Podcasts about Satisfied

Quaranteam - Dave In Dallas: Part 5 Celebration: Some happy moments to cling to. Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. October 5th, 2020. Dave and Liv spent the morning getting lumber and gate hardware. Other changes would take much longer to plan, and would need professionals to implement, but today they were putting in a gate between the backyards to facilitate caring for the chickens. And give more play space for Esme and Roscoe. He'd made no move to threaten the chickens. It took over an hour to tear out the boards from the section that would be a gate by the end of the day. Dave worked from Lupie's yard, while Liv worked from Dave's. Both were being careful to preserve the boards that were still in good condition. Those could be reused. If not today, then for another project. As they each pulled boards from the fences, Dave gained a view of Liv as she worked. Granted, he'd seen her working in the yard, or building things before. But back then, she was the young girl he helped guide to adulthood. Now, she was the young beauty that shared his bed in addition to his life. And god was she beautiful. He'd only appreciated her looks in an esoteric sense previously. 'Why yes, Livy is a lovely young lady' in response to another's comment or question. Things had changed. Knowing she'd be fence-building today, Liv had worn a sturdy bra that could keep her; assets from flopping all over the place. But pulling nails and tugging boards loose still had them moving under her denim shirt like two quarreling kittens. Her ass filled the seat of her jeans just right too; not a bubble butt, just nicely curved. Thank God she wore work jeans and not skinny jeans. Dave had enough blood in the wrong place without her jeans clinging to the silhouette of her legs. Man had to get some work done. They'd removed the pickets, trimmed the rails and the kickboard when Dave heard the sliding door. "It's lunch time you two," Lupie called out. "Knock off for a bit. Come in and get a sandwich and a drink." Dave brushed most of the saw dust off as he walked to the house. He kissed Lupie when he got to the door. Lupie returned it, but when he moved to press himself against her, she shoved him away. "Not 'til you've had a shower mister," she demanded. He chuckled. "Yes, dear." She just laughed. Melanie joined them. Her footfalls stopped, briefly, right behind him. Lupie and Liv looked at each other with knowing looks, but he didn't ask them or Mel why. She did have a quick, quiet conversation with Liv and Lupie as Dave headed out to finish. It was a short conversation as Olivia was not far behind. The next few hours were more physically demanding than the morning as Dave and Olivia dug new postholes, mixed cement, then filled the holes and placed the posts. Even so, the hardest part was adjusting the guidelines keeping the posts vertical until the cement set. Constantly adjusting the lengths of each line until the level red true seemed to take more time than all the other work. Now they had to give the cement at least a day to set before hanging the gate. Dave and Olivia secured their tools and left the work area neat before heading in. As Dave pulled back the sliding glass door he was tackled by a mass of flesh that he could tell by feel was female. Well, the only other bodies in the house were ladies, so that helped too. She was also very excited. A flash of red hair as kisses rained on him helped him identify Melanie as his enthusiastic paramour. He had to back pedal a few steps to keep the two of them from falling to the deck. "Get a room, ya slut," Olivia laughed. Melanie finally came up for air. "I don't need a room. Just this hot, sweaty man." She planted her lips firmly on Dave's as her hands sought out the hem of his shirt. She yanked it over his head swiftly, barely pausing her lips in their quest for more Dave. "Seriously? We're doing this right here?" Dave inquired. Mel nodded as she got her hands on Dave's belt. "The Esme rule," Liv interjected. "This isn't the couch." Liv laughed and rolled her eyes. "Lawyers and coders, always looking for the loophole. I think Esme's in the library studying. I'll make sure she stays there for a bit." She pulled the curtain closed after the glass door. Mel slowed her kissing, and moved from Dave's face to his shoulders as she unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his jeans. She took care to kiss every curve of his modestly defined shoulder muscles. No, more like savored. Dave decided to start evening the score, and grabbed her t-shirt; one of his actually, with the logo "University of Mars"; and pulled it over her head. It made her pause and grin, but barely slowed her progressive kissing down his body and getting his jeans and boxers down to his knees. Mel immediately took him in her mouth, working him to full erection quickly before plunging her head up and down. Satisfied he was at maximum stiffness, she straddled him while pulling the gusset of her shorts and panties aside revealing her already wet slit, her labia flowering outward in readiness. Mel sank herself on to Dave in one motion, letting out a grunt as he filled her. She opened her eyes and lowered her torso to his, kissing fervently as she rocked her hips up and down and rubbing her tits along his chest. Both of them found this quite stimulating. Hands roamed, tongues tangled, lips meshed. They seemed to hit a plateau, until Dave rolled them over. He began thrusting long swift strokes, causing Melanie to moan and lift her legs upward in a 'v' shape. She clutched his back and lifted her pelvis. As his thrusting pace increased Mel's vocalization devolved into happy grunts. Her fingers rotated, digging her nails into him. "Oh! God Yes!" Melanie arched her back, finding her release. A few moments later, Dave cascaded over the cliff with her, triggering a second orgasm in her even as the first had barely descended its peak. Dave held still and Mel clung to him as she shook. He nuzzled the side of her face with his cheek. When her breathing slowed, she grabbed his head and pulled him into a fiery kiss. Mel had an enormous grin as the two separated and began fixing their clothes. October 6, 2020. "Why are you cooking dinner, Dave? I thought it was Mel's night." "She is making the house dinner conejita, but I am taking your mother on a date today. We'll probably be gone through dinner." Esme made a face. "Ew, gross. So you two will be feeding each other little bites and doing other cutesy stuff?" "Probably," Dave chuckled. He scooped out a small portion on the tip of a spoon and held it out for her. Esme gamely took a bite. She swallowed but made a face. "Ew, what was that? Something popped and was bitter, or pickle-y." "Capers. I like 'em. I think your mom might too. I get it if you're not a fan." "Not. Most definitely not." Esme watched as Dave packed the container into a bag with sliced bread, several water bottles, a container of homemade whipped cream, and a box of strawberries from the greenhouse. As Dave stood, re-evaluating his packing, Esme spoke again. "It's not like I don't know what's going on around here. Ya'll get kinda loud sometimes. I know, I know 'I'm too young to talk about these things', but seriously it's a basic part of life as an adult right?" "I won't go sticking my nose in," she continued, "and yeah, I don't want to see it going on, but you don't have to walk on eggshells around me." "Oh, seriously though? We should get more candles or something, 'cuz something about that gets kinda funky afterwards. I've gone into the master bedroom to talk to mom a few times and, Wow dude. I can tell which mornings you get lucky. Or they do." "The way y'all act it's like you're both sure you got more out of it than the other, or more than you deserve or something. At least you're all happy. All though, yeah, sometimes if too many of you are walking around dreamy faced it gets kinda suspense film creepy." "Seriously though? I'm really happy for mom. And Becca. Mom's been lonely for a long time, and Becca spent about half the year looking like her heart had been ripped out. They are way better now than they were. I haven't seen mom this happy in; ever. And Becca is as bouncy happy as she's ever been. So yeah, whatever weird stuff is happening, is fine with me. I'd rather not see it though. Or hear it. Or smell it." After laying out the blanket for the two of them, the first thing Dave pulled out of the basket was an MP3 player. "You could have just used your phone, papi. Why go old school?" "Because this has more memory than my phone mi luz." Lupie chuckled lightly. "Your pronunciation is all wrong." She stepped in closer, their faces inches apart. "But your delivery is all right." They kissed softly, holding each other loosely. The romantic appetizer lasted a minute or so before they settled down to the blanket. Lupie smirked, one eyebrow cocked as Dave adjusted the position of the music player. "Well, it's not like I brought out a Walkman." "Don't you mean a Discman?" "Discman came a decade later. The Walkman was in the eighties, and it used cassettes." "Old man," Lupie smirked. "So I shouldn't tell you about my parents' blue panel van with an eight track player back in the seventies?" Lupie laughed. "Sometimes it's hard to remember you really are that much older than me. But when I do, it's a good thing. I have an appreciation for age and wisdom." She leaned in to plant a warm, lingering kiss on his lips. Dave rolled his eyes. "On a date with a thirty two year old and I'm still robbing the cradle." "Umm, you can rock this cradle all day long, papi," she purred. They bantered for a bit as Dave put together the chicken salad sandwiches, and grew quiet as they ate. Lupie did appreciate the capers, and the celery seed. As they were feeding strawberries to each other (after dipping them into some whipped cream lightly laced with rum) 'Brown-Eyed Girl' came on; the Jimmy Buffett version with steel drums. Dave swayed with the rhythm as he offered a strawberry to Lupie. As it got to the later lyric '; making love in the green grass, behind the stadium with you, my brown-eyed girl; ' Dave wiggled his eyebrows. Lupie giggled at first, then realized he wasn't just being silly. "David, no! Out here, where anyone can see us?!" "Loops, there's a row of tall bushes between us and the path. If someone is out getting some exercise, they'll never know we're here." "You have a way of making me loud, mi amor," Lupie beamed. "Then we'll take it nice and slow, darling," Dave said as he buzzed his lips next to her ear. He took a firm hold of her tit, massaging it just how she liked. Lupie sucked in a breath and closed her eyes. They made out like teenagers before shucking his pants and boxers. Lupie surprised him with the revelation she hadn't worn any panties. She blushed at her own daring. Then they made love. Long, slow, passionate joining of two hearts giving and taking in unison. The sun had set long before they left. The temperature dropped with the sun, but holding each other close and making their own heat, they never noticed. October 8, 2020. Dave was in his office, wrestling with code for his game when Becca came in, with Kareena. He'd left the game on hiatus for a while, with bigger issues to deal with, and a suspicion that an erotic harem post-apocalyptic game may not be interesting any more, between the actual apocalypse happening and the 'addictive sperm' serum now running through women's veins. But, he had started the project, he wanted to finish. "Hey Dave, looks who's here!" Becca announced. Dave looked up and was immediately confused. "Are they waiting for me to come down and sign?" "Oh, no, they said since I was one of your partners, I could sign." "Hello Dave." Kareena's entangled fingers wouldn't stop moving. Her shoulders were rounded, pulled inward and down. Her feet shifted. Her deep brown eyes wouldn't rise above his knees. Dave motioned her to a chair. "You seem worried. Are you sure you want to do this?" "Yes." Her eyes flicked up to his for just a moment, before dropping again. "It's just different from what I'm used to, what I expected for my life for several years. But I want a change. And I was relieved when the match system said we were eighty three percent compatible. I was worried it would be a lot less." Dave motioned for her to take a seat. "So, how are you feeling?" Reena blushed at the implication. "I'm okay. Not antsy like they said would happen, but it hasn't been too terribly long just yet. I mean, I could right now if you want to." She rushed the last sentence out. "It's okay. This is a big step in life, bigger than society made it out to be in the past couple decades." Dave paused for a minute. He caught Becca's eye then cocked his head towards the door. She took the hint and left, pulling the door shut. "It's just the two of us now, face to face, with no one listening. Is there anything you want to say or ask?" Kareena looked at him, looked away, and back. "I don't want to be everybody's salon girl." Dave blinked and nodded his head. While he was waiting for her to continue, he took the time to notice her attire. It hadn't been his instinct in the past, not anything beyond 'That looks nice' in a sincere tone. He'd begun to learn that what a woman was wearing may be a clue to her general intent in a conversation. If in fact, she had dressed for him, and not some other purpose. In this case, it wasn't egotistical to believe Reena had dressed for him. Her orange half shirt played counterpoint to her lovely brown skin balanced between milk chocolate and sienna. Her tits stretched the top to pull ripples into the fabric. below her shirt, her smooth, flat, tummy bore no adornment. Neither did her lovely oval navel. Her jeans rode low on her hips, and were so tight they may well have been painted on. "I know I said I was good with that stuff, and I kinda am, at like, an amateur level, but I don't want to do that all the time. Like, just as a hobby, if something special is happening." She started tearing up as she talked. Dave reached out, taking her hand in his, gently. A gazed at her face until she met his eyes. "I didn't bring you here to do nails and hair a such. I brought you here because as a family, we agreed you would be a welcome addition. We all realize you are young, and still figuring out where you want to fit in the world. We did not expect you to fill in any particular house duty." He brushed a loose lock of raven black hair behind her ear, and received a smile. "When colleges re-open, take a few classes, see what interests you; " "My dad said since I wasn't going to accept an offer from the guy he wanted me to pair with, he was cutting me off. I don't think I'll be taking classes until after I can get a job to build up tuition money." Dave chuckled. "Family sticks together, Kareena. Jan and I both work for the community college, which can get you a tuition discount. Given that they've already forgiven all student loan debt, the government is probably going to fund all tuition, or most of it, going forward. And, well, there are four adults in this household with established careers and we've all been fairly careful with our money. You want college, you can get college." Reena relaxed a bit, but not entirely. "Also, there is a spread of skillsets among us. Sit and talk with each of us. Shadow us while we do our jobs. Get to know our fields of expertise. Well, the remote part anyway. Probably going to be awhile before you can actually go to our places of work, even once we can go back. Odds are, something will sound interesting, if not our exact jobs, something related. Worst case scenario, you learn a lot of what you don't want to do and get to know us more than you might want to." Reena giggled. It made Dave feel better, knowing he could rouse her out of her anxiety. He kept his eyes on her, smiling. Reena shifted in her chair and adjusted her leg position. "Dave?" "Yes?" "I think I'm ready now." Dave blinked for a moment. Two and a half weeks living in the new serum-world and it still took him a bit to register what she meant. "Oh. Um, are you sure?" She nodded. Her breathing was deeper than when she'd come in. Dave stood and reached a hand to her. She lifted her hand to his and stood. Reena followed Dave to the bedroom and stood, still and uncertain, as he closed the door. Turning from the door, he noticed her shaking. "Reena, this is only going to work if it's something you want to do." Panic washed over her face. "I want to, I do. I'm just a little scared." She licked her lips and tried to steady her breathing. "It's just; I, uh; well, Becca talked about how you, uh; do; things. It's never been like that before. I mean, both boyfriends that I've; been with; just kinda; did their thing and got off." Dave approached her. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. "I'm not the greatest lover, so I hope Becca didn't put me on too high a pedestal. I do take the time to pay attention to a woman's needs. That said, this first time, you're only going to get there when the first bit of my fluid hits you, and then again when I pop. I could be the greatest lover in the world, and nothing will get you to climax other than those two events the first time." Reena smiled warmly and laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his torso. "I came here for the long term Dave. The short term is less important." After gathering her thoughts, she continued. "Just show me I matter to you, that's all I ask." Dave stroked his hand through her long, dark hair. He kissed the crown of Reena's head and ran his hands gently down her arms. He pulled her closer by the waist and she raised her head. Their lips met and each let their hands roam across the others' body. Kareena moaned into the kiss. Dave took that as encouragement and allowed his hands to rise to caress the sides of her luscious, sizable tits over top her shirt. She shuddered and pressed herself to him. Dave picked Reena up gently and seated her on the edge of the bed before joining her. He kissed her neck and nibbled her collarbone. Dave slipped his fingers under her top and lifted slowly, pulling his face back to allow her half shirt to pass. He dropped his face to kiss the upper slopes of her tits as his hands sought out the bra clasp in the back. He briefly recalled the mistake with Shawna, just as he found the interfering component. It yielded quickly to his touch and Reena shrugged off the straps, allowing the bra to slide to her legs and fall to the floor. Dave pulled his face back to admire the view. Even at what must be a D or E cup, her tits stood out proudly with the perkiness of youth. He locked eyes with her and latched her lips with a hungry kiss. Reena groaned with a hunger that matched his own. He placed his hands beside her tits, thumbs stroking the underside of the soft orbs enflaming his desire. Reena's breathing sped up with his caresses. She gasped as he took one dark brown nipple and areola in his mouth and suckled. "Oh, David; oh God, that feels good." She whimpered as he released her aroused nub, then hummed passionately as he engaged her mouth again with his own. As their tongues danced, he lowered her torso to the bed, her defiant bust yielding only slightly to the insistence of gravity as each hung off to the sides. Dave kissed down her cleavage and nipped and kissed about her abdomen before bringing his mouth to rest just above the button of her jeans. He looked up her body, between her tits. Only when she lifted her head to return his gaze did he unbutton her jeans and peel them back slightly as he began kissing the small exposed area of her pelvis. He half stood, still dallying his lips on her taut flesh as he moved himself around her knee to settle between her legs. He peeled her jeans down to her knees before pulling upwards, lifting her legs in the air and stripping her jeans off. He stood, bring the jeans clear of her feet, then caught her legs against his chest. If the look in her eyes and her rapid, deep breathing hadn't been enough to confirm her arousal, the warm, musky scent of her sex screamed it loudly. It was heady, rich, and inviting. He parted her elevated legs and slowly knelt, his eyes on hers, a lecherous smile on his face as he lowered it towards the lace panties covering her throbbing center. The black tracery woven through the garment gave accent to the richness of the red base. His face only inches from her sex, he paused, inhaling the scent of her, reveling in her arousal. He kissed her over top her tanga-style panties, applying just enough pressure to transmit the sensation from his lips to hers. Reena groaned, her hands reaching for his head. Dave looped his fingers through the sides of her panties and pulled them towards him, then up. She bent her legs at the knees to ease their removal and she hissed her assent. Understanding the actions of the serum now, better than he had previously, Dave took her engorged labia into his mouth, suckling at them as he probed her slit with his tongue. Reena cried out, arching her back, yearning for release. Satisfied she was as aroused and ready as the serum would allow, Dave half rose, keeping her knees on his shoulders and lifted her up the bed as he crawled on to it. With a firm purchase on the bed, He kissed her again and worked his hips to align his shaft with her entrance. With his tip lodged just inside her opening, she nodded to him, urgently. Dave steadily edged himself into her, her passage relaxed and accepting him. The warm moist tunnel held him firmly, stretching to accommodate his girth as he penetrated her fully. His tip pressed against the very top of her tunnel as his pelvis made contact with her clitoris. Dave began with a slow, gentle grinding action. Reena held his arms as he worked himself in her. Her breath suddenly caught before she howled and shook. Dave knew he must have leaked out the first bit of precum, triggering her priming orgasm. He held still while the ecstasy rebounded through her. It took her well over a minute to recover. She clasped her hands behind Dave's neck and kissed him fiercely as her legs locked behind the small of his back. "I'm yours now, forever. Work that thing in me and finish your claim." Her eyes were hungry, certain, and unyielding. With a smile, and his eyes locked on her, Dave worked his hips back and forth, plunging in and out of her. Reena grunted with each impact of his pelvis against hers, a look of joy on her face, her breathing growing ragged. Dave accelerated his motion as he felt himself building to the eruption they both needed. The yearning in Reena's eyes exhorted him onward until he felt the familiar tingle and let loose inside of her. Immediately, all of Reena's muscles contracted, seizing and spasming. Dave held still, embedded in her depths as he pulsed more and more of his essence into her. He held himself still as she writhed, giving some anchor to her flailing until she crumbled to the bed beneath him. "Imprinting; imprinting; imprinting;” October 13, 2020. Dave sat in the station chair, in cloth shorts only, working through a third set of butterflies. He actually preferred free weights, but he wanted to push himself hard today without bugging someone to spot him. He'd been cycling curls, chest presses, and butterflies. Though he went to free weights for the curls. Melanie came in as he was straining to get out the tenth rep. The slightly amused face she wore added into something else entirely as she spotted him bare but for a pair of shorts, glistening in sweat from forty minutes of strength training. Her breathing deepened, which drew Dave's eyes to her chest. He faltered, kept straining, but couldn't quite finish the rep. "Uh; um;” She shook her head and gathered her thoughts. "So, I caught our two youngest ladies messing around in your office. They're in the living room now. I think you should come talk." The smirk returned, though her eyes kept lingering on his sweaty abdomen. Dave was sure she was slipping a little extra sway in her hips as she walked ahead of him to the living room. He quickly checked his phone on the way, noting several texts, all from family members. Most of his family had denied the virus was real or that masks or lockdowns worked, so most of them were 'not responding' on social media. The few that remained had posted mournful bits on social media, still not acknowledging reality. Since he'd pointed out the absurdity of their positions before people started dying, he was now dead to them. Not really something that affected him much actually, since they lived three states away and never thought much of him in the first place. But why the fuck; ok, wow, yet a new level of hate texts? And why all of them, all of a sudden? Becca and Reena sat on opposite sides of the couch. Reena's eyes were downcast. She appeared to be on the verge of crying. Becca's lips were pressed into a flatline, her eyes not meeting Dave's. Dave cleared his throat. Becca looked briefly at him, then quickly away. Reena let out a small whimper and kept her eyes on the floor. "So y'all want to tell me what happened?" Becca finally met his gaze. "We were only trying to help." "Oh good, so many wonderful things have followed that statement." Dave took a seat between them and pulled them close. "How about dropping the preamble and just getting it out." "I broke into your computer and we used your Facebook profile to contact two women that show up in your feed a lot. We were going to contact a few others when Mel walked in. It took a while because we were trying to say something unique to each one." Becca monotoned. Then she perked up "we just thought since you requested some of us, you could request other women you already knew." If I blow my top, I'll not only hurt Becca whom I most definitely love but cause super skittish Reena to withdraw completely. The girl's trying to find herself a new place in life. Unless she's clearly reverting to past behavior I have got to treat her with kid gloves. Dave suddenly made a connection in his head. "Who were the two women you propositioned in my name?" "Janine Farkel and Mary Pharns" Dave's head lolled back as he chuckled. "Well, that would explain the texts I just red. Every woman on my mother's side still alive are royally pissed at me. None bothered to explain why, but went to great lengths delineating what an utter worthless beast I am." Becca looked at him confused. Reena did as well, though she was ready to start bawling again. He took a deep breath. "Janine Farkel is my cousin. Her mom and my mom are sisters." Becca rolled her eyes at their mistake. Reena looked like she wanted to bury her head in his shoulder, but wasn't sure she was allowed. "To be fair, I did think she was awfully cute when we were kids. But once I realized what romance was focused around, I was instantly aware that wasn't something you do with your cousin." That got Becca to give a small snort. Reena's frown almost became a grin. "Mary Pharns is Janine's niece, her older brother's daughter, making her my second cousin." Both girls groaned. "You know what you did wrong?" God, he shouldn't be talking like this with a sexual partner, yet the situation called for it. "I should have checked relationships before sending out a message?" Becca asked softly. Dave looked at her stonily. "You should not have used my social media profile without my permission. You should not have acted in my name, without consulting me first. You acted because you had the skills. Just because you can do a thing, it does not necessarily follow that you must do that thing." "Did you just use Star Trek 6 as a rebuke?" Becca said with narrowed eyes and mouth. "If the shoe fits, wear it." She rolled her eyes. Dave looked to Reena, on his other side. He bent his head down to hers, lifting her chin with the hand around her shoulder. Their lips met and he kissed her sweetly. They held the kiss, lips moving, but only that, for nearly a minute. When they broke, Reena batted her eyes and blushed. "Well, it's not a boring life." Dave observed. Both girls barked out a laugh and snuggled into him. "So Dave, um," Reena temporized, "is there anything we could do to; make it up to you?" Becca jumped in. "We've been talking about, maybe you know, both of us?" Dave's eyebrows rose. "Like maybe, you could; um; fill one of us up; and then the other one; uh; licks it out while you; uh; do it in her. So, there's this line of you and then both of us." "I'm willing to be the in-between one," Reena interjected. Becca's eyes betrayed her surprise. "That would be amazing. But only if you want to, and not as punishment. I don't want anything sexual to be punishment." Reena popped her head up. "Not actual punishment. Roleplay and BDSM are different. That's for mutual pleasure, with agreed upon boundaries." Reena relaxed against him again, nodding her head lightly. "I'll put out a message to my family members about what happened, including a tightly worded appreciation of the faith in me they displayed with their responses. After a few more days of bitching, that should keep them off my back for a good six months while they go back to savaging each other. Or whoever they've collectively deemed as 'other'." Dinner in the Belsus household had been moved back to accommodate Shawna's frequent shifts on the 5pm and 6pm broadcasts. Today, however, she'd taken the early morning duty and arrived home shortly after five. She found Dave in his office, staring at another set of lab instructions for the online physics offering he'd been instructed to develop. One month out from spring semester registration, he was supposed to have already submitted a final number for the course fee needed to cover any kits or supplies the school would require to accompany the course. "Dave?" He brought his head up and smiled when he saw her. "Hey Shawna. How long have you been standing there?" "Less than a minute." Her broad smile that fully engulfed her eyes pulled his brain out of its work fog. He saved his work and logged out. "We have about two hours before dinner's ready. What would you like to do?" "I could use a massage, if you're up for it." "Sure." Shawna took his hand and led him to an unused bedroom that had been converted to an alternate TV and game room. Not entirely unused. Shawna's work clothes were in the closet so she could dress before work without disturbing anyone in the master bedroom. On walking in, she picked up the remote and flipped through menus. "It's a shame they don't have Babylon 5 or original Galactica on streaming. How 'bout some TNG?" Dave nodded. Shawna setup an episode, then settled on the floor, placing herself between Dave's legs as he sat on the bed. Dave slipped his hands to her neck and began working his thumbs in the crease there. His fingers held the sides of her neck, mostly giving a base for the thumbs, but doing small motions on the flesh they contacted. Shawna let her head droop slightly. "Umm, I love feeling your hands on me, baby." She turned her head so she could see him out the corner of her eye. "Once you've got my neck nice and loose, feel free to; roam a bit." The lusty grin those words slipped out of punctuated her meaning. Dave chuckled and gave her a kiss on her cheek before she dropped her head loose again. Within the first minute, Dave could feel the tension in her and went to work helping her relax. He thoroughly massaged her scalp, taking care not to mess with her hairstyle. He massaged her forehead, then around her ears and jaw before descending to her neck. Once that was feeling loose, he moved down to her shoulders. He worked her upper back as well, working out the physical manifestations of the stresses she may or may not share later. She was already running the entire meteorology department for the station. The official promotion had not yet come through, but she was the one that all the folks in the department looked to for direction. She was the one the higher ups passed their instructions through. Every day had at least some stress. He rolled her neck in his hands, feeling the looseness that hadn't been there when he'd started. Satisfied the primary task was accomplished, he allowed his fingers to stretch down from her shoulders, caressing her front progressively lower from her collarbone. "Umm. uh-hmm." Dave slipped his hands under her silky blouse and directly stimulated the flesh just above the upper slopes of Shawna's tits. He carefully sought out a path that took his fingers down the sides of her tits, cupping them as he massaged them. Shawna sucked in a breath before saying "Oh, yes baby. God I love these hands." With his hands inside her shirt and bra, Dave deftly stroked her tits and nipples Until she stood and began stripping her clothes off. He matched her actions and the two fell to the bed naked, their hearts pounding. Shawna landed on top, but quickly rolled to put him above her. Taking his cue, Dave got his knees between her legs and made the connection they both sought. Excited as she was, he slipped himself in easily. They lost the need for words as he pumped in and out of her. Both roamed their hands and lips across the other, but the primary need was the stimulation below as she bucked her hips up to him and he thrust into her offered portal. The long, slow, burn of the massage had them both well on their way before they entangled themselves. Shawna lit off first, shuddering and moaning as they kissed, her body convulsing in the throes of a 'normal' orgasm. The actions of her inner muscles on his cock pushed Dave the last bit of his peak and he let loose within her, triggering a serum-induced orgasm even as her body was beginning to come down from the natural orgasm. They held each other close, panting, for several minutes. Another few minutes were spent kissing, until the unmistakable sounds of a dinner nearly ready intruded their thoughts. They dressed carefully, unrushed, but ready to move on to the next part of the evening. They descended the stairs holding hands and crossed the living room into the dining room. Esme passed them as they took seats, a bowl in her hands as she helped lay out dishes for the meal. Passing behind Shawna, Esme gave an audible, obvious sniff, then looked at Dave and shook her head. Chapter 7; Celebration. October 16, 2020. Dave's heart was handling the exertion just fine, only slightly elevated beyond his usual while doing this. His breathing was ragged though. He was having trouble finding his rhythm. And his legs felt like rubber. "Come on, Dave," Olivia said over her shoulder, "You can do better than this. Tell ya what, you beat me back to the house and I'll give you my ass tonight." She blew a kiss over her shoulder, then kicked hard. Roscoe let out a bark that was both happy and plaintive, then loped faster to keep pace. They were about a quarter mile from the house, nearing the end of their three mile run. Dave frequently ran five miles in a morning, but he'd slacked off gradually as his living situation changed. Last week he hadn't run at all. Having a woman's warm body snuggled up against him just made it that much harder to get out of bed and run. Multiple bodies pressed against him, each with its own unique, warm, fleshy wonder, made getting out of bed nearly impossible. Dave kicked out after Livy. He gained on her at first, but the view of her firm, muscular ass was just amazing. Dave decided it was worth it to keep the view and let her win. Anal would be fun to try, but they had their whole lives together. This view, now, this morning, gave him the satisfaction he was looking for. At the entrance to the driveway, they slowed to a walk. Arms over their heads, they walked circles in the driveway and yard. Roscoe, tongue out, huge canine grin, circled about them. Occasionally, he bumped his head against a thigh and got a pat on the head for his efforts. "For taking a week off, you didn't lose much ability. You let me win that." "Well, to be fair, watching your ass in those leggings is a reward all it's own." Dave took her in his arms and kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose, and softly on the lips. He could feel her smile into the kiss. When he pulled back and her eyes reopened, he saw a lingering uncertainty in them. "This still has an undercurrent of weird, but a whole lot of wonderful. I sometimes get paranoid your dad's going to come around the corner and catch me kissing you." Olivia smacked his chest, then buried her face in it with a giggle. "I'm also amazed that I have this beautiful, intelligent, loving young woman in my life that has admired me for many years. A young woman I watched grow up, becoming one of the finest human beings I've ever had the privilege to know. And she chose me to live her life with." Olivia's hug on Dave squeezed tighter. She had her dream. Everything she ever wanted was right here. Then Dave's stomach rumbled. "Guess I better get my butt in the kitchen and feed my man." Dave rolled his eyes. "Sure," he said, with a pat on her ass as she turned towards the door, "get in that kitchen and cook my food woman." Olivia's only response was to wiggle her ass. Halfway to the door, she turned her head over her shoulder and stuck out her tongue, through a great big grin. She shrieked and ran, giggling, when Dave started to run towards her. The first order of business was to let Roscoe into the backyard, where he lapped water from his bowl before plopping onto the deck. Once in the kitchen, Dave snatched a bowl from the cupboard while Olivia pulled the egg carton from the fridge. Lupie's chickens did a fine job keeping up with the needs of Dave, Lupie, Becca, and Esme. Add Janice, Shawna, Olivia, and Melanie to the mix, and those chickens made a nice supplement, but would never keep up on their own. When Dave reached for the carton, Liv slapped his hand lightly. "I told you, I'm making breakfast for you. Take a seat." "Maybe I should just go take my shower now, and come down to a hot breakfast made by my hot babe." She threw an appreciative grin over her shoulder. "Maybe you should go find the sweat slut and give her what she wants." "She does like it without being sweaty too ya know." "Are you talking about Melanie?" came Janice's voice from the dining room entry. Soft and melodic, Dave would never get enough of those carefully crafted tones. "Gee, how'd you guess?" Dave gave her a gentle kiss in greeting. Janice hummed in the kiss, but kept their bodies separated. "I'm kinda in between Mel and Lupie here on this one. It's not my kink, and don't want to be pressed against you when you're all sweaty, but I'm not shoving you away when you look all manly and accomplished." Jan blushed lightly at the end of her statement. She let go of Dave to move to Liv's side at the counter. She watched Olivia crack the eggs one handed, then split the shell, still using one hand only, over the bowl to drain the egg out. "Hey, that's just how Dave taught me to do it." Olivia looked at her with a smile and a raised eyebrow. That caused Jan to laugh. "Okay, okay, for me it was just a few weeks ago. I take it you were, what, fourteen?" "Eight. Eight years old, standing on a step stool with one of the two greatest guys in the world standing beside me." Olivia said wistfully. Jan gave her a quick shoulder hug. "Can I do anything to help?" "Sure. I'm just going to scramble these with some seasoning. Maybe some toast or fruit? A little late to start bacon." Jan, with her head in the fridge called out, "We've got a package of pre-cooked breakfast sausage. Just need to be heated through." "Sounds good." "Hey Jan?" Dave asked. "While you're in there, can you grab me an apple or a pear?" Dave easily caught the pear she tossed his way and began eating it after polishing it on a dry spot on his shirt. "I can't seem to stop eating lately. I'm surprised I didn't gain weight the last few weeks. Eating more than usual, and little to no exercise." Tossing a lid on the skillet to keep the steam inside, Jan turned to Dave. "Little to no exercise? Dave, you have energetic sex at least twice a day, with three or four blowjobs or quickies as well. If you're denying your hunger and not eating, that would explain the; what, five pounds you lost?" "Hmm, hadn't weighed myself in a while. Too afraid the scale would just scream 'Get off me fatso!'" Olivia snorted, but immediately gave him a scowl that matched Jan's. "Dave," Jan said, "you are far from overweight. If you keep over restricting yourself by not accounting for your activity, you're going to hurt yourself, and us by extension. You should stash snacks in your office, so you can have something as soon as you get hungry." She paused for a moment. "Maybe we should get a small fridge for your office, to hold some snacks that would be better cold, or water bottles. You like your fruit and water cold." Just then, Dave's phone chimed the tone he'd set for texts from the ladies of the house. Looking down and unlocking, he saw it was from Shawna. Shawna Posted; It's official! I got the promotion! WFAA Chief Meteorologist Shawna Coulter! That's great! I'm proud of you! You put in a lot of work to get here, babe! Shawna Posted; a heart emoji. They even did a video call with Troy! He still wears those wonderfully dorky bowties! He congratulated me, said he's been watching, and he's proud I'm holding the department to a high standard of science and reporting! Then she posted a star-eyed emoji, smiling face with tear emoji You earned every bit of those accolades. Shawna Posted; face blowing a kiss emoji, It's just, oh my God, he's a legend around here, and well-regarded in the weather community! And then he's on a Zoom call, telling me I'm doing the station and profession proud! I remember watching him as a kid, hun. I can imagine the impact. You put years of work into this. Enjoy the fruits of victory, my love. Dave froze. The first time he'd used the 'L' word with Shawna, and it was by text! Dammit! In the silent minutes of self-recrimination, his phone chimed again. Shawna Posted; I love you too, David. "What's with the dopey-lovey grin, Dave?" Olivia's voice brought him back to the dining room as she sat a platter of scrambled eggs on a wooden trivet and centered it on the table. Jan came in and did likewise for a platter of sausage. "Shawna got the official promotion to Chief Meteorologist." "Hey, that's great!" Jan said, with Lupie chiming in as she entered with Esme. Mel came in a few steps behind. "Mel," Liv said, "could you grab the fruit tray and toast?" Mel nodded her agreement. Lupie shooed Esme to go help. "We should do something to celebrate Shawna's promotion." Lupie said. Heads nodded around the table. "She's got the six o'clock duty tonight, and they'll probably do some kind of cake thing there, so I wouldn't expect her home until after dinner." Jan supplied. "Tomorrow, she's going in for a few hours to give guidance and get some admin work done. No on-air duties though. She said she'd be home by two, maybe three at the latest. Oh, and she's not going in until ten at the earliest. She swore she was getting to sleep in." "How about a picnic in the park?" Melanie suggested. "The way she gets nostalgic talking about the smell of grass or the air from her storm chasing days, maybe she'd like that." "Hopefully sans storm," Liv said dryly. Mel stuck her tongue out in reply, then both giggled. "So, an early dinner tomorrow, after Shawna gets home. Let's figure out a menu and divide up duties." Lupie guided the ensuing short discussion. She tried to dissuade Dave from making a dish, again cajoling him that he should let them take care of such things. Dave pointed out that he enjoys cooking and seeing people enjoy his efforts. Shawna had shown an interest in his tomato-cucumber salad, and they did just pull in a fresh harvest of both. Then he got a little dirty. Would Lupie deny Shawna a dish she loved from someone she cared for on her celebration day? Okay, that was a little not cool, but he wanted to make something dammit. Lupie's look was by turns hurt and chagrined. "I'm sorry Lupie, that was over the line." Dave stood and walked to her chair. He took her hand and kissed it. "Please, I love to cook, and I feel like I'm getting shut out here. I love what you and the others cook too. And I understand your position about my role, leading the family. But please, step back once in a while and let me make a dish." Lupie got a saucy look in her eye. With a smile and a wink, she said, "Very well, you may work in my kitchen." Dave rolled his eyes, but as she stood to begin clearing the table, he swatted her butt, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Eep!" She turned and buried her face in his chest. As she turned, he could see her face was as red as the tomatoes he'd use tomorrow. Just then, Becca and Reena stumbled in, bleary eyed and messy haired. They'd been working on some project and stayed up late, sleeping in a different bedroom. "Why don't you let Heckle and Jeckle here get their breakfast, and then let them clean up?" Lupie screwed up her face, ready to object, but both teens nodded their assent, Becca holding out a thumbs up as she flopped into a chair. Then Lupie mentioned Shawna's promotion and the planned party for tomorrow. Both girls livened up, huge grins on their faces. They leaned towards each other, speaking in quick whispers before pulling back and high-fiving. Whatever was going on had them completely awake with broad grins. "You girls care to share?" I asked. "Not yet, it's a surprise. A good one this time, promise." Becca flushed with remembered embarrassment from the 'hook Dave up' fiasco. Reena blushed as well, nodding agreement. Jan lay under Dave on the bed, her legs wrapped around his waist. Since he was already sweaty, she thought she'd give it a try. Might as well, right? Try different ways? As Dave pumped in and out of her, he paused between kisses to study her face. "You are not feeling it are you?" "You, yes. The sweat, no. Sorry, David." Dave stopped his motions, beginning to pull out. "No, no, please. Finish in me. Then we can take a shower together, and maybe; my turn in the tub?" Dave was still working his way through individual dates with each lady, but they had added a twist. Each wanted a soak in the large, sea-shell shaped garden tub in the master bath. To make it special (they argued getting tub time with him made it special) he'd managed to personalize the experience with different settings. Lupie loved lavender, so he arranged lavender bath scents, two candles on the vanity, and four candles around the tub. Every time before, when Dave was near lavender, his eyes, nose, and mouth got itchy, so he took a dose of his strongest allergy meds (over the counter, but behind the pharmacy desk) half an hour before the bath time. It; didn't work. He didn't sneeze or have too much sinus irritation. But Lupie's time luxuriating as she leaned against him in the bath was cut short when she noticed red bumps all over his arms as they wrapped loosely around her. She was furious with Dave as she pushed him into the shower stall to wash off the offending aromatics. She pulled the plug on the bathtub and kicked on the fan before joining him. He was grateful when the steamy air got into his lungs. When Dave pledged to try again, Lupie pointedly suggested almond and vanilla. After that, all the ladies insisted on knowing what gave him allergic reactions. As far as scents go, they were relieved the only remaining problematic scents were eucalyptus and any form of mint. Mel was slightly bummed about the mint, but wasn't that attached to it. "The feeling of Dave going down on me vastly outweighs the pleasantness of a mint-scented bath." So after Dave finished, and a few minutes of snuggling, he got up to shower quickly. Adjusting the tub faucet to Janice's preferred temperature, he left it running. Then he pulled the special items for Janice from the one locked closet in the bathroom. The one he stashed all the special prep stuff for the ladies. Yes, they'd picked scents and lighting, but that's no reason to give away all the details. With the tub about half full, he drizzled a small, short stream of rose oil into the water with a slight sideways motion to help start the mixing process. The tub's curvature and the current due to the filling should do the rest. Next, he killed the lights. Jan wanted natural lighting, which is why they were doing this in the daytime. There was a large window that let light into the master bath. No one could see in from that direction, into an upstairs window anyway, so it was safe, even before the pandemic. As the tub neared full, Dave cut the water and sprinkled rose petals on the surface, around the tub margins, and then some on the floor. With his back to the door, he surveyed the scene to make sure it was right. Satisfied, he placed the partial bag of petals in the closet and locked it again. Then he stepped back into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He led Jan from the bed to the bathroom door and had her cover her eyes with her hands before opening the door. Jan walked slowly into the bathroom, marveling at the setup. As Dave joined her, she wrapped him in her arms and delivered a warm, passionate kiss. Then they climbed into the tub, Janice lying back against Dave's chest, as the two enjoyed the closeness without any overtly sexual play. It was a good morning. "Why do you smell like roses?" Reena asked as she lay curled into Dave's side on the laid-out recliner. "Because I gave Jan her couples tub time earlier and she likes a rose-scented bath." "So you're really working your way through romancing each of us personally?" "There's no other way. You are each unique. Different desires, different needs. I'll do my best to give you what makes you feel happy and accepted." "This is pretty good right here." The teen gave him a soft kiss. "I like Jan. She has good taste in bath scents. And men." Dave chuckled, giving her a soft squeeze in appreciation. They were in the living room, though no music or shows were playing. Just a quiet snuggle. Kareena wore cloth shorts and one of Dave's nerd shirts. This one looked like a computer's BSOD. Melanie cringed when she saw it on her way out the door earlier. Reena must have been wearing a bra, since her large tits were somewhat contained and her nipples were not poking through. Given her past behavior it was a 50/50 toss up whether she was wearing any kind of panties, but there was no outward indication either way, and this wasn't the kind of snuggle to facilitate an exploration to find out. "So I've been talking with Becca and Jan, and the others. I think I'd like to take some classes in the Spring?" "Why are you asking that like a question?" "I wanted to make sure you're okay with it." "Reena, we are partnered. We will spend the rest of our lives together, and eventually have kids together. I don't own you." Dave looked her straight in the eye for this part. "Sure, there are somethings you could choose to do that will impact all of us and therefore require some prior notice or approval. What schooling you pursue is not in that category. Now, if you're looking for advice, I'm here for you. It sounds to me like you've already gotten some from the others. And I happen to think highly of their opinions, so you should be good to go." Dave got a full kiss on the lips for that, with only a little tongue. "I'm going to go undeclared and just take some basic classes. Becca and I plan on taking composition and speech together. Not math or science. She really helped me through high school, but I'm not at her level and I don't want to hold her back. As soon as we can, I'll take the placement tests and hope I get into college math instead of remedial." Her face fell at the prospect of starting below college level. "Becca will probably get into precal or calc right from the start." "You'll do fine, no matter where you place. If you're really worried about it, talk to Jan. I have some math prep books around here. Take some time to brush up before your test." Dave kissed her nose. "Regardless of what course you place into, you'll need to set aside some study time. And fortunately, you have plenty of people in this house that can help. Becca of course, and me for math and science, Lupie's good with numbers and presentations, and management or decision making. What Jan doesn't know she knows how to find. Shawna would be great for math, science or public speaking, but she still has a full time job that keeps her out of the house eight hours a day at least, so she may be less available." Reena smiled. "Yeah, she's kind of a badass. Like she's so completely feminine lovey dovey with you, but work wise, she rules the roost and gets things done." "Feminine does not mean weak, baby doll." Over the past week or so, Reena had shown a preference for diminutive names and pseudo-possessive treatment. Dave suspected it was partially due to her high school relationships with jocks and trust fund boys, but he fed her what she asked for while making sure she still felt loved and appreciated. The caramel-skinned teen smiled back. "I know. But it's nice when you say that too." She paused to change direction back to the main topic. "I think I'd like to go into interior design. That would mean an associate's in, well, anything really, but business might be a good idea. Then a trade school for my focus classes. I thought about fashion for a while, but all that cutting and sewing sounds really annoying. Placing furniture and décor, choosing the right painting and lighting, that sounds challenging and fun." "I like the passion I hear in your voice. I'm right behind you. Just; don't ask me to tell the difference between jade and emerald." "They're totally different!" Dave chuckled and gave her another hug. "Hell, half the time, someone has to remind me that chartreuse is a green hue, not a red one." "Ugh!" Reena rolled her eyes and huffed. "Isn't this the same guy that cried at two different movies last night?" "Hey, anyone that doesn't cry when Goose dies is a heartless brute. Ditto for Spock." Dave pitched his voice slightly lower and made it raspy and slow. "I have been, and ever shall be; your friend." Reena smacked his chest, water rimming her eyes. The whole house had been on an 80's movie kick, with an emphasis on sci-fi, since that was beloved by Dave, Shawna, and Becca. Livy and Mel were mild fans of science fiction as well. Lupie, Jan, and Reena just wanted to understand their partners better. Reena had sobbed during Spock's death scene. Becca had earlier led Kareena through a few of the original Trek series, including 'Space Seed', 'Amok Time' and 'City on the Edge of Forever' to give her some context for the movies. Before either of them could continue the conversation, the front door opened. Melanie and Olivia came through with several bags straining from each hand. Reena and Dave rose, heading for the door as his two returning partners crossed to the dining room to set down their burdens. Two trips each emptied the car. Melanie and Reena set about getting the cold items stowed first, while Liv grabbed the bag from the sporting goods store and headed upstairs. Dave went to the garage for his tools before joining her. One room had been claimed by Mel and Liv as their own. Primarily just as a private space for the two of them, but of course for those times that privacy was a little more intimately desired. Carter's suspicion was in error, at the time. Neither girl had been intimate with another woman. Prior to moving in, the girls had never shown an interest in each other. Now though, they were somewhere along the road of experimentation. But, the lessons taught to Olivia by her father were deeply rooted. And that lesson was about responsibility as well as security. Which is why they were making this installation, behind Livy's headboard. "This last bolt will do it. Which one are you going with?" "The ten. If someone's trying to hurt us, I want a big punch." "You know what your dad said, aim makes caliber an extra." She narrowed her eyes. "My aim is fine. Better than yours even." "Okay, ok, easy there Annie Oakley." Liv smirked. "You read the programming instructions for the palm print scanner yet?" "No, it's the same model I used in Stephenville, though." "Well, I've got it installed," Dave said, crawling out the small space between the headboard and the wall. Bigger than normal, since they'd pulled it out to do this work, but still tighter than Dave would like. "Time for you to program it. You remember the code to the gun cabinet?" Dave's gun cabinet was built in the understairs area, covered to look like a normal part of the hallway, except the small hatch over the keypad. "Yep. Kinda hard to forget." Liv gave him a kiss as she slipped past and began the programming process. To be continued in part 6, Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts, for Literotica.

In Hour 2, Willard and Dibs wonder if 49ers fans are already satisfied with this 49ers season, share how the 49ers are proving a lot of people wrong, discuss the 49ers' offensive prowess despite a relatively anonymous wide receiver group last night in Indianapolis, and more.

Willard and Dibs discuss if 49ers fans, who just wanted to make the postseason a couple months ago, are now satisfied by the 49ers season because they've already clinched a postseason spot.

We hope you'll consider joining our exclusive Guardians community of fans in our Discord, you'll get an ADDITIONAL episode per week, all for supporting the show for $5 per month at Patreon.com/SelbyIsGodcastListeners get $20 off their first ticket purchase at SEATGEEK with the promo code: SELBY.Following the addition of Shawn Armstrong, Zack and T.J. discuss if the moves the Guardians have made this offseason in the bullpen is enough to satisfy their need for added depth, if Cleveland would truly feel any embarrassment over not adding to the offense (and payroll) this winter, revisit the 2016 Lucroy trade, then the guys trade cameos for Christmas.

“Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.” ‭‭- Proverbs‬ ‭30‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬‬‬

In the quiet of a humble manger, hope arrived not as a concept, but as a person—Jesus Christ. What does it mean to live with true hope today? In Luke 2, we meet a man named Simeon, a man whose life was defined by his hopeful waiting and deep faith in God's promises. How can Simeon's example guide us to experience genuine hope?The Bible reminds us that hope isn't wishful thinking. It's the Greek word "elpis," meaning confident expectation. Simeon was a living testimony of this kind of hope. Waiting for decades, he clung to God's promise that he would see the Messiah before he died. His story teaches us three essential practices for a life filled with hope:1. **Learning to Wait Well:** Simeon waited faithfully for decades without wavering, rooted in God's promises. Isaiah 40:31 encourages us that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.2. **Led by the Holy Spirit:** Simeon's sensitivity to the Holy Spirit guided him to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. We, too, must quiet the world's noise and seek guidance from the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 5:18).3. **Satisfied in Christ, Not Circumstances:** Simeon's peace came not from his life's circumstances changing, but from holding the promised Savior. Are we drawn to find our satisfaction in Jesus alone?“At 2Rivers, our mission is to help you become a passionate follower of Jesus so you can experience the life He intended for you and encourage others to do the same.”Stay connected and deepen your walk with Christ. Subscribe for more teachings that bring Scripture into everyday life.

At the core of every longing is a hunger for love that no relationship, experience, achievement, or pleasure can sustain. Isaiah 55 invites us to stop chasing what cannot satisfy and to come to the God who freely gives what our hearts most need - His faithful, life-giving love. And this great love can be yours because of and through Jesus Christ.

In this thought-provoking podcast episode, Angela and special guest, Peter Crone, delve into the challenges women face in reconciling their achievements with feelings of inadequacy.  They explore the concept of the "hungry ghost," where external success fails to address deeper internal beliefs of not being enough. The discussion emphasises the importance of shifting from a mindset of searching for validation to one of exploring possibilities, highlighting that true peace and joy come from within, rather than from external circumstances KEY TAKEAWAYS: Inner Perspective vs. External Success: Achieving external success does not necessarily change one's internal beliefs about self-worth.  The Concept of the "Hungry Ghost": This term illustrates the idea that individuals can never feel satisfied with external achievements if they have unresolved internal beliefs of inadequacy.  Exploration vs. Searching: There is a distinction between searching, which stems from feelings of lack, and exploring, which is rooted in joy and curiosity.  Freedom and Joy as States of Being: Freedom and joy are not dependent on external circumstances but are states of mind.  TIMESTAMPS AND KEY TOPICS: [00:02:01] Inner peace vs. external success. [00:03:58] Exploring vs. Searching. [00:08:08] Imagination and personal potential. VALUABLE RESOURCES ⁠Join The High Performance Health Community⁠ ⁠Click here⁠ for discounts on all the products I personally use and recommend A BIG thank you to our sponsors who make the show possible Reverse your biological age in 2026 - join Live Younger, Angela's longevity membership for women.  Click here and use code “VIP” for 30% off. ABOUT THE HOST Angela Foster is an award winning Nutritionist, Health & Performance Coach, Speaker and Host of the High Performance Health podcast. A former Corporate lawyer turned industry leader in biohacking and health optimisation for women, Angela has been featured in various media including Huff Post, Runners world, The Health Optimisation Summit, BrainTap, The Women's Biohacking Conference, Livestrong & Natural Health Magazine. Angela is the creator of BioSyncing®️ a blueprint for ambitious entrepreneurial women to biohack their health so they can 10X how they show up in their business and their family without burning out. CONTACT DETAILS ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Disclaimer: The High Performance Health Podcast is for general information purposes only and do not constitute the practice of professional or coaching advice and no client relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast, or materials linked from this podcast is at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for medical or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should seek the assistance of their medical doctor or other health care professional for before taking any steps to implement any of the items discussed in this podcast. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Please subscribe and leave a review. This helps us reach our goal in sharing the Gospel with our community and world!You can find us on social media at:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/familylifebtown/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/familylifebtownWatch our past services on YouTube!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN3I9rk7-k6mGVoPNS2S3GwShare this podcast with someone you know. If you would like to give, or visit us, please visit our website at thefamilylife.org. 585855555

To quench your spiritual thirst, turn to Jesus, the living spring of fresh and everlasting water. -------- Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible.     Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org   Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

While the Patriots have exceeded expectations, there's no reason to be comfortable with the position they're in after their loss to Buffalo.

A review into Fianna Fáil's presidential campaign has found that “nothing further was done” by party bosses after Jim Gavin told them he had no recollection of an issue with a former tenant, before he was selected as their presidential candidate. Parliamentary party members met yesterday to discuss these findings and shared their grievances with leader Micheál Martin. We discuss further with Seamus McGrath Fianna Fail TD for Cork South–Central Barry Andrews, Fianna Fáil MEP for Dublin.

A review into Fianna Fáil's presidential campaign has found that “nothing further was done” by party bosses after Jim Gavin told them he had no recollection of an issue with a former tenant, before he was selected as their presidential candidate. Parliamentary party members met yesterday to discuss these findings and shared their grievances with leader Micheál Martin. We discuss further with Seamus McGrath Fianna Fail TD for Cork South–Central Barry Andrews, Fianna Fáil MEP for Dublin.

Andy and Jeff share their biggest takeaways from Kevin Stefanski's Monday press conference following the Browns' loss to the Bears.

Singleness isn't a problem to solve or a season to rush through—it's a greenhouse for unique growth and faithfulness to God. Learning to walk faithfully with Him now prepares us to remain faithful in every future season, including marriage. Thriving in singleness isn't about finding the right person, but about resting in the all-sufficiency of God.

Singleness isn't a problem to solve or a season to rush through—it's a greenhouse for unique growth and faithfulness to God. Learning to walk faithfully with Him now prepares us to remain faithful in every future season, including marriage. Thriving in singleness isn't about finding the right person, but about resting in the all-sufficiency of God.

In this second Twisted Passions episode, the host tackles a loaded question: Is homosexuality worse than other sins? He explains why Scripture uses especially strong language about homosexuality in the Old Testament, but then emphasizes that the New Testament consistently places it in “lists of sins,” highlighting the gospel's equal sufficiency for all sinners. The episode closes with a pastoral plea: churches often speak against homosexuality from the pulpit, but rarely speak _to_those quietly struggling in the pew, and that gap must change.Topics DiscussedWhy the question “worse” can mean different things (degree of wickedness, path of deliverance, depth of impact)“Corruption” vs “perversion” framing (heterosexual sin vs homosexual sin)Old Testament “abomination” language and civil penalty context (Leviticus 18, 20)New Testament “sin lists” (Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 6, Revelation 21) and what that implies for how believers should think and ministerGospel-centered conclusion: the blood of Christ is sufficient for “all sin,” and the church should not treat people with SSA as a different class of sinnerPastoral application: preaching only to “defend a statement” can unintentionally build a barrier for strugglers; we need diligence, not toleranceKey Takeaways“Worse” has multiple layers: moral weight, deliverance process, and personal impact.The New Testament's emphasis is not ranking sin but spotlighting the gospel that rescues sinners.Churches should pair biblical clarity with real pastoral care for those in the congregation who are silently battling.Practical safeguards and wise boundaries are normal in discipleship for any besetting sin, and should not be treated as uniquely shameful here.Ready to download the Cord App? Find it here!Download the Satisfied Battle Plan or listen to the rest of the series here!Satisfied is a monthly program on the Thee Generation Podcast designed to offer practical tools based on biblical principles so that anyone can experience full purity and lead others to do the same. To ask questions or share testimonies, send an email to satisfied@theegeneration.org. If you've been encouraged by this podcast, please take the time to give us a five-star rating and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the Thee Generation for others. For more faith inspiring resources and information about joining Thee Generation, please visit theegeneration.org.

Welcome to the Daily Disciple Podcast. As daily disciples, we seek to adore and follow Jesus, our teacher, into the abundant life that he offers. Because we find Jesus irresistible, fascinating, and incredibly practical, we want to be students of his scripture. Today's episode is found in Psalm 23 "Satisfied."

Bridge Engineering: Part 3 Settling In For A Long Winter’s Nap. Based on a post by Architect 23 94, in 3 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Connected. We all said our goodnights, then Stefani and I made our way back up the stairs. I closed the door to the basement and motioned for her to wait for a moment. I reached up to a nearby shelf and very carefully removed an old set of sleigh bells, which I silently hung on the doorknob as an early warning system. Stefani whispered, "Someone has been doing some serious planning." I quietly replied, "Yes, someone has. Is it working?" She answered by wrapping her arms around me and pulling me into our first slow, introductory kiss. Our lips separated briefly, we looked silently into each other's eyes for a moment, then our heads instinctively tilted and our lips came back together with a deeper, more confident kiss. One kiss blurred into two, then three, and continued until one was indistinguishable from the next. Our mouths opened wider and wider, yearning to feel the other partner's passion, before our tongues began a frantic dance between her mouth and mine. My hands began exploring the soft curves of her lower back, just above where the satin dress flared outward over her hips, and her long fingers ran through my hair as her hands eagerly pulled me into our hungry kisses. I lost all sense of time as we finally broke the passionate tension that had been building between us over the past months. I hadn't realized how much I missed an emotional and physical connection with a special someone, and I knew she felt the same. Our faces were both flush with passion and gasping for breath when I reluctantly pulled away from our moment. Without saying anything, I gently kissed her one more time, took her hand in mine, and led her toward the loft stairs. Stefani understood my intentions and acknowledged her consent with a beaming smile and by clutching my arm close to her body as we walked up the stairs. As we reached the top of the stairs, I motioned toward my bedroom door where a branch of mistletoe hung in the threshold. Stefani saw it and quickly moved to position herself as a gatekeeper in the doorway, saying, "I'm glad you took my advice." I responded by taking her in my arms and resuming the passionate kissing and interplay of our tongues that had begun downstairs. Stefani draped her arms around my neck and pressed her body against mine as my hands slid down her back to feel the satin covered swells of her ass. With our continued intimate contact, my cock responded and began to expand downward inside my pant leg, sandwiched against Stefani's pelvis as it grew. In her own expression of arousal, she extended one leg out from the full length slit in her skirt and wrapped it around the back of my thighs, intentionally pressing her skirt covered mound firmly against my restrained tool. Our mouths frantically struggled to find new depths and my hands cupped her ass as she began urgently grinding herself against my cock. The fervor was only broken when we began to lose balance and Stefani returned to standing on both feet. We both took the opportunity to occupy our hands in other ways, hers sliding between us to grasp at my cock and to unsuccessfully pull at my belt, and mine fumbling to release the back closure on her dress. Admitting defeat, we both paused and I moved behind her to take a different approach. My hand brushed her silken curls aside as I placed soft kisses down the side of her neck and slowly loosened a series of clasps on the back of her dress. She uttered soft moans of pleasure as my lips explored her nape then concentrated on areas that drew the most response. As I continued to expose more of her sensual back with the release of each fastener, Stefani crossed one arm over her bosom to hold the dress in place and reached behind herself with the other to caress the engorged flesh straining within the stretched fabric of my slacks. When I finished the last of the clasps, she removed her hand from my cock and used it to push me backward onto the edge of the bed. I sat in rapt attention as she took a couple steps away from me and, with her back turned, stepped out of her heels to reveal neatly manicured toes with nails painted to complement the color of her dress. Now with bare feet, she turned to face me, still holding the dress with one arm crossed over her tits. Her eyes erotically connected with mine as her hands slowly slid the dress downward, seductively unveiling bit by bit of her amazing body. First were her braless tits, pear-shaped handfuls with the slight sag of an early-thirties mother and topped with aroused gumdrop size nipples on proportionately sized areola. With my attentive eyes and childlike smile suggesting approval, the maroon satin curtain continued descending to uncover a slender torso with modestly toned abs and a cute concave belly button. Once her hands reached the top flare of her hips, Stefani released the dress and let gravity pool it at her feet. Her flat stomach and thin waist gave way to supple curves of womanly hips, which then tapered back to meet her long legs. The toned muscles gracefully ebbed and flowed, punctuated by lean knees and petite ankles, all proportionate to the scale of her tall, trim frame. Stefani was a vision, standing before me in nothing but a pair of black satin panties consisting of a small triangle over her sex and thin ribbons of fabric extending outward over subtly visible hip bones. I quickly shed my sport coat and shoes and began opening the buttons down the front of my dress shirt as Stefani did a slow turn and playfully wiggled her amazing heart-shaped ass. I tore my gaze from her body and looked her lustfully in the eyes as she completed her turn, "Wow, you are absolutely incredible!" My shirt was completely unbuttoned and my full-mast erection strained obscenely against the front of my dress pants. I pulled the shirt tails out from under my waistband and started to unbuckle my belt, but Stefani interceded, "Please, let me." I dropped my hands to my sides as she closed the few steps between us and bent forward to kiss me as I sat on the edge of the bed. We shared a few short kisses before she placed her hands on my chest and gently pushed my torso back on the bed. I propped myself on my elbows as she began trailing kisses down the center of my chest and deftly pulled my belt free of its buckle while opening my slacks. By the time her kisses reached my waist, she was on her knees before me and nuzzled her face against my boxer short covered rod and began kissing along its fabric covered length. The eroticism of the sight and the feel of her warm breath would have easily put me over the edge had I not done everything in my power to hold back. Sensing my edging, Stefani relented her touch and curled her slender fingers under the waistband of my slacks and boxers. I lifted my hips to assist while she pulled the waistband toward herself and carefully lifted it over my straining bulge. Her eyes fixated on the vertical tower that sprung upward as soon as it was free of its prison, and continued staring as she pushed the unwanted clothing down my legs. Once she had my pants fully removed, she slowly slid her hands along the top of my legs while she placed a line of kisses up my right inner thigh. She made one last kiss right next to the base of my cock then nuzzled her face against it and cooed soft hums of contentment. Meanwhile, her right hand took a moment to caress my pelvic area before her long, slender fingers encircled my shaft and began to explore its girth and length. After a few moments, Stefani pulled her head away from me enough to visually inspect every detail of my cock as her hand slowly stroked up-and-down and moved it from side-to-side, exploring its network of veiny ridges and large swollen mushroom cap. Her attention resulted in a bead of clear pre-cum pooling on my tip, which she leaned forward and licked away before it dripped downward. With her visual inspection seemingly complete, Stefani continued to slowly stroke my cock while she moved her head downward and used her tongue to caress my loose hanging, neatly shaven balls and then envelope one of the globes fully in her warm mouth. At this point, the previous single bead of pre-cum gave way to a steady stream trailing down the side of my shaft and over the back of her hand. After giving both orbs equal treatment, her tongue followed my trail of precum over the back of her hand and up my throbbing shaft to its source. She looked me deeply in the eyes as she slowly took my engorged head into her mouth and swirled her tongue around its rim. I held the approaching orgasm at bay by brushing her curly locks aside and placing my hands on the sides of her cheeks to gently guide her off my cock. I continued guiding her up to me where she put a leg on each side of my hips to straddle over me. I pulled her face down to mine and kissed her with passionate urgency as her naked chest pressed against mine and my still leaking cock sandwiched between my stomach and hers. As we kissed, she shifted her position upward so her panty covered sex rested on my shaft and then began to slowly rockng her hips, using my cock to work the fabric into her moist folds. My hands instinctively cupped her ass and reinforced her grinding motions. Kissing tapered off as our breathing became heavier and Stefani raised her torso off my chest to find a slightly different position on my cock. We continued to look into each other's eyes as my hands left her ass to explore the alluring tits hanging above me, seductively swaying in time with her motions. I held them for the very first time, massaging and gently squeezing the milky masses while her erect, gumdrop size nipples punctuated my palms. Her heavy breathing was interrupted when my fingers playfully pinched at the swollen nubs, so I took that as encouragement to lift my head and give them some oral stimulation. My mouth covered one, then the other, swirling my tongue and suckling as Stefani increased the speed and force of her hip movements. Realizing the pressure once again building in my balls, I swiftly rolled our semi-conjoined bodies and reversed our positions, with Stefani now on her back and me sliding off the edge of the bed to kneel between her legs. She raised her hips as I grasped and pulled the thin satin ribbons from her hips. They slid toward me and the sodden triangle of fabric reluctantly separated from her wet folds to reveal a small, neatly trimmed patch of hair immediately above glistening and rosy pink gateway petals. They were naturally opened wide to display her well-lubricated inner flesh and partially cloaked love-button. With her panties fully removed, I gently opened her knees and started to lean forward. Stefani understood my intent, bent her legs upward, and opened them widely to allow me full access. Like she had done to me earlier, my lips left a line of kisses up her inner thigh as my nose inhaled her intoxicating scent. Having reached my destination, I gently licked the outer lips on each side of her opening before sucking each into my mouth and giving equal treatment. Stefani's hands had found my head and were offering reassuring encouragement to continue the oral pleasures. My hands also wandered, alternating between holding her hips and kneading her tits as my tongue's attention became more fervent. I moved from her labia to firmly lick the length of her central opening, gently brushing over the top of her clit. Stefani responded by tensing her legs and clenching my hair in her hands. I returned down to cover the core of her sex with my mouth and swirl my tongue around the entrance to her tunnel. Stefani moaned and continued pulling at my hair as I very slowly moved my attention upward. Eventually, my mouth centered over her pearl and the tip of my tongue tenderly circled around it, before firmly pressing against it. She moaned loudly and every muscle in her body tightened as I changed from licking to sucking on her button. I was rewarded with a flood of her cordials and a long series of rhythmic contractions. I gave her outer petals a few more gentle licks and caressed her flat stomach with my hands while she recovered from the height of her pleasure. When she returned to consciousness, she breathlessly whispered, "Come here." and motioned me toward her. I stood from kneeling at the edge of the bed and climbed between her still splayed legs to hold myself over her. Stefani quietly said, "Thank you. You have no idea how amazing that was; how amazing it is to be here with you." as she tenderly wiped her juices from my cheeks and mouth. I responded, "It's been an amazing couple of months. I haven't felt this way about someone since;” I was speaking from my heart without the filter of my head when I realized the inappropriateness of what I was about to say, and adjusted my statement to, "; well, for a very long time." Stefani looked me lovingly in the eyes, cupped my cheek with her hand, and said, "It's okay to talk about her. Julie is still part of you and always should be. I know how much you love her and it means a lot that you would even mention me in the same breath." I leaned down with an appreciative kiss as I held myself over her. One kiss led to another, then to another and another, until our tongues were tangled and our mouths continually joined. We made out with renewed urgency and Stefani reached between our bodies to wrap her hand around my still steely rod. She broke our kissing long enough to beg, "Please, I need you inside me." Our kissing resumed as she guided my cock toward her opening and rubbed its engorged glans up and down her slit several times before removing her hand. Her arms encircled my neck as we kissed and I shifted my hips to seat the tip of my cock firmly against her gateway. Stefani moaned into my mouth when she felt the pressure, and tightened her arms around my neck when the head slowly pushed through her stretched but slippery opening. I cautiously rocked my hips, pausing frequently and allowing her passageway muscles to relax around my rigid cock. She urged me to continue by mumbling into our locked mouths, "More; more; more;” I applied a little more pressure with each motion of my hips and her body slowly welcomed me deeper and deeper. Signaling she wanted more, Stefani wrapped her long legs around me, interlocking her ankles behind my ass and flexing her legs to draw me further inside. With confidence that Stefani was wanting more, I broke our kissing and took her hands in mine, pinning them above her head as I held my body above hers. She seemed excited for me to take control and relaxed her legs while still keeping her ankles interlocked behind me. I began increasing the speed and force of my thrusts, eliciting yelps of pleasure as my cock explored new depths. The bed shook with our quick motions, as did Stefani's curly tresses and motherly tits. The expressions of pleasure on her face were incredibly erotic and I changed to longer, slower strokes to delay my pending orgasm and prolong our pleasure. She understood what I was doing and agreeably pleaded, "Kiss me." I did, and we made love with our mouths while she reinforced my long, slow, intentional pelvic motions with her legs wrapped around me. That tender moment was emblematic of everything we both wanted and needed. There was an unspoken connection between our souls, bridging our broken pasts and forever joining us into the future. Our bodies responded physically to the emotional and spiritual joining. Stefani's by weeping in happiness through a long, rolling orgasm; and mine by releasing eight years' worth of pent-up passion deep into her womb. Completely consumed by the intensity of the experience, Stefani rolled with me as I collapsed beside her on the bed, our legs still intertwined and my cock slowly softening inside her residual contractions. I looked knowingly into her tearful eyes and said softly, but with conviction, "I love you." Stefani pressed her forehead and sniffling nose into my neck and replied, "I love you, too; even more than I thought I did before tonight." We laid silently in each other's arms, exchanging occasional pecks of affection, until my flaccid cock slipped from Stefani's sex followed by a flood of our combined juices. She quickly cupped her hand to her crotch and scurried to the ensuite bathroom. While she was in there, I quickly slipped on my boxer shorts, opened the bedroom door, and stepped out into the loft to check on the girls. The house was silent and the sleigh bells on the basement doorknob appeared undisturbed. Satisfied all was well, I was walking back in the bedroom and was closing the door when Stefani emerged from the bathroom, still naked, and proclaimed in a hushed voice, "David! I've never been so full of cum in my life!" I shrugged my shoulders as I approached her saying, "You're the one that turned me on so much." then pulled her into a passionate embrace and kiss. She returned my kiss then pulled away saying, "I think I would like some more." as she pulled down my boxer shorts and dropped to her knees in one swift motion. She engulfed my limp cock into her warm mouth and massaged it with her tongue until it began to swell. One hand massaged my balls while the other cupped my ass cheek and pulled me into her ministrations. Once I had a hint of rigidity, she began bobbing her head and applying suction to further draw out my length. Working my cock in and out of her mouth, she made sure the sensitive underside of my glans remained in full contact with her tongue. It didn't take long for me to reach a full, raging erection. Sensing that with her mouth, Stefani confirmed with a couple quick strokes of her hand before standing and moving toward the bed. I watched in rapt attention as she climbed onto the center of the bed, positioned herself on her elbows and knees, and seductively wiggled her ass in the air. She looked at me over her shoulder with lust in her eyes and implored, "Take me!" I quickly climbed on the bed and positioned myself behind her. My hands playfully grabbed her hips and pulled her back into me, sandwiching my thickened shaft against her ass. She responded by wiggling her ass, which served to neatly seat my rod between her cheeks. I held her hips with my hands and rocked a few times to slide the underside of my cock against her cheeks. Having played around enough, I shifted backward on my knees and cupped a hand under her sex. I briefly caressed her inflamed and eager mound before dipping two fingers further into her very well lubricated slit. Stefani uttered encouraging moans as my fingers worked in and out of her dripping wet hole. Knowing we were both ready for the main event, I pulled my copiously coated hand from her mound and used it, along with the pre-cum already dripping from my tip, to spread lubrication along the length of my throbbing shaft. Stefani looked back at me as I held her hip with one hand and guided my cock toward her opening with the other. We both gave prolonged moans as our heightened arousal allowed me to penetrate her fully in one long push. Once inside her, she looked back at me and renewed her original request, "Take me!" And so I did. With my hands holding her hips and pulling her back against my pelvis with every stroke, I began lustfully pistoning in and out of her tunnel. She buried her face into the mattress and squealed with delight as I pounded into her roughly, causing her hanging pear-shaped tits to swing violently with my harsh pummeling. After a while, my hands moved to cradle the milky fruits and feel their rippling movements against my palms. As I became winded from the extended punishment I was giving Stefani, I used the supple handfuls to raise her torso toward me and aggressively kiss the nape of her neck as my cock momentarily slowed its assault. Stefani muttered unintelligible encouragements as her tunnel walls pleasured in the slowed movements of my veiny shaft and bulbous head erotically sliding in and out. In the course of my affection, her breathing quickened and became shallower as she ascended toward climax. Knowing she was close, I gave her sensitive nipples a quick squeeze, pushed her torso back down to the mattress, and grabbed her hips to resume my forceful penetrations. My lustful plunging quickly put Stefani over her summit and she emitted long moans of pleasure punctuated only by the impacts of my pelvis against her ass. Her body began quaking and, unable to support herself, crashed forward face down on the bed. My body followed hers downward and pinned her against the mattress as I gave a few more hard thrusts before pushing myself as far into her depths as possible, and releasing volley after volley of cum. Her walls sheathing my cock spasmed through a long drawn-out orgasm, milking every drop of seed from my cock. I held myself over her while our mutual orgasm slowly subsided. Not wanting to smother her with my weight, I rolled off to her side, leaving a strand of cum as my cock slipped from her warmth and dragged across her ass. Still laying on her stomach, Stefani turned her head and motioned me toward her for a series of lovingly soft post-coital kisses. She then repeated her earlier actions of cupping a hand to her crotch and making her way to the bathroom, to which I chuckled and she returned a playfully stern expression and wagging finger. I checked on the girls again while she was in the bathroom and then we both decided we should get a little sleep before they would be up for Christmas morning. Stefani set the alarm on her phone and we drifted off to sleep naked in each other's arms. Wake Up Call. I didn't hear the alarm, but Stefani did and apparently decided to give me a different type of wake-up call. I awoke to the feeling of wet warmth around my morning erection. I looked down to see a mass of dark curly hair slowly moving up and down over my midsection. I reached out and brushed aside her mane to see her looking up at me, the corners of her mouth smiling from around my cock. She briefly pulled it from her mouth and offered a cheery, "Good morning handsome." I replied, "Good morning beautiful." before she returned her attention to pleasuring me. She resumed slowly making oral love to my glans and moved one hand to massage my balls as she worked. After a while, she began to take more of my shaft with each downward motion until my engorged head began flirting with the entrance to her throat. She had no perceivable reflex to the contact and, on the following downstroke, wiggled her head a little to work my crown past the restriction. Once past the threshold, she took my full length, burying her nose firmly into my pelvis. She held herself there for several moments before pulling herself off my cock, then repeating the actions again and again. I had never experienced that feeling before and it didn't take long for me to be overcome by the pleasure. While buried deep in her throat, I urgently warned, "I'm going to cum! I'm going to cum!" Stefani strained to push her head down further and take in every possible millimeter of my cock before purposefully constricting her throat around the head of my cock. My hands grasped at her curly locks as I launched forceful jets of cum directly into her throat. After the first few ejections, she pulled back to remove my crown from her throat and to milk the remaining cum into her mouth with a rhythmic bobbing motion. She looked into my eyes as she swallowed my seed and continued fellating my organ until it softened in her mouth, then simply said, "Merry Christmas, David." Christmas Morning. I had started a fire in the great room fireplace after Stefani's morning gift and was faking blanket-covered sleep on the sofa when I heard little footsteps clamoring up the basement steps and bursting through the sleigh bell alarmed door. The girls scurried across the room in their new pajamas, taking the shortest route to the Christmas presents under the tree, and began eagerly exploring which packages were for whom. I pretended to be waking up and put on a show by pushing the blanket aside, stretching my arms in an exaggerated fashion as I sat upright, and saying, "Merry Christmas, girls!" Just then, I saw Stefani coming down the loft stairs and continuing the ruse by drearily rubbing her eyes and smoothing her disheveled curls. She had apparently gone shopping in my closet and was wearing one of my old t-shirts, which was long enough on her to almost completely cover a pair of my boxer shorts beneath. She echoed, "Merry Christmas everyone!" The girls distractedly replied, "Merry Christmas," as they continued sorting through gifts under the tree. Stefani sat down next to me on the sofa and folded one leg beneath her. After confirming the girls were not looking, I turned my head and gave Stefani a quick peck on the lips before suggesting, "Girls, do you want to pass out all the presents?" They excitedly responded, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" and enthusiastically went about checking tags and making stacks of presents where each recipient was seated. I reached over to take Stefani's hand in mine, our fingers interlaced, as we soaked in the holiday atmosphere. During their process, Toni and Lizzie independently delivered a package for either me or Stefani and noticed us holding hands. Interestingly, they both had similar reactions which amounted to hesitating for a moment, then going on about what they were doing as if us holding hands was expected and logical. Once the girls had all the gift bags and wrapped boxes distributed, we took the civilized approach of taking turns, each of us opening a present while the others looked on. Toni and Lizzie each received an assortment of clothes, girly trinkets, and a couple electronic items. Stefani and I were especially moved when the girls exchanged gifts they had personally selected for each other, then embraced in an extended hug. On my next turn opening a gift, I was genuinely touched when I unwrapped a shirt-box size package from Lizzie to find a small ceramic coin dish, hand-painted in red and green with speckles of gold glitter. Also in the box was an impressively detailed color pencil drawing of Lizzie, Toni, Stefani, and me all holding hands and standing on Lizzie's little bridge behind our house. Stefani and I reserved our presents to each other until all the others had been opened and the girls were happily playing with their new toys. We sat on the sofa watching them and shared occasional discreet touches of affection before exchanging our gifts. I'm sure we would have both selected different items had we known the deepening of our relationship that would occur on Christmas Eve, but they were still meaningful in a retrospective way. I opened an absolutely beautiful mechanical wristwatch with an ornately engraved metal band. As I was admiring its craftsmanship, I noticed the side of the clock face was inscribed with intricate script, "Thank you for being on-time. --Stefani" Knowing the deeper significance of those words in Stefani's painful past made my gift to her equally meaningful. I presented her a small box which she opened to reveal a delicate silver pendant necklace containing a marble-size translucent brown gemstone. Her slender fingers picked up a small printed card inside the jewelry box that read, "Legend of Apache Tears -- This gemstone native to Superior, Arizona bears the tears shed by Apache women after loss of their men defending the sacred homelands. For those who possess an Apache Tear, their emotional body will be cleansed of old traumas or wounds and they need not cry again, because the Apache women cried enough for the one who holds the stone." Stefani carefully placed the card back into the jewelry box and closed the case saying, "Thank you, but I think you are my real healer." I replied, "I know you are mine." and gave her a short but meaningful kiss. Our lips pulled away from each other to find the girls sitting on the floor by the Christmas tree, distracted from playing by the sight of us kissing. Stefani was quicker thinking than me and asked the intentionally leading question, "How would the two of you feel about the four of us spending more time together?" To my surprise, Lizzie put her toys aside, walked over to the sofa and gave Stefani a giant hug. She said something to Stefani while they hugged, but I couldn't make out the words. Toni followed Lizzie's lead and came over to give me a hug. Her face buried into my neck, she said with the honest wisdom of a child, "You make my mom happy." Not understanding the full significance of what had just occurred, Toni and Lizzie returned to playing while Stefani and I silently held hands and just enjoyed the moment. My mind drifted to recount the last couple months, and last 24 hours, as the fingers of my free hand idly twisted and twirled a small piece of wrapping paper. While Stefani and I had commonly tragic backgrounds that drew us together, that is not why I loved her. That was simply the key that opened our guarded doors and freed our real selves. I loved her for being the intelligent, quick-witted, caring, compassionate, and cheerful person I had come to know once she let me inside her world. When we were together, especially with Lizzie and Toni, we felt like a real family. There was genuine care and warmth. Lizzie's reaction to hug Stefani earlier surprised me, but it shouldn't have. I did the best I could to raise her, but I was still only one man. She didn't have a mother figure in her life and, looking back over the last couple months, I could see the special bond she was starting to form with Stefani. I vowed to myself right then that I would focus on doing the same with Toni. Her earlier statement of, "You make my mom happy." and the picture she drew of the four of us holding hands, told me she was clearly more astute to the situation than I was aware. My heart yearned for the impromptu family the four of us had started to become and, more importantly, it yearned for Stefani in a way I hadn't felt since Julie. I glanced down at my free hand and observed that my fidgeting fingers had unconsciously produced a little twisted rope circle from the scrap of wrapping paper. In that moment, I realized that my heart knew what it needed. The girls had moved their play downstairs while I was lost in my thoughts, and Stefani and I hadn't said anything in quite some time. She eventually broke the silence, and my distant stare, by asking, "Are you okay? What's wrong?" I responded, "Nothing is wrong. Absolutely nothing." before continuing with conviction, "I know this is going to sound impulsive, but I've never felt more clearly about anything in my life." I lifted my free hand with the little wrapping paper ring and said, "I love you, Stefani. Will you marry me?" She quickly and emphatically answered, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" and her eyes filled with tears as I slipped the makeshift giftwrap ring over her finger. She then leapt into my lap, cradled my face with her palms, and passionately kissed me through her weeping. The Idea. We introduced the idea to Lizzie and Toni as we were all playing board games that Christmas afternoon. It would be an understatement to say they were thrilled about being sisters and living in the same house together. Stefani and I hadn't even begun to consider logistics of being a family. Would we live in my house, her house, a new house? Regardless, the girls immediately started planning how they wanted to decorate a shared bedroom. Stefani asked if they might each like their own room, an idea which the girls quickly dismissed. As the girls' planning continued, Stefani discreetly moved her hand under the table and onto my thigh, giving it affectionate caresses and little love squeezes. I gave her a contented smile, then a moment later she interrupted the girls' conversation to ask, "Would the two of you like to sleep in the tent downstairs again tonight?" Of course they said yes, but I think Stefani and I were even more excited than they were. When the evening wound down, we tucked them into bed and headed upstairs to my bedroom. Stefani decided she would like a shower so we gathered towels and toiletries, sharing plenty of kisses and touches as we did. We reluctantly parted and she proceeded into the bathroom. I heard the glass door open and close, then the sounds of splashing water indicating she was in the shower. I gave her about 10-minutes to freshen up before stripping naked and going in to surprise her. I opened the shower door to see her rinsing shampoo from her hair. She continued rinsing without interruption, but acknowledged me by saying, "I was hoping you would come in." My hands explored her body while she attempted to rinsed her hair, my hardened cock occasionally poking and pressing against her as we moved. She gave up rinsing after a few moments and we urgently kissed in each other's arms, our wet naked bodies pressed together and responding to the slippery contact. After some extended foreplay, I turned Stefani away from me and motioned for her to place one foot up on the tiled shower bench, then entered her from behind in that standing position. She steadied herself against the shower walls as I passionately took her in that standing position, my hands alternating between her holding her hips and kneading her soapy tits. Stefani giggled as I eventually pulled out of her and the combined product of our orgasms trailed down the inside of her leg and swirled down the shower drain. We did actually clean ourselves, of course with a lot of shared soaping, rinsing, and drying assistance, before taking our desire to the bed. We made love numerous times that night in various waves of passion, some tender and caring, some urgent and visceral, and all immensely satisfying to our bodies and souls. Announcement. Stefani told her parents about our engagement when they returned from their cruise. They were understandably concerned given the very short timeline of events and urged her to slow things down. They expressed the same to me when Lizzie and I met them for the first time over a family dinner. After eating, her parents took me aside to reinforce their concerns when I began talking somewhat cryptically, "I was perfectly content living day-to-day, just Lizzie and me as our own little family. Sure, I had fantasies about my wife still being alive, or meeting some beautiful woman that would fill that hole in my heart, but I didn't expect that to ever happen and certainly didn't seek it out. Then Lizzie met Toni, and I met a very; guarded; version of Stefani." Her parents gave each other knowing glances at that statement, and her dad offered, "And bitchy." I laughed and put my hands up in the air as if to mockingly plead, "You said it, not me." before I verbally continued, "Let's just say that her; cold; attitude led to us having a conversation and discovering we have some common experiences in our pasts. Anyway, that's when I truly met the real Stefani and began falling in love, not because of our common pasts, but because of the beautiful, intelligent, caring, compassionate, and cheerful person I came to know after she let me in. I didn't understand what was missing from my life until I truly met the real Stefani; and Toni. The four of us complete each other." Her parents' faces visibly softened as I continued, "I completely understand your concerns, and I'm willing to wait as long as it takes to have your blessing. Your daughter is my fantasy, my fairy tale that I thought I would never find. I can wait a little longer." Her mom's eyes filled with tears and her dad held out his hand to shake mine saying, "You have our blessing. I trust the two of you to decide when the time is right." Blending. Stefani and I honored her parent's guidance and spent the next months growing together and falling deeper in love. We had frequent sleepover nights at both my house and hers and were really beginning to function as a family of four. Stefani was very much becoming a mother to Lizzie, and me a father to Toni. At some point that spring, we all knew the time was right. In early June, Stefani's parents and a small gathering of friends looked on as Stefani, Toni, Lizzie, and I stood on the bridge behind our house and officially became a family. It turns out maybe Lizzie was always right about that bridge. It did have a way of healing wounds and making everything right again. Based on a post by Architect 23 94, in 3 parts, for Literotica.

Ryan Wrecker filling in for Annie, and taking on the Fed meeting, the Trump economic meeting, and much more. Guests are Deroy Murdock and Doug Kelly, and topics include the AI arms race, and narco terrorism.

Dan Glessing, president of the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation, joins Jordana.

 Bridge Engineering: Part 1Two broken, single parents find healing.Based on a post by Architect 23 94, in 3 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Connected.And so it began. The start of another school year. I pulled my Jeep into the school grounds and took my place in the waiting drop-off lane. Children scurried about the school grounds with crisp back-to-school clothes and brightly colored backpacks not yet soiled and tattered from use. I winced internally as numerous mothers hugged their little ones, sent them into the building, and tearfully departed.My Elizabeth unfastened her seatbelt and eagerly fidgeted on the edge of the seat as we crept forward in line. Upon arrival at the designated unloading zone, Lizzie contorted herself over the center console and gave me a tight, all-consuming hug. "I love you Daddy!" she shouted as a volunteer parent opened the car door. And with that, she was gone in a flash. The volunteer and I just smiled at each other and shrugged our shoulders.In a repeat of years past, I drove away with a feeling of emptiness. Lizzie and I spent every minute of the summer together and I grew accustomed to her as my constant companion. It seemed like just yesterday that I dropped her off for the first day of preschool. Today it's third grade. How fast will the remaining years fly by before she leaves me all alone?I spent the day in a nearby coffee shop distractedly conducting business via email on my laptop. It wasn't rational, but somehow it felt better knowing I was only a couple minutes from the school, and from Lizzie. Time passed excruciatingly slow and I struggled to resist going to the school and being one of 'those' helicopter parents. Well, school ends at 2:50. I held out until 2:15.I was third in the line of vehicles waiting for pick-up and my eyes anxiously scanned the mass of children emerging from the school doors. It wasn't long before I spotted Lizzie joyfully skipping hand-in-hand with a girl I didn't recognize. She was rail thin, had a very lightly tanned skin tone, and towered above Lizzie. That wasn't too surprising since Lizzie took after her very petite mother and also barely made the birthday cutoff for her grade, but this girl was quite a bit taller than the average third grader.The girls zig-zagged as they skipped down the sidewalk with swinging arms and bouncing hair. Lizzie's straight and amber brown, her friend's a loose mass of dark curls. Lizzie spotted my Jeep and pointed it out to her friend. They hugged goodbye with Lizzie's arms around her friend's waist, and her friend's arms around Lizzie's head. I smiled at the height contrast and felt a sense of relief as Lizzie ran toward the Jeep.She climbed in and frantically began telling me everything about her day, a flood of words pouring from her mouth as if a damn holding them back had burst, "My teacher is Mrs. Pierpont and she is really nice and she has red hair. A boy named Alex sits next to me and he has shiny shoes. I had a hot dog for lunch and; and; and;”My heart felt comfort as she sat next to me and I heard the happiness in her voice. I needed her near me and to know that everything was ok.Lizzie had talked non-stop for 10 minutes and was still going as we headed toward home. The small-town streets gave way to a rural two-lane road as we headed out of town, and eventually the tires crunched along the gravel road leading to our house in the woods. It was the tranquil setting that I needed when Lizzie and I moved here 8 years ago."; and I met a new friend. Her name is Toni, well it's really Antonia, but she wants to be called Toni. Kind of like my name is Elizabeth, but you call me Lizzie. She is really nice and really tall. She has a pet frog."I interrupted to ask, "Is that who you were skipping with after school?""Yes, she in my class but she doesn't sit next to me. I met her when we were in line for lunch and we sat together. She brought a salad from home and bought a milk in the lunch line. She just moved here from somewhere else. Can I bring lunch from home tomorrow?"I patted her knee with my hand and said, "Of course, you can sweetie." as we parked in front of the house.It wasn't a large house but was plenty of space for the two of us. There was a great room, kitchen and half bathroom on the main level; two bedroom-bathroom suites and a loft space on the second level; and a semi-finished basement that I had been slowly working on for several years. It had all the modern technology and conveniences but was built with a rustic charm complementing its setting in the woods.We kicked our shoes off in the mudroom and Lizzie discarded her backpack into the coat cubby by the door. Lizzie, or more accurately, I, survived the first day of the school year. Only 179 more to go.Getting In A Rhythm.Lizzie and I settled into the school year rhythm over the next couple weeks and I began to slowly let go of my separation anxiety. Every day, I dropped her off at school, worked from home, then picked her up from school. Evenings were filled with homework, dinner preparation, and some form of relaxing time together. Lizzie particularly enjoyed walking in the woods and making up imaginary games with sticks, leaves, rocks, or other things she would find along the way. The grand finale of her outdoor adventures was always spending some time on a rope swing that I had hung from a tall oak tree. Other nights we might occupy ourselves with board games, cards, or television as the mood struck us. At the end of every night, Lizzie would get ready for bed then we would spend about a half-hour talking and reading a book of her choice before turning off the lights.I also noticed another pattern forming in those first few weeks of school. Lizzie was talking more and more about her new friend, Toni. They waited for each other to arrive in the mornings before going into the school together and would always emerge side-by-side in the afternoons. They were quickly becoming inseparable and I was happy to see her form that kind of relationship. Like me, Lizzie had always been socially reserved with only a few limited friendships.I saw her reserved personality opening up more and more with Toni, so one evening when Lizzie asked if she could invite her to play at our house, I readily agreed. I wrote my name and cell phone number on a note pad before tearing it out and handing it to Lizzie, "Ask her to have her parents call me and we will see if we can setup a time to play."Lizzie squealed and bounced up and down in excitement. She continued bouncing all the way to the mudroom and safely deposited the note in her backpack.Introductions.It was a couple days later, mid-morning on Thursday, that I answered a call from a number I didn't recognize. Thinking it was likely a business call, I answered, "Hello, this is David."A friendly but hesitant female voice replied, "Hi, I'm Stefani, Toni's mom.""Hi Stefani. It's nice to meet you, well, over the phone at least. Lizzie has been so excited to play with Toni!""Yes, I've heard a lot about Lizzie over the last couple weeks. Toni is excited too."I got down to details and asked, "When is Toni available?""Would Saturday afternoon, maybe around 1:00, work for you?""Yes, that would be just fine." Not knowing how many facts about our home life found its way to Toni's parents, I tried to be understanding of the fact that people can be cautious of sending their children, especially girls, to a single father's house. I tentatively asked, "Where would Toni be most comfortable? Lizzie would love for her to come here, or we are happy to meet at Triangle Park. Whatever works best for you."Stefani thought for a brief second, then replied, "Would you be comfortable dropping Lizzie off at our house for a couple hours?"I noticed that she said, "drop her off for a couple hours," which clearly meant I was not invited to stay. However, I didn't think much of it since a dad hanging around during a play date in someone else's house would be awkward at best."Yes, I'm sure Lizzie would enjoy that."Stefani gave me the address, then we exchanged closing words and ended the call. I sat and reflected on the conversation for a few moments. It all seemed very normal. Stefani seemed "normal" and was pleasant enough, though I sensed a business-like tone in her voice. I shrugged it off thinking, "How much can you tell from a 2-minute phone call?"Getting Together.I told Lizzie the news when I picked her up from school. She shrieked with excitement, did a little dance in her seat, and began counting the hours until 1:00 Saturday. She definitely got that over-enjoyment of simple things in life, and the dancing talent, from her mother!Saturday eventually arrived, although much too slowly for Lizzie's liking. After lunch, we hopped into the Jeep and rode into town with Lizzie impatiently fidgeting in the passenger seat the whole way. We pulled onto Depot Street near downtown and Lizzie helped me scan for the mailbox with the correct house number. I saw it from a distance and slowed down so she could have the discovery."There it is! There it is! 2 1 5!" she screamed.I brought the Jeep to a stop in front of a small, well-kept bungalow style home with an impressive display of annual flowers by the front steps. As soon as we stopped, Toni burst out the front door and bounded down the porch steps in a single leap. Likewise, Lizzie unfastened her seatbelt and threw open the door in one fluid motion. They met midway across the yard in a full speed, shrieking embrace.I smiled at their innocent joy as I unbuckled my seatbelt and walked around the Jeep toward the house. As I did, the front door opened and a tall, slender lady stepped out onto the porch in bare feet, wearing fashionably weathered blue jeans and a buff color corded sweater. She appeared to be in her early 30s and looked like the identical, older version of Toni. She was maybe around 5 foot 10, tall and had the same slender build, with addition of modest womanly curves at her hips and chest. Her chiseled facial features and shoulder length dark curls were also a matured version of Toni's.I approached the porch and offered a cheery "Hello! I'm David, nice to meet you."She crossed her arms and somewhat coldly replied, "Hi David," then with a voice inflection that implied more of an assertion than a question said, "Would it be ok for you to pick Lizzie up at 3:00?"I sensed the invisible barrier she was erecting and halted my progress toward the porch."Yes, that would be fine. I'll see you then."As I turned away to walk back to the Jeep, she flatly said, "Please don't be late."I didn't reply to her, but turned my attention to Lizzie and said loudly enough for my demander to hear, "Have fun girls! I'll be back Before 3:00 to pick you up Lizzie."While the lady on the porch didn't introduce herself, the voice matched Stefani's from our phone call a few days ago, and was equally business-like in demeanor. It's difficult to describe. She didn't project a mean or nasty personality that would have made me wary of leaving Lizzie, but she was definitely keeping her distance. The mystery of it piqued my curiosity and made me realize that, as much as Lizzie talked about Toni, she hadn't told me anything about her family.I ran a couple errands around town and returned to Lizzie's house at 2:50, ten minutes early. When I pulled up I saw numerous toys strewn across the front yard and heard playing voices and squeals coming from behind the house. Since I was early, I leisurely wandered the front yard picking up hula-hoops, jump ropes, a bicycle, and a few balls. As I deposited the last couple items into a neat pile next to the driveway, I heard Stefani's voice behind me softly say, "Thank you, you didn't need to do that."I turned to face her as she stood on the porch in the same jeans and sweater she had on earlier, "No worries. I was a little early and didn't want to intrude."With her arms crossed in front of her, Stefani somewhat timidly said, "Thank you for that too; for being early."Just then, the girls came running around the corner of the house screaming, "Spider! Spider! Spider!"I looked at Stefani, smiled and shrugged my shoulders. I corralled Lizzie and said, "It's time to go, is there anything you need to clean up?"Toni answered for her, "No, we just had toys out in the front yard. I'll put them in the garage."The girls pleaded for another play date as they hugged. Stefani simply answered, "We'll see."I gave a quick wave goodbye as Lizzie and I climbed in the Jeep and pulled away.Drop-offs and Pick-ups.Over the next few days, the pattern of school drop-offs and pick-ups with Lizzie and Toni as an inseparable pair continued, and Lizzie begged me relentlessly for another out-of-school play date with Toni. Given Stefani's tepid response at the end of the last play date, I was hesitant to initiate. However, Lizzie's continued insistence eventually wore me down and I made the phone call that Thursday.Stefani answered the phone with a simple, "Hello.""Hi Stefani. This is Lizzie's dad, David. How are you today?"She answered somewhat suspiciously, "I'm fine."After a second of not receiving any more of a response, I stumbled a bit with my words and added, "Uh, Lizzie would really like to get together with Toni again. I; I was just calling to see if you would be open to that."Stefani questioned sharply, "Why are you asking if I'm open to it?"I stumbled some more, "Uh; well; you sounded a little hesitant at the end of the last play date and; and I didn't want to be presumptuous about them getting together again."She coldly answered, "I'm fine with it.""Okay, good. It seems Lizzie and Toni are becoming fast friends."In an ever-so-slightly warmer tone of voice, Stefani asked, "When and where are you thinking?""How about Saturday afternoon again? Wherever you would prefer is fine with us.""Yes, that works. Saturday afternoon at 3:00. How about our house again?"I replied, "Sounds good. We'll see you then." before we exchanged goodbyes. I ended the cell phone call and loudly exhaled my relief that the awkward conversation was over.Building Friendships.The beginning of the second play date went much like the first; screaming girls happy to see each other, a cold reception from Stefani, and a firm directive to be there on-time to pick up Lizzie. It also ended similarly to the first play date. I arrived early, exchanged a few short words with Stefani, and gently guided Lizzie to the Jeep as the girls begged for more time together. This same routine became standard procedure over the next several weeks and a half dozen more play dates.The only change to the pattern occurred after the first few play dates, when Stefani and I began texting each other to make arrangements rather than talking on the phone. The texting suited me just fine as it avoided the awkwardness of our previous telephone conversations.Eventually, Lizzie started asking if Toni could come to our house to play. I avoided the subject as long as possible since I wasn't sure how Stefani would feel about Toni coming to a single father's house or, for that matter, even how much she knew about our family situation. After an especially persuasive appeal from Lizzie one afternoon, I caved and picked up my phone to text Stefani.I wasn't sure how to best approach the question and, after several re-writes, settled on a minimal and factual approach, "Hi Stefani. Lizzie would like to invite Toni over to our house for a play date."A couple hours later my phone buzzed with the simple reply, "Okay. When?"After a few exchanges of date options, we settled on that Thursday after school. Stefani offered to drop her off and I sent her our address.I told Lizzie the plan and she immediately began formulating a list of all the things they would do. The two activities that kept rising to the top were to show Toni her bedroom and play on a bridge that she and I had built over a small creek in the woods.It was a simple bridge made by spanning a couple logs from bank to bank, then covering them with old rough sawn slab wood for a walking surface that was about 6-feet wide. It wasn't much, but it was sufficient to occasionally get my small tractor to the other side of the creek and it was one of Lizzie's favorite spots in the world; running over it, throwing stones into the water, looking for crayfish, watching the squirrels and chipmunks, sliding on the frozen stream in the winter, etc. If the weather was nice, she would sometimes do her homework laying belly down on the bridge with her elbows propping up her upper body.It was also her spot of solace when she was sad or upset. She would sit on the edge swinging her feet below her until the surrounding woods healed whatever was bothering her. Eventually, she would meander her way back to the house in a much better mood than she left.She and I were a lot alike in that respect. It was the very reason I bought the property when we moved here, to get away from life and let nature heal some wounds.Inseparable.Lizzie was positively giddy during the ride home from school on Thursday. She recapped the list of things she had planned to show and do with Toni. I reminded her to be a good host and do the things that Toni wants to do, though I suspected that would easily be worked out between the now inseparable friends.As Lizzie shed her backpack and shoes in the mudroom, she asked, "Can we make chocolate chip cookies before Toni gets here?""Sure, I think we have all the ingredients. Start getting everything out."We had made cookies together enough that Lizzie knew where everything was located. She rushed around pulling ingredients, mixing bowls, and baking sheets out of the pantry. After confirming everything needed was present, Lizzie started measuring ingredients into the mixing bowl. I stood by to lend assistance when needed and occasionally clarify a fractional measurement or the difference between teaspoons and tablespoons.Other than a little incident with the flour, Lizzie did a great job mixing the cookie dough. Together, we spooned balls of dough onto baking sheets and put the first tray into the oven. Lizzie set the timer and I suggested she go clean the flour off her arms and face while they were baking.I cleaned errant flour from the countertop and floor while Lizzie washed up. Just as I finished and began to load the dirty bowls and mixing utensils into the dishwasher, the oven timer chimed and there was a knock at the front door almost simultaneously.Lizzie heard it and ran full speed to the door. I quickly dried my hands and hit the button to silenc

Nicholas "Harry" Callas reacts to the Steelers' 27-22 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

Episode Two Hundred and Seventy Nine Are you satisfied? 

Sunday Evening, December 7, 2025 | S0585 SPEAKER: Roger Shouse DOWNLOAD: Interactive outline WATCH NOW: Livestream S0585

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on December 03, 2025. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.

On this episode of Altitude Advantage, team reporter Elisa Hernandez and lead writer Aric DiLalla preview the Broncos' Week 14 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders. Into + listener comments (00:00-9:51) Garett Bolles named Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee (9:52-14:10) Broncos not satisfied with 10-2 start (14:11-22:07) Denver's offense readies for rematch with Raiders (22:08-27:33) Broncos defense looks to hold Raiders in check again (28:33-36:52)  Key games around the league this weekend (36:53-43:04) Broncos who should earn Pro Bowl consideration (43:05-48:26) Want more of Altitude Advantage? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts. Make sure to leave a rating and review or a comment if you're watching on YouTube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Award-winning filmmakers Melissa Haizlip and Chris Bolan spoke to me about their documentary SATISFIED that gives and intimate behind the scenes look at the life of Renée Elise Goldsberry; the ups and downs, disappointments, and joys of her personal life and career, including her Tony award winning role in the Broadway production of 'Hamilton'.SATISFIED is available to stream on AppleTV, VoD and distributed by @AuraEnter Find me on Social Media at: @CarrieCnh12paypal.com/paypalme/carolynhinds0525My Social Media hashtags are: #CarolynTalks #DramasWithCarrie #SaturdayNightSciFi #SHWH #KCrushVisit Authory.com/CarolynHinds to find links to all of my published film festival coverage, writing, YouTube and other podcasts So Here's What Happened!, and Beyond The Romance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hope is not a wish that something will happen or go well, but a confidence in what God has said or promised.Tune in this week as pastor Westley Henry shares on the truth of hope.If you would like to partner with BLVD Church and what we are doing in the community, you can make an investment of support at https://blvd.church/give

Wednesday of the First Week of Advent

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel addresses the media on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These biblical principles will change your life forever. In this series, Dr. Jerry Savelle reveals what it truly means to be redeemed and blessed. It is normal for a believer to walk in everything Jesus paid for—peace, healing, and more—every single day. This revelation transformed Dr. Jerry and Dr. Carolyn Savelle's lives—and it can transform yours too. The apostle Paul called this message the most important truth he ever delivered to the church. As you watch, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the significance of the cross and the power of Jesus' victorious resurrection. His finished work is the foundation for God's power and the fullness of His blessing operating in your life today. Get this revelation—and watch your life begin to change before your eyes. Discover what happened at Calvary and how it applies to you as a believer right now.

These biblical principles will change your life forever. In this series, Dr. Jerry Savelle reveals what it truly means to be redeemed and blessed. It is normal for a believer to walk in everything Jesus paid for—peace, healing, and more—every single day. This revelation transformed Dr. Jerry and Dr. Carolyn Savelle's lives—and it can transform yours too. The apostle Paul called this message the most important truth he ever delivered to the church. As you watch, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the significance of the cross and the power of Jesus' victorious resurrection. His finished work is the foundation for God's power and the fullness of His blessing operating in your life today. Get this revelation—and watch your life begin to change before your eyes. Discover what happened at Calvary and how it applies to you as a believer right now.

===== MDJ Script/ Top Stories for November 28th Publish Date:  November 28th    Commercial: From the BG AD Group Studio, Welcome to the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast.    Today is Friday, November 28th and Happy Birthday to Dave Righetti I’m Keith Ippolito and here are the stories Cobb is talking about, presented by Times Journal Flight delays: Here are your rights when flying over the holidays in 2025 Holiday lights on display in metro Atlanta ‘Elf The Musical’ coming to Fox Theatre for the Christmas season Plus, Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on soy and oat milk All of this and more is coming up on the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen and subscribe!  BREAK: INGLES 2 STORY 1: Flight delays: Here are your rights when flying over the holidays in 2025 Ever been stuck at the airport, staring at the departure board, wondering what your rights are? Turns out, there’s a “magic number” for delays: 3 hours for domestic flights, 6 for international. Hit that threshold, and airlines have to help—refund, rebook, your call. But here’s the catch: no extra compensation in the U.S. Some airlines, like Delta or Alaska, will throw in meal vouchers or even a hotel if it’s their fault (think staffing, not weather). Others? Not so generous. Pro tip: check your airline’s policy before you fly. And pack snacks. Always.  STORY 2: Holiday lights on display in metro Atlanta  The holidays are here, and metro Atlanta is lighting up—literally. Whether you’re cruising through a drive-thru wonderland or strolling under glowing canopies, there’s magic everywhere. Candy Rush at Six Flags (Marietta): A mile of lights, candy canes, and a gingerbread village. Sweet tooth? Satisfied. Nov. 14–Jan. 4. $39.99 per car. Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens: Seven miles, 10 million lights, and Santa. Forbes loves it, and so will you. Nov. 14–Jan. 4. Tickets start at $24.99. Lanier Islands’ Magical Nights of Lights: Six miles of twinkling displays. Pure nostalgia. Nov. 15–Jan. 4. From $25. WildWoods: AGLOW at Fernbank: Glowing gardens, luminous dandelions, and interactive magic. Nov. 14–Feb. 28. From $16.95. Go make some memories! STORY 3: ‘Elf The Musical’ coming to Fox Theatre for the Christmas season Buddy the Elf is in town, and he’s bringing the holiday cheer! “Elf The Musical” is hitting the Fox Theatre stage Dec. 16-21, but Buddy’s not waiting till then to spread some Christmas magic. Catch him around Atlanta this weekend: Friday night at The Blind Elf Parlour Bar (5:30-7:30 p.m.), or Saturday at the Children’s Museum (10 a.m.-noon), the Georgia Festival of Trees (2-4 p.m.), and Atlantic Station’s Light the Station event (4-7:30 p.m.). So, grab your syrup and get ready—it’s gonna be festive! We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.799.6810 for more info.  We’ll be right back. Break: STRAND THEATRE STORY 4: Piedmont Oncology Opens Early Detection Pancreatic Cancer Clinic, First of Its Kind in Georgia  Piedmont Oncology just opened Georgia’s first Early Detection Pancreatic Cancer Clinic (EDC) at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, and honestly, it’s a game-changer. Pancreatic cancer is brutal—only 13% of patients survive five years—but this clinic is here to change that. Why’s it so hard to catch early? No screening test exists, symptoms are vague, and many high-risk patients don’t even know they’re at risk. That’s where the EDC steps in: genetic counseling, cutting-edge research with NIH and Mayo Clinic, and a team laser-focused on early detection. “This is about saving lives,” said Dr. Andrew Page, the clinic’s medical director. STORY 5: More than 4 million expected to pass through Atlanta airport during Thanksgiving season Thanksgiving travel is in full swing, and Hartsfield-Jackson is bracing for over 4 million passengers. “It’s like our Super Bowl,” said General Manager Ricky Smith, half-joking but clearly ready for the chaos. The busiest day? Dec. 1, with 375,000 travelers expected—though that’s slightly down from last year, thanks to folks opting for road trips during the recent government shutdown. Still, the airport’s pulling out all the stops: new info totems, real-time TSA wait times, and extra security (some visible, some not). Smith’s advice? Arrive early, stay patient, and if something feels off, speak up. And now here is Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on soy and oat milk We’ll have closing comments after this. Break: Ingles Markets 2 Signoff-   Thanks again for hanging out with us on today’s Marietta Daily Journal Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at mdjonline.com Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Produced by the BG Podcast Network Show Sponsors: www.ingles-markets.com Strand Marietta – Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CTL Script/ Top Stories of November 28th Publish Date: November 28th   Pre-Roll: From the Ingles Studio Welcome to the Award-Winning Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast  Today is Friday, November 28th and Happy Birthday to Dave Righetti I’m Chris Culwell and here are the stories Cherokee is talking about, presented by Times Journal Holiday lights on display in metro Atlanta ‘Elf The Musical’ coming to Fox Theatre for the Christmas season Thanksgiving travel rush kicks off, more expected to drive than fly Plus, Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on soy and oat milk We’ll have all this and more coming up on the Cherokee Tribune-Ledger Podcast, and if you’re looking for Community news, we encourage you to listen and subscribe!  Commercial: STRAND THEATRE STORY 1: Holiday lights on display in metro Atlanta The holidays are here, and metro Atlanta is lighting up—literally. Whether you’re cruising through a drive-thru wonderland or strolling under glowing canopies, there’s magic everywhere. Candy Rush at Six Flags (Marietta): A mile of lights, candy canes, and a gingerbread village. Sweet tooth? Satisfied. Nov. 14–Jan. 4. $39.99 per car. Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens: Seven miles, 10 million lights, and Santa. Forbes loves it, and so will you. Nov. 14–Jan. 4. Tickets start at $24.99. Lanier Islands’ Magical Nights of Lights: Six miles of twinkling displays. Pure nostalgia. Nov. 15–Jan. 4. From $25. WildWoods: AGLOW at Fernbank: Glowing gardens, luminous dandelions, and interactive magic. Nov. 14–Feb. 28. From $16.95. Go make some memories! STORY 2: ‘Elf The Musical’ coming to Fox Theatre for the Christmas season Buddy the Elf is in town, and he’s bringing the holiday cheer! “Elf The Musical” is hitting the Fox Theatre stage Dec. 16-21, but Buddy’s not waiting till then to spread some Christmas magic. Catch him around Atlanta this weekend: Friday night at The Blind Elf Parlour Bar (5:30-7:30 p.m.), or Saturday at the Children’s Museum (10 a.m.-noon), the Georgia Festival of Trees (2-4 p.m.), and Atlantic Station’s Light the Station event (4-7:30 p.m.). So, grab your syrup and get ready—it’s gonna be festive! STORY 3: Thanksgiving travel rush kicks off, more expected to drive than fly  Thanksgiving travel chaos? AAA predicts 2.3 million Georgians will hit the road this holiday, joining 73 million Americans nationwide who’d rather drive than fly. GDOT’s trying to help, pausing roadwork through Sunday, but drivers? Slow down. Early sunsets are causing more accidents. We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.874.3200 for more info.    We’ll be right back. Break: Ingles Markets 4 STORY 4: Chiefs host Roswell, eye historic playoff win In a season where breaking records feels almost routine, Sequoyah is gearing up for its second straight trip to the quarterfinals—fourth in program history—chasing a first-ever spot in the Class AAAAA semis. Thirty-six years of history, and this senior-heavy squad is rewriting it all. Last week’s 48-28 win over Newnan? Another milestone. The Chiefs (11-1) smashed their single-season scoring record, with running back Will Rajecki breaking the career rushing mark and longtime coach James Teter becoming Cherokee County’s all-time wins leader. But now, it’s Roswell (11-1). “They’re explosive,” Teter said. “We’ve got to slow them down—long drives, limit possessions. Make them uncomfortable.” Roswell’s offense is terrifying: 44.5 points per game, led by dual-threat QB Trey Smith (2,451 passing yards, 1,026 rushing) and running back Nick Peal (1,256 yards, 19 TDs). They’ve hit 50-plus points six times this season. But Sequoyah’s offense isn’t backing down. With 505 points this year, it’s the best in program history. Rajecki (1,792 yards, 19 TDs), QB Kolby Martin, and receiver Brooks Darling have been unstoppable, backed by a veteran line. “This senior group is special,” Teter said. “They’ve grown together, and it shows. They’re comfortable, confident, and ready.” Friday night, it’s all on the line. STORY 5: More than 4 million expected to pass through Atlanta airport during Thanksgiving season Thanksgiving travel is in full swing, and Hartsfield-Jackson is bracing for over 4 million passengers. “It’s like our Super Bowl,” said General Manager Ricky Smith, half-joking but clearly ready for the chaos. The busiest day? Dec. 1, with 375,000 travelers expected—though that’s slightly down from last year, thanks to folks opting for road trips during the recent government shutdown. Still, the airport’s pulling out all the stops: new info totems, real-time TSA wait times, and extra security (some visible, some not). Smith’s advice? Arrive early, stay patient, and if something feels off, speak up. And now here is Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on soy and oat milk Commercial: We’ll have closing comments after this.   COMMERCIAL: Ingles Markets 4   SIGN OFF –   Thanks again for hanging out with us on today’s Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at www.tribuneledgernews.com Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Produced by the BG Podcast Network Show Sponsors: www.ingles-markets.com Strand Marietta – Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Spiegel and Gabe Ramirez pondered how they'd feel if the Bears lose a close road game to the Eagles on Friday.

GDP Script/ Top Stories for November 27th Publish Date: November 27th PRE-ROLL: SUGAR HILL ICE SKATING From the BG AD Group Studio Welcome to the Gwinnett Daily Post Podcast. Today is Thursday, November 27th and Happy birthday to Bruce Lee I’m Peyton Spurlock and here are your top stories presented by KIA Mall of Georgia. More than 4 million expected to pass through Atlanta airport during Thanksgiving season ‘Elf The Musical’ coming to Fox Theatre for the Christmas season Flight delays: Here are your rights when flying over the holidays in 2025 Plus, Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on soy and oat milk All of this and more is coming up on the Gwinnett Daily Post podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen daily and subscribe! Break 1: STRAND THEATRE STORY 1: More than 4 million expected to pass through Atlanta airport during Thanksgiving season  Thanksgiving travel is in full swing, and Hartsfield-Jackson is bracing for over 4 million passengers. “It’s like our Super Bowl,” said General Manager Ricky Smith, half-joking but clearly ready for the chaos. The busiest day? Dec. 1, with 375,000 travelers expected—though that’s slightly down from last year, thanks to folks opting for road trips during the recent government shutdown. Still, the airport’s pulling out all the stops: new info totems, real-time TSA wait times, and extra security (some visible, some not). Smith’s advice? Arrive early, stay patient, and if something feels off, speak up. STORY 2: ‘Elf The Musical’ coming to Fox Theatre for the Christmas season  Buddy the Elf is in town, and he’s bringing the holiday cheer! “Elf The Musical” is hitting the Fox Theatre stage Dec. 16-21, but Buddy’s not waiting till then to spread some Christmas magic. Catch him around Atlanta this weekend: Friday night at The Blind Elf Parlour Bar (5:30-7:30 p.m.), or Saturday at the Children’s Museum (10 a.m.-noon), the Georgia Festival of Trees (2-4 p.m.), and Atlantic Station’s Light the Station event (4-7:30 p.m.). So, grab your syrup and get ready—it’s gonna be festive! STORY 3: Flight delays: Here are your rights when flying over the holidays in 2025   Ever been stuck at the airport, staring at the departure board, wondering what your rights are? Turns out, there’s a “magic number” for delays: 3 hours for domestic flights, 6 for international. Hit that threshold, and airlines have to help—refund, rebook, your call. But here’s the catch: no extra compensation in the U.S. Some airlines, like Delta or Alaska, will throw in meal vouchers or even a hotel if it’s their fault (think staffing, not weather). Others? Not so generous. Pro tip: check your airline’s policy before you fly. And pack snacks. Always. We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.874.3200 for more info. We’ll be right back Break 2: 07.14.22 KIA MOG- DTL HOLIDAY STORY 4: Real Christmas trees may be the real bargain this year because of tariffs   With artificial tree prices climbing (thanks, inflation and tariffs), real Christmas trees might just be the better deal this year—and they come with the bonus of supporting local farmers. At Savage Farms, the holiday prep is in full swing. “We always encourage folks to buy live trees,” said Mason Savage. “It supports local farmers and, honestly, the U.S. economy.” They’ve got Georgia-grown Murray Cypress and Carolina Sapphire, plus Frasier firs from North Carolina—an area bouncing back after Hurricane Helene. Prices? Still $10 per foot. “It’s a blessing,” Savage said, “bringing that Christmas joy to our community.” STORY 5: Holiday lights on display in metro Atlanta The holidays are here, and metro Atlanta is lighting up—literally. Whether you’re cruising through a drive-thru wonderland or strolling under glowing canopies, there’s magic everywhere. Candy Rush at Six Flags (Marietta): A mile of lights, candy canes, and a gingerbread village. Sweet tooth? Satisfied. Nov. 14–Jan. 4. $39.99 per car. Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens: Seven miles, 10 million lights, and Santa. Forbes loves it, and so will you. Nov. 14–Jan. 4. Tickets start at $24.99. Lanier Islands’ Magical Nights of Lights: Six miles of twinkling displays. Pure nostalgia. Nov. 15–Jan. 4. Tickets? $25. WildWoods: AGLOW at Fernbank: Glowing gardens, luminous dandelions, and interactive magic. Nov. 14–Feb. 28. Tickets? $16.95. Go make some memories! We’ll be right back. Break 3: THE SUGAR HILL HOLIDAY And now here is Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on soy and oat milk Break 4: BUFORD HOLIDAY FESTIVAL We’ll have closing comments after this Break 5: Ingles Markets 1 Signoff – Thanks again for hanging out with us on today’s Gwinnett Daily Post Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at www.gwinnettdailypost.com Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Produced by the BG Podcast Network Show Sponsors: www.ingles-markets.com www.kiamallofga.com Strand Marietta – Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre Ice Rink – Downtown Sugar Hill Holiday Celebration 2025 – City of Sugar Hill 2025 Buford Holiday Festival & Parade All-In-One Flyer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday evening message from Pastor CJ Elwood. November 26, 2025

Coach Faith Sherrer takes us to Psalm 103 to remind us to “forget not all His benefits”! How will you remember them today?As a thank you for your support this month, please choose from two study books— We'll send you two copies—one for you and one to gift to someone special:The Word Revealed - Jesus Makes Himself Known -  A 30 day journey through John 1-4The Word Revealed - Jesus' Power, Provision, and Promise -  A 30 day journey through John 5-6Yours with a gift of any amount.Thank you for supporting the mission of Christ.

A Prayer to Be Satisfied in the Small Things God often works through the small, simple, and unexpected—especially during seasons where our expectations run high, like Thanksgiving. In today's episode by Amanda Luedeke, we’re reminded that even the most modest acts of obedience can open the door to God’s miraculous provision.We contrast the idealized “perfect Thanksgiving” many of us imagine with the imperfect but beautiful memories that truly stay with us. Instead of striving for flawless moments, we’re invited to loosen our grip, adjust our expectations, and make room for God to meet us in the seemingly insignificant. Reference: 1 Kings 17:12–16 Prayer: My Jesus, You came to this world—quietly, meekly, yet beautifully—and You changed everything. I thank You and praise You for showing us that power isn’t found only in what is big and flashy. Help me to cling to this! Help me to focus on the importance of making space for that which is simple and seemingly insignificant. Guide me away from putting all my attention on the big efforts that impress and replace that desire with an ability to see Your work in the small things. LINKS: How to Pray God's Word For Your Children Guide Connect with Amanda Luedeke 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.

David meditates on mercy. The Enemy uses un-forgiveness against you. Stop listening to the accuser or you will become just like him. To support the work and worship of Redeemer, subscribe to our channel and consider supporting us by giving a tax deductible gift at the link below. https://pushpay.com/g/redeemerchurchrockwall

Saturday Evening, November 15, 2025Given by Dr. James Anderson | RTS CharlotteSession 2Faithful Conference at Christ Covenant ChurchInfallible Rule or Infallible Ruler? The Courage to be Satisfied with Scripture Watch on YouTubeDownload our mobile app

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary all year by digging in the vaults to re-present classic episodes with fresh commentary. Today, we're revisiting our 2021 conversation with Richard Marx. ABOUT RICHARD MARX:Grammy-winning performer Richard Marx has sold more than 30 million albums as an artist, but if you only know him from late 1980s ballads such as “Hold on to the Nights” and “Right Here Waiting,” you only know part of the story. A prolific songwriter, Marx has landed fourteen songs at the top of various Billboard charts, and has written a #1 single in each of the last four decades. His genre-crossing songwriting success includes “What About Me” and “Crazy,” which Kenny Rogers carried to the top of the Adult Contemporary and Country charts, respectively; “Edge of a Broken Heart,” a hit for the female metal band Vixen; “This I Promise You,” a Top 5 pop single for NSYNC that stayed at #1 on the Adult Contemporary Chart for 13 weeks; Josh Groban's debut single “To Where You Are,” which also reached #1; and “Dance With My Father,” which Richard wrote with the song's performer, Luther Vandross, and which earned the pair the prestigious Grammy Song of the Year award in 2004. Additionally, Richard has scored three major hits with Keith Urban: the Top 5 “Everybody,” and the #1 singles “Better Life” and “Long Hot Summer.”  Despite all his songwriting success, however, Marx is best known as a singer and performer who today jokes about his 80s hairstyle and of-the-era drum sounds. But the songs are undeniable, all of which Marx wrote and produced himself. His debut self-titled album yielded four Top 5 singles: “Don't Mean Nothing,” “Should've Known Better,” “Endless Summer Nights,” and “Hold on to the Nights.” His follow-up, 1989's Repeat Offender, was even more successful, going quadruple-platinum and earning two number one Billboard pop singles, “Satisfied” and “Right Here Waiting,” in addition to the Top 5 “Angelina.” More hits followed, including “Keep Coming Back,” “Hazard,” “Take This Heart,” “Now and Forever,” and “Until I Find You Again.” In addition, Richard's songs have been integral to a number of successful film soundtracks. He earned a Grammy nomination for his contributions to St. Elmo's Fire; scored a Top 10 pop hit with “Surrender to Me,” which Ann Wilson of Heart and Robin Zander of Cheap Trick recorded for the movie Tequila Sunrise, and wrote “At the Beginning,” a hit duet for the film Anastasia that Richard performed with Donna Lewis. Over the course of his career, Richard's songs have been recorded by Barbra Streisand, The Tubes, Sarah Brightman, Monica, Natalie Cole, Michael Bolton, Paulina Rubio, Emerson Drive, Chicago, Billy Ray Cyrus, Vince Gill, Kenny Loggins, LeAnn Rimes, Celine Dion, Julio Iglesias, Berry Manilow, Daughtry, Vertical Horizon, Lifehouse, Dave Koz, Jennifer Nettles, Ringo Starr, and many others. His memoir, Stories to Tell, is available from Simon & Shuster.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.