Podcasts about summary today

Summary: Today we celebrate our 25th anniversary as a church family! Some of us have been here the entire time, some of us part of the time, some of us have come back for the celebration, and some of us are here for the first time. We'll take a pause from our Opening up Kings series to celebrate what God has done over the past 25 years as well as anticipate what he'll do the next 25! Let's listen to what the Holy Spirit has for us today… LOOKING BACK IN CELEBRATION LOOKING FORWARD IN ANTICIPATION

The End of the Beginning (Genesis 50 Summary) Today, Ally brought our incredible journey through the book of Genesis to a close with a powerful sermon titled "The End of the Beginning." As we conclude this foundational book of the Bible, we see that even in endings, there are new beginnings and enduring truths that resonate with our lives today, even here on the estate. Ally began by expressing her privilege in studying and sharing God's Word, especially as we reached the final chapter of Genesis. Reflecting on the "beginning" that the book's name signifies, she highlighted three key beginnings we've encountered: The Beginning of Creation (Genesis 1:1): Ally reminded us of the profound truth that "in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." This foundational statement establishes God as the eternal Creator, a concept that can stretch our understanding. She shared a childhood wonder about who created God, acknowledging that some truths are simply beyond our full comprehension. God is, always has been, and always will be. This perfect creation was designed for humanity, made in God's image, to live in partnership with Him. The Beginning of Sin (Genesis 3:1): This perfect beginning was tragically marred by the introduction of sin. Ally recounted the familiar story of the serpent tempting Eve, but emphasized that the core issue wasn't just eating a forbidden fruit. It was an act of rebellion, of placing their own will above God's. Using the simple analogy of spelling "sin" with "I" in the middle, Ally explained that sin is fundamentally about putting ourselves in God's rightful place. The consequences of this act were devastating: a spoiled perfect world, the pain of hard work, banishment from the Garden, a shattered relationship with a holy God, and ultimately, death – a final separation from Him. Ally stressed the gravity of sin, explaining that it fundamentally breaks our relationship with God. The Beginning of the Covenant (Genesis 12): Despite the bleakness of sin's entry, Ally illuminated God's loving rescue plan, hinted at even in Genesis 3. This plan truly begins to unfold with God's covenant with Abraham. Defining a covenant as a formal, binding agreement, Ally read from Genesis 12:1-3, where God promises Abraham land, a great nation, and blessing, stating, "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you." She further referenced the symbolic covenant ceremony in Genesis 15 and the reiteration of these promises in Genesis 17:1-8, where God declares, "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you, for the generations to come to be your God and the God of your descendants after you." This covenant with Abraham marks the beginning of God's plan to restore humanity and His creation. Following this reflection, Ally's son, Caleb, bravely read Genesis 50, our passage for today. This chapter details the end of Jacob's life and its aftermath, providing us with three significant "ends" to consider: The End of Jacob: Ally noted the extensive detail given to Jacob's death and burial (Genesis 50:1-14), far exceeding the accounts of other patriarchs like Abraham. Joseph's profound grief, the 40-day embalming process, and the 70 days of mourning by the Egyptians highlight the significance of Jacob's life. His burial in Canaan, fulfilling Joseph's oath, underscores his deep connection to the Promised Land and God's promises. Ally drew parallels to the New Testament description of Christians as "aliens" or "foreigners" in this world (1 Peter 2:11). Just as Jacob's true home was in the Promised Land, our ultimate citizenship is in God's kingdom (Philippians 3:20). She encouraged us to hold onto this identity, especially during the challenges of daily life, and emphasized the importance of gathering as a church to remind and encourage one another in this truth. Furthermore, Ally acknowledged Jacob's flaws, echoing Andy's previous sermon, yet highlighted that he "finished well" and was honored. This serves as an encouragement that God uses flawed individuals for His purposes, and He can restore us despite our shortcomings. Finally, Ally pointed out that Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, is arguably the true father of the nation of Israel, as his twelve sons became the twelve tribes. His death, holding onto God's promises, and the mourning by the Egyptians, a foreign people, speaks volumes. The End of Hostility: Shifting the focus to Genesis 50:15-21, Ally addressed the end of hostility between Joseph and his brothers. Following Jacob's death, the brothers, burdened by their past mistreatment of Joseph, feared his retribution. They fabricated a message from Jacob asking for forgiveness. While Ally expressed skepticism about the truthfulness of this message, she acknowledged their likely genuine remorse. Joseph's emotional response and subsequent reassurance revealed that he had already forgiven them. His powerful statement, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Genesis 50:20), illustrates God's ability to work through even the most evil intentions for a greater purpose. Ally drew a parallel to our relationship with God, highlighting the burden of unresolved sin and the power of God's unrestricted forgiveness, prepaid by Jesus' death on the cross. She encouraged listeners to "claim" this forgiveness through a simple ABC: Admit you're wrong, Believe in Jesus' death, and Commit to following Jesus as Lord. She urged anyone carrying the weight of sin to address it and encouraged those who have been wronged to consider Joseph's example of forgiving even before being asked. This counter-cultural act of forgiveness mirrors God's own initiative in sending His Son for us. The End of Joseph: In the final verses (Genesis 50:22-26), we see the end of Joseph's life. Unlike Jacob, his death is marked by less ceremony, and the blessing of the next generation had already occurred. However, Joseph's unwavering faith in God's covenant shines through. Even though the promises of a great nation in their own land seemed distant after over 250 years, Joseph declared to his brothers, "God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" (Genesis 50:24). He even made the Israelites swear an oath to carry his bones back to Canaan when that time came, a testament to his enduring faith, which was fulfilled 400 years later. Ally emphasized the theme of patience in waiting for God's promises. Joseph's faith was rooted in his understanding that God was for him, working out His purposes even through difficult circumstances. His statement in Genesis 50:20 – "God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" – reveals his understanding that God's plans extend beyond his own personal well-being. Ally concluded by reminding us that God is for us, even when our circumstances are challenging or His timing differs from our own. Drawing on Romans 8:28, she affirmed that God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Jacob and Joseph died trusting in God's promises, and we are called to do the same. Ally concluded with a call to reflection, urging listeners to consider any unresolved sin, broken relationships, or struggles with feeling like a foreigner in this world or doubting God's care. The answer to all these challenges, she affirmed, is to come to the cross, to re-center on God's saving work, where His love and forgiveness are most powerfully displayed. Bible References Used: Genesis 1:1 Genesis 3:1 Genesis 12:1-3 Genesis 15 Genesis 17:1-8 Genesis 25 Genesis 37 Genesis 49 Genesis 50:1-14 Genesis 50:15-21 Genesis 50:20 Genesis 50:22-26 Genesis 50:24 1 Peter 2:11 Philippians 3:20 Romans 8:28 Thank you for joining us for this final reflection on Genesis. We pray that Ally's words have encouraged and challenged you. May we all live in the light of God's promises and the forgiveness found in Jesus Christ. Transcription Yes, so I'm Ali. I know some of you, not everyone. A bit about me, I'm Matt Richard, who unfortunately isn't here. He's gone out with the youth. And we have two boys, Jacob, who's also gone with youth, but Caleb, who has chosen to stay in and listen to mum. And he's going to have more later on. I think I was born just before Voyager 1 left, but there we go. Right now, I'm feeling extraordinarily privileged. Firstly, it's a privilege to study and delve into God's Word and help other people understand it. It's one of the favourite things that I like to do. And secondly, what a privilege to bring this incredible series in Genesis to a close. And as I've been preparing this, the realisation that this really is the last chapter has weighed a little heavy. And the fact that this is the last of our one service Sundays just adds a little bit of extra pressure. Let's go. I've called the talk the end of the beginning. And we're going to get into the passage in a bit. Now, most of you won't have heard me preach before, but I'm one for going in and out of the text. So now is your chance to get your Bible or switch your phone on and find Genesis 50 because we're going to be needing it later, all right? But to start with, I wanted to reflect a bit on what's gone on before. So for those of you who haven't checked out the masterpiece in the entrance, well, you are missing out. It is an absolutely incredible collage of what we've been looking at over the last three months, and I highly recommend it. And I think it's just an absolutely fantastic job. So well done, Sheila, for that. Genesis means beginning, and there have been plenty of those over the past 49 chapters. And I'm just going to pick out three. Chapter 1, verse 1, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, the beginning of everything. And it's hard to get your head round, isn't it? Once there was nothing, and then there was, well, everything. And those opening verses take us back to the very beginning of everything. They remind us that God is truly eternal. Now, I remember as a kid wanting to know who made God. And in fact, I'm not sure I've ever had a satisfactory answer to it. Some things are maybe just too big to understand. God just is. He always has been, and He always will be. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. God made a perfect world, and He put two human beings on it to enjoy and take care of it, to live in partnership with Him. We are the pinnacle of creation made in His image. But that didn't last. By chapter 3, the perfect world is spoiled forever. You see, we see the beginning of sin. Chapter 3, verse 1, now the snake was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden? And we know the story, or at least we think we do, don't we? But what really went on that day in the Garden of Eden? Was it simply that Eve stole a forbidden fruit? Well, of course, that was the action, but it's what was behind it that's the issue, isn't it? You see, in disobeying God's command, Adam and Eve effectively rejected His rule. Now, as a kid, I was taught to remember sin by spelling it out, F-I-N, and seeing that I is in the middle. And that essentially is what sin is about. All sin is, is when we put ourselves, that I, in the place of God, when we reject that rightful rule that He should have over us. And that is what Adam and Eve did in that day in the garden, spurred on by the devil. And far more important are the consequences of this event. You see, that perfect world was spoiled. No longer would life be pain-free for men or women. Life would be hard work. Adam and Eve, and with them the whole human race, were banished from the Garden of Eden, never to return. And worse than that, their perfect relationship with God was spoiled, shattered, broken. That's what I'm trying to get at with that picture there. No longer could Adam and Eve walk side by side with Him. You see, God is so holy, we've just sung it, He's so holy, so absolutely perfect, that He cannot be in the presence of people that are not. And ultimately the consequence was of death, and with it that final separation from God. Now sin spoils, and I don't know how well you've grasped this, but it is really important, so I am going to go on about it just for a little bit longer. Maybe you're here just dipping your toe in things. Maybe you've heard this all before but never quite understood it. Or maybe you've been in church all your life and you think you already know this. Wherever you're at, grasp this, that sin spoils. It means that we cannot be in relationship with God. That is gone, that is smashed to smithereens. It means we die, and that is bad news, depressing news, maybe even shocking news. But it's not the only news, and you see God is not only a holy God, He's one of perfect love, and He had a plan to put things right. Now when I was doing Bible training, one of our lecturers said that you can divide the Bible into two halves. The first three chapters of Genesis is one half, and the rest is the other. And the second half is basically God's rescue plan. It's not a plan B brought into force when Adam and Eve screwed the first one up. No, the Bible is clear that this was always the plan, and there is a hint of it in chapter 3, but let's skip forward to our last beginning, the beginning of the covenant. Now Google AI tells me that a covenant is a formal binding agreement or promise between two or more parties. And in chapter 12, we see Abraham, later to become Abraham, encounter God. And God states His promise to him as a threefold promise that involves a land, a people, and great blessing. So I'm just going to read a little section from Genesis 12. The Lord said to Abraham, go from your country, your people, and your father's household, to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who curse you, and whoever, bless you, sorry, and whoever curses you, I will curse. And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. And God repeats this twice more. Do you remember chapter 15, that weird ceremony with the blazing fire and the animals cut in half? I'll look it up later. And in it, Abraham looking at the stars in the sky, God using them as an illustration of His promise to make Him the father of a great nation. And God repeats these promises, makes it clear that it's Him that is doing it all. And finally, He repeats them a third time in Genesis 17. Abraham fell face down, and God said to him, as for me, this is my covenant with you. You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram. Your name will be Abraham. For I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful. I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you, for the generations to come to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and to your descendants after you. And I will be their God. So we've had three beginnings. We've had a perfect creation. We've had a spoiled creation. And we've got God's rescue plan, which starts with a covenant with one man. So can we just hold those beginnings in mind whilst you get a little break from me? And Caleb is going to read our passage for today, which is Genesis 50. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh's court, If I have found favour in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, My father made me swear on oath and said, I am about to die. Bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan. Now let me go up and bury my father. Then I will return. Pharaoh said, Go up and bury your father as he made you swear to do. So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh's officials accompanied him, the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt. Besides all the members of Joseph's household and his brothers and those belonging to his father's household, only their children and flocks of hurt were less than gotten. Chariots and horsemen also went up with him. It was a very large company. When they reached the fresh floor of Etad near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly, where Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father. When the Canaanites who lived there saw the mourning at the fresh floor of Etad, they said, The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning. That is why the place near the Jordan is called Abel-Musraim. So Joseph's sons did as he commanded them. They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field as a burial place from Ephraim the Hittite. After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father. When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him? So they sent word to Joseph, saying, Your father left these instructions before he died. This is what you were to say to Joseph, I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly. Now please forgive the sins of the servants of God your father. When their message came to him, Joseph wept. His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. We are your slaves, they said. But Joseph said to them, Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children. And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. Joseph stayed in Egypt along with all his father's family. He lived 110 years and saw the third generation of Ephraim's children. Also, the children of Micaiah, son of Manasseh, were placed at birth on Joseph's knees. Then Joseph said to his brothers, I am about to die, but God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised an oath to Abraham, Isaac and Joko. And Joseph made the Israelites wear an oath and said, God will surely come to your aid and then you must carry my bones up from this place. So Joseph died at the age of 110 and after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt. Well done little man. He was a bit upset that he wasn't getting one of these roving mics, so I've told him he's got to wait a little bit for that. So to the end of the beginning, our final chapter, and in it we see three ends. Firstly, the end of Jacob. So Andy talked last week about Jacob's final words to his gathered sons and grandsons. So technically his end was in chapter 49 when he, what did you say Andy, hooked up his feet on the bed and went to his father's, something like that. But the first half of this chapter is devoted to his end. Now I don't know about you, but as I've studied it and as I've heard it read just now, my overriding thought was, wow, they made a massive deal out of that. And there is a lot of detail for us, far more than other significant deaths in Genesis. I look back, in Genesis 25, there's just four verses devoted to the end of Abraham and we have 14. And I wonder why. So let's look at them in a bit more detail. Verse 1, Jacob has just died and Joseph is physically distraught. He throws himself on his father's body. He weeps over him and kisses him. And then there's the first ritual. Jacob's body is embalmed. This takes 40 days. Verse 3, the Egyptians mourned him for 70 days. And see who's mourning there? The Egyptians. Not Joseph and his brothers, although clearly they will have been too, but the Egyptians. Jacob is a foreigner in their land and yet they mourned him for 70 days. Jacob's end was a big deal and not just for his family. And the story goes on and preparations are made for his burial, which happens not in Egypt but back in Canaan, fulfilling an oath that Joseph had sworn to his father. And Jacob is eventually buried back at the family burial cave with his grandparents, Abraham and Sarah and his father Isaac, but not without more pomp and ceremony. Verse 7 to 9, we see all of Egypt's dignitaries, well done Caleb, accompanying the family. It was a very large company, such a large company that the locals living there remark in verse 11, the Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning. See it again? The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning. So what can we learn about all this fuss about the end of Jacob? Well, firstly, it seems like he's a foreigner in two places. You see, he dies in Egypt away from the Promised Land, yet when he's taken back to Canaan to be buried, he's a foreigner there too. And this should maybe resonate a little bit with us. You see, in several places in the New Testament, Christians are described as being aliens or foreigners in the world. But if it sometimes feels like you don't belong in this world anymore, well, that's true, we don't. We're citizens of a new kingdom. But for now, we still live in this one. And that can feel hard, especially on a Monday morning, can't it, when you're at work or college or you're with friends or family that don't know Jesus. Jacob knew his identity. He'd encountered God in a very personal way, illustrated in that picture there. And he trusted in his promises, the very same ones that were given back to Abraham. So for him, his choice of burial site back in the Promised Land, well, that was a given. And for us, well, we need to hold on to that identity. We are children of God and citizens of heaven, and that is why showing up here on a Sunday is so important, because we can remind and spur each other on when we go back into that week when we're having to live as aliens in another country. As well as being encouraged by Jacob as a foreigner, we can also take heart that he was in many ways a flawed man. And Andy covered this last week when he reminded us of Jacob's many failures along the way. So when we announced the birth of our son Jacob to our families, my dad commented on the name. His words were, well, you could have gone for a better character. Possibly a bit harsh for his first grandson. When Caleb arrived, I made a point of asking if that was a better choice. Make your mind up. Dad was right on one hand, but Jacob the Bible did make a lot of mistakes. But looking at the way his end is outlined for us, we see he finished well, and he was esteemed and honored by many. And I'd echo what Andy said last week, that this encourages me. See, throughout Genesis, throughout the whole Bible, God uses flawed individuals to work his purposes out. And so he can and does use us too. With all our flaws, all our disappointments, we let him down, and he gently restores us. And finally, the end of Jacob signals the real star of the nation of Israel. You see, indeed, his name was even changed to Israel. It's easy when there's an Israel on the map to forget that the first Israel was a person. And whilst Abraham is always referred to as the father of the nation, in many ways, I'd suggest that title really belongs to Jacob. You see, from his 12 sons came the 12 tribes, which grew into the great people. As Jacob blessed his sons individually before he died, I think he'd have reflected on that promise of becoming a people and seen a glimpse of what was to come. The end of Jacob, a man who died holding onto the promises of God, who finished well and who was mourned by a people from a foreign land. Let's move on. In the next verses, we see another very different end. We see the end of hostility. Check out verse 15, and you see an obvious change in the narrative. Jacob has died, and Joseph's brothers start to panic. When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, what if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him? You see, the brothers foresee a problem. Many years before, they had treated Joseph abysmally, and they know it. They might try to claim mitigating circumstances. After all, Joseph was, by all accounts, a pretty jumped up obnoxious teenager, but what they did was pretty unforgivable. You can read it in Genesis 37. They plotted to kill him. Reuben the Elbdis steps in and suggests throwing him an assistant instead. He plans to go back and rescue him, but the others then sell him on into slavery, and they take his bloodied robe, that technicolor dream coat, back to Jacob and make it look like Joseph was dead. And then they carry on with life, unaware of what happened to their father, living a lie at home with their father grieving his blooded son. But now they have a problem. Jacob is gone, and what's going to happen to them? Without the protection of their father, just how is Joseph going to react? So they preempt it. They get in first. See verse 16, so they sent word to Joseph saying, your father left these instructions before he died. This is what you are to say to Joseph. I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly. Now please forgive the sins of your servant, the God of your father. Now we have no way or not of knowing what the brothers are saying here is true. The Bible does not document this conversation between Jacob and his sons. And as a mother of children who can be pretty convincing in their stories to explain away misdemeanors, sorry to call you out Caleb, but you know what is true? I have to say, personally, I don't believe them. But neither do I blame them. You see, in all honesty, I'd have probably tried something similar. You see, our sinful nature, that eye in the middle, it's always going to try and protect me, isn't it? And Joseph is moved to tears. And then the brothers come together in person. And whilst I'm skeptical about their story, I do believe they're sorry. Their repentance is genuine. They will have carried that guilt for years. And they literally throw themselves at their brother's mercy, aware that he has every right to punish them. And yet Joseph does respond with mercy. He has no intention of punishing them. You see, it becomes clear that he's forgiven them long ago. There is no hostility on his side. He has seen the bigger picture. You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good. And this section of the story illustrates a couple of things, and I think in many ways mirrors our relationship with God. Firstly, it illustrates the power of unresolved sin. Joseph's brothers know they have done wrong, and they've lived for years in the knowledge that they sold him as a slave and lied to their father. Secondly, we see the power of unrestricted forgiveness. Joseph's response is gentle and loving. Twice, he says, don't be afraid. He promises to take care of his brothers and their households. And this is the same as us with God. Are you sitting here feeling the weight of unresolved sin? Is this something you've never dealt with, never taken that step of acknowledging to yourself that you've been living your life with I in charge and that that needs to change? Or maybe you're already a Christian, but there's something specific that you're struggling with, a habit you know you need to break, a recurrent thought or behavior that you can't seem to stop. Can I encourage you to come to God who is waiting there with unrestricted forgiveness? Our loving God who longs to say don't be afraid, I forgive you. And we don't earn that forgiveness. It's prepaid. When Jesus died on that cross 2,000 years ago, he was paying the price for every one of my sins and yours. Humanity's rebellion paid for by one perfect sinless man. So we don't earn it, but we do have to claim it. Last weekend was my birthday, and I got a message on my Costa app to say that I would receive a free birthday treat within the next seven days. So when I looked at it, there it was for me on the app. But I had to claim it. I had to click on it and show it to the nice lady in Costa, which I did on Friday, and I got a nice piece of free tip. God's forgiveness is kind of the same. It's there. It's prepaid. And unlike my treat, there is no time limit. All we need to do is claim it. And how do we do this? Well, can I suggest a simple ABC? A, admit I'm wrong. B, believe in Jesus' death that has taken the punishment I deserve. C, commit to following Jesus as Lord with him in charge instead of me. And whether you need to do that today for the first time or the thousandth time, I encourage people to do it. There will be space later to reflect. Use it. Think through the ABC. Grab someone to pray with afterwards. Don't leave this morning unresolved. Before we move to our final end, just a word about the power of unrestricted forgiveness. You see, maybe you're sitting here and you've been wronged by someone, whether deliberately or not. And that is hard to take. But we know in our hearts, don't we, that holding on to bitterness doesn't do us any good? Now, look at Joseph's reaction in the passage and in the earlier ones when his brothers first arrived in Egypt and were oblivious to his identity. He's forgiven them somewhere along the line. And crucially, before they have come and said sorry to him, he has forgiven them. And we can learn a lot from this, can't we? It's very countercultural. We live in a world where it's considered weak to make that first move, to forgive without being asked to, to not make people pay for what they deserve. But we have a countercultural God who did make that first move, who sent his own son to take the punishment we deserve. So maybe we should rethink. And maybe there are relationships that need fixing. Can we be a people who aren't afraid to make that move, either to apologize for where we know we're wrong or to forgive when we've been Time for our final end, the end of Joseph. And there is a lot less fuss and ceremony than the end of Jacob. And unlike the other patriarchs, we don't see a formal blessing of the next generation. That seems to have been covered by Jacob. But what we do see is Joseph's unwavering faith in God's covenant. Verse 24, then Joseph said to his brothers, I'm about to die, but God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, God will surely come to your aid and then you must carry my bones up into this place. There have been many repeated themes in Genesis, but the one that's really lodged with me is the need for patience when it comes to God's promises. And Joseph has got it, hasn't he? He knows the covenant promises given to his ancestors. Remember that they would be a great people in their own land and greatly blessed. But as Genesis closes, we see that more than 250 years on, there isn't much sign of any of this. The family is pretty small and they aren't even in the promised land. And Joseph has seen some blessing in his time in Egypt, but we know that by the time the next book Exodus starts, they're going to be enslaved in terrible condition. Not many people, no land, limited blessing. Yet Joseph's faith doesn't wobble. Twice he says, God will surely come to your aid. Joseph is convinced that this will work out, just as God has said. He's just not going to see it. And so his faith is demonstrated in his instructions for his body to be buried back in Canaan, something that isn't actually fulfilled for another 400 years. And how does Joseph have such great faith? Well, I think the answer comes for us a little earlier in our chapter in the section on the end of hostility. Remember Joseph's reply to his brothers in verse 20. You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. You see, somewhere along the line, Joseph has grasped the great truth that God is for him, despite circumstances and events along the way. Throughout the ups and many downs of Joseph's life, God was right there. Move the slide, Michelle, thank you. Joseph has got this. God was right there with him, working out his purposes. Joseph has got this, and this fuels his faith. And he's also got that it's about God and not about Joseph. God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. He doesn't say, God intended it for good, so everything would work out fine for me. Look, in the end, I got myself a family, decent job, some land for us to settle in. No, God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So as I finish, hear this, God is for you. I don't know how life is for you right now. Maybe things are going well. Maybe you feel at rock bottom, God is for you. But also hear this, God is for you in the context of his plans and his purposes. And they're not always the same as we maybe think they should be. And God's time scale may be very different to how we think it ought to be. And that means we may not see answers to situations. Things may not work out how we expect. It may feel that God isn't for us. But learn from the story of Genesis, he is. We have a God who is faithful to his promises, who remains in charge, however things might look or feel. As Paul famously wrote in Romans 8 verse 28, and we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. And Jacob and Joseph knew this, and they died trusting in their God's promises. So as we finish today, there is plenty to reflect on. Is there unresolved sin that needs dealing with? Maybe you've never acknowledged that till now, and do you need to claim that forgiveness? Maybe for the first time, maybe for the thousands. Is there a relationship that needs fixing? Do you need to make the first move? Be that one to say sorry or to forgive. Are you struggling with being a foreigner in this world? Are you a different person on a Sunday to how you are the rest of the week? Or are you finding it difficult to believe that God is really for you, especially with things how they are now? The answer to all of these is the same as ever. Come to the cross. Re-center on God at saving work for you. He is for you. He is for us. Nowhere do we see this more powerfully than at the cross. Shall we pray? Heavenly Father, I thank you for your word. I thank you for the book of Genesis. I thank you for all that we have learnt and can take away from it and keep learning and keep taking away. And Lord God, for wherever we're at this time, thank you for the cross. Thank you that in there we receive your unrestricted forgiveness. Lord, we know we have done wrong. We know we have messed up. We know we have spoiled things. But Lord, we come to you in repentance and in faith that your work on the cross is enough. Amen.

S4E18From Print to Digital: How to Turn Your Low-Content Books into Interactive PDFs for Tablets!SUMMARY:Today's readers aren't just using paper, they're taking their journals, planners, and activity books on the go with devices like the Kindle Scribe, reMarkable tablet, and iPad. In this episode, Cindy and Tammie walk you through how to turn your low-content books into interactive digital PDFs that customers can write in on their favorite devices. You'll learn how to design these products using A Book Creator, how to format them correctly, and where to sell them, like Etsy, Teachers Pay Teachers, and your own website. If you're ready to tap into the growing market of digital planners and fillable activity books, this episode is for you.Show Notes/Links:Links to Mentioned Tools:A Book Creator – Create interactive planners, journals, and puzzle books with built-in links for tablets

*Listen to the Show notes and podcast transcript with this multi-language player. Summary: Today, people don't want to have someone quote scripture and verse to them. They are looking for something alive and real. There must be a people who become the scriptures, so that when they speak it is Christ coming out of what they say. Now is the time for those living epistles read and known of all men to emerge. Show Notes: When we speak we must be the scripture, not just quote it. Those believers in new testament times were writing the new testament in how they walked with God in their time. Can we create a new age, and new testament? We are sons of God and He has set us free to walk as Christ waked with the Father. This walk with Him must always be exciting and new. We must break out of the box of our limitations and fears. We started out as babes and had th9se over us who guided us. But then we matured and grew out of the childish state and flowing together with the brethren. We must read and eat the scriptures until we become those scriptures. Quotes: I am so convinced that God wants us to live in the scripture realm, in our heart, in the spirit. This is what happened to the first New Testament church. They didn't have a New Testament, they were the New Testament. They were forming a new age,they were creating the Bible, the New Testament. Why can't we form a new age? Why can't we write a...

SummaryToday we interview Michelle Murray from Anchor Therapy, who discusses the importance of executive functioning skills in young people, particularly those facing mental health challenges and neurodiversity. The conversation covers various aspects of executive functioning, including assessment methods, strategies for supporting transitions, emotional management, and the social challenges faced by young people. Michelle emphasises the need for compassionate understanding of executive functioning difficulties and the importance of creating supportive educational environments. Practical strategies for organisation and focus are also shared, making this episode a valuable resource for parents and professionals alike.

*Listen to the Show notes and podcast transcript with this multi-language player. Summary: Today the Lord has chosen to manifest Himself in and through His people. This is where you will find His Word, leading and Lordship. Walking with Christ is simply walking with a revelation of Christ in your brother and sister as you submit to one another in the fear of Christ. Show Notes: The Lordship of Jesus Christ is manifested through people. The Word and leading of the Lord many times comes through your brother and sister. The Lord has placed Himself in His family and that is where He is being manifested. We must have spiritual eyes to see the Christ in our brother. We must trust in the Lord and not lean on our understanding of things to enter into this walk with Christ. We must stay connected to those that the Lord has placed in our midst. We walk with His Lordship in our spiritual family. Quotes: The Lordship of Jesus Christ, the enemy of it, it's the headship of man versus the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The Lordship of Jesus Christ comes through people. ...that word you're looking for, that direction you're looking for, is going to come through your brother or your sister. If you're saying that you're submissive to the Lord, then what you're really saying is, I'm submissive to my brothers and sisters... The lordship

Summary: Today we finish the Book of Revelation, and what a finish it is. But the whole Book leads to the main point for every person…… how will you finish? Will stand before Him in glory, or be separated from Him for all eternity in hell? God invites you to Himself, He says….Come!

Welcome back to another episode of the Friday Rant on our "Construct Your Life Podcast." This week we're doing something a little out of the box—my favorite kind of episode. My philosophy is simple: if everyone's going right, I'm going left. In a world where trends dominate and conformity is the norm, being different is my superpower. Summary: Today, I'm diving into why stepping outside your comfort zone and embracing what's different is vital for growth and success. In a world driven by online activity, I choose to prioritize personal connections. Whether it's meeting someone in person or making a phone call, old-school methods still have incredible value. I challenge you to do what your competitors are unwilling to do—because that's where true opportunity lies. Key Highlights: - Embracing Difference: Discover why going against the grain and questioning norms can lead to success and innovation. - Old-School Connections: Learn about my commitment to personal connection—like hands-on marketing and in-person networking—as a powerful counter to digital overload. - Fear of Standing Out: Understand why many shy away from being different due to the discomfort of standing alone, and why I see it as a strength. - Business as an Adventure: I liken business to a daring adventure, navigating uncharted paths and embracing the thrill of the unknown. - Inspiration from Leaders: Reflect on advice from leaders like Alex Hormozi about beating competitors by doing what they won't. - Life and Business Wisdom: Uncover why I'm passionate about embracing life's full experience by taking risks and venturing into the unconventional. Remember, don't be afraid to stand out. Lean into what makes you different, and you'll find unique opportunities that others miss. Thanks for tuning in, and as always, a shoutout to my friends at Leadhub for their phenomenal work in marketing. If you're in the trade industry and need reliable marketing expertise, visit leadhub.net. See you next time!

SUMMARY: Today we cover a Transformers book that is “more than meets the eye." Unless your eye looked at the book and was like, “It seems bad,” in which case, yeah, it's pretty much what met your eye. Thanks to everyone who joined us for this live episode! And thank you to the Autobots for protecting Earth. Next time please do it in a more interesting way.-If you want to read Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday and support the podcast in a fun way, click here to buy the book! (But we actually don't highly recommend this book...)https://amzn.to/3MEEoXU-Listen to the audio album of Kellen's new 30-minute comedy special "Negative Comments"! Available by joining The Book Pile's Patreon at:https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile-Dave's book / game The Starlings is here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMBBLGXN?ref=myi_title_dp-Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 200 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com-David Vance's videos have garnered over 1 billion views. He has written viral ads for companies like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, and Lumē, and sketches for the comedy show Studio C. His work has received two Webby Awards, and appeared on Conan. He currently works as a writer on the sitcom Freelancers.

Welcome back to the "Construct Your Life" podcast! I'm excited to bring you Part Two of my conversation with Josh. In this episode, we dive deep into something everyone loves to chat about—cash flow. But here's the twist: we're breaking down what cash flow really means and how you can master it to fuel your business dreams. Summary: Today, Josh and I are getting real about cash flow, stripping away the jargon to uncover strategies you can actually use. From making revenue from your existing assets to turning those numbers into profit, we'll explore every step. This is more than just dollars and cents; it's about creating a system where cash flow becomes second nature to you and your team. Key Highlights: - The Cash Flow Equation: We tackle why cash flow sits at the heart of your operational efficiency and visionary goals. It's the lifeline that connects it all. - Revenue Realization: I've got insights on squeezing more revenue from every asset you have, whether that's through personnel tweaks or long-term investments. - Profit Maximization: Spending wisely is the name of the game. We'll discuss how focusing on true customer value impacts your bottom line. - From Profits to Cash: We go into managing AP, AR, and inventory to ensure your profits turn into usable cash. - Leadership and Team Dynamics: Learn from our experiences about putting the right driven people in key roles and ensuring they're as focused on data as you are. - Practical Training: Discover how short, impactful micro-trainings can revolutionize your team's daily operations and align them with your financial goals. - The Visionary Line: I talk about how to seamlessly connect your vision and strategy through profitability and direct daily actions. Join us in this no-nonsense talk about cash flow. I'm thrilled to share these tangible tips and strategies to help your business thrive. Remember, it's not just about having cash—it's about using it to its fullest potential. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button for more thought-provoking conversations and expert insights!

Summary Today's conversation is a first for my podcast in that I welcome back a previous guest!  And I couldn't think of having my first repeat guest as anyone better that the brilliant George Kinder!   George was previously on the show in episode 20 where we discussed Life planning and how to light the retirement torch. For those that don't know, George is widely regarded as the father of Financial Life planning and a global leading voice in this field.  Today's conversation centres around Goerges new book The Three Domains of Freedom which explores the different aspects of freedom and how the relate to a fulfilling life.   The three domains we discuss are: The freedom of each moment, The freedom to pursue one's life and the freedom within civilisation.  During our conversation George emphasises the importance of mindfulness and being preset in each moment to experience true freedom. He also discusses the significance of having a passionate purpose and taking control of your life.   George and I also discuss the the concept of freedom and its various dimensions. We talk about freedom of thought, freedom of time and the importance of celebrating achievements, no matter how small!  We also touch on the state of society and the need for unity and trust and at the end George shares his proposal for a legislative solution to create a more trustworthy and humane civilisation.  Takeaways Mindfulness and being present in each moment is key to experiencing true freedom. Having a passionate purpose and taking control of one's life leads to a sense of fulfillment. Shortening timeframes and taking action can create a sense of energy and accomplishment. Working with a skilled life planner can help uncover hidden desires and goals. Freedom encompasses more than just physical freedom; it includes freedom of thought and freedom of time. Celebrating achievements, no matter how small, is important for a fulfilling life. Society is currently fragmented and polarized, but there is a solution: unity and trust. George Kinder proposes a legislative solution that requires institutions to have a fiduciary obligation to truth, democracy, the planet, and humanity. Creating a trustworthy civilization starts with individuals and businesses adopting a fiduciary standard. Sound Bites "There were three domains.""Mindfulness is really about the mastery of the present moment." "Feeling that I have a passionate purpose that I am moving toward or living in." "It doesn't mean that it's freedom just to go and sit on the couch or lay on the..." "When I talk to a lot of people that I've worked with, they actually talk about freedom of thought a lot." "Celebrating achievements, you know, no matter how small they are, I think is really critical to a fulfilling life." Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Overview 02:55 The Three Domains of Freedom 05:52 The Freedom of Each Moment 11:52 Finding Your Passionate Purpose 17:59 Shortening Timeframes for Action and Energy 26:21 Exploring the Dimensions of Freedom 28:30 Unity and Trust in a Fragmented Society 44:03 A Legislative Solution for a Trustworthy Civilization Links George's new book The Three Domains of Freedom My YouTube Channel

Summary Today's conversation is with retirement investing, income planning and life satisfaction expert, Michael Finke  Michael is a professor of wealth management and Frank M. Engle Distinguished Chair in Economic Security at The American College of Financial Services.   He received a doctorate in consumer economics from the Ohio State University in 1998 and in finance from the University of Missouri in 2011. He leads the O. Alfred Granum Center for Financial Security at the American College and is a research fellow at the Retirement Income Institute, and a member of the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association Academic Advisory Council.   He is an internationally known researcher in the areas of retirement income planning, retirement spending, life satisfaction, and cognitive aging. He is a frequent speaker at financial planning conferences and was named one of the 25 most influential people in the field of investment advising in 2020 and 2021 by Investment Advisor Magazine.  In this conversation, Michael and I discuss the importance of mindset and positivity in retirement planning. We explore the correlation between health and financial behaviours among retirees and the role of positivity in driving savings and spending behaviour. We also discuss the benefits of annuities as a way to ensure a guaranteed income in retirement and how the psychological impact of spending from income versus spending from assets is often a licence to spend for many retirees. The conversation emphasizes the need to align money with values and goals to maximize happiness in retirement.  Takeaways There is a strong connection between health behaviors and money behaviors, as both involve making decisions to defer gratification and invest in a better future. Retirement income planning should involve considering both spending and legacy goals, and giving oneself the agency to choose how much of their savings to spend and how much to pass on to others. It is important to recognize and accept our own mortality when planning for retirement, and to design a plan that allows us to spend the money we've saved for the purpose of enjoying a better lifestyle. Retirement should be viewed as an opportunity to bring forward the ability to give money to loved ones and causes we care about, rather than waiting until the end of life. Spending money in retirement can bring more happiness and satisfaction than simply accumulating wealth, and it is important to prioritize experiences and social interactions that provide joy. Designing a retirement plan should involve envisioning the future and creating a financial structure that supports the desired lifestyle, rather than solely focusing on numbers and spreadsheets. Mindset and positivity play a crucial role in retirement planning. Health and financial behaviors are correlated among retirees, and positivity drives savings behavior. Annuities provide a license to spend and allow retirees to spend more from income than from assets. Aligning money with values and goals can lead to greater happiness in retirement. Sound Bites "What is wealth? Wealth is a store of future spending. It is a store of future happiness." "The goal is lifestyle. That's why you save the money in the first place. Let's design a structure so that you can have the lifestyle that you want to live." "Recognize that you had a choice and your choice was: Do I want to spend the money that I've saved that I've sacrificed to be able to build or am I going to be happier passing it on to someone else?" "How we view retirement and how positive we are about our years going forward is going to shape the way we want to spend our money." "People who think that life is going to be more pleasurable in their 80s are more motivated to ensure that they still have income in their 80s." "Annuities give you the ability to spend more every year and never feel bad about it." Chapters 00:00  Introduction and Background 03:23 The Connection Between Retirement, Health, and Wealth 07:58  Balancing Spending and Legacy Goals in Retirement Income Planning 11:25   Recognizing Mortality and Designing a Plan for a Better Lifestyle 15:37  Bringing Forward the Ability to Give in Retirement 24:15  Envisioning the Future and Designing a Retirement Plan 26:45 The Role of Mindset and Positivity in Retirement Planning 28:12 The Correlation Between Health and Financial Behaviors in Retirement 35:10 The Benefits of Annuities as a License to Spend 42:20 Aligning Money with Values and Goals for Greater Happiness in Retirement Links License to spend whitepaper Michael Finke Website

Summary: Today our oneness in the body of Christ is crucial in seeing God's kingdom established in this earth. We must lay aside everything we have ever known as we reach into our relationship to the Father through the glory that Christ has already given us. By this oneness with our Father we can walk as one Body of Christ in this earth doing the will of our Father. Show Notes: Oneness first starts with our oneness with the Father. In our drive to seek the Father we enter into this oneness with Him. Our oneness is not created by connecting with each other, but with our individual oneness with the Lord. We break bonds with everything we have known to enter into this oneness with the Father. We are being delivered out of the thinking and ways of this present age, and into a new Kingdom age. Jesus has given us His glory that we may be one. We have been given all that we need to become one. We must just seek Him with all our heart. Quotes: Our oneness truly does come in the kingdom, in our connection with the Father. In seeking Him, we create the oneness that He's looking for. Our priority of oneness is the Father. The oneness is not us connecting with each other, but connecting with the Lord, putting Him first. He intends for us, as His people, as His servants, to break bonds, with this earth and our earthly thinking, our earthly conditioning's. We're breaking bonds with our earthly existence as it was up to this point. ...being delivered out of the human way of thinking and the way we think, and being delivered into a new way of living in a new age.

Summary:Today we're diving into how ONE daily habit (that might FEEL good to do) -- might actually be hurting your business growth strategy. This is a common pitfall that I see photographers fall into (and I've even done it myself a few times!) The good news?! I'm sharing actions you can take today to change up your strategy and help ensure your business, income and client base continues to grow!So grab your favorite glass of wine, tea or coffee and join me in the conversation..Loved the episode? Have a topic or guest host request? Send me a text message!Ways we can work together: Photographers, are you ready to create a sustainable business strategy? Is it time to elevate your business and get updated , gorgeous brand photos? I'D LOVE TO CONNECT WITH YOU! Say hello on Instagram

Summary Today's conversation is with the Dr of Happiness, Dr Andy Cope. Andy is a wellbeing expert, best-selling author and in his words a recovering academic. He specialises in positive psychology and the science of human flourishing. The reward for grinding out his Loughborough PhD is that he gets to call himself a Dr of Happiness. If you put the cheesy title to one side, Andy believes there has never been a more important time to focus on mental health and wellbeing. He has been described as a ‘wellbeing revolutionary' and his mission is to change the narrative and re-focus psychology away from what's wrong with people to what's right. His messages act as a gentle nudge towards people taking charge of their own mental health. Andy's books are frequently on the best-sellers list. ‘The Art of Being Brilliant', ‘Shine', and ‘Zest' have all topped the personal development charts. ‘The Little Book of Emotional Intelligence' and Leadership: Multiplier Effect' are riding high in the business charts and ‘Happiness Route Map' was nominated as The Independent's best self-help book of the year. Andy also moonlights as a children's author. His ‘Spy Dog' series has sold in excess of a million copies worldwide. In this conversation Andy and I discusses the importance of focusing on wellbeing and happiness, especially during retirement. He explains that traditional psychology has primarily focused on fixing mental health issues rather than promoting wellness. Andy emphasises the need to shift the focus to happiness and flourishing, and shares insights from positive psychology. He highlights the significance of living in the present moment and finding contentment in simple experiences and positive relationships. Andy also challenges the notion of retirement as a destination for happiness and encourages individuals to prioritize their wellbeing throughout their lives. Andy emphasises the need to focus on mental wealth and living one's best life. Andy shares his journey of accidentally stumbling upon the science of living a happier life and the intentional strategies that happy people employ. They also discuss the power of reframing internal and learned beliefs and the challenge of unlearning bad habits. He highlights the importance of saying yes to growth and new experiences, as well as saying no to things that don't bring joy. They also touch on the significance of quality relationships, being present, and the negative impact of social media on happiness. Takeaways Traditional psychology has primarily focused on fixing mental health issues rather than promoting wellness. Positive psychology emphasizes the importance of happiness and flourishing. Finding contentment in simple experiences and positive relationships is key to living a fulfilling life. Retirement should not be seen as the sole destination for happiness; it is important to prioritize wellbeing throughout life. Wellbeing and happiness should be prioritized in retirement, as they contribute to a fulfilling life. Positive psychology can help reframe internal and learned beliefs, leading to a happier mindset. Unlearning bad habits and letting go of negative thoughts and behaviors is essential for personal growth and happiness. Saying yes to growth and new experiences, and saying no to things that don't bring joy, can enhance happiness in retirement. Quality relationships and being present in the moment are key determinants of happiness. The negative impact of social media on happiness should be recognized, and time spent on it should be reduced. Sound Bites "There are people out there with a smile on their face and a spring in their step." "Positive psychology is about equipping people with the knowledge and skills to take care of their own mental health and wellbeing." "The happiest moments in life are often simple experiences with loved ones." "They don't talk about wellbeing in a way that they should absolutely talk about wellbeing." "Living your best life and being your best self wasn't a thing." "The biggest barrier to me feeling amazing was actually me." Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Andy's Journey to Becoming the Doctor of Happiness 09:03 The Importance of Wellbeing and Happiness 16:02 Shifting the Focus to Happiness and Flourishing 23:06 Retirement: A Journey of Wellbeing and Happiness 24:25 Prioritizing Wellbeing and Happiness in Retirement 28:12 The Power of Reframing Beliefs and Unlearning 32:08 Saying Yes to Growth and No to Unwanted Obligations 36:48 The Importance of Quality Relationships and Being Present 40:54 The Negative Impact of Social Media on Happiness Links The Art of Brilliance Humans Vs Retirement  Let's talk about your retirement!  

Summary: Today the family is reaching into a new realm, and a new anointing is resting within them. This anointing comes by the Holy Spirit and is manifesting in the laying of their lives down in love for one another. They are following in the footsteps of the Master as He laid down His life for us all. Show Notes: We each have received a special anointing of the Holy Spirit to function with in His family. He is drawing us into what we looked for our whole lives, a relationship with God. He creates in us a walk with Him in this realm. With this anointing we are speaking the Word of God to one another. This is a new realm in God and we will lose our soul life and yet it will be our greatest joy. In this new realm we are laying our lives down in love for one another. As we walk on in this new realm, the Father works in us His nature so that we walk in the same way Jesus walked. Only as we see our brother through the Father's eyes, can we truly serve and love our brother. Quotes: This is a very unique anointing that actually makes it possible for you to flow to one another in the Spirit. Because the anointing is there not only to speak, but to hear, to receive, so we're giving and receiving. We have come to a new day. We have come into the day of Spirit. We've been washed by the water of the word as it has flowed out of our mouths to one another … As we walk on and we mature in the Lord, we find out that He requires us to walk the way He walked. Yeah, there's a requirement to walk in the selflessness. In the giving of your life, in the love, all these things. God is freeing us to understand by revelation to give your life and lay it down for your brother when you perceive the Father's heart toward them. ...we're really...

Summary:   Today's episode is a snippet of a live coaching call that I do every single week with the members of my 12-week signature course, the Goddess Body Project. These coaching calls are where I troubleshoot areas where I see women struggling, answer any questions, make sure we're on the same page, and tell you how to move forward.  Key Takeaways:   04:20 - Does anyone take Creatine and does anybody recommend it? 05:44 - Why you feel nauseous during your workout & what to do about it  08:33 - The weight scale, the changes, & why it's not moving 13:47 - Glutamine: does it help with joint stiffness? 15:51 - Training audit example: Hack squat 17:49 - Training audit example: Squats on a Smith machine 19:21 - Training audit example: Modified lat pulldown 21:02 - Training audit example: Bulgarians squats 24:04 - Meal prep companies 25:38 - How diet products affect the scale 27:35 - Alternatives to the Hack squat 28:30 - How to recover from a treat in between meals     Resources Mentioned:   Join the Goddess Body Project: https://www.bossbitchradio.com/the-goddess-body-project  Trifecta Meals: https://www.trifectanutrition.com/  Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/dianeflores_ifbb_pro?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_aipsfdianeflores_ifbb_pro_FHT6YRXYMNSBVSYSP0S4     Connect with Diane:   GET ON MY E-MAIL NEWSLETTER HERE Website: https://www.bossbitchradio.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianeflores_ifbb_pro  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dianeflores_ifbb_pro  Join the Boss Bitch Besties Fitness Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/dianefloresifbbpro      Freebies:   Plateau-Buster Guide: https://dianeflores.lpages.co/plateau-buster-guide/  Boss Bitch Empowerment Tools: https://bit.ly/BossBitchDownload5EasyThings Protein Snack List: https://bit.ly/ProteinSnackListDownload Sleep Hacks: https://bit.ly/FreebieDownloadForSleepHacks Full Body Training Program: https://bit.ly/FreeFullBodyTrainingProgramPDFDownload Supplement Guide: https://bit.ly/BossBitchSupplementGuide Work with Diane:   Get your personalized physique assessment here The Goddess Body Project 12 week program Get your FREE backstage packing list for competition here   Fuel Your Body with the Goods:   Try Meal Prep Delivery with FitKitchen Code: Diane10  Try this Energy Shot from Magic Mind - Code: BBRadio Fave Boss Bitch Protein Bars - Built Bars *Use Promo Code: “Diane” at check out Cured Nutrition Code: BossBitch saves 20% off first order Nutrishop Supplement Shop - Code: BossBitch (free shipping) Dress Up & Show Up Like a Boss Bitch:   For 15% off your purchase at Toxic Angels Bikinis use Code: Diane  Get $10 off Bombshell Sports Wear HERE For 15% off at Pseudo Force Studio Apparel, use Code: BossBitch Salty Savage Fitness Apparel Code: AmandaGlitters  

Summary Today, we dive into Mike Klemmer's entrepreneurial journey with Aerial Resupply Coffee, a brand that honors military logistics and support personnel. Mike began his venture with minimal coffee roasting knowledge, emphasizing the importance of starting small and gradually scaling up. Through research and experimentation, he has became the most trusted voice in the veteran coffee space. Mike's innovative and unconventional marketing strategies include creating engaging characters for his brand and using humor to his advantage, which has helped set his brand apart in the competitive coffee market. In this episode, Mike also discusses his navigation of the B2C and B2B markets, particularly his experiences with major clients like Kroger and leveraging Amazon's Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) service to boost online sales. He sheds light on building a robust social media presence, especially on LinkedIn, and the challenges of handling feedback. Looking to the future, Mike shares his vision for ARC Coffee as more than just a business; he sees it as a community hub for veterans, with plans for further expansion and innovation. This episode of "Harder Not Smarter" provides a fascinating look at how passion, creativity, and strategic thinking can forge a successful, community-centric business in the coffee industry. Show Links Get 1-month of FREE access to the ⁠Vet Collective Community⁠ by using discount code: NLT1UQTI Join us here: ⁠https://www.collective.vet⁠ Sign up for our Weekly Newsletter: ⁠⁠https://www.collective.vet⁠ Follow us on LinkedIn: ⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/harder-not-smarter/⁠ Episodes also available on Spotify, Apple, and Amazon Music. Mike and Aerial Resupply Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelklemmer/ https://aerialresupplycoffee.com/ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:02 Inspiration for Starting a Coffee Company 06:20 The Importance of Logistics and Support Personnel 07:39 Learning About Coffee Roasting 10:09 Getting Started in Coffee Roasting 12:06 Favorite Style of Coffee 14:07 Starting a Coffee Company with Limited Knowledge 16:19 Scaling the Coffee Production 19:30 Launching the Business 20:55 Distinct Voice and Style in Marketing 23:37 Creating Characters for Marketing 24:32 Unique Marketing Ideas 27:15 Expanding the Business and Marketing 31:17 Opening a New Facility 34:23 Utilizing Supply Chain Knowledge 36:41 B2C and B2B Marketing 38:42 Landing Big Business Customers 42:00 Getting into Kroger and the Challenges 45:55 Introducing Products into Kroger's ERP System 49:06 Expanding through the Kroger System 51:54 Selling on Amazon and Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) 54:58 Building a Presence on Social Media 58:11 The Power of LinkedIn 63:50 Different Personalities in the Military 65:18 Creating Characters from Different Military Branches 66:17 Creating Content in the Style of The Office 67:01 ARC's Future Plans and Expansion 68:20 Exploring Novelty Coffee Ideas 69:00 The Importance of Consistency in Content Creation 72:29 The Potential of Jack Shack Coffee 74:20 Encouraging Veterans to Put Themselves Out There 76:08 Sourcing and Naming the Novelty Coffee 78:35 Finalizing Plans for Jack Shack Coffee

SummaryToday's episode will take us quite literally across the globe to the stunning landscapes of New Zealand, where I get to chat with Stephanie Hassall, the creative force behind Pure Pods—fully transparent luxury eco-cabins that offer an immersive experience in nature like no other. If you followed along on IG during my travels last month, then you surely saw this location, and today we get to talk to the CEO behind the brand. Stephanie's innovative approach combines sustainability with luxury, set in some of New Zealand's most breathtaking and secluded spots.In this episode, Stephanie shares her journey from her family's rustic cabin roots to revolutionizing cabin experiences with Pure Pods. We'll dive into the challenges and triumphs of building these unique retreats, the impact of Pure Pods on local communities, and the future of sustainable tourism.Instagram @purepods @cozyrockcabin @cozycabinboone @cozycampsebec Booking Sites PurePods: https://www.purepods.com/ Cozy Rock Cabin: https://airbnb.com/h/cozyrockcabin Cozy Cabin Boone: https://airbnb.com/h/cozycabinboone Cozy Camp Sebec: https://airbnb.com/h/cozycampsebec YouTube Channel:    / @cozyrockcabin1664 Cozy Rock Website: https://www.staycozycabin.com Book a Cabin Consultation Here:  https://www.staycozycabin.comKeywordsPurePods, off-grid, luxury, nature, New Zealand, cabin, remote, rustic, construction, pricing, profitability, partnerships, farmers, landowners, consistency, quality control, guest feedback, environmental sustainability, team, direct bookings, international travel agents, short-term rental reception, expansion, partnerships, disconnection, seclusionChapters00:00Introduction and Background10:53The Construction Process26:26Partnerships with Landowners35:01Reception of Short-Term Rentals

Have you ever felt that hyperbolic language in your cybersecurity messaging might be doing more harm than good? Are you looking for ways to improve your marketing approach to resonate with today's savvy buyers? How can your company's messaging inspire trust rather than skepticism in a crowded cybersecurity marketplace?In this conversation, we discuss:

SummaryToday's guests is Francesco Petricarari of Silicon Roundabout Ventures who primarily invests in Deep Tech and Hard Tech. Francesco is an early stage deep tech VC who shares the importance of founding team, VC founder fit, having the right board member, and a lot more. Takeaways1.Founder-led funds provide advantages in terms of understanding the challenges faced by founders and offering relevant support.2. Deep tech encompasses companies that focus on technology development rather than just business growth.3. Evaluation of deep tech startups requires a focus on the team, their expertise, and their ability to build a sustainable business.4. The team slide in a pitch deck is crucial as it showcases the founders' strengths and their potential to execute their vision. The team and their unique qualifications are crucial in a startup pitch.5. Key slides in a pitch deck include the team, market opportunity, and technology.6. Deep tech and hardware startups are on the rise due to increased demand for security and climate solutions.7. Moving from prototype to mass production in hardware startups requires building the right supply chains and finding the right advisors.8. AI in deep tech should go beyond current systems and offer unique applications.Chapters00:00 Trailer‍01:50 Introduction‍05:00 What is Deep Tech and why is it exciting?‍09:00 How experienced founders help early stage founders in Deep Tech with investing‍12:50 Achieving the right VC-Founder Fit (Crucial insights for new founders)‍16:36 Why the era of Unicorns has ended‍20:50 The 40 Rule's importance and how VCs judge businesses‍24:20 Why VCs really like SAAS startups‍29:25  Why many companies fail after getting lots of VC money‍33:15 Strategies for building a sustainable business in Deep Tech‍38:22 What VCs look for in a Pitch Deck for Deep Tech Startups and How He Evaluate‍53:21 In-depth analysis of Deep Tech trends and insights‍58:50 Challenges that founders of hardware companies need to know about‍1:04:40 Strategies for generating innovative Deep Tech ideas‍1:08:40 Deep Tech and AI‍1:13:00 Ritual TimeConnect with Mudassir

Summary:Today we look at the high-stakes drama of American politics amidst looming government shutdown threats and internal GOP conflicts. Joined by experts Tonye Altrade, Aram Fischer, Logan Phillips, and Zee Cohen Sanchez, the conversation explores Speaker Mike Johnson's contentious budgeting strategies, the Republican Party's internal struggles, and the potential repercussions on US governance. Shifting focus to the UK, the panel discusses the provocative comments by MP Lee Anderson about London Mayor Sadiq Khan and their impact on the Conservative Party, examining the broader implications of political rhetoric on race and religion.Five Notable Quotes:"As the United States teeters on the brink of yet another potential government shutdown, the political drama intensifies, reflecting deep-rooted party divisions and challenging the GOP's governance capabilities." - Roifield Brown"The GOP dysfunction we're witnessing is a stark illustration of the party's internal battles, where ideological extremes hinder coherent governance and compromise." - Aram Fischer"Despite the frequency of government shutdown threats, their normalisation risks undermining public trust and the essential functions of governance." - Logan Phillips"Lee Anderson's comments not only stir controversy within the Conservative Party but also ignite critical conversations on how political discourse shapes public perception of race and religion." - Tonye Altrade"The dynamics within the Republican Party and the UK's Conservative Party showcase a global political trend where internal conflicts and polarizing rhetoric threaten the principles of democratic governance." - Zee Cohen SanchezFurther Reading Suggestions:"The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track" by Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein - An insightful analysis of the issues plaguing the American legislative branch, offering historical context and potential solutions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SummaryToday, Host of Dear FoundHer..., Lindsay Pinchuk shares a behind-the-scenes look at a recent client call and how she helped solve a problem for her client. The client, a made-to-order food company, was struggling to grow engagement on social media. However, through their conversation, Lindsay identified that the true problem stemmed from the order process, lack of community engagement, limited partnerships, and the need for the founder to put her face on the brand. Lindsay provided strategies for sharing the founder's story, creating educational content, changing the order process, creating engagement, growing awareness through partnerships, and utilizing influencer marketing. They also identified an easy opportunity that she could utilize directly following their call. Once she did, the client experienced a sellout week and increased demand for her product.TakeawaysIdentify the true problem by digging deeper and understanding the underlying issues.Share the founder's story through various mediums to establish a personal connection with customers.Create educational content to provide value and engage the community.Change the order process to create demand and control inventory.Utilize partnerships and collaborations to grow awareness and reach new audiences.Sample the product and leverage influencer marketing to generate buzz and increase sales.If you like what you're hearing, please leave a rating or review at https://ratethispodcast.com/dearfoundher Grab Lindsay's Guide: 30+ Ideas for Simple Partnerships to Grow Your BusinessJOIN US at one of our upcoming FoundHer Friday events---both IN PERSON and VIRTUAL opportunities to network. CLICK HERE for more.Don't forget to follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Summary: Today on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's “Politically Georgia," Greg Bluestein moderates a live town hall with U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin at Georgia State University.     In this wide-ranging and exclusive interview, the duo discusses Manchin's decision not to run for reelection this year. Bluestein also asks for updates as Manchin considers a third-party run.      Plus, Manchin also spoke about various foreign policy issues related to Ukraine, Russia and the Israel-Hamas conflict.      And, Manchin fielded questions from students while also encouraging them to get involved in public service.     Links to today's topics:   WATCH LIVE: AJC town hall with U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin    Have a question for the show? Call the 24-hour "Politically Georgia" Podcast Hotline at 404-526-AJCP. That's 404-526-2527. We'll play back your question and answer it during the Listener Mailbag segment on tomorrow's episode.     Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play Politically Georgia podcast.”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summary: Today our world is filled with complacency, laziness, and a perverse violence that comes from a hopelessness. To combat this, the simple attributes of God that He imparts to us, focus, intensity, and violence of spirit enables us to speak His Word and be His channels in the earth. Show Notes: Because of the passivity and perverse violence that has filled the earth, God's people must have an intensity and violence of spirit to speak His Word. What is violence? It is something out of our spirit, out of our heart that is very focused and intense. To stand as Christ did before those who are against you and not back down in who you are or what you believe is the violence of spirit we are reaching in for. We must cry out to God to give us this intensity of spirit so that we can be those who speak His creative Word to see His Lordship established in this earth. Quotes: If you haven't learned the difference between Spirit and soul, the tendency is to be very soulish, and call it Spirit. What is the opposite of violence? Complacency, laziness, I don't care - ness. And our world is filled with that. But our world is also filled with violence. And that violence grows out of complacency. ...to stand firm where you are in your walk with God, not be pushed away or caused to back down from what you believe. That is violence, of Spirit that we're reaching in for. ...God's men and women that are coming up now, when they speak, they're speaking a creative Word, that literally is framing or creating God's will in the earth… We have to ask the Lord the Holy Spirit to give us that violence of Spirit. That intensity of Spirit that brings down the enemy but also creates the kingdom on this earth. Creates in the hearts of men, the Lordship of Jesus Christ. References: II Samuel 16:12-23 (David dances before the Lord) Matthew 11:12

Title: Episode 25 You're Not a Stupid Idiot if You Don't Know How To Meal Plan   Description: Have you ever found yourself feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, and yes, even dumb when it comes to meal planning? Trust me, I get it! But here's the truth: you're not a stupid idiot if you don't know how to meal plan. In fact, you are perfectly capable of mastering this essential skill. So, let's embark on this journey together and empower ourselves to create healthy, delicious meals with ease and confidence.   Summary:   Today we are going to be talking about the concept that it's okay to not know how to meal plan! I know how overwhelming it can feel when you're bombarded with images of perfectly portioned meals and elaborate spreads on social media. You might find yourself thinking, Am I a stupid idiot because I don't know how to meal plan? Well, let me tell you this: you are not!   We all have different strengths, passions, and areas in which we struggle. Meal planning is definitely not something that comes naturally to everyone. But hey, the good news is that it's a skill that can be learned, and I'm happy to teach You!. And remember, learning something new takes time and practice.   Why Meal Planning Is Worth It: Firstly, meal planning allows you to take control of your health and well-being. meal planning is a wonderful way to save money waste less food. creates more quality time for yourself and your loved ones sets you up for success with your goals.    Tips and Tricks for Successful Meal Planning: Start Small: Gather Inspiration Get Organized Plan for Leftovers Time-Saving Tips Prep Ahead Repurpose Leftovers   Remember, my friends, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to meal planning. Find what works best for you, be flexible, and adapt your system as needed. Trust yourself, and have fun experimenting in the kitchen!   And my dear friend, you are not a stupid idiot simply because you find meal planning challenging. Your worth goes far beyond your ability to plan menus and grocery lists. Take things one step at a time, keep learning and experimenting, and above all, be kind to yourself throughout this process. Embrace the freedom that comes with knowing it's okay to ask for help and seek guidance.    Here's what to do next:   Step #1: Follow me on Facebook for more dinner and meal planning tips and hacks  @busymamamealplanning   Step #2:  Be sure to get your free 5 Meal Method Planner to help you facilitate your meal planning journey. It's free and you can get it at:  https://bit.ly/5mealmethod   Step #3:  Book your FREE No strings attached Meal Planning Coffee Chat to help accelerate your meal planning journey!    Happy to help! Have questions, send me a DM @blagagoertzen.   Again, thanks again for being here! I'm so grateful for you! And I'll be waiting for you in my next episode!   Xx Blaga

Summary:   Today's episode is fun and spicy! Diane chats with Pleasure Coach and Sex Educator, Whitni Miller, to talk all about how to have fun in the bedroom. Whitni shares why it's so important to demystify sex talk and communicate what you want with your partner, and she breaks down step-by-step how to do so. This conversation is all about pleasure, women's bodies, sex, how to communicate, body shame and so much more!   Key Takeaways:   01:41 - Meet Whitni and how she got her start as a pleasure coach 08:03 - Finding pleasure in sex without the orgasm 09:54 - Tips if you struggle to orgasm 12:12 - How to initiate sex without fearing rejection 15:52 - What to do when you and your partners have different sexual needs 19:38 - How to break the ice and communicate what you want 22:11 - Games and resources to help spark your sexual curiosity 24:15 - Dirty talk & expressing yourself during sex 28:02 - Porn: should you do it alone or together? At all? 29:48 - Do this if you don't know what you want 33:08 - A major concern most people have 35:50 - Whitni's top favorite thing about her work 37:31 - Common misconceptions & myths surrounding women's pleasure 40:33 - This is the biggest sexual organ 42:46 - Positive trends or developments in sexual wellness 46:13 - Tools & tips to overcome body insecurities/shaming  49:35 - What more women NEED to know 50:45 - How to live a pleasure-filled life 53:02 - What more men need to know about women   Resources Mentioned:   Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life Sex Talks: The Five Conversations That Will Transform Your Love Life The Ethical Slut: A Practical Guide to Polyamory, Open Relationships, and Other Freedoms in Sex and Love Arousal: The Secret Logic of Sexual Fantasies The Body is Not an Apology, The Power of Radical Self-Love Listen to Episode 130: Afterdark - From Prude to Kinky. Have You Tried These Things? Gottman Card Decks App: https://www.gottman.com/couples/apps/  Tonight's Conversations Cards: https://www.amazon.com/Tonights-Conversation-Cards-First-Dates/dp/B09ZFG98KG  Take the quiz with your partner to find out what kinky results you match on: https://mojoupgrade.com/  Check out the wide array of vulvas here: https://www.thevulvagallery.com/      Connect with Whitni:   Join her Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bdemoves  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bde.moves/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bdemoves  Website: https://bde-moves.com/    Connect with Diane:   GET ON MY E-MAIL NEWSLETTER HERE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianeflores_ifbb_pro/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dianeflores_ifbb_pro   Ask me anything! E-mail: diane@venusfitnessstudio.com    Work with Diane:   The Goddess Body Project 12 week program Apply to be on our Competition Team HERE Check out the New Client Offer at Venus  Ditch Deprivation 12 week Diet Coaching Program Join the Sensual Dance Movement and feel confident in your skin Get your FREE backstage packing list for competition here   Fuel Your Body with the Goods:   Cured Nutrition Code: BossBitch saves 20% off first order Fave Boss Bitch Protein Bars - Built Bars *Use Promo Code: “Diane” at check out Try Meal Prep Delivery with FitKitchen Code: Diane10  Try this Energy Shot from Magic Mind - Code: BBRadio for 20% off first order Visit Titan Nutrition for the exclusive offer for BossBitch listeners *Promo code BossBitch at check out Visit HiYo for 20% off non-alcoholic beverages HERE  Nutrishop Supplement Shop - Code: BossBitch (free shipping)   Dress Up & Show Up Like a Boss Bitch:   Get $10 off Bombshell Sports Wear HERE For 15% off at Pseudo Force Studio Apparel, use Code: BossBitch Salty Savage Fitness Apparel Code: AmandaGlitters For 15% off your purchase at Toxic Angels Bikinis use Code: Diane 

Summary: Today passage John will hear the voice of God, and then “turned to see” the wonderful revelation of Jesus Christ. The Shepherds in Bethlehem “turned to see”, the Wise Men from the East “turned to see”, and Moses in the wilderness “turned to see”; and to all that did, they were gifted a deeper revelation of God. Today's study, we get to “turn and see”.

Summary: Today's episode is a book club review of "The Happy Inbox" by Maura Neville Thomas, a part of the Ignite Reads series. The book emphasizes the significance of effective email management in achieving productivity and reducing overwhelm. Email is not merely a to-do list but a communication tool that requires specific strategies to handle efficiently. Key Takeaways from "The Happy Inbox": Understanding the Challenges of Email: Email overload leads to a constant state of overwhelm and reactive behavior, hindering proactive productivity. Email inundation can lead to a loss of control and even anxiety. Categorizing Incoming Email: Categories include spam, unwanted robo mail, wanted robo mail, and actionable work emails. Managing each category effectively can significantly reduce the volume of email traffic. Strategies for Email Management: Implementing the TEST process (Take immediate action, Empower others and yourself, Suspend for later, Trash) to handle each email efficiently. Applying the Ohio principle (Only Handle It Once) to minimize time spent on reviewing and processing emails. Declaring Email Bankruptcy: Tips for declaring bankruptcy include filtering emails by date, archiving or moving older emails to separate folders, and focusing on recent correspondence. Other Tips and Best Practices: Avoiding the habit of marking emails requiring action as unread or leaving the email open and visible constantly. Addressing issues of "thread jumping" by adjusting the subject line when switching topics within an email thread. Conclusion: Reminding listeners to prioritize effective email management and providing resources for further guidance. Encouraging audiences to join the Bold Goal Crusher Book Club and participate in live sessions for more insights. Outro: Encouraging listeners to crush their goals and improve productivity, ending with the signature sign-off, "Let's get to it." Connect with Sara Mayer: Instagram @saramayerconsulting Facebook @saracmayerconsulting LinkedIn @saramayerconsulting

Summary: Today, we're delving into the latest updates from Amazon Accelerate and discussing the recent changes in brand-tailored promotions. Learn about new audience segments like "at risk" and "promising" and find out how you can use them to your advantage.Description:Greetings everyone, and a sunny morning from Amazon Azure Daily! Today's a bit of a change - I'm not nestled in my comfy home studio but broadcasting straight from the office. And with Amazon Accelerate in the fray, there's so much to unpack.Yesterday, we took a plunge into brand-tailored promotions. It's a fantastic tool to customize promotions for specific brand audiences. And speaking of which, a fresh LinkedIn post I came across recently introduced some newly-released audiences within this feature. So here's the scoop:At Risk - This category is for customers who once bought from your brand but haven't returned. The idea here is to reignite their interest with discounts and incentives. Think of it as CPR for customer-brand relationships.Promising - This is the segment of customers who might just become your brand's most loyal patrons. They've recently made a purchase, do it occasionally, and generally spend above average.Top Tier (still in the shadows) - Spotted in a greyed-out section, this seems to be a premium segment reserved for those with a brand registry. These are the creme de la creme, the ones who've recently made purchases and do so very frequently.Now, switching gears to Amazon Accelerate. There are several intriguing sessions lined up. Particularly, 'Boost Your Brand Equity with Amazon Ads', '7 Tactics the Top 10% of Brands Use in Their Ads Strategy', and 'Unwrapping Q4 Tactics to Help Stand Out This Holiday Season' caught my eye. Although I'm a tad skeptical about some being salesy pitches, they promise to be packed with insights.For all my listeners, I'd recommend signing up for Amazon Accelerate, diving into these sessions, and harnessing the knowledge. Let's make the most of this platform!Signing off for today, but stay tuned for more updates tomorrow. Until then, keep learning, keep innovating, and see you soon!Thanks for listening and if you like the podcast make sure to subscribe!Check out the YouTube Channel as well:https://youtube.com/@AmazonAdsRawDailyMore Infos about the Me & the Podcast can be found here:https://alexanderswade.com/amazon-ads-raw-daily/Follow me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderswade/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Summary: Today many Christians are looking for the return of Christ. His return is happening now within His many membered body. Everyday Christ is appearing to His people through the Living Word He speaks through His people. They are changed from glory to glory as they behold Him today. Are you aware of Him? Are you aware of His appearing today? Show Notes: Christ appearing in this end time is not way off in the future, it's happening now in His many membered body. As He appears everyday we are changed into His likeness. As His transformation is happening within us, we recognize that this is all His doing and nothing of ourselves. We are no longer putting off His appearing as some big event in the future. He is appearing right now in our midst. We don't know the day or the hour. I'm not going to miss it today. Quotes: Christ is something that we're all looking very hard for. I realized that His coming, and His appearing and us being like Him, as He appears, is not off in the future. He's appearing to me right now. And I'm like Him right now. He's the potter and we're the clay. Him appearing in the clouds or He appears in your room or whatever. That's a rapture theory. When God's appearing in our midst, right now. It's like you wanted to slap your spirit – wake up! Your not going to live more than your living right now. Don't take for granted today. The Word says that we'll see Him when we're looking for Him. And I do know that if we're looking for the Christ to appear in our brother, we'll see it. References: II Corinthians 3:18

Summary: Today we see the unprecedented way Jesus welcomes women into his presence and ministry after bringing great healing into their lives.Text: Luke 7:36-8:3Speaker: Andy MetzgerSupport the show

Summary:Today's podcast episode features Congressman Russ Fulcher. The hosts, Ed Bejarana and Brian Winkler, engage in a conversation with Congressman Fulcher on various topics. Forest Management: Congressman Fulcher discusses the importance of managing and protecting Idaho's natural resources, particularly the need for better forest management. Department of Justice: The conversation shifts to concerns about the Department of Justice's actions, where they appear to be targeting political opponents. Congressman Fulcher expresses his view that there's evidence of corruption within the department, and he talks about the challenges Congress faces in holding the DOJ accountable. He discusses the limitations of oversight and the need to use budgetary measures to assert influence. Immigration: Congressman Fulcher addresses immigration issues, discussing the importance of effective border security and merit-based immigration policies. He acknowledges the challenges of addressing immigration when the executive branch ignores federal immigration laws, and he talks about the role of a divided Congress in effecting change. Budget and Spending: The hosts bring up concerns about federal spending and the national debt. Congressman Fulcher discusses the necessity of addressing these issues, the challenges within the Republican Party, and the potential for budgetary actions to address the problem. Political Divide: The conversation ends with a discussion on the deep political divide in the nation. Congressman Fulcher talks about the divide between differing worldviews, specifically between those who believe in moral absolutes and those with a more progressive ideology. He emphasizes the importance of elections in shaping policy and supporting candidates who align with one's worldview. To learn more about Congressman Russ Fulcher, please visit his website:  russfulcher.com

Summary:   Today's episode is a fun interview for you! Adam Bonilla from The Bikini and the Brain Podcast joins Diane as they dive into what it takes to become a successful bikini competitor, common mistakes bikini competitors make, how to determine an ideal stage weight and body composition for athletes, and how to decide if an athlete is ready for nationals. Adam and Diane also talk through the controversial topic of gaining weight in the off season and much more!   Key Takeaways:   01:43 - Who is Coach Adam Bonilla? 04:17 - How Adam found his niche coaching bikini athletes 06:57 - Factors and structures that make a successful bikini athlete 10:54 - How to gauge if an athlete is veering off the competition track 15:07 - General parameters for competing in nationals 18:56 - Common mistakes bikini athletes make 24:08 - Are you at risk for getting dinged for enhancements? 26:21 - The ideal stage weight in competition 27:31 - Why Adam keeps his athletes so lean in the off-season 35:53 - Adam's clapback to those who say “Bodybuilding ruined me!” 45:01 - The bodybuilding game plan  45:15 - Why the bulk phase is unnecessary 48:22 - What is actually considered “healthy eating”? 51:29 - If you want to be the best at anything, you need THIS 53:35 - How to recover from a “snacksident” when you're super close to show 55:41 - Top recommendations for a first-time competitor 01:01:46 - How long it may take you to reach the pro-level physique  01:02:10 - How long it may take you to reach a stage-ready physique as an amateur 01:05:04 - The reason why Adam stopped competing     Resources Mentioned:   Connect with Adam:   Tune into The Bikini and the Brain Podcast  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamelitephysique YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TeamElitePhysique  Website: https://teamelitephysique.com/  Connect with Diane:   GET ON MY E-MAIL NEWSLETTER HERE Instagram: dianeflores_IFBB_Pro YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dianeflores_ifbb_pro  Ask me anything! E-mail: diane@venusfitnessstudio.com    Work with Diane:   Apply to be on our Competition Team HERE Check out the New Client Offer at Venus  The Goddess Body Project 12 week program Ditch Deprivation 12 week Diet Coaching Program Join the Sensual Dance Movement and feel confident in your skin Get your FREE backstage packing list for competition here   Fuel Your Body with the Goods:   Try Meal Prep Delivery with FitKitchen Code: Diane10  Try this Energy Shot from Magic Mind - Code: BBRadio Visit Titan Nutrition for the exclusive offer for BossBitch listeners *Promo code BossBitch at check out Visit HiYo for 20% off non-alcoholic beverages HERE  Fave Boss Bitch Protein Bars - Built Bars *Use Promo Code: “Diane” at check out Cured Nutrition Code: BossBitch Nutrishop Supplement Shop - Code: BossBitch (free shipping)   Dress Up & Show Up Like a Boss Bitch   For 15% off your purchase at Toxic Angels Bikinis use Code: Diane  Get $10 off Bombshell Sports Wear HERE For 15% off at Pseudo Force Studio Apparel, use Code: BossBitch Salty Savage Fitness Apparel Code: AmandaGlitters  

Summary Today's edition of our Pharmacy Innovators series is filled with vital information for pharmacy entrepreneurs on how to expertly navigate the risks involved with leaving the W2 world behind. In today's episode, host Dr. Corrie Sanders sits down with the Founder of Perfecting Peds, Dr. Jena Quinn, PharmD, BCPPS, to discuss Jena's transition from working 9-5 to running her own consulting business that is focused on medication management in complex pediatric patients. Our guest explains the role that her family played in her decision to take up pharmacy, how and why she made the pivot to pediatrics, what inspired her to break free from her W2 job, and how she benefited from being willing to branch into a new industry (cosmetics sales). Dr. Jena then shares why she is not too concerned about AI in pharmacy before diving into how she built her company's team, how she uses the various social media platforms, why she chooses to always lead with authenticity, and what it was like for her to take on a new business challenge as a pregnant mother of two. This powerful conversation is filled with advice and strategies for those who are contemplating a non-traditional career path, and Dr. Jena explains everything she loves about being a business owner and pharmacy entrepreneur!     About Today's Guest Jena Quinn, PharmD, BCPPS, is an expert pediatric pharmacist. She developed the vision for Perfecting Peds based on her extensive background in medication management of pediatric population, personal love for children and her desire to optimize more children's medical profiles.  She has 10 years of safe medication management and direct patient care experience in the pharmacy field with a wide-ranging background in developing, enhancing and managing clinical consulting programs.  Dr. Quinn earned both her Doctoral degrees with high honors from the Ernest Mario school of Pharmacy. She is a nationally Board-Certified Pediatric Pharmacist. She is also a mom to three adorable little girls, Hadley, Peyton and Avery. Links Mentioned in Today's Episode Dr. Jena Quinn on LinkedIn  Dr. Jena Quinn on Instagram  Perfecting Peds Perfecting Peds on Facebook  Rutgers University  GlaxoSmithKline  Thomas Jefferson University Hospital  Children's Hospital of Philadelphia  Rodan + Fields  MedActionPlan Corrie Sanders on LinkedIn  YFP Disclaimer Subscribe to the YFP Newsletter

Summary:   Today's episode is the second part of a 2-part series. Diane is joined by fellow coaches, Amanda Glitters and Ms. Alysha, as they break down what the mental and emotional aspects of prep look like. They cover posing, presentation and stage presence, and what the cost of competing can look like for those interested in going all in. Key Takeaways:   03:41 - Mental and emotional prep needed for competition  07:43 - A major red flag for a coach  09:34 - What to do if you don't have teammates local to you 10:14 - How to pose for each division & what to wear on stage 17:36 - Why trendy suits are a no-go 18:39 - What happens post-show? 22:30 - Stop procrastinating and do this 23:46 - Why we are NOT trying to maintain the stage physique  24:00 - How much does this all cost? Here's a breakdown. 31:02 - Do NOT skimp on these things 33:04 - How to apply for competition coaching 36:34 - Is it possible to train independently if you're not local? 37:59 - Macros and prep 40:08 - Creatine during peak week. Yes or no? 40:43 - This might be the cause of your weight gain after one day of eating crappy 41:53 - Are there leagues to compete in steroid-free? 42:42 - I had my ACL replaced, can I still compete? 43:07 - How to foresee your weight loss and purchase the right swimsuit  44:10 - Bikini vendor we use located in Santa Rosa, CA   Resources Mentioned:   Connect with the Coaches:   GET ON MY E-MAIL NEWSLETTER HERE Full video webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiT29kW8f0c&t=1s   Instagram: dianeflores_IFBB_Pro Instagram: amandaglitters Instagram: eash_da_beast Ask me anything! E-mail: diane@venusfitnessstudio.com    Work with Diane:   Apply to be on our Competition Team HERE Check out the New Client Offer at Venus  The Goddess Body Project 12 week program Ditch Deprivation 12 week Diet Coaching Program Join the Sensual Dance Movement and feel confident in your skin Get your FREE backstage packing list for competition here   Fuel Your Body with the Goods:   Try Meal Prep Delivery with FitKitchen Code: Diane10  Try this Energy Shot from Magic Mind - Code: BBRadio Visit Titan Nutrition for the exclusive offer for BossBitch listeners *Promo code BossBitch at check out Visit HiYo for 20% off non-alcoholic beverages HERE  Fave Boss Bitch Protein Bars - Built Bars *Use Promo Code: “Diane” at check out Cured Nutrition Code: BossBitch Nutrishop Supplement Shop - Code: BossBitch (free shipping)   Dress Up & Show Up Like a Boss Bitch   For 15% off your purchase at Toxic Angels Bikinis use Code: Diane  Get $10 off Bombshell Sports Wear HERE For 15% off at Pseudo Force Studio Apparel, use Code: BossBitch Salty Savage Fitness Apparel Code: AmandaGlitters  

Summary:   Today's episode is the first part of a 2-part series. Diane is joined by fellow coaches, Amanda Glitters and Ms. Alysha, as they break down what the judges are looking for in the bikini, wellness, and figure divisions, the diet and supplementation to get there, and what the training and cardio look like for each. Then, Diane breaks down the real-life timeline it took for her client to become stage-ready after losing 60 pounds. Key Takeaways:   03:43 - Transformation inspiration of someone who started competing in her 50s 04:26 - Who this webinar is for vs. who it's not for 05:19 - Who is Diane Flores? 06:54 - Who is Coach Glitter? 07:52 - Who is Ms. Alysha? 11:03 - What judges are looking for in bikini athletes 12:54 - An overview of a wellness athlete's body type  15:00 - Requirements for the figure division 17:51 - This is the MOST important part of your prep 22:11 - What are PEDs? 25:30 - Weight training: what does that look like? 26:47 - Muscle groups to focus on depending on your division 27:31 - Cardio exercises to implement vs. Cardio exercises to avoid 29:30 - Why you should not divert from your coach's training program 32:30 - Contest prep timeline with a real client 34:17 - Think about THIS when you're building 34:47 - The minimum requirement if you're looking to enter the bikini division 35:28 - What “shred mode” could look like for you 37:36 - Why you should NOT wait to lose the weight first before starting with a coach    Resources Mentioned:   Connect with the Coaches:   GET ON MY E-MAIL NEWSLETTER HERE Full video webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiT29kW8f0c&t=1s  Instagram: dianeflores_IFBB_Pro Instagram: amandaglitters Instagram: eash_da_beast Ask me anything! E-mail: diane@venusfitnessstudio.com        Work with Diane:   Apply to be on our Competition Team HERE Check out the New Client Offer at Venus  The Goddess Body Project 12 week program Ditch Deprivation 12 week Diet Coaching Program Join the Sensual Dance Movement and feel confident in your skin Get your FREE backstage packing list for competition here       Fuel Your Body with the Goods:   Try Meal Prep Delivery with FitKitchen Code: Diane10  Try this Energy Shot from Magic Mind - Code: BBRadio Visit Titan Nutrition for the exclusive offer for BossBitch listeners *Promo code BossBitch at check out Visit HiYo for 20% off non-alcoholic beverages HERE  Fave Boss Bitch Protein Bars - Built Bars *Use Promo Code: “Diane” at check out Cured Nutrition Code: BossBitch Nutrishop Supplement Shop - Code: BossBitch (free shipping)       Dress Up & Show Up Like a Boss Bitch   Get $10 off Bombshell Sports Wear HERE For 15% off at Pseudo Force Studio Apparel, use Code: BossBitch Salty Savage Fitness Apparel Code: AmandaGlitters

SUMMARYToday we're trying a new format for this podcast.When The Carbon Connection launched one year ago, the objective was to highlight climate conversations happening around the world. The plan was to collaborate with hosts and producers of other podcasts and highlight their conversations with guests. Click on the link in the show notes to see the conversations we've been able to share, thanks to the independent podcasters and teams with which we've had the opportunity to collaborate.Moving forward, we will continue to highlight climate conversations. This time we're sitting down with partners of The Carbon Almanac Network.In the podcast's new format, we'll speak with partners to learn more about their community engagement efforts, what has worked for them, what hasn't, and what they've learned. We begin this new journey by speaking with Dr. Rob Slater, founder of One Devonshire Place, a specialty orthodontics practice in England.Rob is also a podcast producer and contributor to The Carbon Almanac Podcast Network.In today's episode, Rob and I discuss sustainability in dentistry. We discuss how Rob started his practice and what he has learned about making his practice more sustainable. Rob shares his successes and challenges and offers insight into how patients can enter conversations about sustainability with their family dentist.LINKSOne Devonshire Place is a Friends partner of The Carbon Almanac NetworkView The Carbon Connection catalogBritish Lingual Orthodontic SocietySustainable Dentistry (American Dental Association)Sustainability in Dentistry: A Multifaceted Approach Needed (Journal of Dental Research)CONTRIBUTORSSpecial Acknowledgment: Dr. Rob SlaterProducer: Tania MarienSupervising Producer: Jennifer Myers ChuaMusic: Cool Carbon Instrumental, Paul Russell, MusicbedEpisode Art: Jennifer Myers ChuaNetwork Voiceover: Olabanji Stephen

Summary: Today we are losing the separation between the Father and us. Just like His firstborn son, the Father is bringing forth many sons today through their relationship with Him. As we enter into this deep relationship with the Father, we find that we are decreasing and He is increasing. It is all about the Father and His expression through His sons. Show Notes: There is a unique manifestation of the Father's nature in each son He has created. Christ was our example and we follow in His footsteps as sons. Each day we must drop our per-conceived ideas and simply let the Father define who we are. The more we move into this confidence of our relationship with the Father, we simply don't need to worry about who we are because it's all about Him. Titles and positions mean nothing to His sons. He is all and in all. We know who we are in Him. The more we lose whatever the importance of who we are, the more He is going to move through us. Quotes: The importance of who we are is the importance of who He is. What we're doing at this Passover, is we're submitting ourselves to be drawn closer into the creation that He calls His sons. God created so many different aspects for us to receive of His nature. He put within each one of us a unique part of His nature. God has created His worshipers to be like Him. God created so many different aspects for us to receive of Himself. He put within each one of us, a unique part of His nature. Take Away: Christ was the first-born son of many brethren. Today the Father is raising up His sons and through their relationship with Him they are finding their expression in the Father. Are you aware of His calling and destiny in you?

Summary: Today's episode is part three of a three-part series on team building. In the first two episodes of the series, we talked about the two different types of cohesion that your dancers are striving for, and we covered the four different factors that influence your ability to bond and be aware of those important factors you may not be able to change but are still impacting your dancers' ability to form a strong connection. In this episode, I'll be covering five specific strategies you can use to increase cohesion. I hope hearing more about the different types of cohesion and different aspects of a team that influence cohesion is all helpful to set the stage, but I also know sometimes we just need the practical advice, so if you're looking for a more practical approach, this episode is all for you! If you'd like more specifics on exactly the kinds of team building activities you can play to create a united team, I have a free download that'll help with that. I know many of us are always looking for new and different ideas, so this download has 15 different team bonding games you can use with your dancers. If you'd like to see team bonding benefits play out with your dancers, go to www.chelseapierotti.com/110 to get your download.

With bitcoin increasingly decoupling from traditional risk assets and the US Securities regulator being called out by the Chamber of Commerce, CoinDesk's “Markets Daily” is back with the latest news roundup. Summary: Today's Stories...Read the full show notes here.-This episode was edited by Ryan Huntington, produced by Adam B Levine and Senior Producer is Michele Musso. All original music by Doc Blust and Colin Mealey.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Summary: Today, Holly and Devin explore the rest of what happens after “and they were roommates!”  by discussing books featuring people who move in together. While this theme might feel squarely in Devin's wheelhouse, but not to worry - murder can happen when you move in together, too. They agree that similar to any forced proximity narrative, a roommate situation really amps up the pressure and forces both the reader and the protagonists to ask “how well do you really know someone?” Of course, for Devin's books the answer is likely “enough to tongue kiss them, at least” and for Holly… well… Topics Discussed: The Heart (3:07): Devin discussed Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur, a novel following childhood best friends Margot and Olivia after a chance encounter brings them back together…and lands them as unexpected roommates. Olivia is recently divorced and back in Seattle, as the wedding planner for Margot's best friends. Margot doesn't do relationships, but watching her best friends all get married leaves her feeling behind. Devin's key takeaways were: This sapphic romance and the wider series by Bellefleur refers frequently to astrology. Devin drew a connection between astrology and the LGBTQIA+ community, quoting Chani Nicholas from an article in the Advocate: “When a lot of the religious institutions or traditions that we come from have shunned us, on a deep soul level, we want to be seen. And when we grew up in a culture that doesn't see us, that doesn't witness our gender, that invisibilizes us, that makes us into something that we're not, we need ways of being reflected that feel true.” This book has a little bit of many of Devin's favorite tropes - mutual pining, forced proximity, childhood friends to lovers - you name it, Bellefleur crushes it. Margot and Olivia as protagonists are really well rounded, easy to empathize with, and have a lot going on in their lives beyond romantic relationships. Five chili peppers warning! This book is steamy - so graphically intimate that some folks on Goodreads knocked off stars. So beware if that isn't your thing (especially dirty talk) - but clearly it is Devin's so she highly recommends.  The Dagger (19:10): Holly discussed the book 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard, a novel with one of the best taglines ever. This Covid-era thriller starts when Oliver and Ciara have a few great dates and then strict lockdown restrictions land them as roommates… but within 56 days there's a decaying body in the apartment and detectives are left to figure out what went so horribly wrong. Holly's key takeaways were: Howard uses different points of view very effectively, especially working inside such a tight timeline from the investigation back to their first date, less than two months earlier. Her narrative structure that weaves across the timeline keeps the reader guessing as to who is the perpetrator and who is the victim.  While generally it is still too soon for Holly to seek out books that include Covid, this novel worked very well because the pandemic acted as a catalyst for the plot, but wasn't *the* plot.  What should be an exciting positive time at the start of moving in with a romantic partner quickly turns into a pressure cooker environment that goes from zero to 60, and Howard explores not just how little Oliver and Ciara know about each other but also how much we as the reader know and assume about our protagonists.  Hot On the Shelf (34:06): Devin: Georgie All Along by Kate Clayborn Holly: The God of Endings by Jacqueline Holland What's Making Our Hearts Race (36:23): Devin: Extraordinary on Hulu Holly: Crash Landing on You on Netflix   Instagram: @heartsanddaggerspod Website: www.heartsanddaggerspod.com If you like what you hear, please tell your friends and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so that we can find our perfect audience.  

Summary: Today, Devin shares her Top 10 books of 2022. Use this to create a TBR for 2023, or simply get a deeper sense of what stood out to Devin as the most romantic tales she read last year.    She also took a little time to wax poetic about Valentine's day. Whether you care about this holiday or not, Devin figures hey, it's cold and gray out, spring is far away - whether you're in a relationship or not, this is a great opportunity to *treat* *your* *self*. So grab one (or all) of the below steam-fests, draw a bath, light some candles, and celebrate Valentine's Day right!    10: She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick 9: Henry Hamlet's Heart by Rhiannon Wilde 8: Love and Other Disasters by Anita Kelly (Episode 23) 7: I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuinston 6: Lease on Love by Fallon Ballard 5: The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston (Episode 21) 4: Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert (Episode 28) 3: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas (Episode 19) 2: Book Lovers by Emily Henry 1: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood   Instagram: @heartsanddaggerspod Website: www.heartsanddaggerspod.com   If you like what you hear, please tell your friends and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so that we can find our perfect audience.

Summary: Today's episode is all about the power of breathwork and being open to trying something new. I'll be honest, my only experience with breathwork had been heavily laced with skepticism because I've only ever seen the term breathwork used in the woo woo space. However, while my friend, Chelsea Connors, has a very scientific background, as do I, she is also very much into breathwork, and this piques my interest. Even though I was very skeptical of it, even though it was new, even though I had some biases about it, I decided to try it. It's been quite a fun process to dive into breathwork, to learn from Chelsea, and to kind of enter into this other behavior change tool that, quite frankly, I didn't know existed. In today's episode, I'll talk more about why I definitely think it's a tool I'm adding to my toolbox. Key Takeaways: 0:13 - My Initial Thought of Breathwork 3:26 - Breathwork Research 4:28 - Trying Something New Resources: Body Brain Alliance YouTube Channel: @bodybrainalliance Join Change Academy: https://bodybrainalliance.com/change-academy/ Alliance Coaching Application: www.bodybrainalliance.com/applynow Alliance Coaching: https://bodybrainalliance.com/coaching/ Follow Karin on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/karinnordinphd Transcripts Available at: https://bodybrainalliance.com/blog/

Today we're joined by Nate Henry and Luke Rodgers of "Blurry Creatures," a podcast that delves into fringe creatures such as Bigfoot, the Nephilim, and others. As Halloween approaches, we're discussing how the church addresses not just the paranormal, but also common questionable beings like aliens/UFOs and the Loch Ness Monster. We look at whether there are answers to these things in the biblical text and how we might interpret them. We discuss aliens – if they exist, what are they? And do they have anything to do with angels and the spiritual realm? We talk about the Nephilim from the Bible and how they may have come to be and debate whether evildoers today are in part the result of human hybrids or just man's sinful nature. --- Timecodes: [02:40] New parody video coming out tonight! [03:40] New stickers! [05:18] Interview with Nate & Luke begins [10:05] Aliens & UFOs [15:30] How would aliens fit into the creation accounts? [20:00] Giants in the Bible [27:20] Genesis 6:4 and Nephilim [40:19] Technology and the Fall [43:58] Do these creatures still exist today? [48:07] Human hybrids? [1:00:10] Summary --- Today's Sponsors: Good Ranchers — change the way you shop for meat today by visiting GoodRanchers.com/ALLIE and use promo code 'ALLIE' to save $30 off your order AND get 2 lbs of chicken free (October-only special)! My Patriot Supply — prepare yourself for anything with long-term emergency food storage. Save $250 off a Three-Month Emergency Food Kit when you go to mypatriotsupply.com. Birch Gold — protect your future with gold. Text 'ALLIE' to 989898 for a free, zero obligation info kit on diversifying and protecting your savings with gold. Range Leather — highest quality leather, age old techniques and all backed up with a “forever guarantee." Go to rangeleather.com and use coupon code "ALLIE" to receive 15% off your first order. --- "R.I.P. ROE" Sticker: https://shop.blazemedia.com/collections/allie-stuckey/products/rip-roe-sticker "Go VOTE" Sticker: https://shop.blazemedia.com/products/vote-sticker?pr_prod_strat=use_description&pr_rec_id=6552e1052&pr_rec_pid=7931910291709&pr_ref_pid=7926489317629&pr_seq=uniform --- Buy Allie's book, You're Not Enough (& That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love: https://alliebethstuckey.com/book Relatable merchandise – use promo code 'ALLIE10' for a discount: https://shop.blazemedia.com/collections/allie-stuckey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SUMMARY:  Today we have Natasha Daniels, an OCD specialist, talking all about how to help children and teens with OCD and phobias.  In this conversation, we talk all about how to motivate our children and teens to manage their OCD, phobias, and anxiety using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and other treatments such as self-compassion, mindfulness, and ACT. We also address what OCD treatment for children entails and what changes need to be made in OCD treatment for teens. In this episode, Natasha and Kimberley share their experiences of parenting children with phobias and OCD.   In This Episode: What does sitting with emotions mean?  How to sit with difficult feelings  How to sit with your sadness  How to sit with uncomfortable feelings,  Sit with the feelings  Links To Things I Talk About: ERP School: https://www.cbtschool.com/erp-school-lp Episode Sponsor: This episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit is brought to you by CBTschool.com.  CBTschool.com is a psychoeducation platform that provides courses and other online resources for people with anxiety, OCD, and Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors.  Go to cbtschool.com to learn more. Spread the love! Everyone needs tools for anxiety...If you like Your Anxiety Toolkit Podcast, visit YOUR ANXIETY TOOLKIT PODCAST to subscribe free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like Your Anxiety Toolkit, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (maybe even two). EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION This is Your Anxiety Toolkit - Episode 304.  Welcome back, everybody. It's a delight to have you here with me today.  Oh, I've got so much I want to talk to you about and this is actually coming from an emotion of frustration, this episode, which every time I check in and I begin a podcast, I try to come from a place of fun. And am I feeling calm? And am I feeling completely connected to you, the listener? But today, just for fun, I'm coming to you from a place of frustration. And the frustration, promise, this is not going to be a vent episode – it's actually a frustration in that I caught an error that I've made, and I think a lot of clinicians are making. And it's not an error in that it's bad or wrong or problematic. It's just that I caught something in my own practice, and I was like, “Oh, hold up, we have to talk about this.” So, saddle in, get your cup of tea, settle in, because we're going to have to have a conversation about wording. It might be really nuanced and I want you to take what's helpful and leave the rest. I want you to think about it with an open, curious mind, and decide what's best for you.  So, before we get into the show, as always, let's start with the “I did a hard thing.” Let's do it. This one is actually from someone that says-- the handle name is GottaCatchEmAll, and they said: “Thank you so much for your recent series on mental compulsions. Your podcast is truly a godsend and I've been listening nonstop ever since my friend shared it with me last month.” Now, for those of you who don't know, the mental compulsion series was a six-part series that we created here on the podcast. It had so many amazing clinicians on. If you want access to that series, you can go back and listen to previous podcasts. Or, if you sign up for our newsletter, you'll go to CBTSchool.com/newsletter. I will actually send you an amazing webpage, just one link where all the episodes are there, all the PDFs are there. It's so pretty. I have to say it is so pretty, and it's like a one-stop shop for that series. So, go over to the newsletter, CBTSchool.com/newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter. You'll get an email from me every week. But on the front end, you will receive that link. I'm so proud of it. I love it. So, I digress, sorry. They went on to say: “I suffer from a plethora of different anxieties, OCD, scrupulosity, hoarding, body dysmorphia, perfectionism. So, basically a bunch of normal human things, right? Exactly. The other day, I told my therapist that dealing with all of these issues felt like playing a game of whack-a-mole in my head, except that instead of the typical game, the mole would pop up and then a zebra and a giraffe, and so on, in a quick succession throughout the course of the day. While sobbing, I told my therapist that I didn't want to have a zoo in my head and I didn't know how to treat so many issues simultaneously. Imagine my surprise when I heard a recent episode called Whack-a-mole Obsessions, it was a relief to discover that I wasn't alone and weird or broken as I thought. I realized, instead of trying to resist or whack the zoo in my head, I could approach my anxieties and compulsions like they were different Pokemons that I could catch and train and carry around with me while I live the rest of my best life. Thank you, Kimberley, for putting on such an incredible content and for helping me and so many others navigate this difficult thing.” That is so good. Look at you working through that whack-a-mole ongoing struggle with different thoughts, different disorders, and so forth. I think so many of us resonate with this and you are definitely doing hard things. So, so, so cool.  All right. Real quick, before we get to the frustration that we're all hanging out for, let's just quickly do the review of the week. This one is a shorty from Inventedcharm, and they said: “It is a mental pick me up. I love listening when I need a mental pick me up. Kimberley's voice is soothing, and she offers great tools for self-compassion and interviews other experts in the field of mental health.” So, thank you, Inventedcharm, and thank you, GottaCatchEmAll. Okay. So, here we go. I'm going to tell you a story of why I'm landing here on this episode with you today. So, once I got back from Australia, a lot of you know I spent five and a half weeks in Australia over the summer with my children. It was so beautiful. I can't tell you how full my heart was when I returned. I was energized. I was the happiest I've ever been. And you know where this is going. Yeah, we do. I crashed big time. I just went through so much sadness. I missed my family. I was angry. I had so much grief. I was feeling, actually, if I'm going to be completely honest, quite a lot of resent towards even my husband, who I love and is such a wonderful human. But I was observing resent show up because I was like, “I don't understand. I just want to be with my family and why can't I have all the things I want?” So, all these emotions started showing up.  WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SIT WITH EMOTIONS?  My therapist – of course, I talked with a therapist – was saying, “Everything, Kimberley, that you're saying makes complete sense. Why don't you practice sitting with your emotions?” And of course, I was like, “Yeah, that makes sense. I have given that advice myself.” And so, off I went right onto the roller coaster, or we could say the whack-a-mole to talk about the “I did the hard thing” segment, the whack-a-mole of emotions with the agenda of not numbing them like I often do. Sometimes when I work, I engage in these numbing behaviors where I just numb all of everything out by working. It's something that I've overused as a coping skill, is when I work. So, I'm not doing that anymore. I'm not using any other problematic safety behaviors. I caught all these problems. So, it's like, “I think really all you've got left to do is just sit with your emotions.” So, I went, “Okay, let's do it. There's no solution. There's nothing I can do about this. Let's just sit with it.” And I started to play with this idea of, okay, let's talk about what does it mean to sit with your emotions. Now, this is where, again, I'm going to identify, I've given this advice and I'm going to say, I don't think I'm going to give that advice anymore. Or if I do give it, and for any reason you don't catch me doing this, you can always bring it to my attention, but I'm going to do my best, is I'm going to add another sentence to the whole “sit with your emotions” concept, because let's say often you guys have heard me say, “Sit with anxiety, sit with your anxiety.” And that's helpful because we know that doing compulsions with anxiety is a problem. If you resist or avoid or try and remove your anxiety, it's going to create more problems. But where that gets in the way is it doesn't mean you just sit there and do nothing but stare at the wall and just let the anxiety beat you into a pummel. No. I think that the mistake I'll make, and I'm going to be completely transparent, I think the mistake I make is I'm assuming you guys know what I mean by that, and I'm assuming that you know, I mean, don't just sit there and stare at the wall.  There were a couple of days where I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I did just sit there and be like, “Okay, I'm allowing this. I have to allow it. I'm sitting here. I'm allowing it. Oh man, this is hard,” until I was like, “Wait a second. This is not helpful. Just sitting here and letting it pummel me, that's not the whole picture. There has to be tools and skills associated with it.” That's where I'm talking about in regards to anxiety. It's a great concept, but what do we actually mean when we say, “Sit with your emotions”? We mean, allow it, particularly when we're talking about fear. We're saying, don't interfere with it. Don't engage with it. Don't wrestle with it. Don't stir it up. And we're also saying, don't run away from it. We don't thought suppress. So important.  So, I totally believe that sitting with emotions is an important concept, but we must, and I am sorry if I haven't mentioned this and I haven't gone a full explanation, we then must engage back into life. We must engage back into the things that we value. We must engage, even if we don't like it. Sometimes you have to do the dishes. Sometimes you have to get out of bed. And sometimes we have to allow emotions, embrace emotions, bring on emotions in order to get up and do those things. But that's just anxiety.  HOW TO SIT WITH DIFFICULT EMOTIONS?  Now, let's talk about which emotions should you sit with and which ones shouldn't you? Now, number one, there is no bad emotion. There's no such thing as a bad emotion, a negative emotion, a problematic emotion. They're all just neutral. And that's huge to know. But as I was sitting in the chair of the client instead of being the therapist, and I was really going, “Okay, I'm not going to engage in these behaviors. I'm going to instead just allow them and sit with them,” I realized sometimes asking yourself to sit with an emotion, particularly ones like guilt and shame, that too isn't completely helpful. We need to put an extra sentence on the end of that as well. So, we can say, “Sit with your emotion of shame, but also be aware of the stories it's telling you, not taking it as a fact.” Because as I was noticing, so much shame showed up for myself in this specific situation. I was thinking, wait, if I told my client to sit with shame, but I hadn't taught them the skill of diffusing from shame or observing the story of shame, they're going to have shame and be like, “Oh yeah, it's true. I am bad. I'm just going to sit with the fact that I'm bad.” So, no, no, no, no, no. That's not what we mean, again, by sitting with emotions. We're not saying we're going to sit with them and accept them as fact.  Let's talk about sitting with sadness and grief because, boy oh boy, did I have sadness and grief. And it would come in waves that punch me in the face. I'd be like-- and again, I want to validate grief. Doesn't matter, it's not just losing a human body. Nobody passed away. That's definitely grief. But I was handling grief and loss of like, “Oh, I missed my family. I wish I was there. I wish I lived there. I wish I could just snap my fingers and be there. I wish the world was different. I wish COVID didn't happen.” All these things. So, I just was getting these waves of sadness. And it was important as I was “sitting with sadness.” That's okay. We want to do that. We want to allow it. We don't want to interfere with it. We don't want to run away from it. We want to embrace it. But we don't want to thicken it with hopelessness as we sit there. We don't want to thicken it with like, “Yeah, bad things are going to keep happening and there's not hope.” That will only create more problems.  HOW TO SIT WITH SADNESS?  So, when we say “sit with your emotions,” particularly the one of sadness, we actually want to sit in sadness again with non-judgment, with curiosity, with awareness of other things. And when I did that, when I sat with my emotions and was curious and open, I noticed like LA's got a beautiful, beautiful scene. The vibe is really cool. I love my house. I really do love my house. I love the fact that my house is surrounded by trees. I love my family. And I allowed me to be open to sadness and other parts of my life here. So, again, I'm bringing this up of just like in that moment of doing the action, I was thinking, oh my goodness, we need to make sure we expand our description of what it means to sit with your emotions.  If you need more step by step, in my book, The Self-Compassion Workbook for OCD, if you have OCD, I actually have a full chapter on managing strong emotions. And in that book, I actually did, I believe, a good degree of explanation. But I wanted to get on here and set the-- what do you say? Set you straight? That's not right. Set the story straight. I don't really know what that saying is, forgive me. But I wanted to be really clear and actually correct if I've ever said this term, “sit with your emotions.” It's not a bad term. I actually almost called this episode “Why I'll never say sit with your emotions again.” But the truth is, I won't. I can't hold that as true. So, I changed it to “What does it really mean to sit with your emotions,” and how can we add additional context to that statement so that it doesn't mean you're just indulging the emotion and all of the trash that some emotions can leave behind. And what I mean by trash, I'm not judging, it is like, with sadness comes hopelessness sometimes. So, we want to be careful not to engage with that and infuse too much with that. With shame comes a story that you're bad, that you're wrong, that you don't have any worth. We don't want to indulge or engage in that while we allow and experience the emotion of shame.  HOW TO SIT WITH ANGER?  Anger was another one. I went through these crazy waves of anger and talking with a therapist like, “Okay, you're having your anger.” Of course, don't lash out or say me unkind things, or catch yourself if you're starting to feel highly dysregulated. And then just sit with your emotions. And I thought, wow, again, there's that saying. But if I'm angry and I'm sitting with it, I could easily percolate on some pretty hateful thoughts. I could be sitting with and ruminating with that emotion. And that is not what we mean when we say “sit with your emotions.” So, I really wanted to just drop into this. If I were to sum up this whole episode, the thing I want you to think about the most is, there is no right way to manage an emotion and there is no right or wrong emotion. There is no-- and I talk with my patients all the time about this. There is no playbook on how this is supposed to go. The metaphor I often use is, it's like any sport. Some of you may know, I'm learning tennis. I actually pretty suck at it, but that's a whole nother story. The whole thing I'm learning is, and the reason that I suck, and I don't say that in a judgmental way, I actually think it's hilarious, is it's all about being super flexible. So, I'm standing and my knees are bent and I'm holding my racket and I'm going left to right, left to right on my feet, and I'm getting ready for this constantly changing direction of a ball. And I have to stay really flexible. So, if the ball goes all the way to the right, I have to move my legs so I can move to the right. And then if next time it goes to the left, I have to be ready to make that maneuver.  HOW TO SIT WITH OTHER DIFFICULT EMOTIONS Same goes with emotions. Your emotions are going to flip flop and go from left to right and north to west, and it's going to give you a run for your money. And we have to be able to adjust the strategy depending on what's coming to us. And that's true of emotions. In simple, we're always going to observe it, allow it, acknowledge it. In some points, we have to be curious instead of being closed and judgmental. These are skills you can use with all of them. But as I've gone through some of the more difficult emotions today, sometimes we have to catch the themes that percolate and loop us into it when “sitting with emotions.” So, that's the main thing I want to talk to you. Again, I'll tell you, as I-- I was actually driving to the dentist and I called a very dear friend of mine, and I just said, “I actually just had a major epiphany. We can't keep saying ‘sit with your emotions' as clinicians. We have to make sure we add context to what that looks like, and it means not just sitting still and doing nothing, except focusing on the emotion.” So, if this resonates with you, I hope it does. It was such an important thing I wanted to talk with you about again. Does it mean it's wrong? Absolutely not. If you're a clinician or you hear this, or you've probably even heard it from me – if you've heard it, it doesn't mean they've done anything wrong. I just want you to understand what it actually means when they say that and to add those extra sentences at the end and give context to like-- again, don't interfere with them. Don't run away from them. Allow them. Also, don't calculate and ruminate on them either.  Sending you so much love. As always, this is really hard work. So, please do remember, it is a beautiful day to do these hard things. And I will add, for any of you who are writing out waves of emotion right now, I salute you. I have such deep respect for you because it's no easy feat to choose an emotion, to choose to tolerate it and interrupt behaviors that are problematic and allow emotions to rise and fall. That is some pretty impressive work you're doing. And I just want to give you a massive shout out because it's not fun. It's hard. It's not easy. It's skillful work. It takes some stamina to do it, and it's exhausting. And so, if you're doing even 10% of this work, I applaud you.  All right, my friends, I will see you next week. Have a wonderful, wonderful week. Again, please do go to CBTSchool.com/newsletter if you want access to that mental compulsions worksheet. And I'll be seeing you in a week.

*Important Disclaimer at End of Summary* Today we chat with leading relationship and sex therapist Dr. Laura Berman about how we can protect our energy and identify our love languages to improve our relationships! Dr. Laura breaks down the 5 love languages, enneagram levels & Human Design types - all tests that help you better understand, well, you. A deeper understanding of yourself and your wiring is key to enhancing all of your relationships. For all of our empaths, we learn how to discern between your anxiety and someone else's (the team LOVED this tip!!). PLUS Dr. Laura shares easy practices we can all use to protect ourselves from the energies around us.   We hope you enjoy! DR. LAURA'S RESOURCES: Podcast: The Language of Love with Dr. Laura Berman Website: www.drlauraberman.com IG: @drlauraberman BETTER TOGEHER'S RESOURCES: Maria is continually updating this page to find the best of the best so you don't have to do the work! And as a reminder, even if you don't see something you like here but having something in mind you do want to buy at Macy's, please support us and use the link. Every purchase through this link helps us keep the show going :) Maria's personally curated Macy's page: www.macys.com/bettertogether Check out www.mariamenounos.com for the “cliff notes” of all our episodes where we compile the life-changing lessons into one blog called "life-hacks." Plus, we share Maria's favorite new products & her must-haves!  DISCLAIMER: This Podcast and all related content [published or distributed by or on behalf of Maria Menounos or Mariamenounos.com] is for informational purposes only and may include information that is general in nature and that is not specific to you.     Any information or opinions expressed or contained herein are not intended to serve as or replace medical advice, nor to diagnose, prescribe or treat any disease, condition, illness or injury, and you should consult the health care professional of your choice regarding all matters concerning your health, including before beginning any exercise, weight loss, or health care program. If you have, or suspect you may have, a health-care emergency, please contact a qualified health care professional for treatment.   Any information or opinions provided by an guest experts or hosts featured within website or on Company's Podcast are their own; not those of Maria Menounos or the Company. Accordingly, Maria Menounos and the Company cannot be responsible for any results or consequences or actions you may take based on such information or opinions.

*Important Disclaimer at End of Summary* Today we chat with leading relationship and sex therapist Dr. Laura Berman about how we can heal old wounds and improve our relationships!! We cover everything from ascension syndrome to attachment styles to ego. We learn what it means to be ascending, and how you can alleviate the issues that come with that process. Dr. Laura discusses the importance of moving our energy around and easy practices to do so. She teaches us how to listen to our heart over our ego and mind. Plus, we break down and dissect each of the relationship attachment styles! All that in Part 1 of this 2-part episode with Dr. Laura Berman. Enjoy! DR. LAURA'S RESOURCES: Podcast: The Language of Love with Dr. Laura Berman Website: www.drlauraberman.com IG: @drlauraberman BETTER TOGEHER'S RESOURCES: Maria is continually updating this page to find the best of the best so you don't have to do the work! And as a reminder, even if you don't see something you like here but having something in mind you do want to buy at Macy's, please support us and use the link. Every purchase through this link helps us keep the show going :) Maria's personally curated Macy's page: www.macys.com/bettertogether Check out www.mariamenounos.com for the “cliff notes” of all our episodes where we compile the life-changing lessons into one blog called "life-hacks." Plus, we share Maria's favorite new products & her must-haves!  DISCLAIMER: This Podcast and all related content [published or distributed by or on behalf of Maria Menounos or Mariamenounos.com] is for informational purposes only and may include information that is general in nature and that is not specific to you.     Any information or opinions expressed or contained herein are not intended to serve as or replace medical advice, nor to diagnose, prescribe or treat any disease, condition, illness or injury, and you should consult the health care professional of your choice regarding all matters concerning your health, including before beginning any exercise, weight loss, or health care program. If you have, or suspect you may have, a health-care emergency, please contact a qualified health care professional for treatment.   Any information or opinions provided by an guest experts or hosts featured within website or on Company's Podcast are their own; not those of Maria Menounos or the Company. Accordingly, Maria Menounos and the Company cannot be responsible for any results or consequences or actions you may take based on such information or opinions.

*Important Disclaimer at End of Summary* Today we have a special treat…medium and animal medium Aliana Seeger-Madsen is zooming in all the way from Denmark to help us understand what all our puppies are thinking and feeling. She received messages from each of the dogs and shared them with Maria and Keven. Aliana also reveals what you can do to connect with your pets and what you can do to make them most comfortable when it's time for them to pass on. We hope you enjoy!  ALIANA'S RESOURCES: IG: @worldtreealianaziva BETTER TOGETHER'S RESOURCES: Maria is continually updating this page to find the best of the best so you don't have to do the work! And as a reminder, even if you don't see something you like here but having something in mind you do want to buy at Macy's, please support us and use the link. Every purchase through this link helps us keep the show going :) Maria's personally curated Macy's page: www.macys.com/bettertogether Check out www.mariamenounos.com for the “cliff notes” of all our episodes where we compile the life-changing lessons into one blog called "life-hacks." Plus, we share Maria's favorite new products & her must-haves!  DISCLAIMER: This Podcast and all related content [published or distributed by or on behalf of Maria Menounos or Mariamenounos.com] is for informational purposes only and may include information that is general in nature and that is not specific to you.     Any information or opinions expressed or contained herein are not intended to serve as or replace medical advice, nor to diagnose, prescribe or treat any disease, condition, illness or injury, and you should consult the health care professional of your choice regarding all matters concerning your health, including before beginning any exercise, weight loss, or health care program. If you have, or suspect you may have, a health-care emergency, please contact a qualified health care professional for treatment.   Any information or opinions provided by an guest experts or hosts featured within website or on Company's Podcast are their own; not those of Maria Menounos or the Company. Accordingly, Maria Menounos and the Company cannot be responsible for any results or consequences or actions you may take based on such information or opinions.

SUMMARY: Today we talk all about how to manage when your fears appear in your dreams.  This was a heavily requested topic, so I hope it was helpful for you. In This Episode: Why our fears and obsessions show up in our dreams What to do when your fears appear in your dreams  How to manage the distress when dreams feel “real”  Links To Things I Talk About: ERP School: https://www.cbtschool.com/erp-school-lp Episode Sponsor: This episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit is brought to you by CBTschool.com.  CBTschool.com is a psychoeducation platform that provides courses and other online resources for people with anxiety, OCD, and Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors.  Go to cbtschool.com to learn more.  Spread the love! Everyone needs tools for anxiety... If you like Your Anxiety Toolkit Podcast, visit YOUR ANXIETY TOOLKIT PODCAST to subscribe free and you'll never miss an episode. And if you really like Your Anxiety Toolkit, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (maybe even two). EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION  This is Your Anxiety Toolkit - Episode 295. Welcome back, everybody. It is Episode 295, which sounds like a whole lot of episodes. It really, really does. Actually, it shocked me when I saw that number. Today, we are talking about when your fears show up in your dreams. I would say quite regularly, actually, a client, particularly morning clients will often say like-- I'll be like, “How are you? How was your week?” And they'll say, “Well, I'm just feeling really overwhelmed. I had the most bizarre dream last night and it's hard to shake it off.” And so, I'm wondering, I'm guessing. I've had this experience, I'm guessing you have too. And I wanted to talk this episode about how we might respond to that situation and what we need to look out for when we have this situation, particularly if you have anxiety. That's really the specific group of humans we're speaking to today. And I'll share a little bit more about that as we get going. All right, before we do that, let's do the review of the week. This one is from FullWalrus and they said: “I found this podcast by Googling an issue I was having, and this just popped up.” FullWalrus, this makes me so happy. Thank you so much for Googling this and finding me because that means we're doing a good job at being on the internet and helping people in that way. “I had kept away from podcasts about mental health in fear of being triggered or being told I was crazy after all, and that didn't happen obviously. Kimberley is a gifted presenter and a therapist who introduced me to Buddhism and mindfulness in a way I'd never thought of before. For the first time, I feel like I actually have the tools to help me manage OCD, and this show is sure a beautiful compliment to any therapy you should be currently undergoing because we all need therapy. Thank you for everything, Kimberley. My life is forever changed and I am forever grateful.” Thank you, FullWalrus. What a wonderful, wonderful review. I just love hearing how I'm helpful. I love hearing what episodes are helpful and it's really cool that I'm a really-- I love Buddhism. I find it to be exactly what I need every time I'm in a hard time. So, I'm so glad that I'm bringing that in a way that isn't overwhelming or overpowering. So wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. This week's “I did a hard thing” is coming to you from Holly. Holly says: “Last week, I went to court to obtain full custody of my son since his father has become a threat to him. This was extremely difficult seeing as we have been in an abusive past. My anxiety was the highest it's been in a very long time, but ultimately, I knew I had to take action. I did my hard thing and I couldn't be more proud of standing my ground and not succumbing to so many fears.” Holly, sending you so much love. This is 100% doing the hard thing. It's so hard, because often we're talking about irrational fears and so forth, but I love that you brought like I'm doing this real thing. This real thing. And I love when you guys share with me both you're facing your fears related to your disorder, but also just facing fear about showing up and living according to your values and showing up for your family. And Holly, just so good. Thank you so much for submitting that “I did a hard thing” for our “I did a hard thing” segment. Okay. Let's talk about dreams. So, again, often people will bring to my attention like, what do I do if my fears show up in my dreams, or even fears you didn't have right. Like fears that you never considered during the day, but once you go to sleep, it gives it to you, sucks it to you, and whatnot. So, what do we do in this situation? Most people will report they wake up in a massive ball of sweat, high heart rate. It feels so real. It feels like it actually happened. And it takes some time for that to burn off. It really, really does. Some people say it even takes the whole day to burn off. And so, if that's the case for you, you're definitely not alone. Now, one thing to think about when we're thinking about dreams is we've been fed this belief that dreams are like windows into our soul and that they must mean something, and that some people interpret dreams. In fact, I'll tell you a story. I'm a clinician, I'm a CBT therapist. I use science-based treatment methods. And I do remember looking for a therapist several years ago actually and asking some colleagues. And one colleague, who knew me really well, referred me to this dream analyst. And I went for the first session. I was like, “This is not going to work for me,” mainly because of exactly what I'm going to tell you. Now, if you like dream analysis, 100% no judgment. The reason that I had a strong reaction to it is I was going through a very, very anxious time, and I knew that if I engaged in that behavior, it was going to trigger me in ways that I'll share here very soon. The way I understand and the way I was trained and the way I've researched dreams is dreams, are just thoughts you have at night. So, if you've listened to this podcast, you'll know that during the day, if you have a thought, I'm probably going to tell you, thoughts are thoughts. Don't give them your attention. Don't give them too much kudos. And so, dreams are no different. They're just thoughts that you have while you're asleep, and do your best not to give them a ton of importance, a ton of weight, a ton of value, because when you do that, you can get in trouble, particularly if they're anxious thoughts. Now, let me say here, I am notorious for having the weirdest dreams. My husband often, when we first got married, would sit up in the morning and be like, “Tell me everything you dreamed,” because I dream about like, I once had this dream about turtles and we went scuba diving together. And me and these turtles, they were like cartoon turtles. We're like going through these tunnels together. Ridiculous stuff. I've had dreams of going hot air ballooning with a giraffe, and I have had this dream many, many, many times. I would say tens of times. And so, yeah, sometimes dreams are just silly and crazy. But where they've got fear attached or danger attached or catastrophes attached, it can be really hard for us to not get caught up in them. So, the next question is, is it effective to interpret our dreams? My opinion is there's nothing wrong with it, but here are the things to look out for. If you have a dream and it's attached to your obsession and you're interpreting your dream, it's a chance that you're doing compulsions to try and get certainty around that obsession. So, if you've already got the fear and the obsession, interpreting the dream actually maybe just reinforcing the fear, giving it too much importance, giving it too much value, and therefore feeding you back into a cycle where you're going to keep having more of them, and you're going to keep having anxiety about them, because you're responding to them as if they're important and dangerous. If they're just random like you wake up, often people say, “I had a dream that a loved one died,” or “I had a dream that a loved one was in an accident or it was my fault or so forth.” If you have that, what I would encourage you to do is look at it curiously. For me, it's either like a really silly cartoon style dream or it's that I'm responsible for something, which just is a sort of, if I'm curious about that, I'm like, yeah, that makes sense. I tend to be hyper-responsible. I tend to take responsibility very seriously. So, that makes sense. But I'm not going to go and dig around more than that because now I'm digging around in the content of my fears and giving those fears way, way, way, way too much attention. Way too much attention. So, is it effective to interpret your dream? It depends. And I will say really clearly, if it is around your obsession, I strongly discourage you from doing it with one caveat, with one exception, which is unless it's for the purpose of actually doing an exposure that's scary. So, that would be the one time I would say, yes, it's cool to interpret your dream. If you're doing it on purpose in effort to actually induce the actual obsession and fear that you have so that you can practice tolerating the uncertainty and you can practice writing that wave of discomfort. We can and we do do exposures to the content of your dreams. So, again, if a client has a dream or you have a dream and it's triggering you, whether it was a part of your old obsession or just a new one, you can choose if it's really bothering you to do an exposure. You could do an exposure with imaginal exposures. We cover imaginal exposures in ERP School, which you can go and find out about at CBTSchool.com if you're interested. ERP School is our online course that teaches you how to apply ERP to your obsessions. So, you could do an imaginal exposure where you write a story about your worst fear coming true and the consequences of that, and you read it over and over and over and you just allow the anxiety to rise and fall. You could do that. Or let's say if it's a fear like, not long ago, I had a dream about this one area of the corner of my kid's school. It was like this really bad thing happened. So, if it's really bothering me and I'm struggling with reducing my mental compulsions about that. Yeah, I might go into that corner and just sit there and read a book or just wait there for my kids or whatnot. So, yes, you can do exposures to the content of your dreams, particularly again, if they're really strong, repetitious, and they seem to be persistent. What we can do in addition to that is apply a ton of mindfulness to the dream content itself. So, this is what this would look like. You wake up, whether it's from the morning or from a nap. You've had a dream. It's really overwhelming. It feels really real. It might even feel like you're actually in the moment of this catastrophe or this event. And even though it feels real, we're actually just going to be mindful of that. Now, what does mindfulness mean? Let's do a quick recap. Mindfulness is being present with what's actually happening. So, within that moment, what's actually happening is things feel unreal, things feel strange, things feel scary. Your heart might be beating faster. You might be sweating. You might have a tummy ache. So, that's what's happening. We're present with that, but we're also present with what else is happening. Oh, the birds are chirping. I feel my pajamas against my skin. This is the taste of the coffee I'm drinking. I can smell the coffee as well. We're just being very mindful of what else is happening, and we're doing all of that nonjudgmentally. Key point: We're doing all of this. We're having the weird feeling. We're having the anxiety. We're smelling the coffee. We're feeling our feet against the floor and we're practicing not judging these things as good or bad, even though they might be uncomfortable. When we are acknowledging that they're here, we're allowing them. We're being willing to experience them, not pushing them away, and we're practicing being non-judgmental. Now you may need to do this, and this is often our clients will say, “Yeah, I did that, and then it kept bothering me.” And I'll say, “Well, did you do it again? Could you do it a little longer?” And they'll go, “Yeah, I did. But then it kept bothering me.” And I'll joke with them. I try never to be condescending, but I'll say, “But did you then do it again? Did you keep going?” And that's the key to mindfulness. Mindfulness, we don't do these behaviors to make the discomfort go away. We do them moment by moment, minute by minute, 10 seconds by 10 seconds, just to practice being in the presence of this discomfort and giving the discomfort zero of our tension. Now, the other thing we may want to do here is activate a behavior. So, if you're feeling totally overwhelmed, totally anxious, everything feels like it really actually happened. A lot of clients will say somebody died in their dream and they actually cry and they're experiencing grief as if it actually happened. That's true too. That often happens. We would engage in behavioral activation of going, “If I didn't have this feeling, what would I be doing?” Such a good question. If I didn't have this experience, what would I be doing? And go and do that thing. So, if I didn't have this dream, I'd be getting up and I'd probably go for a walk or I'd sit down and check my emails or whatever it may be. Make sure you do those things and try not to divert away from the behaviors you would've done had you not had this dream. That's the response prevention piece. If you didn't have this dream, would you be giving this content your attention? So, let's say I had a dream about my child dying, which is devastating, the idea of it. So, when we say I wake up and I feel like it actually happened, my body is telling me it actually happened, even though maybe my child is right in front of me. Then how do I engage with the rest of the day? Am I ruminating about ways to prevent that from happening? Am I actually implementing behaviors to prevent it from happening? Because if I'm doing those things, I'm actually doing compulsions. I'm trying to solve a thought that I had, not an actual thing. And so, this is why this is so important that we understand that dreams are just thoughts you have at night or during sleep. That doesn't mean that they're important and they need to be analyzed and that it's a sign of something to come, because we wouldn't do that with an intrusive thought. We're learning not to do that. So, when we have a thought, we're learning not to go, “Oh my gosh, that must mean it's a sign.” We're learning to undo that reaction and going, “Yeah, thoughts are thoughts.” So, this is how I want you to maybe consider changing your response to dreams, especially scary dreams. Again, let me be really clear. If you love analyzing dreams and you find it helpful and you don't find it loops you back into the anxious cycle, wonderful. No problem. I'm definitely not against dream analysis. But for those folks who were anxious, I just want you to know this information, keep it in your back pocket, or maybe even your front pocket for the times when you catch yourself engaging in behaviors that become ineffective. My word of 2022 is “effective.” I have it written everywhere. It's a huge part of the decisions I make every day, every minute. Does this keep me in being effective? And so, it's such a great question when we ask ourselves, is this behavior effective? It won't always be, you don't always have to be effective. But sometimes again, when you catch trends that are getting you to be ineffective, we want to see if we can make a change. Okay? So, that's Episode 295: When your fears show up in your dreams. I hope it was helpful. Do not forget, it is a beautiful day to do hard things. This work is not easy, friends. This work is actually-- let's just be real. This work sucks. It really, really does. It's exhausting. It's hard. It's taxing. It beats you down. So, please be gentle. It is a beautiful day to do hard things. Please remind yourself of how brave and strong you are because you're stronger than you think. And I will see you next week. Have a wonderful day.