Podcasts about Remind

Dreading math time every day? Feeling unqualified to teach it or overwhelmed by the daily battles? In this conversation with Nadim from CTC Math, we're exploring how to shift from being the teacher to being the coach—and why that makes all the difference for busy homeschool families.Nadim shares honest insights about building math independence, the truth about screen time and dopamine, and why short explanations with lots of practice work better than long lectures that confuse kids.In this episode:✅Why 5-minute explanations with 25 minutes of practice beat 30-minute lectures every time✅The truth about screen time, dopamine, and what's really damaging our kids✅How adaptive questions meet your child at their level and bring them up (instead of widening the gap)✅The freedom of K-12 access, anywhere/anytime learning, and a 12-month money-back guarantee✅How CTC Math helps overwhelmed or unqualified moms outsource the teaching while staying the encouragerReady to end the daily math battles? Try CTC Math with their free trial at CTCMath.com—no credit card required, and full memberships come with a 12-month money-back guarantee!Recommended Resource:Free trial at CTCMath.comNadim El-Rahi serves as the COO and CMO of CTCMath, where he leads product development, marketing, and family engagement for one of the world's most trusted online maths programs. With a background in mathematics, economics, and education, he works closely with homeschool parents to understand their day-to-day challenges and build tools that genuinely make learning easier. Nadim is passionate about helping kids develop confidence, mastery, and a love of learning through clear instruction and self-paced progression. Representing a program used by tens of thousands of families, he brings both practical experience and a heartfelt commitment to supporting parents in their mission to help their kids thrive academically and personally.Follow Nadim and CTCMath on their social media accounts:FacebookIGTikTokYouTubeShow Notes:Welcome to Homeschool Coffee BreakHey everyone, Kerry Beck here with Homeschool Coffee Break, where we help you stop the overwhelm so you can take a coffee break. I actually have coffee. Nadim's my guest today. He has coffee, too. We are ready.Y'all don't know this—Nadim represents CTC Math, so it is 3 o'clock my time in the afternoon. He's over in New Zealand, so he's definitely getting his cup of coffee. I guess I'm getting my afternoon coffee, because it's morning time over there when we are recording this. I appreciate you just getting up and being available for us today.We're going to talk about math, because I know that's a struggle for a lot of moms. They're not sure what to do, because if they're not a math person, they're just like, oh, here comes my math time.Meet Nadim from CTC MathBefore we do, Nadim, could you just tell people a little bit about yourself with maybe CTC math?Nadim: I appreciate that, Kerry. Well, I'm Nadim. I've been working at CTC Math for over 13 years now. I'm the COO here, with a special interest in mathematics and education, especially childhood all-rounded education, I would say.CTC Math is an online math curriculum from K-12 with short, concise, to-the-point video tutorials.When Math Time Feels OverwhelmingLet's just begin our time. We're going to get straight to it with math and some of the struggles that moms have, because some of them are overwhelmed, but some people just feel unqualified to even teach math. We either have the overwhelmed mom, we have the unqualified mom. What would you say to a mom who just dreads the part of her day that has to do with math?Nadim: Great question, Kerry, and I would say that you're not alone. Math anxiety is common, even among parents who loved math at school.I think we can shift the thinking, especially in today's day and age. There's a lot of outsourcing that can occur, and we can outsource those subjects that we don't particularly feel comfortable teaching, or want to teach, and then our goal as homeschoolers isn't to be the teacher as such, but to be the coach or encourager.I think kids build independence through this process, and parents can really focus on guiding, rather than planning every step or teaching every concept.That's such an important thing for each of us to decide. What are we going, as moms or dads, what are we going to actually teach, and then what can we use as resources? I'll be really honest. I loved math in high school. I was a math minor in college, and then we moved forward 20 or whatever years to homeschooling my kids in math.When we got to high school math, I was like, I don't really like math as much as I used to. I loved teaching the elementary, I taught that and everything, but sometimes I got to the point—now, this was 20 years ago—I had to find things that would work with my kids and with me.Building Habits and Routines for ConsistencyI also had to build in habits and routines so that it would become consistent. From your experience, can you give us any habits or routines that might help kids stay consistent in their math without stressing through the whole homeschool time?Nadim: Yeah, for sure. I'm a big fan of being consistent and implementing routines, but I will say each child is unique, and it's important to implement what's important for your child, knowing your child and their needs.But I would generally say that it's better off having a little bit of math every day, rather than a whole day worth of math. You might integrate a short regular session, say 15 to 20 minutes long, more frequently, perhaps 4 or 5 days a week, rather than longer sessions on 1 or 2 days a week.It is important to have that consistency, that time, and that time may alter on different days of the week, but you know in advance, or your children know in advance, they will be doing math at 10:30 on Wednesday, for instance.I would also say that with consistency, there has to be structure. I heard a lot of people talk about rewards. I don't know if I'm a big fan of rewards. I don't know if rewarding your children for doing something that they should be doing is sending the right message.But what I would say is that you can flip it. If there's something that they want to do, or something that they're requesting, or something that they're asking for, make sure that they do their math, or whatever chore, or whatever they're putting off, to unlock that thing that they wish to do next. That just teaches them a bit of order in life.Again, each child's unique, your family situations are—you know your children best.I think you're becoming my new best friend, because I love that, because I'm not like, yes, I think kids need to do things because they're expected, and that's just part of life and learning some self-discipline as well. Yet, you can build it into, you gotta finish all this, and then you go outside and play, or whatever the thing happens to be.Supporting Busy ParentsI know moms get busy a lot of times, but yet they really want to support their kids in math, but they're busy with other subjects, or let's just face it, cooking 3 meals a day and trying to balance it. How do you encourage parents to support their kids in math in that situation?Nadim: I think there's a few things here. I think we need to encourage independence. And how do we do that? Well, we need a structure or a framework for that. We need a system for them to use and adapt that will promote that. If the current system is not creating that environment, you may need to look at alternatives.I'm going to talk a little bit about CTC Math here, because it really does lend in with the busy parents. If you've got video tutorials that explain each and every concept, if you've got automated reporting and questions and grading, if you can set tasks in advance, then receive the reports to ensure the accountability is there, then checking math doesn't become a 30, 60-minute exercise. It becomes a 5-minute exercise.You're just there to add the polish, to add the encouragement. Perhaps if there's a certain concept that they're struggling with, show them how to unlock or view additional material.It's really about that structure. If you've got the structure in place, it allows for independent learning. Now, at the same time, if they go quiet for weeks, you need to check in, because sometimes they've gone, well, if I don't bother mom or dad about this, they're not going to bother me about this. They're very clever. Our kids are super clever. We also need to have those frequent check-ins when they're not checking in with us.Building Independence and Critical ThinkingI love that independence work. You may not know this about me, but I teach moms about leadership education and learning independence and critical thinking skills, and that they eventually—I mean, okay, a 5-year-old may need a lot more help than a 15-year-old, but by the time they're in high school, they should be working independently, and they should even be helping plan their week, I believe, so that they can actually be able to launch into adulthood and know how to live a life.I love that independence, and I did not know about CTC Math back in 2004, 5, 6, when my kids were teenagers. So I did go find something that helped them, and that would do those short little lessons, because that's what would help be consistent in there as well.You want moms to be intentional, but they don't want to—this is the other thing with leadership education, you don't want to just be checking off a bunch of boxes and moving forward, because you need to think about the full realm, and are you really raising your child educationally and intentionally? How would that translate for homeschool moms or families so they're not just checking off the boxes?Every Moment is TeachableNadim: I think if you're going with the mindset that everything is a teachable moment, that really resets your thinking. Even the good is teachable. The bad is great, because that's teachable.I'll share a bit of a personal story. My eldest daughter, she's 9, and she is very smart, and has a great sense of justice, but to the point where it overrides charity. She thinks that if someone else is being mean, she has the right to be mean back, because that's what they deserve.We were having this conversation, and it really offended my wife and I that we've got a child who's not the kindest. But we both realized that this is actually great, because no child is perfect, everyone has character defects. I wasn't working on my character defects until my 20s.But this ability to see that you can help your children as soon as possible, and I think that's very much not checking the box. If we go in with this attitude of teachable moments, that is great. That, of course, extends to math as well.I would say that checking a box is very easy in math. Even we think, if we get a long 40-minute lesson, and we get a 20- or 30-minute explanation with just 10 minutes of practice, the 5-minute explanation with that 25 minutes of practice, or 35 minutes worth of practice, is far more effective.Often, the long, drawn-out explanation confuses the child. Less is more.We can have a mastery approach in our teaching of our children, where they build up their skill, but then incorporate spiral review, perhaps on a Thursday or a Friday, and have that combination going. But if we teach too many concepts at once, if we don't go with that mastery explanation, the children are drowning in it.Again, that's not to dismiss spiral learning. You can have the spiral review once a week.I love that, and I think that's—we think like moms. They start talking and teaching, and they're thinking, the more I talk and the more I teach, the more my kids are going to learn, and that is not happening. I love this idea of a 5-minute explanation, and then let them put it into practice.I'm a big believer in mastery, especially in math, because if they don't master a concept, you don't just keep checking the boxes and moving on to the next concept. You've got to make sure they understand it, because it all builds on each other. I just thank you for sharing that. I think that is so important, and the idea of the spiral and the review of past concepts as well.Real Stories of Changed ConfidenceI want to talk about CTC, but before we do, can you just share a story of a homeschool family, maybe, who saw some real change in their child's math confidence or results, and what made that difference?Nadim: Yeah, we've got quite a few stories, actually. Amber springs to mind. She's been using CTC Math with her nine children for quite a while now. But I think the theme that comes through, and we've got countless testimonials on our website, if you go to our website and click what others say, you'll be forever scrolling.But I think that the consistent theme that comes through is that the daily battles have not completely ended. They never do. We've always got daily battles. But certainly when it comes to math, they're not what they used to be, and the tears are no more.It can become incredibly stressful when you're trying to teach something and it's just not getting through. I think that stress builds up between parent and child over time, and the starting point of that stress on a given day is at a higher point.I think removing those daily battles comes through, and they're real stories that we consistently get. Our mission is to have a positive impact on as many families as possible through the enjoyment and learning of math. We hope that we continue to help confidence grow in these children.Well, I personally have not used it because my grandkids, they're doing other—they're little—but the families I talk to that use CTC Math, it is amazing. They're just like, oh no, this is what we're using, and we are going to keep going.Learning at Their Own PaceI know one of the things, and I like this, is that you want to let children learn at their own pace through the videos and the questions and everything. How does that structure of letting them learn at their own pace support both the parent and the kids in a homeschool?Nadim: Well, the heavy lifting's done for you, so no explanations are required. Those video tutorials are there, so you don't have to do that heavy lifting.I would also say that whether the child's 5 or 18, they're able to access the material themselves. If they can't read, the questions are read out to them. They watch a video tutorial, get a short, concise explanation. They jump to the interactive questions that are adaptive in nature. They change in difficulty level based on the student's ability, your child's ability. So they go up.Sometimes what happens when we learn from a textbook or a non-adaptive material is that the child's ability might be here, and the questions are here. The questions get gradually more difficult, but the child's ability doesn't improve, because they're just not getting it, so the gap widens.What's really important is that the questions meet the child at their level, and bring them up. That's what we do with the adaptive style questions.There are also—we for sure promote pen and paper math, so we want children to have pen and paper in front of them. There's printables that they can have, and we've got that spiral review with the weekly revisions and the diagnostic tests.There's also a whole bunch of great features that automate this whole process and help busy moms with that structure. You pick and choose the tools that best suit your family's needs. That's really important. You don't go in using all the tools of CTC Math, because it would be overwhelming.But you pick the ones that you need, whether it's setting tasks, and you can set an entire year's worth of tasks through a couple of clicks of a button. You can create custom worksheets. You can choose and select the various reports that you want. You can use the diagnostics to go back and fill those gaps.Math is a building block. If there are holes, we need to go back and review them. Because you have access from kindergarten to calculus, you can identify and pinpoint previous lessons. But at the same time, if your child's doing really well, why hold them back? Let them go on, let them continue at their own pace.Yeah, that's what I was thinking. It sounds like such a great fit, because some kids are really going to struggle, and they need those questions brought down a little till they actually understand the concept, and then other kids are getting it like this, and they just need to move on forward.Addressing Screen Time ConcernsI know this program's all online, so if you have parents, maybe, that are like, I'm not sure about an online math program, what would you say to them? What are some benefits? I know I work with some parents, they don't want their kid on the computer all day long, but there are, like you said, you pick and choose where mom's going to actually be teaching face-to-face, and then where kids are. What would be the benefits of doing an online program?Nadim: Yeah, and Kerry, I'll start by saying that my kids are 9, 7, and 5. No one has an iPad, no one has their own personal device, no one has a computer, and no one will be getting any of those for some time.We do have a computer in a public space that every family member has access to and uses. I am very strongly against the social media for my children, and anything that is addictive in nature. Anything that was built to be addictive.I don't know if it's the screen time that impacts the child. I don't know if it's looking in front of a screen. I think it is, if it's for hours and hours and hours, don't get me wrong. But I think the thing that's doing the most damage is what's impacting the kid's dopamine levels.Everything is built to be addictive these days. Even I see a lot of ed tech companies now switching and going, oh, let's build avatars, let's unlock missions, let's have stars and this and that, and let's play with the kids' dopamine levels so that we keep them on. There's language programs out there for kids and adults that are a perfect example of this.I would say that I am concerned too. CTC Math is built to improve student outcomes. It's not built to keep your child on the screen any longer than they need to, to learn that concept and understand that concept.We do have some levels of encouragement, but it's not to the level of keeping them hooked. That is really, really important. Anything that is addictive should not be placed in front of our children.I'll give you a very simple example as well. Kids' attention spans are getting shorter and shorter and shorter. If we go back to when I used to watch TV, which wasn't that long ago, I would have to sit through commercials. I would have to sit through some boring commercials, while watching one episode.Now, kids, through online streaming, can watch an episode commercial-free. The other thing was, I'd have to wait one whole week to see the next episode. So there's some resilience, there's some patience built in there. Perhaps TV wasn't the best thing. It wasn't as bad and as addictive as it is now.Now, children can watch an entire season in a day! What took us 6 months? They're consuming in a day or two. This is the real problem. This is what we have to look at and really assess.Now, I would 100% respect anyone that doesn't think screen time is a good fit for their children, and I think pen and paper style math is a great way. But then, it comes with its—who does the teaching? Because the child cannot learn reading a textbook. It does not work. You can't read math and absorb that information.The other thing is, with technology these days, the things have advanced, so these adaptive questions are very powerful, because they really do build confidence. They're not seeing anything too difficult, and they're not seeing anything too easy. So, their attention is constantly switched on, and they're constantly learning at the same time.A lot of pros and cons. We gotta balance these things out, we gotta take it all in, and we gotta make an evaluation for our family.The Anxious Generation and Screen TimeYou just spoke my language, especially when you brought up dopamine and the addiction, and I read a book I guess this summer, called The Anxious Generation. I mean, there are a few little things I didn't agree with them, but so much—I was a child of the 60s, and when you see that playground, and the kids are hanging off these metal things that our parents—parents today, or helicopter parents, they're like, we never let them, gotta have a safety net.It was so good. That's a whole other conversation, but I do want to just reiterate, we need to be careful with what we put in front of our kids and screens.I was a little concerned, because I have an older granddaughter, not a teenager, but for some reason, I thought my daughter had said, oh, I think we might give her a phone, and in my head, I'm like—and I brought the conversation up this summer, and she was like, oh, no, Mom, and we're not having social media either. I mean, they need to be almost out of the house, which gave me a lot of peace and comfort, because I just was like, so it just made me feel good that we were all on the same page.That's a whole other story, but thank you for bringing up the dopamine. I do think there's a difference, and I interviewed someone else, and she was saying all screens aren't bad. It's the ones that are addictive, the ones that are gamifying everything, and that's the thing. She started talking more about the brain and the mind and all of that kind of stuff, which made me remember that online teaching can be good, and it can be a tool, and it can help lessen the overwhelm of everything that a mom's doing, because you can't do it all, even though people may say that.The Freedom CTC Math ProvidesThe other thing I've been curious about, CTC talks about giving families freedom to sort of fit math into their unique schedule, handle catch-up or advancement, the kid that's struggling, the kid's moving ahead, and then monitoring. Can you just tell us a little bit about how that works?Nadim: Yes, so access from kindergarten to calculus, so your children can go in to any grade level that they need help with. That's super important for flexibility, because you don't want them at a level that they're not ready for.Also, you can do it anywhere, anytime. We hear of families who are sitting in the doctor's waiting room with their device, and watching the video tutorials with some headphones, and completing the questions. We're actually very popular in the RV community.RV families will always have an internet connection, because they're always on the road. All you need is an internet connection. There's countless testimonials, and countless photos of people doing CTC Math in the greatest places, in front of nature.It really is, and if you miss a lesson, or you want to catch up on the summer slide, it's always available for you. And again, if they're doing really, really well, move them ahead. Just continue on to the next lesson.Parents can adjust tasks and skip topics once they're mastered, and there's real-time progress. You also have access—a family plan gives you access to all your children. There's no cap on it, as long as they live under your home. So that makes it very easy.That sounds great. If a family is interested, they just want to be introduced to CTC Math in their homeschool, what would you suggest for them?Nadim: Yeah, two things. One, visit our website, and there's a free trial. No commitment, no credit card. It is a light version, a guest version, and that's because, two, a full membership comes with a 12-month money-back guarantee, so there's no questions asked.If you try CTC Math, and it doesn't work for you and your family, send us an email, give us a call, we'll refund your payment, no questions asked. This is because we do not want you using a curriculum or a program that is not benefiting your child. We don't want to be a roadblock for you to move on to something else.We asked parents, what's your biggest concern when selecting math curriculum? And it was that it won't work, and I'm stuck with it for the entire year. It shouldn't be like that. We need to support the greater cause, we need to push the cart in the same direction.I don't say CTC Math is 100% fit for everyone, because each child is unique and different, and there's plenty of wonderful tools out there. There really is. It's amazing. Across all subjects. So there's something more important at play, and we would say that we believe that CTC Math certainly works for the vast majority. But please reach out if it's not for you.That's so good. Remind everyone what your website is, and we will put that in the show notes as well.Nadim: Yeah. CTCMath.com. Cut through curriculum. CTCMath.com.That is awesome. Thank you so much for being here today. Just in closing, is there anything that you would like to leave us with?Nadim: Keep up the good work. It's amazing that we are the primary educators of our children. That is so important. It's something so special. Keep up the good work.That sounds great. Thank you, Nadim. I really appreciate you spending time with us today.Ready to end the daily math battles? Try CTC Math with their free trial at CTCMath.com—no credit card required. Full memberships come with a 12-month money-back guarantee, no questions asked. Visit the website today and see how short video tutorials, adaptive questions, and automated grading can transform math time in your homeschool!

Today on Beating Cancer Daily, Saranne brings a lighthearted and informative perspective to cancer detection. After a listener praises her for making cancer more approachable, Saranne realizes the impact humor can have in the fight against this illness. She recounts her own journey with Stage IV breast cancer and emphasizes the importance of regular cancer screenings, especially for skin cancer. Infusing humor into serious topics, she utilizes a Dr. Seuss-inspired rhyme to remember critical signs of skin anomalies and introduces the ABCDEF mnemonic from the Princeton Longevity Center as a practical self-checking method. "Catchy rhymes can save lives; check for brownish spots, dark black dots, and odd-shaped moles." ~ Saranne Today on Beating Cancer Daily: ·     Emphasize the importance of regular skin checks for early detection of cancer·     Use humor to make self-checking for skin cancer more approachable·     Explain a helpful mnemonic (ABCDEF) for remembering key signs of skin anomalies·     Share personal experience to illustrate that even those focused on one type of cancer should remain vigilant about others·     Encourage taking photos of any suspicious skin changes for comparison over time·     Highlight the importance of knowing your family history related to skin cancer·     Recommend consulting with healthcare providers when any changes are noticed·     Remind listeners to help each other with skin checks, especially in hard-to-see areas Resources Mentioned: Princeton Longevity Centerhttps://princetonlongevitycenter.com/ EWG Sunscreen Guidehttps://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/2025 People's Choice Podcast Awards Finalist Ranked the Top 5 Best Cancer Podcasts by CancerCare News in 2024 & 2025, and #1 Rated Cancer Survivor Podcast by FeedSpot in 2024 Beating Cancer Daily is listened to in over 130 countries across 7 continents and features over 390 original daily episodes hosted by Stage IV survivor  Saranne Rothberg.   To learn more about Host Saranne Rothberg and The ComedyCures Foundation:https://www.comedycures.org/ To write to Saranne or a guest:https://www.comedycures.org/contact-8 To record a message to Saranne or a guest:https://www.speakpipe.com/BCD_Comments_Suggestions To sign up for the free Health Builder Series live on Zoom with Saranne and Jacqui, go to The ComedyCures Foundation's homepage:https://www.comedycures.org/ Please support the creation of more original episodes of Beating Cancer Daily and other free ComedyCures Foundation programs with a tax-deductible contribution:http://bit.ly/ComedyCuresDonate THANK YOU! Please tell a friend whom we may help, and please support us with a beautiful review. Have a blessed day! Saranne 

A Prayer to Look Upon the Light by Stacey Thacker The book of Job--an unexpected corner of Scripture for the Christmas season. In today's episode, we focus on a reminder spoken to Job by Elihu, who points out that God is both rescuer and redeemer, using suffering not as punishment but as refinement. Elihu lifts Job’s gaze upward, encouraging him to look at the light of God rather than the weight of his circumstances.And for us today, every question whispered in the dark finds its answer in Jesus, the Light of the World. When we fix our eyes on Him, everything changes. Reference: Job 33:28 Prayer: Father, sometimes we can best see the light in the shadowed times of darkness. Remind me during this season of light to be a testimony to others who are struggling. May I be a good friend who encourages the downtrodden to look up. And if that person is me, continue to remind me each morning where the light comes from. In Jesus' name, amen. LINKS: How to Pray God's Word For Your Children Guide Follow Everyday Prayers @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.

Today, we're continuing our series on sharing the gospel, and what we're covering today is about the Great Commission. Have you heard that term before? Christianity's great at using terms the general public isn't familiar with, and sometimes we use terms even we aren't familiar with as believers. A recent study shows that more than 50% of U.S. churchgoers don't know what that term Great Commission means. And when asked if they had heard of the Great Commission, half of U.S. churchgoers say they don't know that term. Maybe our priorities need tweaking.Matthew 28:19 says, “Go and make disciples of all nations. Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” And though the Great Commission is not a term used in the Bible, it does describe the command Jesus gave us to share the Good News of His sacrifice for our sins. In this way, He provides a way for people to be reconciled to God, and this is the greatest news anyone will ever hear. Christians should be excited about this action plan.Matthew chapter seven indicates that the path leading to God is narrow, and that many are on the broad path that leads away from God. This truth should motivate us as Christians to fulfill Christ's Great Commission. And the Bible tells us that this activity will have an endpoint. We should have a sense of urgency about that. The Gospel of Jesus Christ was literally born in the Middle East. Jesus' disciples took His words to heart and began preaching and teaching about Him in Israel, then to all the regions around the Mediterranean basin. From there, the Gospel spread quickly into Europe, and beyond.Today, even with all our technology and hundreds of years of sending missionaries to remote parts of the world, not everyone has heard the Good News about Jesus. We have our marching orders. It's time to move. Let's pray.Father, we know that no matter what time is passing. We want all people to come to a saving faith in Your Son Jesus. Remind us daily that we should have a sense of urgency about sharing your good gift with everyone we come into contact with. 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.

Sinking into the church pew, I close my eyes, allowing myself to relax. Christmas hymns filter around parishioners as more enter the warm room. Fatigue washes over me as I wait for the Christmas service to start. The previous month was full of Christmas-time activities, lights, parties, and pageants. The seasonal hustle and bustle left me with little time to rest, my heart anxious over plans and the Christmas holiday. As the lights dim, the focus switches to the manger scene. Jesus Christ, born in a manger, died on the cross for our sins. Emmanuel—God with us. Hope was born in human form. "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). Over the centuries, Christians have turned toward Jesus with hope and assurance of heaven. "The name Immanuel encapsulates the heart of the Christian message: that God, in His infinite love and mercy, chose to dwell among His people through Jesus Christ. This profound truth continues to inspire and sustain believers, affirming the reality of God's presence in their lives" (BibleHub.com).  The hope of Emmanuel takes us beyond Christmas. For believers, that hope leads to eternity and resting forever with God in Heaven. A forever reprieve from the weariness felt here on earth. However, as you celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ this Advent, you can also celebrate his saving grace and rest in him. You can look forward to eternal rest while enjoying rest here on earth, right here and now. God's word tells us to rest. God provided a pattern to follow as he rested on the seventh day after six days of work. Genesis 2:2-3 says, "And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation." In the same way, he reminds us to do the same. Advent time is a great time to start resting and taking time to enjoy what God's given. He tells us that he provides rest for our weary hearts. Exodus 33:14 says, And the LORD answered (Moses), 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28-30 continues this same theme of spiritual rest. It says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Bible Hub study "Rest here is not merely physical but spiritual, offering peace and relief from the guilt and power of sin. This promise connects to the Sabbath rest in Genesis 2:2-3, symbolizing completion and satisfaction in God. Jesus fulfills the prophetic rest promised in the Old Testament, such as in Jeremiah 6:16, where the ancient paths lead to rest for the soul. This rest is a type of the eternal rest believers will experience in Christ (Hebrews 4:9-10)." The choir files into the church as the congregation rises. My anxiety lessens as I listen to the voices around me rising with the choir, still seated. "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Rejoice." I rise to join those around me, my voice lifting up the truth of the season. Come, Lord, come and give me rest. Help me rejoice in your birth this Christmas.  Prayer Dear Lord, thank you for your gift of rest. Please help me accept that gift and enjoy this Christmas season. Remind me of your open invitation when I'm feeling weary. Amen. Other Ways to Prepare this Christmas Season As we let these truths about Christmas penetrate our hearts, we can sit and dwell on the truth. We can sit and dwell on the fact that God is with us and that he wants to give us rest. One practical way that you can. Just sit and dwell on what God has for you this Christmas and release some of the anxiety, the overwhelm, and the panic over this Christmas season is to go through the workshop, Pen Your Way to Peace. Pen Your Way to Peace is a workshop that my friend Carrie and I did two years ago, where it's 75 minutes of working through and praying through things that steal your joy, things that cause negative emotions, and maybe even bring up drama. We want to help you work through these things. We are offering this workshop in a way that you can sit, you can work through the journal questions that Carrie, as a spiritual director, has provided for the workshop. And then one of the other things that we know causes chaos, causes overwhelm, and frankly doesn't make our hearts feel at rest is not planning. So with me, you will sit and work through plans, work through what you have, your boundaries, what are things you're saying yes to this holiday season, and what you're saying no to this holiday season. You join Pen Your Way to Peace so you can prepare your mind, your heart, and your calendar for the season of Christ's birth.  Click here to work at your own pace. Songs to Prepare Your Heart Make Room in Your Heart by Casting Crowns  Emmanuel, God with Us/O Come O Come Emmanuel Podcasts and Blog to Prepare Your Heart When Easter isn't Happy  Organize for the Holidays 

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3829: Dr. Lisa Lewis unpacks how common, and human, negative self-talk really is, then lays out four simple, science-backed strategies to disrupt those thoughts before they sabotage your goals. With practical reframing techniques and present-moment focus, this guide offers a clear path to stop spiraling and start showing up stronger, in your workouts, your work, and your mindset. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://markfisherfitness.com/combat-negative-thinking/ Quotes to ponder: "Remind yourself, 'It's a feeling, not a fact.'" "Repetition fosters habits and shapes beliefs." "Negative thoughts about your career, your appearance, your life, and your self are common." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3829: Dr. Lisa Lewis unpacks how common, and human, negative self-talk really is, then lays out four simple, science-backed strategies to disrupt those thoughts before they sabotage your goals. With practical reframing techniques and present-moment focus, this guide offers a clear path to stop spiraling and start showing up stronger, in your workouts, your work, and your mindset. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://markfisherfitness.com/combat-negative-thinking/ Quotes to ponder: "Remind yourself, 'It's a feeling, not a fact.'" "Repetition fosters habits and shapes beliefs." "Negative thoughts about your career, your appearance, your life, and your self are common." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3829: Dr. Lisa Lewis unpacks how common, and human, negative self-talk really is, then lays out four simple, science-backed strategies to disrupt those thoughts before they sabotage your goals. With practical reframing techniques and present-moment focus, this guide offers a clear path to stop spiraling and start showing up stronger, in your workouts, your work, and your mindset. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://markfisherfitness.com/combat-negative-thinking/ Quotes to ponder: "Remind yourself, 'It's a feeling, not a fact.'" "Repetition fosters habits and shapes beliefs." "Negative thoughts about your career, your appearance, your life, and your self are common." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JGD returns from his trip abroad and has some TSA stories. Remember, Opt Out! Trump tells Maduro to leave Venezuela to save himself. Your Ring doorbell is helping the feds track your neighbors dog and slutty daughter. Bulgaria is protesting the Euro, while the EU dictates you must be gay. Meanwhile Putin thinks Europe just wants contant war. We take a deeper look at Polymarkets. It is raining in Southeast Asia and don't make a joke otherwise John will get mad. Somali's are pirating Medicare funds in Minnesota, Mangione might catch a break, and a new Flu variant is on the rise. Covid-25 anyone?   Producers for MMO #196   Associate Executive Producers Sam S. of Beargrass and Bourblandia   Fiat Fun Coupon Producers Sir Leif Hart R from Parts Unknown Trashman Praetor Wiirdo of the not so flat lands   Booster Producers boolysteed | 1,808 | BAG DADDY BOOSTER! boolysteed | 1,111 mrh    | 1,000 fairvolty | 195 NostrGang | 102   Creative Producers: Episode Artwork Woof does it again with his Viking/Somali Pirate Medicare Art. Nailed it. Remind us to talk about his other submissions on the next show.   Follow Us: X/Twitter MMO Show John Dan Youtube (while it lasts) MMO Show Livestream Rumble MMO Show Livestream Twitch MMO Show Livestream   Shownotes: Dan's Sources EU countries must mutually recognise same-sex marriages, ECJ rules If Europe wants to start a war we are ready now, Russia's Putin says Bulgaria's government withdraws controversial budget plan after protests Can a Democrat win a deep-red Trump district in Tennessee? 'We Ain't Buying It': Boycotts take aim at businesses not opposing Trump Trump to Maduro: Leave Venezuela or Else | NY POSTcast What we know about National Guard shooting suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal Polymarket CEO says his prediction market is "the most accurate thing we have as mankind right now." Zelenskyy: Plan to end the war could be ready in the coming days | DW News EU countries must mutually recognise same-sex marriages, ECJ rules If Europe wants to start a war we are ready now, Russia's Putin says Bulgaria's government withdraws controversial budget plan after protests   John's Shownotes Tuesday, December 2nd Shownotes Ep 196   National Guard shooting            >foreigner allowed in under Allies Welcome program            >Was a member of CIA “zero unit” “death squad”            >Another AW immigrant arrested for making bomb intended to be used in Fort Worth   MTG Resigned   Venezuela            Venezuela Update NY Post            Columbian President Interview CNN   Tech            Surveillance Mesh            India Gov App Mandate   Climate            Flooding in SE Asia DW            DW Latest Update   Flu            Local New Flu (NC)            ABC New Strain   Minnesota Fraud Waltz            MN Judge Overturns Jury            Reactions and Appeal   Mangione            Mangione Update NY Post   Food            Campbells VP Rant Local Report   Future            New Mongolian Capital

For many, Christmas comes wrapped not only in lights and celebration, but also in financial pressure. The desire to give generously can collide painfully with a budget that simply won’t stretch far enough. And in a culture where extravagant Christmas mornings dominate social media feeds, it’s easy to feel inadequate or ashamed when the gifts under the tree look different than we wished. Vivian Bricker speaks honestly into this tension, reminding us that the heart of Christmas has nothing to do with what we can buy and everything to do with the One we worship. Somewhere along the way, many of us have absorbed the idea that Christmas requires excess. But the gospel reminds us that Christmas began in simplicity — a manger, a small town, a humble family, and a Savior who came quietly into the world. A meaningful Christmas does not require money. It requires Jesus. If finances are tight this year, remember: Christmas joy is not dependent on the number of gifts under the tree. Homemade, thoughtful gifts often carry more love than anything store-bought. God never measures love by financial ability. The people who love you most want you, not what you can give. And above all, Scripture calls us to shift our focus:“Seek first his kingdom… and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). When we place Christ at the center, financial pressure loses its power. Instead of comparing, striving, or stressing, we are freed to worship, to give from the heart, and to celebrate what truly matters. Today's Bible Reading:“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33 Takeaway Truths Your financial limitations do not diminish your love or your worth. Christmas is not about purchasing power — it’s about the presence of Christ. Homemade or simple gifts can be meaningful expressions of love. God promises provision when we seek Him first. A simple Christmas can often be the most spiritually rich. Let's Pray Dear Jesus, Christmas feels a bit tight this year, and I’m struggling with feelings of guilt, fear, and inadequacy. Remind me that these feelings do not come from You. Help me remember that the purpose of Christmas has never been about gifts, spending, or trying to keep up with others. Teach me to embrace simplicity. Help me find joy in making homemade gifts or offering thoughtful gestures, even if they look different from years past. Calm my heart, silence comparison, and center my mind on Your goodness. Bring my focus back to You — the true reason for the season. Fill my heart with peace, gratitude, and confidence that You will provide everything I truly need. Thank You for being my source, my security, and my Savior. Amen. Scriptures for Further Reflection Matthew 6:25–32 Philippians 4:19 James 1:17 Psalm 23:1 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Remind us when we suffer, to do as Christ did: carrying on silently, faithfully and obediently.

Send us your feedback — we're listeningFrom London to Cape Town, from New York to Manila, from Dubai to Toronto — a global 12 P.M. prayer within the DailyPrayer.uk 24-Hour Devotional Cycle.Scripture (NIV) Psalm 121:1–2 — “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord…” Secondary Scripture Psalm 46:1 — “God is our refuge and strength…” Intro By midday, pressure builds. Minds grow tired, focus fades, and the weight of the day begins to rest heavily. Psalm 121 remains one of the most searched passages across the world during the middle of the day as people seek renewed strength, clarity, and God's help. This prayer joins listeners needing fresh energy and divine focus. Prayer Father, we bring this midday hour before You. Renew strength in every listener whose mind feels stretched or whose heart feels heavy. Bring clarity where distraction has entered. Lift the weight of pressure and settle the emotions that feel tense. Restore focus for the tasks ahead. Let Your presence steady every thought and calm every worry. Remind each listener that their help comes from You and that You are their strength, their refuge, and their support. Bring renewed energy, refreshed purpose, and quiet confidence for the rest of the day. Cover each step with Your peace and guide every decision with Your wisdom. Prayer Points prayer for midday strength, prayer for clarity, prayer for renewed energy, prayer for pressure to lift, prayer for focus, prayer for God's help, prayer for peace in the dayLife Application Speak Psalm 121:1–2 or Psalm 46:1 this midday and hand your pressures back to God. Declaration I declare that my help comes from the Lord, and He renews my strength today. Call to Action Share this prayer and visit DailyPrayer.uk for global devotional resources.24-Hour Arc ConnectorPrevious: Faith Under Fire (9 A.M.)This Episode: Midday Renewal (12 P.M.)Next: Global Nations (6 P.M.)Support the showFor more inspiring content, visit RBChristianRadio.net — your home for daily devotionals, global prayer, and biblical encouragement for every season of life. We invite you to connect with our dedicated prayer hub at DailyPrayer.uk — a place where believers from every nation unite in prayer around the clock. If you need prayer, or would like to leave a request, this is the place to come. Our mission is simple: to pray with you, to stand with you, and to keep the power of prayer at the centre of everyday life. Your support through DailyPrayer.uk helps us continue sharing the gospel and covering the nations in prayer. You can also discover our ministry services and life celebrations at LifeCelebrant.net — serving families with faith, dignity, and hope. If this devotional blesses you, please consider supporting our listener-funded mission by buying us a coffee through RBChristianRadio.net. Every prayer, every gift, and every share helps us keep broadcasting God's Word to the world.

Send us your feedback — we're listeningStraplineFrom London to Los Angeles, from Lagos to Manila, from Sydney to Toronto — a global 3 A.M. prayer within the DailyPrayer.uk 24-Hour Devotional Cycle.Scripture (NIV) Psalm 91:1–2 — “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress…'”Secondary Scripture Psalm 34:4 — “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”Intro The 3 A.M. hour is when worry rises sharply across the world. Fear, restlessness, and overthinking often intensify in the stillness of the night. Psalm 91 remains one of the most searched scriptures worldwide in these moments, drawing hearts back into God's protection and calming presence. This prayer joins listeners across nations seeking refuge, safety, and peace in the night.Prayer Father, we lift before You every listener awake in the night, burdened by fear, worry, or restless thoughts. Cover each one with Your protection. Quiet the anxieties that rise in darkness. Break the grip of fear and release peace where dread has settled. Let Your presence be a refuge for those who feel alone. Bring calm to racing thoughts, strength to weary minds, and assurance to troubled hearts. Remind every listener that You watch over them, guard them, and surround them. Let Your shadow be their shelter and Your truth their comfort tonight. Grant deep rest, renewed peace, and a stillness that settles the soul.Prayer Points prayer for night protection, prayer for fear to lift, prayer for calm in the night, prayer for rest over the mind, prayer for peace over worry, prayer for emotional strength, prayer for God's coveringLife Application When fear rises tonight, speak Psalm 91:1–2 or Psalm 34:4 and rest in God's protection.Declaration I declare that God is my refuge and my fortress; fear will not rule my night.Call to ActionShare this prayer and visit DailyPrayer.uk for global devotional resources.24-Hour Arc ConnectorPrevious: Fear and Anxiety (12 A.M.)This Episode: Night Protection (3 A.M.)Next: Morning Strength and Direction (5 A.M.)Support the showFor more inspiring content, visit RBChristianRadio.net — your home for daily devotionals, global prayer, and biblical encouragement for every season of life. We invite you to connect with our dedicated prayer hub at DailyPrayer.uk — a place where believers from every nation unite in prayer around the clock. If you need prayer, or would like to leave a request, this is the place to come. Our mission is simple: to pray with you, to stand with you, and to keep the power of prayer at the centre of everyday life. Your support through DailyPrayer.uk helps us continue sharing the gospel and covering the nations in prayer. You can also discover our ministry services and life celebrations at LifeCelebrant.net — serving families with faith, dignity, and hope. If this devotional blesses you, please consider supporting our listener-funded mission by buying us a coffee through RBChristianRadio.net. Every prayer, every gift, and every share helps us keep broadcasting God's Word to the world.

The Lakers have won seven straight. They're the two seed in the west. Luka, Austin and LeBron are potentially figuring out how to play basketball at a level offensively we haven't really seen very often (if ever) before. Yes, there are some questions about this team. Still, remember to stop and smell the roses from time to time, too. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did you know there's MAGIC in your Meditation Practice? Say Goodbye to Anxiety and Hello to More Peace & More Prosperity! Here Are the 5 Secrets on How to Unleash Your Meditation Magic https://womensmeditationnetwork.com/5secrets Join Premium! Ready for an ad-free meditation experience? Join Premium now and get every episode from ALL of our podcasts completely ad-free now! Just a few clicks makes it easy for you to listen on your favorite podcast player. Become a PREMIUM member today by going to --> https://WomensMeditationNetwork.com/premium Take a breath and still your mind, Find the focus waiting for you this day. The act of letting go always comes with resistance, So breathe in and strengthen your resolve.   There's nothing to fear in this process, and you're ready to make the leap. If anxiety tries to get in your way, dismiss it and carry on.   PAUSE… Just like the beliefs that trip you up, Fear can wind its way into your mind. It'll try to convince you to hold onto those barriers, Whispering that you're safer if they remain in place.   But deep down, you know that's an illusion, A reaction to the uncertainty of change. You've heard other whispers, the voice of your soul, Telling you it's time for transformation.   PAUSE… As you prepare to break with these thoughts, You need to get your mind on your side. Allow it to imagine what might be possible, When you let go of those limits and lies. Remind it of its brilliant purpose and the reasons you're ready to do more. Join our Premium Sleep for Women Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Sleep podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here --> https://bit.ly/sleepforwomen Join our Premium Meditation for Kids Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Kids podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here → https://bit.ly/meditationforkidsapple Hey, I'm so glad you're taking the time to be with us today. My team and I are dedicated to making sure you have all the meditations you need throughout all the seasons of your life. If there's a meditation you desire, but can't find, email us at Katie Krimitsos to make a request. We'd love to create what you want! Namaste, Beautiful,

Este sábado estuve muy contento transmitiendo desde el festival Remind GNPHablé acerca de la historia de Queen, así como también de KC and the Sunshine Band, Earth, Wind & Fire y los estupendos Beach Boys Este programa tiene mucha información acerca de estos grupos y algunas entrevistas con la gente que asistió al festival No te lo pierdasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1. Intro SegmentIntroduce the theme: “99.5 QYK buys your Christmas!”Mention partnership with Kemp Law Group.Introduce the fun nickname: “Stacy Kemp, now known as Stacy Claus!”Brief overview of the holiday giveaway:Daily name callouts at 8 AM.Listeners can sign up at 995QYK.com. 2. Today's Featured Listener: Introducing Melissa GoodmanAnnounce the first selected name for the day: Melissa Goodman from Oldsmar.Read Melissa's submission:Newly single mom raising two boys.Boys in baseball; oldest in high school marching band.Struggling financially: late rent, living paycheck-to-paycheck.Birthdays around the holidays.Wants to provide a special Christmas after a tough year.Winning $1,000 would make a huge difference. 3. Call to ActionEncourage listeners:“If you know Melissa, text her now!”Give the call-in number: 800-992-1099.Remind her she has 9 minutes to call back. 4. Live Call Segment – Melissa Calls InHosts celebrate that Melissa called back in time.Conversation highlights:Melissa confirms she heard her name.Hosts acknowledge her tough year and her love for her kids.The big news: QYK and Kemp Law Group are buying her Christmas!Melissa receives $1,000.Emotional gratitude from Melissa. 5. What the Boys Want for ChristmasMelissa shares:Oldest wants top-tier AirPods.Youngest wants the “coolest sneakers like his big brother.”Hosts react to expensive wish lists.Melissa relieved that the prize will help make it possible. 6. Closing the CallHosts thank Melissa for being a loyal listener.Melissa expresses appreciation for the show.Transition to next segment: “Hang on so we can get your info!”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please remember, you have two lives. The second one starts when you fully realize you only have one. Remind yourself of this fact every single day. The time is now to be true to yourself and your desires. Now is the time to act on what you always wanted to do. It only has to make sense to you. Take control of your life. You only have two. Dream up a good life.Have you realized your second life? Tell me here: (608) - 856- 4955

Andy’s Brave New World: Part 4 Andy and Sarah continue to explore the Presidio settlement. Based on a post by the hospital. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. "I've no intention of giving up our supplies or the consulate. All of that is ours, fair and square, and we can be choosy about who we share with. Right now, even if people like Rachel are a little envious of our situation, they won't try anything. There's no real competition for resources or territory yet." They paused, watching a volunteer coordinate a cache of water bottles. "Yeah", Sarah mused thoughtfully. "I guess the real question is what happens down the line. What if people like Rachel do get jealous of what we have but we don't want to share." She smiled a little. "Post-apocalyptic wealth inequality." "I mean, yeah it's a legitimate question. And if we assume the Presidio is going to be the government here, it'll come down to how it develops. Will they let people have "private property", Andy said, making air quotes, "whatever that means now, or go more communal?" "What do you think would be better?" Sarah asked. "I believe strongly in balance," Andy said thoughtfully. "Yes, the government, or the community, whatever, needs power to redistribute wealth when inequality gets extreme, and it should do its best to ensure everyone has a fair shot, especially because people will naturally gravitate toward supporting their own; you know, nepotism. There's also lots of things that are public goods that only make sense for the government as a whole to organize and provide." "But there's also got to be some concept of private property, that's what motivates people to build, to create, to work hard. Without private property it's hard to have accountability once your group gets bigger than a couple hundred people, and with no accountability it's hard to get people to do things." He gazed around at the bustling camp. "If I can become a respected voice here early on, maybe I can help push development in that direction. A strong but fair government that works to provide public goods and protect individual rights while ensuring nobody falls too far behind." "This is all theoretical though, and way out into the future. For now I think the hope is that people pitch in, work together, and share on their own, because we're all just trying to survive." Sarah studied his face. "You've really thought this through." Andy chuckled. "Yeah, well, before we left Yosemite, I was reading those prepper manuals Miguel, you remember Daniela's dad, left us. They had some interesting takes on politics and government, alongside all the survival and engineering stuff." He shrugged. "They're written by preppers for preppers, so they've definitely got a libertarian bent. But I think some of their core arguments are pretty sound." Andy slowed his pace, watching a woman in scrubs directing several volunteers near the medical tent. "Before we donate these antibiotics, we should ask around about where they should go. Especially ask anyone who looks like they're in charge." "Why not just give them to the medical tent?" Sarah asked. "Because we want as many people as possible to know we brought them," Andy explained quietly. "Each person we ask is another person who knows we're contributing to the community. Better to establish that goodwill early." Sarah nodded thoughtfully. "Smart. What about the apples?" "Yeah, we should be strategic with those too. When we talk to people, first find out if they're actually living here at the Presidio or nearby in the neighborhood. No point giving them to random visitors or people just passing through." He adjusted his pack. "We don't have an unlimited supply, and temporary goodwill from strangers isn't worth much. Better to save them for people we might actually build relationships with." "Like Rachel," Sarah noted. "Since she lives on our street." "Exactly. The apples are a resource, we should use them to build connections that matter." Sarah shook her head ruefully. "You're already playing 4D chess while most people don't even know they're in a game yet." "Maybe a bit Machiavellian," Andy admitted. "But my intentions are good. I want to help rebuild something worth living in." Day 8, Midmorning After an hour of carefully distributed apples, they asked around for Guillermo Herrera. They found him in a makeshift office in one of the old administrative buildings, bent over a desk covered in inventory lists. He was a stocky man in his forties, wearing partial combat fatigues with a well-maintained fade haircut that spoke of decades of military discipline. A younger woman sat nearby, organizing what looked like personnel rosters. Guillermo looked up as they entered, his expression professionally neutral. "Can I help you?" "Andy Rhee," Andy introduced himself. "We just checked in with registration. They suggested we come see you." "Any military experience?" Guillermo asked squarely, brow furrowing as he studied Andy closely. "I was a park ranger. I'm comfortable with firearms, good shot, but no formal tactical training." Guillermo glanced at Sarah expectantly. "No, nothing. Haven't even held a gun before to be honest." She said with a self-deprecating shrug. "I'm eager to learn though, if there will be classes." "Yes, we're in the process of organizing some." Guillermo turned back to Andy. "Talk to Michelle to sign up for the militia." he said, pointing a thumb at the woman behind him. His expression shifted to polite dismissal. "One other thing," Andy continued, "one of our group members, Daniela Martinez, she's fourteen, but she actually got extensive military training from her father, an ex-Marine, also a ranger. He was;" Andy paused. "Very, very prepared for something like this." That caught Guillermo's attention. "How extensively?" "She's currently setting up our defense perimeter. Planning kill zones, considering sight lines, working out mine placement. Her knowledge is really impressive. I'd happily trust her with anything security related for our group." Guillermo leaned back, reassessing. "Put both their names down on the militia list," he told Michelle. "We're trying to catalog available combat personnel." He turned back to Andy. "Any significant weapons?" "Yeah, a reasonable amount," Andy said carefully. "Rather not detail it all yet, until we see how things develop here. But we might be able to share some if there are specific needs." "Sure, nothing urgent right now," Guillermo replied. "There hasn't been any trouble yet. But we're discussing organizing supply runs to the military installations in the region. Travis Air Force Base, Coast Guard Island, Camp Parks, Moffitt Field." He tapped areas on a map on his desk as he named the locations. "San Jose State is open to joining, and we'll reach out to whatever leadership emerges in Oakland if and when it does." Andy nodded. "Good idea. I'd be happy to help when that happens. Daniela too, she'd be valuable on a mission like that, you could probably have her lead a team, if you could convince people to follow her." "Noted." Guillermo made another mark in his notebook. "I'll want to meet her, evaluate her capabilities myself." "Of course. We're at the Korean consulate in Presidio Heights when you want to arrange that." They exchanged Beacon handles, then Andy added, "By the way, who's coordinating the mass grave? I read about it on Beacon. We have a body we need to deal with, and I'm sure we'll find more once we clear our street." "Alyssa Daniels," Guillermo replied. "She's;" he paused thoughtfully. "Diligent. High-strung, but gets things done. She's coordinating from the west side of the grounds." "Thanks." Andy reached into his pack. "And last thing, would you like an apple? Just got them yesterday." Guillermo accepted with a nod of thanks. Andy handed one to Michelle as well, who smiled gratefully. "Also, we have some antibiotics with us to donate, should we take them to the medical tent or is there another place for them?" "Medical tent. Dr. Wilson's in charge there." "Thanks. We'll head there next. Have a good one." Day 8, Midday They found Diana Wells near the western edge of the parade ground, bent over a topographical map spread across a folding table. Her silver hair was pulled back in a practical braid, and she wore well-worn hiking gear that spoke of years spent in the wilderness. Several compound bows and a collection of hunting rifles were carefully arranged on a nearby table. "Diana Wells?" Andy asked, approaching the table. "I heard you're organizing hunting expeditions." She looked up, her weathered face breaking into a smile as she noticed Andy's holstered glock. "Finally, someone who might actually know what they're doing!" She extended a calloused hand. "I've been trying to put together hunting parties, but haven't found a lot of takers." She smiled ruefully. Andy chuckled, immediately warming to her direct manner. "Andy Rhee. I was a park ranger at Yosemite, before all this." "Ranger? Perfect." Diana's eyes lit up. "We need to start organized hunting soon, can't live on canned food forever. But these city libs, bless their hearts, most of 'em never even held a gun;" She caught herself, glancing at Sarah apologetically. "No offense meant." "None taken," Sarah said with a small smile. "I'll freely admit I'm one of those city libs who needs to learn. Actually hoping to start training soon." Diana's expression softened. "Well, that's different then. Admitting you need to learn is the first step." She turned back to her map. "I'm thinking of starting with some deer hunting in Marin. Less competition from other survivors up there, and the herds should be getting bolder without human pressure." "Smart," Andy nodded. "How many experienced hunters do you have so far?" "Three, including me," Diana sighed. "Got a former Marine who did some hunting growing up, and a Forest Service guy from Oregon. Could really use someone with your background." Andy traced his finger along the map's contour lines, studying the terrain. "What about sustainability? Should we be worried about overhunting?" Diana straightened up, giving him an approving nod. "Good to hear a ranger asking that, shows the right mindset." She pulled out a small notebook, flipping through some rough calculations. "It's something I've been thinking about. We should probably try to establish some quotas for the region at some point, coordinate between different hunting groups." She gestured at the camp around them. "But honestly? That's going to have to come later. Right now;" She shook her head with a wry smile. "Way things are going, I doubt we'll find enough competent hunters to make a real dent in the population. Most folks here can barely tell a rifle from a shotgun, let alone track and shoot a deer." Volunteer Coordination. They found the volunteer coordination center in what had once been a Presidio administrative office. The space buzzed with focused energy as women, and a few men, moved between folding tables covered in papers, calling out updates and cross-referencing lists, while several people either requesting or volunteering various types of services spoke to them. At the center of the organized chaos stood a striking woman in her early thirties, her presence commanding attention without effort. Megan Lunn had the kind of natural relaxed attractiveness that didn't need enhancement, high cheekbones, clear gray eyes, and naturally red hair pulled back in a practical braid that reached halfway down her back. She wore simple, well-worn outdoors clothes that suggested genuine outdoor experience rather than posturing. "Jenny, can you cross-reference these lists with medical?" she was saying as Andy and Sarah approached. "We need to know who has first aid training versus actual medical degrees." Her voice carried naturally, pitched to be heard without shouting. She glanced up as they neared, her sharp eyes taking in every detail of their appearance. "Welcome to the circus," she said with a tired smile. "I'm Megan, or Meg. You must be the new arrivals Alice mentioned, the ranger and the biology student?" Up close, Andy could see the subtle signs of command experience in her bearing, the way she positioned herself to keep the whole room in view, how she tracked multiple conversations while maintaining eye contact. A silver pendant in the shape of a compass rose hung at her throat, and a well-used Leatherman multi-tool was clipped to her belt. "That's right," Andy replied. "Andy Rhee, and this is Sarah Chen-Mitchell. You're coordinating the volunteer efforts?" "Trying to," Meg said with a self-deprecating laugh that didn't quite hide her competence. "I was a wilderness guide before all this, led backcountry expeditions, taught survival skills. Turns out organizing twenty stressed people in the wilderness was good practice for;" she gestured at the controlled chaos around them, "whatever this is becoming." A younger volunteer approached with a stack of papers, and Meg smoothly took them without breaking conversation. "We're trying to match skills to needs, and build some kind of structure. Luckily lots of people want to help out." She studied them both with those penetrating gray eyes. "I hear you've set up at the consulate rather than joining us down here?" There was no judgment in her tone, just neutral statement of fact. Andy found himself wanting to explain his reasoning, to have this attractive, capable woman understand his choices. Before he could respond, she held up a hand with another slight smile. "Don't worry, I get it. You've found somewhere defensible, and secured resources. Smart move, actually." She marked something on one of her many lists. "We'll need multiple strong points around the city eventually, not just one central location. The important thing right now is staying connected." Andy found himself immediately impressed with her diplomacy, and her recall of their group and situation. "Yes," he responded. "We are interested in being a part of the Presidio, we just have our own space right now." "Glad to hear. I was hoping, based on the description of your group, that you weren't one of those ultra-right-wing, prepper, sovereign citizen types. I'm sure they're having a blast right now, the ones that survived anyway." Her eyes held a hint of amusement. "So, what can I do for you Mr. Rhee?" He and Sarah shared a glance. "First we have some apples to offer, and some antibiotics to donate. And we've heard you're taking a lot of lead in organizing here, I was wondering if we could chat, big picture." Meg smiled. "Ah, so you're here to play the game as well. No doubt." She called out, "Fresh apples, everyone, get them from the kind Mr. Andy Rhee over here." Sarah and Andy were briefly mobbed by the people in the office, handing out most of their remaining apples. "Let's step outside. I could use a walk." She announced to the room she'd be out for a few minutes. They stepped into the bright sunlight. "Shall we head toward the medical tent to drop off the antibiotics?" she asked. "Or do you have any more people to mention them to first?" Her smile was wry. Andy felt a little exposed. "Yeah, you got us, we have been announcing them first. What gave it away?" "You checked in with Alice over two hours ago." Andy immediately wondered why he hadn't put that together. "It's what I'd do in your position as well." She studied him. "So, what's your strategy here Andy? Give me your assessment of things." Andy paused to gather his thoughts. "Well, it's clear that the Presidio will be the new center of power here in SF. There's a chance another center emerges but at this point, it's unlikely, with so many people already here the network effect is too strong." He continued, warming to the topic. "I want to help rebuild. I've already offered what basic skills I have, but I'd also like to get involved politically. I believe good, well organized government is the best route to getting our basic needs met, as a collective. Water, agriculture, power, trade, defense, medicine, and eventually engineering and manufacturing." He counted off the different needs with his fingers as he named them. "These ultimately require some centralization and broad geographic control to do them sustainably at scale. Not something you can make happen with just you and your plucky band of survivors. Well, power, maybe with solar, and water if you live close enough to the water table to dig a well. But everything else, we need organization and cooperation. Government." His voice grew more serious. "It's still early days but the norms and political decisions and organizations we form today could have long lasting repercussions for our future, assuming we make it that far. And I have thoughts on the direction things should go. I'd like to start shaping things now. I don't care particularly for political power myself, although I'm open to it. I'm more concerned with making sure whatever power ends up taking place is competent and benevolent." Meg listened intently as they walked, her gray eyes occasionally flicking to study Andy's face. The morning fog had burned off entirely now, leaving the parade ground bathed in clear sunlight. Sarah walked slightly behind them, taking in their conversation while maintaining a respectful distance. "That's; a remarkably clear-eyed assessment," Meg said finally. "Most people here are still just trying to process what happened." They passed a group of women organizing supplies, lowering their voices. "And you're absolutely right about the network effect. Every day more and more survivors arrive. If things continue we'll be a small city soon." She stopped walking, turning to face Andy directly. "Also, I appreciate that you didn't lead with just seizing power and controlling things. You led with meeting basic needs." Her penetrating gaze held his. "You're thinking about infrastructure first, then governance to support that. I agree with that mindset." Andy felt oddly exposed under her careful analysis, but also validated. This was clearly someone who also understood the bigger picture. "So, tell me, Andy," Meg said, resuming their walk toward the medical tent, "what direction do you think things should go? You must have opinions about governance structure." Andy considered his response. "I think the immediate challenge is establishing legitimate authority," he said. "Right now, everyone's cooperating because we have to. But once basic survival is handled, power dynamics will get complicated fast." Meg nodded thoughtfully. "Especially with armed groups involved." "Exactly," Andy agreed. "And that's actually my biggest concern. The military and police need to see themselves as subordinate to civilian leadership from the start. Otherwise;" He gestured at the armed men patrolling the perimeter. "Well, history shows what happens when guys with guns decide they should call the shots." "But how do you establish that civilian authority?" Meg asked, genuinely curious. "Elect a President?" Andy shook his head. "Not yet." He paused, watching a group of volunteers unloading supplies. "For now, I think we just need something simpler. A small council, maybe, anyone who can gather enough supporters to qualify. Just enough structure to build an institution that can capture some of the legitimacy that our decisions and communications will earn from being competent, and in turn lend more legitimacy to whatever decisions and communications the current leaders are already making." "And longer term?" Meg prompted, clearly intrigued. Andy laughed. "Well, do you want to get in the weeds here?" Meg nodded so he pressed on. "I think elections work well in theory, but once they scale up, they become easily corrupted. Politicians make impossible promises, cater to special interests, play on people's fears, and on and on. You know." Meg smiled and simply nodded. "I recently learned about this thing called sortition," Andy said. "Like jury duty, but for legislation. Get people who are interested in specific areas, agriculture, defense, infrastructure, to volunteer for a pool. Then randomly select among them to serve on committees that draft laws related to those areas." He warmed to the topic, encouraged by Meg's engaged expression. "Those proposals would then go to another randomly selected assembly, this time drawn from the entire population, for yay or nay votes. Pay them like jurors, give them a fixed term. Let them elect one of their number as an executive to oversee implementation." Sarah, who had been listening quietly, spoke up. "That's; actually really interesting. We talked about the problems with our current election system a lot in our poli-sci classes. It sounds like this would get rid of career politicians, and make it harder to concentrate power in any individuals." "Right," Andy agreed. "But that's all theoretical right now. The immediate priority is establishing the Presidio's authority through competent organization. Getting systems in place for collecting and distributing supplies, coordinating defense, managing resources." He gestured at the bustling camp. "Build legitimacy through effectiveness first. Then we can worry about formal governance. If there's anything I or my group can help with, we're here." Meg studied him closely. "You've clearly given this a lot of thought." "I've had some time to read recently," Andy said with a slight smile. "And seeing everything collapse; well, it makes you think about how to build something better." Meg considered his words thoughtfully. "Well, this is certainly food for thought. I've never heard of this "sortition" before, but it seems quite reasonable." She nodded slowly. "And I definitely agree that we must establish legitimacy through competent governance." "And what are your goals in all this?" Andy asked. "Similar to yours, just less defined in terms of politics," she replied. "I want to help people, make sure we rebuild successfully." Her expression grew more serious. "And in the long run, hope we don't collapse into some kind of anarchy or tyranny. We've suffered enough already." "Agreed," Andy said firmly. He extended his hand. "I'm happy to talk about this more, but for now, I'd hope we can consider ourselves allies." "We can, Mr. Rhee," she said, meeting his gaze and taking his hand with a firm grip. "I'm glad you're with us. I'll mention you to the others who would be on this little council. Maybe we could get a few meetings of us all together at some point." "We'd welcome hosting those meetings at the consulate," Andy offered. A knowing smile crossed Meg's face. "Yes, of course you would. Being the host would give you natural authority." "Hey, just playing the game as you said. And we have a nice formal dining room. And some nice wine stores," Andy replied with a matching smile. "Are you staying here at the parade grounds?" he asked. "Yeah, I have a tent here." "I'd like to offer that you move in with us at the consulate. We have quite a nice setup there right now." Meg shook her head. "I need to stay here, thanks. I can't be a good leader without being among the people, going through their same hardships." A slight smile. "And I honestly prefer camping to living indoors." She considered for a moment. "But, I'd love a hot shower if you have one? And maybe some hot coffee, anything that gets donated gets immediately requested, and we haven't had anything new come in for a while now." "We don't have hot water yet," Andy admitted, "but we do have cold running water. And plenty of coffee." "I start my day at 6AM," Meg said. "If I could come tomorrow morning at 5 to shower and have some coffee, you'd have earned quite a big favor from me." "Anytime," Andy replied. "I'll be up and ready for you. Message me on Beacon if anything changes." "Oh, and who else should I talk to?" he added. "Who would be on this council? I've talked to Guillermo and Diana so far, and I know about Alyssa." "Let's see," Meg said, counting off on her fingers. "Dr. Elena Wilson, she was chief of emergency medicine at UCSF. She's coordinating all our medical operations from the main tent. Brilliant woman, I couldn't believe our luck when she arrived. She's already setting up training programs for basic medical care." She gestured toward the solar array setup. "Then there's Marcus Qin, he was a high-up engineer at Tesla's Fremont plant. He's heading up our power infrastructure projects, working on getting reliable electricity to key facilities, planning longer-term solar installations. He's looking for people with electrical engineering backgrounds, thankfully we have lots of those in this city." "Jennifer Brown is essential, she was regional operations manager for Whole Foods. She understands large-scale food storage and distribution better than anyone here. She's organizing our pantry systems, tracking supplies, planning preservation methods for when scavenging isn't viable anymore." "And probably Rebecca Foster. She was a water resource manager for East Bay M U D. Keeping clean water flowing is going to be crucial once our bottled water supplies run low. She's already mapping out plans for gravity-fed distribution systems and planning wells and filter stations. Desalination, too, if we can get the equipment and power for it." She straightened up. "Those are the key players right now, along with the ones you've met. Each of them has proven themselves competent enough that people naturally started following their lead." On the shore of the Bay. Andy and Sarah stood at the water's edge near Crissy Field, looking out over the bay. The midday sun sparkled off the water, and Alcatraz loomed in the distance, a stark reminder of civilization's remnants. A cool breeze carried the salt smell of the ocean, rustling through Sarah's layered black hair. "Woof, I'm pooped already," Sarah sighed, stretching her arms overhead. Her cropped athletic tank rode up, revealing her toned midriff. "And we still have five more names to talk to." "Yeah, but there's no hurry right now," Andy replied, watching a seabird wheel overhead. "I think today was a good start. Let's take a quick break here, then maybe talk to one or two more people before heading back for lunch." "Ok, I'll message them that we'll be back in about an hour and a half." Sarah pulled out her phone, her manicured fingers tapping quickly. "We're a bit late. Can one of them be Elena? I want to sign up for medical care lessons as soon as I can." She tucked a strand of blonde-highlighted hair behind her ear. "I'm sick of telling people I have no useful skills." "Sure, we can. And yeah, to be honest I didn't expect there to be so much going on here. Beacon said it was 50-ish people two days ago, right?" "Yeah. Exponential growth." Sarah's hazel eyes lit up. "We run into this a lot in biology. It would be interesting to get the exact numbers of new arrivals per day and see if you could fit the growth curve and try to predict where we'd end up." Andy studied her as she gazed out over the water. Her heart-shaped face was animated as she talked, light freckles crinkling around her nose. She had an innate talent for connecting concepts and processing information, backed by determination and resourcefulness. She genuinely cared about helping others (well, except for maybe Crystal). And with her approachable, pretty features, she'd be perfect for politics if there ended up being elections. If they could accept someone so young holding power. His eyes drifted lower, taking in her athletic figure, the perfect curves of her tits under her compression top, the slim waist tapering to curved hips in her matching leggings. Approachable, pretty face, and a fantastic body. She caught him ogling and flashed a self-conscious smile, subtly adjusting her top to emphasize her cleavage. "Hmm, is someone thinking with his dick again?" She stepped closer, looking up at him through long lashes. "Does my, what was it, fearless protector, my *Machiavellian* fearless protector need some special attention?" Andy laughed and reached out to touch her cheek gently. She closed her eyes and smiled, pressing against his hand before looking up at him with those striking hazel eyes. "Alright, what's up Andy?" "I was just thinking, you'd do great in politics." "Huh?" Her full lips curved into a surprised smile. "What do you mean?" "You're smart, you make connections well and pick up new information fast. You're very determined and resourceful. You care about helping people." His eyes traced the delicate lines of her face. "And you're really pretty, in an approachable kind of way. If there were elections, you'd do really well." Sarah shifted her weight, the movement highlighting her athletic figure. "I also totally lack real world skills it turns out, and;" she gestured at her carefully coordinated athleisure outfit, "well; one could say I care too much about how I look." "Like I said, perfect for politics!" She laughed and poked him in the chest, her perky tits bouncing slightly with the movement. "OK, I like this sweet talk. This is like the nicest thing you've said to me since we met." "Well, don't forget I think elections are inherently corrupting." "Hmm, so you want to corrupt me?" she purred, taking his hand. Her skin was soft and warm against his. "Why don't you tell me what you were really thinking." "What I said. And then I stared at you for too long, noticed the rest of your body, and then my brain lost a lot of blood flow." "What, now you notice my body?" She brought his hand up to her tit, letting him squeeze it gently through the compression fabric. Her nipple hardened under his touch. "Four days of wearing the cutest skimpy little matching sets, posing for you, fidgeting with my tops to make you look at my boobs, talking about my body nonstop, and you finally now tell me you notice me while thinking about politics?" She shook her head, making her highlighted layers catch the sun. "You're a real odd duck you know." She suddenly pressed against him in a tight hug, her firm tits pushing against his chest. "Thanks for believing in me." Andy stroked her silky hair, breathing in her light floral shampoo. "Of course." Sarah stepped back, adjusting her top. "Ok. Let's go back." She paused, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Unless; are you sure you don't need any;" She made an exaggerated blowjob gesture, pushing her tongue against her cheek while moving her fist near her mouth. Her full lips curved into a teasing smile. "We could sneak behind those dunes real quick." Andy felt his arousal surge instantly. "Can you do that again?" "What, this?" She repeated the lewd gesture, looking every bit the corrupted coed fitness influencer with her subtle makeup, highlighted hair, and coordinated athleisure set that showed off every curve. "Ok, let's go," Andy said, taking her hand and walking toward the dunes. They exchanged horny smiles and giggles on the way to the dunes, Sarah's athletic figure moving gracefully beside him. Behind the dunes, Andy reclined against the sand and took his pants off while Sarah gathered her layered black hair into a high ponytail, a few honey-highlighted strands falling loose around her face. She knelt between his legs, her compression leggings hugging every curve. Starting with just her hands, she looked up at him through long lashes. "Remind me, what did you say about me just now?" Andy repeated his earlier compliments about her intelligence and determination. "Ah yes, thank you." She gave him a firm squeeze. "I do like a good compliment you know." She leaned forward, her perky tits straining against her top as she took him in her mouth. Her technique was skilled and enthusiastic, starting with gentle kisses and licks along his shaft before taking him deeper, her tongue swirling around his head while her hand worked his base. Her full lips slid up and down his length in perfect rhythm, alternating between quick, teasing strokes and slow, sensual ones. Andy closed his eyes, enjoying the sensations. He switched to praising her body, how toned and tight it was, how perfectly optimized for looking good, how it showed her determination and focus. She hummed appreciatively around him, the vibrations sending shivers through his body. Despite her current activity, a blush crept across her freckled cheeks at his words. She pulled off him, sucking hard as she did so, making her mouth feel deliciously tight before popping off him. "I guess you're wanting me to take my top off?" she asked, sitting back on her heels. Andy nodded. "Ok," she said with a playful smile. "Get ready." She pulled off her compression top and sports bra in one fluid motion, revealing her perfectly perky, symmetric, B-cup tits. They were exactly as impressive bare as they had looked in her carefully chosen sports bras, firm and high, with rosy nipples standing at attention in the cool air. She gave them a little shake, watching his reaction with amusement. "Right, where were we? I believe I was in the middle of, ah, restoring proper blood flow in my patient." She leaned forward again, her tits swaying slightly as she resumed her ministrations. She worked him skillfully, one hand pumping his shaft while the other gently massaged his balls. Her tongue focused on his sensitive spots, especially the underside of his head, occasionally taking him deeper and holding him there. Though she mostly looked down, concentrating on her rhythm, she would glance up periodically through her lashes to make eye contact, her hazel eyes sparkling despite her blush. The contrast between her innocent blush and what she was doing made Andy laugh. "What?" she asked, pulling back. "You're blushing?" "I don't know, it's awkward," she said, self-consciously tucking a loose strand of highlighted hair behind her ear. "It can't possibly be a cute look." "Don't worry, you look beautiful with my cock in your mouth." "Well, if you say so." She gave his head a playful lick, her hazel eyes sparkling. "I am obsessed with looking good after all." She resumed in earnest, using her tongue to continue to rub against his sensitive spots on the underside of his shaft that she'd discovered with her hands yesterday. Within a minute of this rhythm, Andy was ready. He moaned a warning to her. Andy felt the pressure build to an explosive peak. His whole body tensed as waves of pleasure crashed through him. Sarah's hazel eyes locked onto his as she pulled back to his head, her full lips wrapped tight around him. She swallowed eagerly, her small hand squeezing and stroking his shaft with perfect pressure, milking every pulse of his orgasm. The sight of her looking up at him, her pretty face focused on pleasuring him while she swallowed his cum, made him shudder and spurt several more times. When the last aftershocks subsided, she made an exaggerated face, her perfect features scrunching up adorably. "Honestly, we need to find you some canned pineapple or something. Too many rehydrated beef stews." Andy laughed and relaxed, pleasant sensations spreading through his body. "I thought I was getting a sponsored post." "Oh right!" Her eyes lit up as she shifted into her content creator voice. "Hey loves! Quick update from your fave outdoor wellness girlie! Just discovered the most amazing hidden spot in the Presidio for my morning protein boost." She dabbed delicately at her lips with one manicured finger. "You know I'm always on the lookout for sustainable, all-natural sources of nutrients, and let me tell you, this one hits different! Super thick and creamy, with these really;" she gave a subtle eye-roll, "complex umami notes, definitely not your basic store-bought protein shake." She struck an exaggerated influencer pose, bare tits thrust forward. "Loving how it just slides right down, and it's packed with all those essential minerals my body craves." She tossed her ponytail and gave an exaggerated wink. "The best part? My super knowledgeable park ranger friend showed me exactly where to find it. We'll definitely be doing more outdoor taste testing sessions soon! Remember ladies, staying fit during the apocalypse is all about finding those secret spots and knowing exactly how to; work them!" She finished with an innocent smile. "Like and follow for more wellness tips and behind-the-scenes peeks at my outdoor adventures!" She giggled and reached for her top, pulling it back on with practiced grace. "Ok, feel better? Did I overdo it?" "No don't worry, that was quite a great ad." he said, pulling his pants back on. "Let's chill here for a moment before we go." She curled up next to him, her athletic body fitting perfectly against his side. Her layered hair tickled his arm as they watched the waves, the sun warm on their skin. After a few peaceful minutes, she stirred. "Ok, let's go." They stood, Sarah adjusting her ponytail and smoothing her outfit back to Instagram-ready perfection. As they walked back toward the Presidio, she bumped her hip playfully against his. "You know, for someone who claims to be above politics, you sure know how to negotiate for what you want." Day 8, Early Afternoon The medical tent hummed with barely contained chaos. A dozen cots had been crammed into the space, most occupied by patients in various states of distress. Someone moaned from behind a makeshift curtain while a volunteer with shaking hands tried to sort through a box of donated medications, labels facing every direction. The sharp smell of antiseptic couldn't quite mask the underlying odors of sweat and sickness. Dr. Elena Wilson hunched over a patient chart at a wobbly folding table, squinting at her own handwriting. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and her silver-streaked hair had escaped its bun in several places. Her scrubs were wrinkled and spotted with what might have been coffee or something worse. When she reached for her pen, her movements were quick and economical, like someone who had learned long ago not to waste energy on unnecessary gestures. "Excuse me?" Andy cleared his throat. "Are you Dr. Wilson?" She looked up, blinking as if emerging from deep concentration. "Yeah, that's me." Her eyes flicked between Andy and Sarah, assessing. "You need medical attention?" "No, we're actually here to donate some supplies," Andy said. "I'm Andy, and this is Sarah. We just got to the city yesterday." Sarah nodded. "We brought antibiotics." Dr. Wilson's expression shifted subtly. "Let's see what you've got." Andy unzipped his pack and carefully laid out the bottles on the edge of the table. Dr. Wilson picked each one up, examining the labels. "Oh thank god," she murmured, almost to herself. Then louder: "Riti! Come here a sec!" A harried-looking nurse in faded scrubs hurried over, clipboard in hand. "Log these in," Dr. Wilson said, gesturing to the antibiotics. "And put them in the locked cabinet." She turned back to Andy and Sarah. "Thanks, you might have saved a few lives today." Sarah took the opportunity to speak up. "I heard you might be starting some kind of medical training," she said. "I studied biology at UCLA before; all this. I know it's not the same as medical training, but I really want to help if I can." Dr. Wilson ran a hand through her hair, further disheveling it. "Biology, huh? That's something at least. We're doing basic emergency response training on Tuesday morning. Everyone needs to know how to stop bleeding and recognize infection now." She glanced over at a patient who had started coughing violently. "Michelle will add you to the list. I need to check on Mr. Peterson." As Dr. Wilson hurried away, Michelle gave them a tired smile. "Don't mind her. She's been working pretty much non-stop since everything went down. The class starts at nine on Tuesday." She wrote Sarah's name in a notebook. "And thanks for the antibiotics. We're running low on everything." Day 8, Early Afternoon The afternoon sun beat down on the cracked pavement as Andy and Sarah made their way back through the empty streets of Presidio Heights. The silent houses loomed around them, windows dark and lifeless. Sarah tugged at her ponytail, trying to smooth it down. "God, it's so quiet," she said, her voice sounding unnaturally loud in the stillness. "I keep expecting to see someone walking a dog or mowing their lawn or something." Andy nodded, stepping over a newspaper that had yellowed in the sun. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Still doesn't feel real sometimes." "So;" Sarah kicked at a pebble. "Dr. Wilson was something else, wasn't she? I mean, I get why she's stressed, but jeez." "She's got a lot on her plate right now," Andy said with a sympathetic shrug. "At least that Michelle woman seemed nice. Makes me a little less nervous about the class." "I'm sure you'll do great," Andy said. "Maybe", she paused. "It's weird how some things from before seem useful now and others just; don't matter anymore." They walked in silence for a moment, their footsteps echoing slightly. "Meg seems pretty capable though, "Sarah said, glancing sideways at Andy, "I noticed you were quick to invite her to stay with us." She raised her eyebrows teasingly. Andy laughed. "Can't put anything past you, can I? Yeah, I thought having someone with her connections around might be helpful. But honestly? I respect her more for saying no. It shows she understands she needs to be with the people she's trying to help." "Hmm, very diplomatic of you." Sarah smiled, bumping her shoulder against his. "Well, despite the slightly terrifying doctor, I'd say it was a pretty good morning overall. Made some connections, signed up for medical training;" Her smile turned mischievous. "Found that nice spot overlooking the bay;" "With the excellent protein options," Andy added with a straight face. Sarah burst out laughing, her cheeks flushing slightly. "You know what's funny? After everything that's happened, pretending to be my old influencer self actually helps sometimes." Her voice softened. "Like, it's proof that I can still be that silly, excited person sometimes, even if I'm reviewing very different products these days." "Your authenticity really shines through," Andy said with mock seriousness. "Very engaging content." Sarah rolled her eyes and shoved him lightly. "Just wait until you see what I've got planned for future episodes." She looked at him more seriously. "But honestly? With all your political maneuvering today, what I appreciate most is how you make me feel like it's still okay to be silly sometimes. To still be; me." Without thinking, Sarah reached for his hand. Their fingers intertwined as they walked, finding comfort in the simple connection amid the silent streets. To be continued. Based on a post by the hospital, for Literotica.

This episode is powered by The Move to Millions Ascension Archetype Quiz , your first step in uncovering how to leverage your divine wiring to lead with alignment as you stop sabotaging your next level of success. Discover your divine wiring and uncover what's REALLY keeping YOU from millions. The MTM Minute is a quick dose of inspiration with a powerful affirmation based on our weekly full-length episode.  And beginning this season, the MTM Minute will include a prayer of the week for 7 figure CEOs and 7 figure CEOs in the making.  That's right, you don't have to choose – you can love God AND make millions. This week's MTM Minute is a REWIND from an episode that ran earlier this season.  This week's 7 Figure CEO Affirmation is "Something big is about to happen in my life and business, and I am ready to receive it with open arms. I trust that the universe is aligning the perfect opportunities, people, and circumstances to elevate me to new heights. I am prepared, capable, and worthy of the breakthroughs coming my way. Every step I've taken has led me to this moment, and I confidently step into the abundance and success that is unfolding. I am excited for what's next, knowing that this shift will bring growth, impact, and prosperity in ways I've never imagined."   Here are three tips to anchor in the affirmation: Practice Daily Visualization: Set aside a few minutes each day to visualize the "big thing" happening in your life or business. Picture yourself experiencing this breakthrough—how it feels, looks, and how it impacts your life. Engaging in this practice will help you stay open to receiving it and increase your belief that it's on its way. Cultivate a Mindset of Expectancy: Begin each day with the belief that something big is already in motion for you. Throughout your day, look for signs and opportunities that align with this belief. Remind yourself that you're worthy of massive success and that it's only a matter of time before it arrives. Take Inspired Action: Stay proactive by taking small steps that align with your vision for the big shift. Whether it's working on new strategies, connecting with new opportunities, or pushing past any comfort zones, taking consistent action will help solidify your readiness for the breakthrough that's about to come. Affirm with me: "Something big is about to happen in my life and business, and I am ready to receive it with open arms. I trust that the universe is aligning the perfect opportunities, people, and circumstances to elevate me to new heights. I am prepared, capable, and worthy of the breakthroughs coming my way. Every step I've taken has led me to this moment, and I confidently step into the abundance and success that is unfolding. I am excited for what's next, knowing that this shift will bring growth, impact, and prosperity in ways I've never imagined." Here are three journal prompts based on the affirmation: "I am open to receiving something big in my life, and I am preparing for it by..." "The breakthrough I am about to experience will transform my life in the following ways..." "I am ready for this shift because I have already shown myself that I am capable of..." I know these three journal prompts will enhance how you finish this week. Want more of Darnyelle? Personal Brand Website: https://www.drdarnyelle.com Company Website: https://www.incredibleoneenterprises.com Move to Millions Website: https://www.movetomillions.com   Social Media Links: Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/darnyellejerveyharmon Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/darnyellejerveyharmon Twitter/X: http://www.twitter.com/darnyellejervey LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/darnyellejerveyharmon    Links Mentioned in the Episode: Movetomillions.com MovetoMillionsGroup.com HausofMillions.com Move to Millions Continuum Episode Move to Millions Live 2025   Subscribe to the Move to Millions Podcast: Listen on iTunes Listen on Google Play Listen on Stitcher Listen on iHeartRadio Listen on Pandora   Leave us a review Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you're not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don't want you to miss an episode. I'm adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you're not subscribed there's a good chance you'll miss out on those. Now if you're feeling extra loving, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast and they're also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

I hope you are enjoying Thanksgiving week and looking forward to spending time with family and eating yummy food.  Thanksgiving is such a special time to gather and remember things we are grateful for, and I just wanted to say that I am so very grateful for YOU! The Busy Vibrant Mom podcast is almost five years old! As I look back I am so thankful that you took time out of your busy day to listen.  It's not easy as moms to find a moment in the day, so thank you!  In the spirit of giving I wanted to give you something too - that's why I created The Rest & Reclaim Bundle as a special gift for this week.  I've never offered anything like this, but I am really excited because I know it's just perfect for you. If you missed it, yesterday's bonus episode talked all about the bundle, so go back and listen to that episode if you missed it.  Just a heads up the Rest & Reclaim Bundle is available until midnight on Cyber Monday to give you a full week to think about if it's a good fit for you. Today I just wanted to tell you thanks, to offer some encouragement, and to let you know that you're not alone on this mom journey.     Here's what's inside: The Rest & Reclaim Bundle  Check it out: https://michellebyrd.myflodesk.com/blackfriday

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Today's shout-out goes to Paul Davis from Stewartstown, PA. Your commitment through Project23 helps deliver God's Word daily with clarity and conviction. This one's for you. Our text today is Judges 14:4 His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel. — Judges 14:4 Samson just made a terrible choice—demanding a Philistine wife. To his parents, it looked like rebellion, a total collapse of God's plan. And honestly, they weren't wrong. But then the writer adds this line: "It was from the Lord." Now, that doesn't mean God approved of Samson's sin. But it does mean Samson's failure didn't derail God's purpose. God was still moving the story forward. And this is where so many of us stumble. We think, "I blew it. That affair. That addiction. That habit I can't kick. That thing I said I'd never do again—I did it. God's done with me." Men and women both carry this lie: that past sin or current struggle is the period at the end of their story. But God writes commas where we write periods. He takes the mess and makes it part of His mission. Your sin may disqualify you, but God's grace requalifies you. God never excuses sin. Sin always wounds. But sin doesn't get the final word—God does. Think about it: if God can weave Samson's lust into His larger purpose, if He can turn Peter's denial into boldness, if He can transform Paul the persecutor into Paul the preacher—don't you think He can redeem your story too? So stop living like you've been benched. Your are not benched. God wants you in the game. Confess. Repent. Then trust that God's hand is bigger than your failure. ASK THIS: Where do you feel like sin has put a period at the end of your story? Do you believe God can weave even your failures into His plan? How does Samson's story challenge your view of God's sovereignty? What step of faith could you take today to live as if grace is bigger than sin? DO THIS: Write down one sin you think has disqualified you. Read 1 John 1:9 and thank God that forgiveness is real. Replace the lie, "God is done with me," with the truth, "God is still working in me." Share this truth with one person who feels stuck in shame. PRAY THIS: Father, I often believe the lie that my sin is the end of my story. Remind me today that grace has the final word and that You are still working through me. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Grace Greater Than Our Sin."

Rachel Lockett is a sought-after executive coach and former HR leader at Stripe and Pinterest who now works with CEOs, founders, and tech leaders on emotional intelligence, resilience, and leadership skills. In this episode, Rachel shares powerful frameworks for coaching reports, having difficult conversations, avoiding burnout, and strengthening co-founder relationships. She also demonstrates these techniques through a live coaching session with me.We discuss:* When to coach and when to just tell people what to do [09:00]* The GROW technique for helping people figure out a solution for themselves [18:37]* Techniques for making difficult conversations less difficult [01:20:28]* Avoiding burnout and designing a more energizing career [41:55]* Building and sustaining a healthy co-founder relationship [01:06:50]* Creating a one-page plan that aligns your entire company [01:31:47]* Practical ways AI is transforming executive coaching and leadership development [01:36:50]* Why you should ask, “Would I enthusiastically rehire this person?” to clarify talent decisions [23:55]Also on Spotify and Apple PodcastsBrought to you by:Stripe—Helping companies of all sizes grow revenueVanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.Persona—A global leader in digital identity verificationWhere to find Rachel Lockett:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhlockett/• Website: https://www.lockettcoaching.comReferenced:• One-page plan template: https://www.lockettcoaching.com/#resources• Lockett Coaching Leadership Toolkit: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/s74a9cn1ka1ebz6pglypf/Leadership-Toolkit_-Coaching-Rachel-Lockett.pdf?rlkey=yg2m9df2ziwy0fa6p0dt4gcfu&st=dgzvnf76&dl=0• Renew Your Co-Founder Vows—and Other Tactics for Strengthening the Most Important Relationship in Your Startup: https://review.firstround.com/five-practices-to-strengthen-your-co-founder-relationship/• First Round Guide to Co-Founder Check-Ins: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yUosmfMuE-8-sAwPrEPDcGqkJLVLWg5dC2_8lcXm7U4/edit?tab=t.0• Coinbase: https://www.coinbase.com• Management Time: Who's Got the Monkey?: https://hbr.org/1999/11/management-time-whos-got-the-monkey• Chuck Palahniuk's quote from Fight Club: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1338270-people-don-t-listen-they-just-wait-for-their-turn-to• Patrick Collison on X: https://x.com/patrickc• Stripe: https://stripe.com• Remind: https://www.remind.com• Zach Abrams on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharyabrams• Brex: https://www.brex.com• Bridge: https://www.bridge.xyz• Superhuman's secret to success: Ignoring most customer feedback, manually onboarding every new user, obsessing over every detail, and positioning around a single attribute: speed | Rahul Vohra (CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/superhumans-secret-to-success-rahul-vohra• Zigging vs. zagging: How HubSpot built a $30B company | Dharmesh Shah (co-founder/CTO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-30-years-of-building• The Enneagram Institute: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com• How to build deeper, more robust relationships | Carole Robin (Stanford GSB professor, “Touchy Feely”): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/build-robust-relationships-carole-robin• How have I been complicit in creating the conditions I say I don't want? | Jerry Colonna (CEO of Reboot, executive coach, former VC): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jerry-colonna• How Netflix builds a culture of excellence | Elizabeth Stone (CTO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-netflix-builds-a-culture-of-excellence• What Is PeopleFirst?: https://alpineinvestors.com/story/what-is-peoplefirst• How to break out of autopilot and create the life you want | Graham Weaver (Stanford GSB professor, founder of Alpine Investors): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-break-out-of-autopilot-graham-weaver• Granola: https://www.granola.ai• KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81498621• Loom: https://www.loom.com• Joseph Campbell's quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/21396-if-you-can-see-your-path-laid-out-in-front• Wes Anderson's short films (Roald Dahl) on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/wes-anderson-netflix-short-filmsRecommended books:• Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships: https://www.amazon.com/Nonviolent-Communication-Language-Life-Changing-Relationships/dp/189200528X• The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Success: https://www.amazon.com/15-Commitments-Conscious-Leadership-Sustainable/dp/0990976904• Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life: https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Your-Life-Well-Lived-Joyful/dp/1101875321• Roald Dahl books: https://www.amazon.com/Roald-Dahl-Collection-Books-Box/dp/0241377293Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.My biggest takeaways from this conversation: To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251123dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” Luke 23:36-37 Jesus Is a King Quick! What thoughts come to your mind when you hear the word “king”? Do you think of crowns and palaces? The finest clothes and the best food? Lots of servants doing whatever the king wants them to do? I would guess that “being crucified” wasn’t at the top of your list. And yet, that is what’s happening to Jesus in the Bible verse for today. Jesus is being crucified. The charge placed on the sign above him was: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” Ironically, the charge is true. Jesus IS the King of the Jews. In fact, he’s King of all. Oh, Jesus doesn’t look much like a king as he’s hanging on the cross. But when we’re reminded of why he’s there, things become clear. Jesus is there because he wants to save us. He’s on the cross not to save himself but to save you and me. A good king will battle for his people. Well, Jesus fought the ultimate battle for you and me—the battle against sin, death, and the devil’s power. He fought that battle all the way to—and through—the cross. True, at his crucifixion, Jesus doesn’t look like a king to our eyes. But our eyes of faith see the most glorious King of all, the King who has saved us. It’s a nice way to begin Thanksgiving week, isn’t it? Prayer: Oh Jesus, what a gracious King you are! Remind me that you’ve battled for me, winning forgiveness for me, winning eternity for me, that I might live my life in the peace of knowing I’m part of your eternal kingdom. Fill me with thankfulness, O gracious King! Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20251123dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” Luke 23:36-37 Jesus Is a King Quick! What thoughts come to your mind when you hear the word “king”? Do you think of crowns and palaces? The finest clothes and the best food? Lots of servants doing whatever the king wants them to do? I would guess that “being crucified” wasn’t at the top of your list. And yet, that is what’s happening to Jesus in the Bible verse for today. Jesus is being crucified. The charge placed on the sign above him was: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” Ironically, the charge is true. Jesus IS the King of the Jews. In fact, he’s King of all. Oh, Jesus doesn’t look much like a king as he’s hanging on the cross. But when we’re reminded of why he’s there, things become clear. Jesus is there because he wants to save us. He’s on the cross not to save himself but to save you and me. A good king will battle for his people. Well, Jesus fought the ultimate battle for you and me—the battle against sin, death, and the devil’s power. He fought that battle all the way to—and through—the cross. True, at his crucifixion, Jesus doesn’t look like a king to our eyes. But our eyes of faith see the most glorious King of all, the King who has saved us. It’s a nice way to begin Thanksgiving week, isn’t it? Prayer: Oh Jesus, what a gracious King you are! Remind me that you’ve battled for me, winning forgiveness for me, winning eternity for me, that I might live my life in the peace of knowing I’m part of your eternal kingdom. Fill me with thankfulness, O gracious King! Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Many Americans do not fully know the faith-filled story behind the nation’s origins. In today's prayer and devotional, Lynette Kittle shares how long before the United States existed, a small group of Christian separatists—the Pilgrims—risked everything to worship Jesus freely and to practice their faith without fear. Their journey, grounded in prayer, Scripture, and dependence on God, laid a foundation that ultimately influenced the birth of a nation built on biblical principles. Seeking to follow Christ according to their convictions, the Pilgrims left England due to persecution and later departed Holland when secular influences threatened their children’s faith. Their bold voyage across the Atlantic in 1620 was not a pursuit of comfort but a pursuit of the freedom to worship God in truth and sincerity. America’s early identity was shaped through this legacy of faith, humility, and thanksgiving. Even before our nation was formed, colonial leaders called for days of prayer, fasting, and gratitude to God. Later, Presidents Washington, Adams, and Madison continued this practice, acknowledging that national blessings flow from the hand of Almighty God. Eventually, Thanksgiving became a national holiday through the persistence of Sarah Josepha Hale, who believed a national day of gratitude was a “pledge of Christian faith in God.” Today, the same call remains: remember what God has done, give Him thanks, and pray for America to remain anchored in His truth. Today's Bible Reading:“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done.” – Psalm 105:1 Takeaway Truths America’s earliest foundations were shaped by believers seeking freedom to worship God. Thanksgiving has deep Christian roots tied to prayer, humility, and national gratitude. God calls His people to remember His works and proclaim His faithfulness to the nations. We can pray for America to return to biblical truth and godly leadership. Let’s Pray Dear Father,We lift our voices to praise and thank You for America. We acknowledge that it was Your hand that guided the Pilgrims to a new land where they could worship Christ freely. Thank You for establishing this nation on godly principles and granting us the blessing of religious liberty. Remind us this Thanksgiving of the believers who trusted You enough to leave everything behind for the sake of Your glory. Strengthen and restore America’s spiritual foundation. Lead our nation’s leaders to return to Your Word, Your truth, and Your righteousness. Above all, thank You for the gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ—undeserved, unearned, and freely given. May our hearts remain humble and full of gratitude for all You have done. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Additional Scriptures James 4:10 Psalm 33:12 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 Psalm 105:1–5 Related Resources 7 Epic Things You Didn't Know about Pilgrims - Crosswalk.com The Christian Roots of Thanksgiving – Christianity.com More encouraging devotionals available at LifeAudio.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Solomon was the king of Israel, yet he humbled himself publicly and offered himself as a living sacrifice to the Lord. Jesus is the King of all Heaven and earth, yet He humbled Himself publicly and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us. They both praised God, gave Him glory, and prayed for themselves and their people. So, if the King of Israel, and more significantly the King of Heaven and earth, are not too important to humble themselves and offer their lives to God, we have no excuse. So, follow their example. Humble yourself and dedicate your life to the Lord. Kneel before Him and pray. Lift your hands in praise. Remind yourself of God's holiness, faithfulness, and kindness so you will have hope and faith for the future

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 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goddessmagic.substack.com/subscribe

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!Good 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)YouTube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comII Peter 3 In this final chapter, believers are urged to remember the words spoken by the prophets and the commands given through the apostles. Scoffers will arise in the last days, following their own sinful desires and questioning the promise of Christ's return. They will deliberately ignore that God once judged the world through the great flood and that He will one day judge it again, this time by fire. Peter explains that the Lord is not slow in keeping His promise but is patient, giving time for all to come to repentance. The day of the Lord will come like a thief, without warning, and the natural creation will be destroyed. Therefore, believers are called to live holy and godly lives as they look forward to the eternal home of righteousness.  As we anticipate the return of Christ, we anchor our hope in His promise, knowing that His timing is perfect. Though the world may mock or ignore the truth, we trust that God is patient and merciful, allowing more people to turn to Him. This truth shapes how we live each day. We do not cling to the temporary things of this world because we know they will pass away. The natural world will be destroyed, but God is preparing a new heaven and a new earth filled with righteousness. We strive to live holy and peaceful lives, growing in grace and truth so that when He returns, we will be found faithful and ready to dwell with Him forever.  Creator God, thank You for Your patience and mercy in giving many the time to turn to You. Help us to live with holy hearts as we await the return of Christ. Teach us to seek the truth, grow in grace, and stand firm when others doubt Your promises. Remind us that this world is not our final home and that You are preparing a new heaven and a new earth for kingdom citizens. May we remain faithful and watchful, ready to meet You. Lead us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.   Thought Questions: -       If someone is determined to pursue their own desires, how will this affect their perception of God and His promised day of judgment?   -       What truths about God, His judgment, and His return do so many people overlook? How do you stay ready for His coming? -       If everything physical will be destroyed when Christ returns, how should this impact the way you prioritize and live your daily life?

Feeling like a fraud lately? Wondering if you're really cut out for building a business? It's time to sit down with your own receipts and remember who the f*ck you are.In this episode, I read a very raw, unfiltered journal entry from back in 2019- the year I first started my business.I show you how I pep talked myself when I was struggling with self doubt.You'll discover:A 10 min journal prompt you can use to reflect on your grit, wins, and resilience.How to shift out of self-doubt by using your own lived experiences.What it really takes to win the “inner game” of entrepreneurship.Press play to rebuild your confidence in 10 minutes flat.If you enjoyed this episode- join us inside The Sanctuary. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit spirituallyambitious.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Today's shout-out goes to Dave Hassall from Palmetto, FL. Your commitment through Project23 helps deliver God's Word daily with clarity and conviction. This one's for you. Our text today is Judges 13:21-23 The angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord. And Manoah said to his wife, "We shall surely die, for we have seen God." But his wife said to him, "If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering at our hands, or shown us all these things, or now announced to us such things as these." — Judges 13:21-23 When the angel of the Lord vanished in the flame, Manoah panicked. "We're going to die—we've seen God!" That was his gut reaction: fear. But his wife had a different perspective. She saw the signs of God's grace—He accepted their offering, revealed His plan, and promised them a son. She reasoned, "If God meant to kill us, He wouldn't have done any of that." Two responses. One moment. Fear looked at the problem. Faith looked at the promises. This is our daily battle. Fear exaggerates. Faith steadies. Fear says, "This is the end." Faith says, "God isn't done yet." Fear locks onto circumstances. Faith holds onto God's character. We all have Manoah moments—panic at the unknown. A bad diagnosis. A financial setback. A broken relationship. Fear screams louder than faith. But like Manoah's wife, we need to pause and reflect on what we know to be true. God has already shown us His grace. He's already proven His faithfulness. He's already made His promises. Fear doesn't fit the facts. Don't let fear have the loudest voice in your life. Drown it out with faith in God's promises. Fear may shake you, but faith will steady you. ASK THIS: What fear is gripping me right now? What promises of God directly answer that fear? How can I rehearse God's past faithfulness when panic rises? DO THIS: When fear shows up today, don't stay silent. Speak God's truth out loud. Write down one promise from Scripture and put it where you'll see it—your desk, dashboard, or phone lock screen. Let faith talk back to fear. PRAY THIS: Lord, fear often feels louder than faith. Quiet my panic with Your promises. Remind me of what You've done and give me faith to trust what You will do. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Promises."

If you ask your son what it means to be brave, what would he say? Your son would probably answer that bravery is entering a dangerous situation or saving  someone's life– and that's true. But in this day and age when depression and suicide rates of teenage boys are at a crisis point, your son needs to know that there's another way to be brave– asking for help. Give your son small exercises in asking for help in everyday life– with his homework, with his chores, or at public places. Model getting help when you need it yourself. And when your son comes to you with a problem, be sure to listen with a nonjudgmental attitude. Remind him that even the Savior of the world– Jesus– cried out for help to his own Father. To learn about the 5 critical needs of boys, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Schoolies can feel like a runaway train of risk, pressure, and “everyone else is doing it.” But your teen does have options—ones that are safer, more meaningful, and genuinely unforgettable. In this episode, Justin and Kylie share powerful ways to reframe the end-of-Year-12 celebration, build intention, and offer your teen experiences they’ll remember for all the right reasons. From once-in-a-lifetime trips to simple, joy-filled adventures closer to home, you’ll get practical, confidence-boosting ideas you can start planning at any age. KEY POINTS Why schoolies culture isn’t a rite of passage your teen needs. How intention and values help guide safer, healthier choices. Clever alternatives that still feel exciting, independent, and celebratory. Trips with parents, extended family, or friend groups that build connection — not chaos. Affordable options, big-dream options, and ways to start planning years ahead. How to talk to kids about celebrations while honouring freedom and safety. QUOTE OF THE EPISODE “High school is done — that is worth celebrating. But celebration doesn’t have to mean chaos. It can be meaningful, memorable, and still full of freedom.” RESOURCES MENTIONED 5 Essential Conversations to Have With Your Teen Before Schoolies [Article] Get Set for Schoolies withPaul Dillon [Podcast Episode] Community & church-run schoolies alternatives Family traditions like “Sweet Sixteen Trips” ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS Start the conversation early — schoolies ideas form long before Year 12. Ask your teen what they want from an end-of-school celebration (freedom? adventure? connection?). Brainstorm alternatives that align with your family values and your teen’s personality. If planning a bigger trip, start saving as a team — years ahead if possible. Explore friend-group or community-group options to add excitement, safety, and shared memories. Remind your teen that opting out of schoolies isn’t missing out — it can be levelling up. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!Good 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)YouTube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comI Peter 5 Peter encourages the elders among the believers to shepherd God's flock willingly, not for personal gain but with eagerness and humility. They are to lead by example, knowing that when the Chief Shepherd appears, they will receive a crown of glory that will never fade. All believers are urged to clothe themselves with humility toward one another because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Peter calls them to cast all their anxieties on God because He cares for them. He warns them to be alert and of sober mind, as the devil prowls like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. They are to resist him, firm in faith. God will restore, strengthen, and establish them after they have suffered for a little while.  We are directed to live humbly, placing others above ourselves and trusting that God will lift us up in His perfect timing. As we serve in our roles, whether as church leaders or members, we must feature willing and eager hearts, not for recognition, but to honor Christ. We cast our worries on God because He genuinely cares for us. We remain alert and watchful, knowing that the enemy seeks to discourage and destroy. Yet we do not fear because our faith stands firm in Jesus Christ, our Savior. Even in suffering, we hold on to His promise to always be with us. We find comfort in knowing that God loves us and will guide us safely to eternal glory.  Gracious God, thank You for establishing our faithful Shepherd, who loves us so deeply. Help us walk in humility and trust in Your timing for all things. Be with our leaders, who shepherd voluntarily, not seeking their own gain, but bringing honor to Your name. Remind us to cast all our burdens on You, knowing You care for every detail of our lives. Keep us alert and strong in faith when the enemy tries to instill fear or doubt. Strengthen us through every trial and help us keep our eyes set on the return of Jesus and the glory to come.   Thought Questions: -       What is God's exhortation to the elders of local churches? How can you help them do their work well in the Chief Shepherd's honor? -       What does it mean to “clothe yourself with humility”? Why is a humble spirit so crucial to fighting the efforts of Satan? -       Is it possible to face suffering as a result of resisting the devil? What has God promised you after you have suffered a little while?

If your tween or teen feels stuck, scared of failure, or glued to their screen, this episode will change everything. Education innovator Chris Balme reveals why adolescence is the second great brain-growth window — and why kids today desperately need more real-world challenges, not more protection. A powerful, hopeful conversation about autonomy, resilience, and helping young people feel big, brave, and capable again. KEY POINTS Why ages 11–16 are a critical “second toddlerhood” of brain growth How autonomy builds confidence (and why modern kids get too little) The danger of overprotection and structured everything What a good challenge looks like vs. a stress-inducing one How to help risk-averse teens stretch themselves — without forcing Why peers, not parents, are the secret to motivation Real examples of challenges that transformed kids QUOTE OF THE EPISODE “When we don’t trust our adolescents, they stop trusting us.” — Chris Balme RESOURCES MENTIONED Challenge Accepted by Chris Balme Argonaut: Online advisory program for middle schoolers Millennium School + Hakuba International School ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS Fuel autonomy: Let your tween choose a meaningful challenge this week. Enlist peers: Hook them in through a friend, not parental pressure. Normalise failure: Remind them adolescence is the best time to mess up safely. Reduce overprotection: Give back small freedoms — walking, biking, exploring. Model vulnerability: Share your own unfinished, imperfect self. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sports Daily Full Show 17 November 2025

“She's the most beautiful girl in town. That makes her the best, and don't I deserve the best?” Remember that line from Gaston in Beauty and the Beast? It probably doesn't register as disrespectful with kids, but it certainly is. In this episode of the All Pro Dad Podcast, host Ted Lowe is joined by BJ Foster and Bobby Lewis to talk about how to raise sons to respect women.Why This Matters·       Boys have mothers and sisters, who are worthy of respect.·       Boys will date girls, who are worthy of respect.·       Boys may one day have wives, who will be worthy of respect.If you're wondering what do to teach your sons about respecting women, you're not alone. Start here:1. Point out problematic phrases directed at women:Objectifying, controlling, and sexualized language is not respectful.  2. Listen to girls/women:  When a girl says “____,” respect her wishes. No means no.3. Set a standard:Model respect with the women you interact with. Show respect with your words, actions, and entertainment decisions. Your sons will see that. 4. Follow the standard, not the crowd:Remind kids that they don't have to go along with what other boys accept, popularize, or glamorize about women.   Important Episode Timestamps 00:00 – 01:20 | Hidden Messages Are Everywhere01:20 – 02:43 | Teaching Kids to See Value Beyond Looks02:43 – 04:42 | Reducing People to Appearances04:42 – 08:09 | Respect Starts at Home08:09 – 09:47 | A Friend's Dating Frustration09:47 – 12:18 | Boys, Teasing, and Early Lessons in Respect12:18 – 15:25 | Is Respect Instinctive or Taught?15:25 – 17:33 | Setting Boundaries for Sons17:33 – 20:21 | Listen When Women Speak20:21 – End | Raising Sons Who Honor Future WivesAPD Pro Move:Challenge your son(s) to talk to a girl he knows and ask her if she feels respected by boys. Encourage him to listen and respond kindly.Listen Again:Episode 99 – Should Dads Be Worried About the Manosphere?4 Boy Stereotypes to Dispel For Your Son5 Ways toWe love feedback, but can't reply without your email address. Message us your thoughts and contact info!Connect with Us: Ted Lowe on LinkedIn Bobby Lewis on LinkedIn BJ Foster on LinkedIn Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Get All Pro Dad merch! EXTRAS: Follow us: Instagram | Facebook | X (Twitter)Join 200,000+ other dads by subscribing to the All Pro Dad Play of the Day. Get daily fatherhood ideas, insight, and inspiration straight to your inbox.This episode's blog can also be viewed here on AllProDad.com. Like the All Pro Dad gear and mugs? Get your own in the All Pro Dad store.Get great content for moms at iMOM.com

Max Kringen from TellWell Story Co. shows listeners how to use story in their job interview process to stand out from a sea of candidates and make authentic connection. As Simon Simek suggests, start with why. Your why is your differentiator. The how is probably similar to other applicants and the organization will want you to buy into their how. For job seekers to set themselves apart: have stories that align with the point you're making. People remember how they feel more than they will remember stats. Use narrative transportation to help make connection. This sounds like, “do you remember when…”And when asked the inevitable…Tell me about yourself. Get real. Start by sharing something not included in your resume or application materials. Be authentic. It could include the first time you realized this mission or organization was important. It may be the heartbeat of your professional life or the moral conviction that drives your work. The interview process allows many opportunities to build trust. Use the Trust Framework to develop a strong rapport with the hiring team:Introduce: where curiosity is sparked, each party thinks, “there may be something here for me”Educate: build reliability; articulate your skills and experience that align with the job at handEngage: call to action; ask the interviewer for the opportunity to address any beige or red flags they see in your candidacy; Remind: this one is simple but often overlooked, remind people that you love them, if you're grateful for the opportunity to interview, share it with the hiring teamLooking beyond the job search, we hear from Max where the nonprofit industry is headed. With attention spans getting shorter and shorter, it's not about getting louder and louder: Cut the jargon because clarity is kindness. Do NOT copy and paste out of AI. **Genuine human connection is going to win.**The nonprofit sector needs to approach communication with our boards, supporters, beneficiaries and the public at-large aiming to create community and connection. We can apply this same approach in the interview process, lead with authenticity with the goal of making connection.TellWell Story Co. is a creative studio that helps nonprofits tell more human stories that build trust through film design and web experiences. ABOUT OUR GUESTMax Kringen is the Founder and Chief Storyteller at Tellwell Story Co., a creative studio based in Fargo, North Dakota, that partners with mission-driven organizations to craft human-first stories that don't just inspire—they drive action. With a decade of experience helping nonprofits, higher education institutions, and community-based businesses share their stories, Max has become a trusted guide for organizations seeking authentic connection in a noisy world.

In this deeply supportive session, Christine coaches Kelly, who is learning to open her heart to healthy love after leaving a toxic marriage. Kelly recently met someone kind and emotionally available—but her nervous system keeps sending mixed signals, leaving her wondering whether it's intuition or fear. Christine helps her understand how the body stores memories of past trauma, how to distinguish real red flags from old triggers, and how to gently retrain the nervous system to feel safe in love again. Together, they explore what integration looks like after healing work—when awareness turns into embodiment. If you've ever questioned your body's signals, struggled to trust love again, or feared repeating old patterns, this conversation will bring deep clarity and compassion. Consider / Ask Yourself: Do you mistake fear for intuition—or intuition for fear? Have past painful relationships made it hard to feel safe in love? Are you waiting to be "fully healed" before allowing intimacy in? How do you respond when someone truly shows up for you? Key Insights and A-HAs: The nervous system often reacts to memories, not the present moment. Fear can mean danger—or it can mean expansion. Integration is the bridge between awareness and embodiment. Healing doesn't mean fear disappears; it means you relate to it differently. Safe love can still feel unfamiliar—and that's okay. How to Deepen the Work: Journal about how your body reacts when someone is kind, consistent, or loving. Write down red flags from past relationships to clarify what's truly unsafe. Practice "titration": letting love in slowly, without judgment. Notice when your nervous system feels unsettled and speak to it with compassion. Remind yourself: you can feel fear and stay open to love. Sponsor: Cured Nutrition Need more energy and focus without the crash? Christine recommends Flow Gummies by Cured Nutrition—made with Lion's Mane, green coffee extract, and ginkgo for clean, sustained energy. No jitters, no afternoon crash, and no sleepless nights. Get 20% off when you subscribe at curednutrition.com/overit with code OVERIT. Upcoming Program: Christine's new Emerge Program is now open! This 3-month embodiment experience is for anyone who's done the inner work but still feels "stuck." You'll integrate your growth through body-based tools, live coaching, and lifelong access to all materials. Join or catch up anytime at christinehassler.com/emerge2025.   Social Media + Resources: Christine Hassler — Take a Coaching Assessment Christine Hassler Podcasts Including Coaches Corner Christine on Facebook Expectation Hangover by Christine Hassler @ChristineHassler on Twitter @ChristineHassler on Instagram @SacredUnionCouples on Instagram Email: jill@christinehassler.com — For information on any of my services! Get on the waitlist to be coached on the show! Get on the list to be notified about the upcoming certification program for coaches.

Hart and Fitzy react to comments made by Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye regarding the team's commitment and accountability, and they compare the culture of the 2025 team to that of the 2004 and 2014 teams.

Episode 429: The December Retention Crisis: Keeping Students Through the Holidays Podcast Description It's mid-November, and you can feel it coming. Families are getting busier. Attendance is starting to drop. Parents are distracted. And you know what's around the corner—the December retention crisis. Every year, it's the same story. December hits, families disappear, and then January rolls around and half of them don't come back. But it doesn't have to be that way. In this timely episode, Duane and Allie break down exactly how to keep your students engaged, motivated, and committed through the holidays—and how to set yourself up so January isn't a rebuild month. Duane and Allie cover: Why December is so dangerous for retention (and what's really happening) Early warning signs to identify at-risk families before they disappear Proactive retention strategies you can implement right now How to handle the "break" conversation when parents ask to pause Setting up January success in December (pre-selling enrollment, reconnecting with former students) Common mistakes to avoid (and what to do instead) Whether you've been in business for 30+ years like Duane and Allie (combined 60 years of martial arts experience!) or you're newer to school ownership, this episode will give you a clear action plan to finish 2025 strong and start 2026 even stronger. The work you do in November and December determines your January numbers. Don't wait—start now. Key Takeaways 1. December Is a Retention Battleground—Not a Throw-Away Month Families are overwhelmed with school concerts, holiday parties, family travel, shopping, cooking, and hosting. Kids are exhausted from end-of-semester exams, school projects, and holiday events. Parents mentally check out, thinking, "We'll get back to normal in January." The hidden danger: Families who skip 2-3 weeks in December often don't return in January. They were already on the fence—the holidays just gave them permission to quit. The mindset shift: December isn't a "throw-away month." The work you do in November and December determines your January numbers. 2. People Are Creatures of Habit—Don't Let Them Break the Training Habit Allie's "drink analogy": When the refrigerator at his school is full, people constantly buy drinks. The minute it goes empty for a few days, people go to 7-Eleven instead and form a new habit. When he refills the fridge, drink sales drop to zero—he has to ramp them back up again. The lesson: The longer you're closed (or the longer students skip class), the harder it is to get them back into the habit of training. 3. Identify At-Risk Families Early—Don't Wait Until January Red flags to watch for: Attendance drops in November (coming 1x/week instead of 2-3x) Parents stop engaging (no eye contact, quick drop-offs, don't respond to texts) Students seem disengaged (low energy, not participating, sitting out) Families mention "busy schedules" repeatedly They ask about "pausing" or "taking a break" Billing issues (failed payments, late payments, asking about payment plans) Action step: This week, make a list of your at-risk families. Don't wait until they're gone. 4. Overcommunicate in November—Set Expectations for December Send a "Holiday Schedule & Expectations" email or letter in mid-November. Set the expectation: "We know the holidays are busy, but staying consistent is key to your child's progress." Remind families: "Students who train through December start January ahead of the game." Duane's multi-channel approach: Create a video about the holiday schedule and expectations. Post it on YouTube, Facebook, your parent group, send a push notification through the app with the link, and send an email. Get that information out so everybody knows. 5. Create December Incentives to Drive Attendance Perfect Attendance Challenge: Students who attend all December classes (or 80%+ of cl...

By Adam Turteltaub There are few parts of an investigation that are more stressful than the interview with the investigation's subject.  Done right it can close all the loops.  Done wrong, everything can unravel. To learn how to handle things best we turn in the second of our two podcasts on investigations to Wendy Evans, Senior Corporate Ethics Investigator, Lockheed Martin and Georgina Heasman, Senior Manager, Global Investigations at Booking Holdings.  The two of them are the co-authors of our new book Fundamentals of Investigations:  A Practical Guide  and lead our Fundamentals of Compliance Investigations Workshop. In this podcast they offer a host of great insights including: While it's generally best to interview the subject last, there are times, such as in cases of alleged harassment or data theft, where you likely will need to sit down for a preliminary interview sooner Be sure to get a read on the subject and be respectful of the stress that they are under, including giving them psychological space before asking tough questions Clarify your role in the process as a collector of facts and that you have not already decided that they are guilty Invite them to share their perspective both in the interview and, if other things come to mind, afterwards Remind them of the confidentiality of the process and the need to focus on the allegation, not who made it Listen in to learn more, and be sure to investigate their book Fundamentals of Investigations:  A Practical Guide  and the Fundamentals of Compliance Investigations Workshop.

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!Good 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)YouTube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comJames 4 Conflicts and quarrels often arise from inner desires that are not submitted to God. People want things but do not ask God or ask with selfish motives. None of this pleases the Father. Friendship with the world also opposes God because it leads the heart away from Him. Yet, God continues to offer His grace. He calls people to humility, urging them to submit to Him, resist the devil, and draw near. Cleansed hands and purified hearts are part of true repentance. Speaking evil against others and judging them is discouraged, for only God is the true lawgiver and judge. People are reminded not to boast about tomorrow since life is uncertain. Instead, they should seek God's will and do what is right, knowing that obedience brings honor to Him.  We often find ourselves in conflict because we pursue our own desires instead of seeking God. We desire things for selfish reasons and forget to ask with humble hearts. When we choose worldly values over God's ways, we create a distance between ourselves and Him. Yet, He offers grace for those who see their need for Him.  But we must take seriously our sin and approach him with absolute humility. We are instructed to purify our hearts and turn from pride. We must not speak against others or judge them harshly. Our lives are short, and we do not control tomorrow. Rather than boasting, we should seek God's will and act on what we know is right, honoring Him in everything.  Holy God, You see our hearts and know our desires. Help us lay down selfish ambition and seek Your will above our own. Teach us to be humble, to draw near to You, and to trust that You will lift us up at the right time. Cleanse our hearts of pride and guide our steps away from envy and strife. Remind us that life is short and each day is a gift from You. May we speak with grace, live with purpose, and live within your divine will. Let our plans be shaped by Your wisdom and directed by Your hand.  Thought Questions: How are lust, envy, and poor motives most often tied to self-centeredness? What helps you think selflessly and focus on God and holy things? What will God do if you submit to Him, draw near to Him, and be humble before Him? How would you advise someone to start doing this? “Do not speak against one another, brethren.” Is God serious about that? How should we treat each other if life is short and days are uncertain?

Did you know there's MAGIC in your Meditation Practice? Say Goodbye to Anxiety and Hello to More Peace & More Prosperity! Here Are the 5 Secrets on How to Unleash Your Meditation Magic https://womensmeditationnetwork.com/5secrets Join Premium! Ready for an ad-free meditation experience? Join Premium now and get every episode from ALL of our podcasts completely ad-free now! Just a few clicks makes it easy for you to listen on your favorite podcast player. Become a PREMIUM member today by going to --> https://WomensMeditationNetwork.com/premium Steady in your heart, Clear in your mind.  This is where you start, To live a life designed. PAUSE Breathe, Breathe, All the way in. Relax into the flow.  Softly, Slowly, Let breath begin, Remind you what you know.  PAUSE Your mind sets fire, Calling for you, With fears, stresses and tasks. See if you can notice, They're separate from you, Say no to what they ask.  Join our Premium Sleep for Women Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Sleep podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here --> https://bit.ly/sleepforwomen Join our Premium Meditation for Kids Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Kids podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here → https://bit.ly/meditationforkidsapple Hey, I'm so glad you're taking the time to be with us today. My team and I are dedicated to making sure you have all the meditations you need throughout all the seasons of your life. If there's a meditation you desire, but can't find, email us at Katie Krimitsos to make a request. We'd love to create what you want! Namaste, Beautiful,

  “When I was Leader of the Opposition in the UK and some time out from an election which we were expected to win, I visited President Clinton at the White House. As we began our set of meetings, he said: “Remind me to tell you something really important before you leave.”  I was greatly taken with this and assumed I was about to have some huge secret of state imparted to me.  As I was leaving, I reminded him. He looked at me very solemnly and said, “Whoever runs your schedule is the most important person in your world as a Leader. You need time to think, time to study and time to get the things done you came to leadership to do. Lose control of the schedule and you will fail.”  I confess I was a little underwhelmed at the time. But he was right.”   That's an extract from former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's book. On Leadership: Lessons for the 21st Century. And it's perfect for the theme of this week's episode—finding time to do the important things.  Links: Email Me | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Linkedin Join the Time And Life Mastery Programme here. Use the coupon code: codisgreat to get 50% off. Get Your Copy Of Your Time, Your Way: Time Well Managed, Life Well Lived The Time Sector System 5th Year Anniversary The Working With… Weekly Newsletter Carl Pullein Learning Centre Carl's YouTube Channel Carl Pullein Coaching Programmes Subscribe to my Substack  The Working With… Podcast Previous episodes page Script | 392 Hello, and welcome to episode 392 of the Your Time, Your Way Podcast. A podcast to answer all your questions about productivity, time management, self-development, and goal planning. My name is Carl Pullein, and I am your host of this show.  It's nice when our systems work. We follow our plans for the day and the week, and when we arrive at the end of the week and look back, 80% or more of what we set out to accomplish is crossed off. Unfortunately, those weeks are rare—even for the most productive of people. There are far too many unknowns that will pop up each day and week for us to consistently get what we plan to do, when we plan to do it, done.  But that doesn't mean that productivity systems are a waste of time. They are not. A solid productivity system keeps you focused on what's important to you and gives you a way to prioritise what matters most.  And it doesn't matter where you are in life. You might be nearing retirement and in the early stages of preparing your business for sale, or you could be starting out on a university graduate programme.  There will always be things to do, some important, some less so. The key is to remain consistent with your system so you know each week, you are nudging the right things forward, even if you're not getting everything done.  And that leads me to this week's question, AND… The Mystery Podcast Voice is back! So, let me hand you over to the Mystery Podcast Voice for this week's question.  This week's question comes from Serena. Serena asks, Hi Carl, I have implemented productivity systems to keep me on track with my academics as a graduate student, and they have worked well when I consistently followed the steps. The problem is that when I get stressed out, I fall behind on deadlines. When the weekends come, I just want to decompress and do nothing. What can I do to get back on track with the system and continue to practice good personal productivity practices? Hi Serena, thank you for your question.  When I was at university, we had four core subjects each semester. It was on these that we would be expected to write essays and be examined on at the end of the academic year.  This is nice because from an organisational standpoint, class times will be predefined for you. They would go onto your calendar. These become your weekly commitments.  And while you may not know the deadlines for the essays at the start of the semester, you will know roughly when they will be due. That would be the same with your exams; you may not know the precise date of the exams at the start of the academic year, but you will know roughly when they will be held.  This is often the same for many of you in the workplace. You may know which quarter a project deadline falls in, but you may not know exactly which date the deadline will be.  One thing you do know, though, is that there is a deadline. Now, whatever we are working on we all have four limitations to deal with. Time itself, there's only 168 hours each week. The fact that you can only work on one thing at a time, our emotions—sometimes we're just not “in the mood” —and, as humans, we get tired and need to take a break.  There's nothing we can do about these four limitations.  You can “optimise” the human things though, ensuring you get sufficient sleep being the obvious one, and becoming as stoical as you can be in any given emotional situation (a lot easier said than done)  Given that one of the “fixed” limitations is time itself, the first place to lock down is your calendar. As you will likely know when your lectures will be, the area where your calendar becomes powerful is locking down your personal study times.  For example, if you have a two hour lecture on a Monday morning, and a second two hour lecture in the afternoon, there's going to be a gap somewhere in the day that will give you an hour or two “free”.  My wife's currently back at university, and on Wednesdays she has a lecture from 9:10 am to 11:00am. Her next lecture begins at 4:00 pm and runs until 5:50 pm. For her, Wednesdays are her study and homework days.  There's a five hour gap between lectures and so she can go somewhere quiet and study for the next test (they love tests at my wife's university)  She calls Wednesday her study day. She'll often do another two hours of studying after dinner on a Wednesday too.  This goes to something called “theming”. Theming given days for specific activities.  We all do this to a certain degree. For many of you, Monday to Friday are work days and weekends are rest days. But you can go further.  I do this with my week. Monday and Tuesday are writing days, Wednesday is audio/visual day, and Saturday mornings are my planning and admin mornings.  This does not mean all I do on those days is write or record videos and podcasts; it means that the bulk of what I do on those days is in line with that day's theme.  This goes back to the limitation of being able to do only one thing at a time. However, if you know that on a Tuesday you will study a particular subject, the only decision you will need to make is what you will study. This means you avoid being overwhelmed by choice.  It's Tuesday, so it's anatomy day. That's your theme, you study anatomy, for example. Now, if you find yourself falling behind, there are a number of things you can do. The most effectively one is to stop. Grab a piece of paper, a pen or pencil, and a highlighter, and write down everything you have fallen behind on.  Use the highlighter to highlight the most important items and start with them.  Then open your calendar and protect time for doing that work. Remember, you can only work on one thing at a time, so pick one and start. It's surprising that once you make a start on something, anything, how the anxiety and stress begin to fall away.  Many of my coaching clients have found that going back to their calendars and blocking two or three hours in the evening or on weekends to “catch up” also relieves stress and anxiety.  I know not taking work home with you is something many people strictly adhere to, but if not taking work home with you is causing untold amounts of stress and anxiety, leaving you with poor-quality sleep and emotions all over the place, perhaps that strict rule may be more damaging to your long-term health, than sacrificing two or three hours on a weekend to catch-up. The thing is, you don't have to do this every night or every weekend. It only comes into play when you identify a backlog or you feel you are seriously behind with something.  What you will find is the decision to work on something at a particular time, instantly takes the pressure off you. (Of course, you do need to carry through with your commitment to yourself to do the work at the time you set). Another thing you can do with your calendar is to reserve some time each week as “catch up” time. Personally, I do this on a Saturday morning. The house is quiet and I have complete control over what I do at that time.  You don't need to do this Saturday mornings. Many people I work with block Friday afternoons to catch up on work they are behind on, their communications, and admin. Of course this will depend on your lecture times.  If you have lectures on a Friday afternoon, there's likely to be another day in the week when you have a block of time you could designate as your catch-up time.  It's this “catch-up” time that gives you the peace of mind knowing that you have time at some point in the week to catch up.  The benefit of having these blocks of time for study, research, and catching up is that you start the week knowing you have enough time, and all you need to do is respect your calendar.  Now, I know that if you haven't used your calendar as your primary productivity tool before and rarely use it to plan your day, it's going to be challenging to develop the habit initially. All positive habits are difficult at first. You have to focus on it, and it's easy to forget. However, there are two ways to build this habit.  The first is to set aside five to ten minutes at the end of the day to open your calendar and look at what you are committed to the next day. Then mentally plot out when you will do what needs to be done.  The second is to do it in the morning; however, I've found the most effective way (and the least stress-inducing) is to do it before you end your day.  As an aside, talking to a couple of my longer-term clients recently, they both mentioned that the best thing they ever did was to set aside five to ten minutes after dinner to plan the next day. Both have recently switched to paper notebooks, and each new page marks a new day.  At the top of the daily page, they write out the two or three most important tasks for the day. Underneath, they capture notes from the day and when they do the daily planning, they transfer any important information or commitments into their digital system.  It's simple and an A5 notebook is small and non-intusive. So there you go, Serena, be aware that the limiting factor involved in maintaining your productivity system is time itself. How will you allocate what needs to be done over the 168 hours you have each week? Be clear about when you will do what needs to be done, and try to protect some catch-up time each week.  Thank you for your question and thank you for listening too.  It just remains for me now to wish you all a very, very productive week.   

Love is the defining mark of a true follower of Christ — not just spoken love, but love that shows up in compassion, sacrifice, and everyday acts of care. In this touching daily prayer and devotional, Rachael Adams, host of The Love Offering, recalls the powerful example of love she witnessed while caring for her mother during a difficult hospital stay. Amid pain and uncertainty, she found beauty in the kindness exchanged between patients, families, and caregivers — living proof that love can flourish even in hardship. Jesus knew we would need each other. That’s why He gave His disciples this new command: to love one another as He has loved us. The early church lived this out so faithfully that they were recognized by outsiders for their radical generosity and unity (Acts 4:32–34). Their love wasn’t theoretical — it was tangible, visible, and transformative. When we choose to love others with that same self-giving, Christlike love, the world takes notice. Love is what sets us apart and points others to Jesus. Whether it’s a word of encouragement, an act of service, or simply showing up for someone in pain, every gesture of love testifies to the Gospel. The world is full of hurting hearts — people longing to know that someone cares. As followers of Christ, we have the privilege and calling to meet them with compassion, grace, and generosity. Love isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it — because through love, others see Him. Today's Bible Reading:“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:34–35

Friday, November 7th, 2025Today, Sandwich Guy was unanimously acquitted by the jury in DC; Judge Ellis issued a preliminary injunction against ICE and CBP in Chicago finding the government's version of events isn't credible and that Bovino lied; the Border Patrol agent in Chicago who shot Marimar Martinez in Chicago is caught bragging about it in text messages; Nancy Pelosi announces her retirement from Congress; an appeals court gave Texas the go-ahead to enforce an anti-drag law; the Epstein Files are worse for Trump than previously known; the Supreme Court uses the emergency docket to allow Trump's anti-trans passport policy to remain in effect during the pendency of litigation; a federal judge finds the Trump administration defied his court order and requires Trump to pay November SNAP benefits in full by close of business today; and Allison delivers your Good News.Thank You, CoyuchiGet 20% off your first order when you visit Coyuchi.com/dailybeansGuest: John FugelsangTell Me Everything - John Fugelsang, The John Fugelsang Podcast, John Fugelsang - Substack, @johnfugelsang.bsky.social - Bluesky, @JohnFugelsang -TwitterSeparation of Church and Hate by John Fugelsang - OUT NOW!Upcoming Live Dates - Separation of Church & Hate book tour NOV 12 - Union StageStoriesSupreme Court majority lets Trump administration enforce new gender policy for passports | MSNBCAppeals court lets Texas enforce law aimed at drag shows | POLITICOJudge Orders Trump Administration to Fully Fund SNAP Benefits This Month | The New York TimesJudge grants preliminary injunction against Bovino, federal agents over use of force: "Shocks the conscience" | CBS ChicagoDOJ Admits to Republicans That Epstein Files Are Even Worse for Trump | The New RepublicBorder patrol agent who shot Chicago woman boasted about it in text messages | ReutersNancy Pelosi Announces Retirement From Congress in 2027 | The New York TimesJury acquits D.C. 'sandwich guy' charged with chucking a sub at a federal agent | NBC NewsGood TroubleIf your Representative or Senator is a Democrat, call them to thank them for continuing to work during the shutdown.If you have a Republican Representative, call to let them know that they ought to be working AND Speaker Johnson needs to swear in Rep-elect Adelita Grijalva.If your Senators are Republicans, call them to let them know that you agree with Donald Trump; they have the power to open the government. Either negotiate with the Dems or nuke the filibuster. Remind them that this shutdown is their choice.**Find Your Representative | house.gov, Contacting U.S. Senators**Group Directory - The Visibility Brigade: Resistance is Possible**Vote Yes 836 - Oklahoma is gathering signatures**How to Organize a Bearing Witness Standout**Indiana teacher snitch portal - Eyes on Education**Find Your Representative | house.gov, Contacting U.S. SenatorsFrom The Good Newsnhmarf.orgMutual Aid HubICE Out of LARose Haven - OregonDana Goldberg Outrageous Tour - November 14th ChicagoOur Donation LinksNational Security Counselors - Donate, MSW Media, Blue Wave CA Victory Fund | ActBlue, WhistleblowerAid.org/beansFederal workers - email AG at fedoath@pm.me and let me know what you're going to do, or just vent. I'm always here to listen. Find Upcoming Actions 50501 Movement, No Kings.org, Indivisible.orgDr. Allison Gill - Substack, BlueSky , TikTok, IG, TwitterDana Goldberg - The 2025 Out100, BlueSky, Twitter, IG, facebook, danagoldberg.comMore from MSW Media - Shows - MSW Media, Cleanup On Aisle 45 pod, The Breakdown | SubstackReminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Our Donation LinksNational Security Counselors - DonateMSW Media, Blue Wave California Victory Fund | ActBlueWhistleblowerAid.org/beansFederal workers - feel free to email AG at fedoath@pm.me and let me know what you're going to do, or just vent. I'm always here to listen. Find Upcoming Actions 50501 Movement, No Kings.org, Indivisible.orgDr. Allison Gill - Substack, BlueSky , TikTok, IG, TwitterDana Goldberg - BlueSky, Twitter, IG, facebook, danagoldberg.comCheck out more from MSW Media - Shows - MSW Media, Cleanup On Aisle 45 pod, The Breakdown | SubstackShare your Good News or Good TroubleMSW Good News and Good TroubleHave some good news; a confession; or a correction to share?Good News & Confessions - The Daily Beanshttps://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/ Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:The Daily Beans on Apple PodcastsWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?The Daily Beans | SupercastThe Daily Beans & Mueller, She Wrote | PatreonThe Daily Beans | Apple Podcasts Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!Good 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)YouTube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comHebrews 12Believers are called to run the race of faith with endurance, keeping their eyes on Jesus, who endured the cross and is now exalted. His example provides strength during trials. God disciplines His children to shape their character and lead them into holiness. Although painful at the moment, His discipline produces peace and righteousness. The chapter urges believers to strengthen those who are weary, pursue peace, and live in holiness. They are cautioned not to be like Esau, who gave up his birthright for temporary gain. A contrast is drawn between Mount Sinai, marked by fear, and Mount Zion, where believers come to a joyful gathering with angels, the redeemed, and God. Since they are receiving an unshakable kingdom, they must worship God with reverence, for He is a consuming fire. We are running a race that requires endurance, and we are not alone. Others have gone before us, and Jesus leads the way. He faced the cross, suffered with purpose, and is now seated in glory. When we go through hardship, it is not punishment but loving discipline from God. He is shaping us, teaching us, and helping us grow. His discipline may be difficult, but it brings peace and righteousness in the end. We must encourage those who are weak, pursue peace with everyone, and live holy lives. We are not standing in fear like those at Mount Sinai. We have come to something greater, a heavenly kingdom. Let us worship God with reverence, for He is holy and present. Holy Father, thank You for Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. He endured the cross, faced shame, and now sits at Your right hand in glory. We will fix our eyes on Him when we grow tired or discouraged. Teach us to see Your discipline as love, shaping us into who You have called us to be. Strengthen us to walk in peace and holiness. May we never exchange Your promises for temporary comfort. Remind us that we belong to a kingdom that cannot be shaken, preserved by the blood of the new covenant in Jesus' name.  Thought Questions: What does it mean for you to have your eyes fixed on Jesus? How does He help you see that discipline is a part of honoring the Father? Is it important for Christians to feel cared for and supported? How do you regularly go about strengthening the weak among God's people? You have come to Mount Zion. What do you see, by faith, upon that mountain? And how does this view motivate reverence for God?

Show yourself real self-kindness in less than 10 minutes with this self-compassion break guided by psychologist Kristin Neff.How To Do This Practice: Identify what's hard right now: Bring to mind a real situation that's causing you stress, sadness, or self-criticism, something that's currently difficult. It could be a mistake, a relationship challenge, or a feeling of not being enough. Acknowledge your pain: Notice what's happening inside you without judgment. Gently name it: “This is hard,” or “I'm really struggling right now.” Remember you're not alone: Remind yourself that struggle is part of being human. Say something like: “Others feel this way too,” or “It's normal to have moments like this.” Offer yourself kindness: Bring warmth to the part of you that's hurting. You might place a hand over your heart, hold your face gently, or clasp your hands. Physical touch helps calm the nervous system and signals care. Speak supportive words to yourself: Say something to yourself that you'd say to a good friend in the same situation like, “I'm here for you.” “It's okay to be imperfect.” “You're doing the best you can.” Let the compassion sink in: Take a few slow breaths. Feel your body softening. Notice any sense of calm, warmth, or ease that arises, even if it's subtle. You can return to this practice anytime you feel overwhelmed or self-critical. Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.Today's Happiness Break Guide:Dr. Kristin Neff is an associate professor in the University of Texas at Austin's department of educational psychology. She's also the co-author of 'Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout,' which offers tools to help individuals heal and recharge from burnout.Related Happiness Break episodes:The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/y4ze59h8A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/485y3b4yTap into the Joy That Surrounds You: https://tinyurl.com/2pb8ye9xRelated Science of Happiness episodes:How to Stick to Your Resolutions in 2024: https://tinyurl.com/mub9z9z4How Holding Yourself Can Reduce Stress: https://tinyurl.com/2hvhkwe6Why We Need Friends With Shared Interests: https://tinyurl.com/bp8msacjWe'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/3eep76z6