about to.   go on tangents with, but it is really amazing. And staying on top of that, staying in the forums, I know we've got our doctor forum that's constantly asking questions around things like this and constantly innovating and thinking of new things, but realistically, bottom line, make sure that it's getting done. Make sure that you know what the standards are that you're supposed to keep when it comes to infection control. Those standards, those are your goals. Give them to your team. Your team's really smart. And guess what? Most of us.   Right? Have teams that are way younger than us today. Shelby, shout out to Shelby. Shelby taught these old dogs a trick. That's not a new trick. It's a trick that we forgot about because we didn't have a reminder system for it. But Shelby, Shelby innovates like crazy. She is a solution master. She is a problem solver. And I think it's just that generation's way of   being they were raised with the internet, they were raised with these tools at their disposal and they know how to use them. We were not raised with these tools at our disposal. They came onto the scene while we were growing up and we learned to use them as they they were learning us, you know, and trust these team members to figure some of this stuff out and automate things for you. Simplify, create the systems that are going to work like let them work with these these things. I've seen   not only Shelby, but I've seen so many practices thrive because these young minds are thinking of some incredible, incredible things. And Dana, I'm sure you're saying the same things in your practices.   Dana (19:37) yeah, yeah, and you know, team members sometimes come with great ideas, they come with great resources, sometimes team members, you know, go do research and find something that will solve an issue that's happening and it is really...   need to see from an outside perspective, just how many changes are here, how many changes are coming and the pieces that technology bring. And you're right, younger team members tend to embrace them, ⁓ and find them.   The Dental A Team (20:07) Yeah, I agree. I agree. I call them, you know, the smarter, they're smarter. Those kids running around just thinking of everything and like, dang it, you know, I need that. But we all have our own things that we do really well and I make reminders really well. So that's what I'm gonna be super proud of today. So you guys, I told you, we have some really fun ones. Today was actually really fun. Innovations in infection control, like,   you guys innovate or die yourselves. Where is it? Maybe an infection control, maybe in anywhere else that's honestly driving you a little bit bad. Maybe we're forgetting the stereo strips. Maybe we're forgetting to the lines. Maybe we're forgetting to change the traps and our compressors are getting overworked. Like all of those spaces. What is it? Maybe we're forgetting to wipe things down or whatever it is. Where can we build in some automation? Because today's innovation is reminding you   that there's an automation for everything. So what is it that's driving your nets? What is it that's not getting done so your result isn't getting met? And then what can we create? What system can we create and put in a place that's going to get us there? Dana, thank you so much for taking this wild journey with me today. We've had some really fun podcasts. has been really enjoyable. I would not want to have done this with anyone else. So thank you, Dana, for spending your afternoon with me.   Dana (21:31) Yep, always fun.   The Dental A Team (21:33) Always an adventure with Tiff. All right, guys. Thank you listeners for being here. Whether you are a current Dental A Team client, a future client, or someone who is just here to listen, we love all of you guys. You are near and dear to our heart. We hope that you enjoy every podcast, but we hope you took some nuggets away from today. Please, as always, leave us a five-star review. Let us know what you thought.   And if you have some innovations, write into us. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. If there are things that other people need to know about, put it in your review as well. People really do read them. And also look for our doctor forums on Facebook or on Instagram. And then if you are a client, make sure that you're in our client only space as well so that you can help everyone innovate in their practices too. And that's a wrap. Thanks guys. We'll catch you next time.

In today's insightful Clinician's Corner episode, Clarissa Kennedy and Molly Painschab delve into chronic invalidation as a trauma response, exploring its origins, impacts, and practical healing strategies. This episode offers clinicians compassionate insights and actionable tools for supporting clients on their healing journeys. Key Highlights: Understanding Chronic Invalidation Chronic invalidation occurs when emotions, needs, or perceptions are consistently dismissed, causing internalization of critical voices. Common invalidating statements include "You're too sensitive," "It's not that bad," and "Don't cry." Chronic invalidation often results in perfectionism, emotional suppression, people-pleasing, and using food or substances to cope. Origins and Impact Invalidating behaviors can originate from caregivers' inability to handle their own emotions. Chronic invalidation can manifest in adulthood as strong inner critics, emotional numbness, hyper-vigilance, and difficulty identifying personal emotions and needs. Invalidated individuals often experience significant relationship challenges, attachment issues, and ongoing self-doubt. Healing Strategies for Clients Awareness: Encourage noticing and naming the inner critic as a first significant step toward healing. Curiosity and Compassion: Recognize the inner critic as a protective mechanism developed to cope with past hurts. Co-regulation and Community: Seek safe, validating environments where clients can experience relational repair through community support and co-regulation. Therapeutic Modalities for Addressing Chronic Invalidation: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps clients identify and reframe invalidating thoughts. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): Provides emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills. Internal Family Systems (IFS): Validates all parts of self without shame. Somatic Experiencing and Polyvagal Theory: Body-based approaches to regulate the nervous system and safely reconnect clients with their bodies. Clinician Guidance and Reminders Avoid invalidating language (e.g., labeling clients as resistant or not having hit "rock bottom"). Validate client experiences before offering problem-solving approaches. Model self-validation and demonstrate relational repair in therapeutic interactions. Encourage distress tolerance skills among clinicians to prevent rescuing behaviors driven by personal discomfort. Embodied Practice (Somatic Experiencing Exercise) Clarissa leads listeners through a gentle, somatic experiencing practice designed to: Identify areas of stored emotional tension. Invite compassionate awareness and gentle inquiry into bodily sensations. Facilitate nervous system regulation through grounding, breathwork, and affirmations. Closing Insights Healing from chronic invalidation is a gradual, individualized journey. Encourage clients to begin with the strategies and modalities that feel safest and most accessible. Remind clients and clinicians alike that healing is not linear but is profoundly supported through compassionate awareness, relational repair, and community. Join us next month for more empowering insights on Clinician's Corner! The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.

In this Mission Matters episode, host ⁠Adam Torres⁠ speaks with ⁠Rachel Onile⁠, Founder of ReMIND, a stroke recovery app designed to support marginalized communities. Born from her mother's experience with stroke and the inaccessibility of ongoing care, ReMIND combines speech therapy tools, emotional health tracking, and peer support in one affordable platform. Rachel shares her journey from pitch competitions to purposeful impact in health tech. Follow Adam on Instagram at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/⁠ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule. Apply to be a guest on our podcast: ⁠https://missionmatters.lpages.co/podcastguest/⁠ Visit our website: ⁠https://missionmatters.com/⁠ More FREE content from Mission Matters here: ⁠https://linktr.ee/missionmattersmedia⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whew! This episode of The Patrick Madrid Show is thought-provoking, a little scary, and very relevant for every Catholic parent, teacher, and really anyone who knows a teenager. Patrick and Producer Cyrus tackle a recent report showing that a third (yes, 1 in 3!) of American teens aged 13–17 say they prefer chatting with AI bots over actual humans. “AI is just a tool” – Patrick’s Perspective Patrick makes it clear that he's not afraid of AI, just like he’s not afraid of a knife or the internet. Tools can be dangerous or useful; it depends on how you use them. While he’s not panicking, he is sounding a big ol’ warning bell for parents. He compares AI today to the early days of the internet in the ‘90s — when no one really understood what it was going to become. (Anyone else remember dial-up modems?) He believes AI may be even bigger in terms of its impact on society. The Report That Got Everyone Talking The big story they discussed came from a study called “Talk, Trust, and Trade-Offs”. It reveals that: -A full third of teens say they’d rather talk to AI than to friends or family -Many use AI for emotional support, friendship, and even immoral content -Teens are sharing personal details with these bots -Many of them think the bots are better listeners than their actual human companions Let that sink in: teens are calling these things “companions” — human-sounding language for a non-human tool. Parents, This Is Your Cue! Patrick and Cyrus both open up about their own experiences as dads. Cyrus mentioned how his 18-year-old son spent most of his social time during high school in the gaming world, chatting online with friends instead of hanging out in person. They reminisce about the days when “socializing” meant actually being in the same room. Remember those? Board games, backyard baseball, pizza parties. Good times. Patrick’s challenge to parents is to step up, be aware, and be involved. Parents, here’s what Patrick recommends you should do: -Start the conversation. Ask your kids if they’re using AI and how. -Teach them discernment. They need to know that not everything AI says is true or safe. -Remind them of real connection. Face-to-face friendship > artificial conversations -Watch the privacy risks. Nothing shared with AI is truly private. Those convos can be hacked, stored, and sold. The Bottom Line AI is becoming a counterfeit friend for kids who are struggling with loneliness, anxiety, and identity. But the Church — and real, healthy human relationships — are where true healing and connection happen.... not in a chatbot pretending to care. Question for YOU:Have you noticed teens in your life relying more on tech than actual friendships? What are you doing to keep real connection alive?

Big O has a question for DOLFANS 072825

Rev. Cyril A. Stevens – Sermon 0214A recorded on August 27, 1980 teaching from 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 – Something to Remind Us, Refresh Us, and Revive Us. Pastor Cyril A. Stevens draws profound insights from 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, emphasizing God’s boundless love and provision for believers. Stevens highlights three core aspects: remembrance, refreshment, and revival. First, he…

Do you feel stuck trying to be "nice" all the time? Always avoiding conflict, worrying what others will think, and saying yes when you mean no? In this episode, Dr. Aziz reveals the hidden cost of people-pleasing—and why it's one of the most dangerous habits you can have. From parenting to relationships to work decisions, this pattern can quietly lead you into situations that drain your time, money, confidence, and joy. With humor and real-life examples, Dr. Aziz shows how the gentle current of niceness can pull you far off course. You'll hear stories from his own life—including a recent run-in with a pushy salesman—that bring this dynamic to life in vivid detail. Most importantly, he helps you recognize where this pattern shows up in your world so you can start making new, empowered choices. If you're ready to stop being the “good boy” or “good girl” and start being you—bold, real, and powerful—this episode is your invitation. Listen now and take the first step toward more confidence, freedom, and self-respect.--------------------------------------------- Welcome to another episode of Shrink for the Shy Guy, where we tackle the challenges of social anxiety, people-pleasing, and self-doubt to help you confidently show up as your true self. Today's episode is about breaking free from the crippling grip of anxiety—specifically, how the need to control your environment can intensify your feelings of anxiety and hold you back. Why Do We Feel Anxious? Anxiety is an uncomfortable and unsettling feeling, often accompanied by thoughts of worry or fear. It's that nagging voice in your head telling you that something bad is going to happen, causing your body to feel on edge, frantic, or even panicked. Anxiety can show up anywhere—whether it's in social situations, at work, or in personal relationships. But what if I told you that the key to reducing anxiety isn't about finding a quick fix or a silver bullet, but about changing how you relate to the anxiety itself? The Need for Control: The Root Cause of Anxiety Here's the truth: Anxiety often stems from the need to control. When we feel like we need something to happen a certain way—whether it's for people to like us, to be successful, or to avoid discomfort—we trigger anxiety. We think, "If I don't control this, something bad will happen." For example, consider the anxiety we feel about sleep. Maybe you're stressed about getting enough rest, but the more you stress about it, the harder it becomes to fall asleep. This is a perfect example of how our need to control a situation causes the anxiety itself. The more we believe that we need to control the outcome, the more anxiety we create. Stand-out Quote: "Anxiety comes from the need to control. The more you try to control something, the more anxiety you create." Shifting Your Relationship with Anxiety So, how do we break free from the grip of anxiety and control? The solution isn't a magic pill or a one-time fix. It's about awareness and practice. Acknowledge the need to control: The first step in breaking the cycle is recognizing when you're trying to control something. Notice how your thoughts tell you, “I need this to go right, or else.” Sit with discomfort: Instead of avoiding discomfort or trying to control it, choose to face it. Anxiety will always be present when we try to control our emotions or outcomes. By allowing yourself to feel the discomfort without attaching a need to control it, you can start to decrease its power over you. Let go of the “or else”: Remind yourself that even if things don't go as planned, you will be okay. By choosing to stop controlling and embracing uncertainty, you take back your power. The Long-Term Solution: Training Yourself to Think Differently The real liberation from anxiety comes when you train yourself over time to think and act differently. Just like building muscle at the gym, overcoming anxiety takes consistent practice. The more you practice letting go of the need to control, the less anxiety will dictate your actions. It's not about never feeling anxious again. It's about learning to respond differently to anxiety when it arises. You can train your nervous system to become more regulated, even in the face of discomfort. The more you practice this, the stronger your sense of confidence becomes. You Have the Power to Change If you're ready to break the avoidance cycle and take control of your anxiety, the first step is acknowledging the need to control and learning how to let go. This may feel uncomfortable at first, but remember—you don't have to do this alone. You can train yourself over time to build lasting confidence and handle life's challenges without anxiety taking the lead. Action Step: Today, notice when you're trying to control something. Whether it's a conversation, your schedule, or how others perceive you, take a moment to breathe and remind yourself that it's okay not to control everything. Let go, and see what happens. Remember, the path to confidence is built one step at a time, and you are capable of taking that first step today. Until we speak again, may you have the courage to be who you are and know on a deep level that you're awesome.

Have you ever gotten into a disagreement with your brothers or sisters? So did Joseph. But even with trouble at home, Joseph still dreamed big!JOSEPH FORGIVESHey parents! Use these questions as a guide to talk over this week's Bible story called Joseph Forgives with your child after they've listened to this week's story. Remember the Big Idea: God has an important job for me.What was your favorite part of the story we just heard?Who was mean to Joseph and threw him into a pit?His brothers. They were jealous of Joseph because their dad loved Joseph the most.What happened when people thought Joseph did something wrong?They put him in jail.Who was always with Joseph, even when bad things kept happening?God!Is God always with you?Yes! We know God is always with us when we believe in him because he tells us in the Bible, and he helps us through the Holy Spirit. He helps us be brave and gives us what we need.Take some time to pray with your child. You might pray something like this:Dear God, thank you for always being with me. Help me remember you are with me when I am scared or when bad things happen. We love you! Amen.Parent Devotional Hey parents! We have something just for you to enjoy this Bible story for yourself. We encourage you to read over this devotional sometime this week as a way to reflect on the Bible story your child saw from Church at Home. We love you!DownloadEarly Childhood Craft – Joseph Story OrderColor the Joseph story cards and help your child test their memory of the Bible story as they put them in the right order. Remind them that God was with Joseph in every part of his story, and God is always with us.DownloadEarly Childhood Activity – God is With Me Pretend PlayYour child is learning that they can believe God is with them. As they play pretend, they will act out different things as a reminder that God is with them no matter what.DownloadEarly Childhood Activity Sheets Each week we have activity pages for your child to remember the week's lesson. They include new coloring pages and activity sheets for your child to enjoy!DownloadNavigating ParenthoodHey parents! Saddleback Parents has great training, tips, and tools to help you win. Check out http://saddlebackparents.com/ for resources to help guide you as you do the challenging and worthy work of raising brave, loving, kind kids who love God and others!Download

Carrie and Mark settle in to everyday life.by T. Foxal. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.“Oh Mark. I have never been made love to like that ever. It was perfect. Everything you have done so far has been perfect for me. I don't think you have one selfish bone in your body. I need to know though, are you scared of all of this?”“Carrie, I have never been more scared in my life. Not even over in the sandpit, with bullets flying all around. Had you not said I love you back to me, when I made my declaration, I would have been crushed. I've never, ever let anyone into my heart, like I have let you in. Am I scared now? A little. I know you said it the other night. Well, you told me to catch up with you because you were already there. But over time, I thought you may have some misgivings for saying, since we were in the heat of the moment then. But all the little things you have been doing, or saying, led me to believe you really were. And, I wanted to make it special for you. This whole day when you weren't around me, all I could think of was you. I wondered what you were thinking when you took your bath before, or what you were doing and thinking when you left this morning. Let's face it, we haven't been alone with our own thoughts for a week now.”She leaned in and kissed me lightly on the lips, then said, “Mark. I knew from that first kiss. Then when we made love the first time, I was in heaven. It wasn't sex between us. It was more. Since that time, we have done nothing but make love and my heart races every time I see you. I was so scared when I said that the other night. Did I push you away from me? Would you just say, screw this, I'm outta here. But the big thing for me was when we were at the winery, and you went up to the bar to get us those samples. Your eyes smiled at me the whole time. You didn't even look at that girl, who I thought was really hot, but just kept looking at me. You made love to me right then. Am I scared. Yes. I want this more than anything, but I don't want to be hurt again. I lived that. But, you are not him. You are so much more than he could ever be. I was eye candy for him, and a fuck, and nothing more. My heart is now yours, please don't hurt it.”I rolled to my side and looked deep into her hazel eyes, then kissed her. “You know what turned me on the most today?” “No, Baby, I don't” “When I saw you after you came back from your day in town. My God, you looked so sexy and stunning to me. You are such a beautiful woman, and not just physically, but all around. I wanted to take you then, but then that would have downplayed this evening. I never tried to be romantic with anyone before, and I so wanted to seduce you tonight.”She giggled. “Well Mr. Marine. You succeeded in every way tonight. I'll tell you. When I saw the robe, then the candles lit by the bathtub, I got super horny. I wanted you so bad then. Then when I shaved down there, I felt incredibly sexy. I even came after that. But when we took off our robes and I saw you in those boxers, I damn near raped you. But dancing really did me in. I almost told you then I loved you. But I am glad I waited now.”As she talked, her hand was now on my cock, stroking it back to life. When I was hard again, she leaned in and kissed me, then pushed me to my back. She kneeled and straddled me and slowly sat down on me, engulfing me with her velvet like inner walls of her sex.“Baby?” she whispered. “This has been an amazing night. But now I need to be a little naughty. A couple should be able to let loose some and enjoy sex too. I love lovemaking, but I also love to fuck Mark. But only with someone I want to give myself too, completely. I want to fuck your beautiful cock. I want to feel your cum spray deep inside me and, I want cum all over it. Fuck me Baby. Make me your Lover.”I arched my back up and drove in deep in her. “Oh Fuck. You are so deep.” She started moving up and down, faster and faster. “Oh god I love this. My favorite position too.”She leaned down and started smothering me with kisses. Moaning as we fucked. I did too. Her head slipped to the side of mine and whispered. “You like my tight little cunt, don't you Babe. Your cock is a perfect fit for it. My cunt loves your cock. Oh God Mark. ““Oh God Babe. Your cunt is so tight. I love it and always will. Fuck me Carrie.”She sat up and started grinding hard on me now. Neither of us was going to last long. I sat up and took her one tit in my mouth and sucked hard.“Oh Christ. Suck my tits Baby. I Love that so much”She started pounding me harder now, as I continued sucking it, then switched to the other. Her arm went behind my head and pulled me in tighter. My hands were holding her luscious ass as I did this. My one hand went exploring and touched her ass, which made her moan really loud. I slipped it down to her cunt and got it wet as the finger rubbed against her lips and my cock. Then I brought it up to her brown hole and slipped it in.“Oh Fuck Baby. Yes. God I love you”She started cumming a minute later. Her head and body shook as she came hard, but somehow, she maintain the rhythm we had going. I was now getting close myself and could feel my balls tighten up, signaling my impending orgasm. “Oh Shit Carrie, I'm going to cum” I yelled out.She slammed down one last time, and then jumped off. Her mouth was over my cock in no time and was starting to suck me, when I erupted in her mouth. I had to have shot 5 or 6 good ropes into her hungry mouth. She didn't spill a drop, except at the end, a little dribbled out the side.She was kneeling now, getting ready to wipe her mouth, when I grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her to me and I licked it off of her face and then kissed her. The kiss was so hot and passionate. We were lost in that kiss for minutes, until she broke away, panting hard.We both lay on our backs now, still in a euphoric bliss from our love making. Carrie was very quiet. At first I thought she fell asleep, until I felt her hand grasp mine and squeeze it.“Are you  okay Carrie?”, I asked. “Actually, I am on cloud nine, as they say. I've never been made love too, like this, then opening up and letting go like that. I just hope you don't think I am some sort of slut. I want to explore all there is with you sexually and lovingly too.”“Babe. You are hardly a slut. Sex to me, is supposed to be fun too. You were amazing. But our love making, well, it's beyond words. To me, you are an angel. Quite the lady too. In bed, we can do whatever we please, as long as we both agree on whatever we do. One thing though, I can never share you with anyone. I don't believe I get jealous, but I could never share you with anyone, man or woman. I knew a couple in the service that did that. Got into swinging. No way. Not with someone I love and respect, like I do you. But just so you know, I really enjoyed the naughty Carrie. She is fun.”“Umm.. I may have to let her out more often then. Cuz naughty Markie, was turning me on too. But, you will never have to fear me wanting another. I am quite happy with who I am with. I will never deny you in bed either. Except, when I am sick, or you are sick. Sex just doesn't seem like fun then. But that's about it.”“Yeah, being sick and wanting sex, just doesn't seem to go hand in hand. I will never deny you as well. But, I'm a guy, so the prospect of me saying no is quite low.”She giggled, then said, “Well. Mister. You better never hold out in the oral department anymore. Oh Christ. That was unbelievable. I could take that all day long. And, I love giving too. I love how you taste.”“You're turning me on again Honey. How do you feel right now?” I asked“Horny” she giggled then. “Honestly. And don't freak when I say this. But I feel as though I am on a Honeymoon and you took your virgin bride to sexual highs she never knew existed.”I did chuckle. “Nothing wrong with that. To me, you are a virgin, or at least were. I don't care about your past. You are my first, and dare I say, only love for me.”“I like that” she replied. Then said, “Where do you see us in a year?”“Honestly. I never look to the future too much. But, I have been lately. I hope that you will be with me in a year, and maybe, just maybe, if you haven't tired of my Jarhead ass, we are right back here, spending it as a true honeymoon”She folded into my arms and kissed my cheek. “I think that could be a real possibility. This Squid actually has thought about it, and she doesn't think she'll ever tire of you. Piss me off at times, Yes, but never tire.”I then laughed, and she asked what was funny. “God, if your Dad could see us right now. He'd hang me.”“Nah. He knows I like you a great deal. He doesn't know we professed love yet. But he does like you, Mom told me that. Jenny knows too. I talked with her this morning. I sent her a selfie, after I got my hair done. She called right after seeing it. Then she starts out by saying, “Damn Mom, you look hot. I think someone is in love.” She's a pretty smart girl actually. I was supposed to face time with her earlier, but someone had me a tad busy. She wants to see you and talk with you.”“Oh great. She's the one person that scares me the most, and I want on my side. More so, than even your parents. Go ahead and call her now. It's only 10pm.”She giggled again. “Uh No. We better wait until tomorrow. This is the first time her and her boyfriend Alan have been alone for a long time. He was with his family last weekend. They have dated for a year now, so I am pretty sure, they are in the same place you and I are right now, naked and in bed.”“You  okay with that? I asked. “Oh yes. I like him a lot. He treats her with so much respect and I know they love one another. He's a good kid and dotes after Jenny. His world revolves around her. He is studying to become a food scientist. If they can last the ups and downs of college and still remain in love, I could easily see them married one day. Only time will tell. And don't worry about her liking you, she will. She knows I do, and so far have made me extremely happy.”She got up then and walked to the bathroom. Then came back with our robes. “Let's go cuddle on the couch, enjoy some wine and TV, before we call it a night.” And so we did.Chapter 15.It was morning now, almost 8:30. I never sleep this late. The only reason I was up was because I had to pee so bad. Carrie was still sound asleep. She was curled up and looked so peaceful. My thought was, “What in God's name does she see in me. I'm nobody special. Yes, I am in good shape and I do treat her with respect, but she is absolutely beautiful and had I known of her, somewhere else, I would have never even attempted to approach her. I wasn't in her league, or so I thought”But here I am, one week after meeting her, and totally in love. I could not even fathom life without her in it. But reality would soon be creeping up on us. I knew she would be leaving mid-week. Would this all end after she left, and had time to really think this through? Only time will tell.I padded to the kitchen and made coffee. As it brewed I stood looking out the back door window. The skies were an ugly gray. Rain was falling. We knew this was coming, after viewing the weather report last night. Today and tomorrow, rain.I then toasted a few bagels, and got out the cream cheese. Made us both coffee, and took it to the bedroom. As I walked in, Carrie was yawning and stretching. Her tit were in plain view, and look so delicious to me. She sat up, not bothering to cover up. “Good sign” I thought.“Good Morning Sweetheart. I thought you may enjoy some breakfast in bed” I said to her.“Oh Wow. I could definitely get used to this. Especially if you lose that robe.”We sat and enjoyed our breakfast. We also started talking about this coming week. Since it was raining today, we decided to go into town and take in a movie and then dinner at some restaurant. On Monday, we were to hike Algonquin Peak, but if it is raining, we'll need to find something else to do.She then said, “You know I leave Wednesday. I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday that I made months ago, and I can't reschedule. It just takes so long to get in to see her.”“I know you were leaving then. But, I also am going to leave that day, with you. No sense hanging around here. Be bored to death, and I know me, all I'll think of is you the whole time.”“Awe. You are so sweet to me. But this is your vacation and you had it all planned out. Stay and at least hike some more of these mountains. I'll feel bad if you miss out on that.” she said with a pouty face.I just smiled at her and told her no, it was best I do head home. I had some major cleaning to do at my place. The house I have is actually an older farm house that was my grandparents. My grandmother outlived my mom and when she died, it was left to me and Ann. Ann didn't want it, so to be fair, I paid her the half she would have received, if we had sold it.The house was nice, but very outdated. Even the furniture was from the 60's. To me, it was cool, but my needs are simple. Ann has been bugging me for almost a year now to at least get some new furniture, if not update the whole place. My office is actually the dining room.I tell you this because I have never brought anyone there, especially a date. So bringing Carrie there, as it looks right now, is totally out of the question. As I told her this, she just laughed. She asked if I keep it clean, or was I a typical guy, and let things go until I can't stand it anymore. I told her I always keep it clean, it's just very outdated.“You big lug, I don't care about stuff like that. I will care if it smells like the gym on board a ship smells like. That is so gross.” and we both laughed.We finished our coffee and bagels, and set our cups and napkins on the nightstand. She pulled the cover down and asked me to slide in. We started kissing and making out some, when her phone rang. “Perfect timing” I thought. She looked at the phone and said, “It's Jenny. Hope all is alright. She is never up this early.”“She hit some button and I saw Jenny's face appear on the screen. Luckily, Carrie had the sheet up above her tit, and I was safely off to the side.“Hi Sweetheart”“Hi Mom. Hope I am not disturbing you.”“No Sweetie. You're good. We were just having breakfast.”“Oh. In bed too. I take it Marine guy is nearby.”Carrie laughed, “If you must know young Jen, he is right here, and his name is Mark, not Marine guy. But you knew that” “Hey just giving you a hard time. Hi Mark.” Carrie moved the phone over to where I could see her and she see me. I had just put the robe back on, so I was decent.“Hi Jenny. Very nice to meet you. I must say, you are as pretty as your mother.”Jen smiled; “Thank you. I hope to get to meet you when you two get back from your little vacation.”“I would say that is a very good possibility, unless your Mom gets rid of me by then. Lots of mountain tops she could push me off of, up here.” I said with a laugh.Carrie turned the phone back to her and said, “What did you two do this weekend? Is Alan still there?”Jen smiled this sly smile “Yeah. He is still asleep. We went to dinner and a late movie, then came back here. The main reason I am calling is that Papa called a bit ago, or I'd be sleeping too. He and grandma are coming up next weekend”My eyes got real big, but Carrie just chuckled, “That's great. When are they coming in?”“Friday evening, and staying here for a few days, then going to aunty Bev's for a few days. And Mark. Papa had a message for you. “Don't crap where you eat son.” He said you'd understand completely.”I just shook my head. Great. He's gonna shit when he hears his daughter and I are now dating.Carrie was laughing now. Jen wanted to know what that was about. Carrie said she'd tell her when she sees her this week. They carried on for a few more minutes as Jen filled her in on stuff. Now Jen did look somewhat similar to her mom, from what I could see on the phone. That same light caramel color, with long flowing brown hair, and a gorgeous smile. Alan should consider himself a very lucky man. They signed off then after saying goodbye's and Jen saying bye to me too, telling me to take very good care of her mother, or else.I asked, “Are you sure she isn't your blood daughter? You two look so much alike.”“I wish she was. But No. Her parents were Puerto Rican, so the skin color is close. She shorted too, only 5 foot 3. She is an angel. You think Dad dotes over me? Wait till you see him around Jenny. I feel bad for Alan. He's met Dad twice now and is scared shitless of him. But Daddy wants only the best for his girls.”“Yeah, well, I am wondering now what is he going to say about us being together. He still scares the shit out of me.”She laughed, “Oh I don't know. I'll let you know after I tell him how you been having your way with me this whole week.” then laughed some more. She then opened his robe, grabbed his semi stiff member and stroke it.She giggled, the looked at him and stated, “Umm, I wonder what he'd say if he knew I was doing this.”, as she lowered her head to my manhood and sucked the head in.“Oh God Carrie.”The PromiseCarrie and Mark settle in to everyday life, once they return from their week and a half camping and hiking trip, after finding love in those mountains.I asked, “Are you sure she isn't your blood daughter? You two look so much alike.”“I wish she was. But No. Her parents were Puerto Rican, so the skin color is close. She shorter too, only 5 foot 3.. She is an angel. You think Dad dotes over me? Wait till you see him around Jenny. I feel bad for Alan. He's met Dad twice now and is scared shitless of him. But Daddy wants only the best for his girls.”“Yeah, well, I am wondering now what is he going to say about us being together. He still scares the shit out of me.”She laughed, “Oh I don't know. I'll let you know after I tell him how you been having your way with me this whole week.” then laughed some more. She then opened my robe, grabbed my semi stiff member and stroke it.She giggled, the looked at him and stated, “Umm, I wonder what he'd say if he knew I was doing this.”, as she lowered her head to my manhood and sucked the head in.“Oh God Carrie.”Chapter 16.The rest of that day, and into Monday, it did nothing but rain. So exploring any of the mountain tops was curtailed. We pretty much hung around the cabin in just our robes that day. The only time we dressed was to go to dinner, down into town. Neither of us felt like cooking. It was very hard for me to resist getting Carrie naked and just making love all day, but she needed to know that our relationship, that we both professed our love for each other, was more than just a physical thing, but also emotional.You see Carrie is a very beautiful woman. She is 5 foot 7, 130 pounds, with caramel colored skin, almost like Halle Berry skin tone. Her hair is short now too, with blonde highlights mixed in with her brown hair. Totally sexy in my eyes. She has amazing legs that are long and toned and a great ass. What turns me on the most is her tits. They are a large A, or small B cup. I love a woman with small tits.I am 5 foot 10, 175 pounds, and been told by many, a handsome man. I keep in shape, and that is because after spending 20 years in the Marines, you get used to working out. It's just ingrained into your fabric. I was single too, for all of those years. Never had a serious relationship, except for a semi one, back in my 20's, when I lived with a girl for a few months. But she didn't enjoy my deployments too much and wanted more. It was mostly a sex thing for us, and a place for us both to crash, when we were screwing.But now, a week and a half later, I am totally in love with this goddess, and she with me as well. What is funny too, I know her parents, or to be more specific, her father. He was a Master Chief in the Navy, and was on the aircraft Carrier Lincoln at the same time I was, years ago, when I was a Staff Sergeant in the Marines. Great guy too, but could scare the hell out of you. Carrie too, was in the Navy back then, but I do not think we ever crossed paths, since she worked on base, and, was also married back then to a Seal, which she now divorced from.Like I said earlier, we only got dressed that Sunday for dinner, then that Monday, a day we were supposed to visit another Adirondacks peak, it rained as well. We did go driving around and admired the countryside and had a fine dinner at the Italian restaurant we found the previous week.Then on Tuesday, we decided to go horseback riding. We found a place about 20 minutes from the cabin, near Lake Clear. We had a great time exploring the area by horseback. I have to admit, my ass was quite sore by the time we got through, as was Carrie's. There was a few times I would hang back, behind her and admire her ass as it bounced up and down in the saddle.She looked back one time and caught me. “God, don't you ever tire of looking at my big ass?”I just chuckled and told her, “Hell No. I love your ass, and it is hardly big. Remind me later to massage it for you, because if mine is sore, I know yours has to be.”“Maybe I will let you. Not sure if I want you touching it later. Now get up her next to me.” then whispered to me, after I got close, “You be a good boy, and I'll let you see it naked later.”, then laughed and rode away from me.After our ride, we stopped in this tavern that also featured home cooked meals. We both decided on burgers and fries. Normally, we both try to stay away from fried foods, but, as we both found out from talking, we like to cheat on occasion.By the time we got back to the cabin, nighttime was upon us and this was our last night together. I know we both pledged our love to one another, but after tonight, she may get a dose of reality when she got back home, and say, “No way” to being in a relationship. For me, I was all in. I never wanted anything more in my life, than to be with this beautiful, smart, witty and energetic woman.After getting into the cabin, I started a fire in the fireplace and Carrie went off to the bedroom, to get ready to shower. After I had a nice fire going, she came out in her robe and asked me to join her. As we washed each other down, removing the horse smell from our bodies, we kissed and held each other. We both took turns drying each other, then donned our robes and made our way to the couch. Before I sat down, I went and got us each a glass of wine.“Mark?” she said, and I looked at her. She had a tear on her cheek, for which I lightly brushed away. “What's wrong Honey?” I asked.“This is our last night here. This has been the best vacation I have ever experienced. Had you told me two weeks ago that I would meet the man of my dreams, I would have said you are so full of shit. But here I am, sitting next to you. I am so in love with you and I am also scared silly about tomorrow.” she explainedI knew what she meant, when she said she is scared. I am too. We get back to our real lives and the fantasy just fades away. She was deeply hurt all those years ago and opening up and allowing someone in, has to be tough for her to do. For me, it is a new experience. One I have never had before. If it does end, it will hurt, but I know I can move on from it, I think.“Carrie. I'm scared too. Once we are home and reality sets in for you, you may say, screw this. I have never opened up to anyone in my life, except for you. I just hope that you will grow with me. I'm going to make mistakes. You may want something, but I'm too stupid to know and understand, but like anything in life, you learn. One thing I will promise you and this is I will always be true to only you. I love you and will never do anything to hurt you.”“Oh Mark. No man has ever made me feel this way. We'll take each day as it comes and just know I will never hurt you as well. But be forewarned now, I can get bitchy. I don't mean to be, but it happens and when it does, just leave me be, and I will be fine. I think the hardest part of tomorrow is going to be not being with you, especially at night. After a week of sharing a bed together, and feeling so close to you, it is going to suck not having your arms around me tomorrow night, or this weekend. If I didn't have that appointment Thursday, I'd let you stay with me tomorrow, but I know us, we make love, and since this is a gynecologist I am seeing, sex wouldn't be the most prudent thing for me to do. And then this weekend, with my parents in town, I'm not sure what they'd say about us sleeping together.”I laughed, “Yeah, I could just see the look on your dad's face when we told them goodnight and padded off to bed. As for sex. We don't always have to have it you know. I mean I'll never turn it down, but I also know there is more to us than just sex. But tomorrow after we get home, and then at night, we'll probably both be too tired to do anything. Plus, like I said, I need to straighten up the place. One thing though. On Thursday, I would like to take you and Jenny to dinner, Alan too. That way, she has someone there who she is comfortable with, just in case she can't stand me.”“Oh Stop. She is going to love you. I'll call her tomorrow and set it up. Now! Take me to bed for the last time here and hold me Baby. I want to fall asleep in your arms.”Chapter 17.We got up early for some reason, and took a shower together. I still marvel at this exceptionally beautiful woman. She makes my heart race anytime I am near here. And when we are naked, it quadruples in magnitude. We did not have sex, but we did hold and caress each other until the water started turning cold.We were then packed and on our way home. She drove in front of me for the next 4 hours. We did talk on the phone a couple of times. The last time was just before my exit, which is a couple before hers. I called her and told her I would call her later and that I loved her. I could hear in her voice, a hitch, just like I had in mine. I missed her already and I had just exited from the roadway.Once I was home, I did a load of laundry, then went and started dusting and vacuuming the place. Not a thing I do a lot of. Of course my sister always comes over and does it at times, and bitches me out when she does. I then cut the grass, which was needed after two weeks of not touching it. It takes two hours to cut this lawn, and that's with a tractor. While I was cutting, I did miss a call from Carrie. She also texted me, just saying she was thinking of me and loved me. I texted back apologizing that I didn't answer her and explained why, and that I would call her later.We did talk around 6 that evening. She too was busy with housework and laundry. She strip the beds, not knowing which bed Jenny and Alan slept in. I had to laugh at that. She chuckled too but said, “It's one thing to sleep in our wet spot, but I'm surely not sleeping in theirs.” Which made me laugh hard.About 10 that night, I called her. She was lying in bed, reading a book. She conveyed to me that Jenny was ecstatic over meeting us for dinner and really happy I had included Alan. They were going to meet us at Carrie's at 6pm tomorrow. I told Carrie we would try Delmonico's Steakhouse, which was kind of close to her.She chuckled and said, “Oh fancy place. You know, you don't have to take us there. There's a nice restaurant right down the street from us.”“That's cool. But I want too. How many college kids can go to a place like this. Plus I have always wanted to try it, but, I'm not going alone. Ann said the food is excellent there.”“Speaking of Ann, did you call her and inform her that you are bringing someone Sunday?” she asked.“Oh yeah. She is so excited now. She can't wait to meet you. I told her that your parents were going to be in from Florida and I didn't know what plans they had that day. She said to bring them along too. The more the merrier.”Carried giggled, then said, “I don't know if your sister has a clue what Dad can be like. Just don't bring up politics. He thinks they are all thieves and liars.” which made me laugh.Then she got quiet. “Anything wrong? You are quiet now “ She sighed, “No, just missing lying next to you, with your arms around me. I feel so safe then. I love you Mark”“I love you too, Carolyn, and I do miss being with you. It was a very long day without you near me.” I told her.“It was a long day for me as well. I don't know how or why this happened between us, but I am so happy that you are in my life now. Maybe tomorrow night, you can spend it here with me, if you want too.” she said.“I think that can be arranged. You know what I do miss? You calling me Jarhead. When you say it, it means something to me.”“I told you, after last weekend, I was done calling you that, but if you insist, I'll just call you JH.”“I insist Squid. Now get some sleep. Just know, I love you Carrie and I am holding you in my dreams tonight.”Chapter 18.I knew Carrie had an appointment at 11am, so I didn't want to bother her, but did send her a text, after I got up and said good morning and I love you. She replied instantly to it, saying she was about to shower and get ready and she loved me too.I was pretty proud of myself. I dusted and swept the whole house. Not that I am a slob, but those are two jobs I really don't enjoy doing. Hell, living alone and never having people over, except for my sister, afforded me the luxury of not caring too much to do that. But with Carrie in my life, I guess I need to change my way of thinking.I then immersed myself in a project that I had been working on for this one company. I needed to do something to keep my mind occupied, since I would not be seeing her until later in the afternoon. I was surprised though, that by 3pm, I hadn't heard anything from her. I hope all went well with her doc appointment.I had told her that I would be over by 5:30, so we could spend some time alone, before Jenny and Alan showed up. By 4:30, I was shaved, and showered, then dressed for the evening. Since it was cool out, I wore dark blue pants, and lighter blue shirt, with a dark blue sport coat. I wanted to look good for when I met Jenny, and convey, I'm not some unkempt slob, who was dating her mother. I'm generally a jeans and t-shirt, or sweatshirt, kind of guy.I couldn't stand the wait any longer and decided to arrive a bit sooner. I got to her house at 5:15, so just a little bit early. After ringing the doorbell a few times, Carrie finally opened the door. Although she smiled when she let me in, I could tell something was amiss with her. After a brief hug and quick kiss on the lips, we stood back from one another.Carrie was wearing a burgundy pleated dress. It came to just above the knees. The neckline plunged just a bit, with white lace around the edges, with short sleeves as well. She looked radiant.“Wow. You look absolutely beautiful Sweetie.” I told her. She just said thanks, but that was it. Then said she had to finish getting ready. My antennae was now up. I could sense something was wrong. This girl was always so bubbly, and that definitely was not the case now. So I just walked around her living room, looking at pictures on the wall of Jenny, and her parents, and some people I had no clue of who they were. Then just took a seat and waited for her.For me, this was something new. I did not know what to say or do. Did I do something wrong, that may have upset her? Who knew, but this was not the Carrie I just spent almost two weeks with, had fun with, and made love too on many occasions. So I'm basically a fish out of water now. I made up my mind to just go with the flow, and when she is ready to talk, I'll be there, and hopefully, understand what is going on.Of course, my fear was she was going to end this between us. She had time to reflect and said that this wasn't worth it. If that is how she felt, then who was I to pursue it any further. I don't want to be with someone who did not want the same as me. Sitting there waiting, makes your mind think weird ass things, like I just did. Then again, maybe it wasn't anything and she is just having a bad day, or is nervous about me meeting Jenny.She finally emerged from wherever she was in her condo. When I saw her, she looked the same, so I have no idea what else she could have been doing. She walked into her kitchen and got a bottle of water, then asked if I wanted one too, which I kindly said no too.I finally got the courage to ask, “Is there something wrong?”She looked at me and had a sullen look on her face, then finally said “No. Guess I am just tired from all the prodding and poking today. I'm sorry I am not more upbeat.”I got up and went to her and wrapped my arms around her, “If you want to cancel tonight, that would be okay with me. We keep go out with them some other time, when you are feeling more up to it.”“No. No. I am fine. It will be fine. We'll go have a fun night with them. Jenny is so looking forward to meeting you.” she said, as she pulled away from me and went into the living room. “We'll talk later tonight, when we get back.”I knew from how she stated it, something was wrong. But, being a dumb man, I have no clue as to what. I didn't want to piss her off by asking questions. Maybe something at the doc's. I guess when she is ready, she will let me know. I walked up next to her and grabbed her hand, just to let her know I was there for her. At that point, her front door opened and in walked Jenny and Alan.Jenny was definitely a looker. I would say 5 foot 3, maybe 110 pounds, brown hair and eyes, and the cutest dimples. She did have bigger boobs than her mom, but since she was adopted, that made sense. But the irony of how much the two looked alike was uncanny. Alan was a good looking guy too. He had that German look to him. Blond hair, blue eyes, chiseled face and stood about 6 foot, but maybe weighed 170 pounds, if that.After making the introductions and some small talk, we left her condo and headed to dinner in my truck.At dinner, Carrie seemed to be her normal self. Well, at least the normal I had seen for the last two weeks. Jenny was regaling us with stories from her college life and some of things her and Alan had been doing of late, except for the sex part. I don't think Carrie, or myself, needed or wanted to know those details.As dinner was finally coming to an end, I had to admit, I was kind of quiet. I just let the three of them guide the evening and the conversation. Jenny did inquire what I actually did for a living, so I explained it to her. She was impressed, as was Alan. I tried not to let my concerns for Carrie, or our budding relationship ruin the evening. In my heart though, I had a bad feeling, this would be the last time I would see these three people.Near the end of dinner, Carrie announced that she needed to use the ladies room. Alan also said he need to use the facility, which then left just me and Jenny. I wasn't sure what to say to her, so I let her make the first move on talking.  “okay Mark. What's up with mom? Did you two have an argument or something?” Jenny asked.I shook my head, “Jenny. I have no idea what is wrong tonight. When I arrived this evening, she was down for some reason and won't tell me why. Yesterday we were fine, but ever since her doctor visit, she has changed. Maybe she has done some thinking and decided a relationship is not what she wants. Until she tells me, I am in the dark.”Jenny reached over and touched my arm. “I don't know either, but I do know that she and I talked last night for an hour and she is head over heels in love with you, and says you are with her as well. Are you Mark? Are you in love with my Mom?”“Nothing has changed for how I feel for your mother Jenny. I am in love with her. But, if she has had a change of heart, then I will abide by her wishes. Maybe we moved too fast. I don't know. To be honest Jenny. I have never been in love before, so this is a new territory for me. But if she had time to reflect now, and feels this isn't what she wants, well, I don't want to force anything like that on her. I just want her happy.”Jenny just shook her head, “I can't believe her mind could change like that. Something must be wrong and she just needs time to process it. Maybe you two can talk later. When we get back to my mom's, Alan and I are going to leave, and give you two some space to talk. Oh, and by the way, Papa really does like you. He thinks you are a good man.”Just as she said that, Carrie was walking back. Alan came a minute later. The waitress came around and asked if any of us wanted dessert, but we all begged off, since our meals were so filling.On the way home, Carrie was pretty quiet. In fact, you could probably cut the tension with a knife, that was between us. Jenny and Alan were pretty quiet too. I'd have done anything to hear some funny story either of them may have had right then.After arriving back at Carrie's condo, we all got out and Jenny said that they needed to get going. Carrie said she wished they could stay longer, but the kids said they had some homework they needed to finish up, but would see us this weekend. Of course my mind didn't think I would be involved with this family get together.As they left, Carrie turned and headed to her door, and I followed. Once inside, she asked if I wanted anything to drink, which I kindly declined. She went to the kitchen and got a bottle of water then rejoined me in the living room. I wanted to get this over with, so I started it off.  “okay Carolyn, please tell me what is wrong. I need to know.” I said in a somber voice.“Let's sit” she said, and we both did. She faced me and I could see a tear starting to form in her eye. My stomach became a knot now. My fears were now becoming reality, at least in my mind.“I wish I knew where to start, but I have to say, that no man has ever made me feel the way you make me feel. But I really think we need to step back and take a break for now.”, then she started crying. I reach for her, but she backed away. That made it feel like a knife was just plunged into my heart.“Carrie. How can you go from being so in love, to wanting to take a break, just like that. There is more than what you are telling me. So please tell me what has caused this sudden change in feelings.”She was still sobbing, trying to get her emotions under control, then finally looked at me and said, “Mark. They found a growth on one of my ovaries today. After the Pelvic exam, she did and ultrasound and found it. They want me to see a specialist next Tuesday then do some testing.” then started crying again. This time she let me pull her towards me. I knew this isn't good, but this is also something that can be taken care of. I had a cousin once have something similar to this and they removed a cyst the size of an egg from her, and she was fine then.“It's  okay Carrie. I'm sure it's nothing that medicine or an operation can't take care of.” I told her.“And what if it isn't Mark? What if it is cancer. Why should you be saddled with that in your life. We've known each other not even two fucking weeks. Although the best two weeks of my life. But this is not something you need to be part of. Your best bet is to turn around, walk away and get on with your life, like I never existed.” and started crying again.I pulled her into me again and held her tight. Her head was buried in my shoulder, and I caressed her hair and let her cry. I mean, if I was in her position, I'd probably tell her the same things. But I may not know her completely, but what I know of her already, she has a fierce loyalty to people she cares for and loves, and I know she wouldn't walk away either.After letting her sob some more, I gently moved her back, and away from me, so I could speak to her. “Sweetheart. There is no way I am letting you do this alone. Granted, we have only known each other for two weeks, but in these two weeks, you have captured my heart with every fiber of your being. I am in love with you Missy. People who love one another don't turn tail and run because of something traumatic happens to the other person. You stand with them, be their support and showed them love, for that is the only thing that can help get you through this. I have been a Marine for all of my adult life and one thing that is ingrained in us, from the time of our first day in boot camp, is that you never let the man next to you, or when you are a sergeant, your platoon, you never abandon them. No man is ever left behind. You're wounded Honey, so I will not leave you behind, so get used to that. When this is all over and you still feel this way, then you can tell me to hit the bricks.”She just stared at me, and while trying to compose herself, she gripped my hand in hers. “It's not fair to you Mark. What if it is cancer and it can't be fixed, then what? You going to just wait around and watch me die? You could be out finding that right person, instead of babysitting me.”“Stop it Carrie. You have no idea what it is. It could be a simple cyst, that meds could take care of. But one thing I do know, I will be with you this Tuesday, and any other day you need to have something done. I will be the first person you see when you wake up. But I will be there and I will always be there for you. I love you.”“Mark. It's not fair.” she shouted, then started crying again. “You're right. It's not fair. But who said life is. But I am not walking away. In fact I am more in love with you now, than I was 20 minutes ago. I don't know about you, but I have every intention of growing old with you. We have too much to do with our lives. So baby doll, I am not leaving you, Not ever.”“Carrie. Do you love me?” I asked. “Damn you Jarhead. You know I do.” she said. “Good. Don't you ever hold back something like this again from me. I won't either from you. But Babe, we can only help one another if we are open and honest with each other. Why don't you go get ready for bed. I'm not going home tonight, but I will sleep on the couch.”She shook her head and got up. As she did, she reached for my hand, “You are not, nor will you ever sleep on the couch. Your place is beside me in bed. I'm so sorry for ever thinking you would want out of this. I do love you Mark. More than you will ever know”She led me up the stairs to her bedroom. We both stripped off of our clothes. I had on the white silk boxers she got me. She put on this long t-shirt with a Minion on the front. She looked cute. We both used her bathroom then climbed into bed, where she snuggled up to me and let me hold her close. Her head rested on my chest.“Mark?” she said softly. “Carrie?” I answered back. “I am sorry. I promise never to do that to you again. I'm also sorry I was a Debbie Downer tonight at dinner, and even before. I'm sure Jenny could tell something was wrong.”“Oh yeah she could. She thought that you and I had an argument. Your daughter is quite perceptive. After meeting her now, I have to say, you two do favor one another. Alan is one lucky man and judging how he dotes on her, he knows it too. They do make a nice couple. I just hope I made a good impression with her. I wasn't to talkative tonight.”“Well, I think you'll get a few more chances this weekend to really win her over. But I can tell she likes you already. If she talks a lot, she likes you. Had she just sat there and not talked much, then that means she doesn't want anything to do with you.”“You know, last night, I was so lonely without you next to me. I hugged my pillow thinking it was you. Except your body is a bit more muscular. I had so many plans for tonight, with us ending the night in bed making love. I want too, but I don't want to do that until we know what is going on down there.”My hand was stroking her back, when I said, “I don't know about you, but this is making love Baby. I'm not in this for the sex. I'm in this because of love. Holding you close, telling our feelings to each other, that is true love making in my book. I'm not too good with stuff like this, but I have never felt this way for another human being. We'll have plenty of time for lovemaking, and dare I say, some naughty sex.”She snuggled even closer and let her hand rub on my chest and belly. “Thank You. You make me feel so loved. I love you Mark. Oh and I like what you wore under your pants. You do look sexy in these boxers.”“I love you too Carolyn. Now get some sleep. We have a long weekend ahead of us. That is if you want me around all the time.”“Of course I want you around the whole time. Not sure about sleeping together. Daddy may have a hard time with that one.” then giggled.Chapter 19.In the morning we agreed to take separate showers instead of together. We both agreed it would be too tempting, had we gone in together. She did tease me though by removing her shirt and slowly saunter into the bathroom, giggling the whole way. I would say My Carrie was back.Her parents flight was due in at 4pm. I told Carrie I needed to catch up on a few things at the house, but would be back in time to go with her to pick them up. She must have texted me twenty times, just saying I love you. That made me feel good.I picked Carrie up at 3pm and went to the airport to meet her parents. She was very happy today. A far cry from yesterday's somber mood she was in. She was wearing a maroon cashmere sweater and black slacks. I too had black slacks on and a blue crew neck sweater. The whole trip there she held my hand, as she did once we were there and waited.Like all airports now, you had to wait down in the baggage area. It took about 10 minutes after their plane arrived, before we saw them coming down the escalator. Once Carrie spotted them, she pulled me along until they were on top of us, and went and hugged her mom, then her dad.Then Mrs. Reynolds gave me a hug and a kiss, and said I still looked like I did when we met in Norfolk all those years ago. Chief shook my hand then said, “You ain't giving me no damn hug son.” I just laughed and told him, “Not in your life you crotchety old bastard.” which made us all laugh.After arriving back at Carrie's, we saw that Jenny was there waiting for us. Alan was with her, but I could see the tension in his face. The old man did scare the shit out of him. I took him aside and told him, just to relax, but show no sign of fear to the chief. He eats that shit up. He sort of laughed and said, oh sure, easier said than done Mr. Roberts. I told him for now on, call me Mark. Save the mister for the other guy.We all then went to dinner, after the couple relaxed a bit after their flight. It was one of those chain restaurants. We all had a good time and of course, Chief had to regale us with stories when I was aboard the Lincoln. That's when Jenny asked about the “don't shit where you eat comment”, but cleaned it up some because of her mom and grandma there. Chief went on to explain about this one newly appointed petty officer I had an eye on. After he finished, everyone laughed, only because he made sound more colorful than it actually was.After we got back to Carrie's, the girls busied themselves in the kitchen, leaving myself, Alan, and the Chief alone in the living room. I could see Alan was a bit apprehensive about being in there. I'm sure he was never prepared for anything like this in college.  “okay you two Shitbirds.” chief started out. “Those three fine ladies in there mean the world to me. And two of them, for some ungodly reason happen to like you two. All I ever wanted for those two is complete happiness. If you can't give them that, leave now, otherwise, I need a promise to never ever hurt them, no matter what.”“You have my word on that Chief. Never doubt that.” I said, as the chief then nodded once to me. Alan then looked at him and said, “Sir, my only intention is to make Jenny happy, so I promise.” Chief just glared at him. Alan was unsure of what he said, but knew he didn't like something. I looked at Alan and said, “Alan. Relax. Just don't call Mr. Reynolds sir. Non Com's, noncommissioned officers, like we both were, do not like getting called sir, by anyone. And Chief, chill out, he isn't military.”Chief just chuckled. “Yeah, and don't call me Mr. Reynolds. Makes me feel old. Call me John for now on, or at least until you guys make it legal between those gals in there, then we'll figure out what you call me then. And Alan, you did good kid. You didn't break, like so many Seaman have, right out of boot camp.” then just smiled.Just then the girls came back from the kitchen with drinks. From that point on, the mood was light and cheerful. I just sat back and watched how this family interacted. They are like most families, I guess. Since it is just my sister and myself, except for an uncle and aunt and three cousin's, I really couldn't tell you what a big family is like. Mine though, is quite boisterous and not afraid of speaking their minds on any subject.About an hour went by when Jenny and Alan said their goodbye's. They were going to the football game the next afternoon and wanted to get some sleep. We sat up a bit more with John and Connie, telling a lot of what we did up in the mountains. Well, not everything, or I am sure, he'd have killed me by now.I was getting up, so I could make my leave too, when Carrie asked me to join her in the kitchen. I had no idea what she wanted, but went with the flow and followed her in.“I don't want you going back to your place tonight. You are sleeping with me, unless you don't want too.” she said, giving me her little pouty face she likes to do now and then.“I'm not sure how your parents will feel about that. I don't want to cause any trouble for you, or me either.”Carried just chuckled, “Don't worry about them. I am 41 you know. Plus, me and mom talked out here. She knows you and I have slept together from almost the beginning of us meeting. She is fine with it, and she'll take care of dad. As she put it, “That boy is over the moon for you Honey. Treat him good and he'll treat you like a queen.” So don't worry. But, we can't play around. That would be too weird.” and we both laughed softly at that.Carrie then grabbed my hand and walked towards the stairs, to go upstairs. “Night you two” she said as she passed by them. Her mom said night, but Chief just grunted something. I am pretty sure I will get an earful, next time we are alone.Once in the bedroom, Carrie went to her dresser and opened a drawer, pulled out pajamas. They were blue, red, and white checkerboard style print. She said she went shopping today and got these. She is wearing the top and the bottoms were for me. She stripped down to just her panties, which for once, were not thong style. She still looked sexy as all get out. I stripped too to my boxers and t-shirt. She then went to the bathroom and came out a few minutes later. I followed suit and did my business. She let me know there was a toothbrush on the sink for me, that she just got too.When I came back out, she was already in bed and awaited me. I crawled in next to her. We kissed and held each other close. Like I said when the first time we slept in a bed together, I could definitely get used to this.“Mark Honey. I need to apologize for yesterday. I was so wrong to try and push you away from me. I would have been crushed had you just said  okay, and left. But you didn't. That told me right there how much you love me. So thank you for being here for me. I love you Mark. It grows stronger every minute of the day. I wish right now we could make love, but until I know what is really up with this, we're going to have to take a rest from that. I hope you understand.”I leaned in and kissed her forehead and pulled her tighter to me. God, I love the way she feels.“Sweetheart, you need not apologize for anything. It has to be a shock to you, that is for sure. But, I will always be there for you, no matter what. We'll see this through, together. As for making love right now. This is making love, I believe. The sex is just the icing on the cake, so to speak. Plus, if you think I would have sex with you, with your parents just down the hall, you are crazy.”Carrie was just about to say something, when we both heard a light thumping sound. I started to chuckle, but Carrie said shush. It was definitely a rhythm thump going on.I chuckled and said, “You're kidding right?” Carrie laughed quietly and said, “Oh yeah. I think dad and mom are doing the horizontal hula. Trust me Hun. As far back as I can remember, they are one horny couple. I hope when I am their age, I still want it that much.”Carrie's hand reached under the waistband of my bottoms and boxers and started playing with Mr. happy. “God, I wish this was inside me now. “ She stroked it a few times so it was now almost hard. Then she rolled over on her side, so we could spoon. I too lay on my side and pulled her into me, so our bodies melded together. My hardness nestled up against her beautiful ass, which she then wiggled a bit. My arm lay over her and rested on her tummy. She took that hand and brought up, and inside her top and placed it on her one tit. My hand instantly enveloped her tit and held it gently. “God. I love your hand there” she cooed. “Night Mark. I love you” “I love you too Carrie”To be continued, by T. Foxal.

Your clients are using ChatGPT. Your clients are going to try to do their accounts and their tax using ChatGPT. Your clients are going to ask you questions generated from ChatGPT. Your clients are going to ask you why you have not deducted THIS because ChatGPT suggested it. Your clients are going to come to you with “the work finished by ChatGPT” and they are going to ask you to give it a quick look over and remind you that you should not charge them as much because ChatGPT has done the bulk of the work. AND how are you going to react to this??? Firstly, be AWARE that it's happening. It's good that your clients are taking an interest, and doing some of their own research. REMIND clients that ChatGPT can make mistakes, and that important information needs to be checked. “That's a helpful starting point, but it's not always right, especially for tax.” ChatGPT can help clients understand terminology, accounting concepts, simplify language, and help prep them for a meeting. ChatGPT is not a professional accountant or bookkeeper. It may not know the latest tax legislation, may draw on international information, or suggest non-compliant responses. ChatGPT rarely understands the nuances of a client situation, and has a tendency to oversimplify things, and be overconfident in its statements, as if they are facts. I recall when I was pregnant, turning up to the Doctor's office with a large hardcover copy of Dr Miriam Stoppard's Pregnancy Book, filled with post-it notes of my hand written questions. If the Doctor had been reluctant to answer my questions, then I probably would have found a new Doctor. When your client comes to you with ChatGPT responses, how are you going to respond? You could be prepared to suggest that ChatGPT can be a helpful tool, but it's not a substitute for the knowledge and judgment of a qualified bookkeeper or accountant. Highlight where ChatGPT can be used, and where it's not so good. Remind them that it needs to be triple fact checked! You could highlight that in some areas it could save them money, but in other areas such as reviewing ChatGPT responses may lead to inefficiencies and actually cost them more money. Contact details: Accounting Apps newsletter: http://accountingapps.io/ Accounting Apps Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ANISEConsulting X: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU

Carrie and Mark settle in to everyday life.by T. Foxal. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.“Oh Mark. I have never been made love to like that ever. It was perfect. Everything you have done so far has been perfect for me. I don't think you have one selfish bone in your body. I need to know though, are you scared of all of this?”“Carrie, I have never been more scared in my life. Not even over in the sandpit, with bullets flying all around. Had you not said I love you back to me, when I made my declaration, I would have been crushed. I've never, ever let anyone into my heart, like I have let you in. Am I scared now? A little. I know you said it the other night. Well, you told me to catch up with you because you were already there. But over time, I thought you may have some misgivings for saying, since we were in the heat of the moment then. But all the little things you have been doing, or saying, led me to believe you really were. And, I wanted to make it special for you. This whole day when you weren't around me, all I could think of was you. I wondered what you were thinking when you took your bath before, or what you were doing and thinking when you left this morning. Let's face it, we haven't been alone with our own thoughts for a week now.”She leaned in and kissed me lightly on the lips, then said, “Mark. I knew from that first kiss. Then when we made love the first time, I was in heaven. It wasn't sex between us. It was more. Since that time, we have done nothing but make love and my heart races every time I see you. I was so scared when I said that the other night. Did I push you away from me? Would you just say, screw this, I'm outta here. But the big thing for me was when we were at the winery, and you went up to the bar to get us those samples. Your eyes smiled at me the whole time. You didn't even look at that girl, who I thought was really hot, but just kept looking at me. You made love to me right then. Am I scared. Yes. I want this more than anything, but I don't want to be hurt again. I lived that. But, you are not him. You are so much more than he could ever be. I was eye candy for him, and a fuck, and nothing more. My heart is now yours, please don't hurt it.”I rolled to my side and looked deep into her hazel eyes, then kissed her. “You know what turned me on the most today?” “No, Baby, I don't” “When I saw you after you came back from your day in town. My God, you looked so sexy and stunning to me. You are such a beautiful woman, and not just physically, but all around. I wanted to take you then, but then that would have downplayed this evening. I never tried to be romantic with anyone before, and I so wanted to seduce you tonight.”She giggled. “Well Mr. Marine. You succeeded in every way tonight. I'll tell you. When I saw the robe, then the candles lit by the bathtub, I got super horny. I wanted you so bad then. Then when I shaved down there, I felt incredibly sexy. I even came after that. But when we took off our robes and I saw you in those boxers, I damn near raped you. But dancing really did me in. I almost told you then I loved you. But I am glad I waited now.”As she talked, her hand was now on my cock, stroking it back to life. When I was hard again, she leaned in and kissed me, then pushed me to my back. She kneeled and straddled me and slowly sat down on me, engulfing me with her velvet like inner walls of her sex.“Baby?” she whispered. “This has been an amazing night. But now I need to be a little naughty. A couple should be able to let loose some and enjoy sex too. I love lovemaking, but I also love to fuck Mark. But only with someone I want to give myself too, completely. I want to fuck your beautiful cock. I want to feel your cum spray deep inside me and, I want cum all over it. Fuck me Baby. Make me your Lover.”I arched my back up and drove in deep in her. “Oh Fuck. You are so deep.” She started moving up and down, faster and faster. “Oh god I love this. My favorite position too.”She leaned down and started smothering me with kisses. Moaning as we fucked. I did too. Her head slipped to the side of mine and whispered. “You like my tight little cunt, don't you Babe. Your cock is a perfect fit for it. My cunt loves your cock. Oh God Mark. ““Oh God Babe. Your cunt is so tight. I love it and always will. Fuck me Carrie.”She sat up and started grinding hard on me now. Neither of us was going to last long. I sat up and took her one tit in my mouth and sucked hard.“Oh Christ. Suck my tits Baby. I Love that so much”She started pounding me harder now, as I continued sucking it, then switched to the other. Her arm went behind my head and pulled me in tighter. My hands were holding her luscious ass as I did this. My one hand went exploring and touched her ass, which made her moan really loud. I slipped it down to her cunt and got it wet as the finger rubbed against her lips and my cock. Then I brought it up to her brown hole and slipped it in.“Oh Fuck Baby. Yes. God I love you”She started cumming a minute later. Her head and body shook as she came hard, but somehow, she maintain the rhythm we had going. I was now getting close myself and could feel my balls tighten up, signaling my impending orgasm. “Oh Shit Carrie, I'm going to cum” I yelled out.She slammed down one last time, and then jumped off. Her mouth was over my cock in no time and was starting to suck me, when I erupted in her mouth. I had to have shot 5 or 6 good ropes into her hungry mouth. She didn't spill a drop, except at the end, a little dribbled out the side.She was kneeling now, getting ready to wipe her mouth, when I grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her to me and I licked it off of her face and then kissed her. The kiss was so hot and passionate. We were lost in that kiss for minutes, until she broke away, panting hard.We both lay on our backs now, still in a euphoric bliss from our love making. Carrie was very quiet. At first I thought she fell asleep, until I felt her hand grasp mine and squeeze it.“Are you  okay Carrie?”, I asked. “Actually, I am on cloud nine, as they say. I've never been made love too, like this, then opening up and letting go like that. I just hope you don't think I am some sort of slut. I want to explore all there is with you sexually and lovingly too.”“Babe. You are hardly a slut. Sex to me, is supposed to be fun too. You were amazing. But our love making, well, it's beyond words. To me, you are an angel. Quite the lady too. In bed, we can do whatever we please, as long as we both agree on whatever we do. One thing though, I can never share you with anyone. I don't believe I get jealous, but I could never share you with anyone, man or woman. I knew a couple in the service that did that. Got into swinging. No way. Not with someone I love and respect, like I do you. But just so you know, I really enjoyed the naughty Carrie. She is fun.”“Umm.. I may have to let her out more often then. Cuz naughty Markie, was turning me on too. But, you will never have to fear me wanting another. I am quite happy with who I am with. I will never deny you in bed either. Except, when I am sick, or you are sick. Sex just doesn't seem like fun then. But that's about it.”“Yeah, being sick and wanting sex, just doesn't seem to go hand in hand. I will never deny you as well. But, I'm a guy, so the prospect of me saying no is quite low.”She giggled, then said, “Well. Mister. You better never hold out in the oral department anymore. Oh Christ. That was unbelievable. I could take that all day long. And, I love giving too. I love how you taste.”“You're turning me on again Honey. How do you feel right now?” I asked“Horny” she giggled then. “Honestly. And don't freak when I say this. But I feel as though I am on a Honeymoon and you took your virgin bride to sexual highs she never knew existed.”I did chuckle. “Nothing wrong with that. To me, you are a virgin, or at least were. I don't care about your past. You are my first, and dare I say, only love for me.”“I like that” she replied. Then said, “Where do you see us in a year?”“Honestly. I never look to the future too much. But, I have been lately. I hope that you will be with me in a year, and maybe, just maybe, if you haven't tired of my Jarhead ass, we are right back here, spending it as a true honeymoon”She folded into my arms and kissed my cheek. “I think that could be a real possibility. This Squid actually has thought about it, and she doesn't think she'll ever tire of you. Piss me off at times, Yes, but never tire.”I then laughed, and she asked what was funny. “God, if your Dad could see us right now. He'd hang me.”“Nah. He knows I like you a great deal. He doesn't know we professed love yet. But he does like you, Mom told me that. Jenny knows too. I talked with her this morning. I sent her a selfie, after I got my hair done. She called right after seeing it. Then she starts out by saying, “Damn Mom, you look hot. I think someone is in love.” She's a pretty smart girl actually. I was supposed to face time with her earlier, but someone had me a tad busy. She wants to see you and talk with you.”“Oh great. She's the one person that scares me the most, and I want on my side. More so, than even your parents. Go ahead and call her now. It's only 10pm.”She giggled again. “Uh No. We better wait until tomorrow. This is the first time her and her boyfriend Alan have been alone for a long time. He was with his family last weekend. They have dated for a year now, so I am pretty sure, they are in the same place you and I are right now, naked and in bed.”“You  okay with that? I asked. “Oh yes. I like him a lot. He treats her with so much respect and I know they love one another. He's a good kid and dotes after Jenny. His world revolves around her. He is studying to become a food scientist. If they can last the ups and downs of college and still remain in love, I could easily see them married one day. Only time will tell. And don't worry about her liking you, she will. She knows I do, and so far have made me extremely happy.”She got up then and walked to the bathroom. Then came back with our robes. “Let's go cuddle on the couch, enjoy some wine and TV, before we call it a night.” And so we did.Chapter 15.It was morning now, almost 8:30. I never sleep this late. The only reason I was up was because I had to pee so bad. Carrie was still sound asleep. She was curled up and looked so peaceful. My thought was, “What in God's name does she see in me. I'm nobody special. Yes, I am in good shape and I do treat her with respect, but she is absolutely beautiful and had I known of her, somewhere else, I would have never even attempted to approach her. I wasn't in her league, or so I thought”But here I am, one week after meeting her, and totally in love. I could not even fathom life without her in it. But reality would soon be creeping up on us. I knew she would be leaving mid-week. Would this all end after she left, and had time to really think this through? Only time will tell.I padded to the kitchen and made coffee. As it brewed I stood looking out the back door window. The skies were an ugly gray. Rain was falling. We knew this was coming, after viewing the weather report last night. Today and tomorrow, rain.I then toasted a few bagels, and got out the cream cheese. Made us both coffee, and took it to the bedroom. As I walked in, Carrie was yawning and stretching. Her tit were in plain view, and look so delicious to me. She sat up, not bothering to cover up. “Good sign” I thought.“Good Morning Sweetheart. I thought you may enjoy some breakfast in bed” I said to her.“Oh Wow. I could definitely get used to this. Especially if you lose that robe.”We sat and enjoyed our breakfast. We also started talking about this coming week. Since it was raining today, we decided to go into town and take in a movie and then dinner at some restaurant. On Monday, we were to hike Algonquin Peak, but if it is raining, we'll need to find something else to do.She then said, “You know I leave Wednesday. I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday that I made months ago, and I can't reschedule. It just takes so long to get in to see her.”“I know you were leaving then. But, I also am going to leave that day, with you. No sense hanging around here. Be bored to death, and I know me, all I'll think of is you the whole time.”“Awe. You are so sweet to me. But this is your vacation and you had it all planned out. Stay and at least hike some more of these mountains. I'll feel bad if you miss out on that.” she said with a pouty face.I just smiled at her and told her no, it was best I do head home. I had some major cleaning to do at my place. The house I have is actually an older farm house that was my grandparents. My grandmother outlived my mom and when she died, it was left to me and Ann. Ann didn't want it, so to be fair, I paid her the half she would have received, if we had sold it.The house was nice, but very outdated. Even the furniture was from the 60's. To me, it was cool, but my needs are simple. Ann has been bugging me for almost a year now to at least get some new furniture, if not update the whole place. My office is actually the dining room.I tell you this because I have never brought anyone there, especially a date. So bringing Carrie there, as it looks right now, is totally out of the question. As I told her this, she just laughed. She asked if I keep it clean, or was I a typical guy, and let things go until I can't stand it anymore. I told her I always keep it clean, it's just very outdated.“You big lug, I don't care about stuff like that. I will care if it smells like the gym on board a ship smells like. That is so gross.” and we both laughed.We finished our coffee and bagels, and set our cups and napkins on the nightstand. She pulled the cover down and asked me to slide in. We started kissing and making out some, when her phone rang. “Perfect timing” I thought. She looked at the phone and said, “It's Jenny. Hope all is alright. She is never up this early.”“She hit some button and I saw Jenny's face appear on the screen. Luckily, Carrie had the sheet up above her tit, and I was safely off to the side.“Hi Sweetheart”“Hi Mom. Hope I am not disturbing you.”“No Sweetie. You're good. We were just having breakfast.”“Oh. In bed too. I take it Marine guy is nearby.”Carrie laughed, “If you must know young Jen, he is right here, and his name is Mark, not Marine guy. But you knew that” “Hey just giving you a hard time. Hi Mark.” Carrie moved the phone over to where I could see her and she see me. I had just put the robe back on, so I was decent.“Hi Jenny. Very nice to meet you. I must say, you are as pretty as your mother.”Jen smiled; “Thank you. I hope to get to meet you when you two get back from your little vacation.”“I would say that is a very good possibility, unless your Mom gets rid of me by then. Lots of mountain tops she could push me off of, up here.” I said with a laugh.Carrie turned the phone back to her and said, “What did you two do this weekend? Is Alan still there?”Jen smiled this sly smile “Yeah. He is still asleep. We went to dinner and a late movie, then came back here. The main reason I am calling is that Papa called a bit ago, or I'd be sleeping too. He and grandma are coming up next weekend”My eyes got real big, but Carrie just chuckled, “That's great. When are they coming in?”“Friday evening, and staying here for a few days, then going to aunty Bev's for a few days. And Mark. Papa had a message for you. “Don't crap where you eat son.” He said you'd understand completely.”I just shook my head. Great. He's gonna shit when he hears his daughter and I are now dating.Carrie was laughing now. Jen wanted to know what that was about. Carrie said she'd tell her when she sees her this week. They carried on for a few more minutes as Jen filled her in on stuff. Now Jen did look somewhat similar to her mom, from what I could see on the phone. That same light caramel color, with long flowing brown hair, and a gorgeous smile. Alan should consider himself a very lucky man. They signed off then after saying goodbye's and Jen saying bye to me too, telling me to take very good care of her mother, or else.I asked, “Are you sure she isn't your blood daughter? You two look so much alike.”“I wish she was. But No. Her parents were Puerto Rican, so the skin color is close. She shorted too, only 5 foot 3. She is an angel. You think Dad dotes over me? Wait till you see him around Jenny. I feel bad for Alan. He's met Dad twice now and is scared shitless of him. But Daddy wants only the best for his girls.”“Yeah, well, I am wondering now what is he going to say about us being together. He still scares the shit out of me.”She laughed, “Oh I don't know. I'll let you know after I tell him how you been having your way with me this whole week.” then laughed some more. She then opened his robe, grabbed his semi stiff member and stroke it.She giggled, the looked at him and stated, “Umm, I wonder what he'd say if he knew I was doing this.”, as she lowered her head to my manhood and sucked the head in.“Oh God Carrie.”The PromiseCarrie and Mark settle in to everyday life, once they return from their week and a half camping and hiking trip, after finding love in those mountains.I asked, “Are you sure she isn't your blood daughter? You two look so much alike.”“I wish she was. But No. Her parents were Puerto Rican, so the skin color is close. She shorter too, only 5 foot 3.. She is an angel. You think Dad dotes over me? Wait till you see him around Jenny. I feel bad for Alan. He's met Dad twice now and is scared shitless of him. But Daddy wants only the best for his girls.”“Yeah, well, I am wondering now what is he going to say about us being together. He still scares the shit out of me.”She laughed, “Oh I don't know. I'll let you know after I tell him how you been having your way with me this whole week.” then laughed some more. She then opened my robe, grabbed my semi stiff member and stroke it.She giggled, the looked at him and stated, “Umm, I wonder what he'd say if he knew I was doing this.”, as she lowered her head to my manhood and sucked the head in.“Oh God Carrie.”Chapter 16.The rest of that day, and into Monday, it did nothing but rain. So exploring any of the mountain tops was curtailed. We pretty much hung around the cabin in just our robes that day. The only time we dressed was to go to dinner, down into town. Neither of us felt like cooking. It was very hard for me to resist getting Carrie naked and just making love all day, but she needed to know that our relationship, that we both professed our love for each other, was more than just a physical thing, but also emotional.You see Carrie is a very beautiful woman. She is 5 foot 7, 130 pounds, with caramel colored skin, almost like Halle Berry skin tone. Her hair is short now too, with blonde highlights mixed in with her brown hair. Totally sexy in my eyes. She has amazing legs that are long and toned and a great ass. What turns me on the most is her tits. They are a large A, or small B cup. I love a woman with small tits.I am 5 foot 10, 175 pounds, and been told by many, a handsome man. I keep in shape, and that is because after spending 20 years in the Marines, you get used to working out. It's just ingrained into your fabric. I was single too, for all of those years. Never had a serious relationship, except for a semi one, back in my 20's, when I lived with a girl for a few months. But she didn't enjoy my deployments too much and wanted more. It was mostly a sex thing for us, and a place for us both to crash, when we were screwing.But now, a week and a half later, I am totally in love with this goddess, and she with me as well. What is funny too, I know her parents, or to be more specific, her father. He was a Master Chief in the Navy, and was on the aircraft Carrier Lincoln at the same time I was, years ago, when I was a Staff Sergeant in the Marines. Great guy too, but could scare the hell out of you. Carrie too, was in the Navy back then, but I do not think we ever crossed paths, since she worked on base, and, was also married back then to a Seal, which she now divorced from.Like I said earlier, we only got dressed that Sunday for dinner, then that Monday, a day we were supposed to visit another Adirondacks peak, it rained as well. We did go driving around and admired the countryside and had a fine dinner at the Italian restaurant we found the previous week.Then on Tuesday, we decided to go horseback riding. We found a place about 20 minutes from the cabin, near Lake Clear. We had a great time exploring the area by horseback. I have to admit, my ass was quite sore by the time we got through, as was Carrie's. There was a few times I would hang back, behind her and admire her ass as it bounced up and down in the saddle.She looked back one time and caught me. “God, don't you ever tire of looking at my big ass?”I just chuckled and told her, “Hell No. I love your ass, and it is hardly big. Remind me later to massage it for you, because if mine is sore, I know yours has to be.”“Maybe I will let you. Not sure if I want you touching it later. Now get up her next to me.” then whispered to me, after I got close, “You be a good boy, and I'll let you see it naked later.”, then laughed and rode away from me.After our ride, we stopped in this tavern that also featured home cooked meals. We both decided on burgers and fries. Normally, we both try to stay away from fried foods, but, as we both found out from talking, we like to cheat on occasion.By the time we got back to the cabin, nighttime was upon us and this was our last night together. I know we both pledged our love to one another, but after tonight, she may get a dose of reality when she got back home, and say, “No way” to being in a relationship. For me, I was all in. I never wanted anything more in my life, than to be with this beautiful, smart, witty and energetic woman.After getting into the cabin, I started a fire in the fireplace and Carrie went off to the bedroom, to get ready to shower. After I had a nice fire going, she came out in her robe and asked me to join her. As we washed each other down, removing the horse smell from our bodies, we kissed and held each other. We both took turns drying each other, then donned our robes and made our way to the couch. Before I sat down, I went and got us each a glass of wine.“Mark?” she said, and I looked at her. She had a tear on her cheek, for which I lightly brushed away. “What's wrong Honey?” I asked.“This is our last night here. This has been the best vacation I have ever experienced. Had you told me two weeks ago that I would meet the man of my dreams, I would have said you are so full of shit. But here I am, sitting next to you. I am so in love with you and I am also scared silly about tomorrow.” she explainedI knew what she meant, when she said she is scared. I am too. We get back to our real lives and the fantasy just fades away. She was deeply hurt all those years ago and opening up and allowing someone in, has to be tough for her to do. For me, it is a new experience. One I have never had before. If it does end, it will hurt, but I know I can move on from it, I think.“Carrie. I'm scared too. Once we are home and reality sets in for you, you may say, screw this. I have never opened up to anyone in my life, except for you. I just hope that you will grow with me. I'm going to make mistakes. You may want something, but I'm too stupid to know and understand, but like anything in life, you learn. One thing I will promise you and this is I will always be true to only you. I love you and will never do anything to hurt you.”“Oh Mark. No man has ever made me feel this way. We'll take each day as it comes and just know I will never hurt you as well. But be forewarned now, I can get bitchy. I don't mean to be, but it happens and when it does, just leave me be, and I will be fine. I think the hardest part of tomorrow is going to be not being with you, especially at night. After a week of sharing a bed together, and feeling so close to you, it is going to suck not having your arms around me tomorrow night, or this weekend. If I didn't have that appointment Thursday, I'd let you stay with me tomorrow, but I know us, we make love, and since this is a gynecologist I am seeing, sex wouldn't be the most prudent thing for me to do. And then this weekend, with my parents in town, I'm not sure what they'd say about us sleeping together.”I laughed, “Yeah, I could just see the look on your dad's face when we told them goodnight and padded off to bed. As for sex. We don't always have to have it you know. I mean I'll never turn it down, but I also know there is more to us than just sex. But tomorrow after we get home, and then at night, we'll probably both be too tired to do anything. Plus, like I said, I need to straighten up the place. One thing though. On Thursday, I would like to take you and Jenny to dinner, Alan too. That way, she has someone there who she is comfortable with, just in case she can't stand me.”“Oh Stop. She is going to love you. I'll call her tomorrow and set it up. Now! Take me to bed for the last time here and hold me Baby. I want to fall asleep in your arms.”Chapter 17.We got up early for some reason, and took a shower together. I still marvel at this exceptionally beautiful woman. She makes my heart race anytime I am near here. And when we are naked, it quadruples in magnitude. We did not have sex, but we did hold and caress each other until the water started turning cold.We were then packed and on our way home. She drove in front of me for the next 4 hours. We did talk on the phone a couple of times. The last time was just before my exit, which is a couple before hers. I called her and told her I would call her later and that I loved her. I could hear in her voice, a hitch, just like I had in mine. I missed her already and I had just exited from the roadway.Once I was home, I did a load of laundry, then went and started dusting and vacuuming the place. Not a thing I do a lot of. Of course my sister always comes over and does it at times, and bitches me out when she does. I then cut the grass, which was needed after two weeks of not touching it. It takes two hours to cut this lawn, and that's with a tractor. While I was cutting, I did miss a call from Carrie. She also texted me, just saying she was thinking of me and loved me. I texted back apologizing that I didn't answer her and explained why, and that I would call her later.We did talk around 6 that evening. She too was busy with housework and laundry. She strip the beds, not knowing which bed Jenny and Alan slept in. I had to laugh at that. She chuckled too but said, “It's one thing to sleep in our wet spot, but I'm surely not sleeping in theirs.” Which made me laugh hard.About 10 that night, I called her. She was lying in bed, reading a book. She conveyed to me that Jenny was ecstatic over meeting us for dinner and really happy I had included Alan. They were going to meet us at Carrie's at 6pm tomorrow. I told Carrie we would try Delmonico's Steakhouse, which was kind of close to her.She chuckled and said, “Oh fancy place. You know, you don't have to take us there. There's a nice restaurant right down the street from us.”“That's cool. But I want too. How many college kids can go to a place like this. Plus I have always wanted to try it, but, I'm not going alone. Ann said the food is excellent there.”“Speaking of Ann, did you call her and inform her that you are bringing someone Sunday?” she asked.“Oh yeah. She is so excited now. She can't wait to meet you. I told her that your parents were going to be in from Florida and I didn't know what plans they had that day. She said to bring them along too. The more the merrier.”Carried giggled, then said, “I don't know if your sister has a clue what Dad can be like. Just don't bring up politics. He thinks they are all thieves and liars.” which made me laugh.Then she got quiet. “Anything wrong? You are quiet now “ She sighed, “No, just missing lying next to you, with your arms around me. I feel so safe then. I love you Mark”“I love you too, Carolyn, and I do miss being with you. It was a very long day without you near me.” I told her.“It was a long day for me as well. I don't know how or why this happened between us, but I am so happy that you are in my life now. Maybe tomorrow night, you can spend it here with me, if you want too.” she said.“I think that can be arranged. You know what I do miss? You calling me Jarhead. When you say it, it means something to me.”“I told you, after last weekend, I was done calling you that, but if you insist, I'll just call you JH.”“I insist Squid. Now get some sleep. Just know, I love you Carrie and I am holding you in my dreams tonight.”Chapter 18.I knew Carrie had an appointment at 11am, so I didn't want to bother her, but did send her a text, after I got up and said good morning and I love you. She replied instantly to it, saying she was about to shower and get ready and she loved me too.I was pretty proud of myself. I dusted and swept the whole house. Not that I am a slob, but those are two jobs I really don't enjoy doing. Hell, living alone and never having people over, except for my sister, afforded me the luxury of not caring too much to do that. But with Carrie in my life, I guess I need to change my way of thinking.I then immersed myself in a project that I had been working on for this one company. I needed to do something to keep my mind occupied, since I would not be seeing her until later in the afternoon. I was surprised though, that by 3pm, I hadn't heard anything from her. I hope all went well with her doc appointment.I had told her that I would be over by 5:30, so we could spend some time alone, before Jenny and Alan showed up. By 4:30, I was shaved, and showered, then dressed for the evening. Since it was cool out, I wore dark blue pants, and lighter blue shirt, with a dark blue sport coat. I wanted to look good for when I met Jenny, and convey, I'm not some unkempt slob, who was dating her mother. I'm generally a jeans and t-shirt, or sweatshirt, kind of guy.I couldn't stand the wait any longer and decided to arrive a bit sooner. I got to her house at 5:15, so just a little bit early. After ringing the doorbell a few times, Carrie finally opened the door. Although she smiled when she let me in, I could tell something was amiss with her. After a brief hug and quick kiss on the lips, we stood back from one another.Carrie was wearing a burgundy pleated dress. It came to just above the knees. The neckline plunged just a bit, with white lace around the edges, with short sleeves as well. She looked radiant.“Wow. You look absolutely beautiful Sweetie.” I told her. She just said thanks, but that was it. Then said she had to finish getting ready. My antennae was now up. I could sense something was wrong. This girl was always so bubbly, and that definitely was not the case now. So I just walked around her living room, looking at pictures on the wall of Jenny, and her parents, and some people I had no clue of who they were. Then just took a seat and waited for her.For me, this was something new. I did not know what to say or do. Did I do something wrong, that may have upset her? Who knew, but this was not the Carrie I just spent almost two weeks with, had fun with, and made love too on many occasions. So I'm basically a fish out of water now. I made up my mind to just go with the flow, and when she is ready to talk, I'll be there, and hopefully, understand what is going on.Of course, my fear was she was going to end this between us. She had time to reflect and said that this wasn't worth it. If that is how she felt, then who was I to pursue it any further. I don't want to be with someone who did not want the same as me. Sitting there waiting, makes your mind think weird ass things, like I just did. Then again, maybe it wasn't anything and she is just having a bad day, or is nervous about me meeting Jenny.She finally emerged from wherever she was in her condo. When I saw her, she looked the same, so I have no idea what else she could have been doing. She walked into her kitchen and got a bottle of water, then asked if I wanted one too, which I kindly said no too.I finally got the courage to ask, “Is there something wrong?”She looked at me and had a sullen look on her face, then finally said “No. Guess I am just tired from all the prodding and poking today. I'm sorry I am not more upbeat.”I got up and went to her and wrapped my arms around her, “If you want to cancel tonight, that would be okay with me. We keep go out with them some other time, when you are feeling more up to it.”“No. No. I am fine. It will be fine. We'll go have a fun night with them. Jenny is so looking forward to meeting you.” she said, as she pulled away from me and went into the living room. “We'll talk later tonight, when we get back.”I knew from how she stated it, something was wrong. But, being a dumb man, I have no clue as to what. I didn't want to piss her off by asking questions. Maybe something at the doc's. I guess when she is ready, she will let me know. I walked up next to her and grabbed her hand, just to let her know I was there for her. At that point, her front door opened and in walked Jenny and Alan.Jenny was definitely a looker. I would say 5 foot 3, maybe 110 pounds, brown hair and eyes, and the cutest dimples. She did have bigger boobs than her mom, but since she was adopted, that made sense. But the irony of how much the two looked alike was uncanny. Alan was a good looking guy too. He had that German look to him. Blond hair, blue eyes, chiseled face and stood about 6 foot, but maybe weighed 170 pounds, if that.After making the introductions and some small talk, we left her condo and headed to dinner in my truck.At dinner, Carrie seemed to be her normal self. Well, at least the normal I had seen for the last two weeks. Jenny was regaling us with stories from her college life and some of things her and Alan had been doing of late, except for the sex part. I don't think Carrie, or myself, needed or wanted to know those details.As dinner was finally coming to an end, I had to admit, I was kind of quiet. I just let the three of them guide the evening and the conversation. Jenny did inquire what I actually did for a living, so I explained it to her. She was impressed, as was Alan. I tried not to let my concerns for Carrie, or our budding relationship ruin the evening. In my heart though, I had a bad feeling, this would be the last time I would see these three people.Near the end of dinner, Carrie announced that she needed to use the ladies room. Alan also said he need to use the facility, which then left just me and Jenny. I wasn't sure what to say to her, so I let her make the first move on talking.  “okay Mark. What's up with mom? Did you two have an argument or something?” Jenny asked.I shook my head, “Jenny. I have no idea what is wrong tonight. When I arrived this evening, she was down for some reason and won't tell me why. Yesterday we were fine, but ever since her doctor visit, she has changed. Maybe she has done some thinking and decided a relationship is not what she wants. Until she tells me, I am in the dark.”Jenny reached over and touched my arm. “I don't know either, but I do know that she and I talked last night for an hour and she is head over heels in love with you, and says you are with her as well. Are you Mark? Are you in love with my Mom?”“Nothing has changed for how I feel for your mother Jenny. I am in love with her. But, if she has had a change of heart, then I will abide by her wishes. Maybe we moved too fast. I don't know. To be honest Jenny. I have never been in love before, so this is a new territory for me. But if she had time to reflect now, and feels this isn't what she wants, well, I don't want to force anything like that on her. I just want her happy.”Jenny just shook her head, “I can't believe her mind could change like that. Something must be wrong and she just needs time to process it. Maybe you two can talk later. When we get back to my mom's, Alan and I are going to leave, and give you two some space to talk. Oh, and by the way, Papa really does like you. He thinks you are a good man.”Just as she said that, Carrie was walking back. Alan came a minute later. The waitress came around and asked if any of us wanted dessert, but we all begged off, since our meals were so filling.On the way home, Carrie was pretty quiet. In fact, you could probably cut the tension with a knife, that was between us. Jenny and Alan were pretty quiet too. I'd have done anything to hear some funny story either of them may have had right then.After arriving back at Carrie's condo, we all got out and Jenny said that they needed to get going. Carrie said she wished they could stay longer, but the kids said they had some homework they needed to finish up, but would see us this weekend. Of course my mind didn't think I would be involved with this family get together.As they left, Carrie turned and headed to her door, and I followed. Once inside, she asked if I wanted anything to drink, which I kindly declined. She went to the kitchen and got a bottle of water then rejoined me in the living room. I wanted to get this over with, so I started it off.  “okay Carolyn, please tell me what is wrong. I need to know.” I said in a somber voice.“Let's sit” she said, and we both did. She faced me and I could see a tear starting to form in her eye. My stomach became a knot now. My fears were now becoming reality, at least in my mind.“I wish I knew where to start, but I have to say, that no man has ever made me feel the way you make me feel. But I really think we need to step back and take a break for now.”, then she started crying. I reach for her, but she backed away. That made it feel like a knife was just plunged into my heart.“Carrie. How can you go from being so in love, to wanting to take a break, just like that. There is more than what you are telling me. So please tell me what has caused this sudden change in feelings.”She was still sobbing, trying to get her emotions under control, then finally looked at me and said, “Mark. They found a growth on one of my ovaries today. After the Pelvic exam, she did and ultrasound and found it. They want me to see a specialist next Tuesday then do some testing.” then started crying again. This time she let me pull her towards me. I knew this isn't good, but this is also something that can be taken care of. I had a cousin once have something similar to this and they removed a cyst the size of an egg from her, and she was fine then.“It's  okay Carrie. I'm sure it's nothing that medicine or an operation can't take care of.” I told her.“And what if it isn't Mark? What if it is cancer. Why should you be saddled with that in your life. We've known each other not even two fucking weeks. Although the best two weeks of my life. But this is not something you need to be part of. Your best bet is to turn around, walk away and get on with your life, like I never existed.” and started crying again.I pulled her into me again and held her tight. Her head was buried in my shoulder, and I caressed her hair and let her cry. I mean, if I was in her position, I'd probably tell her the same things. But I may not know her completely, but what I know of her already, she has a fierce loyalty to people she cares for and loves, and I know she wouldn't walk away either.After letting her sob some more, I gently moved her back, and away from me, so I could speak to her. “Sweetheart. There is no way I am letting you do this alone. Granted, we have only known each other for two weeks, but in these two weeks, you have captured my heart with every fiber of your being. I am in love with you Missy. People who love one another don't turn tail and run because of something traumatic happens to the other person. You stand with them, be their support and showed them love, for that is the only thing that can help get you through this. I have been a Marine for all of my adult life and one thing that is ingrained in us, from the time of our first day in boot camp, is that you never let the man next to you, or when you are a sergeant, your platoon, you never abandon them. No man is ever left behind. You're wounded Honey, so I will not leave you behind, so get used to that. When this is all over and you still feel this way, then you can tell me to hit the bricks.”She just stared at me, and while trying to compose herself, she gripped my hand in hers. “It's not fair to you Mark. What if it is cancer and it can't be fixed, then what? You going to just wait around and watch me die? You could be out finding that right person, instead of babysitting me.”“Stop it Carrie. You have no idea what it is. It could be a simple cyst, that meds could take care of. But one thing I do know, I will be with you this Tuesday, and any other day you need to have something done. I will be the first person you see when you wake up. But I will be there and I will always be there for you. I love you.”“Mark. It's not fair.” she shouted, then started crying again. “You're right. It's not fair. But who said life is. But I am not walking away. In fact I am more in love with you now, than I was 20 minutes ago. I don't know about you, but I have every intention of growing old with you. We have too much to do with our lives. So baby doll, I am not leaving you, Not ever.”“Carrie. Do you love me?” I asked. “Damn you Jarhead. You know I do.” she said. “Good. Don't you ever hold back something like this again from me. I won't either from you. But Babe, we can only help one another if we are open and honest with each other. Why don't you go get ready for bed. I'm not going home tonight, but I will sleep on the couch.”She shook her head and got up. As she did, she reached for my hand, “You are not, nor will you ever sleep on the couch. Your place is beside me in bed. I'm so sorry for ever thinking you would want out of this. I do love you Mark. More than you will ever know”She led me up the stairs to her bedroom. We both stripped off of our clothes. I had on the white silk boxers she got me. She put on this long t-shirt with a Minion on the front. She looked cute. We both used her bathroom then climbed into bed, where she snuggled up to me and let me hold her close. Her head rested on my chest.“Mark?” she said softly. “Carrie?” I answered back. “I am sorry. I promise never to do that to you again. I'm also sorry I was a Debbie Downer tonight at dinner, and even before. I'm sure Jenny could tell something was wrong.”“Oh yeah she could. She thought that you and I had an argument. Your daughter is quite perceptive. After meeting her now, I have to say, you two do favor one another. Alan is one lucky man and judging how he dotes on her, he knows it too. They do make a nice couple. I just hope I made a good impression with her. I wasn't to talkative tonight.”“Well, I think you'll get a few more chances this weekend to really win her over. But I can tell she likes you already. If she talks a lot, she likes you. Had she just sat there and not talked much, then that means she doesn't want anything to do with you.”“You know, last night, I was so lonely without you next to me. I hugged my pillow thinking it was you. Except your body is a bit more muscular. I had so many plans for tonight, with us ending the night in bed making love. I want too, but I don't want to do that until we know what is going on down there.”My hand was stroking her back, when I said, “I don't know about you, but this is making love Baby. I'm not in this for the sex. I'm in this because of love. Holding you close, telling our feelings to each other, that is true love making in my book. I'm not too good with stuff like this, but I have never felt this way for another human being. We'll have plenty of time for lovemaking, and dare I say, some naughty sex.”She snuggled even closer and let her hand rub on my chest and belly. “Thank You. You make me feel so loved. I love you Mark. Oh and I like what you wore under your pants. You do look sexy in these boxers.”“I love you too Carolyn. Now get some sleep. We have a long weekend ahead of us. That is if you want me around all the time.”“Of course I want you around the whole time. Not sure about sleeping together. Daddy may have a hard time with that one.” then giggled.Chapter 19.In the morning we agreed to take separate showers instead of together. We both agreed it would be too tempting, had we gone in together. She did tease me though by removing her shirt and slowly saunter into the bathroom, giggling the whole way. I would say My Carrie was back.Her parents flight was due in at 4pm. I told Carrie I needed to catch up on a few things at the house, but would be back in time to go with her to pick them up. She must have texted me twenty times, just saying I love you. That made me feel good.I picked Carrie up at 3pm and went to the airport to meet her parents. She was very happy today. A far cry from yesterday's somber mood she was in. She was wearing a maroon cashmere sweater and black slacks. I too had black slacks on and a blue crew neck sweater. The whole trip there she held my hand, as she did once we were there and waited.Like all airports now, you had to wait down in the baggage area. It took about 10 minutes after their plane arrived, before we saw them coming down the escalator. Once Carrie spotted them, she pulled me along until they were on top of us, and went and hugged her mom, then her dad.Then Mrs. Reynolds gave me a hug and a kiss, and said I still looked like I did when we met in Norfolk all those years ago. Chief shook my hand then said, “You ain't giving me no damn hug son.” I just laughed and told him, “Not in your life you crotchety old bastard.” which made us all laugh.After arriving back at Carrie's, we saw that Jenny was there waiting for us. Alan was with her, but I could see the tension in his face. The old man did scare the shit out of him. I took him aside and told him, just to relax, but show no sign of fear to the chief. He eats that shit up. He sort of laughed and said, oh sure, easier said than done Mr. Roberts. I told him for now on, call me Mark. Save the mister for the other guy.We all then went to dinner, after the couple relaxed a bit after their flight. It was one of those chain restaurants. We all had a good time and of course, Chief had to regale us with stories when I was aboard the Lincoln. That's when Jenny asked about the “don't shit where you eat comment”, but cleaned it up some because of her mom and grandma there. Chief went on to explain about this one newly appointed petty officer I had an eye on. After he finished, everyone laughed, only because he made sound more colorful than it actually was.After we got back to Carrie's, the girls busied themselves in the kitchen, leaving myself, Alan, and the Chief alone in the living room. I could see Alan was a bit apprehensive about being in there. I'm sure he was never prepared for anything like this in college.  “okay you two Shitbirds.” chief started out. “Those three fine ladies in there mean the world to me. And two of them, for some ungodly reason happen to like you two. All I ever wanted for those two is complete happiness. If you can't give them that, leave now, otherwise, I need a promise to never ever hurt them, no matter what.”“You have my word on that Chief. Never doubt that.” I said, as the chief then nodded once to me. Alan then looked at him and said, “Sir, my only intention is to make Jenny happy, so I promise.” Chief just glared at him. Alan was unsure of what he said, but knew he didn't like something. I looked at Alan and said, “Alan. Relax. Just don't call Mr. Reynolds sir. Non Com's, noncommissioned officers, like we both were, do not like getting called sir, by anyone. And Chief, chill out, he isn't military.”Chief just chuckled. “Yeah, and don't call me Mr. Reynolds. Makes me feel old. Call me John for now on, or at least until you guys make it legal between those gals in there, then we'll figure out what you call me then. And Alan, you did good kid. You didn't break, like so many Seaman have, right out of boot camp.” then just smiled.Just then the girls came back from the kitchen with drinks. From that point on, the mood was light and cheerful. I just sat back and watched how this family interacted. They are like most families, I guess. Since it is just my sister and myself, except for an uncle and aunt and three cousin's, I really couldn't tell you what a big family is like. Mine though, is quite boisterous and not afraid of speaking their minds on any subject.About an hour went by when Jenny and Alan said their goodbye's. They were going to the football game the next afternoon and wanted to get some sleep. We sat up a bit more with John and Connie, telling a lot of what we did up in the mountains. Well, not everything, or I am sure, he'd have killed me by now.I was getting up, so I could make my leave too, when Carrie asked me to join her in the kitchen. I had no idea what she wanted, but went with the flow and followed her in.“I don't want you going back to your place tonight. You are sleeping with me, unless you don't want too.” she said, giving me her little pouty face she likes to do now and then.“I'm not sure how your parents will feel about that. I don't want to cause any trouble for you, or me either.”Carried just chuckled, “Don't worry about them. I am 41 you know. Plus, me and mom talked out here. She knows you and I have slept together from almost the beginning of us meeting. She is fine with it, and she'll take care of dad. As she put it, “That boy is over the moon for you Honey. Treat him good and he'll treat you like a queen.” So don't worry. But, we can't play around. That would be too weird.” and we both laughed softly at that.Carrie then grabbed my hand and walked towards the stairs, to go upstairs. “Night you two” she said as she passed by them. Her mom said night, but Chief just grunted something. I am pretty sure I will get an earful, next time we are alone.Once in the bedroom, Carrie went to her dresser and opened a drawer, pulled out pajamas. They were blue, red, and white checkerboard style print. She said she went shopping today and got these. She is wearing the top and the bottoms were for me. She stripped down to just her panties, which for once, were not thong style. She still looked sexy as all get out. I stripped too to my boxers and t-shirt. She then went to the bathroom and came out a few minutes later. I followed suit and did my business. She let me know there was a toothbrush on the sink for me, that she just got too.When I came back out, she was already in bed and awaited me. I crawled in next to her. We kissed and held each other close. Like I said when the first time we slept in a bed together, I could definitely get used to this.“Mark Honey. I need to apologize for yesterday. I was so wrong to try and push you away from me. I would have been crushed had you just said  okay, and left. But you didn't. That told me right there how much you love me. So thank you for being here for me. I love you Mark. It grows stronger every minute of the day. I wish right now we could make love, but until I know what is really up with this, we're going to have to take a rest from that. I hope you understand.”I leaned in and kissed her forehead and pulled her tighter to me. God, I love the way she feels.“Sweetheart, you need not apologize for anything. It has to be a shock to you, that is for sure. But, I will always be there for you, no matter what. We'll see this through, together. As for making love right now. This is making love, I believe. The sex is just the icing on the cake, so to speak. Plus, if you think I would have sex with you, with your parents just down the hall, you are crazy.”Carrie was just about to say something, when we both heard a light thumping sound. I started to chuckle, but Carrie said shush. It was definitely a rhythm thump going on.I chuckled and said, “You're kidding right?” Carrie laughed quietly and said, “Oh yeah. I think dad and mom are doing the horizontal hula. Trust me Hun. As far back as I can remember, they are one horny couple. I hope when I am their age, I still want it that much.”Carrie's hand reached under the waistband of my bottoms and boxers and started playing with Mr. happy. “God, I wish this was inside me now. “ She stroked it a few times so it was now almost hard. Then she rolled over on her side, so we could spoon. I too lay on my side and pulled her into me, so our bodies melded together. My hardness nestled up against her beautiful ass, which she then wiggled a bit. My arm lay over her and rested on her tummy. She took that hand and brought up, and inside her top and placed it on her one tit. My hand instantly enveloped her tit and held it gently. “God. I love your hand there” she cooed. “Night Mark. I love you” “I love you too Carrie”To be continued, by T. Foxal.

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 50-52; Psalm 92; 2 Peter 1 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible, dear friends! On this July 27th episode, your host Hunter invites you to join him on day 209 of our journey through the Scriptures. Together, you'll warm your hearts by the fires of God's love, reminded that our focus is always on the Living Word—Jesus—rather than mere ink on a page. Today's readings bring us deep into Isaiah chapters 50 through 52, Psalm 92, and 2 Peter 1. In this episode, Hunter reflects on the enduring promises of God's comfort and salvation, highlighting the powerful assurance and confidence that comes from experiencing the Father's love—just as Peter did on the mount of Transfiguration. You'll be encouraged to anchor your hope in God's unwavering faithfulness, even when life feels uncertain or your confidence is shaken. Ending in prayer, Hunter reminds you that you are God's beloved child, cherished and never alone. So settle in, bring an open heart, and let the Word speak to you today—there's no doubt about it, you are loved. TODAY'S DEVOTION: A Confidence Rooted in Love Need a confidence boost? Peter's experience on the mount of Transfiguration filled him with confidence. He recalls that moment in our reading today from 2 Peter 1, where he says, “Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message we proclaim by the prophets.” Hearing the voice of God built his confidence. What he heard was God's declaration of love for his son: “This is my son whom I love. With him I am well pleased. Listen to him.” Peter is still drawing confidence from this word, from this declaration of God's love for his son. But he isn't just remembering an event—he's recalling how that experience awakened him to the love of God for himself, too. In John 17, Jesus speaks to the Father and says, “I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.” This realization—that God loves us just as he loves Jesus the Son—began to take root in Peter's life. It changed him. The knowledge and experience of God's love gave him confidence to move forward, no matter the challenge. Have you experienced the love of the Father? Experiencing his love transforms us from the inside out. It gives us confidence and the courage to move forward, just as it did for Peter. If you're feeling unconfident today, that's okay. Listen to those words spoken over Jesus and know they are spoken over you—you are God's child, and you are loved. That seed of truth may take time to grow, but as you allow the Holy Spirit to nurture this reality in your life, it will bear fruit. That's the prayer that I have for my own soul. That's the prayer I have for my family—for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that's a prayer that I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Jesus is my shepherd. You have called me by my name into the life of the Beloved. Here in the stillness, I remember that I am not alone. I belong to you and to the great communion of saints and sinners held together in your love. Remind me, Lord, that every breath is grace, every encounter is a chance to give what I have received—mercy without measure. When I forget who I am, when I lose my way, lead me again to still waters, restore my soul. Renew my hope. Reroute me in the joy of simply being yours. Amen. And now, as our Lord has taught us, we are bold to pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.   OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Send us a textStrong Women Strong WorldElizabeth | Part 5Senior Pastor Keith StewartJuly 27, 2025Though only a minor character in the Christmas story, Elizabeth plays a major role among the leading women of the New Testament. Besides Elizabeth's influence on the young, pregnant Mary, there are many “firsts” associated with Elizabeth that the average Christian doesn't even know. Largely because there's been a tendency in church history to diminish Elizabeth and treat her time with Mary as little more than a protracted baby shower. It's past time we restore her rightful place among Bible leaders. __________________DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1. What surprised you in this message today?2. Why do you think Mary wanted to see her relative Elizabeth? What do you think Mary hoped to get out of the visit? 3. How does Elizabeth respond to Mary and why? How else could she have responded? 4. Have you ever had someone like Elizabeth in your life? Studies have found that adolescents thrive when they have at least one strong, sustained relationship with a significant adult, this can be a coach, a teacher, an extended family member, youth pastor, small group leader, etc.. Who besides your parents have made significant contributions to your life especially in an area where you were struggling, growing, or learning? How did they help you? How are you different today as a result of their influence? Have you ever been that kind of person for someone else? Why or why not? 5. We often have the opposite view of blessing from Scripture. Too often, we equate blessings with money, health, and happiness. In the Bible, to be blessed was to be used by God for His kingdom purposes. How have you been Biblically blessed? Why are people so hungry to be blessed today? 6. Take a few minutes and bless one another. Remind one another of their belovedness just for being who they are. Think beyond what people do or even what they do for you and think about what it is about them that makes them the kind of person they are. Praise and bless that quality. 7. Mary is emboldened by her time with Elizabeth to see things as she never has before – especially as it relates to her purpose. Luke's telling of the Christmas story is revolutionary and so unlike the way we typically tell it today. Why do we do this to the Christmas story? Together read the Magnificat (Mary's song and next week's message) in Luke 1.46-55.

May you have the courage to stand in your own knowing.May you find the grace to let go of striving for perfection, and instead embrace the sacredness of your imperfect, human journey.May luminous moments of optimism and possibility guide you,even as you move through gray times of despair and doubt.May you have the wisdom to choose differently, to prioritize what truly matters,creating a legacy that lingers. May you always find solace in the holy ground beneath your feet,the sacred presence that dwells within and all around you.Shine your light, dear one,your small, precious gifts are needed in this world.Happy Spring Equinox! I hope you are enjoying a gentle leap into a new season. Our own weather has been erratic and wild, including nearby tornadoes that wreaked havoc on our town. And, then, today, as I work on the newsletter, sporadic power outages at our house cutting off my internet. As such, this newsletter will be a little shorter than usual with only a brief audio edition. I've gotten very off schedule this week! Our shop update today is an eclectic one, featuring assorted divine imperfections, “Luna” one-of-a-kind goddesses, and some red winged Nemesis goddesses (by customer request).We also still have assorted goddesses in our very special spring pigment—a beautiful lilac with small flowers. We are using this pigment to honor Áine, the Irish Fairy Queen, who is this year's featured goddess at Gaea Goddess Gathering. We do know that she is a summertime goddess, but we felt like this pigment was an excellent match for the spring equinox/Ostara and our month of Persephone as well, so we went forward with it!This week's magic:* 8 minute video: beholding delight.Resource Reminders:* New free series: An Introduction to Goddess Studies* 1. getting started* 2. printable journal* 3. affirmation card set* 4. portable altar space* 5. introduction to thealogy* 6. influential authors in goddess studies* 7. audio retreat: spots of time (note: publishing Saturday)Blog Posts:* Ritual Reading for Spring Equinox (A Spring Ritual of Returning)* Clarity and the CrossroadsBeholding DelightReminder: Let us be open to delight. Let us be open to wonder. Let us allow joy. Let us be open to the possibility of bliss.Journal prompts for the week:* What is calling to you? What doorway are you sensing?* What are you saying yes to? What is your ritual of returning?Affirmations for this week:* Happiness and ecstasy flow through me wildly and freely.* I am open to joy.* I say yes to life.* I listen to the call.* I allow an expansive dream or creative quest to emerge.* I find the small sacred moments in my daily life and let them sustain me.* I walk my path with presence and intention.Goddess of quiet knowing,help me to make a space for stillness,to guard a place for peace.Remind me that stillness and motionare a constant interplay,the beat between notes,the space between raindrops,the pause between breaths,the silence between heartbeats.The nature of the body is to be in motion,the constant unfolding of a whole universewhirling within our cells,the still spaces in betweensomehow holding the whole together,as in stillnesswe move.Much love,Molly, Mark, + Family Get full access to Rituals of Returning (from Brigid's Grove) at goddessmagic.substack.com/subscribe

In a season of Stillness, but I'm still here. ❤️‍

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” - Proverbs 22:6As parents, we often wonder when to begin teaching our kids about money. The simple answer? It's never too early. In fact, a study by Purdue University found that most of our lifelong money habits are formed by the age of seven. That's a sobering realization—but also a hopeful one. Because with intentionality and biblical wisdom, we can help our children become faithful stewards from an early age.Here's how to begin—step by step.Ages 3–5: Needs, Wants, and WorshipEven toddlers can begin to understand the basics of money. Start by teaching the difference between needs and wants. A home, food, and clothing? Those are needs. But that cereal with a cartoon character? That's a want—and a perfect conversation starter.As you shop, ask your child to name which items fall into which category. Then take the opportunity to remind them: God provides all our needs and blesses us with more than we deserve.Begin using the three-jar method—one for spending, one for saving, and one for giving. When your child receives birthday money or a small allowance, help them divide it equally. Let them drop their “giving” portion into the offering plate each week. It's a simple but powerful way to connect generosity with worship.Ages 6–10: Responsibility and Short-Term GoalsAt this stage, kids are ready to take on more responsibility. Assign small chores tied to a modest allowance. If they complete the job, they earn the money. If not, the allowance waits. It's a simple lesson in accountability and work ethic.If they want something beyond their current funds, help them create a short-term savings plan. Use sticker charts or visual trackers to make progress fun and tangible.Give your child a few dollars and let them plan how to spend it on snacks for the week. This is a great way to teach a foundational principle from financial teacher Ron Blue:“You always have more choices than money.”Encourage your child to give regularly to causes they care about. Ask why they want to give—and help them understand how giving reflects God's heart.Ages 11–15: Bigger Goals, Delayed GratificationNow your child may be babysitting, mowing lawns, or doing small jobs for neighbors. It's the perfect time to talk about larger savings goals—maybe a new bike or a camp trip.Consider opening a custodial savings account or using a kid-friendly money app. Walk through monthly statements together and celebrate milestones. Let them make decisions (and occasional mistakes) while you're close by to guide them.If they want to buy something online, encourage them to wait a few days, compare options, and pray before making a purchase. The lesson is clear: patience often leads to better decisions.Ages 16–18: Real-World Practice and Investing BasicsTeenagers who are working part-time jobs are ready for more advanced money management.Help them set up a formal budget with real income and categories for saving, spending, and giving. This is also a good time to introduce matching incentives: If they save $500, you match it, just like an employer's 401(k) might.Let them research a company and buy a fractional share through a custodial brokerage account. If they have earned income, consider opening a Roth IRA to model long-term investing.Remind them: Markets go up and down, but faithful stewardship builds wealth over time.The Ultimate Goal: A Faithful StewardReinforce this truth: Their worth isn't tied to their net worth. All we have is a gift from God to be managed for His glory, not our own.No matter your child's age, the goal remains the same: to raise someone who knows how to earn, manage, give, and grow what God has entrusted to them. You don't have to be a financial expert—you just have to be present and intentional.Keep the conversation going. Keep pointing them to biblical truth. And remember—this isn't just a financial lesson. It's a spiritual one.For more resources on biblical money management and to start budgeting as a family, check out the FaithFi app.On Today's Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:I'm 58, single, and plan to keep working until I'm 70. I live frugally and want to ensure that my assets are managed wisely and passed on to my four children, especially my youngest. I'm considering setting up a trust, but the $2,000 cost seems steep. Is that the best option for someone like me who wants to ensure everything is protected and appropriately distributed?I'm looking to understand how reverse mortgages work. What kind of interest rates do they typically charge? Do they accrue interest like a traditional mortgage over time? Are there any upfront fees to get started?Resources Mentioned:Faithful Steward: FaithFi's New Quarterly Magazine (Become a FaithFi Partner)Movement MortgageWisdom Over Wealth: 12 Lessons from Ecclesiastes on MoneyLook At The Sparrows: A 21-Day Devotional on Financial Fear and AnxietyRich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich FoolFind a Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA) or Certified Christian Financial Counselor (CertCFC)FaithFi App Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on the Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. Visit our website at FaithFi.com where you can join the FaithFi Community and give as we expand our outreach.

Prayer is not our last resort but our first and best response to the challenges of parenting. Join us as we step into God's invitation to partner with Him for the hearts of our children. Follow Everyday Prayers @MillionPrayingMoms A Prayer for True TreasureReference: Matthew 13:44 Prayer Lord, forgive me for sometimes chasing after the things of this world rather than seeking after you. Help me to keep my priorities straight. I want to be excited about you again, ready to go all out for you. Help my children to do the same. Remind us daily that our greatest treasure is in you. In Jesus' name, Amen, LINKS:Follow Million Prayer Moms on Instagram & Facebook: @millionprayingmoms Get today's devotion and prayer in written form to keep for future use! Support the ministry with your $5 monthly gift through Patreon. Discover more Christian podcasts at LifeAudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at LifeAudio.com/contact-us Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We start by finding out who was in a car accident yesterday leaving them incredibly frustrated. Lunchbox just discovered something that’s been out for almost 10 years. Amy wants to know what memory we would give her if one day she woke up without her memory. We go around the room and each share what we’d say about each other. Bobby finds out from a listener about a new disorder he might have. A listener shares why she loves ‘pervy Amy’. Someone also calls out Amy for not knowing something that was obvious this week. We talk about the horror of walking in on someone using the toilet after it happened to a show member. Bobby took callers who had complaints about Eddie forcing his kids to use a bad lawn mower to teach them a lesson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cultivate more joy in your life with this practice led by meditation teacher and author Spring Washam.How to Do This Practice: Reflect on an area of your life that brings you joy—whether it's a small moment, an activity, or a connection. Imagine experiencing that joyful moment. Feel the smiles, peace, and lightness it brings. Let yourself fully connect with the positive emotions. As you reflect, silently say to yourself, “May my joy and my happiness increase.” Allow this intention to sink into your heart. Bring to mind someone in your life who is experiencing happiness or success. Picture them in their joyful state. In your mind, say to them, “May your joy and happiness increase.” Or, “I'm happy for your happiness. May your happiness continue.” Remind yourself that joy is limitless, like the stars in the universe. Celebrating the joy of others enhances your own happiness. Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.Today's Happiness Break Guide:Spring Washam, is a meditation teacher based in Oakland, California. She is also the author of the book, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground. Learn more about Spring and her new book: https://www.springwasham.com/Follow Spring on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/springwasham/Check out Spring's YouTube channel: https://tinyurl.com/22njyd29Related Happiness Break episodes:Tap into the Joy That Surrounds You: https://tinyurl.com/2pb8ye9xWishing Others' Well, With Anushka Fernandopulle: https://tinyurl.com/jrkewjs8A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/485y3b4yRelated Science of Happiness episodes:Where to Look for Joy: https://tinyurl.com/5n7thrh4Are You Remembering the Good Times: https://tinyurl.com/483bkk2hWhy We Should Seek Beauty: https://tinyurl.com/yn7ry59jFollow us on Instagram: @ScienceOfHappinessPod We'd love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapHelp us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aapTranscription: https://tinyurl.com/24c7t4cf

The new moon in Leo invites us to be BOLD, courageous, take up space - be SEEN!!Time for a reset - think of your intentions for the end of the year. What are you ready to accomplish? What are you ready to be witnessed in?Remind yourself - it is safe to shine, to be seen, to take up space.✨✨ Ready To Rise Fam! ✨✨

In this episode Diana welcomes back author Dana Diaz, who discusses her second book 'Choking on Shame.' Dana shares her experiences with narcissistic abuse in her marriage and childhood, emphasizing the importance of telling one's story, forgiveness, and healing. Dana also talks about her upcoming third book, 'Rising from the Ashes,' which focuses on her life post-abuse and her journey toward healing and self-love. Discussing the complexities of dealing with unhealed trauma and finding inner peace, Dana provides valuable insights and hope for those navigating similar struggles. Listeners are encouraged to seek professional help and understand that it's never too late to start the healing process. 00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message 00:48 Welcome to the Podcast 01:27 Dana Diaz's Story: Choking on Shame 02:41 Understanding Narcissistic Abuse 03:57 The Impact of Abuse on Life and Healing 06:25 Rising from the Ashes: The Sequel 09:50 Forgiveness and Healing 26:03 The Power of Writing and Sharing Your Story 35:37 Closing Remarks and Resources Link Tree Website: https://dswministries.org Subscribe to the podcast: https://dswministries.org/subscribe-to-podcast/ Social media links: Join our Private Wounds of the Faithful FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1603903730020136 Twitter: https://twitter.com/DswMinistries YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxgIpWVQCmjqog0PMK4khDw/playlists Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dswministries/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DSW-Ministries-230135337033879 Keep in touch with me! Email subscribe to get my handpicked list of the best resources for abuse survivors! https://thoughtful-composer-4268.ck.page #abuse #trauma Affiliate links: Our Sponsor: 753 Academy: https://www.753academy.com/ Can't travel to The Holy Land right now? The next best thing is Walking The Bible Lands! Get a free video sample of the Bible lands here! https://www.walkingthebiblelands.com/a/18410/hN8u6LQP An easy way to help my ministry: https://dswministries.org/product/buy-me-a-cup-of-tea/ A donation link: https://dswministries.org/donate/   Dana Diaz Part 2 [00:00:00] I do have a sponsor 7 5 3 Academy. Our martial art program specialized in anti-bullying programs for kids to combat proven Filipino martial arts. Colli. We take a holistic, fun, and innovative approach that simply works. Our fitness community is friendly and supportive without the over the top muscle gym atmosphere. Our coaching staff are professionally trained with over 30 years of experience. Get started by claiming your free class voucher. So go to the link in the show notes. This is in the Phoenix Metro area, so reach out to Coach David and coach Eric over at 7 5 3 Academy. Welcome to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast, brought to you by DSW Ministries. Your host is singer songwriter, speaker and domestic [00:01:00] violence advocate, Diana Winkler. She is passionate about helping survivors in the church heal from domestic violence and abuse and trauma. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counseling or qualified medical help. Now here is Diana. Welcome, welcome to the podcast once more. I appreciate you coming back to hear some more of Dana Diaz. She is on her second book that she's been talking about, Choking on Shame. And again, she was on the podcast in season three, episode 1 53. So if you haven't heard, part one of this conversation, go back to part one. But it [00:02:00] would be really great to also listen to episode 1 53 'cause then you would get the whole picture of her story and some really great advice and help for those of you who have been with a narcissist or maybe you're dealing with one now. I'm not gonna go through her bio again. Everything is in a show notes for you. So without delay, here we go with part two, my conversation with Dana Diaz. And, I guess I should clarify that, what makes it called narcissistic abuse? It's just when a narcissist abuses you. But the difference is that a narcissist will enact multiple and all abuses in some cases versus, and I'm not trying [00:03:00] to minimize, but like in my childhood, I was physically abused and verbally abused and neglected in many ways in my marriage to this narcissist. Yes, there was verbal abuse for sure, which we discussed with the cussing 'cause he called me things that became as common as my name. I actually heard them more than my name. Um mm-hmm. There was sexual abuse. And yes, I will debate anybody who tells me that if you're married, you cannot be sexually abused. I disagree. If you are taking advantage of a woman that does not consensually want to be with you, uh, that is sexual abuse. Yes. There was financial abuse. So many examples of that. Legal abuse, the threatening to, call the authorities, creating the narrative of, you're crazy, you're unstable. I'm gonna call child services, so I'll have custody of our son if you leave me. I will do this legally to you. It's this constant threat. And then you add in all the other things , the [00:04:00] intimidation, the stalking, you're basically scared for your life. And I always say it's like, people call it walking on eggshells. I'm like, no, it was a minefield. It was a minefield. Yeah. Because I was stepping very carefully, very cautiously. Every time I opened my mouth, even my facial expressions, I could not say anything or do anything. And World War III would erupt because of my facial expression. So I was very careful, but it doesn't matter where I stepped, stuff was blowing up here, but I couldn't deal with it or process it. 'cause then something was blowing up over here and then in the midst of that, I'm trying to protect my son and shelter him from as much of it as I could, even though my ex was always trying to drag him into it so that he could blame me for our sons, unhealthy, witness of things that no child should ever have to witness or hear between parents. So it was, uh, yeah, it was something. And it's interesting because so many people read [00:05:00] Gasping for Air, including the owner of my publishing company. She actually at one point messaged me and said, I thought this was nonfiction. I said, It is. It was my true story. And she says, I can't even believe it. I said, well, you can't make this stuff up. Trust me. I would not have that kind of imagination. But it is a page turner. So it has appealed to people for entertainment that just like an exciting, uh, dysfunctional relationship read. But for the bulk of people who have been through this type of relationship, I'm glad to report that I get messages every day. Every single day of people saying that it gave them strength or it helped them to feel less alone because they thought it was just them or, you know, whatever it is. I've had people message me that they're finally leaving. They're divorcing, they're trying to get things in order or whatever it is. And I am certainly not [00:06:00] here saying, go get divorced, leave whoever. 'cause sometimes it's safer for somebody to stay. Um, it, it's just the reality, unfortunately sometimes. But I just want to give people, if nothing else, the hope that. There is something more to life and that no, you were not put here to suffer. And, it hurts my heart when I hear people say that. 'cause I, I remember feeling very much that way. But that's where the third book comes in. 'cause the third book is actually the sequel. Mm-hmm To gasping for air. We kind of went out of order, kind of like the Star Wars movies did for a while there. But again, I only intended to ever write the one. So gasping for error. Then we have the prequel, which is my childhood, choking on shame. So coming in March is rising from the ashes where it picks up. Right where gasping for error left off where I am leaving the driveway of the farm that I shared with my ex-husband moving out, moving on with [00:07:00] life. But I thought everything would be fine. I think when you get out of those. Uh, situations you think, oh, everything's fine. Nothing can go wrong. And, there's a lot of healing to do and things are a little messy while you're doing the healing. You don't necessarily perceive healthy relationships and healthy connections the way a healthy person would because there's this distrust and this anxiety, and we, there's so much still there that has to be dealt with. It's coming to the realization of those things. And as I said, coming to terms with even my mother who, went no contact with me before I even divorced with my ex, she opted to go no contact. 'cause she said that she could not be her husband's wife and my mother at the same time, and she was choosing to be his wife instead of being my mother. Mm-hmm. So that was heartbreaking. But this is my last resort and rising from the ashes, like, okay, I'm out of this marriage. Like, there's [00:08:00] one scene, it was hard to write in rising from the ashes where I'm actually on Christmas Eve at her house. I hadn't been invited, just my son had been, but I didn't get to see him Christmas day because of the divorce. My ex was going to have him. So that was my time with him was Christmas Eve and she took it. Without even consulting with me. So I ended up going with my son. Mm-hmm. I ended up on my knees on Christmas Eve in my mother's basement on the cold ceramic tile floor. Literally begging with my hands clasped, begging her just to be my mother to see me, to come to my wedding. 'cause I'm newly engaged, to this man. I've known many, many, many years and I just wanted her to be a part of that. There was no emotion stone face. And she actually walked away from me and left me there on the floor in tears on Christmas. Mm-hmm. So there's a lot of [00:09:00] heartbreak, but it's a very happy ending. And, we talked about coming full circle before, but the ending of rising for ashes. I'll give this little snippet. 'cause I haven't really talked about the book to anybody. Not even my husband knows about it. I don't let him read books until they're published. But, the very end actually comes back to my mother that I said, after everything I'd been through my healing, the key to my healing was resolving that very first relationship I had in my life. I'm getting chills right now just thinking about it because mm-hmm. Everything in my life had to do with my mother rejecting me. But it took somebody saying to me. You can't reject your mother, you can't hate her. You can't have these ill feelings towards her for what she, how she treated you. Because if you do that, you're rejecting a part of yourself. And that just, that was as eye-opening as telling me I'm a child of God. Because then I had to look at her, uh, and the same person said that I had to put a [00:10:00] picture of my mother up in my house where it was prominence. It couldn't be hidden away somewhere. And um, the very last chapter of the book of Rising from the Ashes is me doing that. And it was not pretty. And I had some choice words that I cannot say on this podcast to say to that picture. But you know what? I still have the picture right here in my office and I look at it every day. I even say, hi mom. We have no relationship. She has nothing to do with me. We have no communication. But she's there 'cause she's my mother. And I'm gonna love her anyway because she was just a kid. And I forgive that I had to come to terms with knowing that she came from an abusive household. She had an abusive alcoholic father and endured terrible domestic violence. And she was just a baby when she had me. And she was a baby [00:11:00] who hadn't resolved her own unhealed trauma. So even though I was her baby and I expected her to handle me better and to know what to do and how to do it, she didn't. And I have to forgive that because I mean, what 16, 17-year-old girl that's in an abusive household would know what to do with a baby she doesn't even want. So, with that, I just encourage people to maybe look at, I'm not saying it excuses it, but I think mm-hmm. It's helped me get past the past. To look at it with a more loving heart than a resentful one. Because if you hold onto that resentment and that anger and that pain, you don't have room for the blessings and the love and the hope for the future and in the present, everything that's right in front of you. So that, that's essentially where we go with rising from the ashes. And I want people to hear that message loud [00:12:00] and clear. I'm really glad that you pointed out the forgiveness aspect. 'cause we talk about that a lot. How do you forgive somebody that's done some really horrible things to you? And they never repent of it. They never ask forgiveness or come around like we want them to. But I'm glad you mentioned, yeah, I can still forgive my mother in. An aspect of I'm not gonna live or live rent free in my head and ruin the rest of my life. I'm gonna move on with my life and help other people. But yeah, I respect that. Yes, she is my mother. And that's okay to say that. Yeah. Yeah. She's my mother, but I don't have to let her ruin my life. Exactly. And we move on. I mean, at the end of the day, we're all human. I said it before, but I say [00:13:00] it almost every day. We all make mistakes. And I can own up to mine and not feel badly about it. It's just sometimes you make a mistake, things happen unintentionally, intentionally, we screw up. But you know, we have to give that same grace to other people, because not everybody. Is at the same level of consciousness. Not everybody is faithful. Even my mother, when she got with her husband, when I was very young, actually, he didn't feel he was not Christian at all. So we stopped going to church. I actually started getting rides with my friends that were Catholic to, or I'd sleep over at their houses on Saturday nights so I could go to Sunday mass with them. But, even in college, I was able to drive, so I would go myself and I continued that. But, you know, it's about respect. We can't assume that everybody thinks like we do because they don't, not everybody comes from the same history that we come from. [00:14:00] Geographic differences, cultural differences. We're all so unique and that's a beautiful thing, but even within our own families, she has the right to make her own choices. Mm-hmm. She has turned herself away from God, but that is her choice. It is not my place for anyone else's to, force her somewhere where she doesn't feel that she wants to be. But again, that's between her and God. But, um, it's not my place, so I have to respect it, understand that she has the right, and I almost, got even to the point in my healing where I was like, you know, I actually have to appreciate even how she, stood her ground as far as her relationship with me. As terrible it is as it is to reject your own child. She had a very clear idea, of what she wanted in life and how she wanted to live her life. Whether I agree with that or not. She was being true to herself and [00:15:00] respecting herself. And self-love is not something that I had the privilege of, even knowing what that was for most of my life. And I still, every once in a while have to, give myself a pat on the back or remind myself I'm pretty okay. You know? 'cause I grew up with such terrible self-esteem and that first marriage didn't help at all. But my mother always had a sense of exactly who she was and what she wanted, and I did not fit into that. So, there's things I think we can learn from people like that and understand and just give them that grace that they're having their own human experience. And it may not be the path we walked, may not be the way we would've walked it, but that's what they're doing. And just have to love them through it. Pray for them, hope for them. But at the end of the day, we also have to do what gives ourselves some inner peace, which sometimes means, not having that relationship with them. So, I respect that about her. We have, like I said, we are completely estranged, but my [00:16:00] life goes on and I have her picture here in my office and I look at it every day and. It's all right. It's okay because God loves me again. I'm his child and he loves my mother too. Even though she's made mistakes, and hopefully one day she'll realize that, there is love in her life and that she is worth more than what she is allowed herself to have. And open herself up to that. But that is not my place to force her to do so. Hmm. I'm very fortunate that it's, my narcissist ex, we have no contact at all. Because we didn't have any children together, which looking back I am grateful for that. I didn't bring children into that marriage. Yeah. To suffer along with me, it would've been a different ending. But yeah, I'm able, to say that I've healed. Significantly, because I'm not in that relationship. Yes. With him, I don't [00:17:00] have to have any contact. 'cause when you get out of that, you have a better perspective as to what you went through rather than you're still in it and you're still dealing with this person and, they're trying to make your life, miserable. I was really fortunate that I just cut 'em off. And you have to, unfortunately, that's the only way, and I try to tell people that you can't, there is no healing when you're still in those circumstances. But it's impossible. I always tell people, I liken it to growing flowers in your garden. If you plant the seeds and then as soon as the flowers start blooming, you start giving them chemicals and poison and. They're not gonna keep growing. You cannot heal something. You cannot grow as a human being if you're still in that toxicity. And it's a shame sometimes that we have to cut off people that are biologically, family. But, I think that [00:18:00] the way to look at that and what has been my experience in life from a very young age is that, we're all part of God's family. And I cannot tell you how much of a difference it has made since, sadly not having contact with my abusive mother and stepfather. And I don't have contact with my ex either and many other people who have enabled them and sided with them in some way. But, uh, or they have cut contact with me, which is fine, but it's amazing now that they're kind of out of the way, like pulling weeds outta that same garden, now the weeds are gone. So I can see the other flowers that were always there and they're rooting for me and they're growing with me, and they're wanting me to grow it all and, and want me to be the beautiful flower that I can be. And it's just astounding to me the difference that having supportive, encouraging positive people around you, that what that makes versus being in those situations where every [00:19:00] single day I was diminished, insulted, ridiculed, demeaned. It just any negative adjective you can come up with is what that experience is like. But then you turn that around. You can't help but smile when somebody speaks positivity to you or encourages you, and then you wanna do that to others. And it has this beautiful domino effect because I know people, there's that thing called resting bee face. You know that? Mm-hmm. People used to say that I had that back then, and it wasn't that I was just. I was miserable, I was suffering. I wasn't, there was nothing to smile about. But, um, now it's, it, it's nice because I run into people sometimes that I haven't seen in years. And I know one person said, oh, it's good to see you smile again. It's good to see you laughing. Or, you know, one person, the best compliments I've had, they looked at me just physically, they're like, you look healthy. Because I had, I had gotten [00:20:00] so sickly physically during that. Mm-hmm. And especially towards the end of my marriage with my first husband that, yeah, even my physical health has improved with my mental health. So, and it's such an empowering thing to, to know like, okay, I actually had the choice. You know? Thankfully I was able to get out of it alive, so to speak. And everything's just really good now. Everything's really good. It's giving me that time and that space now to just tweak those little things. I call them like bruises that sometimes, somebody might say or do something and that bruise gets poked a little. I'm like, Ooh, that hurts. That didn't feel good. But I can kind of explore that a little more now and be like, okay. We still, I don't think the healing journey ever ends, but I think that, no, you know, we take those opportunities when our, when our bruises get poked a little bit to say like, okay, what do we still have here to work out? Where is that coming from? And then [00:21:00] deal with it. Because more times than not, it's just, it's the past. I always tell people it's never about the presence and usually when somebody comes at you as in confrontational, abusive, mistreats you in some way, it doesn't even have to do with you. It has to do with them. Yes, it's their unhealed trauma speaking to you. It's their issues with themselves that they just can't stand something that they see about you, that it's your light that's disturbing their peace. It's your potential, your achievement that's making them feel. All that yucky stuff they already feel about themselves. But, all you can do is love. I just try to remind myself, even when, believe me, there's, I always say there's the angel and the devil on my shoulders, and the devil just wants to tell 'em a few f-bombs and say a few things, but then the angels like, love them, love them. And I just take a deep breath and okay, this is coming from a source of pain. Remind myself of that. I know what that's like. It's not gonna be helpful. It's not gonna be productive or [00:22:00] get anywhere if we're gonna go back at 'em, with more evil words and nastiness. We're just gonna love, and some people aren't receptive. I had that experience last week and, a very, very nasty person, who told me the most vicious and awful thing that I won't even repeat. And I went back to them with love and said, I hear pain in what you said to me, and I understand this isn't about me, but I wish that one day you would. Find out how wonderful you are and love yourself enough to respect and value other people's lives as well. And she came at me with, an equally, just like her first message that I deserved what she said to me in the beginning. And that's that. Some people just don't wanna hear it. They don't wanna receive it. But that's not gonna change who I am or make me change my character. I'm still gonna come from a good place and remind myself there is evil in the world. There are people in this world that want to sit with their demons and stay there forever more. All I can [00:23:00] do is love them and pray for them. That's it. I can't, I just like my mother, I can't make that choice for them. It's kind of like drug and alcohol addiction. They have to be able, just like we had to when we were in our situations, you have to make the choice for yourself. Nobody could have told me, I had people say, you don't look happy, or, he's a real this or that, and you should get out. You think, I don't know that you don't think, I don't know. I was being mistreated. Of course I did. It's just not that easy to walk away, especially when you do have a child with a person, it makes it that much more complicated. But if nothing else, but legally and financially, it's a little more complicated. Yeah, there's just so much there. But, all in all, I just hope people know, know that there, there's choices, there's hope, and, and one of the biggest choices you can make, and kind of like how I said about me and my sister, is just to choose where you're coming from. Choose to come from a place of love because, putting yourself out there and behaving in negative ways, behaving in, ways [00:24:00] that basically, like they're acting, it's not gonna get you anywhere and it's not gonna solve that. This world is angry and full of hate more now than ever. And I don't think we need to participate in that hatred in that division. We need to actually turn that around a little bit and we all can make that difference by starting with the people in our house. Well start with ourselves and then your kids, your spouse, your whoever, your grandma, your coworkers, the person at church, the person that you run into at the library or the post office or wherever. Just be kind. Be kind. And maybe then they'll be a little kinder that day too, to somebody else. Hmm. I agree with that. I wanted to comment on what you said about the bruises, I guess. Yeah. Yeah. I'm 52 and I had some triggers this past year and just brought up some, stuff from my past that I couldn't deal with the, the physical response to those memories. And for the first time in my [00:25:00] life, I'm going to a professional therapist and a psychologist and, I've had some peer counseling and peer groups that were extremely helpful that I'm, really glad that I have a therapist, to help me through these bruises or triggers that have come up in my life right now. I mean, I was married to my ex and I left in 2008. That was a long time ago, but it's never too late to get some help and to reach out to get help with hundred percent some of these things. I know my dear friend that I do mending this all groups with, she's a senior citizen now and she just wrote her book of her life after, so. Uh, her abuse was from her childhood and she had some memory loss, but, she's finally getting to write her book [00:26:00] now. And she's a fantastic writer as well. But what would you say to folks that they hear you and they see you writing these books about your experience, but they're afraid to write their story. They're like, people are gonna judge me. They're not gonna like what I say, or they're gonna sue me. Or what would you say to somebody that might be thinking about writing their story. Well, those are all very valid concerns and as somebody who is now publishing book three, they are still valid concerns. I am actually surprised that I have not faced any legal consequences, although, mm-hmm. On the other hand, it's very unlikely. In my, at least from my experience, I don't know many people who would like raise their hands loudly and say, oh, that's me in that book. You don't wanna claim that you're that person who did these awful things. But I tried to [00:27:00] be, I wrote my stories. I actually, gasping for air came from a journal that I kept when, it was towards the end of my marriage to my first husband, because I honestly thought that I was going to end up dead. And that it would be made to look like an accident or there would be some excuse, and I wanted there to be a record of what was really going on in that house. Wow. So the stories came out of that journal. So if nothing else, I tell people just journal, because sometimes I was joking with a friend this week, like some days my mind is like a bingo. Like that barrel, they spin in bingo, before they pull the little thing out. Like it's all this stuff just jumbling around six that sometimes if you just do, I've heard it called a brain dump. I've heard it called free writing. But just write. Just write everything. Don't monitor yourself. Don't feel bad. You let it come out however it comes out, even if it's not how you would normally talk. Say what [00:28:00] you have to say. Be angry, be hurt, cry, whatever. Get it out. Because the interesting thing is that. One, you'll feel better because it's like outside of you now. It's literally like extracting that pain from you and putting it on something else. It does actually make you feel mentally better, but you'll notice after a while when you go back, you'll start noticing patterns because visually you learn differently than mentally, if that makes any sense. So like even when I was writing Gasping for actually even the third book, all of my writing I'd read and have to revise over and over, and I would have a wake up in the middle of the night with. Oh my gosh. Like my brain just realized after I've written these stories, that this, it's kind of like connecting the dots, like a, an a detective or investigator trying to figure out a murder with all the strings on the walls pointing to this and that. It's like your brain starts [00:29:00] doing these, connect the dots, and you start making these connections and realizing things you hadn't seen before. Because when it's all in your head, it's, it is just jumbling around like that bingo barrel. Um mm-hmm. So it's good to get it out of you, but if you actually do wanna get into publishing a story Yes. They're, unfortunately, those fears are valid. They are always going to be there because as long as something is in print, if somebody does feel, even if you change their names, even if you change other geographical details, different things. If somebody can provide enough evidence that those circumstances or that person or whatever it was, it is actually them and wants to take you to court. They unfortunately do have a case. And so, I would definitely advise speaking to an attorney speaking to, different insurance companies. 'cause there are insurances you could get to cover to have that protection, for libel really, and things like that. Yes. I didn't know [00:30:00] that. Yeah, it's an expense, but, it's one worth having if you're gonna be speaking your truth. But the, thing that's been the struggle for me has been the judgment because surprisingly, the judgment has not even come from the people who have done awful things to me. It has come from their family members, which mm-hmm are and were my family members. You'd be surprised how many people just don't wanna believe you and we'll call you all kinds of things under the sun. And on the lighter end. 'cause you weren't there. They weren't where you were. They weren't there. They didn't see all that. They didn't. But the thing is, for them to believe you, they have to believe they love a monster. Mm-hmm. You see what I'm saying? Yep. That's pretty much it. My ex-mother-in-law, who I loved like a mother, 'cause she was a mother to me all those years, my mother was not my sister-in-law, who is my best friend. Even people in [00:31:00] my life, mutual friends, even. People that taught my son at his school that got word and read the book, and now for you to say those things about him or that, or even about my mother, whatever, in that book, I have to be the villain so that they feel better about associating with somebody who's capable of doing the things that I claim they did. So the judgment is honestly the biggest thing, but I keep, I just, I say it almost every day. God is the only judge. God is the only judge. You know what? And I know my truth. I know my truth firmly, and I can't let other people get me down. And let me tell you, strangers will say the most vile things, the most horrendous things behind an email or a social media post, or however they communicate with you, because they have that anonymity behind a screen. Yeah. And it is cruel. The things I have been told, such horrific things [00:32:00] and here I am, like I'm just trying to help people heal. I think I'm doing a good thing. And, the pushback is very strong. But what I've noticed and what I have to tell myself to keep putting one foot in front of the other is that those are the people, the ones who go through that great effort to go to my website and click on contact Dana to email me, or, put the post out or however they communicate their nastiness to me. I hit something, I hit some nail on the head. I triggered, I poked one of their bruises. That's what that is. And so in a sense, I look at those like, okay, I hear the pain. I wanna love them and help them, but they're not receptive right now. And that's okay. Hopefully that will come. But I gotta say, okay, good job, Dana. 'cause something I said or did, got to them. They can't let it go. It's haunting them. So maybe that's the propellant for change. Maybe that's the thing that's gonna compel [00:33:00] them, to change their circumstances or to take hold, take control of their life, and get that healing that they need. Because I wanna touch upon real quick what you said. I'm 49, let me tell you, I get so many people that contact me. I am actually, I just started this month, co-leading a women's group for healing from childhood abuse. And the thing that we get, the comment we get the most is that people that are our age, forties, fifties, sixties, even, I've even had a few in the seventies, that they kind of blame themselves. They shame themselves because, well, why now? Why am I just, how come it took me so long? I'm gonna answer that right now for you and I and for all these people that have said that to themselves. We were trying to live. We were trying to survive. Yes. Number one, when we got out, we had to go to work every day like we probably still do now. We were raising children possibly, which is not an easy [00:34:00] task. We had family commitments, church commitments, school, whatever it was we were. Life gets very busy. Life is very distracting, but I feel like when you get to where we're about in age, like for example, my son, he's gonna be 22, very soon. He bought his own house. He's moved up. When you start to be left with, yeah, when you start to be left with your own thoughts and you have time to reflect back and you're not in this constant hustle and bustle and have to and got and dah. Then you're like, oh my God, what the hell happened to me? You start to think back on the past, like, okay, and then when those things hit you, when somebody does say that thing or poke that bruise, you have the time and you're like, oh, oh, is that about, that was so long ago. And that's when you start really thinking about it. And that's when you have the opportunity and the time, to usually take the reins of your healing. So, if that's [00:35:00] any incentive, I think it's always good, whether you have a therapist or a group or whatever. There's so many, there's goat yoga, there's musical, healing, modalities. There's so many different options available to people right now that no matter what your niche is, so to speak, you can find something that will help you resolve all those feelings of the past, no matter what age you are. Yeah. Reach out to one of us. Yes. You all out there? We have resources. We know people Yes. Wherever you are. Even in other parts of the world. Yes. So I want to make sure that the folks know where to get your books. Not a problem. You can go to my website, dana s diaz.com, the links for the two that are out are there. And then the third, book will be on there when it comes out. Or you can go straight to Amazon anywhere. Books are sold online. I can't get the books on [00:36:00] shelves of the major retailers because of the content and the language. They, have all rejected the, application to have them on the bookshelves, but you can go anywhere online. I have it in it, it's on Kindle, so you can get the ebook if you like, having it on your phone or your iPad or whatever. Sometimes that's easier. It's more affordable. And if you are in an abusive situation still, that would be the best option because you don't want a book that says abuse in the title sitting on your coffee table. So, but it is available wherever books are sold online. This has been great to have you back on the show again and your invitation, is open door for you. Oh, thank you. I appreciate that. I know you're gonna write some more books. You're gonna have a big, long series like Star Wars here and, yeah, I'll eat it right up here. Just come back on, let me know if you have any, anything else to share with us. It's good to see [00:37:00] you. I, so related to what you shared, thank you so eloquently today. I appreciate that. And again, I just want everybody to know that there is hope. And there are people that are behind you. Even if you think you're alone, we're all with you and God is with you most importantly. Amen. God bless you. You as well. Thank you for listening to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast. If this episode has been helpful to you, please hit the subscribe button and tell a friend. You could connect with us at DSW Ministries dot org where you'll find our blog, along with our Facebook, Twitter, and our YouTube channel links. Hope to see you next week.

Have you ever walked into a gallery opening, heart pounding, and thought, “What am I doing here? Everyone else looks like they belong”. You're not alone. That voice in your head telling you you're not enough, it's not the truth. It's a glitch in the system. Today, Ceri explains how to reframe how you show up and who you think you are when you do. Your overachieving brain whispering, “You don't belong here”, does not make it true. It's your inner critic trying to keep you safe. But safe is not where art happens. Safe is not where connection happens. And safe is definitely not where you get to grow. So, you really do need to learn to stand up to your inner critic and reframe things, which is exactly what Ceri teaches you to do, in this episode. KEY TAKEAWAYS Before you even leave the house, do a little thought housekeeping. Remind yourself your presence is enough. You don't need to earn your place. You already have it. Put on some emotional armour. Visualise kindness. Imagine a friend or studio mate, welcoming you with warmth, delighted to see you. Walk into a room with purpose, not pressure. Ditch your performance mindset. Instead of pitching, seek out three people and make them feel seen, heard and valued. Opportunities materialise when you connect, not when you push. BEST MOMENTS “Assume generosity, that stranger you're nervous about, they're probably more worried about themselves than judging you. Most people are kinder than your inner critic.” “It's about being present, because the more curious you are, the less space there is for comparison, and the more generous you are, the more generous the room becomes. .” “"Next time that inner voice says, 'Are we there yet?' Smile, nod, tell it we're already there love - and we've only just begun.” PODCAST HOST BIO With over 30 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. **** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ **** Build Relationships The Easy Way Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ **** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com **** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

We start by finding out who was in a car accident yesterday leaving them incredibly frustrated. Lunchbox just discovered something that’s been out for almost 10 years. Amy wants to know what memory we would give her if one day she woke up without her memory. We go around the room and each share what we’d say about each other. Bobby finds out from a listener about a new disorder he might have. A listener shares why she loves ‘pervy Amy’. Someone also calls out Amy for not knowing something that was obvious this week. We talk about the horror of walking in on someone using the toilet after it happened to a show member. Bobby took callers who had complaints about Eddie forcing his kids to use a bad lawn mower to teach them a lesson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, on Notable Leaders' Radio, I speak with Kijuan Amey, Chief Motivation Officer of Amey Motivation LLC. He highlights his extraordinary journey living his dream of working in the Air Force to an accident that changed him forever. He shares how redefining his life through resilience, faith, and the power of vulnerability, gave him what he needed to thrive again.   In today's episode, we discuss: Reframe vulnerability as a source of strength. Embrace open self-expression and honesty about your struggles. This can foster healing, help you confront past pain, and empower both yourself and others. Acknowledge and address mental health openly. Recognize the reality of emotional struggles, such as depression after trauma. Seeking support and being transparent about difficulties can reduce stigma and provide relief. Remind yourself that setbacks do not define you. Internalize the mantra, “my situation does not define who I am.” Use this belief to separate your identity from your circumstances and maintain hope for your future. Appreciate the hidden lessons in adversity. Understand that challenges during childhood or unexpected setbacks build resilience and self-reliance. Apply this mindset to reframe today's difficulties as opportunities for growth. RESOURCES: Guest Bio From serving in the US Air Force to becoming a CEO, mentor, and bestselling author, Kijuan's journey has been nothing short of remarkable. Born and raised in Durham, NC, he's a true testament to the power of determination and perseverance.  - Serving 10 years in the Air Force, advancing to the rank of Staff Sergeant.  - Former Vice President for the Carolina regional group of the Blinded Veterans Association.  - Mentor and ambassador for the Air Force Wounded Warriors program.  - A talented drummer with 25+ years of experience.  -On-stage actor. - Author of the bestseller, "Don't Focus on Why Me."  In a life-altering moment on May 5th, 2017, he lost his eyesight in a motorcycle accident. But as Kijuan says, "I may have lost my sight, but I did not lose my vision."  Now, Kijuan is a motivating force, empowering others to overcome odds and achieve success. No matter the audience or location, he's ready for the task, from captivating crowds of 1,500 to one-on-one sessions, he is now the chief motivational officer of Amey Motivation LLC.   Website/Social Links: ♦      LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kijuan-amey-783889121?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app   ♦      Instagram:     https://www.instagram.com/kijuanamey?igsh=NmZtNHRqbW1meWNy&utm_source=qr   ♦      Facebook:     https://www.facebook.com/share/1Bq7zzDeV5/?mibextid=wwXIfr   Belinda's Bio: Belinda Pruyne is a renowned Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach, Consultant, and Keynote Speaker recognized for her ability to transform executives, professionals, and small business owners into highly respected, influential leaders. As the Founder of BelindaPruyne.com, she partners with top-tier organizations, including IBM, Booz Allen Hamilton, BBDO, Hilton, Leidos, Yale School of Medicine, Landis, Discovery Channel, and the Portland Trail Blazers. Recently, she led the redesign of two global internal advertising agencies for Cella, a leader in creative staffing and consulting. She is also a founding C-suite and executive management coach for Chief, the fastest-growing executive women's network. A thought leader in leadership development, Belinda is the creator and host of the Notable Leaders Radio podcast, where she has conducted 95+ interviews with top executives and business leaders, revealing the untold stories behind their success. Previously, as Executive Vice President, Global Director of Creative Management at Grey Advertising, she oversaw a global team of 500 professionals, gaining deep expertise in client services and executive leadership. With 25+ years of experience, Belinda is a trusted advisor to startups, turnarounds, acquisitions, and Fortune 500 companies, delivering strategic, high-impact solutions in today's fast-evolving business landscape. Website: Belindapruyne.com Email Address: hello@belindapruyne.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/belindapruyne  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NotableLeadersNetwork.BelindaPruyne/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/belindapruyne?lang=en  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belindapruyne/ 

Struggling with watching your husband grab a banana and head out for his 5-mile run while you're sitting with your full breakfast? Feeling guilty about eating meals when your friend skips lunch because she's "too busy"? This episode tackles the comparison trap that's keeping you stuck in eating disorder recovery. Lindsey gets raw and real about why other people's food and exercise choices have absolutely nothing to do with your healing journey. Key Takeaways Other people's food and exercise choices have nothing to do with your recovery You're not comparing apples to apples - you're comparing apples to pineapples Comparison is literally increasing your risk of ED relapse Your recovery is not up for a vote Stop giving mental energy to other people's plates and start celebrating your own healing

Hey, it's Evan and I'm so grateful you're here joining me for a soothing sleep meditation that I hope will relax your body and clear your mind, so you can drift off to sleep with ease.   If you're loving these meditations, make sure to rate and review them on Apple Podcasts...it always helps others just like you find the meditations they need.   https://meditatedaily.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Audio Recording Sermon OutlineSpeaker: Rev. Tim ChangSermon Series: Parables of the Kingdom in the Gospel of MatthewMatthew 13:31-33 (ESV)31 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”Sermon OutlineThe kingdom of heaven is small (v. 31-32a)The kingdom of heaven is hidden (v. 33a)The kingdom of heaven is more than it seems (v. 32b, 33b)Prayer of ConfessionHeavenly Father, your kingdom is great, but it does not meet our expectations of what a kingdom should be. We confess that we tie significance to what is impressive. When you are not clearly visible, we wrongly assume that you are absent, and we might believe that you do not care. Remind us that though we are specks in this universe, you sent your son, Jesus, to rescue us and invite us into your grand kingdom because we are of infinite worth to you. May your Spirit send us out and be with us as we share your good news to our neighbors. Amen.Questions for ReflectionWhat connected with you from the sermon or the passage?Why did Jesus choose a mustard seed and leaven to describe the kingdom of heaven? What do each of these images convey?How do we tend to measure someone's worth or significance? How does this shape the way we look at people?Describe an example of how God's work was hidden and not obvious, but then in hindsight it was as clear as day.Why is it difficult to trust God when he is not clearly visible?How can we live out the generous hospitality of the kingdom of heaven and make room for others?Though each of us are small, compared to the entire universe, we are deeply loved by Jesus. How might this encourage your heart? How might you encourage someone else with this truth?What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

2025-07-20

Audio Recording Sermon OutlineSpeaker: Rev. Tim ChangSermon Series: Parables of the Kingdom in the Gospel of MatthewMatthew 13:31-33 (ESV)31 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”Sermon OutlineThe kingdom of heaven is small (v. 31-32a)The kingdom of heaven is hidden (v. 33a)The kingdom of heaven is more than it seems (v. 32b, 33b)Prayer of ConfessionHeavenly Father, your kingdom is great, but it does not meet our expectations of what a kingdom should be. We confess that we tie significance to what is impressive. When you are not clearly visible, we wrongly assume that you are absent, and we might believe that you do not care. Remind us that though we are specks in this universe, you sent your son, Jesus, to rescue us and invite us into your grand kingdom because we are of infinite worth to you. May your Spirit send us out and be with us as we share your good news to our neighbors. Amen.Questions for ReflectionWhat connected with you from the sermon or the passage?Why did Jesus choose a mustard seed and leaven to describe the kingdom of heaven? What do each of these images convey?How do we tend to measure someone's worth or significance? How does this shape the way we look at people?Describe an example of how God's work was hidden and not obvious, but then in hindsight it was as clear as day.Why is it difficult to trust God when he is not clearly visible?How can we live out the generous hospitality of the kingdom of heaven and make room for others?Though each of us are small, compared to the entire universe, we are deeply loved by Jesus. How might this encourage your heart? How might you encourage someone else with this truth?What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?

May you have the courage to stand in your own knowing.May you find the grace to let go of striving for perfection, and instead embrace the sacredness of your imperfect, human journey.May luminous moments of optimism and possibility guide you,even as you move through gray times of despair and doubt.May you have the wisdom to choose differently, to prioritize what truly matters,creating a legacy that lingers. May you always find solace in the holy ground beneath your feet,the sacred presence that dwells within and all around you.Shine your light, dear one,your small, precious gifts are needed in this world.Happy Spring Equinox! I hope you are enjoying a gentle leap into a new season. Our own weather has been erratic and wild, including nearby tornadoes that wreaked havoc on our town. And, then, today, as I work on the newsletter, sporadic power outages at our house cutting off my internet. As such, this newsletter will be a little shorter than usual with only a brief audio edition. I've gotten very off schedule this week! Our shop update today is an eclectic one, featuring assorted divine imperfections, “Luna” one-of-a-kind goddesses, and some red winged Nemesis goddesses (by customer request).We also still have assorted goddesses in our very special spring pigment—a beautiful lilac with small flowers. We are using this pigment to honor Áine, the Irish Fairy Queen, who is this year's featured goddess at Gaea Goddess Gathering. We do know that she is a summertime goddess, but we felt like this pigment was an excellent match for the spring equinox/Ostara and our month of Persephone as well, so we went forward with it!This week's magic:* 8 minute video: beholding delight.Resource Reminders:* New free series: An Introduction to Goddess Studies* 1. getting started* 2. printable journal* 3. affirmation card set* 4. portable altar space* 5. introduction to thealogy* 6. influential authors in goddess studies* 7. audio retreat: spots of time (note: publishing Saturday)Blog Posts:* Ritual Reading for Spring Equinox (A Spring Ritual of Returning)* Clarity and the CrossroadsBeholding DelightReminder: Let us be open to delight. Let us be open to wonder. Let us allow joy. Let us be open to the possibility of bliss.Journal prompts for the week:* What is calling to you? What doorway are you sensing?* What are you saying yes to? What is your ritual of returning?Affirmations for this week:* Happiness and ecstasy flow through me wildly and freely.* I am open to joy.* I say yes to life.* I listen to the call.* I allow an expansive dream or creative quest to emerge.* I find the small sacred moments in my daily life and let them sustain me.* I walk my path with presence and intention.Goddess of quiet knowing,help me to make a space for stillness,to guard a place for peace.Remind me that stillness and motionare a constant interplay,the beat between notes,the space between raindrops,the pause between breaths,the silence between heartbeats.The nature of the body is to be in motion,the constant unfolding of a whole universewhirling within our cells,the still spaces in betweensomehow holding the whole together,as in stillnesswe move.Much love,Molly, Mark, + Family Get full access to Rituals of Returning (from Brigid's Grove) at goddessmagic.substack.com/subscribe

Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week. TranscriptGood morning, my name's Chet, I'm one of the pastors here. If you will grab your Bible and go to First Samuel, chapter 21. We're going to be in chapters 21 and 22 today. We're looking through both of those chapters.When I was growing up, probably three to five, I think I watched Mary Poppins 42,000 times. I'm pretty sure that we only had like a handful of VHS that my grandmother had recorded from her television. So I also have a lot of commercials really, really memorized. But I watched that on a regular basis. And there's this scene towards the end of the movie where the children had been in a bank and there was some bank trouble. And I don't want to get into a whole discussion of finance, but they had to run out of the bank and they get lost in London. And thus begins a series of back to back to back to back moments that were utterly terrifying to me.It was like they took all the vulnerabilities of a four year old and just pummeled them. So they're lost in a city. Terrifying. Just not knowing where your parents are for like 12 seconds when you're four and five is scary. They're running through a city. This is, you know, it's awful. Then they come around a corner in an alleyway and an old lady pops out and goes, come with me, children. And it's like, why would she do that? And you don't know if she was intending to be helpful. They run away. She seemed scary. So they take off. Then they come around a corner and a dog jumps out and starts barking aggressively at them. When you're a child, a dog is the size of a bear. Like, I mean, you know. Then they turn and they run and they go down an alleyway and a shadowy figure grabs them. Turns out that that's their friend, but you don't know it at the time.I just remember like this seared in my brain, this series of events. And I remember even as a little kid, like, I'm pretty sure there were times where I just stopped watching the movie before that I was like, well, let's move on. I know they make it at the. And I think there were other times where I just left the room and like waited till I heard the song start back up, you know, because it's a children's movie where things are supposed to be happy. And then I returned, but it was really this interesting peek into things that made me feel very vulnerable and very alone. And this real dive into fears that I had.As we're reading through this text today, we're going to see how Saul, David and a handful of other people deal with fear. What it does to them, where it takes them. There's a reality to fear, that it drives us towards something, towards someone, it exposes us in a way. And so what I hope we see in this text is we're going to see them as they interact with it. They're going to see how they handle it. And what I hope we'll learn together is the scariest place to be and the safest place to be as we study this text together.So let's pray quickly for us and then we'll move into chapter 21 of First Samuel. Lord, we ask for your help. We ask for your Spirit to speak in a way that we can understand, that you would help us to deal with our fears and to see what fear does to us in a way that draws us to you. In Jesus name, amen.So David's on the run. Saul wants to kill him. Saul's the king. David was very close to Saul, was a general, was his bodyguard, was all these different things. And he's now having to flee for his life. And that's what we saw last week as Jonathan, Saul's son, helped David escape.Chapter 21.Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. So he goes to Nob, and we're going to find out that Nob is a whole city of priests. It seems as if after everything, after Shiloh was destroyed and the ark was taken, they get the ark back, and it seems like now the center of the priesthood is here. It's unclear whether the ark is also here, but the priests are. And this is where priestly activities will be taking place for the people of Israel, the sacrifices and all that.So he goes there to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him,"Why are you alone and no one with you?"So it's odd for David to be by himself. Ahimelech knows David, but David usually has like a whole crew. He's either with the king, he's with his military units that he's overseeing. For David just to show up is what business does he have? Did something terrible happen? What's going on?So he comes out, that's why he's trembling. And he says, what? What's going on? And David said to Ahimelech, the priest,"The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, 'Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you and with which I have charged you.' And I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread or whatever is here."So David just says, secret king business. And I've got some people that I'm definitely meeting who are real at a very specific place that you can't know about, and I need bread. None of that is true, except for that David wants bread, but he's on the run and he is just trying to get out of here.And the priest answered, David,"I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy bread if the young men have kept themselves from women,"which just has to do with sexual activity, makes you unclean in the law. So that's what that is. It's not just like women, some mean thing about them. It just has to do with sexual activity.David answered the priest,"Truly, women have been kept from us. As always, when I go on an expedition, the vessels of the young men are holy, even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?"So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there, but the bread of the Presence which is removed from before the Lord to be replaced by hot bread on the day that it is taken away.So the tabernacle seems to be here, the bread of the Presence is here. They would set it out on the Sabbath before the Lord as a picture of the meal, the connection, the communion that we have with the Lord, that they have with the Lord. And then they would rotate it out on the Sabbath. And the old loaves were allowed to be eaten by the priests. And Ahimelech breaks that rule to give to David in a time of need.Jesus references this and says that he did right, that this was correct to do, to break a ceremonial law for the sake of caring for someone. And he says this in this argument with the Pharisees about the Sabbath, saying that some things were built for our good and our blessing, and therefore, if there's opposition, we can bless others in those moments. And that's what he's talking about.So David takes that bread and he now has five loaves of bread that was the bread of the Presence, but the priest is allowing him to have it.Verse 7.Now, a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord. His name was Doeg, the Edomite, the chief of Saul's herdsmen, he's detained before the Lord. It may be a Sabbath if they've just swapped the bread out. So it's possible he wasn't allowed to travel very long. It's also possible he's doing some sort of thing because he's an Edomite to become a follower of God. It's also possible that he has some sort of sickness or skin disease and he's having to be watched because there's all these. These are several of the reasons why you might be detained before the Lord. He could also just be there doing some, basically, some holy days for himself as he worships the Lord.But that's it. That's all it tells us about him. It just in the middle of this story goes, hey, Doeg, the Edomite is here. And it's going to go right back to the story. And that's foreshadowing. So remember him, he'll show up later, but he doesn't do anything here.Verse 8.Then David said to Ahimelech,"Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me because the king's business required haste."And the priest said,"The sword of Goliath, the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah. Behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the Ephod, if you will. Take that, take it, for there's none but that here."And David said,"There is none like that. Give it to me."So David says, I was in such a hurry, I don't even have any weapons. Do you have any weapons? He says, you gave us Goliath's sword. It's still here. And David says, great, that sword is awesome. I will take it. And so he has a nice, probably fairly large sword that he leaves with.Verse 10.And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish, the king of Gath.Okay, David doesn't have any options. That's what this just told us. The plan that he's come up with is, I'm going to show up to Gath with Goliath of Gath's sword and see how that goes. It seems like he's intending to maybe be like a mercenary. He's just going to go there and serve there. He's absolutely on the run from his home, his people, his everything.And the servants of Achish said to him, to Achish,"Is not this David, the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances? Saul has struck down his thousands and David his ten thousands."So if David was planning on being undercover, he shows up and they're like, mmm. And they go to the king and they're like, I'm pretty sure they have a song about how good he is at murdering us. I'm pretty sure that's him.And David took those words, these words to heart. So he somehow overheard this. In this situation, was much afraid of Achish, the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them, pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard.So somehow, on his way before the king, he just starts acting insane, drooling, marking up the walls. That's the best disguise he can come up with on the fly, you guys. And it works.Then Achish said to his servants,"Behold, you see, the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? Do I lack mad men that you've brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?"So they're like, hey, we've got David. And then he goes, you brought a crazy person here. Thank you so much. Did you think that was what I really needed? I needed those.Some of y'all like to memorize verses for specific situations that you can remind, you know, rehearse yourself or say to other people. Maybe this one for, like, when your family's coming over for vacation or something, or your in-laws are coming and you can just quote to your spouse,"Do we lack mad men in their house? Are we gonna let this fellow in just for y'all?"Bible memorization, you're welcome. Probably won't be one of our monthly verses, but it's a good one.All right, chapter 22.David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam.So David then leaves. He heads back over into Israelite territory and hides in King Achish's. So his plan to go to Gath does not work and he escapes. Now, an interesting thing happens as we get to follow this story and as we have the whole revelation of the Scriptures, because this text doesn't tell us a lot of what's going on with David, what he's thinking. We just hear what he's doing. We hear some of what he says, but we don't get to see what's going on with him.And so far, in the midst of fear, he's just run and he's come up with what arguably is an ill-advised plan to run to Gath. But that's all he comes up with. He ends up in this cave. But in the book of Psalms we have songs and poems and worship that David writes. And there's one that has this inscription above it. It says, this is Psalm 34. It says of David when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out and he went away.Now this text calls him Achish, which seems to be a title, and Abimelech seems to be his name. So like if you said he was in front of Caesar and then later it says Nero, it's the same guy. So Achish and Abimelech.So we actually get to hear what, how David responds after this moment when he gets to escape. And so it seems like he wrote this while in the cave or on his way to it. He starts off in the first four verses, worshiping, praising. He says,"I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and delivers them."So he says, I had fear and he rescued me. And those who fear the Lord he protects. So David's interaction with fear is shifting here. He's saying, in my fear I began to go to the Lord, and now I fear him. He's the most fearful, so he's been on the run. It doesn't seem like he's handled everything so well so far. But now, as everything slows down, as he's trying to process through this, and he's worshiping the Lord for rescuing him out of Gath, this is what he's writing.Verse 8,"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack."He keeps going.Verse 18,"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."In verse 22 he says,"The Lord redeems the life of his servants. None of those who take refuge in him will be condemned."This is how he ends it. So he says, I'm hiding in him. I'm taking refuge in him. My hope is in him. That's David as he deals with this fear.So chapter 22, let's pick back up in the text.David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him.David on the run, hiding in a cave, trying to figure out what he's going to do, trying to lay low, writing some songs from his expert hiding place. He looks out one day, keeping a good lookout, and he's like, mom.Because his whole family shows up. They all come to him, which makes sense. And maybe he had to go out for supplies. Maybe word spreads at some point where David is, but his whole family comes to him, which makes sense, because if David's on the run from Saul, they're probably not that safe from Saul. And Saul may go look to them to find David.So they all go to David. Then it says this."And everyone who was in distress and everyone who was in debt and everyone who was bitter in soul gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about 400 men."So his mom, his brothers, his dad, they all show up. Then other people just start showing up. And it's like, why are you here? I am stressed beyond belief. Everything out there is terrible. I heard David was in a cave, and I thought, I'm gonna go get in that cave. Somebody else shows up. Why are you here? I owe so many people so much money. Cave started sounding pretty good. Everyone who's bitter in soul, so the most frustrated, angry people who are, they're not going to read, they're not going to vote for Saul when reelection time comes back around like, this hasn't worked for them. That's who's showing up to David. And then it says he becomes commander of them. So they showed up and they were like, everything is awful. And he's like, okay, do some push ups. It's time to start training. I guess y'all are gonna have to listen to what I say if you're hanging out in my cave. And they do. So now he has 400 distressed, bitter in soul people who owe a lot of money to other people. They're all with David now, plus his mom and his brothers and his dad, okay?And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab. So now he leaves again. He takes all these people with him, it seems. And he said to the king of Moab,"Please let my father and my mother stay with you till I know what God will do for me."And he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.So reading some commentaries on this, there was a couple of different ideas as to why the king of Moab would let him do that. Some of the things they put out were housing fugitives because the Moabites were enemies of the Israelites. So the king to house fugitives that are against Saul seems like maybe that's a good idea.There's also just a general cultural thing of hospitality. So it's possible they're just doing what their culture does, which is show hospitality in these sort of situations.There's a theory that it's possible that one of the reasons they went to Moab was that Jesse is the grandson of Ruth, who was from Moab. So there's some family connection here.And I've come up with my own theory, which is that David showed up with 400 desperate men and said, hey, will you watch my mom? And they were like, sure. You and your friends gonna leave? He's like, we're gonna hang out a little bit, but just keep an eye on them until we figure out what's gonna happen.So any one of those is possible as to why they've said yes to this, but they do say yes to this. David leaves his parents with the king of Moab, and he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.Then the prophet Gad said to David,"Do not remain in the stronghold. Depart and go into the land of Judah."So he says, we're not going to stay in Moab. The Lord wants you to go back to Judah. And he does. And we're going to see Gad show up periodically through the story of David.So David departed and went to the forest of Heref.Now the story is going to shift to Saul. So we've seen David dealing with fear. We've seen him on the run, and we've seen him as this process is happening, growing in worship and saying, he's going to trust in the Lord.And now we're going to see Saul as he deals with fear.Verse 6.Now, Saul heard that David was discovered and the men who were with him.If you're playing hide and seek and someone finds you, you may not have had the best hiding spot. If your entire family finds you, plus 400 strangers, you don't have a good hiding spot.So David now is discovered. They know he's out. They know kind of where he is. And he's got 400 people traveling around with him. And this news makes it to Saul. So he's no longer incognito. He's known.Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand. And all his servants were standing about him, which first of all, of course he has a spear in his hand. He seems to always be holding a spear. But also what is happening in this text, it says he was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear. And all his servants, all of those things are markers of leadership and kingship. That you would sit under an obvious tree, they would hold court there, they would answer questions there, they would judge there that he's on a height, that he's got servants, that he's holding his spear. So in some ways this text says Saul the king was out kinging in a very kingly way. That's kind of what that text is doing. It's building him up as much like he's super kinging. Right now. We got David hiding in a cave, wandering around other places, trying to figure out what he's going to do, hiding in a forest. And now we've got Saul, the kingiest king that ever did king.And Saul said to his servants who stood about him here now,"People of Benjamin."Okay, that's interesting. Benjamin is the tribe that Saul is from. He's been king for a long time. He's been king over all of Israel for a long time. It's possible that he only always has kept just Benjaminites the closest to him. Or as he's grown more and more paranoid and more and more fearful, he's gotten rid of everybody who doesn't belong to his tribe and now has perfectly surrounded himself with Benjaminites. But either way, he's paranoid and fearful.And we're going to hear from his speech how far that goes.But these are only people from his clan. He's suspicious, fearful."Hear now, people of Benjamin, will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, that all of you have conspired against me?"So he stands there and says, you just are so certain that David's gonna bless all of you, that he's gonna care for all of you, that you're all gonna be so important when he becomes king, that you've all conspired against me? And that's not true. But he now doubts everyone that's around him.Still, in verse 8, he says,"No one discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie in wait, as at this day."He is correct that Jonathan did make a covenant with David, but it was because they loved one another. It was a covenant of friendship to care for one another. They make a covenant that they're not going to harm each other. And Jonathan goes out of his way to keep his dad from sinning against David.But he is not helping David lie in wait against Saul.David isn't lying in wait against Saul. David's not out to get Saul. Saul's out to get David. Saul is actually not in danger, not from David, but he thinks he is. And he's saying, everyone's against me.And Saul's entire world has shrunk to just him. It's just him. Everybody's an enemy. Everybody's in on it. Everything's a secret. Everything's falling apart.Then answered Doeg, the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul,"I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, and he inquired of the Lord for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine."We actually don't know if he inquired of the Lord from him. Our text doesn't tell us that. But Doeg says he did. But that's something you do before military stuff. He doesn't say he gave him five loaves of bread. He calls it provisions, just militarizing it up a little bit. And he gives him a sword. He basically says, hey, Ahimelech's in on it.Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub and all his father's house. The priests who were at Nob and all of them came to the king. It would have taken a couple miles away, so to go get them to come back. This took a couple hours, but they all come.And Saul said,"Hear now, son of Ahitub?"And he answered,"Here I am, my lord."And Saul said to him,"Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he has risen against me to lie in wait as at this day?"Then Ahimelech answered the king,"And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, who is the king's son-in-law and captain over your bodyguard and honored in your house? Is today the first time that I have inquired of God for him? No. Let not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of this, of all of this. Much or little."So Ahimelech just says, it's David. David, your bodyguard, your son-in-law. I've done this. I do this. I would do this for him anytime he comes. I'm not in on something. I didn't know any of this. Don't add that to me. Don't add that to my family. That's not the case.Aside from those noises, that's what he said. He may have said it really calmly, I don't know, but he just kind of lists out like five things in a row where he's just like, I didn't have anything to do with anything, and this is normal for me to do whatever David asks.Verse 16.And the king said,"You shall surely die, Ahimelech. You and all your father's house."And the king said to the guard who stood about him,"Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David. They knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me."But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the Lord.You got to hear the sentence that Saul said. He looks at his servants and says, that's it. Kill all the priests of the Lord because they're on David's team. Priests of the Lord. They're on David's team.And then I don't know if y'all can see the fear and the frustration. And Saul's face turned purple as all of his soldiers are just like, nope, I'm not.I love his soldiers in this moment because they all know there's going to be a day I stand before the Lord and it won't be Saul. There's a day that I will stand before my king and it isn't Saul. And I'm not going on record as killing a priest, it's not happening. You can kill me. That's fine. Then I'll go stand before the Lord and go, do you see me not kill that priest? Do you see what I just died for? Like, they just don't move.And again, I'm sure this just confirms in Saul that everyone is against him. His whole world has shrunk down to his center of gravity and Doeg.Then the king said to Doeg,"You turn and strike down the priests."And Doeg, the Edomite turned and struck down the priests. And he killed on that day 85 persons who wore the linen ephod. Doeg is an Edomite. He doesn't care.So he kills them, 85 of them. They brought all the males from that household. They kill all of them. And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep. He put to the sword.Saul does to the city of the priests what he was not willing to do to the Amalekites when it was for the Lord and it was holy war, he was unwilling to do it. When it's for him and it's his trying to keep his seat of power, he's willing to.Verse 20.But one of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to David.Alright, so something very interesting has happened in this passage.In chapter two, a man of God comes to Eli and says the priesthood is not going to stay with your family because you've dishonored me. He says they're going to be wiped out. There will only be left one who will cry his eyes out. That's what just happened. Abiathar is that one.And eventually it's taken from him. He doesn't get to carry on serving the Lord. So the curse of God is poured out on this family through the wicked choices of Saul.So Saul is very wrong to do what he does. But we also see the hand of God at work in fulfilling his promises. It's a very interesting thing that happens here. But it doesn't mean that Saul's right to do what he does. It just means that when God says something, it happens.And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord.And David said to Abiathar,"I knew on that day when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul, I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father's house."David's response is, that's on me. While David was on the run, while David was doing what he did, he said, I knew that. I knew he was going to tell him. And I don't know if David fully understood what was going to come from that. I don't see how he could have. But he just says, yeah, that's. I'm the one to blame for this.Verse 21,"Stay with me. Do not be afraid for he who seeks my life seeks your life with me. You shall be in safekeeping."So that's his response to Abiathar.There's a very interesting call it a social phenomenon that's happening in this text. But everybody who's absolutely desperate is going to David. If everything has fallen apart, if you have no hope of a future, if everything has fallen around your ears, they go to David.And I can't help but see that and see that that's exactly what happens in the New Testament with Jesus. That when Jesus is on earth, the people who flock to him are the poor, the destitute, the sinners, the weak, the small, the outcasts.This actually is one of the things that he and the religious leaders get into arguments over all the time. They're like, you hang out with absolute human garbage. And Jesus is like, right, because the sick need a physician, not the well.And there's this thing where if you really know that you're in need, you start looking for somewhere to go, some bit of hope, someone to run to.And so we see in this story as it plays out that you have fear, legitimate, real, terrible fear, actual bad things.And David, as we follow this out, he runs to the Lord and there's all of these people that run to David. And then there's Saul who tries to handle everything in his own strength.And I told you earlier that we would see. I'm trying to tell you the scariest place to be.The scariest place to be is where you are the biggest person in the world.The scariest place to be is where you are utterly, completely, absolutely self-sufficient.The scariest place to be is where the center of existence has boiled down to your center of gravity, where it's all up to you.That's where Saul is.Trust, no one believes, no one hopes in nothing, just whatever he can tooth and nail and claw and grab, whatever he can get done, all up to him.And I don't know if you know it, but that's what our culture has told you over and over again is what you need to go do.Express yourself, find yourself, succeed, accomplish, win, earn.It's up to you.The most powerful snowflake in the world that you've got to on your own. Be sufficient, be capable, be good.That's what religion shows up and tells you so often is be good, be moral, do it. It's up to you.That's terrifying.The guards around Saul know something that we need to know is that one day you're going to stand before the real Lord, the real King.And on that day you do not want to stand in yourself self-sufficient.You do not want to stand before the King and say, judge me, evaluate me, I am big enough, I am good enough, I am capable.That's terrifying.You don't want to live your life that way.And you certainly don't want to end your life that way.We get to do with Jesus what Abiathar does with David and we get to have the same response.We get to run to him and say, I have no hope anywhere but with you.And what David says to Abiathar is what Jesus says to us.Your life is connected to my life and with me you'll be in safekeeping.That we get to hide ourselves in Christ.That when he died for sins, he died for us.That when he was buried, we were buried.When he rose, we rise.We get to be hidden in Christ and what he has accomplished.And we get to stand before the Lord in Christ and not in ourselves and not in our sufficiency.But we get to say, I have hidden in him.And no one is put to shame who takes refuge in the Lord.David prophetically says it at the end of his psalm."The Lord redeems the life of his servants. None of those who take refuge in him will be condemned."And then we get to live like that in all the fears of life.You get to go to the Lord. You get to do what David did. He's in the, he's in the cave and he's rehearsing.You know how long it takes to write a song? It's possible that this just came out, but I think a lot of it is he's working on, he's rehearsing, he's remembering and he's reminding himself over and over and over and over again.My hope is in you. My trust is in you. I have no good apart from you.Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.Nobody who is condemned, who places their hope in you.Nobody who runs to you in refuge, oh, let me hide in you.Over and over and over and over again.And then we get to do the same thing that we don't in the middle of fear go, I must act, I've got to do something.But we get to in the middle of the fear go, okay Lord, if you don't help, I'm in trouble. If you don't show up, I'm in trouble.I see so often in my own sin. I'll talk to the Lord and I'll say, Lord, if you aren't merciful, if you don't forgive sinners, I have no hope.But oh thank you that you do. And let me hide in you.Let me. Let the righteousness of Christ be applied to me.Let his life and death and burial apply to me.Let me hide in him.It's one of my favorite songs is Rock of Ages.And just at the end it says,"Let me hide myself in thee, let me hide in you."And let it be about you.And so if you've never seen that you actually are not capable enough, strong enough, good enough, if your whole world is about you and you still think you are strong enough, I would say no, come to the Lord.But if you know you're in debt, in sin, you're destitute, you're distressed, you're bitter, come to the Lord, run to him and say, I need to hide in you.And for the Christians in the room who are struggling with fear, rehearse for yourself what's true about him.Start with Psalm 34.Read it, pray it. Sit. Remind yourself my hope is bound up in you.That's what Colossians 3 says,"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."We are hidden with him.His life and our life, our life is bound up in him.And with him we are in safe keeping.Let's pray.Lord, I pray right now in the name of Jesus, for every person in this room who is self-sufficient. For every person in this room who, when it all boils down, it's just them. Just them and their wisdom, just them and their morality, just them and their strength, just them and their ingenuity, that it's just them.Lord, I pray that you would, through your Spirit, help them to see how small and how vulnerable and how scary that is, that they might run to you.Lord, we pray for the person in this room who already sees that, who already feels debt, distress, destitute, desperate, that they would run headlong to you and say, oh, let your life cover me, let your righteousness apply to me. Let me hide myself in you.And Lord, may the Christians in this room rehearse that over and over and over again. That in fear we might fear you more and know that no one is condemned who takes refuge in you.In Jesus' name, Amen.The band's going to come back up. We're going to respond in communion and worship.

If you exercise too much but can't stop, if rest days fill you with anxiety, if you've convinced yourself that constant movement equals worthiness—this episode is your permission slip to finally rest. Lindsey shares her personal journey from exercise addiction to freedom, revealing the powerful 4-letter word and method that saved her life: REST. You'll discover why your brain equates rest with laziness, learn the REST acronym that breaks the compulsive exercise cycle, and understand why rest isn't a reward for work—it's part of the recovery work itself. What You'll Learn ✨ Why exercise addiction is common in eating disorders (and how to recognize it) ✨ The false beliefs that keep you trapped in compulsive exercise patterns ✨ How "dedicated" becomes destructive (and when to be concerned) ✨ The REST method: A practical 4-step approach to breaking exercise addiction ✨ Why rest days anxiety is normal in recovery (and how to manage it) ✨ Biblical perspective on rest and recovery (Matthew 11:28) Exercise Addiction Warning Signs Do you recognize yourself in these patterns? Exercising every single day, multiple times per day Eating while standing to "burn more calories" Doing random exercises throughout the day (crunches, etc.) Believing rest makes you lazy or weak Feeling anxious or guilty about missing workouts Exercising even when injured or exhausted Viewing movement solely through a calorie-burning lens Isolating from friends/activities that involve sitting The REST Method Breakdown R - RELAX Surrender and give up control Pause, pray, stop, step away Let go of the bondage to constant movement Practice: Try stopping your workout 1 minute earlier each day E - EVALUATE Get in tune with your feelings and emotions Reframe emotions with facts Challenge thoughts: "Will I really 'blow up' if I don't go to the gym?" Ask: "Am I actually going to heal my disordered relationship with exercise?" S - SET AN INTENTION Define what your best self means to you Plan and pre-decide your actions Ask: "What's one thing I can do to step in her direction?" Focus on who you want to become, not what you want to avoid T - TAKE ACTION Put that step in motion and practice The hardest part: actually doing what you've been thinking about Don't wait for your eating disorder to give permission Remember: The action here IS resting Key Mindset Shifts Rest Isn't Laziness—It's Living "You aren't lazy, you're living. You're allowed rest." Rest Is Part of Recovery Work "Resting isn't a reward for work. It's part of the work. It's part of the recovery work." Your Body Needs Repair "If you don't rest, you can't repair. If you don't rest, you can't restore. If you don't rest, you can't reflect." Cultural Lies vs. Recovery Truth Culture says: Hustle and go, go, go Recovery truth: Two rest days in a row is exactly what you need to heal The Deeper Issue: Fear of Self Why Rest Feels Impossible Fear of sitting with yourself Not knowing who you are without constant motion Anxiety about having more time to think about food Fear of "losing control" around food when home longer The Weekend Challenge Weekends felt harder because more time at home More food available = more food thoughts Fear of "going off the rails" Solution: Learning to sit with discomfort Biblical Foundation for Rest Matthew 11:28: "Come to me, all you who feel weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." God himself rested after creation Rest is divinely designed, not humanly weak Weariness and burden are invitations to rest Rest is both physical and spiritual restoration Practical Steps to Implement This Week Start Small One Minute Method: Stop your workout 1 minute earlier each day Sitting Practice: Sit for 5 minutes without doing anything productive Weekend Rest: Allow yourself one full rest day this weekend Challenge the Thoughts When you think "I'm being lazy": Remind yourself "I'm healing" When you feel guilty: Remember "Rest is part of recovery work" When you fear weight gain: Focus on "My body needs repair" Find Your Rest Activities Rest isn't just napping—it's anything that makes your nervous system feel safe: Yoga or gentle stretching Meditation or prayer Reading for pleasure Warm baths Nature walks (for joy, not calorie burn) Professional Support Recommendations Lindsey emphasizes the importance of working with qualified professionals: Clinicians: For DBT therapy and emotion management Dietitians: For nutrition guidance during recovery Coaches: For lived experience and practical support "The best thing you can do is give yourself permission and work with someone who has lived experience." Recovery Encouragement You're Not Alone Exercise addiction is common in eating disorders Your struggle with rest is valid and normal Recovery is possible, even from severe exercise addiction Permission Granted You have permission to rest You deserve to discover who you are without constant motion Your worth isn't determined by calories burned The Promise "If I can have an addiction with exercise, if I can completely break the chains of that bondage, I know that's God's plan in your life too." Ready for Professional Support? If this episode resonated and you're ready to break free from exercise addiction, you don't have to do this alone. Next Steps: Email the team: info@lindseynichol.com Join the private community: www.herbestselfsociety.com  Fill out a client application: www.herbestself.co  Remember: You deserve freedom from the chains of compulsive exercise. Rest isn't your enemy—it's your healing. Share This Episode If this episode gave you permission to rest: ✨ Leave a review about your exercise addiction recovery journey ✨ Share with a friend who needs permission to rest ✨ Tag us on social with your rest day victories using #PermissionToRest "Grant yourself permission to rest this week. Grant yourself love and compassion and grace. The world is not gonna crumple and fall apart if you don't get in your exercise this week." Your rest day starts now. xo, lindsey Coach with Me -＞Client Application * While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.

In this episode, we explore how a simple bottle of water can remind leaders about flexibility, handling pressure, maintaining clarity, and staying replenished. A surprising but powerful metaphor for leadership.Host: Paul FalavolitoConnect with me on your favorite platform: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Substack, BlueSky, Threads, DiscordFree Leadership Resources: www.paulfalavolito.comBooks by Paul FalavolitoThe 7 Minute Leadership Handbook: bit.ly/48J8zFGThe Leadership Academy: https://bit.ly/4lnT1PfThe 7 Minute Leadership Survival Guide: https://bit.ly/4ij0g8yOfficial 7 Minute Leadership MerchGrab exclusive gear and more: linktr.ee/paulfalavolitoPartners & DiscountsFlying Eyes Optics – Best aviator sunglasses on the marketGet 10% off with code: PFAVShop now: flyingeyesoptics.comGatsby Shoes – Dress sneakers built for leaders on the moveUse my affiliate link for 10% off: Gatsby ShoesSubscribe & Listen to My Podcasts:The 7 Minute Leadership Podcast1 PAPA FOXTROT – General Aviation PodcastThe DailyPfav

Today, we're diving into a topic that we know all too well—overthinking! Yes, that delightful mental pastime that can turn a simple decision into an Olympic event. Let's face it, we've all been there.You'll learn three key things to help you tackle that pesky overthinking habit. We'll: Explore the patterns of overthinking Discuss how it connects to past wounds, Discover the transformative power of mindfulness, and uncover how humor can be your secret weapon. It's important to acknowledge that overthinking can create long periods of stagnation. It can make the simplest things look and feel complicated. Remember our last episode? Trust that your heart knows the way back, even in moments of doubt and confusion, believe in your resilience.Until next time, lovely ladies—when life tries to overwhelm you, just take a breath, a giggle, and maybe some wine or tea! Remind yourself that you are allowed to try, fail, shift and grow.With love and gratitude,Dr. Mensimah Shabazz ♥️For One on One Consultations: Schedule a free 30-minute consultation: https://www.mensimah.com/harmony-consult or send Email to: agapect@mensimah.comSubscribe/support our channels:Join our Reflective/Inner Work Platform at: https://www.patreon.com/mensimahshabazzphdContact Links:Website: https://mensimah.comInstagram: @mensimahshabazzphdYouTube: @mensimahsroundtableShop: https://shop.mensimah.comDonations: https://mensimahs-round-table.captivate.fm/supporthttps://www.paypal.com/paypalme/MRTPodcast

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comI Corinthians 6 Paul addresses disputes among the Corinthians, criticizing that some take legal matters to secular courts instead of resolving them within the church. He emphasizes that believers, who will one day judge the world and angels, should handle such disputes among themselves. Paul also warns against unrighteous behavior, listing sins that exclude people from God's kingdom, including sexual immorality, idolatry, and greed. He reminds the Corinthians that they have been cleansed of such iniquities and are sanctified and justified in Christ. They must honor God with their bodies, which are temples of the Holy Spirit. There is no excuse for sinning in the body. He reminds them that they were bought at a price and must glorify God in their actions by living in purity and obedience to His will.Christians will inevitably face disagreements and disputes, as happens in any family, even among those we care about deeply. However, how we address these conflicts should be marked by grace and reflect the character of Christ. Before coming to faith, we lived in sin, embracing behaviors such as sexual immorality and self-serving actions, often at the expense of others. Now, through Christ, we are freed from sin's destruction and called to use our bodies and lives to glorify God. This transformation should be evident in how we peacefully resolve conflicts within the church. It should also be visible to the world through our disciplined, holy, moral choices, demonstrating our commitment to God's purposes and reflecting His righteousness in our bodies. Gracious Lord, thank You for calling us to live lives that glorify You. Help us handle disputes among us with humility, grace, and unity, reflecting Christ's love in all we do. Remind us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, purchased by the precious blood of Jesus, and that we are not our own. Teach us to honor You with our actions, living morally and holy in obedience to Your Word. We will strive to resist temptation and commit ourselves only to You. When we fail, we will always return to You, the God of our salvation.Thought Questions: -       Brethren suing brethren seems inconceivable, but it happens. How should Christians approach one another to prevent such an outcome? -       The Corinthians had committed grave sins yet were fully sanctified. What does that imply for you and others, regardless of what you have done? -       Your body is not your own. Why not? And how does it reshape your life and how you live it daily if you believe this simple statement?

How can you teach your son empathy? Start by modeling this skill in your own life. If the grocery store checker is rude to you, when you get in your car, say out loud to your son, “I wonder if that checker is having a bad day, and dealing with some tough things!” Help your son do this too. If he mentions someone at school who he doesn't get along with, ask, “How do you think that person is feeling?” If your son says he doesn't know, encourage him to guess. Remind him that people who hurt others are often insecure or fearful. You can also memorize verses together about empathy, such as Phillippians 2:3- “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility, count others more significant than yourselves.” For more ideas to raise godly boys, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

You're not just a believer. You're not just a servant. You're not just trying to make it into heaven. If you are in Christ—you are God's child. Let that sink in. You've been adopted, accepted, and sealed by the Father. And that changes everything about how you live.Our springboard for today's discussion is:“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” — John 1:12 (ESV)There's a big difference between knowing about your identity and living like it's true. A child doesn't beg their father for love. They run to him expecting it. A child doesn't worry if there will be a seat at the table. They know there's a place with their name on it.That's how God wants you to live—not in spiritual fear or striving, but in the security of sonship.You've been given the right to be called His child. You didn't earn it. You didn't fake your way into it. You received it through faith in Jesus.So why do we often live like orphans?Why do we wonder if we're enough?Why do we approach God as if He's tolerating us instead of delighting in us?Living as His child means trusting in His provision, walking in His protection, and resting in His presence. It means praying like you belong—because you do. It means lifting your head, not dragging your feet.You don't have to prove yourself to God. He already picked you.Question of the Day:Do you relate to God more like a slave begging for approval—or a child confident in His love?Mini Call to Action:Take 5 minutes today and speak to God as your Father—not your boss. Talk to Him like a son or daughter who knows they're fully loved.Let's Pray:Abba, thank You for adopting me into Your family. Teach me to live each day as Your child, not in fear, but in freedom. Remind me that I have a seat at Your table. In Jesus' name, amen.Let's Get To Work!You're not working for God's approval—you're living from it. Walk like His child. Because you are.My Reasons To Believe is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myr2b.substack.com/subscribe

Morning Mantra: "You only have so much emotional energy each day, don't fight battles that don't matter."Unfortunately, things are very tense and emotional right now. People are arguing over things just to release their anxiety.  If you're feeling highly emotional, try another route.Remind yourself that if nothing you can say or do will change the outcome, then you don't compound things with senseless battles.  Save your emotional energy for joy, gratitude, love and happiness.Reduce your stress with a nice walk, a trail ride, a run, some yoga, meditation, prayer, or playing with your kids and animals.  Focus on the here and now and don't get caught up in the "what ifs" or the "should haves".When I think of protecting my energy I feel it is simply protecting my space; what goes in and out of my ears, what I allow my eyes to see and read, who I choose to hang out with and what I allow to influence me.  #BeStingyWithYourEmotionalEnergy #BeHappy #BeHorsey #BeHippie #HorseHippie #MorningMantra #inspirationalQuotes

Most people think regulating their nervous system means being calm all the time or doing breathing exercises. It does not. Having a regulated nervous system is not about feeling calm all the time. It's about how you are able to respond to difficult and new stimuli. Because that is a fact of life that's not going anywhere! Nervous system regulation looks like a lot of different things depending on the person. We're going to explore all the things you can do to have a more resilient and regulated nervous system. Your brain is overstimulated and overreacting to a lot of things. It is not your fault. But you can rewire your way out of VM. In this episode, we'll dig into: What the nervous system is in charge of What the emotions thermometer is Why fight / flight / freeze is not a bad thing Why migraine attacks happen Why avoidance or elimination doesn't solve the problem What true self-care is (with examples) How to rewire your brain with nervous system regulation It's not just the symptom—it's your nervous system's response to that symptom that makes it feel like X, Y, Z is causing your life to fall apart. Emotions are not in our control. But we do have control over our thoughts much of the time. Remind yourself this can get better, that you do have a toolkit. Because being in the throes of a migraine attack is scary and unsettling.  The ability—over time and with practice—to identify what you can do to regulate yourself and start to feel better allows your nervous system to become more flexible. Links from this episode: Vestibular Group Fit (code GROUNDED at checkout!)  Nervous System Regulation Instagram Accounts Mentioned: @jenwellnesstherapy @lifewithmigraine @yourmigrainetherapist More Resources: ⁠The 4 Steps to Managing Vestibular Migraine ⁠The PPPD Management Masterclass⁠ ⁠What your Partner Should Know About Living with Dizziness⁠ ⁠The FREE Mini VGFit Workout⁠ ⁠The FREE POTS - safe Workouts⁠ ⁠Vestibular Group Fit (code GROUNDED at checkout for 15% off your first subscription cycle!) ⁠ Connect with Dr. Madison: ⁠@⁠⁠TheVertigoDoctor ⁠ ⁠@TheOakMethod⁠ ⁠@VestibularGroupFit⁠ Connect with Dr. Jenna @dizzy.rehab.therapist  Work with Dr. Madison 1:1, Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy Vestibular Group Fit Small Group Coaching (offered throughout the year, sign up for our email list to learn when!) Why The Oak Method? Learn about it here! Love what you heard? Reviews really help us out! Please consider leaving one for us.  This podcast is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here. ————————————— nervous system regulation for vestibular migraine, migraine attacks, VM, treating vestibular migraine, dizziness, stress response, improve balance, autonomic nervous system, migraine management, stress relief, survival mode, overstimulated nervous system, vestibular system, avoidance, perfectionism, burnout, chronic illness, fight, flight, fawn, freeze, somatic tracking, PEM

Annual cosmetic industry sales in the United States are about $89.5 billion dollars. That's nearly 90 billion, with a B, spent on makeup and personal care items including skincare, haircare, perfumes, toiletries, deodorants, and oral cosmetics.For perspective, of 148 nations tracked in 2019 by TheGlobalEconomy.com, 126 of them had annual national expenditures of less than 90 billion dollars, including Israel, Switzerland, and South Africa.We spend more in this country on lotions, potions, and creams to make ourselves look better, than the entire annual budget of most countries. That's even more eye-opening than the latest greatest mascara!Joshua 24:15 says, “Choose this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”For women and men both, the search for meaning can easily become entangled with the world's obsession with outer beauty and perfection in our faces and bodies.We seek to control and improve the impression others have of us with hairstyles and cosmetics, hours spent at the gym achieving the perfect body, and teeth whitening services that guarantee a gleaming smile. We may achieve worldly admiration by these vain pursuits, but temporary glamour won't bring us closer to God.1 Peter 3:3–4 says, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.”Let's pray.Lord, make us beautiful in your sight. Remind us to follow you, rather than traipsing down the rabbit trails of fleeting outer beauty the world offers. Let us serve you first, and always. 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.

Baal. Molech. Ashtoreth. Chemosh. Artemis.These names may not ring a bell for you, but back in biblical times, these false gods and others were known as competitors for devotion alongside our one true God — the God of Israel.If you aren't a modern-day Bible scholar or a student of ancient history, these false gods may not be familiar, but make no mistake — just because we don't use these same names for false gods today, doesn't mean our culture doesn't have any. We definitely do!Joshua 24:15 says, “Choose this day whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”A “false god” is someone or something that is highly revered, followed devoutly, sacrificed for, and looked to for meaning in life and deliverance from problems.Would it surprise you to know that one of the most powerful “false gods” we can be ensnared by is found in the mirror? People are inherently self-centered and self-focused. Although we are capable of being selfless at times, when push comes to shove, we often demonstrate who we really are.We live in a fallen world, and in our efforts to rise above our circumstances and achieve the things we desire, we are all inclined to put ourselves first. If we can do something that benefits us, even at the expense of someone else, and if we know we can get away with it, we do it almost every time.God asks us to choose Him, not ourselves. Whether we're making the small everyday choices that define our character over time, or tackling the big decisions that stand out as milestones in our lives, let us turn to the Lord for guidance, and seek His glory rather than our own.Let's pray.Heavenly Father, we choose you. Remind us daily that you are sovereign, and you are the one true God. Be present in our hearts and minds and lead us in your ways, not our own. 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.

In this episode of The Positivity Xperience, we're cutting through the noise to bring you 5 powerful reminders every person needs to hear on the path to emotional healing — along with the most common traps that silently sabotage your growth.

2025-07-13

You've given your team the solution, but they're not using it. They bought in, they started, but then life kept happening, just as it always does. So, you might feel responsible, like you're failing them. What should you do?You have to sell your existing team on why they should continue to show up. This business, this solution, cannot be just a "side hustle" if they want real change. It needs to be a priority.Now is your chance to coach them indirectly, without having a direct, one-on-one conversation. Your team is watching your public social media content. They see your posts, your stories, your videos.You don't have to pretend everything is perfect in your own life. It's often more powerful to show up messy, to admit that life can be tough, but that you still have the solution.People relate to realness. If you try to pretend everything is always smooth, it creates a disconnect. Your team members are likely facing similar struggles, and when you share your journey, even the challenges, it builds trust and makes them feel understood.In another Diamond Life Mentor Uncut episode, Balazs W Kardos shares a clip from his Blueprint client call to answer more questions about leadership. Balazs believes that it is about reminding your team of their reason and creating a supportive community where everyone feels like they're in it together, working towards a common goal.Aside from creating relatable content, he encourages the use of group coaching calls to provide mutual support, as these calls are an excellent way to re-engage your current team and share success stories from the community. When members witness the success of others and hear motivating messages they can relate to, it inspires them to recommit to their transformation. "You can show up messy. You can show up like life is kicking you hard right now and still have a solution. Does that make sense? So this is the gap." - Balazs W KardosListen to this episode to stop taking on all the blame for your team's performance, use your content to realign them with their goals, communicate authentically, and inspire them to apply the solution you've always provided. Key Diamond Nuggets In This Episode:How can you communicate authentically as a leader to create a supportive community?How can you encourage your team to prioritize their business?How can you best leverage group coaching calls to support each other?Why should you always re-evaluate priorities and focus on solutions?What positive reinforcement can you implement with your team?Want a Personalized Plan for Business & Life Optimization?Book A FREE Call Connect with Balazs W Kardos:WebsiteFacebookThe Diamond Life CommunityLinkedInYouTubeInstagramThe Diamond Life Mentor Instagram

t’s the conversation most parents hope they never have — but need to. Sexting, short shorts, and the values we bring into how we talk to our kids about consent, respect, and peer pressure. In this episode, Justin & Kylie Coulson unpack the big issues raised on this week’s Parental Guidance, and how you can guide your kids through a digital world where nothing sent is ever truly private. KEY POINTS Sexting is prevalent and often normalised among teens — but there is no such thing as “safe sexting.” Conversations about consent, respect, and peer pressure are vital and should happen early. Girls are under more pressure to share explicit images and often face more shame when they do. Parents’ personal values (e.g., about clothing choices) are valid but must not drift into victim-blaming. Teaching kids respect means emphasising that what someone wears or does never justifies harassment or assault. Encourage kids to consider context and to be mindful of how they live out their own values while respecting others’. QUOTE OF THE EPISODE "Once you send an image, you lose control of what happens to that image — full stop, end of story." RESOURCES MENTIONED happyfamilies.com.au — Resources and articles on consent, sexting, and raising respectful kids. Justin’s book Miss-Connection: Why Your Teenage Daughter ‘Hates’ You, Expects the World, and Needs to Talk (for more on teen girls and digital challenges). Upcoming book on raising boys - join the waitlist. ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS 1. Start open, nonjudgmental conversations about sexting, consent, and peer pressure — don’t wait until it’s too late.2. Make it clear: no one “deserves” mistreatment based on what they wear or share.3. Teach kids to think critically about requests for photos and to value their privacy.4. Emphasise that respect and consent are non-negotiable — and model these values yourself.5. Remind kids: even trusted friends can break trust, and once something’s sent, it’s out of their control.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s one of the hardest — and most important — conversations parents can have: teaching kids about consent. In this episode of the Happy Families Podcast, we break down the powerful lessons from Parental Guidance season 3, episode 2, including insights from consent educator Dan Principe. From why consent conversations can’t wait, to the right age to start, to how to empower kids without shame or fear — we’ll help you get comfortable having uncomfortable conversations, and raise kids who understand respect, boundaries, and healthy relationships. KEY POINTS Why consent education starts “before age two” — and why “early and often” matters. The startling reality: 15–19 year old girls are the largest group of sexual assault victims; 15–19 year old boys are the largest group of perpetrators. Why old-school “guns and shovels” attitudes harm more than they help. The role of ongoing, informal and formal family conversations about tricky topics. The three E’s: Explore, Explain, Empower — the simple framework for any difficult talk. How social media and “sharing” require kids’ consent too — even within the family. The risk of silence: what happens when kids don’t feel safe coming to their parents. QUOTE OF THE EPISODE "We need to get comfortable being uncomfortable — because no young person should feel like their curiosity or desires are shameful." — Dan Principe RESOURCES MENTIONED Dan Principe: Consent educator and speaker (recommended for schools) Federal Government’s Consent Can’t Wait campaign (Justin as ambassador) More parenting resources at: happyfamilies.com.au Watch Parental Guidance seasons 1–3 on 9Now ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS 1. Start the conversation early — even before they understand the words, practice being open and clear.2. Commit to ongoing “early and often” chats — not just one big talk.3. Schedule regular family check-ins to discuss tricky topics.4. Use the three E’s: Explore what they know and feel, Explain what’s important, Empower them to make good decisions.5. Check in on consent within your own family dynamics — ask before sharing kids’ stories or images online.6. Drop the fear-based jokes and attitudes — empower kids with respect and tools, not shame or threats.7. Remind yourself: if they don’t learn it from you, they’ll learn it somewhere else.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.