Podcasts about southeast pennsylvania

In 2021, the Bucks County Planning Commission's role in County government expanded to include sustainability staffers with the goal of reducing the county's carbon footprint and figuring out how to be more sustainable. Just a couple of years later, the County Commissioners passed a pretty monumental agreement for the department called the Sustainable Energy Partnership of Southeast Pennsylvania. The County of Bucks spends over $1 million in energy costs each year for its multi-building operations, and taxpayers deserve the best bang for their buck. In this episode, we'll chat with Evan Stone, Executive Director of the Bucks County Planning Commission and frequent guest of the podcast, about his department's functions and his specific interest in stormwater management. And later, we'll chat with Neale Doughtery, Director of Sustainability, and Cassandra Goodmansen, Environmental Planner, about their plans to help a county workforce of over 2,000 go green. Follow us: Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Check us out online: BucksCounty.gov Music Credit: Creative technology -- Music by Ivan Ohanezov from Pixabay  Our daily life -- Music by FASSounds from Pixabay 

Dan Hurley aide threatens a reporter. Is he definitely the new Bob Knight? I The Morning Routine I Penn State gear all over Southeast Pennsylvania.

In this episode, we are joined by Brad Ortenzi, the Eastern USA Regional Director of ZOE International. Brad also coordinates the Berks and Lancaster County Human Trafficking Task Forces. ZOE International is a global non-profit dedicated to eradicating human trafficking through its three pillars: Prevention, Rescue, and Restoration. With operations spanning Thailand, Japan, Mexico, Australia, and the US (specifically in Los Angeles and Southeast Pennsylvania), ZOE collaborates with law enforcement to support trafficked women and vulnerable children, offering advocacy and restorative services.Brad's journey with ZOE began in 2014 in Thailand, where he led child trafficking investigations and rescues as the Director of Child Rescue. Before joining ZOE, Brad was a retired Ephrata Police Detective with experience in child exploitation task forces, including Federal (Internet Crimes Against Children) and local (Lancaster County Anti-Child Pornography Unit) units. Tune in to hear Brad's insights into the fight against human trafficking and his impactful work in the field.

Last fall, the Biden Administration announced substantial federal grants to create a series of “hydrogen hubs.”One hub funded is the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub, or MACH2. It's receiving up to $750 million to bring together governments and business interests in Delaware, Southeast Pennsylvania, and South Jersey to create a hub with the promise of creating jobs while combating climate change.The U.S. Department of Energy and MACH2 officials are currently holding listening sessions to discuss plans for this hub and get public feedback. And contributor Jon Hurdle reports on the arguments for and against MACH2 heard in these sessions.

Audio Transcript: This media has been made available by Mosaic BostonChurch. If you'd like to check out more resources, learn about Mosaic Boston ordonate to this ministry, please visit mosaicboston.com. Today we're thrilled to continue our series in the Book of Jonah. This is week three and next week will be our final week. Today we are continuing in the series, it's called Reluctant Believer. And again, we are engaging the fact that Jonah does present himself in many ways as a reluctant believer throughout the book, but today chapter 3 is where he is walking in tune with the Lord. And there are a lot of lessons for us to glean and take away for how we should be looking to God to prepare us for the missions that he calls us to. This is really just one of the most exciting chapters of Scripture in my mind. The Lord's used it profoundly in my life and today I will pray right now that he does the same. So let me read Jonah 3 and then I'll pray and deliver the word. Jonah chapter 3 and the full chapter, verses 1 through 10. This is the word of our Lord. "Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.' So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, 'Yet 40 days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!' And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. "The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, 'By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.' When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented on the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it." This is the word of our Lord. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we praise you this day for the chance to hear your word almost 3,000 years after the life of Jonah. Lord, your word still stands. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of the Lord remains forever. And today we ask that your word would go out in power as it did in the day of Jonah when he went to Nineveh. Lord, we ask that we would get to see your might at hand in the form of changed hearts, in the form of humility and contrition and repentance before you. We pray that all of us here would be inclined to look to you for grace and mercy and receive it with gladness. Holy Spirit, we pray, remind us of the specific callings that you have put on our hearts, those callings to bring you glory. Remind us of your grace if we catch ourselves and having failed in our callings. Remind us of just the ways that you have prepared us to be your servants. And Lord, I just pray, let us be faithful to your formation today through the delivery of your word. I pray these things in Jesus' name, amen. I want to begin with a question. Are you doing anything that requires you to live for a cause greater than the glory or good of yourself? Are you doing anything in life that requires you to live for a cause greater than the glory or good of yourself? I am. I recently started playing on an organized sports team for the first time in 11 years. I did the whole work too much in my mid-20s, get married, have kids, gain weight, have my first reconstructive joint surgery thing over the past decade, and now I'm back on the soccer field with the co-ed parents team for my child's elementary school. And you know what? It's a blast. It's not been a blast because I'm 35 and the average age of everyone else is 40 to 50. It's not been a blast because I'm able to get a workout in that I've been lacking. In full sincerity, I love playing on this team because in locking arms with my teammates, I'm doing something that is blatantly bigger than myself for a couple of hours in the week. I'm playing for a team and essentially it feels good and right to be forgetting myself as I join my teammates. After my first game of playing on the team, I honestly had to ask myself while just feeling good to have joined this greater unit, "Have I been doing this anywhere else in my life? Have I been working for the good of something greater than myself for a while?" And you know what? I realize that I have. I realize that actually day to day as a husband, as a dad, as a pastor, a church member, I've actually been seeking to live for many causes greater than myself as I've tried to serve faithful in each of these roles. And you know what? As hard as being a husband, dad, pastor, church member can be with this renewed perspective from playing soccer, I realized that grinding it out each day in all of these callings is the blessed life. And so why is that? Why do I see it this way? Because I know that to live for myself, for my glory, my desires, my preferences, my plans alone leads to nothing but wasting away and self-deceptions and efforts to try to numb myself to the fact that living in such a way does not satisfy. I tried that approach for five years from the start of college to a year out before I found Mosaic, and I know it doesn't deliver. How many of you have tried that before? To live for yourself for extended periods and it just does not deliver? The pain of the grind to be faithful, though it's not quite as fun as losing oneself while playing soccer on a team, is so much better than the stagnancy and stoutness that mark a life without ambition beyond one's own desires or life with ambition that is too small. So I again ask, are you doing anything that requires you to live for a cause greater than your glory or good?You see, I asked this because I'm trying to draw out something that's inherent in human nature. We were made to live for so much more as the Switchfoot early 2000 song says. Man was made to live for so much more than himself and if he doesn't do this, he gets lost and blind and rots away. The Scriptures attest to this. When God creates men and woman, he gives them a commission, Genesis 1:28, "And God blessed them and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'" Furthermore, when someone is saved in Christ, Jesus commands all... In Matthew 28:18-20, the Great Commission: "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go with therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." As humans and especially as commissioned Christians, we can't get rid of this inner calling to live for something greater than ourselves. The specific calling to live for God, our creator, to live for his purposes, his glory, the spreading of his dominion through the preaching of the gospel on this side of creation is our unique and grand calling in life. And we can't get rid of it, we can't shake it. I say to you, this is the calling that God places on the lives of all people, whether they profess to be Christian or not. And beyond the Scriptures, what's my further evidence for this? A lot of Scriptures that I can't really spell out today because it'll distract too much from Jonah 3, they tell you to simply look within your heart and you will find this out. It's something about being an image bearer of God that he has imparted part of his attributes to you, that you are going to want to live for his glory. You are going to want to make use of the skills, the gifts, the qualities, the characters, beings, the longings in your heart in this life. And that's a little spiritual, it's a little hard to flesh out with Jonah 3, but I want to just argue with it that we just know this, that we have this part of our human nature just by looking at just literature and media over the years. Look how big and successful the book and movie industries about heroes and heroines who single-handedly take on the world for a great cause are. Ask why are anti-Nazi World War II movies still being churned out like rapid fire constantly in our day? Why are superhero movies so popular? Why are action movies where The Rock, Jason Statham, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone just automatic ways to make a ton of money and draw big crowds? Why are so many stories like The Lord of the Rings where a little or simple man or woman like Frodo takes on a tremendous force of evil against all odds, so popular? The answer is that as much as modern, post-modern and India authors and artists try to badmouth these stories and write these narratives out of the human story, they can't. There's something in the heart of the narrative of these one-man army stories, of the underdog stories that appeals to our heart. We can't shake the call to do something great in life. We can't prevent our hearts from being stirred and amazed at the stories of one man taking up great tasks because it's written on our hearts that we must do so ourselves. What does this have to do with our passage today? It has everything to do with it. What takes place in our passage? One guy, one man, a prophet of God, Jonah, with a really shaky track record, in a short moment of wholehearted obedience goes to a great city and God uses his simple message to inspire the most sincere and astonishing revival recorded in all of Scripture. Just think, they didn't even let their... They clothed their animals in sack cloth and ashes. They had their animals fast, not just the people, not just the king and the nobles. There's true humility and contrition with the hope that God would relent of the disaster. The most unbelievable part about the Book of Jonah is not that Jonah is swallowed by a great fish and then spit up on the shore. It's that the great city of Nineveh turns from its evil ways and true contrition and turns to God for mercy. This city great in every way, in size and riches, in population and architecture and security. It had these great walls. In reputation and culture, in military might and wickedness. The people were known in history for cutting off the noses of their captured enemies, skinning them alive, placing their skins on the walls when they captured their city. This great city and its king, its nobles, its people is brought to its knees in sack cloth and ashes before the Lord by the efforts of one man. Jonah's seize and conquering of Nineveh is none other than the classic story of good conquering evil, God conquering Satan, a man carrying out the duty that all men were created to do by God. Just like being on a team has reminded me, just like all the classic hero stories and blockbuster movies do, Jonah's conquering of Nineveh should pull out of all of us that which is inherent in our nature. It should pull out the desire to live for the greatest cause in the universe; to live for the spreading of the rule and reign of the kingdom of God. When we look at this story, it should inspire us. So think about how God can use us in this great city of Boston to think about how we can be more than conquerors for Christ here, to think about how we can take down the giants that are in this land. We should truly believe that through hiding God's training and call in our lives, we can bring this great city perhaps pound for pound, person per person, the most influential city in the world except where it matters most to its knees before God. Today we study Jonah 3 with the intention to identify how God prepares his servants to accomplish much more than they should, to identify how God is preparing us for the seize and conquering of Boston. So how does God prepare his servants for this great service? That's what I want to talk about today as we look at the text. And I say persistent calling, generous grace, strategic planning, giving of power and suffering. Said differently, how's God trying to fight the cynicism that is built up in your heart as an adult, as you've sought to only build your own kingdom or preserve your small cup of peace? Persistent calling, generous grace, strategic planning, giving of power, suffering. So persistent calling. How's God prepare his... How does he prepare his servants for great service? Persistent calling. Jonah 3:1 says, "Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time." This is one of the most encouraging pieces of Scripture, encouraging verses in all of Scripture. How many of you need to hear this right now after walking out the door and saying something to your spouse or your child or your roommate that did not honor them as an image bearer of God as you're trying to rush here today? By nature, as I mentioned, God sends and calls. He doesn't claim or save his children and leave them to stay where they are. He tells them to go and claim dominion for him. With Jonah, there's no ounce of pity toward him after he spent his time in the fish. He doesn't give him a week off. God knows that after his experience in the fish, he has Jonah's heart and he calls him to go to Nineveh a second time. This is encouraging to me. What it tells us is that mission isn't for the elite, it's not for the well-rested, it's not for those who have all authority, have all the resources. It's not for those who are professionally trained, seminary educated, overflowing with resources. It's for anybody who claims that they are the Lord's. God by nature is ascending and calling God. Those who genuinely know God know that he will come to you not just a second time but a third and fourth and beyond to press you into action to get you to stop living for yourself and live for him. Live for the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Live for other people. God constantly pushes and plows us out of our comfort zones in an effort to ask us, "When do you really want to start learning who I am? I live to make things new, to change people, to renew them from the inside out. You can never find out who I am if you're never in action dependent upon me." God never sucks us in, swallows us without spitting us out and telling us to go. Think of God's calling of Abraham in Genesis 12. "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.'" He never saves without calling you to save. He never blesses someone without calling them to be a blessing. And the only way you can be a blessing is if you go, you leave, you leave your comfort zone, your safe space and you get out. God calls us to leave that which is familiar in order to engage that which is foreign and scary and requires vulnerability. It takes these things to bless others. You can't be a Christian and not expect to be on mission without engaging the own mess of your heart and engaging the mess of the hearts of the people that you're trying to serve and love and be used by God to convert. If you don't follow God's call, it's not just that you can't be a blessing and be used by God, it's that it prevents you from becoming like God. Many more years after Abraham, 700-plus years after Jonah, God the Son, Jesus Christ, left the ultimate safety zone, the throne of God's radiant and infinite glory in heaven to take on flesh. And when he was on earth, he faced every tension, every challenge, every hardship that was possible. He spoke, he engaged the world in order to reach out to us and in doing so, he created many followers but many enemies. The same thing we experience in being Christian here in the city. And yet in doing all of this, by humbling himself, Jesus exalted himself. By losing himself, he found himself. The very opposite of what happens when someone lives for themselves. Just thinking about how God just persistently calls us. Just practical application. Just ask yourself, are you living for something beyond the maintenance of your schedule, your work, your reputation, day in and day out? Are there any places where you are extending yourself, making yourself uncomfortable for God and for others, for the sake of saving others, for the sake of encouraging other Christians? Through your giving, through your service, are you actually sacrificing to God? Can you really convince yourself or others that you're doing this? There's a lot of Christians who are like Monday morning quarterbacks. They go to church on Sunday. They have a little analysis of the word, whether it essentially entertained them or not, and then they live as if they're not Christian throughout the week. They're not on mission. We need to be on mission. The great hope when we look at Jonah, the reluctant prophet, the reluctant believer is that we don't really need to be talented, we don't need to be that smart. We don't have to have the gifts, the resources, but we need to give God our will, our willingness to submit to his call. And when we do, he will always accomplish his intended purposes and make us new in the process. Until you understand this, you're going to live life in a fake reality. It's going to be the size of your own head and you're going to be out of touch with who he is and who you are and who you are created to be. And so we have to receive God's call like Jonah, even if we reject it like he did the first time. Next, how do God prepare his servants to do great things? He gives them generous grace. Still talking about verse 1 here, "Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time." Those of you who know the story so far of Jonah, that God's calling of Jonah, again, you know that it doesn't make any sense. Why? Because Jonah didn't obey the first time. God called him, he disobeys, he sins, he goes in the complete opposite direction that God wants him to. Jonah let God down. And I don't know about you. If you think of God's tactic right here, it just doesn't make sense. When you look at... If you're at war, do you go and find an officer who's just been court marshaled to go and place him at the front and be the commander at the most important battle? That's essentially what God does here in sending Jonah to the great city of Nineveh. Jonah's second call and second commissioning is given purely out of the grace of God. He's recommissioned not because of his own merit, but because of the undeserved favor, merit, the undeserved kindness of God. You see, the way that God works to accomplish his great works is completely contradictory to the ways of the world. According to the world's practices, who does the most important tasks? We know very clearly here who that is. It's the Harvard grads, the MIT grads, those who are the richest, the strongest, the most beautiful, the most deserving on paper. But God doesn't work like that. Here he chooses to work through the foolishness of men through a guy like Jonah to show the world his power. He works through Jonah's racist and prejudice tendencies. Jonah talks about this. Jonah really does not want Nineveh to be saved because they're the arch rival of his home nation Israel. He does not want God to give them his mercy. In the New Testament, who does God work through? He works through disciples, fishermen, laborers. And who does he give leadership, a seeming position of leadership among them? Peter the fisherman, the guy who betrayed him three times on the eve of his crucifixion. God gives generous grace over and over again to his servants. He works through people who are saved by grace and powered by grace. People who have no heirs about them because they've already acknowledged to themselves to be complete failures in their own right. People saved by grace who've cried out like Jonah, "Salvation belongs to the Lord," as he did at the end of chapter 2. They're humbled. They don't take up tasks and callings to prove themselves, hide their insecurities or to show themselves to be something that they're not. They take up great responsibilities with a pure desire to honor God out of thanksgiving for his forgiving of them, out of thanksgiving for calling him to his work. And so this is as a Christian, as a servant of God, we have to receive his generous grace over and over. And do you know it? First of all, do you know that the alternative, what you really deserve on the opposite end of being called by God to do his work is wrath? Have you run to him and received forgiveness by looking to the cross, looking to the blood of Jesus Christ to get peace with him, to avoid eternal condemnation, to avoid judgment? Are you powered by grace or are you powered by self-ambition? And that's something that a lot of Christians here will say, empowered by grace, but you really have to ask this question to yourself multiple times. If you're the kind of person drawn to the top programs, drawn to the schools, drawn to the industries and big companies of Boston, are you driven by grace? Are you driven to act in every area of your life out of thankfulness for what God has done for you? And the hard part about being Christian is you have to receive it daily. In my marriage, one of the hardest things is... We've been married nine years and now it's just been hundreds of times where I know that the only way forward is to receive grace from my wife. The only way forward is to just accept that she needs to forgive me for my sin. There's nothing I can do to justify what I did, but I've got to stop. I've got to receive it. I've got to praise God that I have a woman that is happy to give me grace, happy to work forward together just simply out of the kindness of her heart in the same way that God forgives me for my sin. And as Christians, when we're called on task, we're stretched to our limits. We're at the end of our widths. It reveals the inner insecurities that remain in us. It reveals the bad habits and tendencies that are sinful part of the old man that don't honor God. And when we're out on mission, we just need to constantly come back to him and go to the cross of Jesus Christ. So Jonah in this moment, he knows that coming right out at the belly of the fish. Furthermore, how does God prepare his servants for great work? With strategic planning. Verse 2 says, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you." So God gives Jonah strategy. What is that strategy? He sends Jonah into the city, he sends him into Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, the great power of the north of Israel. This is the same strategy that the Apostle Paul used on his mission trips. The man who God used more powerfully than any other person, aside from Jesus Christ himself to spread the gospel. He went to cities to spread the gospel. And why does God employ the strategy? People in the city throughout history, they've always been a little more open to change. The nature of the city, the engagement with different kinds of people, trades and challenges, forces them to think more deeply about issues and seek solutions regarding life, death, heaven, hell, and human flourishing. I can attest to this. I'm from the suburbs. I've worked on staff at a suburban church before and I can tell you... Ask Mosaic staff. I can tell you just for hours and hours all the good things about Southeast Pennsylvania, suburban Philadelphia life, I can go on and on. It's a special place in the world. But as much as I love the people there and confess that they could teach us city dwellers a lot about contentment and resting in the Lord, living there, working there, being on mission there, it was really hard to get them to think about beyond what they're going to eat at their big Sunday family dinner or beyond the big game that afternoon. The best part about living in the city is that people press hard for answers, press hard for truth and don't avoid tensions. Further, God sends Jonah to the city and gets his disciples to employ a city-centered strategy because life primarily runs through the city. Commerce primarily runs through the city. Immigrants arrive at the city and live in the city for a generation or two before considering moving out as the city provides a safe net. Media, theater, publications are still centralized in the city and their material is spread from there. The city is the heart from which all of the lifeblood of a land flows. And that's Boston. That's our pride. Our license plates say, "Spirit of America." That's not for Massachusetts, you know that's Boston saying that. That's so true when you think of the power of the institutions, power of the companies, the power that young 20-somethings and beyond get when they work on companies that you see touch the global market. The city is the heart from which all of the lifeblood of a land flows. And as Christianity, just one point to think about is, as Christianity gripped the Roman Empire and spread rapidly in the early centuries after Christ's death, those who were called pagans were the people who typically stuck their fist up to Christianity and chose to live outside of the city as it spread there in the city. The word pagan can actually mean countrymen. People who lived outside of a city, carried on with all kinds of idolatry. And again, I'm not trying to say that about modern, rural or suburban America. I will never stop feeling homesick for my place where I grew up, suburban Philadelphia, but the Book of Jonah and all of Scripture has a very clear acknowledgement of the importance of the city. Jonah 4:11 says, "And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?" And that's saying people who do not know their right hand from their left is probably children. And so when you consider the amount of adults, the number probably gets to 500,000, 600,000. So God reminds Jonah of how many image bearers in this case, particularly children are there in the city. Jonah's upset about God taking away a plant at this point that gave him shade from the sun, but he does not care about the salvation of hundreds of thousands of people. And we just need to be careful that just even being residents in the city, that cynicism toward the city does not grow. We have to be careful that we don't lose heart for the image bearers of God around us. And the question is, do you care for the city? Do you actually have a heart for the city? I think as a church of people who were pent-up in small apartments for an extended time in COVID, we were left panting for space, panting for breathing. Our view of the city might have become a little more matured or nuanced, especially as transplants who just don't know a city life that well, many transplants here. We really need to pray for God to renew our hearts for this city, for Boston, for Brookline, Jamaica Plain, Cambridge. Furthermore, are you here to use the city or just get out? Or are you here because you view your time here as a person who was sent by God to be here to first and foremost do his service or work? A lot of people, the typical Mosaic person who comes for a program just says, "I'll ask these questions later. I'll think about the good of God's name in this city when I'm done my program." And I say, "Don't hesitate, engage them now." Next, God prepares his servants to do great things by the giving of power. And this is from Jonah 3:3-4. "Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, 'Yet 40 days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.'" So Jonah goes into the city. The way the text describes his efforts, the focus isn't placed on the quality of the sermon. It's just eight words here in the English, five words in the Hebrew. Many think this is just a summary. There's a lot of debate. Was this his full sermon or was it just a summary of what Jonas said? I think it's more of a summary statement. I see the limited content on what Jonas says to draw us attention not to his words, it's to have us keep our attention on the power of God in this moment, how God used Jonah. Verse 5 says, "And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them." The people of Nineveh believed God. They didn't believe Jonah, they didn't hear Jonah through his sermon, they didn't hear his words. They heard God, his words. It was God, his power, which gave the people of Nineveh the ears to hear his voice, which led to their complete and wholehearted repentance, which is chronicled in more detailed verses 6 through 9. Verse 6 says, "The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes." And it says, "The word reached the king." Better translated, "The word touched the king of Nineveh." That's God's power touching even the heart of the king. So how did Jonah strike the hearts of all the people of the city and ultimately the king and the nobles? He repented in his own life and the Lord used his sermon, paired it with his power to lead the city to repentance. What does the city need more than anything? This great conversion that we see or this great repentance that we see in the city. What does the city need more than anything in Nineveh? What does it need more than anything today? Repentance before God. Individuals, heads of households, heads of state weeping for their sin before God, turning from their violent and evil ways and turning to God for mercy. The city more than anything needs more people with repentant hearts before God. Do you think that Christian, or do you agree with what you hear out there in the media? Do you ever hear modern politicians, local or nationals say that that's what the city needs? Individual repentance, a turning from sin and turning to God, a change, a true change in the hearts of people? No, it's always band-aids. It's diplomacy, negotiation, urban planning, therapy. That's what the politicians, that's what anthropologists, that's what sociologists, that's what college professors, that's what counselors say, but it's repentance before God. It's a new heart, a changed heart, a heart that does a complete 180 that stops looking for itself all the time and starts looking to God continually. So God's called children need to trust that when he sends them, he sends them in power. That's the only reason why I'm here in Boston today. I have no confidence in my own strengths. I'm a preacher because I truly believe that God gives us power. When we speak, when we spread the word faithfully, when we fight for holiness in our daily lives, he uses us in our weakness for his glory. We need to remember that. And this is what Mosaic believes. This is what has built this church. I've been blessed to see Mosaic grow from 15 people in 2011 to what it is today. And the strength of Mosaic has always been its fight to stay faithful to the word of God. And it's not because we have a website with nice design. It's not because we do have lot of young, cool, trendy, attractive people. It's because we have gathered people around the preaching of God's word and God's power has gone out as he says it would. We believe that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to the Jew first and also the Greek. It's what everybody in the world needs to be saved to be right before God and to live a righteous and holy life going forward until Jesus returns or until they die. The local church isn't to focus its energies and resources on efforts focused on big picture systemic change and politics, but on individual soul salvation, which makes people new from inside out. God will be glorified, the city will be renewed when one person, one household at a time turns from their evil ways and turns to receive mercy from the Lord. So do you believe this? Are you expending all of your energies in all of these other areas at the cost of being faithful to the stewarding, the sanctification of your own heart? At the cost of being faithful to being present with brothers and sisters in Christ who are asking hard questions of God, of the gospel, who are asking for help and encouragement as they fight sin? For the Christian, there should be a whole recalibration of how I'm saved in Jesus. Now, how do I better invest my time to honor God, to bring glory to his name? And a lot of young people are... Sometimes that means stay there, stay where you are and really try to be a witness to God there. But if you're not accepted after faithful effort, after faithful effort, God says, "Stomp your feet off and go and find somewhere else." And so how are you actively trying to identify your calling today? And a lot of it, it begins with loving God. What did you say? Love God, love your neighbor. Are you looking to be present to serve God with the people who are physically next to you? Not the people online, not the people on social media. And even I say if you've left mom and dad and they're in a city far away, you have to be present with the people who are there in person before then. You have made the choice to actively leave them to be present somewhere else. And you either accept that and own it and be present where you are. And you still praise God. We get to call them and have FaceTime and video chats in our day. Or you say, "All right, I've got to go home. God wants me there." And so we need to be present with the people that God place in our life. We need to love God, love neighbor. Do you believe what the world needs is the gospel, is Jesus, is repentance and faithfulness before him? And it's so easy, it's such an easy offer. All people have to do is turn in faith, believe the good news, and they get the Holy Spirit, the power of God to work about a new identity rooted in him. It's the greatest deal in history. So Christians, we need to share God's word with boldness and faith, trusting that his power will go out. The God who once used the delivery of gospel to save you at some point, to convict you of your sin before him, he will send the power out when you share the gospel and try to live it out faithfully. We need to stop being ashamed. If we're in the gospel, we have what all people hear, whether rich or poor need. That's the message which brings about peace and restoration before God. So God, he gives us grace and he calls us here to go out in power. And furthermore, how does he prepare his saints for great service like he did for Jonah? And last is the suffering. God gives his servants suffering to equip them to do great things. He gives them suffering to be as powerful of a one-man army as Jonah was in this book. And I don't get this text from Jonah 3, I get it from Matthew 12:38-40, which is Jesus's analysis of this text. It says, "Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him saying, 'Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.' But he answered them, 'An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.'" Jesus is communicating here that it's out of his death that others will receive life. It's not miracles that ultimately show his power and authority and make him worthy to follow as God, but it's out of his weakness, his death, that the sufficiency of his saving power will be born, that he himself will show himself worthy of worship. Jesus was the suffering servant. It's through suffering that Jesus makes his followers good servants. A servant cannot be greater than his master. When we are saved, we are called to be formed by suffering in our service. There's no doubt that the greatest form of preparation for Jonah's ministry was his suffering, the dissent into the deep, into the abyss, a near-death experience because of his rebellion against God that he was prepared to take up this task. And why is that the case? Why is suffering a good thing? Particularly in this instance, Jonah's suffering enabled him to embody the message that he delivered to the Ninevites. What's the message that he had? What's the message of the gospel? God is both righteous and merciful. He's not just merciful. The church is really good. Modern church is really good at hitting mercy, mercy, mercy, grace, grace, grace. God is both righteous and merciful. He is holy and righteous by nature, and he cannot and will not accept anybody into his presence who is marked by sin. At the same time, he is a gracious God and merciful, slow to an anger and abounding and steadfast love and relenting from disaster toward anyone who repents of their sin and calls on the name of Jesus Christ. That was Jonah's message. That's the message of the Bible. That's the message of Jonah. That's the message of the gospel. And Jonah knew this very well. He knew of God's righteous condemnation of his sin because he was put in the belly of a fish for it. He knew of God's grace and mercy through his experience of being spit up by the fish and given a second chance at life, a second chance to do the work of God. Jonah's ministry to the Ninevites was so powerful because his life embodied the message of God's righteousness and mercy towards sinners, and that is the same of Jesus Christ. When we look to the cross, when we look at Christ's life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and ultimately his return, we see the righteousness and mercy of Jesus. Jonah, when he would've told of the judgment coming for a sin, he would've told them with all sincerity of its inevitability and reality. When he would've told them of the grace and mercy of God, he would've told them in a way that convinced them that he knew it personally. He knew this all because God allowed him to suffer. Remember chapter 2 he says, "Your waves, your breakers were cast over me in this experience in the water, in this experience in the belly of the fish." God appointed suffering is what gave Jonah the humility, gave Jonah the appreciation of grace, gave Jonah the humility to rely on the power of God in service, even in a place as wicked as Nineveh through his suffering. And he does the same with us. And just Jonah, why was his ministry so powerful? Because his life, his presence embodied the message that he delivered to the people. And I ask, is that true of you? All Christians know upon conversion, they're going to have a moment of true conversion. They're going to know that they're under the conviction of a holy God. And that strikes the fear of death, fear of hell in you. And the thing is, you can't stay there. A lot of people stay under conviction that's an old historic word before they turn and receive grace. They're there for too long and they think they just have to self-loathe and feel guilty for their sin. But no, when you feel this, when you see your sin, your folly before God, you have to look quickly and receive his mercy and find forgiveness, love, joy, freedom in him. So Christian, are you benefiting from your suffering? Are you learning in your suffering? And I press this point that it's up to us to... We have the power to decide how suffering affects us. This isn't what a lot of counselors, this isn't what the world's going to tell you. We have the choice to let suffering embitter us and paralyze us, or sharpen us and embolden us. It's all a matter of faith. When you suffered, you trust that God could be using it to better enable you to embody the message of salvation that you offer to other people, to understand just how much your savior went through for you, to understand his righteousness, his grace better, or do you harden yourself and get angry and close yourself off to him and others? So God used suffering in the life of Christ. He used it here in the life of Jonah, and he can do it in yours. To close, I just want to ask, how are you going to start living for something greater than your own glory or good today? How are you going to start living for something greater than your own glory or good today? As you ask that question, remember that to do that, God has persistently called you. He has generously offered grace time and time again. He has given you the strategy, he has given you his power, and he has blessed you with suffering to embody the message that you deliver. Let me pray. Heavenly Father, we praise you that we have this great passage of Jonah before us. We thank you for the hope that it offers to us as sojourners, as aliens living in a foreign land away from heaven, away from the fullness of your presence right now. We have this hope that you can use us, jars of clay, just weak vessels for your glorious and grand purposes. We praise you that you do not change, that we have hope that you can move here in Boston today as you once did in Nineveh. Lord, we ask that you would shine your face upon us, that you would give us grace, that you would continue to give all of us here as individuals and as a body, just great mission, great call, and great purpose, the honor to serve you and the tensions between heaven and hell. The honor to serve you as we face the thorns and thistles of life. The honor to be a part of your calling home of your children. Lord, we ask, give us eyes to see all the ways that you are forming us, training us, encouraging us, sharpening us, molding us to be more humble, more faithful, more repentant servants in your kingdom. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

All Local 6am Update for March 25th 2023

Joseph F. Reichmann, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist currently residing in Southeast Pennsylvania. He earned his doctorate in psychology from Marywood University. He was commissioned into the Navy in 2014 in order to complete his predoctoral internship at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He completed his postdoctoral training and served an additional three years at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP). During his time at NMCP he worked in the outpatient behavioral health clinic and was a part-time embedded psychologist for Submarine Squadron 6, at Naval Station, Norfolk. Dr. Reichmann was eventually selected to be the assistant department head of the military's largest substance abuse treatment facility and served in that position for two years. After completing his service contract, Dr. Reichmann went on to pursue a career with the Veterans Affairs. He currently works at one of the VA Medical Centers outside of Philadelphia where he manages a program designed to treatment veterans who are diagnosed with a severe mental illness. Dr. Reichmann also does part-time work conducting assessment and selection for the military. His clinical interests include: Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders, Serious Mental Illness, and Insomnia. His personal interests include: spending time with family (wife, son, daughter & two doodles), weightlifting and cycling, snowboarding, Philadelphia (Eagles – go birds!), food, tattoos, and travel. For more info on Veterans and Recovery please visit,https://www.va.gov/health-care/health-needs-conditions/substance-use-problems/Support the show Stop by our Apple Podcast and drop a Review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/allbetter/id1592297425?see-all=reviewsSupport The Showhttps://www.patreon.com/allbetter

Episode 36: #GriefAND White Supremacy featuring Gregory Thompson. Gregory is a pastor, scholar, writer, producer, and amateur cook whose work focuses on racial healing in America. He currently serves as Executive Director of Voices Underground, an initiative to build a national memorial to the Underground Railroad in Southeast Pennsylvania. Dr. Thompson is also a Research Fellow in African American Cultural Heritage at Lincoln University (HBCU), the Visiting Theologian for Mission at Grace Mosaic Church in Washington DC, and the co-author (with Duke Kwon) of Reparations: A Christian Call to Repentance and Repair (Brazos Press, April 2021). He received his PhD in the Theology, Ethics, and Culture program in the University of Virginia's department of Religious Studies, where he wrote his dissertation on Martin Luther King, Jr.

On Episode 28 of the Together, We Shall podcast, Joe and Rooster chat with Amanda Piccirilli-Hall about the ebbs and flows of life. Growing up in Southeast Pennsylvania as a gifted soccer goalkeeper, Amanda rose to play Division I soccer at Loyola on a full-ride athletic scholarship. Of course, life has seasons and phases, and sometimes what we think will be the dream of a lifetime is changed with one biased, perception-based decision.  Amanda's journey of overcoming societal judgment and faulty conclusion-induced depression is a story told to benefit us all.

Reproductive technologies and the law are both evolving at a rapid pace. Elizabeth Vaysman joins us to help decipher some of the concepts that make up the contracts that help people have families. Elizabeth is an attorney in the Family Law Department of Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP and an adoption Fellow in the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA). She focuses her practice on all aspects of adoption and reproductive law matters in Southeast Pennsylvania and the Greater Philadelphia area. Elizabeth represents clients in family building needs, consulting them on the legal process to review their options, such as between private or public adoption or pursuing assisted reproduction, and provides next steps and referrals to begin. Learn more about Elizabeth and her practice: https://www.obermayer.com/our-team/elizabeth-vaysman Five Things to Know About Embryo Adoption Article: https://www.obermayerfamilymatters.com/2022/05/five-things-to-know-about-embryo-adoption/ Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA): https://adoptionart.org/ Child Welfare Information Gateway on Adoption: https://www.childwelfare.gov/catalog/topiclist/?CWIGFunctionsaction=publicationCatalog:main.dspTopicsDetail&topicID=8 American Society for Reproductive Medicine on Reproductive Resources: https://www.reproductivefacts.org/ *audio editing, voice over & music by Nick DeMatteo

Pennsylvania began allowing hunters to recover wounded big game with dogs during the 2018 season. While we always aspire to place shots that require short track jobs, it's only part of hunting to make a bad shot. On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman we sit down with bowhunter and blood tracker Otto Shick. Otto is a humble farmer from Southeast Pennsylvania that has been bowhunting his entire life and helping people find their deer with his dog Otis since it has been legal. With all this comes a substantial amount of knowledge regarding tracking and what to do after the shot. Patience is an attribute that seldom goes unrewarded. So why is it so difficult for many people to be patient after they release an arrow? Frankly, it's easier said than done when you're dealing with adrenaline and excitement. Without discipline, it can quickly ruin your recovery experience. Slow down and ask yourself things such as, where do I think I hit? How did the deer react? Where was the last place I saw it run? What time did I shoot? Otto shares with us what to do on specific shot situations, the amount of time to wait before tracking, how to mark the trail as you go, and what to do when you lose blood and decide to call someone with a dog. When in doubt, back out, they say. Not only is this true for allowing enough time for the animal to expire, it's also true for dog tracking. Grid searching can hinder a dog's ability to follow up efficiently by molesting the track's scent profile. If you need help with a track this fall or would like more information about blood tracking with dogs, go to www.unitedbloodtrackers.org.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pennsylvania began allowing hunters to recover wounded big game with dogs during the 2018 season.  While we always aspire to place shots that require short track jobs, it's only part of hunting to make a bad shot.  On this week's episode of the Pennsylvania Woodsman we sit down with bowhunter and blood tracker Otto Shick.  Otto is a humble farmer from Southeast Pennsylvania that has been bowhunting his entire life and helping people find their deer with his dog Otis since it has been legal.  With all this comes a substantial amount of knowledge regarding tracking and what to do after the shot.Patience is an attribute that seldom goes unrewarded.  So why is it so difficult for many people to be patient after they release an arrow?  Frankly, it's easier said than done when you're dealing with adrenaline and excitement.  Without discipline, it can quickly ruin your recovery experience.  Slow down and ask yourself things such as, where do I think I hit?  How did the deer react? Where was the last place I saw it run?  What time did I shoot?  Otto shares with us what to do on specific shot situations, the amount of time to wait before tracking, how to mark the trail as you go, and what to do when you lose blood and decide to call someone with a dog.  When in doubt, back out, they say.  Not only is this true for allowing enough time for the animal to expire, it's also true for dog tracking.  Grid searching can hinder a dog's ability to follow up efficiently by molesting the track's scent profile.  If you need help with a track this fall or would like more information about blood tracking with dogs, go to www.unitedbloodtrackers.org. 

On this episode of The nomadic Outdoorsman Dan talks with Mitchell Shirk the host of The Pennsylvania Woodsman Podcast about acquiring new property and how to get the most out of small chunks of hunting land. Mitchell has been doing land and crop consulting as an Agronomist with Rosetree Consulting in Southeast Pennsylvania. He not only helps growers maximize yield potential and profitability, but also translates farming practices into food plot practices. Mitchell taking a back seat on hunting trips from 4 years old until about 10 when he was able to start hunting. Although he started out by hunting anything and everything that was legal, as time went on Mitchell became passionate about chasing after whitetail deer with a bow. Mitchell has been a student of quality deer management and property manipulation for years as he grew up hunting on a 280 acre chunk of private land. On this episode Dan picks his brain about every possibility he has to maximize deer movement and encounters on his newly signed 10 acre lot in Missouri. Connect with Dan Mathews and The Nomadic Outdoorsman  On TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook Shop Dan's Podcast Gear and Hunting Gear Shop Bull Elk Beard Oil Online Use code NOMADIC for 20% off at checkout Sign up for GoWild HERE Connect with Mitchell Shirk On Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of The nomadic Outdoorsman Dan talks with Mitchell Shirk the host of The Pennsylvania Woodsman Podcast about acquiring new property and how to get the most out of small chunks of hunting land.Mitchell has been doing land and crop consulting as an Agronomist with Rosetree Consulting in Southeast Pennsylvania. He not only helps growers maximize yield potential and profitability, but also translates farming practices into food plot practices. Mitchell taking a back seat on hunting trips from 4 years old until about 10 when he was able to start hunting. Although he started out by hunting anything and everything that was legal, as time went on Mitchell became passionate about chasing after whitetail deer with a bow. Mitchell has been a student of quality deer management and property manipulation for years as he grew up hunting on a 280 acre chunk of private land. On this episode Dan picks his brain about every possibility he has to maximize deer movement and encounters on his newly signed 10 acre lot in Missouri.Connect with Dan Mathews and The Nomadic Outdoorsman On TikTok, Instagram, and FacebookShop Dan's Podcast Gear and Hunting GearShop Bull Elk Beard OilOnline Use code NOMADIC for 20% off at checkoutSign up for GoWildHEREConnect with Mitchell ShirkOn Instagram

Erin: I happened to come across this really interesting piece that examines a regional phenomenon where the manufacturing industry is just doing really well, however, the labor shortage has been a real challenge for those folks and across the country. The piece did a nice exploration of all the factors that are really limiting hiring in the manufacturing industry and I thought we'd just kind of talk about that today because that's on everybody's minds. Lori: What really struck me in the article was that Southeast Pennsylvania has over 10,000 manufacturing positions that go unfilled every year!Erin: That just slows things down across the board, because anytime somebody has to be absent, you're just not able to fill that gap which puts so much pressure on the folks that are there. One of the things they explored was this sort of impression impairment for the manufacturing industry. They're saying that people when they think about manufacturing, think that it's dirty, it's loud, so it's not a good job. The article unpacks that notion and I just thought they did a really neat job of sort of dispelling those myths, but also helping us understand why they exist in the first place.Kris: I found it really interesting when the gentleman that they interviewed who has now been in manufacturing for 16 years said, "I thought manufacturing was dirty," and then he said, "Having been in a manufacturer for mining equipment for many years, I never got dirty!" So really, the stigma and the belief that people have about manufacturing is still something that has to be overcome and I think that's one of the many challenges that they're facing, but I thought that was so interesting that I really connected with his feedback there. Erin: You know what's funny is that it's a stigma now, but in the past, getting dirty used to be a point of pride to show hard work in the manufacturing industry. Still, for many folks that are still in the manufacturing industry that still exists and it's hard to contribute to this sort of fixing the impression of manufacturing as not being dirty, because it's a point of pride, and that's a huge cultural transition.Kris: I do think there is value that you gain and you feel from that accomplishment of doing the hard work that sometimes does make you dirty. I think it all has to be unpacked to try to find the right people with the right skills for the right jobs because there are all kinds of different jobs. In the article, it says that they've been stressing the importance of working closely with local high schools, trade schools, and colleges to get more young people involved with the industry and to buck the stigma of manufacturing work as undesirable. Here's my question to you guys: Is that the solution or is there something else? Erin: So Kris and I are planning an event at the Ford Festival which celebrates innovation, entrepreneurship and technology. We'll be working with some local manufacturers to do a panel on entrepreneurship and manufacturing which will get at a solution where we train young people and then they'll go work for somebody, but they're a lot of young people who are excited about being entrepreneurs, and we have not made the connection that you can make things and be an entrepreneur.Lori: I'd say get in at a younger age because there's a lot of stress when someone's in high school and they have to make these major decisions with no information. I wish that the educational system did a better job of leaning into...

For the third time in 3 years, The Realest Podcast in existence gets POLITICAL!! Today we are joined by our favorite constituents State Rep. Morgan Cephas (192nd Legislative District of PA) and Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr. aka Mr. 4th District. Live from the district council office at 5907 Market St, the Fantastic 4 gather to cover a myriad of topics ranging from education, innovation, entrepreneurship, the upcoming Overbrook Night Market starring TRPE and what's holding Philly back from becoming a truly great city. Over 2 hours of real talk and amazing content from some of the most prominent politicians in Southeast Pennsylvania. As always for more exclusive content and resources subscribe to us on Patreon and follow us on social media. Click the links below: •Patreon: https://patreon.com/officialtrpe •Grab Your Tour Tickets Here: https://officialtrpe.com (click the tour tab) •YouTube: https://youtube.com/TheRealestPodcastEver •Twitter: https://twitter.com/officialtrpe •Insta: https://instagram.com/officialtrpe •FB: https://facebook.com/TheRealestPodcastEver •Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/trpe?ref_id=12031  

On this episode of The nomadic Outdoorsman Dan talks with fellow Sportsmen's Empire podcaster and host of Pennsylvania Woodsman Podcast Mitchell Shirk about his love for podcasting, hunting and habitat. Mitchell has been tagging along on hunting trips since he was 4 years old. Around 10 he was able to start hunting himself. He would hunt and fish for anything with an open season but as time went on he started to focus on archery hunting whitetail deer and PA big game. Mitchell grew up hunting a 280 acre private land tract where he learned about quality deer management and property manipulation. He also got into hunting large tracts of mountainous public land in northern PA. His goal is to learn as much as possible each year, and help share his experiences with as many people as possible. Mitchell went to school for Biology and got a B.S. in Ecology w/ Minor in Environmental Science. He is currently an Agronomist at a private agricultural consulting company called Rosetree Consulting in Southeast Pennsylvania. He not only helps growers maximize yield potential and profitability, but also translates farming practices into food plot practices.   Connect with Dan Mathews and The Nomadic Outdoorsman  On TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook Shop Dan's Podcast Gear and Hunting Gear   Shop Bull Elk Beard Oil Online Use code NOMADIC for 20% off at checkout   Sign up for GoWild HERE   Connect with Mitchell Shirk On Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of The nomadic Outdoorsman Dan talks with fellow Sportsmen's Empire podcaster and host of Pennsylvania Woodsman Podcast Mitchell Shirk about his love for podcasting, hunting and habitat.Mitchell has been tagging along on hunting trips since he was 4 years old. Around 10 he was able to start hunting himself. He would hunt and fish for anything with an open season but as time went on he started to focus on archery hunting whitetail deer and PA big game. Mitchell grew up hunting a 280 acre private land tract where he learned about quality deer management and property manipulation. He also got into hunting large tracts of mountainous public land in northern PA. His goal is to learn as much as possible each year, and help share his experiences with as many people as possible.Mitchell went to school for Biology and got a B.S. in Ecology w/ Minor in Environmental Science. He is currently an Agronomist at a private agricultural consulting company called Rosetree Consulting in Southeast Pennsylvania. He not only  helps growers maximize yield potential and profitability, but also translates farming practices into food plot practices. Connect with Dan Mathews and The Nomadic Outdoorsman On TikTok, Instagram, and FacebookShop Dan's Podcast Gear and Hunting Gear Shop Bull Elk Beard OilOnline Use code NOMADIC for 20% off at checkout Sign up for GoWildHERE Connect with Mitchell ShirkOn Instagram

This week, Kathryn and Theresa talked to Kevin Feher, a high school band director in Southeast Pennsylvania. After graduating from Duquesne University with a degree in music education, Kevin taught in a variety of settings before joining the music department at Penn Ridge High School, where he has taught for the last seven years. In this interview, Kevin talks about how he incorporates mission statements in his high school band program. Connect with Kevin and learn more: F-Flat Books - Kevin Feher Musicast Podcast Musicast Episode 2.14: Kevin Feher - Finding Balance Through Student Leadership Penn Ridge High School Get a free book preview here: Pass the Baton: Empowering All Music Students For more info: Pass the Baton Free Download: 6 Questions to Pass the Baton and Empower Your Music Students Free Download: Amplify Student Voice With Exit Tickets for Self Reflection

Speaking to the Pharmacy Podcast Network, Dr. Marion Mass, a pediatrician, patient advocate and founding member of the Practicing Physicians of America, spoke about the original intent of PBMs, which started in 1968, and what they've become today. “PBMs were created with the vision that they would act like giant drug-buying networks, with their buying power cutting health care costs and consumers realizing the savings in the end. However, through consolidation, three companies now control 90 percent of the market,” she said. Dr. Mass further explained, “This unhealthy market share has led to an unhealthy control over formularies,” which can cause life-and-death situations for her young patients. “Patients are at risk of death or harm when drugs such as chemotherapies, antibiotics, epinephrine and anesthetics are not available.” Pharm D Mel Brodsky, executive director of the Philadelphia Association of Retail Druggists and former CEO of the Keystone Purchasing Alliance, explained, “This outsized market share takes advantage of drug manufacturers, pharmacists and, most importantly, patients. The result is a net negative for all parties except for the large PBMs.” In his estimation, the net result of this imbalance “has led to an erosion of the doctor-patient relationship and a decimation of Main Street pharmacists throughout the nation.” “With the current system in place, independent pharmacists are being squeezed to the point that many jump when the large groups offer to buy them out. With the depletion of community pharmacists comes the loss of personal touch and a watered-down version of health care to patients,” Brodsky said.  Both participants agreed that action must be taken on the federal level, citing Pennsylvania Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey's abilities to rein in the large PBM market imbalance. Our Guests:  Dr. Marion Mass. Dr. Mass is a pediatrician in the Philadelphia suburbs. She received her medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years. She is the co-founder of Practicing Physicians of America - and leadership in the Free2Care coalition-a consortium of grassroots physician advocacy groups that believe that the key to good care starts with the relationship between a patient and their doctor. She sits on the editorial board of the Bucks County Courier, Times and is a member of the Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership. Mr. Mel Brodsky is the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Association of Retail Druggists (PARD), an association of community pharmacies representing 250 independently owned pharmacies in Southeast Pennsylvania. PARD works closely with State Associations like the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association (PPA). Mr. Brodsky is also CEO of the Keystone Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance, headquartered in Philadelphia with 400 member stores in 5 States. Mel has an amazing understanding of how PBMs impact the effectiveness and growth of vital healthcare service providers like Community Pharmacies.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaking to the Pharmacy Podcast Network, Dr. Marion Mass, a pediatrician, patient advocate and founding member of the Practicing Physicians of America, spoke about the original intent of PBMs, which started in 1968, and what they've become today. “PBMs were created with the vision that they would act like giant drug-buying networks, with their buying power cutting health care costs and consumers realizing the savings in the end. However, through consolidation, three companies now control 90 percent of the market,” she said. Dr. Mass further explained, “This unhealthy market share has led to an unhealthy control over formularies,” which can cause life-and-death situations for her young patients. “Patients are at risk of death or harm when drugs such as chemotherapies, antibiotics, epinephrine and anesthetics are not available.” Pharm D Mel Brodsky, executive director of the Philadelphia Association of Retail Druggists and former CEO of the Keystone Purchasing Alliance, explained, “This outsized market share takes advantage of drug manufacturers, pharmacists and, most importantly, patients. The result is a net negative for all parties except for the large PBMs.” In his estimation, the net result of this imbalance “has led to an erosion of the doctor-patient relationship and a decimation of Main Street pharmacists throughout the nation.” “With the current system in place, independent pharmacists are being squeezed to the point that many jump when the large groups offer to buy them out. With the depletion of community pharmacists comes the loss of personal touch and a watered-down version of health care to patients,” Brodsky said.  Both participants agreed that action must be taken on the federal level, citing Pennsylvania Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey's abilities to rein in the large PBM market imbalance. Our Guests:  Dr. Marion Mass. Dr. Mass is a pediatrician in the Philadelphia suburbs. She received her medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years. She is the co-founder of Practicing Physicians of America - and leadership in the Free2Care coalition-a consortium of grassroots physician advocacy groups that believe that the key to good care starts with the relationship between a patient and their doctor. She sits on the editorial board of the Bucks County Courier, Times and is a member of the Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership. Mr. Mel Brodsky is the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Association of Retail Druggists (PARD), an association of community pharmacies representing 250 independently owned pharmacies in Southeast Pennsylvania. PARD works closely with State Associations like the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association (PPA). Mr. Brodsky is also CEO of the Keystone Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance, headquartered in Philadelphia with 400 member stores in 5 States. Mel has an amazing understanding of how PBMs impact the effectiveness and growth of vital healthcare service providers like Community Pharmacies.  

Speaking to the Pharmacy Podcast Network, Dr. Marion Mass, a pediatrician, patient advocate and founding member of the Practicing Physicians of America, spoke about the original intent of PBMs, which started in 1968, and what they've become today. “PBMs were created with the vision that they would act like giant drug-buying networks, with their buying power cutting health care costs and consumers realizing the savings in the end. However, through consolidation, three companies now control 90 percent of the market,” she said. Dr. Mass further explained, “This unhealthy market share has led to an unhealthy control over formularies,” which can cause life-and-death situations for her young patients. “Patients are at risk of death or harm when drugs such as chemotherapies, antibiotics, epinephrine and anesthetics are not available.” Pharm D Mel Brodsky, executive director of the Philadelphia Association of Retail Druggists and former CEO of the Keystone Purchasing Alliance, explained, “This outsized market share takes advantage of drug manufacturers, pharmacists and, most importantly, patients. The result is a net negative for all parties except for the large PBMs.” In his estimation, the net result of this imbalance “has led to an erosion of the doctor-patient relationship and a decimation of Main Street pharmacists throughout the nation.” “With the current system in place, independent pharmacists are being squeezed to the point that many jump when the large groups offer to buy them out. With the depletion of community pharmacists comes the loss of personal touch and a watered-down version of health care to patients,” Brodsky said.  Both participants agreed that action must be taken on the federal level, citing Pennsylvania Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey's abilities to rein in the large PBM market imbalance Our Guests:  Dr. Marion Mass. Dr. Mass is a pediatrician in the Philadelphia suburbs. She received her medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years. She is the co-founder of Practicing Physicians of America - and leadership in the Free2Care coalition-a consortium of grassroots physician advocacy groups that believe that the key to good care starts with the relationship between a patient and their doctor. She sits on the editorial board of the Bucks County Courier, Times and is a member of the Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership. Mr. Mel Brodsky is the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Association of Retail Druggists (PARD), an association of community pharmacies representing 250 independently owned pharmacies in Southeast Pennsylvania. PARD works closely with State Associations like the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association (PPA). Mr. Brodsky is also CEO of the Keystone Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance, headquartered in Philadelphia with 400 member stores in 5 States. Mel has an amazing understanding of how PBMs impact the effectiveness and growth of vital healthcare service providers like Community Pharmacies.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rich is a real estate investor from Southeast Pennsylvania who has built a 40 unit, $3mm residential portfolio in 4 years with only $25,000 to start, using the BRRRR method. He is now running a construction management business for investor clients while continuing to build his portfolio and expand into larger projects.   https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardaoneill/   Want to learn more about passive investing? Grab our FREE Course: https://www.passiveinvestorsclub.com/course Thank you and I appreciate you watching this video. Please like, subscribe, and share with others that you may find this valuable. Your comments are useful and help us generate better quality content based on your feedback.   Subscribe to my channel here:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb66-jA-WR4-LlJqp8Sn2wg?sub_confirmation=1   The Passive Investors Club is a community of like-minded individuals seeking financial freedom through passive investing in commercial real estate. More information about our club: https://www.passiveinvestorsclub.com Follow Me Online Here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwainelclarke/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DwaineClarkeOfficial LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwaineclarke/ Website: http://passiveinvestorsclub.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/dwaineclarke Medium: http://medium.com/@dwaineclarke SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/dwaineclarke Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wealth-through-real-estate-investing/id1457606006 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7B2wIQyiMgrcEJoqBUJzRR

Joe & Joe Weather Show Tropical Storm Elsa continues on a northeast course up the Eastern Seaboard forecast to reach the coast tonight near Delaware or Southern New Jersey and pass very close to Long Island Friday morning followed by a pass over Southeastern Massachusetts. Flash Flood Watches posted from the Mid Atlantic to Western New England. Severe thunderstorm watches are up from Southeast Pennsylvania to Southern New England, Tornado Watch Coastal Mid Atlantic due to Elsa. We have the forecast and a look ahead to a calmer weekend and a hot and humid week ahead. Omni True Value Hardware has everything you need for emergency preparedness in case of a hurricane http://omnitruevalue.com Wholesale Holiday Lighting By Gianinni for all your decorating needs https://liholidaylighting.com You can support this podcast by subscribing to Patreon for full weather coverage. https://patreon.com/meteorologistjoecioffi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/joe-cioffi/support

Today we interviewed Chris and Melissa from CNM Housing Solutions, located in Southeast Pennsylvania.  They are very successful real estate investors and "house flippers". They discuss the challenges and opportunities available in real estate for both sellers and investors.   To learn more about their business, visit CNM Housing Solutions and SellMyHouseAsIs.

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we interviewed two-time Kickstarter creator and the inventor of multiple products, Sam Wechsler. Looking to reduce the number of cooking gadgets in his home, Sam developed innovative kitchen tools, such as CoffeeClip and TeableSpoon, to save space and time. The CoffeeClip and TeableSpoon are measurement devices built into clips and spoons for all your coffee and baking needs. Learn how Sam, supported by 300 backers, surpassed his initial Kickstarter funding goal of $10,000 for CoffeeClip, Spoontula and TeableSpoon XL6. Topics Discussed and Key Crowdfunding Takeaways How Sam's engineering mindset transformed throughout his entrepreneurial career The design inspiration and prototyping process behind CoffeeClip and TeableSpoon XL6 Insight into how Sam's childhood kick-started his entrepreneurial spirit How Amazon is expected to turn business around for Sam​ after a net loss What, according to Sam, is the big picture business concept behind his culinary multi-tools Links Teablespoon's Website The CoffeeClip The Spoontula TeableSpoon XL6 CoffeeClip, Spoontula & TeableSpoon XL6: cooking simplified Kickstarter Campaign Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers by Alexander Osterwalder Sponsors Art of the Kickstart is honored to be sponsored by The Gadget Flow, a product discovery platform that helps you discover, save, and buy awesome products. The Gadget Flow is the ultimate buyer's guide for cool luxury gadgets and creative gifts. Click here to learn more and list your product - use coupon code ATOKK16 for 20% off! Transcript View this episode's transcript Roy Morejon: Welcome entrepreneurs and startups to Art of the Kickstart, the podcast that every entrepreneur needs to listen to before you launch. I’m your host Roy Morejon, president and founder of Inventus partners. The world’s only turnkey product launch company that has helped over 2000 innovations successfully raise over $400 million in capital since 2010. Each week I interview a crowdfunding success story, an inspirational entrepreneur or a business expert in order to help you take your startup to the next level. This show would not be possible without our main sponsor ProductHype, a 300,000 member crowdfunding media site and newsletter that’s generated millions of dollars in sales for over a thousand top tier projects since 2017. Check out producthype.co. Just to subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Now let’s get on with the show. Roy Morejon: Welcome to another edition of Art of the Kickstart. Today I’m honored to be joined with Sam Wechsler, the two-time creator on Kickstarter and the inventor of multiple products. First campaign was the tablespoon XL first campaign, and now recently just finished with the coffee clips, spoon chiller and the tablespoon XL6 to simplify the cooking experience. So Sam I’m really excited to have you on the show today. Thank you for joining me. Sam Wechsler: Hey. Thank you Roy. Glad to be here. Roy Morejon: So yeah Sam, we’ve been working together for a long time, but I really want to know and I think our audience wants us to start about… Let’s talk about your background and what led you to being an entrepreneur. Sam Wechsler: That’s a good question. Okay. My background is in engineering actually, electrical engineering. And I’ve always been an entrepreneurial person since I was about seven years old. Yeah. The first time… I still remember the first time I ever sold anything and that was at an agricultural fair. When I was about seven my dad had burpee seeds. We lived in Southeast Pennsylvania, near burpee seed company and he got burpee seeds and my brother and I would sell the seed packets for a dollar a piece at the agricultural fair. And ever since then I thought it’s kind of neat to sell stuff.

Carol Wagner is a long-time horticulturist at Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania a suburb of Philadelphia. A life-long resident of Southeast Pennsylvania, she graduated from the Professional Gardener Program at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. She takes great pride in the history and plantings at Haverford, especially the College's great-grandchild of the Penn Treaty Elm. She recently became a founding member of the Newtown Township Shade Tree Commission. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/plantatrilliontrees/support

Trevor Bonat is the Chief Mission Officer of Trinity Health PACE and Trinity Health at Home, a multi-institutional Catholic healthcare delivery system that serves over 30 million individuals across 22 states. The healthcare delivery system consists of 94 hospitals, post-care treatments (such as physical therapy,) and comprehensive care programs for the elderly.In this episode, Bonat explains his lifelong desire to serve the community and how he has made a difference in people's lives by bettering the overall health of the individuals. For example, Bonat shows support to Trinity Health's mission by raising attention to the core virtues of reverence, resilience, justice, and integrity. He also explains the influence his mentors had on him, the positive effects of fellowship and the advice that he would have given to his younger self. In the future, Bonat will strive to accompany his organization in helping engage healthcare challenges in an innovative, mission-driven way.In the past, Bonat was the mission leader for Mercy LIFE in Southeast Pennsylvania and the principal of two Catholic schools, where he focused on innovating and leading. He currently lives in Maryland with his wife, Stephanie, and two teenage daughter's Lucy and Jane. “We are the choice for healthcare that is full of dignity and personalization and reverence for the individual. We look outward into our communities to help elevate the health of the underserved communities as well.” - Trevor Bonat

In this episode, Andrea Stone, a Hazmat certified Tissue Bank Technician in a Southeast Pennsylvania hospital, discusses how hospital employee safety requirements have evolved over the past few decades and the OSHA requirements since the COVID-19 pandemic. Host: Dr. Marie-Line Germain Mixing: Kelly Minnis

Joe & Joe Weather Show with special guests meteorologists Bill Goodman and Tony Gigi of NWS. Winter Storm Warnings cover a large area from the Southern Appalachians northeast through most of Virginia, Southeast Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Southeast NY including NYC, Long Island, Coastal Southern & Southeastern New England for Saturday night and Sunday. This will be a fast moving system limiting snow fall in most areas. The long range shows a wintry week ahead with a couple of changes for snow. Late week a stronger system is in play and we could have extensive snow and issues issues for the Northeast and Mid Atlantic. Omni True Value Hardware is ready for any winter storms that head our way. http://omnitruevalue.com You can support this podcast by subscribing to Patreon for full weather coverage. https://patreon.com/meteorologistjoecioffi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/joe-cioffi/support

Joe & Joe Weather Show Monday February, 2021 updating the major winter storm as heavy snow bands come in from the southeast and hammer areas around NYC and Long Island. Snow is spreading through New England. While snow has tapered off to the south in Southern New Jersey and Southeast Pennsylvania it could back in from the northeast latet today and tonight. Omni True Value Hardware is ready for any winter storms that head our way. http://omnitruevalue.com You can support this podcast by subscribing to Patreon for full weather coverage. https://patreon.com/meteorologistjoecioffi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/joe-cioffi/support

Bob Ferguson is a naturalist from Southeast Pennsylvania that makes wildlife calendars featuring his own photography to benefit wildlife conservation. We learn about how the project got started, what organizations benefit and Bob's addiction to wildlife observation. https://www.etsy.com/shop/Fascinature https://www.instagram.com/bob_ferguson_fascinature/ Credits: Executive Producer: Tony Croasdale; Audio Production: Tykee James; WON Artwork: Robin Irizarry; WON Stinger by Alexander Jenson (music by His Hero is Gone) Help our reach by rating us where you're listening to Wildlife Observer Network and sharing this episode on social media We have Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Please support our creativity with monthly payments through Anchor or Patreon. Or you can make a one-time contribution on our website. You can also help us right now by giving us a rating and sharing this episode on social media so your family, friends, and followers know you're a part of the Wildlife Observer Community. Want to become a contributor? Email us: urbanwildlifecast@gmail.com https://anchor.fm/wildlife-observer-network https://www.patreon.com/WildlifeObserverNetwork Send us a voice message too! https://anchor.fm/wildlife-observer-network/message --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/wildlife-observer-network/support

The COVID pandemic has created more challenges for people with substance use disorder. I speak with Jennifer King - Executive Director of the Council of Southeast Pennsylvania and Victor Scott - 61-year-old celebrating 10 years in recovery about the special challenges of individuals living with substance abuse disorder and clearing the path to recovery. Aids walk Philly is coming up October 18th and like so many events – it's going virtual – we'll tell you how you can join in. I speak with Robb Reichard, Executive Director of the AIDS Fund and Jay Johnson, Director of Volunteers at Action Wellness.https://www.aidswalkphilly.org/First there are some simple steps you can take to save energy. I speak with Dave Schrader from NRG.https://www.picknrg.com/en/us/lp/energy_tipshttps://picknrgoffsets.com/

Most Sundays as I’m leaving church, I often have a hymn or worship song playing over and over in my head. That’s partially because of the powerful role music plays in our lives. It touches a part of us that spoken or written words can’t always reach.Today I had the privilege of sitting down with pastor and musician, Rev. Cydney VanDyke, and we dove into the world of faith and music. Rev. Cydney is a musician and singer and is Associate Pastor at New Goshenhoppen United Church of Christ in Pennsylvania. Her expertise in singing provides us a unique window into the role that music plays not just in worship, but in our personal faith lives as well. We dove into how music can be a form of prayer, how it connects us across cultures, how it can deepen our connection not only with God, but with others and with ourselves, and how it can transform our hearts and lives.Grab your favorite mug and fill it up, and dive into this powerful conversation about one of everyone’s favorite topics: music....Rev. Cydney Van Dyke (pronouns: she/her), grew up in Southeast Pennsylvania, where she also currently lives and serves as Associate Pastor at New Goshenhoppen United Church of Christ (UCC) in East Greenville, PA. However, she and her partner, Scott, are gearing up for a move, as she was recently called to be the Associate Pastor at First Congregational Church of Greenwich, CT. The daughter of two UCC pastors, Cydney has been involved in the denomination her whole life, especially in musical ways. Cydney’s earliest memories of church include singing in choirs, something she has continued to do throughout her life. Her call to ministry came through music, when she was offered a job to be the Chapel Pianist at Ursinus College. Throughout her time at Ursinus, and also while she was earning her Master of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School, Cydney was engrossed in singing, especially in A Cappella groups. A Cappella remains a passion for Cydney, and music is a spiritual practice for her.As a pastor, Cydney is dedicated to the ways of Christ that transform, heal, and reconcile, both in regards to individual lives and systems of power. She also values and welcomes the varied paths of spiritual journeying that each of us takes. These convictions fuel her passion for social justice issues, ecumenical and interfaith relationships, and cultivating spiritual practices. You can often find Cydney watching Harry Potter or sporting events, eating cheese, traveling with friends, and, of course, singing (often unconsciously). She is also very ready to get a cat.

Southeast Pennsylvania is ground zero in the invasion of the Spotted Lanternfly. The insect is literally taking over. Hardly a day goes by when we don’t hear about this invasive pest on the news or see them swarming around our homes and workplaces. In this episode of Community Matters, we’re talking with Rick Close, Senior Consulting Arborist with The Davey Tree Expert Company, about this invasive pest, where it came from, and what you can do to help combat these insects. Davey was founded in 1880 and has been employee owned since 1979.. Contact Davey via their website at www.davey.com. Community Matters is available in the iTunes store and on Google Play. Subscribe there or download the podbean app and be the first to receive notifications when new episodes are posted.

Southeast Pennsylvania is ground zero in the invasion of the Spotted Lanternfly. The insect is literally taking over. Hardly a day goes by when we don’t hear about this invasive pest on the news or see them swarming around our homes and workplaces. In this episode of Community Matters, we’re talking with Rick Close, Senior Consulting Arborist with The Davey Tree Expert Company, about this invasive pest, where it came from, and what you can do to help combat these insects. Davey was founded in 1880 and has been employee owned since 1979.. Contact Davey via their website at www.davey.com. Community Matters is available in the iTunes store and on Google Play. Subscribe there or download the podbean app and be the first to receive notifications when new episodes are posted.

This week, Scotty Wazz talks about the big sweep the Maryland Black Bears had over the weekend to get them back into playoff contention, while Team Maryland had plenty on their plate. The Stevenson University women split in Rhode Island, while the men had their way with Chatham. Hard times for Navy in Southeast Pennsylvania, as Towson split their weekend, and Stevenson's club saw more rubber than the Beltway. Plus, Sam Anas is hitting his stride after coming back along with some other Maryland pros. Follow the show on Twitter: @ChesapeakeHWPod

They say if you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life, and my guest Lonnie Beck is doing exactly that. He is a 5th Dan Black Belt, and he has been able to turn his passion for martial arts into a thriving, successful business.  Lonnie and business partner and friend Somnath Sikdar purchased Dragon Gym in Southeast Pennsylvania in 2008, and they have been able to achieve fantastic business growth over the past 10-years. What makes this business story even more extraordinary is it's the same martial arts school where they both started as kids.  Developing Your Skills As a business owner it’s crucial to be improving your skills continually and at the same time be prepared to make changes in your business if you want it to grow consistently and to stay competitive. Work/Life Balance Takes Planning When Lonnie purchased Dragon Gym, he was in his mid-twenties, full of energy and single. Moving ahead ten years, he is married with a daughter, meaning the schedule needed to be adjusted, but this was not a problem, as it was planned for and well thought out way ahead of time. Setting Up Systems Right from the outset, Lonnie knew you couldn’t take four martial arts classes a day, every day, for the rest of your life, as instructing does take a toll on your body. Instructing at a high level is a young person game, so very early on they planned for the business to be able to run without them and the only way to do this was to develop sound business systems. A successful business also needs to have the right people in the right positions. Educating Yourself & Self Improvement Lonnie has developed himself personally by having various business coaches and mentors, doing a lot of reading and being part of business mastermind groups. It’s crucial to pull information from different people and different industries because the martial arts industry is quite small and stagnate. Nutrition & Exercise Is The Root Of All Happiness A lot of people feel guilt and regret by the way they look because they know they are eating all the wrong foods and not exercising, but to turn this around it all begins by changing the way you talk to yourself. You need to find that inner light of happiness. When you exercise and eat healthier the conversations you have with yourself are far more positive, and this positivity is transferred to the people around you, making your life better. Help Yourself First It’s no different to the instructions we receive on every flight, in case of an emergency and oxygen mask will fall from the compartment above, put on your mask first before trying to help others. If you don’t work on yourself first, you cannot help others, and yes, you may be able to fake it for a while, but eventually, you will break. Start With Small Wins It’s about developing small wins you can hang onto. With your health, going to the gym or making a healthy smoothie is a small win. In business, it could be developing a simple phone system that you’ve been putting off. It’s important not to try to change everything at once. If there are bad habits in play, eliminate one at a time, don’t try to give up everything at once because it's unlikely you will succeed.  Improved Performance with Mental Preparation  When you decide you’re going to show up and make an effort to perform better, and you feel good about yourself, and you’re confident about the decisions you’re making, no challenges that come your way will be a problem because you’re mentally prepared Monday Morning Tip It all starts with positive self-talk; Pay attention to that voice in your head and consciously change it to be more uplifting. You can’t change anything in life unless you start to change your behaviours, including your diet, exercise and how you speak to yourself. If you have any questions about this podcast or blog, please send me an email at tf@tysonfranklin.com.   You can also connect directly with Lonnie Beck via Facebook or at Dragon Gym, especially if you're keen to know more about his Discovery Group business mentoring program. If I owned a martial arts school, I would be contacting them immediately.   If you like this episode, you'll also enjoy: Episode 018: Mastermind With The Dragon Master with Somnath Sikdar Episode 002: Communication, Persuasion & Influence with Dave Frees iTunes Reviews If you enjoy It’s No Secret with Dr T., please tell your friends, and if you enjoy it a lot, it will put a HUGE smile on my face if you left a review on iTunes. Reviews do two things: It gives social proof this show is worth checking out It lets the host know that people are listening and care Newsletter If you want to be kept up to date with my EVENTS and other activities, please sign up to my NEWSLETTER. I promise not to spam you with daily emails or tell you about all the fake clients I've helped achieve a 214% increase in business in 3-months. 

Welcome to this edition of Community Matters podcast where we explore issues and provide information important to the management and governance of condos, cooperatives and homeowner associations.  In this episode, We’ll be exploring some maintenance issues - specifically roof and siding maintenance and replacement for homes and, in particular, multifamily housing projects including condominiums and homeowner associations. Our guest in this episode is Joe Santucci, the Senior Project Consultant & Insurance Mediator for G. Fedale Roofing located in Newport, Delaware. G. Fedale Roofing is a member of CAI and is a family owned business that has been serving all of Delaware, South Jersey and Southeast Pennsylvania for more than 13 years. Community Matters is now available in the iTunes store and on Google Play. Subscribe there or download the podbean app and be the first to receive notifications when new episodes are posted.

Welcome to this edition of Community Matters podcast where we explore issues and provide information important to the management and governance of condos, cooperatives and homeowner associations.  In this episode, We’ll be exploring some maintenance issues - specifically roof and siding maintenance and replacement for homes and, in particular, multifamily housing projects including condominiums and homeowner associations. Our guest in this episode is Joe Santucci, the Senior Project Consultant & Insurance Mediator for G. Fedale Roofing located in Newport, Delaware. G. Fedale Roofing is a member of CAI and is a family owned business that has been serving all of Delaware, South Jersey and Southeast Pennsylvania for more than 13 years. Community Matters is now available in the iTunes store and on Google Play. Subscribe there or download the podbean app and be the first to receive notifications when new episodes are posted.

Somnath Sikdar is a 6th Dan Black Belt and the Owner of The Dragon Gym, which is a small chain of martial arts schools in Southeast Pennsylvania. The business Somnath now owns is where he began his martial arts career as a six year old. He holds degrees Science and Electrical Engineering, with minors in Systems Science and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, which proves you can have brains and brawn. Today we discuss: Parkinson’s Law and why exercise comes first Business thinking behind setting up a second location Initial exposure to the mastermind process What’s a perfect business look like Working on the business builds clarity The importance of knowing your ideal customer Masterminding Why Your business has got to run without you In Top Form podcast Your mind has an infinite ability to take in information You can’t put an old head on young shoulders Exercise must come first Your health must come first, it must be a priority, so you can be the best version of yourself, not just for you, but also for your family, business and team. Somnath was able to obtain degrees from university, while at the same time maintaining his high level of martial arts expertise. Parkinson’s Law – Work expands so as to fill the time available for it’s completion. Successful people always keep themselves busy and that’s exactly what Somnath did. Many of his university friends had so much free time; they never got around to studying. Business thinking behind expanding his business When a business becomes mature it also becomes saturated; meaning there’s nowhere else for it to go. You can try and fit more it, but it’s not viable. Everyone has ambition and a desire for more money, but at a much deeper level Somnath left engineering and got more into martial arts because he was driven by the idea of having impact, significance, and influence on other people’s lives. He felt he was benefiting society by having a second (and third) location. This gave him greater reach. Using the mastermind process to learn more about business His initial exposure into masterminding was not about learning more about martial arts, it was learning what it really means to be a better business owner, a better marketer, and how to run a business effectively. Masterminding taught him that if he wanted a successful business he needed to get himself off the mat. What’s a perfect business look like? When Somnath decided to open a second location he asked himself some very smart questions. If we had the ability to build a gym from scratch – what would it look like, in all ways? What is the layout? What colours will we use? What’s the décor and what will the program offering be? What mistakes have we made in the past and how can we eliminate these? His original location was 10000 square feet and it had seven different programs, (adults, children, kettle bell, etc), however his new location is only 2000 square feet and has just one program (children’s program), therefore only requiring two staff, and more importantly it runs without the owners being there. By getting off the mat it gave Somnath time to work on the business – therefore clarity to focus on how good the next location can be and by learning and perfecting the second location, the original location is now being modified. Subleasing to a synergistic businesses If you have spare space at your current location sublease it to a business that compliments what you’re doing, not only does it generate revenue, it can add value to your business. Dragon Gym subleases to a Physiotherapist; because members get injured, and by having a Physiotherapist onsite it gets members back training faster. Why did you specialise your second location? At the original Dragon Gym location Somnath had 7 programs and by looking at the numbers he identified 60% of their income came from their children’s program, therefore it made sense to focus the new location on this one program. This is why you need to know who your best customer is, your Avatar. With their kids program it could be broken down even further into niches: 3-4, 5-6, 7-9, 10-13 year olds. By separating them they can easily serve their individual needs better. (Awesome tip) Mastermind – The Discovery Group The mastermind group is about teaching other martial arts gym owners how to be profitable and not just being busy. We get into business because it’s something we love and we want to make money, but at what cost? That’s the important question. Your business has got to run without you, otherwise you just have a job and the only difference is you’re working for yourself. The power of the mastermind process Other business people can see what you cannot; this is the power of connecting with a mastermind group. It’s easy to look at someone else’s business and see what they’re doing wrong and visa versa. Also, when you look at someone else’s business it helps you reflect on your own business afterwards. In Top Form Facebook Page and Podcast Somnath Sikdar teams up with Dave Frees & Alex Frees to produce a weekly podcast, about science, strategies, tactics, and truth to achieve a better life, more profitable business and robust health. There’s a lot of value in learning from other professions and industries. Of course there’s value within your own industry, however they look at the problems the same way (Group think) Exposing yourself to things outside of your comfort zone will cause a fight or flight response, but this creates mental growth. Every time you reread a book you’ll learn something new. The interesting part is the book has not changed; it’s you that has changed. This applies to podcasts, meetings with people etc. As you grow, so does your ability to take in information. Episode 2 with Dave Frees The mind has an infinite capacity to learn. When Somnath was 18 he thought he was awesome and couldn’t be any better at martial arts. Then each year, as he got better and better he realised the more he learnt the less he actually knew. This applies to all areas of life and business. The longer you stay in a profession, the better you get. Your business today will look completely different in 12-months time and if it’s the same you have real problems. Your business cannot outgrow your own personal growth. You can’t put an old head on young shoulders We want to convey our knowledge to younger people, and you’d think technology would makes things easier, but you can’t pass on wisdom. Monday Morning Tip Whether it’s getting a coach, a mentor or joining a mastermind group, it’s important to find and associate with people that are more advanced than you in some way. It’s important to actively nurture those relationships. Many people are waiting for the teacher to find them, but you have to find the teacher and if someone is teaching you, you should be teaching someone else. You need to find your student as this creates balance. Podcast Review If you're enjoying this podcast series please gives it a review on iTunes or in your favourite podcast platform. Also if you want to download a chapter from my new book, It's No Secret There's Money in Small Business please visit my website www.tysonfranklin.com  Check out Dragon Gym and connect with Somnath Sikdar  We also make mention of Dave Frees event 3 Days To Success.   

Located in southeast Pennsylvania, Lancaster will soon have some of the fastest Internet access in the entire state due to its partnership with a local telecommunications firm, MAW Communications. We reported on many details about this approach here, but Community Broadband Bits podcast episode 248 offers an in-depth look.Lancaster Business Administrator Patrick Hopkins and MAW … Continue reading "LanCity Connect Partnership Brings Gig to Southeast Pennsylvania – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 248" ★ Support this podcast ★

Wade Walton is a television producer, photographer, writer, musician and motivational trainer based in Southeast Pennsylvania. He's especially interested in human interaction in the natural world and how each affects the other.

With John Gillespie, author of Beer Country Author, beer geek and now official Beer Busters contributing writer John Gillespie returns to the Beer Busters Podcast Basement to discuss his book and blog project, Beer Country: A Beer Geek’s Guide to Southeast Pennsylvania as well as a bit about what brought him to the world of craft beer and inspired him to undertake the project. Last time John was on the show we handed him the reins, this time we took them back. Dan did the usual news thing, we played Years of Beers and we sampled some awesome brews. However, we had to do something special so we decided to do a blind tasting of five “macro” brews. We all unanimously agreed on the most palatable and the result might surprise you. (Hint: it must be in our genes.)

In this episode we welcomed John Gillespie, author of Beer Country: A Beer Geeks Guide to Southeast Pennsylvania and all-around beer enthusiast, to the Beer Busters Podcast Basement. After a brief intro we turned the tables and gave John the reins to host the show. He interviewed us about our love of beer and how we got involved in this podcastiness. John even brought his own take of Happy Fun Time Games to the show (though we did play some mad-libs, too, just for fun) and brought along a slew of incredible beers to share with us. This, the first (and only?) episode of Beer Country Podcast Radio, was an absolute blast.  Be sure to check out John’s Beer Country project by following his blog, his Twitter and giving him a like on Facebook!