Podcasts about Summarize

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Latest podcast episodes about Summarize

Empire
The Bull Case For Ethereum | Tom Dunleavy & Ryan Berckmans

Empire

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2025 70:22


Gm! This week we're joined by Tom Dunleavy & Ryan Berckmans to discuss the bull case for Ethereum. We deep dive into Ethereum's big pivot, how to value the L1, should L2 tokens exist, the role of Etherealize, what's next for ETH & more. Enjoy! -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts Follow Ryan: https://x.com/ryanberckmans Follow Tom: https://x.com/dunleavy89 Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- ZKsync is the pioneering zero-knowledge technology powering the next generation of builders with limitless scale. Secured by math and designed for native interoperability, ZKsync enables an elastic, ever-expanding network of customizable chains. Deeply rooted in its mission to advance personal freedom for all, the ZKsync technology makes digital self-ownership universally available. To learn more about ZKsync, visit http://www.zksync.io -- Zenrock is a permissionless, decentralized custody network backed by 1RoundTable Partners, 10T, Maven11, and Spartan. Live on Jupiter, $ROCK is the native token for transactions within the Zenrock ecosystem and secures Zenrock's decentralized custody network. The first application launching on Zenrock is zenBTC – yield-bearing Bitcoin on Solana. zenBTC will be live in April 2025. -- Crypto never sleeps. So we built an Al analyst that never blinks. Meet Focal by FalconX: a GenAI insights engine built for institutional crypto. Already used by 80+ funds managing $10B+ in AUM.

Empire
Why Apollo Created Their Onchain Credit Fund | Christine Moy, Carlos Domingo & Tarun Chitra

Empire

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 71:34


Gm! This week we're joined by Christine Moy, Carlos Domingo & Tarun Chitra to discuss the launch of crypto largest onchain credit fund. We deep dive into what is private credit, the future of tokenization, onchain vs tradfi risk management, finding product market fit & more. Enjoy! -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts Follow Christine: https://x.com/cmoyall Follow Tarun: https://x.com/tarunchitra Follow Carlos: https://x.com/carlosdomingo Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- ZKsync is the pioneering zero-knowledge technology powering the next generation of builders with limitless scale. Secured by math and designed for native interoperability, ZKsync enables an elastic, ever-expanding network of customizable chains. Deeply rooted in its mission to advance personal freedom for all, the ZKsync technology makes digital self-ownership universally available. To learn more about ZKsync, visit http://www.zksync.io -- Zenrock is a permissionless, decentralized custody network backed by 1RoundTable Partners, 10T, Maven11, and Spartan. Live on Jupiter, $ROCK is the native token for transactions within the Zenrock ecosystem and secures Zenrock's decentralized custody network. The first application launching on Zenrock is zenBTC – yield-bearing Bitcoin on Solana. zenBTC will be live in April 2025. -- Crypto never sleeps. So we built an Al analyst that never blinks. Meet Focal by FalconX: a GenAI insights engine built for institutional crypto. Already used by 80+ funds managing $10B+ in AUM. :small_blue_diamond: Screen, chart, and analyze 1300+ tokens :small_blue_diamond: Summarize market-moving news instantly :small_blue_diamond: Integrates data from CoinGecko, Kaito, Token Terminal, Tokenomist, The Tie Get started today: https://askfocal.com -- AO Mainnet is LIVE! Experience the future of decentralized computing: infinite parallel processing, secure TEE-powered computations, and LLMs in smart contracts. Built on Arweave, AO's modular design shatters scalability limits. 100% of tokens are distributed to Arweave holders and bridge depositors, with a fixed supply and halving. Explore AO today: https://ao.arweave.dev -- Token.com is a social-first crypto platform transforming how people discover and trade through crypto content. The revolutionary in-feed trading turns complex crypto into intuitive investments, while content creators earn from every trade and projects amplify their stories through native tokens - creating a new era of social media-powered crypto discovery. Just scroll to watch and tap to invest. Download the app! -- Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:02) What Is Private Credit? (06:32) The ACRED Levered RWA Strategy (09:29) How To Bring TradFi Onchain? (20:51) Ads (ZKSync, Zenrock) (22:30) How Does the Levered RWA Strategy Function? (32:14) A New Era For Tokenization (36:32) Ads (ZKSync, Zenrock) (38:11) Onchain vs TradFi Risk Management (42:47) How To Avoid Leverage Unwinds (49:36) Ads (Falcon x,Arweave, Token.com) (51:50) Finding Product Market Fit (01:04:57) The Future Of Tokenization — Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Christian Meditation Podcast
746 He Had Compassion on Her, A Guided Christian Meditation on Luke 7:11-15 with the Recenter With Christ app

Christian Meditation Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2025 20:23


746 He Had Compassion on Her, A Guided Christian Meditation on Luke 7:11-15 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect wi h the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving jor anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation Luke 7 NKJV 11 Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. 12 And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother. NASB 11 Soon afterward Jesus went to a city called Nain; and His disciples were going along with Him, accompanied by a large crowd. 12 Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her and said to her, “Do not go on weeping.” 14 And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!” 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. Meditation on Scripture: When I first read this scripture in the past I was impressed by the power Jesus demonstrated over death. It is clear that Luke was intending to highlight Jesus' power over death and how that impacted the people. They responded with fear and then turned to glorify God. This is the natural response to God's power. It wasn't until I was reflecting on why this story was written. It is a very short account of what happened. No details except that of a desperate mother. Jesus could have demonstrated His power by moving the mount of Olives or some other visible feat. He chose to save a Mother. At this time of the year we celebrate mother's day. We can be tempted to think of glorious successes. Perhaps this sets a challenging unrealistic standard for family relationships.  This account from Luke demonstrates a family in agony. It demonstrates a family breaking, being separated by death, and in this time the prospect of a childless mother with nobody to care for her and protect her. Many times in our lives it seems like this can be just an appropriate reflection of Mother's day also. A mother in desperation before the Lord when her family seemed to be deteriorating. Aside from the miracle the only response Jesus showed was that He felt compassion. As you struggle in life and things inevitably do not go your way, remember the widow of Nain. When you feel broken or that your hope is fading remember that Jesus demonstrated compassion on this nameless mother. He calmed her weeping, then solved her problems with His touch. I hope and pray that each of us can trust Jesus enough to look to the way in which he chooses to heal us and our relationships. Many times it is not in the method we hope for or suspect, but he does it with compassion. Look to Jesus for healing and know that as your reach out to God wrapped in the blanket of His grace, that he can heal all. In Him you are enough and will be forever more.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

Mayo Clinic Talks
Obstetric and Gynecologic Health Series: Benign Inflammatory Breast Conditions

Mayo Clinic Talks

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2025 14:48


Host: Danielle O'Laughlin, PA-C, MS and Jenna Wygant, APRN, CNP, DNP Guest: Danielle O'Laughlin, PA-C, MS In this episode, along with host/guest Danielle O'Laughlin, PA-C, MS, we will discuss benign, inflammatory breast conditions. We will cover how to differentiate between common issues such as mastitis, breast abscess, fat necrosis, galactorrhea, and gynecomastia. We'll walk through the key signs and symptoms to watch for and explore how each condition is diagnosed and treated. This episode offers valuable insights into these non-cancerous yet very important conditions. By the end of this podcasts, listeners will be able to: Differentiate the benign, inflammatory breast conditions including mastitis, breast abscess, fat necrosis, galactorrhea, and gynecomastia. Recognize the signs and symptoms for benign, inflammatory breast conditions. Summarize the diagnosis and treatment options for benign, inflammatory breast conditions. Learn more about this series: Mayo Clinic Talks: Obstetric and Gynecologic Health | Mayo Clinic School of Continuous Professional Development Connect and listen with Mayo Clinic Podcasts | Mayo Clinic School of Continuous Professional Development

Empire
The Ultimate Coinbase Debate: Can It Survive? | Jeff Dorman

Empire

Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 75:20


Gm! This week we're joined by Jeff Dorman to discuss his recent tweet on the bear case for Coinbase. We deep dive into the Coinbase business model, the rise of DEXs (Hyperliquid), who is best positioned to win the exchange wars, the opportunity for DeFi & more. Enjoy! -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts -- Follow Jeff: https://x.com/jdorman81 Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- Petra Earn was designed to make DeFi more accessible for everyone—from seasoned pros to DeFi beginners. Manage your balance, claim rewards and deposit directly from the app. By supplying USDT to Aries lending pools, users have the potential to earn a higher yield compared to some traditional methods. Not financial advice. Participating in Defi carries risks. To learn more visit https://petra.app/earn -- Zenrock is a permissionless, decentralized custody network backed by 1RoundTable Partners, 10T, Maven11, and Spartan. Live on Jupiter, $ROCK is the native token for transactions within the Zenrock ecosystem and secures Zenrock's decentralized custody network. The first application launching on Zenrock is zenBTC – yield-bearing Bitcoin on Solana. zenBTC will be live in April 2025. -- Crypto never sleeps. So we built an Al analyst that never blinks. Meet Focal by FalconX: a GenAI insights engine built for institutional crypto. Already used by 80+ funds managing $10B+ in AUM.

Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World
Katie R. Dale's Mental Health Story: Living Beyond Crazy

Tony Mantor: Why Not Me the World

Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2025 27:29 Transcription Available


Send us a textKatie R. Dale shares her journey from hospital patient to mental health author and advocate, offering insights into living with bipolar disorder type 1 with psychotic features and how writing became her path to healing and helping others.• Started blogging in 2014 after hospitalization as self-therapy before expanding into professional advocacy• Wrote memoir "But Deliver Me From Crazy" chronicling her experiences from teen years through mid-twenties• Found writing helped process intense memories of psychosis and mania with "crystal clear" recall• Recommends OARS approach for supporting loved ones: Open questions, Affirm feelings, Reflect understanding, Summarize conversations• Shares practical coping strategies including 15-minute time management blocks and tactile comfort objects• Emphasizes importance of medication (calls hers "magic pill") while noting finding the right one often requires patience• Currently working on faith-based books exploring the distinction between psychotic voices and spiritual experiences• Maintains hope is possible despite invisible illness through proper treatment, support systems and faithResources available at katierdalecom/resources including downloadable support guides and connections to organizations like National Shattering Silence Coalition, Treatment Advocacy Center, and Fresh Hope for Mental Health.https://tonymantor.comhttps://Facebook.com/tonymantorhttps://instagram.com/tonymantorhttps://twitter.com/tonymantorhttps://youtube.com/tonymantormusicintro/outro music bed written by T. WildWhy Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

Leaving The Nest
Episode 54: Eyes on You: Winning Over the Panel

Leaving The Nest

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2025 12:17


Let's talk this week about the dreaded panel interview. Yes, the panel interview, the one where you're the only person on one side of the table (or Zoom screen), and there are four or five people staring at you from the other side, shooting rapid-fire questions at you. I know; this doesn't sound fun, but that's why I am doing this episode of Leaving the Nest! If you caught the last episode, we talked about group interviews – multiple candidates, one or two hiring managers, but today we're flipping that for this episode - one candidate (you), multiple interviewers (them), and, of course, a whole lot of nerves. I'm walking you through how to handle this intimidating setup with as much grace and confidence as possible, even if your palms are sweaty and your brain is screaming at you. We cover the essentials (yes, you still need to be on time), but also the little things that can make a big difference, like how to engage the whole panel, what to do if you blank on someone's name, and how to tailor your answers so they actually land with each interviewer. I also give you some tips on asking questions that show you're not only prepared but sharp, and as always, I remind you how to leave a solid impression that sticks long after you log off or walk out. Panel interviews can be a lot, but with a little prep, I promise you that you can be fully prepared! Key Takeaways: l  Prepare thoroughly by researching the interviewers and the company and customizing responses to each interviewer's interests. l  Maintain confidence and engagement throughout the interview by making eye contact, using positive body language, and addressing the entire panel. l  Ask thoughtful, specific questions to demonstrate your interest and understanding. l  Summarize why you are a good fit for the role, and thank the interviewers individually at the end. l  Follow up with a personalized thank-you note to leave a lasting positive impression! Thanks again for listening to Leaving The Nest! To find your next job, visit us at ROCS Grad Staffing. If you are a business in need of help staffing entry-level positions in your office, please reach out to Kathleen directly at Kathleen@rocsjobs.com. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please call Kathleen at 703-579-6677.   Resources: ROCS Grad Staffing Listen to Leaving The Nest Podcast   Connect with Kathleen: Kathleen@rocsjobs.com LinkedIn Call: 571-446-2819  

Empire
BlackRock's Crypto Strategy With Samara Cohen

Empire

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2025 72:39


Gm! This week we're joined by Samara Cohen to discuss BlackRock's crypto strategy in 2025. We deep dive into the success of the Bitcoin ETP launches, investor demand for crypto, why Samara is bullish on tokenization, how to bridge traditional assets onchain & much more. Enjoy! -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- Petra Earn was designed to make DeFi more accessible for everyone—from seasoned pros to DeFi beginners. Manage your balance, claim rewards and deposit directly from the app. By supplying USDT to Aries lending pools, users have the potential to earn a higher yield compared to some traditional methods.Not financial advice. Participating in Defi carries risks. To learn more visit https://petra.app/earn -- Zenrock is a permissionless, decentralized custody network backed by 1RoundTable Partners, 10T, Maven11, and Spartan. Live on Jupiter, $ROCK is the native token for transactions within the Zenrock ecosystem and secures Zenrock's decentralized custody network. The first application launching on Zenrock is zenBTC – yield-bearing Bitcoin on Solana. zenBTC will be live in April 2025. -- Crypto never sleeps. So we built an Al analyst that never blinks.Meet Focal by FalconX: a GenAI insights engine built for institutional crypto. Already used by 80+ funds managing $10B+ in AUM.

Empire
The End Game For Stablecoins With Edward Woodford

Empire

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2025 65:32


Gm! This week we're joined by Edward Woodford to discuss the economics of stablecoins. We deep dive into Circle's S-1 filing, who will benefit the most from the stablecoin business model, how does Circle remain competitive, the end game for stablecoin issuers & more. Enjoy! -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts Follow Edward: https://x.com/e_woodford Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- Petra Earn was designed to make DeFi more accessible for everyone—from seasoned pros to DeFi beginners. Manage your balance, claim rewards and deposit directly from the app. By supplying USDT to Aries lending pools, users have the potential to earn a higher yield compared to some traditional methods. Not financial advice. Participating in Defi carries risks. To learn more visit https://petra.app/earn -- Zenrock is a permissionless, decentralized custody network backed by 1RoundTable Partners, 10T, Maven11, and Spartan. Live on Jupiter, $ROCK is the native token for transactions within the Zenrock ecosystem and secures Zenrock's decentralized custody network. The first application launching on Zenrock is zenBTC – yield-bearing Bitcoin on Solana. zenBTC will be live in April 2025. -- Crypto never sleeps. So we built an Al analyst that never blinks. Meet Focal by FalconX: a GenAI insights engine built for institutional crypto. Already used by 80+ funds managing $10B+ in AUM.

Oracle University Podcast
Integrating APEX with OCI AI Services

Oracle University Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2025 20:01


Discover how Oracle APEX leverages OCI AI services to build smarter, more efficient applications. Hosts Lois Houston and Nikita Abraham interview APEX experts Chaitanya Koratamaddi, Apoorva Srinivas, and Toufiq Mohammed about how key services like OCI Vision, Oracle Digital Assistant, and Document Understanding integrate with Oracle APEX.   Packed with real-world examples, this episode highlights all the ways you can enhance your APEX apps.   Oracle APEX: Empowering Low Code Apps with AI: https://mylearn.oracle.com/ou/course/oracle-apex-empowering-low-code-apps-with-ai/146047/ Oracle University Learning Community: https://education.oracle.com/ou-community LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/oracle-university/ X: https://x.com/Oracle_Edu   Special thanks to Arijit Ghosh, David Wright, Kris-Ann Nansen, Radhika Banka, and the OU Studio Team for helping us create this episode.   ---------------------------------------------------------------   Episode Transcript: 00:00 Welcome to the Oracle University Podcast, the first stop on your cloud journey. During this series of informative podcasts, we'll bring you foundational training on the most popular Oracle technologies. Let's get started! 00:25 Lois: Hello and welcome to the Oracle University Podcast. I'm Lois Houston, Director of Innovation Programs with Oracle University, and with me is Nikita Abraham, Team Lead: Editorial Services. Nikita: Hi everyone! Last week, we looked at how generative AI powers Oracle APEX and in today's episode, we're going to focus on integrating APEX with OCI AI Services. Lois: That's right, Niki. We're going to look at how you can use Oracle AI services like OCI Vision, Oracle Digital Assistant, Document Understanding, OCI Generative AI, and more to enhance your APEX apps. 01:03 Nikita: And to help us with it all, we've got three amazing experts with us, Chaitanya Koratamaddi, Director of Product Management at Oracle, and senior product managers, Apoorva Srinivas and Toufiq Mohammed. In today's episode, we'll go through each Oracle AI service and look at how it interacts with APEX. Apoorva, let's start with you. Can you explain what the OCI Vision service is? Apoorva: Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Vision is a serverless multi-tenant service accessible using the console or REST APIs. You can upload images to detect and classify objects in them. With prebuilt models available, developers can quickly build image recognition into their applications without machine learning expertise. OCI Vision service provides a fully managed model infrastructure. With complete integration with OCI Data Labeling, you can build custom models easily. OCI Vision service provides pretrained models-- Image Classification, Object Detection, Face Detection, and Text Recognition. You can build custom models for Image Classification and Object Detection. 02:24 Lois: Ok. What about its use cases? How can OCI Vision make APEX apps more powerful? Apoorva: Using OCI Vision, you can make images and videos discoverable and searchable in your APEX app.  You can use OCI Vision to detect and classify objects in the images. OCI Vision also highlights the objects using a red rectangular box. This comes in handy in use cases such as detecting vehicles that have violated the rules in traffic images. You can use OCI Vision to identify visual anomalies in your data. This is a very popular use case where you can detect anomalies in cancer X-ray images to detect cancer. These are some of the most popular use cases of using OCI Vision with your APEX app. But the possibilities are endless and you can use OCI Vision for any of your image analysis. 03:29 Nikita: Let's shift gears to Oracle Digital Assistant. Chaitanya, can you tell us what it's all about? Chaitanya: Oracle Digital Assistant is a low-code conversational AI platform that allows businesses to build and deploy AI assistants. It provides natural language understanding, automatic speech recognition, and text-to-speech capabilities to enable human-like interactions with customers and employees. Oracle Digital Assistant comes with prebuilt templates for you to get started.  04:00 Lois: What are its key features and benefits, Chaitanya? How does it enhance the user experience? Chaitanya: Oracle Digital Assistant provides conversational AI capabilities that include generative AI features, natural language understanding and ML, AI-powered voice, and analytics and insights. Integration with enterprise applications become easier with unified conversational experience, prebuilt chatbots for Oracle Cloud applications, and chatbot architecture frameworks. Oracle Digital Assistant provides advanced conversational design tools, conversational designer, dialogue and domain trainer, and native multilingual support. Oracle Digital Assistant is open, scalable, and secure. It provides multi-channel support, automated bot-to-agent transfer, and integrated authentication profile. 04:56 Nikita: And what about the architecture? What happens at the back end? Chaitanya: Developers assemble digital assistants from one or more skills. Skills can be based on prebuilt skills provided by Oracle or third parties, custom developed, or based on one of the many skill templates available. 05:16 Lois: Chaitanya, what exactly are “skills” within the Oracle Digital Assistant framework?  Chaitanya: Skills are individual chatbots that are designed to interact with users and fulfill specific type of tasks. Each skill helps a user complete a task through a combination of text messages and simple UI elements like select list. When a user request is submitted through a channel, the Digital Assistant routes the user's request to the most appropriate skill to satisfy the user's request. Skills can combine multilingual NLP deep learning engine, a powerful dialogflow engine, and integration components to connect to back-end systems.  Skills provide a modular way to build your chatbot functionality. Now users connect with a chatbot through channels such as Facebook, Microsoft Teams, or in our case, Oracle APEX chatbot, which is embedded into an APEX application. 06:21 Nikita: That's fascinating. So, what are some use cases of Oracle Digital Assistant in APEX apps? Chaitanya: Digital assistants streamline approval processes by collecting information, routing requests, and providing status updates. Digital assistants offer instant access to information and documentation, answering common questions and guiding users. Digital assistants assist sales teams by automating tasks, responding to inquiries, and guiding prospects through the sales funnel. Digital assistants facilitate procurement by managing orders, tracking deliveries, and handling supplier communication. Digital assistants simplify expense approvals by collecting reports, validating receipts, and routing them for managerial approval. Digital assistants manage inventory by tracking stock levels, reordering supplies, and providing real-time inventory updates. Digital assistants have become a common UX feature in any enterprise application. 07:28 Want to learn how to design stunning, responsive enterprise applications directly from your browser with minimal coding? The new Oracle APEX Developer Professional learning path and certification enables you to leverage AI-assisted development, including generative AI and Database 23ai, to build secure, scalable web and mobile applications with advanced AI-powered features. From now through May 15, 2025, we're waiving the certification exam fee (valued at $245). So, what are you waiting for? Visit mylearn.oracle.com to get started today. 08:09 Nikita: Welcome back! Thanks for that, Chaitanya. Toufiq, let's talk about the OCI Document Understanding service. What is it? Toufiq: Using this service, you can upload documents to extract text, tables, and other key data. This means the service can automatically identify and extract relevant information from various types of documents, such as invoices, receipts, contracts, etc. The service is serverless and multitenant, which means you don't need to manage any servers or infrastructure. You can access this service using the console, REST APIs, SDK, or CLI, giving you multiple ways to integrate. 08:55 Nikita: What do we use for APEX apps?  Toufiq: For APEX applications, we will be using REST APIs to integrate the service. Additionally, you can process individual files or batches of documents using the ProcessorJob API endpoint. This flexibility allows you to handle different volumes of documents efficiently, whether you need to process a single document or thousands at once. With these capabilities, the OCI Document Understanding service can significantly streamline your document processing tasks, saving time and reducing the potential for manual errors. 09:36 Lois: Ok.  What are the different types of models available? How do they cater to various business needs? Toufiq: Let us start with pre-trained models. These are ready-to-use models that come right out of the box, offering a range of functionalities. The available models are Optical Character Recognition (OCR) enables the service to extract text from documents, allowing you to digitize, scan the documents effortlessly. You can precisely extract text content from documents. Key-value extraction, useful in streamlining tasks like invoice processing. Table extraction can intelligently extract tabular data from documents. Document classification automatically categorizes documents based on their content. OCR PDF enables seamless extraction of text from PDF files. Now, what if your business needs go beyond these pre-trained models. That's where custom models come into play. You have the flexibility to train and build your own models on top of these foundational pre-trained models. Models available for training are key value extraction and document classification. 10:50 Nikita: What does the architecture look like for OCI Document Understanding? Toufiq: You can ingest or supply the input file in two different ways. You can upload the file to an OCI Object Storage location. And in your request, you can point the Document Understanding service to pick the file from this Object Storage location.  Alternatively, you can upload a file directly from your computer. Once the file is uploaded, the Document Understanding service can process the file and extract key information using the pre-trained models. You can also customize models to tailor the extraction to your data or use case. After processing the file, the Document Understanding service stores the results in JSON format in the Object Storage output bucket. Your Oracle APEX application can then read the JSON file from the Object Storage output location, parse the JSON, and store useful information at local table or display it on the screen to the end user. 11:52 Lois: And what about use cases? How are various industries using this service? Toufiq: In financial services, you can utilize Document Understanding to extract data from financial statements, classify and categorize transactions, identify and extract payment details, streamline tax document management. Under manufacturing, you can perform text extraction from shipping labels and bill of lading documents, extract data from production reports, identify and extract vendor details. In the healthcare industry, you can automatically process medical claims, extract patient information from forms, classify and categorize medical records, identify and extract diagnostic codes. This is not an exhaustive list, but provides insights into some industry-specific use cases for Document Understanding. 12:50 Nikita: Toufiq, let's switch to the big topic everyone's excited about—the OCI Generative AI Service. What exactly is it? Toufiq: OCI Generative AI is a fully managed service that provides a set of state of the art, customizable large language models that cover a wide range of use cases. It provides enterprise grade generative AI with data governance and security, which means only you have access to your data and custom-trained models. OCI Generative AI provides pre-trained out-of-the-box LLMs for text generation, summarization, and text embedding. OCI Generative AI also provides necessary tools and infrastructure to define models with your own business knowledge. 13:37 Lois: Generally speaking, how is OCI Generative AI useful?  Toufiq: It supports various large language models. New models available from Meta and Cohere include Llama2 developed by Meta, and Cohere's Command model, their flagship text generation model. Additionally, Cohere offers the Summarize model, which provides high-quality summaries, accurately capturing essential information from documents, and the Embed model, converting text to vector embeddings representation. OCI Generative AI also offers dedicated AI clusters, enabling you to host foundational models on private GPUs. It integrates LangChain and open-source framework for developing new interfaces for generative AI applications powered by language models. Moreover, OCI Generative AI facilitates generative AI operations, providing content moderation controls, zero downtime endpoint model swaps, and endpoint deactivation and activation capabilities. For each model endpoint, OCI Generative AI captures a series of analytics, including call statistics, tokens processed, and error counts. 14:58 Nikita: What about the architecture? How does it handle user input? Toufiq: Users can input natural language, input/output examples, and instructions. The LLM analyzes the text and can generate, summarize, transform, extract information, or classify text according to the user's request. The response is sent back to the user in the specified format, which can include raw text or formatting like bullets and numbering, etc. 15:30 Lois: Can you share some practical use cases for generative AI in APEX apps?  Toufiq: Some of the OCI generative AI use cases for your Oracle APEX apps include text summarization. Generative AI can quickly summarize lengthy documents such as articles, transcripts, doctor's notes, and internal documents. Businesses can utilize generative AI to draft marketing copy, emails, blog posts, and product descriptions efficiently. Generative AI-powered chatbots are capable of brainstorming, problem solving, and answering questions. With generative AI, content can be rewritten in different styles or languages. This is particularly useful for localization efforts and catering to diverse audience. Generative AI can classify intent in customer chat logs, support tickets, and more. This helps businesses understand customer needs better and provide tailored responses and solutions. By searching call transcripts, internal knowledge sources, Generative AI enables businesses to efficiently answer user queries. This enhances information retrieval and decision-making processes. 16:47 Lois: Before we let you go, can you explain what Select AI is? How is it different from the other AI services? Toufiq: Select AI is a feature of Autonomous Database. This is where Select AI differs from the other AI services. Be it OCI Vision, Document Understanding, or OCI Generative AI, these are all freely managed standalone services on Oracle Cloud, accessible via REST APIs. Whereas Select AI is a feature available in Autonomous Database. That means to use Select AI, you need Autonomous Database.  17:26 Nikita: And what can developers do with Select AI? Toufiq: Traditionally, SQL is the language used to query the data in the database. With Select AI, you can talk to the database and get insights from the data in the database using human language. At the very basic, what Select AI does is it generates SQL queries using natural language, like an NL2SQL capability.  17:52 Nikita: How does it actually do that? Toufiq: When a user asks a question, the first step Select AI does is look into the AI profile, which you, as a developer, define. The AI profile holds crucial information, such as table names, the LLM provider, and the credentials needed to authenticate with the LLM service. Next, Select AI constructs a prompt. This prompt includes information from the AI profile and the user's question.  Essentially, it's a packet of information containing everything the LLM service needs to generate SQL. The next step is generating SQL using LLM. The prompt prepared by Select AI is sent to the available LLM services via REST. Which LLM to use is configured in the AI profile. The supported providers are OpenAI, Cohere, Azure OpenAI, and OCI Generative AI. Once the SQL is generated by the LLM service, it is returned to the application. The app can then handle the SQL query in various ways, such as displaying the SQL results in a report format or as charts, etc.  19:05 Lois: This has been an incredible discussion! Thank you, Chaitanya, Apoorva, and Toufiq, for walking us through all of these amazing AI tools. If you're ready to dive deeper, visit mylearn.oracle.com and search for the Oracle APEX: Empowering Low Code Apps with AI course. You'll find step-by-step guides and demos for everything we covered today.  Nikita: Until next week, this is Nikita Abraham… Lois: And Lois Houston signing off! 19:31 That's all for this episode of the Oracle University Podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please click Subscribe to get all the latest episodes. We'd also love it if you would take a moment to rate and review us on your podcast app. See you again on the next episode of the Oracle University Podcast.  

In the Classroom
Analyzing Qualitative Data

In the Classroom

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 147:45


Notes to the talkHere is a brief that summarizes the main themes and important ideas discussed in the provided sources: an audio recording ("Data Analysis_042025.mp3") of a thesis seminar session and excerpts from a document titled "Making Sense of Stories: Analyzing Qualitative Data in ELT Teacher Training." The primary focus is on data analysis techniques, particularly qualitative coding, triangulation, and the potential for incorporating quantitative elements.I. Key Themes and Important Ideas:A. Importance of Completing Data Collection Before Analysis:* The seminar leader emphasizes that data analysis should only begin after all data collection is complete. "Today's discussion is about data analysis. All of you have collected or very close to having completed uh collecting all of your data and this is an important requirement to continue the process of data analysis... If you are still trying to collect some information, know that what we talk about today uh you need to wait."* Starting analysis prematurely, before all data is gathered, is considered a "mistake."B. Understanding the Purpose of Data Analysis:* Data analysis is crucial for understanding the collected data and determining what is relevant and significant to report in the results and discussion sections of the thesis.* It helps researchers move from a large amount of raw data to focused and insightful findings. "Think of it like this. All of you are at this point, you've collected, if not all, most of your data. So you have all this data that you've collected... Ahora con todo esta información which data is not relevant... So you're going to then include this circle represents now only the information that relates to your research questions... Now from your data analysis... you're going to then figure out ok of all this information that now is relevant to my study, what is worth What is including in mys discussion?"* Not all relevant data needs to be reported; the analysis helps identify the most "important, surprising, insightful, interesting" findings.C. The Concept and Importance of Triangulation:* Triangulation involves bringing together different data sources (e.g., interviews, observations, documents) to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the research topic.* It allows for comparison between what participants say they do/believe, what they actually do (observed), and their planning/reflection processes. "Think of this if it helps to look at it like this. Your um your information here is allowing you to compare different things. For example, what people say they do or believe... What do they actually do? Well, to know that, what do we have to do? Have to observe."* The seminar leader stresses the importance of having sufficient data to triangulate and encourages participants to address any concerns about this. "If anybody today right now has concerns about whether or not you have the types of data to allow you to triangulate, we need to have a discussion today."* The "Making Sense of Stories" document provides specific examples of triangulation in ELT teacher training research, such as comparing planned instructions in lesson plans with delivered instructions observed in the classroom. "Compare the planned instructions (document) with the delivered instructions (observation). Were planned ICQs actually used?"D. Introduction to Qualitative Coding:* Qualitative coding is defined as a systematic process of labeling and organizing segments of text data (transcriptions, observation notes, documents) to identify patterns, themes, and concepts relevant to the research questions. "The process of coding is the process of labeling text. Coding is a systematic way to make sense of rich, complex, and often messy reality of language."* All audio and video data must be transcribed into text before coding. Microsoft Word Online's transcription feature is suggested as a tool.* The coding process involves identifying text segments (words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs) that relate to the research questions and assigning specific labels or "codes" to them. "You're coding things that relate to your research questions... Porque estamos en este proceso distinguendo, tenemos que distinguir qué sirve para nuestro estudio, qué no sirve, vamos a dejarlo fuera."E. Levels of Qualitative Coding:* The seminar introduces a three-level inductive coding approach:* Level One (Initial Codes): Creating very specific labels directly from the text, the literature review, or using in vivo codes (participant's exact words). "The first you create... the code, the label comes from your literature review... Using a label a code directly. If anx dijo eso... Tú puedes seleccionar esta frase. ¿Qué lebo puedes poner? Anxious, anxiety."* Level Two (Categories): Grouping the initial, specific codes into broader, more conceptual categories. "When we finish, you should have a long list of codes. And so I would do it in something like Excel... Les Segundo nivel es ordenar. Este grupo de códigos initial codes va aquí y voy a crear otra código. Puede ser como en category que representen todos sus códigos que son más específicos."* Level Three (Themes): Grouping the categories into overarching themes that provide a higher level of understanding and relate directly to the research questions. "Level three, yo voy a poner este themes. Ya vamos a tener categorías, ¿verdad? Cada categoría va a tener sus initial codes. ¿Qué hicimos? ¿Qué hacemos para este nivel level? Categoriz group these categories into these yes."* The "Making Sense of Stories" document also describes a similar iterative coding process, including immersion, initial/open coding, developing a codebook, focused/axial coding, and identifying themes/selective coding.F. The Codebook:* The outcome of the coding process is a codebook, which is a crucial part of the methodology section of the thesis.* The codebook will list all the codes used, potentially organized by categories and themes, and may include definitions and examples. "Cuando terminen, you're going to have a codebook... you're going to include your codebook that's going to include all of the codes that you used and it's going to be an outline como esema in word. categories initial codes."* The methodology section will describe the coding process and reference the codebook in the appendix.G. Incorporating Frequencies and Duration (Quantitative Elements):* The seminar leader emphasizes that qualitative data can be converted into quantitative data (frequencies, duration) for analysis. "How many of you think you'll need to analyze because we can convert qualitative information into quantitative information..."* This involves counting the occurrences of specific codes or measuring the length of certain events (e.g., teacher-student exchanges, use of relaxation techniques).* Examples discussed include tracking the frequency of positive/negative reinforcement, scaffolding, relaxation techniques, and the duration of collaborative work or interactions with specific students.* The "Making Sense of Stories" document provides detailed examples of how to quantify qualitative data by defining observable behaviors, developing coding rules, and using presence/absence or frequency counts in spreadsheets.H. Relationship Between Analysis and Reporting:* The analysis process directly informs what will be reported in the results and discussion sections. "We don't know what to write in the results and discussion until we understand the data. To understand the data, we need to analyze the data."* The evidence presented in the results section will often consist of direct quotes from the data that have been coded.* The analysis (coding, identifying themes, considering frequencies) helps determine the structure and content of the results and discussion.I. Openness to Modifying Research Questions:* Based on the initial findings during data analysis, it may be necessary to slightly modify the research questions to better align with the emerging answers. "It's very common at this point as you are analyzing your data and when you come back on May 5th that in some cases we may need to modify slightly your research question."* However, any modifications should remain within the scope of the literature review.J. Timeline and Expectations:* Participants are expected to begin the data analysis process (coding, considering frequencies) during the break before the next group session on May 5th.* This analysis is considered a crucial step that will significantly impact the quality of the thesis.* The final thesis paper is due on May 22nd, followed by mock presentations starting on May 26th and oral defenses.K. Utilizing Large Language Models (LLMs) as Research Assistants:* The "Making Sense of Stories" document introduces the potential of using LLMs to assist with qualitative data analysis.* LLMs can help with generating initial coding ideas, applying preliminary coding schemes, calculating frequencies of codes, and analyzing Likert scale questionnaires.* However, it is strongly emphasized that researchers must critically assess, validate, and cross-reference the output from LLMs to avoid bias and inaccuracies. LLMs should be seen as tools for augmentation, not replacements for rigorous methodological practices.II. Notable Quotes:* "Today's discussion is about data analysis. All of you have collected or very close to having completed uh collecting all of your data and this is an important requirement to continue the process of data analysis..."* "Please don't make that mistake. Okay. Today what we're going to be talking about is a process of analyzing qualitative information, but it's also a way to for you to start thinking about what you're going to report."* "This concept of triangulation is going to be very important in today's discussion for data analysis. Think of this if it helps to look at it like this. Your um your information here is allowing you to compare different things."* "Qualitative coding is the process of systematically identifying, labeling, and organizing segments of your data to discover patterns, themes, concepts, and relationships relevant to your research questions."* "Coding is simply labeling. It's giving a name to the text that you have."* "Repito, los códigos tien que ser super específico. Si comenzamos demasiado general, we don't have any place to go if we start to general."* "All qualitative can be converted to quantitative data and vice versa. When conducting qualitative data, you might find it useful to convert data to quantitative data and then analyze it."* "Correlation does NOT imply causation!"III. Implications for Thesis Work:* Participants need to prioritize transcribing their audio/video data and engaging in the initial levels of qualitative coding.* They should actively think about how triangulation will be achieved in their studies using their collected data sources.* Considering potential quantitative analysis (frequencies, duration) can add another layer of insight to their findings.* Developing a detailed and well-defined codebook is essential for a rigorous and transparent analysis process.* Researchers should remain flexible and open to refining their research questions based on the initial insights from the data analysis.* While LLMs can be helpful tools, they should be used judiciously and with critical evaluation.This briefing document provides a comprehensive overview of the key aspects of data analysis discussed in the provided sources, highlighting the importance of systematic qualitative methods and the potential for integrating quantitative elements in ELT teacher training research. Participants are encouraged to begin their analysis promptly and seek clarification on any doubts.ReviewQuiz* According to the speaker, what is the primary focus of today's session? Why is it being addressed at this particular point in the semester?* Explain the significance of triangulation in qualitative data analysis as described in the audio. Provide an example of how triangulation could be applied using different data sources mentioned.* Summarize the three levels of coding for qualitative data analysis discussed in the audio. What is the purpose of moving through these levels?* Describe what a codebook is and when it should be developed in the data analysis process. What key information does it contain?* Explain the difference between creating codes and using in vivo codes. Provide an example of each based on the provided material.* Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of transcribing all audio and video data to text before beginning the coding process?* What is the speaker's advice regarding modifying research questions at this stage of the thesis process? What important caveat does they mention?* Describe at least three examples from the audio of how qualitative data can be converted and analyzed using frequencies or duration.* According to the speaker, what constitutes the "results and discussion" section of the thesis paper in relation to the analyzed data? How does this differ from the literature review?* What reminders were given regarding the assessment components and attendance policy for the thesis seminar?Quiz Answer Key* The primary focus of today's session is data analysis, specifically for qualitative information. This is being addressed now because students have either completed or are very close to completing their data collection, which is a necessary prerequisite for starting the analysis process.* Triangulation is the process of bringing together and comparing information from different data sources (e.g., interviews, observations, documents) to gain a more nuanced and credible understanding of the research topic. For example, a researcher might compare a teacher's stated beliefs about differentiated instruction in an interview with their observed teaching practices and relevant lesson plans to see if these different sources of information align.* The three levels of coding are: (1) Initial/Level One Coding, which involves assigning specific labels or codes to segments of text; (2) Level Two Coding, where initial codes are grouped into broader categories; and (3) Level Three Coding, where categories are further grouped into overarching themes. The purpose of moving through these levels is to move from specific data points to more general analytical insights and patterns.* A codebook is a central document that is developed as the researcher codes their data. It lists all the codes being used, provides a clear definition for each code, outlines inclusion and exclusion criteria for applying the code, and often includes example snippets from the data that illustrate the code. It ensures consistency in the coding process.* Creating codes involves the researcher developing labels for segments of text based on their understanding of the data and research questions, potentially drawing from the literature review. Using in vivo codes involves using the exact words or phrases spoken by the participants as the codes themselves. For example, in the teacher interview snippet, "grammar mistake" is an in vivo code, while "delayed correction" is a created code.* The speaker emphasizes transcribing all audio and video data to text because the process of coding, which involves identifying and labeling segments of data, is primarily applied to text. Therefore, to analyze non-textual data in this way, it must first be converted into a textual format.* The speaker advises students to be open to slightly modifying their research questions based on the initial findings from the data analysis. However, they caution that any modifications should still align with the original literature review and the overall purpose of the research.* Examples of converting qualitative data to quantitative for analysis include: tracking the frequency of positive and negative reinforcement used by a teacher during a lesson; measuring the duration of student-teacher interactions; and counting the number of times a specific vocabulary strategy is implemented in a classroom.* The "results and discussion" section of the thesis paper primarily consists of the analyzed data, presented as evidence (results), and the researcher's interpretation and explanation of these findings in relation to the research questions and existing literature (discussion). This differs from the literature review, which presents findings from previous studies to provide context for the current research.* The speaker reminded students that their tutoring grade only makes up 40% of their final thesis seminar grade, with the oral defense and written thesis evaluation contributing the remaining 60%. They also reiterated the attendance policy, where missing a tutoring session equates to five absences, and exceeding three missed sessions may require taking an extraordinary exam.Essay Format Questions* Discuss the role of data analysis as a crucial bridge between data collection and the reporting of findings in qualitative research. Using examples from the provided audio, explain why skipping the data analysis stage can lead to significant challenges in the thesis writing process.* Critically evaluate the concept of triangulation in qualitative research, drawing on the examples and explanations provided in the sources. Discuss the strengths and potential limitations of using multiple data sources to enhance the credibility and depth of research findings in ELT teacher training.* Explain the three-level coding process for qualitative data analysis presented in the audio, emphasizing the importance of specificity in initial coding and the subsequent development of categories and themes. How does this systematic approach contribute to making sense of complex qualitative data?* Considering the information provided on analyzing frequencies and duration in qualitative data, discuss the value of incorporating quantitative elements into a primarily qualitative study. Provide specific examples from the audio of how this mixed-methods approach can enrich the analysis and provide additional insights in ELT research.* Reflect on the advice given regarding the iterative nature of qualitative research, including the potential need to modify research questions after initial data analysis. Discuss the importance of maintaining an open mind and flexibility throughout the research process while ensuring alignment with the existing literature review and overall research focus.Glossary of Key Terms* Coding (Qualitative): The process of systematically identifying, labeling, and organizing segments of qualitative data (text, audio transcripts, observation notes) to discover patterns, themes, concepts, and relationships relevant to the research questions.* Triangulation: The use of multiple data sources, methods, investigators, or theories to provide a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of a research phenomenon, enhancing the credibility and validity of the findings.* Codebook: A central document that lists all the codes used in a qualitative study, along with their definitions, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and sometimes example data excerpts. It serves as a guide for consistent coding.* In Vivo Code: A type of code that uses the exact words or phrases spoken by the participants as the label for a segment of data.* Initial Coding (Open Coding/Level One Coding): The first stage of qualitative data analysis where researchers go through the data and assign preliminary, descriptive codes to segments of text, often staying close to the data itself.* Focused Coding (Axial Coding/Level Two Coding): A later stage of qualitative data analysis where initial codes are reviewed, refined, combined, and grouped into broader categories based on their relationships and patterns.* Thematic Analysis (Selective Coding/Level Three Coding): The process of identifying overarching themes or central ideas that emerge from the categories developed during focused coding, which help to answer the research questions.* Frequency Analysis: A method of quantitative data analysis that involves counting how often specific codes, behaviors, or events occur within the data.* Duration Analysis: A method of quantitative data analysis that involves measuring the length of time that specific events or interactions last within the data.* Transcription: The process of converting audio or video recordings into written text.* Likert Scale: A psychometric scale commonly involved in research that employs questionnaires. It is the most widely used approach to scaling responses in survey research, such that the term (or equivalently likert-type scale) is often used interchangeably with rating scale, although there are other types of rating scales.* Inductive Approach: A research approach that starts with specific observations and data, then moves towards identifying broader patterns, themes, and theories. The coding process described is largely inductive.* Deductive Approach: A research approach that starts with a general theory or hypothesis and then gathers data to test or confirm it.* Research Question: A specific inquiry that the research aims to answer. It guides the data collection and analysis processes.* Literature Review: A comprehensive summary and analysis of existing scholarly literature relevant to the research topic, providing context and identifying gaps in knowledge.* Methodology: The section of a research paper that describes the methods used to collect and analyze data. The coding process and codebook would be described in this section.* Results and Discussion: The section of a research paper where the findings of the data analysis are presented (results) and interpreted in relation to the research questions and existing literature (discussion).* Assessment (Thesis Seminar): The evaluation of a student's work in the thesis seminar, which includes the tutor's grading (40%), the oral defense (20%), and the evaluation of the written thesis (40%).* Oral Defense: A formal presentation of the completed thesis to a panel of examiners, who then ask questions about the research. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit benjaminlstewart.substack.com

Christian Meditation Podcast
740 Three Day Uncertainty, A Guided Christian Meditation on Joshua 1:10-11 with the Recenter With Christ app

Christian Meditation Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2025 20:01


740 Three Day Uncertainty, A Guided Christian Meditation on Joshua 1:10-11 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect wi h the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving jor anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation Joshua 1 NIV 10 So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: 11 “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your provisions ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.'” NASB 10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you are going to cross this Jordan, to go in to take possession of the land which the Lord your God is giving you, to possess it.'”. Meditation on Scripture: Many times in our life we don't know what God is planning. Even when we feel like we do know what God wants for us, it is generally a short term plan. Here in this scripture they were told very little. Pack three days food for three days but God did not share intimate details will all those who were going on this trip it seems. I have a lot of experience in the military and it is often the case that most people are far from the decisions being made. They just do what they can with the very limited information they have. This thought reminded me of the surprise the early disciples must have faced. In preparation for Easter, during this week I have been reading and watching movies about the last week of Jesus' life I am often struck by how much we benefit from hindsight. When his apostles struggle to understand what Jessu was telling them about His death and resurrection it surprises us that they didnt see it coming. They thought that Jess would be the Messiah to deliver them from Roman occupation. And instead of being triumphant and sitting on the thrown of David, he died. The disciples had such limited understanding and they tried their best. Luckily God understood them.  Similarly it is with us. Most of the time we don't understand what God has in mind for us even in the short term. WE dont know how to plan for His action in our life. WE struggle to understand all His word also. The resurrection shows us several important things. God has a plan and will execute it to bless our lives. It also shows us that we are not owed perfect understanding before we take action with the Lord. As you reflect on the blessing of the resurrection, remember that it is not required for us to understand all of God's plan in order for that plan to bless us.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod    

Empire
The Biggest Market Crash Since 2020, What Next? | Felix Jauvin & Quinn Thompson

Empire

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2025 73:52


Gm! This week we're joined by Felix Jauvin & Quinn Thompson from the Forward Guidance podcast to discuss where markets go next from here. After the market sold off in reaction to the Trump tariffs, we deep dive into the bull vs bear case in 2025, Trump's end game, building the perfect portfolio, Coinbase vs Robinhood, is Bitcoin really a safe haven asset & more. Enjoy! -- Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts Follow Quinn: https://x.com/qthomp Follow Felix: https://x.com/fejau_inc Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- Follow the Forward Guidance Podcast: https://x.com/ForwardGuidance Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- Petra Earn was designed to make DeFi more accessible for everyone—from seasoned pros to DeFi beginners. Manage your balance, claim rewards and deposit directly from the app. By supplying USDT to Aries lending pools, users have the potential to earn a higher yield compared to some traditional methods. Not financial advice. Participating in Defi carries risks. To learn more visit https://petra.app/earn -- Zenrock is a permissionless, decentralized custody network backed by 1RoundTable Partners, 10T, Maven11, and Spartan. Live on Jupiter, $ROCK is the native token for transactions within the Zenrock ecosystem and secures Zenrock's decentralized custody network. The first application launching on Zenrock is zenBTC – yield-bearing Bitcoin on Solana. zenBTC will be live in April 2025. -- Crypto never sleeps. So we built an Al analyst that never blinks. Meet Focal by FalconX: a GenAI insights engine built for institutional crypto. Already used by 80+ funds managing $10B+ in AUM.

Christian Meditation Podcast
738 Be Strong And Very Courageous, A Guided Christian Meditation on Joshua 1:7-9 with the Recenter With Christ app

Christian Meditation Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2025 20:04


738 Be Strong And Very Courageous, A Guided Christian Meditation on Joshua 1:7-9 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect wi h the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving jor anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation Joshua 1 NIV 7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” NASB 7 Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the Law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may achieve success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Meditation on Scripture: I find this scripture to be very interesting it is an idea sandwich or you could call it a small chiasm emphasizing the part in the middle. God's word is that we should be courageous then he talks about obeying the law, and then he turns back to being courageous. In some ways it may be surprising that in between the commands for courage is adherence to the law. I think many times if we are not careful when we seek to reject the feelings of shame that we feel for past sins we can rush right past the justice of the things God asks us into. Why does God invite us to do certain things? WHy do God's commandments exist? I certainly don't claim to speak for God but it seems a very large demotion if we think of the law only as the thing we will fail at that Jessus can then forgive us for when we receive His grace. That makes it seem like the law is meaningless.  Although we don't live under the Law of Moses it is valuable to ponder God's law in general. It is my belief that God invites us into good. He creates laws and rules not to punish but to purify. He gives us commands such as chastity, honesty, faithfulness with the knowledge that as we observe them, we will be transformed and blessed. When we fail to do what God asks us to do we miss out on the blessings associated with the rule. For example if we lie then we come to not be trusted even by ourselves.  So courage is not only to avoid anxiety for things that don't matter but to appropriately to learn to not fear anything that cant touch our soul. Jesus said we should not fear anything that can only kill our bodies. God could kill us and also has control over our very soul and he has offered grace and love to us. If we truly learn to prioritize the things God loves, then we need not fear anything else. If you ever feel fear of emotions, sickness, pain, death, or anything else consider this, what is that compared to the Love of God which has chosen to deliver us from the natural consequences of our failure. So rise up in the strength of the Lord, recommitting to God that you will be courageous in pursuing a life with Him and let every other fear fall away.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod  

Empire
Ethereum Co-Founder: Why Crypto Has Failed | Gavin Wood

Empire

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2025 63:00


Gm! This week we're joined by Gavin Wood to discuss has the promise of crypto failed? We deep dive into hype vs fundamentals, why crypto needs more utility, why haven't we seen mass adoption, how to fix crypto's product problem & more. Enjoy! -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts Follow Gavin: https://x.com/gavofyork Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- ZKsync is the pioneering zero-knowledge technology powering the next generation of builders with limitless scale. Secured by math and designed for native interoperability, ZKsync enables an elastic, ever-expanding network of customizable chains. Deeply rooted in its mission to advance personal freedom for all, the ZKsync technology makes digital self-ownership universally available. To learn more about ZKsync, visit http://www.zksync.io -- Crypto never sleeps. So we built an Al analyst that never blinks. Meet Focal by FalconX: a GenAI insights engine built for institutional crypto. Already used by 80+ funds managing $10B+ in AUM.

LINUX Unplugged
609: We Used to Be Friends

LINUX Unplugged

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2025 64:10 Transcription Available


We attempt to get one of the great gaming classics running on Linux, and dig into some of the technical issues still holding back Linux. Plus: Chris has a new handheld.Sponsored By:Tailscale: Tailscale is a programmable networking software that is private and secure by default - get it free on up to 100 devices! 1Password Extended Access Management: 1Password Extended Access Management is a device trust solution for companies with Okta, and they ensure that if a device isn't trusted and secure, it can't log into your cloud apps. ConfigCat Feature Flags: Manage features and change your software configuration using ConfigCat feature flags, without the need to re-deploy code. Support LINUX UnpluggedLinks:

365 Message Center Show
Microsoft Teams Room Recommender. Copilot summarizes Pulses | Ep 374

365 Message Center Show

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2025 32:38


Don't forget to add a meeting room to your meeting. But if you do and one or more attendees are in the office with you, look out for a timely room recommendation. And if your organization uses Viva Pulse to survey how you are doing, use Copilot to summaries and provide insights from those pulses  - Microsoft Teams: Room Recommender  - Microsoft Viva Connections cards in SharePoint agents  - Ability to Stop Copilot while it is generating a response  - Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat: Simplifying the default pinning configuration  - Microsoft PowerPoint: Reference a PDF file when creating a presentation with Microsoft 365 Copilot (preview)  - Microsoft Viva Pulse: Generate a summary for Pulse reports using Microsoft 365 Copilot  Join Daniel Glenn and Darrell as a Service Webster as they cover the latest messages in the Microsoft 365 Message Center.   Check out Darrell & Daniel's own YouTube channels at:  Darrell - https://youtube.com/modernworkmentor  Daniel - https://youtube.com/DanielGlenn   

Christian Meditation Podcast
736 I Will Not Leave You Or Forsake You, A Guided Christian Meditation on Joshua 1:4-6 with the Recenter With Christ app

Christian Meditation Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2025 20:21


736 I Will Not Leave You Or Forsake You, A Guided Christian Meditation on Joshua 1:4-6 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect wi h the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving jor anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation Joshua 1 ESV 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. RSV 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphra′tes, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Meditation on Scripture: This time of this scripture was a great transition for Joshua, who was to lead the Israelites into the promised land after Moses. It is interesting how different the demands on these two leaders was. Moses was predominantly responsible for leading the Israelites through the desert. Joshua was a warrior leader. Each had a very different mission. God used their different perspectives, temperaments and strengths do do His important work. Humans dont know what is required to do what God needs but God does. God guided Moses just enough for him to be able to do what was needed. There were many times when Moses didnt know exactly what to do but worked it out. Sometimes he failed but God helped him resolve the problems. Similarly Joshua received the support he needed to do what God called him to. Whatever God calls us to, He prepares us for. This is what gave Joshua courage. God was fulfilling his promises through Joshua. God would not allow Joshua to fail because He had called him. God will not allow you to fail if you are accomplishing God's purposes. This is why discernment is so important. When we do our own will we can fail.  Each one of us has things we are called to. Similar to Moses and Joshua, we don't know or understand what those things are until it comes, or even later than that. Also similarly, with God's help you can accomplish all that God truely calls you to. Have trust and confidence in the Lord. God will never fail or forsake you.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod  

1080 KYMN Radio - Northfield Minnesota
Logan Wells Summarizes The Northfield School District Public Forum About The Budget Reductions

1080 KYMN Radio - Northfield Minnesota

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2025


KYMN’s News Director Logan Wells discusses the public forum that the Northfield Public Schools held regarding the proposed $6 million in budget reductions. Additional Stories and Resources:

The KYMN Radio Podcast
Logan Wells Summarizes The Northfield School District Public Forum About The Budget Reductions

The KYMN Radio Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2025 9:54


KYMN's News Director Logan Wells discusses the public forum that the Northfield Public Schools held regarding the proposed $6 million in budget reductions. Additional Stories and Resources: The proposed budget reductions. Listen To More: An In-Depth Look At the Northfield Public Schools Budget Reductions3/10/2025: Northfield Public Schools Publishes Budget Reduction Proposals; Public Forum Rescheduled to April 3rd 3/24/2025: With the Northfield Schools Budget Cuts, Why is the District Continuing High School Construction Project?3/25/2025: What Happens To The Ice Arena Agreement With the School District Budget Reductions?3/26/2026: What is being proposed in the Elementary Schools Budget Reductions 3/27/2025: What is Being Proposed for Budget Reductions at the Middle School, High School, and ALC3/28/2025: Fee Increases are the Primary Item in the Activities Package of Budget Reductions 4/1/2025: What is Being Proposed for the Budget Reductions for the District Services

Calming Confectionery | Decompressing through Hobbies
Simplify, Summarize, Solutions: How to Simplify Your Morning and Evening Routine

Calming Confectionery | Decompressing through Hobbies

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2025 21:15


In this episode, we dive into the power of streamlined morning and evening routines—especially for you working from home ladies. Rather than spending a ton of time on elaborate routines, you can set the tone for your day and wind down effectively with simple, under‑5‑minute practices. This episode explains how a brief, goal‑focused recording in the morning and a condensed evening routine of gratitude and affirmations can regulate your nervous system, increase productivity, and create space for what truly matters. We'll dive into:✅ Why Streamlined Routines Work✅ How to Regulate Your Nervous System in 2 minutes or less✅ Why You Need Daily Gratitude & Affirmations:You're invited to join The Morning and Evening Routine 3-Day Workshop from Tuesday, April 15 through Thursday, April 17, where you'll define your big, bold goals and create a personalized, efficient routine. Click here to learn more!Take these insights as a starting point to reshape your day—make time for yourself and let your routines support both your well‑being and your professional life.Curious about The Today Planner? Buy yours here!Resources & Freebie:

Empire
Why Stablecoins Are Crypto's Biggest Opportunity | Charlie Noyes & Bam Azizi

Empire

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2025 54:26


Gm! This week we're joined by Charlie Noyes & Bam Azizi to discuss Meshs's $82M Series B raise. We deep dive into the Mesh origin story, how to unlock crypto payments, why the world needs stablecoins, crypto's multichain future & the biggest opportunity in 2025. Enjoy! -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts Follow Bam: https://x.com/bamazizii Follow Charlie: https://x.com/_charlienoyes Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- ZKsync is the pioneering zero-knowledge technology powering the next generation of builders with limitless scale. Secured by math and designed for native interoperability, ZKsync enables an elastic, ever-expanding network of customizable chains. Deeply rooted in its mission to advance personal freedom for all, the ZKsync technology makes digital self-ownership universally available. To learn more about ZKsync, visit http://www.zksync.io -- Crypto never sleeps. So we built an Al analyst that never blinks. Meet Focal by FalconX: a GenAI insights engine built for institutional crypto. Already used by 80+ funds managing $10B+ in AUM.

Christian Meditation Podcast
734 I Will Give You Every Place Where You Set Your Foot, A Guided Christian Meditation on Joshua 1:1-3 with the Recenter With Christ app

Christian Meditation Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2025 20:15


734 I will give you every place where you set your foot, A Guided Christian Meditation on Joshua 1:1-3 with the Recenter With Christ app The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect wi h the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving jor anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation Joshua 1 NIV 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses ESV 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. Meditation on Scripture: The reflection I have here is more a human one than a theological one. Joshua was given a difficult task. He was commanded to lead the Israelites after the death of Moses. I cannot imagine how difficult it would be to follow in his footsteps. Moses is still considered one of the greatest prophets in history. Imagine carrying the weight of leading such a large group of people who had so recently spent 40 years wandering in the desert. Did Joshua deserve to lead the people? Was he enough to the task There are times in our lives when we are called to do very difficult things. In those moments we can wrestle with an interesting set of extremes. Part of us doubts our ability to handle it all. I suspect there have been many such circumstances in your life. It seems like a consistent message from the world is that you are enough. On a human level I understand the desire for that though but when it comes down to it, that might miss an important element. We are enough when aligned with the creator of the universe.  To answer the question about Joshua, I would suggest that Joshua in and of himself obviously did not deserve the role he was given. In his own strength he would not have been enough to do what God needed him to do. The other side of the question is that God picked him, so in that sense he did deserve it, not based on his own goodness but the choice of the Lord.  Similarly you have been called and chosen for your time and your station in life. I trust that God will empower you to do those things you have been called to. I firmly believe that God empowers those he calls. As you look at the difficulties you have faced and will face in life know this, wether you deserve to succeed on your own is a completely irrelevant question. The fact is you have been chosen by the almighty and will be able to do EVERYTHING that God asks of you if you learn how to rely on God.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

Christian Meditation Podcast
732 He Knows What Is In Each Person, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 2:23-25 with the Recenter With Christ app

Christian Meditation Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2025 20:05


732 He Knows What Is In Each Person, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 2:23-25 with the Recenter With Christ app  The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in  and connect wi h the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving jor anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation John 2 NIV 23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person. RSV 23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did; 24 but Jesus did not trust himself to them, 25 because he knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for he himself knew what was in man. Meditation on Scripture: A common thing that people struggle with is feeling like they constantly wear a mask. People spend a great deal of time to hide who they are from the world. Many people fear that we will not be accepted and that we are not as good as other people, or that there are unique failures that make us especially bad. I see this in the people I counsel often. We also may worry that if people knew what was truly in our heads that they would not accept us.  Various times throughout scripture Jesus reads people's thoughts and in this passage Jesus confirms that he knew the hearts of the people and this is still true. He is aware of not only your current struggles and sins but also every possible future sin and all past ones together with perfect clarity. He knows every embarrassment, every shame, every trauma, every pain, every scar. I think at times this can be unsettling because those are exactly the things we seek to hide from many people. It is worthless to try and hide who we are from God or to pretend we are something we are not. He knows.  Yet the beauty is that with all that, God loves you deeply and profoundly. He has offered the world to you. Everything that He has can and will be yours if you will turn to him. We don't need to pretend that we are perfect or lie to ourselves to receive God's love and grace. In fact that gets in the way of the spiritual blessings that God offers. God has already chosen to love you. We love Him because He first loved us. God is perfectly familiar with you. He knows you perfectly and chose to love what you are. Exactly as you are, you have been offered God's eternal love. Pause for a moment and take that in. God knows your worst parts and showed, through the death of Jesus Christ, that he is willing to wash away all those flaws. Receive His love and drop all fear and shame as you reject weakness. Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod  

1080 KYMN Radio - Northfield Minnesota
Northfield City Administrator Ben Martig Summarizes the 3/11/2025 City Council Meeting

1080 KYMN Radio - Northfield Minnesota

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2025


Northfield City Administrator Ben Martig discusses the city council meeting held on Tuesday. The main topic was the strategic plan of the city.

Preston City Bible Church
71 Matthew --Pharisees ask Jesus to Summarize the Law

Preston City Bible Church

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2025 46:28


Preston City Bible Church
71 Matthew --Pharisees ask Jesus to Summarize the Law

Preston City Bible Church

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2025 46:28


Artist Academy
371. Outreach 101 - Borrow My Virtual Assistant

Artist Academy

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2025 44:23


Does outreach seem scary/foreign/confusing? Let me help… This week's episode on the Artist Academy Podcast is all about how I'm gaining mural customers from reaching out to businesses via email/DM and how you can get started too. Outreach can be a pain in the a$$ if you don't know what you're doing. I know, because I've been spending the past few months figuring it out. I'm pretty new to this still, but there are a few things I've come to learn that I think you'll find interesting. I couldn't do this without my VA (virtual assistant). I would get bored of it FAST and not make time. She is worth every penny because without her it would NOT get done. It's a numbers game, but personalizations double/triple conversion rates. CRM platforms like HubSpot make things both more difficult and easier. I almost expect no reply on the first email. Follow-ups are where it's at. Summarize the first email = that's your followup. You do NOT need to have some crazy impressive mural experience (pitch deck) but it helps. For those who don't have the time or the want to sit down and gather contact info of potential customers, I have something for you…Done-For-You Outreach What you get: 500 niche contacts Outreach scripts March 1-31st outreach coaching w/ Andrea Pitch Deck Template You essentially get to borrow my already trained Virtual Assistant and have her create an excel sheet with 500 contacts of companies you want to work for in your area (apartments, dentist offices, schools… any category) to then pitch to them. + 1 month of small group coaching on the subject of outreach to support you through it! We meet every Tuesday for 1 hour. Total price = $4975 spots available. DM Andrea on IG (or reply to this email) to save your spot! This is for you IF: You want to learn outreach the right way quickly with half the effort You are committed to sending 500 pitches in the month of March You have a few murals under your belt (nothing crazy, just enough to show you have done a few murals for at least friends/family)

Christian Meditation Podcast
724 Do Whatever He Tells You, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 2:5-8 with the Recenter With Christ app

Christian Meditation Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2025 20:19


724 Do Whatever He Tells You, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 2:5-8 with the Recenter With Christ app  The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect wi h the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation John 2 NASB 5 His mother *said to the servants, “Whatever He tells you, do it.” 6 Now there were six stone waterpots standing there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing two or three measures each. 7 Jesus *said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He *said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” And they took it to him. ESV 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. Meditation on Scripture: I love the way Jesus did this miracle. He had the washing jars filled with water. He didn't fill serving pitchers with water. He chose something that was for ceremonial cleaning. This ceremonial cleaning was prescribed by Jewish rules. We could even see this as a metaphor for the cleansing that Jesus came to earth to offer. He is the living water that came down from heaven. The water was replaced by wine. That was the miracle. The fruit of the vine became a symbol during the last supper. Wine represented the blood of Jesus that would cleanse the sin of the world. So in this simple act, he replaced the ceremonial cleaning water of the old law, with his own blood. This was a symbol that His earthly ministry created a new paradigm for redemption.  All of this was wrapped up in the symbol of the miracle. Not to mention there was a profound mystery behind how he actually did it. How did God's power interface with matter? Clearly the servants had no idea about any of this. They got one command: “Do whatever he tells you.” They didn't need philosophizing or scientific descriptions, in order to obey. They did whatever Jesus asked them to. Do we have the same mindset? During this meditation ponder on the state of your heart. Is it aligned with this idea? Do you hold this command in your heart? Do whatever he tells you. Of course it is of central importance to know what God's will is but are we dedicated to do it if we knew exactly what it was?  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

OPENPediatrics
Transplant Challenges in Pediatric Liver Failure by A. Deep et al. | OPENPediatrics

OPENPediatrics

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2025 32:04


In this World Shared Practice Forum podcast, Dr. Jeffrey Burns converses with experts Drs. Akash Deep, James Squires, and Barbara Wildhaber about pediatric acute liver failure and the intricacies of deciding when a child is unsuitable for liver transplantation. Discussing insights from their 2024 Lancet Child Health and Adolescent Health paper, they emphasize the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in evaluating clinical, biochemical, psychosocial, and ethical factors. The conversation highlights challenges with exclusion criteria, risks associated with severe multi-organ failure, and the necessity of balancing technical feasibility with overall patient prognosis, while also addressing the ethical implications of organ allocation. LEARNING OBJECTIVES - Identify key clinical and biochemical factors in evaluating pediatric liver transplant suitability - Discuss the ethical and logistical considerations impacting transplant decisions in critically ill children with liver failure - Summarize multidisciplinary approaches for determining when a child may be unsuitable for a liver transplant AUTHORS Akash Deep, MD, FRCPCH Director - Paediatric Intensive Care Unit and Staff Governor King's College Hospital, London Professor in Paediatric Critical Care King's College London James Squires, MD, MS Associate Professor, Pediatrician UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Barbara Wildhaber, MD Professor University Hospitals of Geneva Chief Physician Child and Adolescent Surgery Swiss Pediatric Liver Center Jeffery Burns, MD, MPH Emeritus Chief Division of Critical Care Medicine Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine Boston Children's Hospital Professor of Anesthesia Harvard Medical School DATE Initial publication date: February 25, 2025. ARTICLE REFERENCED Deep A, Alexander EC, Brierley J, Damian M, Gupta A, McLin V, Sarma MS, Squires JE, Wildhaber BE. Paediatric acute liver failure: a multidisciplinary perspective on when a critically ill child is unsuitable for liver transplantation. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2024 Dec;8(12):921-932. doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(24)00255-4. TRANSCRIPT https://cdn.bfldr.com/D6LGWP8S/at/kn5r4s2wrnh3pm24gb9hkpvk/022025_WSP_Deep_Transplant_Challenges_in_Pediatric_Liver_Failure_Transcript.pdf Please visit: http://www.openpediatrics.org OPENPediatrics™ is an interactive digital learning platform for healthcare clinicians sponsored by Boston Children's Hospital and in collaboration with the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies. It is designed to promote the exchange of knowledge between healthcare providers around the world caring for critically ill children in all resource settings. The content includes internationally recognized experts teaching the full range of topics on the care of critically ill children. All content is peer-reviewed and open-access thus at no expense to the user. For further information on how to enroll, please email: openpediatrics@childrens.harvard.edu CITATION Deep A, Squires J, Wildhaber BE, Burns JP. Transplant Challenges in Pediatric Liver Failure. 02/2025. OPENPediatrics. Online Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/openpediatrics/transplant-challenges-in-pediatric-liver-failure-by-a-deep-et-al-openpediatrics.

Unstoppable Mindset
Episode 311 – Unstoppable Lifestyle Empowerment Alchemist with Rhonda Farrah

Unstoppable Mindset

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2025 68:56


Most people would say that Rhonda Farrah has had a difficult and, at times, scary life. As you will hear, Rhonda had a pretty conservative upbringing. She will tell us that she was in fact surrounded by love from her family and even her extended family of aunts and uncles and grandparents who all lived under the same roof. Rhonda was the oldest of her siblings and many looked to her for strength and knowledge.   Rhonda went to college first majoring in Horticulture, but switched to Psychology. As she says, she likes to help things grow and while she loves gardening, she preferred to help people grow and development.   Rhonda, as part of her so-called difficult life spent six years in prison and while there discovered that she had a lump on her breast. She didn't address the lump until she was released from prison. She used a combination of Western and Eastern medicine to complete eliminate the tumor without surgery. Also, fairly soon after leaving prison the sentence and charges she faced were completely expunged. While many told her she should litigate she disagreed and turned to forgiveness instead.   Today Rhonda coaches and teaches women to grow and learn to look within themselves to better understand how to grow and move forward. Rhonda calls herself a lifestyle empowerment alchemist. As she explains, an alchemist changes materials. She helps women to change by learning to look within for answers. As she says, if we look for answers, the best place to find them is within ourselves.   Rhonda offers many wonderful and relevant pieces of knowledge we all can learn to use. I think you will enjoy her story, her progress and her inspirational and unstoppable attitude very much.       About the Guest:   Rhonda M. Farrah, MA, DRWA, a LIFEstyle Empowerment Alchemist, Coach and prominent figure in personal development, has dedicated her years of insights as a psychotherapist to be a guiding light for women facing unique challenges, helping them embark on a transformative journey of Selfdiscovery and Empowerment.   In a world where external issues often command our attention, Rhonda Farrah stands out as a catalyst for inner growth with her mantra, “Fix Your Reflection First.” A beacon of hope for women who find themselves trapped in the throes of personal turmoil, be it in relationships, careers, or daily life.   Through her extensive career and profound dedication, Rhonda Farrah has spearheaded the Fix Your Reflection First method of realizing that both the joys and the setbacks in your life can serve you IF you can look past your immediate emotional response and use your Self-awareness to grow instead of pushing yourself down. Farrah's holistic approach centers on Self-reflection and the restoration of Self-love as the cornerstone of personal growth and Change.   As a seasoned author, Empowerment Alchemist coach, speaker, entrepreneur, spiritual teacher, and educator, Rhonda has cultivated an extensive toolkit designed to assist individuals in addressing the challenges that hold them back and embracing the joys that propel them forward. Working with clients and companies from International Centers For Spiritual Living to the US Open Wellness Team, Rhonda's teachings emphasize harnessing Self-awareness and leveraging life's setbacks as opportunities for growth rather than obstacles.   Rhonda's mission is to Empower women to prioritize their Self-love and Self-awareness, nurturing a profound alignment that positively influences every facet of their lives. Her work fosters a renewed sense of confidence and a hunger for personal growth, igniting a powerful journey of Self-discovery. Having written several e-books, Rhonda has participated as a Contributing Author to America's Heroes, Leaders, Legends, The Power Of The Human Spirit, and America's Leading Ladies Who Positively Impact Our World, featuring Oprah Winfrey and Melinda Gates.   Ways to connect with Rhonda:   Website: https://helpmerhondanow.com Email: rhonda@helpmerhondanow.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonda-m-farrah-ma-drwa-81097b14 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rhonda.farrah Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helpmerhondanow_   About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/   https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, hello and welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset. I am your host, Mike Hingson, our guest today is Rhonda. And Rhonda pronounce your last name Farrah, which is what I thought. But I always like to make sure I get it right. Well, Rhonda Farrah is our guest, and as you will learn from her, Rhonda is a lifestyle empowerment Alchemist, and I'm intrigued to learn more about that and all sorts of other things. She especially helps women and helps ground them, I think, to summarize a lot of what she does, and we're going to talk about that. I know she talks and and in her bio, I read a lot about encouraging people to really think and center themselves. And that's something that we talk a lot about on various episodes of this podcast, and it's something that I talk about in the new book that is published in August of 2024 called Live like a guide dog, where I talk about and encourage people to be much more self analytical and look at themselves and take the time to do it, because it will create a lot less fear in their lives if they discover that they don't need to be afraid of so many things, but that's not something we're going to worry about as much today, unless Rhonda wants to talk about it, but we'll get there anyway. Rhonda, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad you're here.   Rhonda Farrah ** 02:50 Thank you so much, Michael, thank you for inviting me to be your guest. I love the name of your podcast, unstoppable mindset, because that's, after all, where everything begins, it   Michael Hingson ** 03:02 does. Well, why don't you start, since we talk about starting at the beginning by telling us a little bit kind of about the early Rhonda growing up and all   Rhonda Farrah ** 03:10 that stuff. Okay, yes, the early Rhonda growing up. Early Rhonda. I am originally from the East Coast. I grew up in Connecticut in a largely traditional household and family. I had a stay at home mom. I had dad who preferred mom stay at home. And I am the oldest of three brothers and one sister, and during that period of time, largely through grade three. You want to talk about my early days through grade three, I lived in an extended family, and many people know what that is. It was my parents, myself, my siblings, grandparents, at least one set at a time, aunts, uncle, one, uncle and great aunts, and it was a all under one roof, so there was a lot of love and there was a lot of discipline all at the same time. And it was a household primarily women, and my sense of nurturing and nurturing nurturance began very early with that feminine influence there. It's not that men don't nurture but I had an entourage of all that feminine presence around me, and also being the oldest of my siblings, I took on that while everyone's looking to you, Rhonda, that you're the role model so early on growing up, it was, I would have to say, We were a very conservative family, and I had conservative influences around me, and it actually paved the way for me wanting to. Not only to be in service of to others, but to go ahead and do my studies in psychology, counseling and educational psychology, and to help others be their highest and their best self. And that, that unstoppable mind, as you put it, is when we go within and we understand, how are we attending to the agenda of our soul that going within? So that's that's a brief that's a capitalized version of how I grew up. I like to play girls CYO softball. I was raised Catholic, Roman Catholic, later on, rebaptized a Christian. I honor all paths to God. I consider myself spiritual. I've always been spiritual, whether I realized it or not, and that, you know, that helps with that going within once, one says, Once I said, Yeah, I want to, I want to experience what is going within little Rhonda. And as I grew into an adult, and I got better at it, let's, let's put it that way, I got better at going within.   Michael Hingson ** 06:16 Well, yeah, and I think that's, that's important, and I think that that development of the brain is something that more people ought to do and and don't do nearly as much as as they should live like a guide dog. Is all about learning to control fear, because when I was in the World Trade Center and we had the emergency that we did on September 11, although I had plenty of fear, fear did not overwhelm or, as I put it, blind me. I used it as a powerful tool to help me focus. And the reason all that happened as I really figured out many, many years later and then started to write about it in the era of the pandemic was that I developed a mindset. I knew what to do because I researched what to do. It wasn't a matter of reading signs. Oh, I can read these signs that'll tell me what to do. That works until it doesn't, and it's not nearly the same as knowledge. And so I learned what to do. I talked to the Port Authority, police, the fire department, emergency preparedness people, and learned everything that I could about what was, what was occurring, or what what could occur in an emergency, and what to do in an emergency. And did it enough that it became a mindset for me, so that when it actually happened, although we never thought that it would, when it did, I was able to function because I had conducted a lot of self analysis and thought about, what do I do in this kind of situation? Realized I know what to do. Yeah, it's always possible the building could have just come down around us, and then where would we be? Well, we wouldn't be here talking about it, probably anyway, but knowing what to do was the issue, and we we, selectively or collectively as a society, tend not to do that. We think we can just read signs or Well, if it happens, it happens. But we don't think about that. But we think about so many other things. My gosh, what? What if one politician gets elected? What if another politician gets elected? What if any number of things happen? What if I go to the store and I get robbed and all sorts of things that we don't have any real control over, and we create so much fear because we don't just focus on the things that we can control and leave the rest alone. And I think that that is probably something that leans right into a lot of the things that you talk about,   Rhonda Farrah ** 08:53 yes, and that's you make an excellent point, because there's a point where we need to depend on what's going on within us. We can't depend on the government. We can't depend on the economy. We can't depend on the health care system, the pharmaceutical system. We need to listen to our intuitive self, to our authentic self from within and sure, I've been scared, sure, but with with stuff that happened within my all my own life. However, I wasn't paralyzed by fear. I didn't react. I responded, and that's really important for people to consider. We have so many questions, and especially now in these times, we're in chaotic we're in uncertain times. We're in a mess, basically, but the mess is here for us to learn, to grow and to move forward with that power from within, as I call it, our authentic power from. Then, and we, we all have, it's the power to thrive and not merely survive.   Michael Hingson ** 10:06 Yeah, and we all have the power to work together and to create harmony, if we would, but do it right   Rhonda Farrah ** 10:15 if we choose to. Yeah, it is a choice.   Michael Hingson ** 10:18 But make no mistake, it is a choice, and we can do it if we if we wanted to, and it would be so much more amazing how well people would get along on how much more we would accomplish if we did that.   Rhonda Farrah ** 10:32 That's absolutely correct. Michael, we are oftentimes we get caught up in what is different within us. You know, what are our differences? How about, let's talk about, how are we so similar, right? And that's where the strength comes in. That's where the power of numbers come in with that strength, with that power.   Michael Hingson ** 10:56 Agreed. So you grew up? Did you go to college?   Rhonda Farrah ** 11:01 I did. I attended the University of Connecticut under graduate school. And ironically, I didn't start out in psychology. I started out in horticulture, and was two years it's an agricultural college, actually the University of Connecticut. It was at that time. Now it's in the top 25 in the United States. And I enjoyed school. I enjoyed college immensely, and I always I switched to psychology. And let me tell you why. When I was a kid, I used to watch this show. It was The Bob Newhart Show, and he was a psychologist in this particular part in   Michael Hingson ** 11:52 that show, right?   Rhonda Farrah ** 11:54 And and for you know, unfortunately, several days ago, he made his transition. But when I heard that, I said, wow, look at how long ago. I mean, I admired him. I admired what he did. And I said, No, that's that's what I want to do. So I started out in horticulture, growing, okay, so I just switched to help people grow within themselves, and I am an avid gardener, by the way, and I like all those things with respect to preparing the soil, with respect to pruning, with respect to weeding so that you can grow healthy plants. And I'm a big advocate in growing where we are planted. We always have something to learn, if it regardless of situation, circumstance or happenstance. There's always something to learn wherever we're being planted or plant. There are no accidents, in my opinion, no coincidence, no happenstance. And we call everything forward into our lives to do just that, to grow when we are we are planted to experience joy, to experience sorrow,   Michael Hingson ** 13:05 and a lot of times when we experience sorrow, if we would really stop and think about it, we might find it's not as bad as we think too, right? But that happens, and that's again, it's a growth era and a growth thing to deal with. Yes,   Rhonda Farrah ** 13:20 yeah, absolutely. And you know that paved the way in psychology for me to become what I call a lifestyle, empowerment Alchemist, a coach, author and a speaker and alchemy, believe me, I am no left brain person. I alchemy is the precursor to chemistry. I never took chemistry. I opted for, I think it was environmental science. I was safe when there was a science requirement. I was good with that. But alchemy is indeed the precursor to chemistry, and it's the transmutation of one substance into another. So I learned by my own situations and circumstances. I have plenty of credentials, but my biggest credentials are that I came out on the good side, I'll say, On the positive side, on the Empowered side of some not so good situations and circumstances in my life. So that's why I refer to myself as an alchemist, and I am dedicated to awakening those who choose to be awakened, to opening their hearts, their minds, and most especially, their spirit within them, so that they can live their best life ever.   Michael Hingson ** 14:36 So in in your case, you you you do change things, what? What were some of the the maybe negative things that you had to work through that caused you to decide that you were truly an empowerment Alchemist, a lifestyle empowerment Alchemist, nothing   Rhonda Farrah ** 14:53 is negative unless, unless you think,   Michael Hingson ** 14:57 what challenges? Yes, the challenge. Challenges,   Rhonda Farrah ** 15:00 the struggles, the the adversity. Okay, six years in a woman's federal prison camp, breast cancer, several divorces, financial ruin was thrown in there, and it was like, wow, this is the not so good stuff that's happening, and it took me a while to understand. I called all this forward. I called all this forward for all the reasons why, whether it was poor choices, especially in the case of prison camp, called it forward to learn lessons and to to actually be in a major time out, because it began there that I began to realize my biggest struggle and challenge was I didn't know myself. I'd lost my sense of self. It I was in there somewhere, but I had lost my sense of self, and I needed to be literally extricated, separated from all that was familiar to me, so I could do something about that.   Michael Hingson ** 16:08 Yeah, how long ago was that that you were in the prison camp? No,   Rhonda Farrah ** 16:12 would have been. Actually, I was there when 911 hit. Okay, oh yeah, it's been a while, and I began that prison term of being of service to others, as well as myself, service set loosely in 20 in 2002 1000 in 2000 in 2000 and when 911 hit, I wasn't in a place where it was, you know, bars and razor wire or any of that. But when 911 hit, most I know my family and other people that I knew were saying she's probably in the safest place she can be. Yeah. And I said, Wow, this is actually happening. And I remember that happening. I remember I was actually part of a work cadre. I was teaching wellness classes as well to my fellow inmates, 300 women, and that came a little later, but it was part of a work cadre that went to the Presidio five days a week, five of us, five women, and we did Gardening. We did organization within, let's say, the warden's house that was up there on the Presidio. So I was part of the those that were trusted enough to be out five days a week. I mean, we had to go back, but so I experienced a lot. That was a gift and that was a blessing, and that is what got me through that instance. Just as other instances, I found the gift, I found the blessing in particularly like where I was at all times. But I did find gifts and blessings. I'm an avid runner. I had a track to run on. I a strength trainer. I had what was called a weight pile up there with antiquated equipment and everything else. But yet it was, it was mine. It was available to me. And so the gifts and the blessings come in in sometimes unlikely places, if you are open and receptive to them. And it wasn't about until a year after being incarcerated that I stopped banging the phone against the wall saying, Get me out of here. I had an aha moment. It was that period where I surrendered that I really began to peel away the onion skin that was keeping my sense of self, my true sense of self, self with a capital S at bay.   Michael Hingson ** 19:13 So you, as you said, started peeling back the onion and went on clearly, what was a journey of self discovery, and you began to realize, and I put it in quotes, I made these choices, and I'm the one that can fix it in the long run, in   Rhonda Farrah ** 19:39 the long run, right? But in the short run, I was learning more about myself than I ever imagined. Yeah, because I was separated from all those things that were my comfort zone, I was definitely out of my comfort zone, which is where our life really begins. When you're out of your comfort zone.   Michael Hingson ** 20:02 Yeah, and in so many ways and and, of course, that's the whole point that we get so comfortable on our comfort zone that we never really do look beyond it. And that's a problem, because life is all about so many things that we choose not to explore that would be so beneficial if we did? Yes,   Rhonda Farrah ** 20:26 absolutely, and I was pivoted right back into being of service to others.   Michael Hingson ** 20:35 Okay, by   Rhonda Farrah ** 20:36 teaching wellness classes and by you know there was a camaraderie. It was like women would say, Well, what about what should I do in this situation? What I said, I think you should take this time, because you have this time, literally time to explore from within, you can a lot of women that want to lose weight, they want to have better body image and otherwise. And those wellness classes were not just physical wellness classes I was teaching. It was emotional well, because that's how you get to the physical if you're working from the inside out, going within, then you're gonna have better results well being, rather than Ill being. And I would often say, you know, well, they would say, Well, when I get home, I'll get on a program and   Michael Hingson ** 21:36 lose weight, and yeah, when I,   Rhonda Farrah ** 21:39 when I said, Well, let me tell you what, when you go home, you're going to have to pay your rent, take care of your kids, have a job, and do everything else that you do in the real world without being institutionalized. So I said, there is a gift for being here. It's sad a lot of the times, because we all missed our families, but there is a gift and a blessing if we choose to know that so many women took me up on that some did not, and that's was their right. It's not my right, nor obligation, to want for someone what they do not want for themselves, not at all.   Michael Hingson ** 22:25 We are our own best teachers, and no one else can can do that for us,   Rhonda Farrah ** 22:30 right? That's exactly right, Michael, and it's it was an interesting time in my life. I actually so I was in my very early 40s, and I just turned 66 last last month, and I I never imagined that my midlife crisis, that was act one of my midlife crisis to be incarcerated to be and actually incarcerated to be liberated. I had more freedom getting to know myself and my true sense of self than I ever had at that point again, it wasn't all roses, it was pain, sorrow, emotional, largely, but I went through it. I felt, you've heard the the phrase, um, feel the fear, feel the pain, and do it anyway. Yeah, because it's subside. It's actually empowering to know that we have that power to feel pain, to feel sorrow, yet it will move us forward, or propel us forward. So   Michael Hingson ** 23:49 was that time in prison for you? Kind of the the end of Act One, and then the transition to act two.   Speaker 1 ** 23:57 Well, that was act one of my midlife crisis. Oh, you're master of your midlife crisis. That's my midlife crisis.   Rhonda Farrah ** 24:03 That that was that. But it was so surreal to me. I've never had a parking ticket or speeding violation, and it was like, What is this? So? Hard lessons, hard lessons when you do not trust your intuition. When you make poor choices, when you try to please people, just remember you, you will not come out on the best side of things, but you must go where you need to go to learn what you need to learn. Yeah, kind of like a college. It's an extra. Was an extra grad school,   Michael Hingson ** 24:45 well, and you said something very interesting, because, in reality, if you trust your intuition and you really work and develop that it will help you avoid things that otherwise you might not be able to avoid. But we. Don't tend to do that. And my favorite example of that is the game Trivial Pursuit. How often do you play that game and someone asked the question, and you think, I know the answer, and then you go, No, that can't be the right answer. And it turns out it was the right answer, and you should have answered with it. But, you know, it happens so often in so many ways, with so many things, yes.   Rhonda Farrah ** 25:19 So I mean, I took the best of a not so good situation and it was all right. It served me. It served me to empower me so that I could have that like in my that was a notch in my belt, to let people understand, that I could understand what they're going through because I was there.   Michael Hingson ** 25:47 So what happened when that time was over?   Rhonda Farrah ** 25:51 So I was teaching wellness classes there, and I was supposed to be released in April of 2005 and it got delayed until, I believe it was July of that year. And for 11 months I knew I had a lump on my breast, and I did nothing about it, but go within, meditation, prayer. I was not going to subject myself to the Bureau of Prisons, medical, and I took a risk, sure, but I went within and the intuition said, Okay, you're going to be all right. I call it my godling self, not my mere, earthling self. I didn't run around in this chaotic, chaotic tone and in every area of my life and say, Oh, my God, I got I got to do something about this. And no, I knew, but I knew what I had to do. I had to go within and reinforce that my authentic power would help me get through this? So that act two of midlife crisis is now entering in and I came home. I was living on the Monterey Peninsula, and we had to go to a halfway house for a month or so when they understood I had a lump on my breast, because I told them they couldn't wait to get rid of me from the halfway house. So I went home and I went to my gynecologist. He ordered a biopsy immediately, and in none other than breast cancer awareness month, October, I was diagnosed with nearly stage three breast cancer. And I'm a believer that what happens to us really happens for us. And that's that period incarceration strengthened me to get through this. And I was scared, but I was not in fear mode. I was not immobilized. And of course, biopsy comes back, and everyone's saying, what happened? What was it? And I, my response has always been, well, it's not the best news, but it's not the worst news, right either. And from that point, I met with my friends, would say, we're going to get you another breast. And I go, No, I don't want another breast. I like this one, and I have a nice little war scar right here, and I'm good. I'm good with that. No one has ever complained. So I'm good with all of it, because I'm good with it myself. And I got this feeling that had the best breast dye they called him in the United States, Dr Jeffrey Hyde, and he I was scared because I told my god, I heard about chemotherapy, surgery, radiation. And he said something to me that surprised me from within the Rhonda inside. He said, this can be chemically treated. And I said, What? And I was happy that it could be chemically treated. Okay, so I mean that meant chemotherapy. I was happy, but I was like, How could this be? I'm an athlete. I take care of myself. I don't have any negative vices or anything. And now this is happening and the incidents, so here I am the nurturer. Okay? I nourish others now. I help them be their highest and best self by taking the. The adversity as well as the joys, and making it work for them, if they choose that finding the gift of the blessing. So here I am the nurturer now realizing that incidence of breast cancer in women is due to the fact that women do not nourish or nurture themselves. They're good with everyone else. Okay, they're good, but nourishing others. I wasn't nourishing myself. Couple that with and that had started well before prison. I was a people pleaser. I was a doormat at times, and I just went about my life. And that was that, until I got a major time out in prison camp, and then I got hit with the breast cancer thing, and I decided, well, oh, there's my aha breath. That's my god breath. I decided, well, I'm gonna, I'm going to do this with Eastern medicine. I began the practice of medical Qigong, and I put off going to chemotherapy, and my daughter looked at me as if I was nuts, and she says, I don't know when we're going to get a break. And I go, it's going to be okay. Everything's going to be great. Don't worry, I'm not going to die, because who will be here to run your life? Tell you to brush your teeth and all of that in between. And I mean, I was interjecting some of you into a very serious thing, and that day, I made a promise to myself and to my daughter, I am not only going to live, I'm going to dance at your wedding, and I'm going to see my grandchildren and all that happened. There you go. That happened. I've been cancer free for about 17 or 18 years now, but my point of telling you that is that the medical Qigong professional heat said, go back and get to your oncologist and get an ultrasound, because Western medicine has the best diagnostic tools. I went back to her, my daughter was with me, and she said to me, I don't know what you're doing, but you're shrinking your tumor. And I felt good about that. And then my daughter's head spun around on her neck, and she looked at the oncologist as well as me, and said, Are you buying this shit like that? And I knew then that was another fear of mine. There were enter that fear of surgery, chemotherapy and all of that in between. I knew then, no, you got to go through you go, you'll use Western and Eastern medicine. And I never looked back. I had chemo. They cleaned up the margins a little bit on one of my breasts, and I had 40 blasts of radiation. So I got over that fear. I mean, that's, I'm not a doctor person. I don't I don't like to go to doctors, so I needed to call that forward so that I could understand that I had that power from within me to face even that fear. But once again, I was pivoted right back into being of service to others and doing support groups with women with breast cancer. Cancer.   Michael Hingson ** 33:44 So when did you become cancer free?   Rhonda Farrah ** 33:49 It was the end of March, 2006 Okay, and so what claimed cancer free? What?   Michael Hingson ** 33:56 What did you do? How did Eastern medicine help with that. What? What was involved with the Eastern medicine aspect of it?   Rhonda Farrah ** 34:03 Well, even though I started the chemotherapy, I had very few side effects from chemotherapy, because I continued with the medical dig on. I continued with acupuncture and prayer chanting, so I had side effects. I'm a runner. I was, I wasn't running as quickly, but I was, I was moving along with my dog four days, sometimes five out of the week, and I went. I was very diligent on Thursdays at 11 o'clock. That was my chemotherapy. So I come I combined them, but I was glad I combined them, and I was glad I faced that fear of, Oh, my goodness,   Rhonda Farrah ** 34:52 I need to do this stuff that I don't like to do. Do. So I could have become a victim and said, Oh, poor me,   Rhonda Farrah ** 35:04 we would probably not be having this conversation right now, because it's a little over 35% of women with breast cancer. Yeah, never   Michael Hingson ** 35:12 fake it. Well, yeah, go ahead.   Rhonda Farrah ** 35:15 I didn't choose that. I chose. I chose my own healing once again, and whether I knew it or not, by helping others heal emotionally, most especially, I was healing, and I was becoming more empowered. And I just took this next scary piece of life, adventure of midlife crisis, and I made it work for me, rather than anything less.   Michael Hingson ** 35:46 But that's really the whole point of stepping back and doing introspection in your own life and thinking about it and listening to what you have to tell yourself, because that's where the real solutions come from in most anything that we do, if we but listen. And you know, we don't tend to listen to that inner voice nearly as much as we can or should, and we lead ourselves astray.   Rhonda Farrah ** 36:21 I so agree with that. Michael, you know, we, we have so many questions within understand that the answers are within us. Yeah, that's it, and it is an inside job to live the powered life, to live the life that you want to live. Perhaps the life that you dream about, it comes from here, that comes from the heart, space, the heart, the emotions. And I believe there's only two emotions, fear and love, right? Whatever emotion you're in creates your thoughts, and your thoughts create your external world,   Michael Hingson ** 36:59 and you have some control over how all that really shakes out in the end, we all   Rhonda Farrah ** 37:05 do. We're all our own Guru. That's it. If we only knew that we we all have a godly self, not merely an earthling self.   Michael Hingson ** 37:17 Well, I think, in reality, they're they're one in the same in various ways, but I hear what you're saying   Rhonda Farrah ** 37:23 the and whether you call it, I happen to call it God, because my upbringing it universe, source, spirit, the divine.   Michael Hingson ** 37:31 Well, God's a very powerful word. I have no problem using that. Yeah,   Rhonda Farrah ** 37:35 black people are afraid of the God word. I like the God word. Yeah, definitely. Every time, there it is again, the AHA breath, that's my god breath. It's a confirming breath. So we just confirmed that it's great to say the God word, and   Michael Hingson ** 37:51 it has nothing to do with any specific religion.   Rhonda Farrah ** 37:54 No, it does not.   Michael Hingson ** 37:58 So what happened after Act Two in your midlife crisis, world,   Rhonda Farrah ** 38:10 I was asked in an interview, and I'll get to act three. Adventure number three, I was once asked in an interview, what was the worst date you've been on? So I was videoed, and the long and short of it was, I said, Oh, I thinking about it. I don't date and meet somebody. We get to know one another. They asked me to marry them, and the rest is history. Enter two divorces. You know, pretty close together, five, six years apart, very short lived divorces. And I'll tell you what prison prepared me for, breast cancer, and prison and breast cancer together prepared me for a lot of people don't think prison or breast cancer would be worse than divorce. It wasn't the divorce, it was the betrayal. It was the trusting of someone and then, like being sideswiped, that was it. Sideswiped and lots of tears. I always say, wherever I was, tears and laughter are signs of growth. If one is not laughing or crying weeping, then you're not growing. And growth is essential if you're going to be your highest, best self, if you're going to be an empowered, your empowered self. So the first one was ugly, the second one was ugly, and but I, I, I know I have a formula for living in empower. Life, and boy, did I use it my formula, because, after all, I am an alchemist, is gratitude plus forgiveness equals living the life that you want to live. So I was, first of all, I was grateful for meeting these people, because they taught me again about myself. I was settling, no disrespect to whomever I was married to, but I was settling because, well, I don't want to be alone, and maybe no one will also come and blah, blah, blah. I mean, I went through these gyrations. I'm no stranger to feeling that way, and I'm very vulnerable. I think you know that by now, and I'm good, you can hold me up to the light, and I'm transparent because I'm okay, whereas I wasn't to begin with, and that's about two years ago. My brand changed to fix your reflection first and live your best life ever, because that's why we're not living our best life ever. It's not that everything must go right for us, it's that we can find the gift and the blessing when nothing is going right. My whole life fell apart only so it all together in better ways. So I went from that people pleaser door map to under to thanking those who I was pleasing and had used me as a doormat. Thank you. I got it now. Okay, I got it so when I look in the mirror now, I see the love of my life. Because unless we are able to understand who we are and our magnificence, we will attract much less. Again, no disrespect to any situation, circumstance or event, to any person that I have been with so and the other thing is, if you treat yourself like the love of your life,   42:11 you will attract the love of your life,   Rhonda Farrah ** 42:14 not only in a romantic situation, in every freaking area of your life, you will attract the best of the best,   Michael Hingson ** 42:24 and I gather you've done that.   Rhonda Farrah ** 42:26 Oh, I'm open to love, but I'm not, I'm not with any I'm single and but I'm not, like, not in any dating sites or anything like that, right? I'm I'm working with myself,   Michael Hingson ** 42:40 yeah, well, that's what I'm getting at and yeah, that's   Rhonda Farrah ** 42:44 who I'm with. I'm with myself. Because wherever we go, we take ourselves with us, and   Michael Hingson ** 42:48 somebody might come along at some point that you develop a relationship with, but you're going to look at it differently now than you have in the past. Absolutely, absolutely, which is so cool.   Rhonda Farrah ** 43:06 It's what needs to happen. If it happened to me, then I have the right to say, well, it could happen to you too,   Michael Hingson ** 43:15 and it's not an ego issue. To say you're the love of your life. That's That's not it at all, and and it's important, I think, that people understand that it is that you're you're happy with yourself, you respect yourself. Now, my life was different than yours. My wife and I got married in 1982 and she passed two years ago, almost two years ago. So we were married 40 years and lots of wonderful memories, and I don't know what will happen in the future, although I'm not looking for any anything like the romantic kind of thing to happen, although some people told me I'm crazy and I should, but my response is, you know, Karen is monitoring from somewhere, and if I misbehave, I'm going to hear about it. So I got to be a good kid. That's   Rhonda Farrah ** 44:05 it. And it works. And it works because it works for you, and this works differently for everyone, exactly, right. It works differently for everyone, but, and I have to say, and sometimes an audience will go up one side of me and down the other when I say, you know, selfishness is the most selfless thing we can do, right? I think, especially as a woman.   Michael Hingson ** 44:33 Well, yeah, I would say everyone, but I hear what you're saying, but I hear what you're saying. Well, so what do you do today, what, what is your, your your job, or whatever, or what do you what do you do with your life today?   Rhonda Farrah ** 44:49 With my life today, I I have dual duties after divorces. I was heading back to Connecticut. I. All my family's in Connecticut, two grandchildren. And not that I don't love the rest of my family, but, you know, grandkids, yeah, okay, I could do this, and ages 10 and eight, and a friend of mine, that's why I'm in Colorado Springs. Asked me to I've known her for 12 years. I know her through someone else that no longer speaks to me, okay, but that's that's how it happens. That's how people come together to learn lessons and otherwise. And she said to me, I need you to make a pit stop. Here I go, Oh, I kind of knew what was going on. Her mother in law has dementia, and she's totally ambulatory, and she's we high functioning. But as I'm in there somewhere, wherever I was, she's in there somewhere. So I came, I met the woman, and my friend said, Can you give us a year? A year? You want me stay here for a year, grow where you're planted? This is my point of telling you this, and this is why I do what I do. I have another growing where I'm planted. So she said, Can you give us a year? I said, What? It'll be three years, the beginning of October. I'm feeling that this woman and I will make our exit together, because I'm feeling I'm supposed to be here on one direction or dimension. Now I I still do plenty of interviews. I have my own radio television show on transformation network, which I'm inviting you to be on, and you'll hear from me on that. Let me know. Oh, yeah, and I'm catering to several clients. You know, everything is zoom these days, which fine. That's fine with me. So that's what I do. I'm in the process of, right? I've written three ebooks, a contributing author to three books, and I'm writing a book from PTA to prison, my journey in transformation. Now that was just a part of it, but that was the beginning, right? My journey and transformation. We're never too old for transformation. No, I would often joke and say, you know, Moses, he was transformed. He didn't didn't think he could do anything major. That was his mistake. And he did the greatest thing in his late 70s, yeah, the greatest thing for him. And the interesting part is I do mirror work is nothing new. And I go to the mirror every morning and at night sometimes as well, and lots of things developed after I changed my brand to fix your reflection first and live your best life ever. I went, I call it. I came out of the closet with prison and other personal aspects of my life. It's the best thing I ever did, be vulnerable in front of audiences and show them that I'm not immune to anything either. Just because I live and breathe this, which I do and I like it, I'm not stuff still happens to me, happens for me that not so good stuff, but so what I'm doing now is I'm continuing to transmute myself so that I can be A better service to others. That's literally what I'm doing.   Michael Hingson ** 49:05 One of the things that I love to say, and it fits right in with what you're discussing, is when I have the honor of doing these podcast episodes, if I'm not learning as much as, or more than anyone listening or whoever to the podcast that I'm not doing my job. And I think that that's an absolute part of it. We we all need to learn and transform. And I look for the opportunities that come along where people may say something like you've said a number of things that make perfect sense. I'm not sure I've heard today too many brand new things, but the reality is, there aren't that many. There really aren't new things in the world. It's just that either we haven't heard them yet, but they're still there, or we. We've forgotten them, and we need to remember them, or we have heard them, and we do remember them, and it reinforces it. But the fact is, there really isn't anything new in the world. We just have to sometimes rediscover it for ourselves. Exactly   Rhonda Farrah ** 50:14 it's it's the amount of reading I did in prison camp, and if I make notes on the in the sidelines of the pages, and then I go back and I read the same passages and books and everything else, and I'd read what I've written, and I'd say that was a learning experience. And my measure look how far I've come. That that's when self help wasn't called self help. Yeah, now we have self help, you know, yeah, Bob bought the programs and everything, and then never opened them, because, again, it's an inside job. And I believe that with all my heart,   Michael Hingson ** 51:02 right? Yeah, and I think there's, there's merit to that. So you have clients in various places nowadays, yes,   Rhonda Farrah ** 51:12 Canada, Australia. I'm actually the final touches on a group coaching program. It is coaching program for women. I'll take 15 women for 12 weeks, 12 weeks, and if they choose to continue with another 12 weeks, at the end of 412 weeks, we've done a year, yeah, together, and we've accomplished what we want to accomplish, but in bite sized pieces, right? We're building on the first 12 weeks, so I'm very excited about that. And my clientele is, I say 45 and over, but like 5850 and over, because we all having those little crises for our benefit. What?   Michael Hingson ** 51:57 What made you decide, though, to work with people who are essentially 50 and older, as opposed to younger people, because   Rhonda Farrah ** 52:04 I kept getting older. You know, I kept getting older, and my experience has happened to me, and I call it the mid life, and there are so many people going through, maybe not exactly the same thing, but in some cases, yes, the same things. They're going through them, and I, I want to be the light at the end of whatever tunnel they are journeying through, and let them know this is not a train coming at you. Your light is exactly that. It's your light. It's your guidance to move forward, and nothing less.   Michael Hingson ** 52:49 Now you you teach women, and that's fair, but if I were to carry it forward, what about men? Not that you that you're doing that, but don't men also really deal with the same issues they do,   Rhonda Farrah ** 53:03 but they deal with them in different ways, and in many cases, men have it over women because of the way they're dealing with them. Society has ingrained in men. They're the strong, they're the powerful, they're the empowered. Of course, you look at the state of affairs in this world today and you find that, well, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 53:26 and that's, of course, that's the problem is that it's great to be the powerful and the empowered and so on. But if you will, you let it go to your head, and you're not listening anymore,   Rhonda Farrah ** 53:37 right? The what I believe is that that's That's exactly true. If you're not listening to your intuitive self from within, if you're not, you're doing a number on yourself with that whole mindset thing. Yeah, think you can, you're right. If you think you can't, you're right as well. You're right as well. So the I have just had more women approach I've had more women approach me. There's a the they kind of assimilate with me and who I am, you know, I'm Mom, I'm the grandmother, and I'm the sister, you know, the oldest, and I'm in this thing, this gig, called counseling. Now, when I was a psychotherapist, my I turned to right around in 2005 couple things happened. I was released from prison. By the way, my sentence was expunged shortly after that.   Michael Hingson ** 54:46 Oh,   Rhonda Farrah ** 54:48 and so, and many people will also say, Aren't you mad? Aren't you angry? I go for what? For   Michael Hingson ** 54:54 what? Yeah, what good is that gonna do? I forgave   Rhonda Farrah ** 54:58 everybody. And. I came that's was part of my program for being my best self ever.   Michael Hingson ** 55:04 What were you accused of doing? If I might ask the   Rhonda Farrah ** 55:07 money. Money, crime, non violent. Non violent. No drugs, yeah. Money, crime, okay, got it. I mean, I was no milking and all of that. But the interesting part about that is, I served my sentence in prison camp. It used to be a men's prison camp, and Milken was there, and that's where he contracted cancer, and he won his release in $5 million and built the Cancer Center in Los Angeles. So you see, and that's, you know, everyone had me convinced, well, you should sue the government. I go, No, I don't think so. It's like, I need to move on. You know, it's like I'm moving on, and I'm taking the best pieces of that part of my life and this part of my life and these parts of my life, we teach that they can do the same.   Michael Hingson ** 56:04 When I was in my mid 20s, something happened. I became blind because I was born two months premature and given a pure oxygen environment, and that caused the retinas not to develop properly, something known at the time as retro enteral fibroplasia. And if we really want to learn to spell it, go buy my book thunder dog. Um, now it's called retinopathy or prematurity, and you can learn that in Thunder dog too. But anyway, um, I think it was in the mid 20s somewhere I read an article about someone who was born around the same time that I was and blind for the same reason, and they sued their medical people, and just, had just won a major lawsuit and got money and all that. And I was talking to my father about it, and I said, What do you think about that? And he he said, probably something that you can really imagine, he said, and what good would suing really do at the time? They probably had just the information that they had, and medical science had started to hear that retro enter fibroplasia was a condition, but medical science hadn't really accepted it yet. But my father said, Sue isn't going to solve anything. And he was absolutely right. And I thought the same thing. And to this day, I think that's true. I think there are times when there is such a thing as doing litigation for some purpose, but, you know, don't do it for the wrong reason, and don't go off and try to mess up somebody else's life, because I'm sure that those same ophthalmologists and so on in the 70s and 80s would never take the same approach that they did when I was born, or if they had to, because it really meant the life of the child, the parents would get an appropriate warning saying this could happen, which is what does happen. But also, it's been proven that it doesn't take a pure oxygen environment, 24 hours a day, every day to keep a child alive, and even just a few minutes a day will prevent the whole issue of becoming blind. So there are a lot of aspects of it.   Rhonda Farrah ** 58:34 There sure are.   Michael Hingson ** 58:36 But you know, we all are. We're in this same world, and we do need to, you know, to move forward. So what do you think that people can learn from you? We've talked for almost an hour. Summarize some of that, if you would.   Rhonda Farrah ** 58:52 I think people can learn from me that, you know, we're all whole, perfect and complete, even in our imperfections, all of us and I am more like others, and others are more like me than we all realize, because we all have that wholeness, that perfection within each within us, and they can learn to get out of their comfort zone a little before they're taken out of their comfort zone, to live an empowered life, to live maybe a little bit of the life that they've been Thinking about, perhaps dreaming about, they can learn that you know, even with everything that happened to me, I mean, I am so blessed. It could have been a lot worse in every situation that we have just talked about again in the last hour. But there was something within me, and it's within everyone. We are not alone. Alone, no one is alone. To take the best to count the gifts and the blessings, to use that formula gratitude plus forgiveness, not a popular topic, forgiveness will empower us if we go within and say, Yeah, that's the that I think that's the biggest thing, and that they're to get passionate about something, whether whether it's garden or whether it's changing lives, helping people fix their reflection first and live their best life ever. That's what they can learn from me. Find something to be passionate about,   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:50 yeah, the operative part about that is fix your reflection first, do something that you're passionate about. I would add to that, that doing something for negative reasons is only going to hurt you. It's not going to hurt anyone else exactly that's   Rhonda Farrah ** 1:01:06 taking the poison and expecting the other person to die. Yeah, it's not happening.   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:12 It doesn't happen. Well, if you were to Well, go ahead.   Rhonda Farrah ** 1:01:17 No, that's ask me. I want you to ask me another question. Do   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:23 you have a particular one you want me to ask you? No, oh, just checking. Just checking. If you were to to summarize all of this and leave people with one thought that they should take away and remember what? What do you want them to learn from this. I know we've talked about it a lot, and I kind of suspect I know the answer. But if you were to summarize it very briefly, what would you what would you say very   Rhonda Farrah ** 1:01:49 briefly? I would say, once again, you're not alone if you are struggling with a challenge, with something that not so good stuff in your life, reach out, whether you reach out to me, whether you reach out to someone else, reach out and go within. If you don't know who to reach out, to go within and listen and listen, and you'll know who to reach out to. And I have to say that wherever we go, and I alluded to this during the interview, during our conversation, wherever we go, we take ourselves. So those of us who are trying to avoid in life, wherever you go to avoid, whatever it is you're trying to avoid, you're the common denominator. You have still taken yourself there   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:41 and avoiding doesn't help. Facing is a different story than avoiding. Facing   Rhonda Farrah ** 1:02:46 Yes and it's okay. We all have feelings, feels. You want to feel sad, you want to feel angry, feel whatever the hell you want to feel okay. Because if you keep shoving those feelings down, eventually they will erupt at the most inopportune time. And quite frankly, and quite bluntly, I liken it to a toilet overflowing when you have a house full of guests, not a good thing. And finally, I'm inviting our audience to treat life as if it were ice cream and enjoy it before it melts.   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:28 I believe life is an adventure. We should all partake of it and not hide. We may not and shouldn't all do it exactly the same way. Everyone is has got their own way of doing it, but enjoy it, as you said, especially before it melts. Well, Rhonda, if people want to reach out to you, and I hope people will. And you know, you may get some, some guys who who email you, but how do people get hold of you?   Rhonda Farrah ** 1:03:58 I would welcome any questions. I love to hear what is on the heart and minds of others, and you can get a hold of me. At, Rhonda. R H, O, N, D, A at, help me, Rhonda now.com, Rhonda. At help me. Rhonda now.com,   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:18 and as I said earlier, we know what musical groups you grew up with.   Rhonda Farrah ** 1:04:24 Yes, we do.   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:27 But Rhonda at help me. Rhonda now.com and I hope people will reach out and seek the wisdom that you are providing and the knowledge that you have to offer, what a wonderful treasure trove of information and knowledge you are and you have, and I hope people will take advantage of that. Thank you. Thank you. Michael, well, I want to thank you for being here, and I want to thank all of you for listening and watching. Us today. We really value it. I would really like to hear from you. I want to hear what your thoughts are about today. Please email me, whoever you are, wherever you are. You can reach me at Michael H, i@accessibe.com that's m, I C, H, A, E, L, H, I at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, I b, e.com, or go to our podcast page, www dot Michael hingson.com/podcast, and Michael hingson is m, I C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, s, o, n.com/podcast, wherever you're listening, I hope you liked today and that you will rate us and give us a five star review. We value your reviews and your ratings. So very much. Really hope that you will provide us with a five star rating. We love it, but we really, most of all, value your thoughts and anything that you have to say about what you heard today, and I know Rhonda will appreciate that as well. So email Rhonda at helpmeda now.com and communicate with her as well. If you know of any guests Rhonda you as well who might be wonderful people that we ought to have on unstoppable mindset. Would love to hear from you. We're always looking for guests. I found Rhonda through a person who reached out to me and said, I know this great person who ought to be on the podcast. And he was right. So definitely, if you know of anyone, please let us know, but give us rankings, five star ratings, and communicate with us, because that's the only way we get a feel of what you like and what you're interested in and and what you're thinking. So please tell us. And with that, Rhonda, I want to thank you one more time for being here, and we appreciate all your time, and hopefully we'll do it again in the near future, and I'm certainly glad to come on the program that you were talking about earlier.   Rhonda Farrah ** 1:06:49 Yes, yes, thank you, Michael, it's been my pleasure to be here.   Michael Hingson ** 1:06:58 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

Remodelers On The Rise
Leveling Up Your Remodeling Business: Marketing, Sales & Strategy Check-In

Remodelers On The Rise

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2025 30:38


In this episode of Remodelers on the Rise, Kyle Hunt covers key strategies for remodeling business success, from marketing and sales tactics to financial management and pricing updates. He shares insights on improving work-life balance, increasing lead conversion, and making smart business decisions. Plus, he answers live listener questions and discusses the importance of accountability, goal-setting, and cutting unnecessary expenses. Tune in for practical tips to keep your remodeling business thriving in 2025! ----- Explore the vast array of tools, training courses, a podcast, and a supportive community of over 2,000 remodelers. Visit RemodelersOnTheRise.com today and take your remodeling business to new heights! ---- Takeaways Reflect on what's working and what's not in your business. Take time to assess your work-life balance and make improvements. Regularly check your financial health and consider cutting unnecessary expenses. Adjust your estimating practices to increase project pricing. Focus on consistent marketing efforts to improve lead quality and quantity. Seek encouragement and accountability from peers or coaches. Don't put off hard decisions that could impact your business. Curiosity is key to better communication and leadership. Always ask follow-up questions to engage effectively with your team. Summarize what you understand to ensure clear communication.

KMJ's Afternoon Drive
Can AI chatbots accurately summarize news? BBC finds out

KMJ's Afternoon Drive

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2025 12:23


AI chatbots unable to accurately summarize news, BBC finds Please Subscribe + Rate & Review KMJ’s Afternoon Drive with Philip Teresi & E. Curtis Johnson wherever you listen! --- KMJ’s Afternoon Drive with Philip Teresi & E. Curtis Johnson is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever else you listen. --- Philip Teresi & E. Curtis Johnson – KMJ’s Afternoon Drive Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 & 105.9 KMJ DriveKMJ.com | Podcast | Facebook | X | Instagram --- Everything KMJ: kmjnow.com | Streaming | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philip Teresi Podcasts
Can AI chatbots accurately summarize news? BBC finds out

Philip Teresi Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2025 12:23


AI chatbots unable to accurately summarize news, BBC finds Please Subscribe + Rate & Review KMJ’s Afternoon Drive with Philip Teresi & E. Curtis Johnson wherever you listen! --- KMJ’s Afternoon Drive with Philip Teresi & E. Curtis Johnson is available on the KMJNOW app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever else you listen. --- Philip Teresi & E. Curtis Johnson – KMJ’s Afternoon Drive Weekdays 2-6 PM Pacific on News/Talk 580 & 105.9 KMJ DriveKMJ.com | Podcast | Facebook | X | Instagram --- Everything KMJ: kmjnow.com | Streaming | Podcasts | Facebook | X | Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FTCE Seminar: A Teacher Certification Podcast
FTCE 60 Sec Review: Using the 5W's to Summarize Texts #ftce #readingstrategies

FTCE Seminar: A Teacher Certification Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2025 0:59


FTCE 60 Sec Review: Using the 5W's to Summarize #ftce #readingstrategies Summary In this episode of FTCE Seminar, host Mercedes Musto discusses the importance of summarizing for the FTCE general knowledge reading subtest. She explains the concept of summarizing, its benefits for memory and comprehension, and introduces the five W's method (who, what, when, where, why) as a tool for effective summarization. Practical examples, including references to popular culture and historical texts, illustrate how to apply these techniques. The episode emphasizes the need for practice in mastering summarization skills to succeed in the teacher certification exam. For Full Chapters visit Episode 25 00:00 Introduction to Summarizing for the FTCE 02:54 Understanding the Five W's in Summarizing 06:13 Practical Application of Summarizing Techniques

Our Hometown News
Webinar Announcement: AI Tools to Summarize Public Meetings on February 6th, 2025

Our Hometown News

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 1:03


Our-Hometown invites you to join us on Thursday, February 6th at 3PM Eastern for a LIVE WEBINAR on using AI Tools to Summarize Public Meetings. In this webinar, you'll learn how to leverage Our Hometown's new AI tools to efficiently summarize lengthy YouTube transcripts of public meetings, such as city council or school board sessions. We'll demonstrate how to create time-stamped summaries that highlight key discussion points and decisions, providing valuable resources for journalists and the public. Additionally, we'll showcase examples from publishers already using these AI-generated summaries to enhance their coverage of local government meetings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX4VGhUllRI Some examples of...Article LinkLet us know your thoughts about this episode by reaching out on Social Media!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ourhometownincInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourhometownwebpublishing/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourhometownincLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/our-hometown-com/..........Our Hometown Web Publishing is The Last Newspaper CMS & Website You'll Ever Need.  We help you generate revenue, engage with readers, and increase efficiency with Our Hometown's Digital & PrePress CMS features to fit your needs & budget.OHT's Web Publishing Platform is:-Powered with WordPress-Hosted on Amazon Web Services-Integrated with Adobe InDesign & Google Drivehttps://our-hometown.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKw6KpKUiQkWldrX2-J1Kag?view_as=subscriberOur-Hometown can be reached via email for comments or questions at: ops@Our-Hometown.com

Christian Meditation Podcast
718 There Is One Mediator Between God and Man, A Guided Christian Meditation on 1 Timothy 2:5-7 with the Recenter With Christ app

Christian Meditation Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2025 19:44


718 There Is One Mediator Between God and Man, A Guided Christian Meditation on 1 Timothy 2:5-7 with the Recenter With Christ app  The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation 1 Timothy 2  KJV 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. NASB 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed as a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. Meditation on Scripture: The Message to share today is a simple one. Jesus is your mediator. He is the way back to the Father. Many times, in our efforts to follow God, we give in to fear. When we read the scriptures we can see references to God's wrath which is scary. In addition the adversary seeks to tear us away from what is good and true. He wants us to be discouraged and fearful. We imagine the  final judgement as a tough negotiation where the scales of Justice weigh out our deeds and then we become so desperate that we scramble for Jesus as we are thrust before an angry and disappointed father who wants to send us to hell. We fear that only after a long and difficult courtroom drama, the Father reluctantly admits us to Heaven. Sometimes we fear something even worse than this.  This is not the message that Christ teaches us about. He tells us we are loved. We are God's children. We are Jesus' friends. Jesus forgives and he is full of grace. He loves us and accepts us with our weakness. Jesus is our advocate with the Father, not because he will convince the Father. There is absolute unity in the mind of God and the Son does not need to convince the Father to forgive. Scripture says that the Father judges noone but gives all judgment to the Son. As you learn to trust and follow Christ, your fears can cease. Jesus loves you and is already the person who has committed to offering you eternal forgiveness. This is the core of the Gospel message. Jesus came to redeem you and there is nobody that can or will be able to disagree with His just judgments.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod    

The Walk Humbly Podcast
Tragic air collision, immigration, a pastoral letter on IVF, and more! #148

The Walk Humbly Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2025 35:41


 On this week's episode, Bishop Burbidge:   Shares his prayers following the tragic air collision that claimed 67 lives over the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport; read his statement   Summarizes his pastoral statement on American immigration law, emphasizing the Catholic imperative to uphold both human dignity and the common good; read his statement     Recaps Life Fest and the National March for Life — watch this new recap video    Discusses the purpose and key messages of his pastoral letter, “The Christian Family: In Vitro Fertilization and Heroic Witness to True Love”   Highlights the recent Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and previews the upcoming World Day for Consecrated Life   ***    Share your message of hope with Bishop Burbidge by leaving a voicemail:  703-778-9100 

1080 KYMN Radio - Northfield Minnesota
KYMN News Director Logan Wells summarizes Dundas Boat Landing Project, 1-28-25

1080 KYMN Radio - Northfield Minnesota

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2025


KYMN’s News Director Logan Wells provides a summary of the new boat landing project in Dundas, from the January 27 Dundas City Council meeting.

The KYMN Radio Podcast
KYMN News Director Logan Wells summarizes Dundas Boat Landing Project, 1-28-25

The KYMN Radio Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2025 11:52


 KYMN's News Director Logan Wells provides a summary of the new boat landing project in Dundas, from the January 27 Dundas City Council meeting. 

Christian Meditation Podcast
716 I Urge That Prayers Be Made For All People and Leaders, A Guided Christian Meditation on 1 Timothy 2:1-4 with the Recenter With Christ app

Christian Meditation Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2025 19:54


716 I Urge That Prayers Be Made For All People and Leaders, A Guided Christian Meditation on 1 Timothy 2:1-4 with the Recenter With Christ app  The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation 1 Timothy 2  NABRE 1First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, 2 for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. 3 This is good and pleasing to God our savior, 4 who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. ESV 1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  Meditation on Scripture: In the earliest days of Christianity there were severe conflicts with those who professed God to be the King, and the Roman government who held their emperor to be not only the king but also a god. These Christians suffered for their beliefs and they ultimately hoped most for a system that would allow them to be left alone to worship God as they saw fit. They desired the freedom to live out a peaceful and quiet life. Many early Christians would tried to establish the difference that they would not pray to the emperor but they would pray to God on behalf of the emperor that he would make good decisions. Tertulian is often seen as one of the greatest early western theologians and the first Latin theologian. He said the following regarding the Roman leaders of the time:  We pray for life prolonged; for security to the empire; for protection to the imperial house; for brave armies, a faithful senate, a virtuous people, the world at rest, whatever, as man or Cæsar, an emperor would wish. These things I cannot ask from any but the God from whom I know I shall obtain them,  How grateful we should be that we have exactly the kind of freedom that those early Christians longed for. They recognized that it was God alone that could grant peace. As the free nations of the world have the opportunity to participate in selecting their leaders, as early Christians did not, may we remember to pray to God for their success because true and lasting success can only come from God. God is the one in control of salvation and eternity. This scripture says God wants all people to be saved. Our greatest interest should be to share God's goal of bringing the love of God to all, and to prioritize the things of God, even as we live in a fallen world. May God allow us to live, as it says in this scripture, a quiet life of peace.       Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod  

Mac Minutes
Episode 272, Using Apple Intelligence to summarize meeting transcripts using iPhone

Mac Minutes

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2025 5:30


In this episode, we will discuss how you can use Apple Intelligence to summarize meeting transcripts using iPhone.  Apple Intelligence is built into your iPhone, iPad, and Mac to help you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly.  We will cover the features of Apple Intelligence which just recently became available to users. . … Continue reading Episode 272, Using Apple Intelligence to summarize meeting transcripts using iPhone →

Christian Meditation Podcast
712 I Lift Up My Eyes to the Mountains, A Guided Christian Meditation on Psalm 121 with the Recenter With Christ app

Christian Meditation Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2025 19:38


712 I Lift Up My Eyes to the Mountains, A Guided Christian Meditation on Psalm 121 with the Recenter With Christ app  The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation John 10 NASB I will raise my eyes to the mountains; From where will my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to slip; He who watches over you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who watches over Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep. ESV I lift up my eyes to the hills.     From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord,     who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved;     he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel     will neither slumber nor sleep. Meditation on Scripture: I had someone write me such a dear message telling of her struggle with Cancer several years ago and how she listened to the podcast. That is the essence of the way the Lord cares for us. She requested this Psalm and it is a powerful message for us.  I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? In the difficult journey's through the mountains we find ourselves asking this question. Even when we know the answer our eyes still search for the help we feel we must have in that moment. The fortunate news for us is that we seek this comfort from the Lord. The mighty Father of Heaven who has created the earth, the galaxy and everything beyond and within. His understanding is not limited or weakened by anything. In Him we trust for the direction of our path. The longer I live the more I realize the question of what support I get from the Lord is more a matter of me learning to see God's purposes than it is to bend his will to mine. And yet we plead. But he will not allow our foot to slip on its forward motion. He is ready at all times to watch over us, to guide us to where He wants us to go. This scripture has long been a favorite of those engaged in difficult journeys. It was a favorite of a well known Chrsitan missionary to Africa David livingstone. In reference to a question about the limits of where he would go to serve the Lord he stated. “Ill Go anywhere, as long as its forward.” I feel that this line embodies the spirit of this Psalm. It is perfectly fine and right for us to seek God in prayer to ask for what we feel we need. Once we do then, we trust that He will not let our foot slip regardless of how difficult the journey is.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod  

Silver Screen & Roll: for Los Angeles Lakers fans
LOWDOWN: Lakers lost to Houston to perfectly summarize where things stand

Silver Screen & Roll: for Los Angeles Lakers fans

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2025 13:48


After a few days of talk about how much the Lakers feel like they might not need another move, they lost to the Houston Rockets in a perfectly analogous game to the rest of the season to this point. Anthony talks about the sports gods, and how quickly they can humble you. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christian Meditation Podcast
710 To Whom The Word Of God Came, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:34-39 with the Recenter With Christ app

Christian Meditation Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2025 19:43


710 To Whom The Word Of God Came, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:34-39 with the Recenter With Christ app  The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation John 10 NIV 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”'[d]? 35 If he called them ‘gods,' to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God's Son'? 37 Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” 39 Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp. NASB 34 Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law: ‘I said, you are gods'? 35 If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be nullified), 36 are you saying of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,' because I said, ‘I am the Son of God'? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may [h]know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” 39 Therefore they were seeking again to arrest Him, and He eluded their grasp. Meditation on Scripture: Jesus Quotes Psalm 82 to show us that the true power comes from the will and decisions of God. True Goodness comes from God. The Messianic role fulfilled by Jesus came through the power of God. There is a great irony of having Jesus accused of Blasphemy. This scripture is deep and has many lessons but, at this moment I'd like to reflect on this.. Has the word of God come to you? Jesus is the word, spoken of in John 1 that was with God and was God. Awareness about Jesus is the heart of this. Do we understand that the true word referred to here is embodied in Jesus who was sent to the world to make us holy. Without Jesus and the works he came to do, none of the other struggles of life has any eternal meaning. As we put our trust in Jesus we are swallowed up in the power of God over the whole world and every possible dimension and eternal consequence.  In this moment if you haven't done so already, choose to follow Jesus and learn of Him for the rest of your life. If you have already chosen this, then grab hold of that memory and decision and embrace it in your mind and heart. Let us recommit to that. To continually bring our minds and hearts back to that decision. Embrace the things God says in scripture as eternally important and allow that word to take hold in your heart by reflecting on it, reading it, meditating on it, as we are here. Overall we should seek to feast on it.  God cannot blaspheme. It is certainly not blasphemy for God to describe something about Godhood that we dont understand. Had the Jews realized that Jesus was God it would have been ridiculous to call out Jesus for Blasphemy. As we embrace Jesus as the Savior of the world we also embrace His sovereignty about the truth. God can guide you in your life and learning how to receive that is one of the greatest lessons of life.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

Mac OS Ken
Tune In, Turn On, Summarize Headlines - MOSK: 12.16.2024

Mac OS Ken

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 12:57


- Morgan Stanley Note Explains Why Apple Is “Top Pick” - Report: Apple to Make AirPods in India Beginning Next Year - Report: Apple Killing Sales of Three iPhone Models in EU by 28 December - Apple Card Offers Sign-Up Promo Through Mid-January - BBC Quite Cross Over Erroneous Apple Intelligence Headline Summary - House Committee Reminds Apple and Google About Impending TikTok Ban - Apple TV+ Kids' Programming Gets 29 Emmy Nominations - Public wifi is everywhere when we're traveling, but is it safe? We're looking at ways to make sure. Plus - security updates in Apple's OS updates on Checklist No. 404, brought to you by SecureMac - online at checklist.libsyn.com - Catch Ken on Mastodon - @macosken@mastodon.social - Chat with us in Patreon for as little as $1 a month. Support the show at Patreon.com/macosken - Send me an email: info@macosken.com or call (716)780-4080!

Screw The Commute Podcast
940 - Latest productivity tips & tricks: Tom talks Phone Tips

Screw The Commute Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 12:49


Today, we're going to talk about phone tips. And you know what I've done? I don't know, 10 or 12 episodes on phone tips. And I'm going to give you the numbers here. During the course of this podcast. And it'll be in the show notes. And I'm telling you, if you just went and used a portion of these tips, you'd be so much faster on your phones and tablets doing stuff. And you know, I use iPhone, but a lot of these same things will work on Android. You just have to Google on how to do it on an Android. But the ideas are solid. Screw The Commute Podcast Show Notes Episode 940 How To Automate Your Business - https://screwthecommute.com/automatefree/ Internet Marketing Training Center - https://imtcva.org/ Higher Education Webinar – https://screwthecommute.com/webinars See Tom's Stuff – https://linktr.ee/antionandassociates 00:23 Tom's introduction to Phone Tips 01:43 Summarize a web page, getting back to a web page, using history 05:46 Rewriting text with AI, Notes app for record and transcribing 08:55 Screen capture video Entrepreneurial Resources Mentioned in This Podcast Higher Education Webinar - https://screwthecommute.com/webinars Screw The Commute - https://screwthecommute.com/ Screw The Commute Podcast App - https://screwthecommute.com/app/ College Ripoff Quiz - https://imtcva.org/quiz Know a young person for our Youth Episode Series? Send an email to Tom! - orders@antion.com Have a Roku box? Find Tom's Public Speaking Channel there! - https://channelstore.roku.com/details/267358/the-public-speaking-channel How To Automate Your Business - https://screwthecommute.com/automatefree/ Internet Marketing Retreat and Joint Venture Program - https://greatinternetmarketingtraining.com/ KickStartCart - http://www.kickstartcart.com/ Copywriting901 - https://copywriting901.com/ Become a Great Podcast Guest - https://screwthecommute.com/greatpodcastguest Training - https://screwthecommute.com/training Disabilities Page - https://imtcva.org/disabilities/ Tom's Patreon Page - https://screwthecommute.com/patreon/ Tom on TikTok - https://tiktok.com/@digitalmultimillionaire/ Email Tom: Tom@ScrewTheCommute.com Internet Marketing Training Center - https://imtcva.org/ Related Episodes Cell Phone Automation - https://screwthecommute.com/367/ Cell Phone Automation - https://screwthecommute.com/415/ Smartphone Tips - https://screwthecommute.com/472/ Cell Phone & Tablet Automation - https://screwthecommute.com/508/ Cell Phone Tips - https://screwthecommute.com/528/ Phone Tips - https://screwthecommute.com/549/ Cell Phone Tips - https://screwthecommute.com/573/ Phone Tips - https://screwthecommute.com/595/ Phone Tips - https://screwthecommute.com/627/ Cell Phone Tips - https://screwthecommute.com/711/ Phone Tips - https://screwthecommute.com/828/ Cell Phone Automation Tips - https://screwthecommute.com/918/ Logos - https://screwthecommute.com/939/ More Entrepreneurial Resources for Home Based Business, Lifestyle Business, Passive Income, Professional Speaking and Online Business I discovered a great new headline / subject line / subheading generator that will actually analyze which headlines and subject lines are best for your market. I negotiated a deal with the developer of this revolutionary and inexpensive software. Oh, and it's good on Mac and PC. Go here: http://jvz1.com/c/41743/183906 The Wordpress Ecourse. Learn how to Make World Class Websites for $20 or less. https://screwthecommute.com/wordpressecourse/ Join our Private Facebook Group! One week trial for only a buck and then $37 a month, or save a ton with one payment of $297 for a year. Click the image to see all the details and sign up or go to https://www.greatinternetmarketing.com/screwthecommute/ After you sign up, check your email for instructions on getting in the group.

Christian Meditation Podcast
704 I Have Already Told You, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:22-25 with the Recenter With Christ app

Christian Meditation Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2024 19:52


702 Again There Was Division Because of Jesus' Words, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:17-21 with the Recenter With Christ app  The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation John 10 NABRE 17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.” 19 Again there was a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He is possessed and out of his mind; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one possessed; surely a demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?” ESV 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” 19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” Meditation on Scripture: Jesus is in absolute unity with the will of the Father. He did the right thing all the time. Yet that did not stop the people from accusing him of having a demon possess him. What a strange world we live in, were the very sinless Son of God was so profoundly misunderstood by people who heard him speak. Those who were right next to him. They heard the words and many of them saw amazing deeds done and yet they wondered. They didnt understand. Human understanding is a gift from God but it is also incredibly limited when compared to the understanding of the infinite. I have had a chance to study some amazingly complex and beautiful things. I studied Math in college. There are some very deep and abstract ideas that humans are able to understand. I had many professors who became subject matter experts on exactly what they studied. In fact math goes so deep that there were often few people in the whole world that were as familiar with their sliver of understanding as they were. And this is only what we know right now. When compared with the kind of understanding God possess, the depth of understanding is pitiful.  There are people you know who you don't understand. WE don't understand the depth of the people we know. Equally, there are people who don't understand you and what your needs and wants are. IN some ways we are surprised by this when it happens. When people we know misunderstand us so profoundly we feel wronged in some way and yet this is a reflection of the same weakness of understanding that we ourselves hold. If Jesus was accused of having a demon possess him how likely is it that you will understand everyone you encounter? Or how likely is it that everyone will understand you. I think this is one of the reasons why God asks us to be forgiving and to try and not judge others. We don't have enough insight to judge others fairly. With that siad there are times when we can have insight that maybe just maybe helpful to them and they may have insight for us as well but it is Jesus who holds the judgement role because he has all the facts and knows the depths of every human heart.  As you ponder relationships in life that are a bit upside down reflect on the limits of human understanding and reach out to the infinite understanding of God to bridge the gap. Embrace God's love in your heart and let go of the judgement of others, both toward them and from them. Trust yourself to a God who was willing to be so profoundly misunderstood himself and may that comfort your human misunderstandings.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod  

Christian Meditation Podcast
702 Again There Was Division Because of Jesus' Words, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:17-21 with the Recenter With Christ app

Christian Meditation Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2024 20:00


702 Again There Was Division Because of Jesus' Words, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:17-21 with the Recenter With Christ app  The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation John 10 NABRE 17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.” 19 Again there was a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He is possessed and out of his mind; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one possessed; surely a demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?” ESV 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” 19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” Meditation on Scripture: Jesus is in absolute unity with the will of the Father. He did the right thing all the time. Yet that did not stop the people from accusing him of having a demon possess him. What a strange world we live in, were the very sinless Son of God was so profoundly misunderstood by people who heard him speak. Those who were right next to him. They heard the words and many of them saw amazing deeds done and yet they wondered. They didnt understand. Human understanding is a gift from God but it is also incredibly limited when compared to the understanding of the infinite. I have had a chance to study some amazingly complex and beautiful things. I studied Math in college. There are some very deep and abstract ideas that humans are able to understand. I had many professors who became subject matter experts on exactly what they studied. In fact math goes so deep that there were often few people in the whole world that were as familiar with their sliver of understanding as they were. And this is only what we know right now. When compared with the kind of understanding God possess, the depth of understanding is pitiful.  There are people you know who you don't understand. WE don't understand the depth of the people we know. Equally, there are people who don't understand you and what your needs and wants are. IN some ways we are surprised by this when it happens. When people we know misunderstand us so profoundly we feel wronged in some way and yet this is a reflection of the same weakness of understanding that we ourselves hold. If Jesus was accused of having a demon possess him how likely is it that you will understand everyone you encounter? Or how likely is it that everyone will understand you. I think this is one of the reasons why God asks us to be forgiving and to try and not judge others. We don't have enough insight to judge others fairly. With that siad there are times when we can have insight that maybe just maybe helpful to them and they may have insight for us as well but it is Jesus who holds the judgement role because he has all the facts and knows the depths of every human heart.  As you ponder relationships in life that are a bit upside down reflect on the limits of human understanding and reach out to the infinite understanding of God to bridge the gap. Embrace God's love in your heart and let go of the judgement of others, both toward them and from them. Trust yourself to a God who was willing to be so profoundly misunderstood himself and may that comfort your human misunderstandings.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

Christian Meditation Podcast
700 There Shall Be One Fold and One Shepherd, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:14-16 with the Recenter With Christ app

Christian Meditation Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2024 19:38


700 There Shall Be One Fold and One Shepherd, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:14-16 with the Recenter With Christ app  The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation John 10 NRSVCE 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.  ESV 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. Meditation on Scripture: I grew up in the desert. It was hot and dry. As an adventurer prone young man I spent a lot of time in the desert, hiking and doing other outside activities. From time to time we would encounter barb wire fences as well we would see cows out in the desert that would feed on the desert bushes and the very little dry grass. They usually were alone or with a very small number of other cows. I often remember wondering were those cows were from. Were they part of a herd? The conditions in the desert did not support dense cattle but they were part of a herd. They were just very spread out.  As I read this scripture I thought of a large spread out flock split up across miles and miles of rough ground with some grass here and there. Jesus pronounced that we are called to the his flock. I sometimes wonder if there was a herd of sleep large enough would all the sheep understand that they are in the same flock? The sheep are not who determine who is part of the flock. That is the shepherd. We are spread across better and more challenging terrain and we are separated in ways that seem very meaningful to us. Yet God is the one that calls us.  During this time of the year there are family gatherings and different social demands, or the longing for greatly missed social connections attempt to draw us away from His peace, ponder this, we are called to the same flock. As we set arbitrary distinctions between each other we ultimately are not the ones at the final judgement that determines who is part of the flock. That is God's role. I invite you to reach into the love that God has for you and share that with others. What greater thing is there to be grateful for than the knowledge that we can be unified with God due to His grace.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod