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    Best podcasts about Talk

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    Latest podcast episodes about Talk

    Making Media Now
    "Women & The Wind": Three Bold Adventurers Sail Across The Atlantic

    Making Media Now

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2026 65:11


    Host Michael Azevedo recently had the pleasure of watching a captivating, thrilling and inspiring documentary called Women & The Wind (which is currently streaming for rent on Vimeo).   This intimate and beautifully made and thrilling film tells the story of 3 young women who literally throw caution to the wind and set out on a 2200 nautical mile voyage across the North Atlantic—from South Carolina to Portugal--on a 50-year-old wooden catamaran.    Michael's guest on this episode is one of those 3 women: the film's director—filmmaker and photographer Alize Jireh.   Not only is Women & The Wind Alize's debut film, the 30-day sailing voyage—which featured challenges anticipated and unexpected—was her first sailing experience! Talk about diving in with all you've got!   Making Media Now—which is available on all podcast platforms including YouTube--is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey.   About the host: www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/   Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead  

    The Dave Ramsey Show
    You Can't Stumble Your Way Into Financial Freedom

    The Dave Ramsey Show

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 128:42


    Skip and Shannon: Undisputed
    Acho, Housh & Carebear React To NBA's PUNISHMENT For Clippers, Raiders Name QB1 & MORE!

    Skip and Shannon: Undisputed

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 123:32


    Sunday-Thursday at 11:15 PM ET. Hosted by Emmanuel Acho with LeSean “Shady” McCoy, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and "Carebear" Kieran Hickey-Semple, the show brings hot takes, cold truths, and culturally forward conversations that connect sports and culture in real time. ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ Facebook Discord PrizePicks x Speakeasy Pick MORE or LESS. Win cash. Talk your talk. Play $5, get $150 in lineups →  ⁠⁠PrizePicks | America's #1 Fantasy Sports App⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The World of Phil Hendrie
    Episode #3916 The New Phil Hendrie Show Radio Archive December 2005

    The World of Phil Hendrie

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 36:18 Transcription Available


    David G Hall announced to Phil that he’s deathly ill. Or is he?Sign up for a Backstage Pass and enjoy Hours of exclusive content, Phil's new podcast, Classic podcasts, Bobbie Dooley's podcasts, special live streaming events and shows, and oh so very much more…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The World of Phil Hendrie
    Episode #3916 The New Phil Hendrie Show Radio Archive June 2004

    The World of Phil Hendrie

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 34:43 Transcription Available


    Bob Green‘s Memorial Day weekend sales were ruined by a guy who wanted to buy pinto beans. Bob wants to sell American style food and spoke his peace to the guy. “Hey you don’t come back.” He said “yes sir.” Also Bart calls in while taking a bath and it ends with a hairdryer…….. in the tub, of course. Sign up for a Backstage Pass and enjoy Hours of exclusive content, Phil's new podcast, Classic podcasts, Bobbie Dooley's podcasts, special live streaming events and shows, and oh so very much more…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The World of Phil Hendrie
    Episode #3916 The New Phil Hendrie Show

    The World of Phil Hendrie

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 14:56 Transcription Available


    The Phil Skit Show is hosted by Spa man Dave Gagamount, introducing the Release Spa.Sign up for a Backstage Pass and enjoy Hours of exclusive content, Phil's new podcast, Classic podcasts, Bobbie Dooley's podcasts, special live streaming events and shows, and oh so very much more…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The World of Phil Hendrie
    Episode #3916 The New Phil Hendrie Show Radio Archive Hour

    The World of Phil Hendrie

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 29:51 Transcription Available


    The Radio Archive feature is from October 2003. Private pilot Art Griego is an older man advocating for 14 to be the age of consent for females. Older wives are dying and leaving the men with kids to raise and lunches to make. They need younger, healthier wives.Sign up for a Backstage Pass and enjoy Hours of exclusive content, Phil's new podcast, Classic podcasts, Bobbie Dooley's podcasts, special live streaming events and shows, and oh so very much more…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Heal Thy Self with Dr. G
    The Magnesium in Your Cabinet Is Doing Nothing — Here's the Right Form

    Heal Thy Self with Dr. G

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 10:31


    Episode Description: The magnesium sitting in your cabinet right now is probably one your body can barely absorb. Most people buy it for sleep, for anxiety, for leg cramps, or for constipation, feel nothing, and conclude that magnesium does not work. Magnesium works. You just bought the wrong kind, and nobody told you there was a wrong kind. 70% of people are deficient in magnesium. Most of them are taking magnesium oxide, which has about 4% absorption. The other 96% moves through you and loosens your stools. But the bigger problem is that magnesium is not one supplement. It is a family of forms, and the form on the label decides the entire job it does in your body. Dr. G breaks it down — in order: Take 1: "You just bought the wrong kind and nobody told you" Dr. G exposes the magnesium oxide scam hiding in plain sight on every drugstore shelf and in most cheap multivitamins. Find out why the form on the label is more important than anything else and how companies hide what is actually inside the bottle. Take 2: "The form that fixes your sleep is not the same form that fixes your cramps" Magnesium glycinate is the calming form backed by a randomized placebo controlled trial showing measurable sleep improvement. Dr. G gives the exact dose, the exact timing, and the label trick companies use to underdose you while making the number on the front look impressive. Take 3: "This one actually crosses your blood brain barrier" Magnesium L-threonate was specifically designed to raise magnesium levels inside the brain, where it supports the connections between neurons. Dr. G breaks down the randomized controlled trial data on memory and cognition and explains why cheap versions of this form are almost always a waste of money. Take 4: "Stress is burning your magnesium faster than you can replace it" The same fight or flight response keeping you wired at night is draining your mineral reserves all day long. Dr. G explains why chronic stress, sugar, alcohol, and heavy caffeine make you dump magnesium through your urine, and why the supplement only works in its full glory when the nervous system is also being addressed. Glycinate for sleep and anxiety. Malate for muscles and daytime energy. L-threonate for brain fog and memory. Citrate for the gut. Oxide for almost nobody. Product reviews assess both brand transparency and product quality. If a company doesn't respond to our outreach, it doesn't automatically mean their product is low quality but it does mean they're failing their customers on transparency and communication. We reach out multiple times. No response isn't an oversight, it's a choice. And consumers deserve better. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro  0:45 - The Most Common Form Sold in Drugstores — and Why Only 4% Gets Absorbed 1:30 - Magnesium Is Not One Supplement — The Form on the Label Changes Everything  2:00 - Form #1: Magnesium Glycinate — For Sleep, Anxiety and a Wired Nervous System  3:15 - The Exact Dose, Timing and Label Trick That's Quietly Scamming You  4:45 - Form #2: Magnesium Malate — For Muscle Cramps, Tension and Daytime Fatigue  5:30 - Form #3: The Only Form That Actually Crosses the Blood-Brain Barrier  6:45 - Form #4: Magnesium Citrate — For Your Gut (and Why People Buy This for Sleep by Mistake)  7:30 - Why 70% of People Are Depleted — and the Four Things Draining It Every Day  8:30 - The Nervous System Connection Almost No Doctor Is Talking About  9:15 - Who Needs to Talk to Their Doctor Before Taking Any of These 9:45 - The Quick Reference: Which Form for Which Problem Get your free guide from Dr. G:  https://page-builder-christiangon110.replit.app/opt-in/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Tennis Podcast
    US Open Day 4 - Is Alcaraz already in title form?

    The Tennis Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 62:34


    Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts gather at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre at the end of the fourth day of action at the US Open, which saw Carlos Alcaraz produce the best tennis of the men's tournament so far, and Aryna Sabalenka show signs of tension off the court, while winning serenely on it. Part One - We discuss Carlos Alcaraz's four set win over Jaime Faria. How is it possible that he's playing this well after 5 months on the sidelines with a wrist injury? Will he be able to keep it up when the draw throws tougher challenges his way? Meanwhile, Ben Shelton continues his bumpier progress through the draw and Frances Tiafoe gets a straight setter on the board, but 12th seed Rafael Jodar suffers a shocking defeat. Part Two (29:13) - Aryna Sabalenka was untroubled in her second round match on Arthur Ashe Stadium but she remains in combative mood in the press conference room. Elsewhere Jessica Pegula and Karolina Muchova notched up one sided victories, while Paula Badosa setup an intriguing second round clash with title favourite Coco Gauff. Part Three (47:44) - Hot off the press we dig into Carlos Alcaraz's press conference comments that he plans to take longer breaks in his schedule from now on, since the requirements of the ATP calendar are currently ‘impossible'. Will this finally shock the ATP into action? Plus a breakdown of Thursday's order of play and what to look out for on another jam packed schedule.Thank you to Steve Furgal's International Tennis Tours Tours4Tennis.com/Podcast, the Premium Hospitality and Experience provider for supporting our US Open coverage.They can organise your dream tennis-watching experience at the biggest tournaments in the world, inducing the WTA Finals held this year at Indian Wells, 8th-15th November.Just go to Tours4Tennis.com/Podcast and use the code DEUCE5 at checkout for 5% off.5% off select WTA Finals packages with code DEUCE5 at tours4tennis.com/podcast. Valid 8/24/26 through 9/30/26. New bookings only; applies to base package price; subject to availability. Cannot be combined with other offers. Subject to On Location's Purchase Policy and Terms of Use.For ad-free listening and bonus content, Become a Friend. Check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠new merch shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Cut The Faff t-shirts coming soon!Talk tennis with Friends on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Barge! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to receive our free ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (daily at Slams and weekly the rest of the year, featuring Matt's Stat, mascot photos, Fantasy League updates, and more)Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (@thetennispodcast) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    49ers Talk with Matt Maiocco and Laura Britt
    49ers get major boost with Kittle, Bosa return; plus Brock Purdy exclusive

    49ers Talk with Matt Maiocco and Laura Britt

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 45:24


    The San Francisco 49ers held their final practice Wednesday in Santa Clara ahead of their international flight that evening to Melbourne, Australia. For the first time all offseason, star defensive end Nick Bosa and tight end George Kittle were present and fully participating together. On "49ers Talk," Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan discuss how the pair of veteran superstars can navigate the long journey down under with a clean bill of health. Later, quarterback Brock Purdy opens up to Matt about his maturation as a leader, a family-man, and his excitement for the upcoming season. -- (0:00) Last 49ers practice in Santa Clara before departing for Australia (2:00) Nick Bosa and George Kittle return to full practice (6:00) Keys to adjusting to the time change: a custom flight plan for every player (10:00) 49ers current health situation (20:00) Brock Purdy exclusive 1-on-1 interview (36:00) Breaking down Brock Purdy's NFL impact since being drafted as Mr. Irrelevant Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Talk of Champions
    SEC files suit against LSU while Ole Miss keeps inching closer to Louisville

    Talk of Champions

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 76:15


    Ben Garrett and Brad Logan are LIVE for an all-new edition of Talk of Champions. Teresa Walker of the Associated Press joins.Our Sponsors:* Check out BetterHelp: https://www.betterhelp.com* Check out MyBookie and use my code TOC for a great deal: https://www.mybookie.ag* Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/TOC for a great deal: https://www.quince.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    IrishIllustrated.com Insider
    Irish Illustrated Insider: Notre Dame vs Wisconsin Preview

    IrishIllustrated.com Insider

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 56:10


    Sign up now to access daily Notre Dame news and recruiting scoop on the Four Horsemen Lounge, plus all premium Notre Dame stories on IrishIllustrated.com!Get your first month for only $1.00 -- sign up today.What's on your mind?Talk about it at the Four Horsemen LoungeSign up for our FREE Notre Dame Newsletter Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Free Talk Live
    FTLDigest2026-08-29

    Free Talk Live

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 53:33


    CA parent arrested for damaging school bus while trying to get her child :: states to regulate prediction markets as "gambling" :: Trump praised Allah on easter :: sewage reclamation for drinking water :: Trump beef ballyhoo :: Skeeter calls to point out a libertarian contradiction :: Tim in FL calls to refute Skeeter :: Xylitol may be linked to heart problems, or not :: 2026-08-29 :: Hosts: Stu, Riley O'Bill, Angelo

    Always Off Brand
    Live from eTail -"TALKOOT Can Squish The Funnel for Brands!" with Anna Rillahan Dan Flood

    Always Off Brand

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 39:38


    Wow, this episode is so critical for the state of all content, copy, story telling and branding, I wish everyone in digital commerce could listen! Anna Rillahan, COO of Talkoot and Dan Flood, Head of Customer Growth for Talkoot join me at eTail Boston for an incredible conversation. Talkoot is faster product content operations for the AI ERA. They work with some of the biggest brands in the world and share how and why they are helping brands achieve optimal content at scale! Having consistency across multiple platforms, countries and marketplaces is more important now than ever! Always Off Brand is always a Laugh & Learn!   eTail episodes are brought to you by TALKOOT! Go to https://talkoot.com/ to find out how you can scale your content, copy, story telling. Faster Product Content Operations for the AI Era!     FEEDSPOT TOP 10 Retail Podcast! https://podcast.feedspot.com/retail_podcasts/?feedid=5770554&_src=f2_featured_email   GUEST Anna Rillahan  LinkedIn: ​​https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-rillahan/ Website: https://talkoot.com/   GUEST Dan Flood   LinkedIn: ​​https://www.linkedin.com/in/dtflood/ Website: https://talkoot.com/ Huge Shout Out to everyone at eTail for the great support and giving us the place to record at their great events.    QUICKFIRE Info:   Website: https://www.quickfirenow.com/ Email the Show: info@quickfirenow.com  Talk to us on Social: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quickfireproductions Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quickfire__/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@quickfiremarketing LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/quickfire-productions-llc/about/ Sports podcast Scott has been doing since 2017, Scott & Tim Sports Show part of Somethin About Nothin:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/somethin-about-nothin/id1306950451 HOSTS: Summer Jubelirer has been in digital commerce and marketing for over 17 years. After spending many years working for digital and ecommerce agencies working with multi-million dollar brands and running teams of Account Managers, she is now the Amazon Manager at OLLY PBC.   LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/summerjubelirer/   Scott Ohsman has been working with brands for over 30 years in retail, online and has launched over 200 brands on Amazon. Mr. Ohsman has been managing brands on Amazon for 19yrs. Owning his own sales and marketing agency in the Pacific NW, is now VP of Digital Commerce for Quickfire LLC. Producer and Co-Host for the top 5 retail podcast, Always Off Brand. He also produces the Brain Driven Brands Podcast featuring leading Consumer Behaviorist Sarah Levinger. Scott has been a featured speaker at national trade shows and has developed distribution strategies for many top brands. LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-ohsman-861196a6/   Hayley Brucker has been working in retail and with Amazon for years. Hayley has extensive experience in digital advertising, both seller and vendor central on Amazon. Hayley lives in North Carolina.  LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-brucker-1945bb229/   Huge thanks to Cytrus our show theme music "Office Party" available wherever you get your music. Check them out here: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cytrusmusic Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cytrusmusic/ Twitter https://twitter.com/cytrusmusic SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6VrNLN6Thj1iUMsiL4Yt5q?si=MeRsjqYfQiafl0f021kHwg APPLE MUSIC https://music.apple.com/us/artist/cytrus/1462321449   "Always Off Brand" is part of the Quickfire Podcast Network and produced by Quickfire LLC.  

    Pre-Cana with the Pope
    Are Catholics Making Up Rules About Sex?

    Pre-Cana with the Pope

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 26:04 Transcription Available


    Send us Fan MailSeason 5 is here—and we're starting with sex.More specifically, we're jumping into a debate happening in Catholic circles online:Are Catholic marriage speakers being more prescriptive about sex than the Catholic Church actually is?Recently, Catholic speakers such as Jackie Angel have received criticism for saying plainly that sexual intimacy between husband and wife should culminate in intercourse—what we refer to in our book Lovemaking as PIV. The criticism isn't simply that this language is too explicit.The deeper argument is: The Church never actually says that. You're adding your own interpretation to Church teaching. So… are we?In this season-opening episode, we begin working through that question by going directly to Humanae Vitae 11 and 12 and asking what the Church means when it teaches that every marital act must preserve both its unitive and procreative meanings. And we quickly discover that the disagreement isn't only about sex.It's also about how Catholics read Church documents, how doctrine gets pastorally communicated, how natural law works, and whether making a teaching easier to understand is the same thing as adding something to it.We talk about:Why Catholic social media is arguing about how married couples should have sexThe criticism directed toward Jackie Angel and other Catholic marriage speakersWhy we use the abbreviation PIV when discussing intercourseWhether talking explicitly about sex is inappropriate or actually necessaryThe difference between being explicit and being irreverentWhether saying marital intimacy should culminate in intercourse goes beyond Church teachingWhat Humanae Vitae 11 and 12 actually sayWhat the Church means by the unitive and procreative meanings of sexWhy every marital act must retain its relationship to procreationWhat natural law means in Catholic moral theologyWhy Church documents aren't always easy for ordinary Catholics to interpretThe difference between doctrine and pastoral applicationWhy some Catholics genuinely need someone to tell them plainly, “What does this actually mean?”Why social media makes pastoral accompaniment especially difficultWhy the unitive meaning of sex deserves just as much attention as the procreative meaningWhat it means for intimacy to be rightly ordered toward lifeWhy helping someone understand Church teaching isn't necessarily the same thing as adding to itHow couples' lived experiences should be acknowledged without changing moral truthOne of the biggest questions we raise is this: If Humanae Vitae says that every marital act must preserve both its unitive and procreative meanings, what exactly does that require of a married couple?Because simply repeating the words “unitive and procreative” doesn't necessarily tell a couple what to do. Some Catholics want the theological principle.Others are asking: Okay—but what does that actually look like?And sometimes pastoral care means someone has to be willing to say the difficult thing clearly. This episode begins a three-part conversation examining what the Catholic Church actually teaches about marital intimacy, being “open to life,” and whether the common Catholic understanding of the marital act can really be found in the Church's own documents.Chapters00:00 Welcome Back to Season 5 01:12 Why the Internet Is Arguing About Catholic Sex 01:24 The Controversy Over Jackie Angel's Marriage Advice 02:32 Why We Use the Term PIV 03:23 Is Talking Explicitly About Catholic Sex “Cringeworthy”? 04:15 Are Catholics Adding Rules the Church Never Taught? 05:04 What Humanae Vitae Actually Says About the Marital Act 06:26 Why Church Documents Can Be Difficult to Understand 07:35 What Natural Law Actually Means 09:24 “Each and Every Marital Act” — What Does That Mean? 10:16 Doctrine vs. Pastoral Application 11:35 Why Catholic Social Media Gets This Conversation Wrong 13:24 Why Some Couples Need Clear, Prescriptive Answers 15:09 Why Catholic Speakers Need to Say the Difficult Thing 16:01 Can Sex Be Procreative Without PIV? 17:23 What Does “Ordered Toward Life” Actually Mean? 18:32 The Unitive Meaning of Catholic Sex Matters Too 20:03 Why Some Catholics Need Someone to Just Say It 21:46 Are We Misinterpreting Humanae Vitae? 22:24 What Does “Unitive” Actually Require in Marriage? 23:39 Truth, Pastoral Care, and a Couple's Lived Experience 25:11 Where This Conversation Goes NextTwo Become Family is conversations and encouragement for your Catholic family—helping couples believe in what they are and become the family God created them to be.BOOKS, WRITING, AND RESOURCES

    Little Left of Center Podcast
    Healing is Hilarious: Pop culture and comedians with Rachel LaForce

    Little Left of Center Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 47:57


    Are you as obsessed as I am with the dumbest headlines of the week? Well, you're in luck! I've got comedian and pop culture whisperer Rachel LaForce on to break down what Spencer Pratt's mayoral run, the $250 Trump bill, and trad wife content filmed at Home Goods actually say about the rest of us. Rachel got sober by accident, spent decades masking her neurodivergence, and built her whole show around one idea: comedy gets you to the truth faster than seriousness does. This is a fast, sharp, occasionally unhinged hour that somehow keeps landing on self-belief. Notable timestamps: 03:57 – The UFC fight on the White House lawn, and how "healing is hilarious" started as Rachel's own recovery philosophy 12:08 – How she got sober "on accident" during a breakup, and never went back 16:57 – The push-yourself-out-of-the-pool metaphor for knowing you're actually ready for change 20:02 – Spencer Pratt's mayoral run and the self-belief lesson hiding inside it 23:38 – Why she thinks billionaires are boring, and her case for an abundance mindset 27:54 – MacKenzie Scott, Jeff Bezos, and the gender dynamics of wealth 31:45 – Her actual rule for what's fair game to joke about, and why trad wife content makes her sad instead of snarky 37:36 – Cortisol dressing, dopamine dressing, and how marketing invents things to sell women 43:36 – Where to find Rachel and what's next for Healing is Hilarious Rachel LaForce, resources and links: Healing is Hilarious podcast: https://www.rachellaforce.com/podcast Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6jliDvkqHQFXyfx9Qh0lr4 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rachel-laforce-show/id1600838616 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@therachellaforce Rachel's website: https://www.rachellaforce.com/ Follow Rachel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachellaforce/ Follow Healing is Hilarious on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healingishilarious/ Skewed Orbit Studios: https://www.skewedorbitstudios.com/ Be sure to rate, review, and follow this podcast on your player and also, connect with me IRL for more goodness and life-changing stuff.Schedule a FREE podcast clarity call with me - Your future audience is out there. Talk to them!Sign up for the free weekly emailAllisonHare.comFollow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.DOWNLOAD the free podcast equipment guide- No guesswork, no google rabbit holes, start recording todayReb3l Dance Fitness - Try it at home! Free month with this link.Feedback and Contact:: allison@allisonhare.com

    Be It Till You See It
    728. Be True to What Your Body Is Telling You

    Be It Till You See It

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 27:30 Transcription Available


    Perimenopause is basically reverse puberty, and it can run 10 to 15 years before you are on the other side of it. Yep! Lesley and Brad recap the conversation with Dr. Amy Loden, covering what your bloodwork leaves out and why giving birth works like a stress test that reveals the health issues that were already there before you got pregnant. They also spotlight AFSP for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:Why women need to pay attention to their bodies during perimenopause.What "you're within range" bloodwork actually leaves out about your health.How pregnancy acts as a stress test that unmasks chronic health conditions.Why frequent hot flashes may signal a higher risk for heart disease.Updated hormone research helps you make decisions without outdated fears.Episode References/Links:upLift Teacher Training Waitlist - https://xxll.co/uwseLevate Live Q&A - lesleylogan.co/elevateOPC Summer Tour (Powered by Balanced Body) - https://opc.me/tourOPC Flashcards - opc.me/flashcardsOPC Posters - https://opc.me/postersCambodia Retreat Waitlist - crowsnestretreats.comPilates on Tour - https://xxll.co/potAmerican Foundation for Suicide Prevention – afsp.orgCharity Navigator – charitynavigator.orgCharityWatch – charitywatch.orgThe Jed Foundation – jedfoundation.org988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – 988lifeline.orgSubmit your wins or questions – beitpod.com/questionsVitality Medical and Wellness - https://www.vitalitymwc.orgDr. Amy's TEDx talk on pregnancy - https://beitpod.com/amytedxThe Postpartum Pivot by Dr. Amy Loden - https://vitalitymwc.org/read-the-bookWomen's Health Initiative - https://www.whi.orgSubmit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questions If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00  What better way to be it till we see it, but to listen to our body? Because it's kind of hard to become the version of yourself you want to be if you're not listening to the version of yourself that you are.Lesley Logan 0:08  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.Brad Crowell 0:51  Take it away.Lesley Logan 0:52  Welcome back to the "Be It Till You See" interview recap, where my co-host in life, Brad, and I are going to dig into the informed convo I had with Dr. Amy Logan Tiffany in our last episode. If you haven't yet listened to the interview, you missed on some good fucking stuff. Oh my god, I felt like my jaw was on the floor a couple of times. It was so good. But listen to this, then go listen to that. And spoiler alert: I already interviewed her for the second one. Yeah, I just did it yesterday.Brad Crowell 1:16  Wow, awesome!Lesley Logan 1:17  Because I was just, oh great, you're back, and it was really, really. It's a really nuanced conversation. I'll explain more later. But today, Brad's going to tell us what today is.Brad Crowell 1:26  Yeah, today's September 3rd 2026, and it is Merchant Navy Day. What is a merchant navy? You ask. Let's start with what it's not. The regular navy is a branch of the countries of a country's military responsible for national defense and maritime security. In contrast, a merchant navy or the merchant navy is a civilian commercial fleet that transports cargo and passengers globally to support international trade. So effectively, they work for a company that moves products around the world.Lesley Logan 1:53  You could be a merchant navy person and work for multiple different companies.Brad Crowell 1:57  That's right. So it has nothing to do with military. It has everything to do with being a ship pilot on a cargo ship, or even a deckhand, or whatever. If you're working in the ports, I'm not sure if you're on ports, if you're part of the merchant navy, but if you're on the boats that are driving around the world, you're.Lesley Logan 2:12  Like part of the merchant corporate.Brad Crowell 2:17  Sure. Not a pirate. Lesley Logan 2:19  Good, but a pirate.Brad Crowell 2:20  Pirates are real, so yeah, they're definitely not pirates. Okay, yeah, but the merchant navy actually would fight pirates. They're.Lesley Logan 2:26  Like a consumer sailor.Brad Crowell 2:28  Yes, yeah, it's like a, yes, that's right, a commercial sailor.Lesley Logan 2:32  Commercial sailor.Brad Crowell 2:33  Yes.Lesley Logan 2:34  Yeah.Brad Crowell 2:34  Yeah. But it's probably not sailing a boat so much as it is sailing a vessel. Lesley Logan 2:38  Vessel, yeah.Brad Crowell 2:39  Anyway, so Merchant Navy Day sails into view every September 3. Cute, a dedicated time to honor the invaluable contributions of merchant seafarers worldwide. These brave men and women ensure the flow of goods, fuel, and food that powers our daily lives and economies. Take a moment to learn about their sacrifices, support maritime welfare charities, and recognize their often unseen work.Lesley Logan 3:00  I couldn't imagine they're probably on these boats for months at a time.Brad Crowell 3:04  Oh, months.Lesley Logan 3:04  Months.Brad Crowell 3:05  Months. I mean.Lesley Logan 3:06  Months on one plate, and then have to come back. They might not ever see their family.Brad Crowell 3:09  Yes, yeah. So it's absolutely the case. And for example, when I used to work in skin and hair care, we used to manufacture the, the glass was actually manufactured in Korea, and so I would have to organize the factory to take it to the port, and then the port would put it on a, it would be in pallets, and then the pallets would get loaded into a container, those 40-foot containers, and then the container would go on this massive cargo ship, and then it would drive across the ocean. It'sLesley Logan 3:41  Like the size of cruise ships, but just for products.Brad Crowell 3:43  Yeah, and then one year there was a strike for the union workers at the port in Long Beach, and I remember our cargo ship got stuck in a line. Lesley, there was a line of 50 cargo ships.Lesley Logan 3:58  Do you remember? Because during the pandemic, it's even happened. I feel like our friend Joe Lilly had to send a ship out to a ship to get his stuff. It was a whole thing because there's, what the fuck? We got to get these products off the ship.Brad Crowell 4:09  Yeah, and that's very dangerous to do that stuff, you know, on the open water like that because there's just complicated.Lesley Logan 4:14  Yeah, so pirates.Brad Crowell 4:15  Well, not. I mean, when you have 50 boats in a row, there's unlikely that there's going to be pirates because there's also going to be the navy, the military, oh, the military navy, yeah, will be out making sure that everything is safe. But still, regardless, yeah, I mean, so they had to sail across the ocean, and then they turn around and they have to go back. But the company that they work for, they might be in a whole other country. It's like an airline pilot.Lesley Logan 4:37  Yeah.Brad Crowell 4:37  You know, for example, one time we were flying to Cambodia, and we were flying through China. And I think maybe it was just me. I sat next to a guy on the plane who was a pilot, and he's from Brazil, flies for a Chinese airline, and then his Chinese flights would go to Europe. His home is in Brazil. He had to fly to China to get on his flight, his job, to fly to Europe, back and forth to China, you know what I mean.Lesley Logan 5:02  Got to.Brad Crowell 5:03  Move, got to move.Lesley Logan 5:04  Got to move. Anyway, anyway, we have to point out what's going on right now.Brad Crowell 5:09  Yeah, what I wanted to point out right now is that at the time of this recording, there are around 6000 commercial seafarers remaining stranded aboard hundreds of merchant ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz following the sudden collapse of a U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement, so shipping through this vital energy corridor has ground to a near standstill due to the drones and missiles and all the signs that are goingLesley Logan 5:33  Oh, yeah.Brad Crowell 5:33  So hopefully by the time you're hearing this episode, trade is going to flow again, and there are no more trapped sailors. But it's been devastating. You know, they're not military. They're just trying to do their job, and they're stuck on these ships. And they're not getting food. And if they're getting sick, there's no way to get to them to even give them the supplies that they need. It's quite a problem. And sometimes it feels like it's getting solved, and then it all goes to shit again. So hopefully. Lesley Logan 5:57  I know we're over here talking about our gas prices, but there's literal people whose they're not involved with any country or military, and they're just trying to do their job and they're stuck.Brad Crowell 6:05  Yep. Yeah. So just raising awareness and a big, big shout out to those who do this kind of work for their job. Thanks for doing all that because you make the world go round.Lesley Logan 6:14  Yeah. Well, speaking of the world going round, I started teacher training program.Brad Crowell 6:20  Wow. Yeah.Lesley Logan 6:21  You know, because we got to keep bringing in new people to the Pilates industry. Brad Crowell 6:25  Yes, we do. Lesley Logan 6:25  Because some of us are going to retire someday. So, if you heard the rumor that I started teacher training program, I did. I'm here to let you know it's true, and it's called upLift. Starting early next year, you'll be able to find an epic teacher trainer near you that will host my program. I'm going to work alongside them, guiding them and coaching them and supporting them so that they can support you on your journey. So if you are a new teacher or partially trained Pilates instructor, if you want to study under what I've created and my material, you want to go to xxll.co/uws. That's upLift waitlist student, xxll.co/uws. If you're already a comprehensively trained teacher and you're looking for more of a master's program and you want to learn directly with me, that is going to be our eLevate program. That's lesleylogan.co/elevate. We are filling 2028 as we speak. 2027 is full, and only eLevate grads can apply to be an educator for upLift. So, just some food for thought on that. We have been home from our summer tour for a little bit, and we are hanging out. We're doing some good stuff. I'm super excited to be home because it's going to get real crazy real quick. But we want to say thank you to Balanced Body because they sponsored our tour. We're able to go to some really great new cities on our summer tour, and our winter tour will announce in less than a month. And you want to be on the wait list for that, opc.me/events, because the winter tour always does sell out really quickly, really quick, really quickly because we get to hit a lot of cities, a lot of little cities where stuff doesn't go to like conventions and things like that. We get to hit some of our favorite cities. Shout out to Hershey because you always sell out in some places like that. So make sure you are over there. Supporting this podcast when you listen and you share with friends and you leave reviews is one of the greatest things you can do. It's totally free, and I really, really appreciate it. But if you want to continue support the podcast in other ways, if you are an OPC member, that's one of my ways you can do that. And then you get Pilates, and you get support, and you get community, and you get my feedback on your form. So you can go to onlinepilatesclasses.com, or you can also check out our amazing flashcards. Our flashcards are different pieces of apparatus. They're for anyone who loves Pilates. They can be used in a variety of different ways, and you can go to opc.me/flashcards for that. By the way, when you buy our flashcards, a part of your purchase goes to Nevada SPCA. And you might be thinking, Lesley, I don't live in Nevada. Yeah, well, guess what? We got some dogs and cats and bunnies and chinchillas here. Sometimes some lizards that need a home, and you are helping do that. In fact, our last quarter donation supported 114 shelter animals' food for one whole week.Brad Crowell 8:50  Yeah.Lesley Logan 8:51  114.Brad Crowell 8:52  Yeah, that's pretty amazing.Lesley Logan 8:53  Yeah. So, anyways, you can also get our posters. So there's that opc.me/posters. Okay, this is getting longer and longer every week, Brad. Brad Crowell 9:02  Well, this is just quick. So, our upcoming travel stuff. We've got Cambodia coming up in October. If you want to join us on retreat there, get on the waitlist for next year. Go to crowsnestretretreats.com. Lesley and I are going to be in Sacramento for Balanced Body's 50th anniversary party. They have a POT happening in Sacramento, so you can go to xxll.co/pot for more information on that. Lesley's actually teaching in China. We have no idea how to tell you any more information about that. But that's exciting.Lesley Logan 9:27  I don't have any links. But, I'm teaching in China. The second annual Pilates summit outside of Shanghai.Brad Crowell 9:33  Yeah, that's in November. Then the beginning of December, you're teaching in India in Goa.Lesley Logan 9:38  Yeah, and am I crazy enough to go back and forth? Yes, I fucking am.Brad Crowell 9:41  Because you're flying literally to meet me in Denver, and we go on a winter tour. Lesley Logan 9:44  And also, I can't live in any of these places. I have to come home.Brad Crowell 9:50  Let's roll straight into the charity of the week. September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and we're very, very excited to talk about AFSP or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. It is the nation's leading suicide prevention organization, founded in 1987, and now working through 73 chapters in all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. The AFSP funds research into what actually prevents suicide, trains clinicians and everyday people to recognize warning signs, supports survivors of loss, and it pushes for policy change, most of it funded not by big checks, but by hundreds of 1000s of small donors, just like you and I, showing up during their Out of the Darkness community walks nationwide. So they do an event, Out of the Darkness community walks, and that's what helps raise money. So it's about as trustworthy of a charity as it gets. They get a four-star exceptional rating from the Charity Navigator. Over 80% of every dollar going straight to their programs, and they have a top-rated distinction from Charity Watch, which is the toughest watchdog in the space. The AFSP also recently announced plans to merge with the Jed Foundation, becoming the country's largest suicide prevention organization, spanning every age group, so any donation is landing at a moment when their reach is about to grow. Suicide has touched your life or someone you love, and statistically, for a lot of our listeners, it has. Yeah, this is a place where showing up really helps. Find more, find out about your local chapter by going to afsp.org, afsp.org, and you can actually, in the United States, there is a suicide crisis lifeline. Instead of 911, it's 988, so you can call or text 988 for free, it's confidential, and it's 24/7. Yeah, so I didn't actually know about 988. I knew that there were prevention phone numbers you could call, but I didn't realize that it was as easy as that.Lesley Logan 11:39  It's important because we all have, we all have hard times. Mental health is a is something that should not be a privileged thing that some insurance companies cover. And then if you don't have that, you don't have that. We all are, no one is immune. And we had a dear friend who actually used to work for the Nevada chapter of the AFSP, AFSP, and I got to see the work that she did for two years, and it's really quite incredible what they're doing just to support people. And I can't think of, like, if you're needing community, what you can go be community for people who need it, and you'd be surprised how that can help. But if you need their help, definitely reach out or go to 988 because this is real shit, you know. So, anyways, what else, Brad? Oh, you guys can send in the charities you want us to shout out?Brad Crowell 12:21  Yeah, text us 310-905-5534. Yeah, stick around. We're gonna dig into this convo with Dr. Amy Loden. Brad Crowell 12:30  Welcome back. Let's talk about Amy Loden. Dr. Amy Loden, based in St. Louis, Missouri, nearly died from severe preeclampsia with heart failure during a high-risk twin pregnancy, an experience that exposed major gaps in conventional care and reshaped how she practices medicine. She's a physician, entrepreneur, and the founder of Vitality MWC, a practice focused on women's metabolic and hormonal health, guiding patients through postpartum recovery, perimenopause, and long-term hormonal balance. She's a TEDx speaker, and she also is the author of the Postpartum Pivot. I will have the link for her book in the show notes below.Lesley Logan 13:09  Important. If you had a baby, you need the book, and it's not, oh, I've had a baby 15 years ago. I think you need the book still. I think it's about all health stuff that happens if you've had babies.Brad Crowell 13:18  Yeah, and what a revealing conversation, you know, with her about what it does to what being pregnant and going through that does to the body and how it reveals things. I thought it was really interesting. So yeah. Anyway, what's one of the things you love that she said?Lesley Logan 13:34  Oh my God, there's so many good stuff. We talked. I mean, we talked about. You've also.Brad Crowell 13:37  Just blended two conversations. So.Lesley Logan 13:39  I'm gonna work on not doing that. We're gonna work on. I'm gonna. Well, I mean, you had.Brad Crowell 13:43  One yesterday. Forget.Lesley Logan 13:44  The one I had yesterday. So we talked about perimenopause, and it's very interesting because I think the way she talked about us in the past, people have treated perimenopause like yes or no. I don't have this thing. I have this thing. No, I don't have that thing. But actually, the symptoms are a sliding scale for every woman, and we all have to figure out where we are on the spectrum, which means we just have to be paying attention to our bodies, which is not easy to you when you're really busy and you've got a lot going on. But so she also said, you know, you are going to have those unpredictable ups and downs. There are going to be some months where your ovaries are working like fire, and you're just like, I'm amazing. There's other months where you just feel like you got run over by a truck. And I think it's really nice to have a doctor who's a female who says that because usually they're, oh, well, you don't have it that bad or we can give you these drugs to cover up those symptoms, but really she's talking aboutBrad Crowell 14:28  Or she said her own experience was, okay, you're within the numbers, see you next time, and that's it.Lesley Logan 14:34  Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, and also it's like, okay, well, you're within the numbers, but are those the best numbers for you, you know? And so really filling out, you have to figure out where you are. You, my listener, have to figure out where you are, because that will help you advocate for what you need. And it's really important. I'm really grateful for the doctors that I've had because they can. They have said you are within range, but it's not optimal for you. So they were able to give me support so that I could be optimal for me, and I like how she, you know, perimenopause is like reverse adolescence, and it's like this, you know, you're when you're a young girl, you're going through all the puberty, and you have all the hormonal fluctuations, roller coaster rides, and all of a sudden, hopefully, hopefully you have some. I don't know, that wasn't my experience with periods, but like you have this nice, enjoyable couple decades, and then you reverse back. Yeah, it's like a.Brad Crowell 15:20  Reverse hormone, reverse puberty, reverse puberty. I was like, the word is there somewhere. Yeah.Lesley Logan 15:25  And somebody said, somebody said, who is the asshole who let mothers go through perimenopause when their daughters are going through puberty? And it's like, yeah, but remember, people used to have kids at 16, so that wasn't happening. Actually, but it's here's the thing: if you actually are really into perimenopause and loving women, if you do some historical work on what women's roles were, and I'm not talking about like the assholes or like what the grandma's roles, I'm not talking about that because I'm not a grandma. But the women who get after perimenopause, they became these healers and these doulas for the women who were having the babies and coming up, and they're also the ones that held the history and the stories, and so if we can think of it like that, it kind of makes us feel like we're going into our queendom, you know, like we're going in something cool. So she said, and in case you don't know this, it can run anywhere from 10 to 15 years for you actually go through menopause. And Brad's eyes just lit up, and just and then we've said on the podcast before, but menopause is one day.Brad Crowell 16:21  I was gonna say that. Yeah.Lesley Logan 16:22  It's one day, and then you're like post-menopause.Brad Crowell 16:26  And then.Lesley Logan 16:27  You're on the other side.Brad Crowell 16:28  You're on the other side.Lesley Logan 16:28  Yeah, and then and then if you're lucky, you get two years before you have the shittiest heart like men do. So like it's really fucking awful thing. So ladies, you want to keep your hormones going real well for a long, long time because it doesn't get easier.Brad Crowell 16:44  Yeah, she also did mention HRTs. She kind of didn't actually explicitly say that, but she mentioned that all the hormonal research that had been done in the early 2000s, a lot of that has been disproven and also challenged. And there's a lot more information about it now. So, you know, if you have an assumption that you about that that kind of stuff that you've had with you for a long time, I would recommend it's worth revisiting.Lesley Logan 17:08  I would agree with her. I know I've had women challenge me on this who've had family members with experience of breast cancer, and I understand their experience. But I am someone who has double the risk, and my breast doctor is not opposed to me being on HRT, and my gynecologist is not opposed to being on HRT. I'm not currently on estrogen either. I'm only on two of them, but they're not even opposed to me doing that because the risks of me having heart problems are greater, and I'm on a serious watch. So she.Brad Crowell 17:36  Did also mention that it's not for everybody. It can't be for everyone. Lesley Logan 17:39  No, nothing can be for everybody.Brad Crowell 17:40  Right. Right. So it's something for you to have that conversation with your healthcare provider.Lesley Logan 17:44  But I will also, before we move on, I want to just want to say, if you are worried about the breast cancer risks, there are ways to get tested multiple times a year. So I'm on an every-six-month test schedule, and so I still have decisions I probably want to think about, but also, I'm pretty sure they're going to catch it early because I'm going every six months. So it is a personal decision you must make, but please don't make it out of fear from people saying shit to you on the internet. Talk with your doctors.Brad Crowell 18:15  Yeah, yeah. One thing that I found really interesting about what she was talking about was the way that being pregnant and then going through the process of having a child or giving birth, she said, what it does is it actually unveils what was already there, right? So for her case, giving birth was a stress test on her body, and that it revealed what already was in her body. Yeah, you know, genetically probably.Lesley Logan 18:40  Wasn't coming up on any tests because it was probably in range. Yeah, we've had family members with this, and it makes me go and go, "Oh my God, we need to text them right now." Because there's things you can do when you're younger to take care of stuff that's harder to reverse when you're older.Brad Crowell 18:53  Yeah, sure. But she said that, you know, giving birth is a stress test of a woman's metabolism and cardiovascular system. She explained that culturally we view pregnancy and complications as something that where the answer is into the pregnancy and then it's gone. It happened during the pregnancy only and then afterwards they're all better.Lesley Logan 19:13  Right?Brad Crowell 19:13  Everything's good. It's gone.Lesley Logan 19:14  But it's not gone. The underlying condition still there.Brad Crowell 19:17  Yeah, exactly. She's saying that conditions such as the one she experienced, preeclampsia, it reveals underlying inflammation or insulin resistance that was a previous, you know, something her body was dealing with before. It just all of a sudden was stressed, and that's where something got stuck, right? So she said those conditions are not done after you've given birth. It's just simply something that's been unmasked by the physical toll of pregnancy, and once it's been unmasked, now you can treat it, and it's important to continue to treat it. And I think that's also why Lesley was suggesting at the beginning of the episode that her book is still valuable, even if you've had a child, you know, 15 years ago, because, you know, maybe maybe you did have something that went on. And you haven't looked at it as something that still exists in your body today that you will, you know, hopefully won't have to deal with, but you might have to deal with it as you age.Lesley Logan 20:08  Well, you have to listen to the episode because I have to listen to the episode because, my loves, women's heart conditions, the number one symptom for a woman having a heart problem is sudden death.Brad Crowell 20:20  Sudden death.Lesley Logan 20:21  Sudden death. I like. I think I like peeked the mic when I heard that. Brad Crowell 20:26  Yeah, I heard. I heard you in in my office. What?Lesley Logan 20:29  Yeah, yeah. So and I share that with you because unfortunately there still isn't enough information about women's bodies. A lot of information is still based off of men's bodies, and so tests and studies I've done on men only in the last decade-ish have they said you have to study these things on women, right? But we don't really know a lot of information that we should know by now. There should be information on that, and so why I'm like so insistent on you knowing this information is that when you're younger there are things that might look like they're in range, but if stressed, your body can't handle it. Now, stress is not a bad thing because you can also stress a body, and like your body responds the way it's supposed to.Brad Crowell 21:11  It gets stronger, and it.Lesley Logan 21:12  Gets stronger. Sure, but not every body does that because of genetics, because of too much stress, because of the fuel you're having with the sleep, where you are with your hormones. Did you have those things? And so it's just so important that we advocate for ourselves, my loves. Because, and I know, I know insurance is shit. Still got to do it.Brad Crowell 21:31  Yeah, got to do it. Well, stick around. We'll be right back. We're gonna dig into these be it action items we have with Dr. Amy. Finally, let's talk about those. Be it action items, what bold, executable, intrinsic, or targeted action items can we take away from your conversation with Dr. Amy Logan? She advises women to specifically pay attention to whether their vasomotor systems, hot flashes, night flashes, night sweats—sorry—are happening most days of the week or more than 10 times a day. If you hit that threshold and you choose not to take hormones, she warns you actually have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease or a stroke. Now, obviously, she's not your doctor, right, or our doctor, and she's not. This is like something for you to be aware of to take back to your doctor. But effectively, that's, you know, when she's talking with her patients. That's her barometer. That's her measuring stick. Lesley Logan 22:23  Can you imagine 10 hot flashes?Brad Crowell 22:26  I cannot.Lesley Logan 22:27  Because I don't even have them. But I can't even imagine. I saw that woman on Instagram where you could like see the hot flash, the one that went around. She had 10 of those a day. You have to take a shower. I don't even how you. I don't even know how you do it.Brad Crowell 22:38  Yeah. So while it's not a blanket prescription, she says, and not every woman in the category can or should take hormones. She said it's important for you to understand that that, you know, if you're hitting a point like that, you definitely want to seek professional help to get a medical assessment so that you can make a really informed decision about your health for your future. She urges this listeners not to base decisions on outdated fears. The hormones that we take today are different and safer than what was in the Women's Health Initiative that came out in the early 2000s. So, what about you?Lesley Logan 23:11  She said, "Be true to what your body is telling you." And I think this is really key because I think a lot of times we brush off or push things off or think we ate something bad that one time, or blah blah blah. But really, your body is talking to you, and it doesn't have to. We don't want to wait till it's in crisis, and then we don't want to go, "Oh my god, everything is wrong." We actually, if we were, if we're really paying attention to ourselves, we can start to spot patterns because the doctor cannot be with you every single day, so they are not going to spot the pattern. But you can bring them the pattern, and you are paying attention to yourself. You can do that, and so if you are struggling, you're doing all the things to sleep, and you're not sleeping. That is something you have to tell because your body is telling you, "I don't have the hormones and the things to sleep, which then all of a sudden everything is going to start to shut down in a terrible way when that happens. So make sure you're listening to your body, and you'll become more wise, and you'll even become a better version of yourself. And I thought, what better way to be it till we see it, but to listen to our body? Because it's kind of hard to become the version of yourself you want to be if you're not listening to the version of yourself that you are.Brad Crowell 24:12  That's true.Lesley Logan 24:13  Anyways, I'm telling you guys, my mind is blown and.Brad Crowell 24:16  We already had her back for another episode, so that's going to come out in the near future. Here, what was that topic about?Lesley Logan 24:22  It's a nuanced conversation about metabolism, and it's specifically for people who are in more of an insulin resistance. So it's not, it's going to sound like it's a weight loss conversation. We are not advocating that everyone needs to lose weight, but there's. Brad Crowell 24:35  She was talking about how movement is involved.Lesley Logan 24:37  Yes, right.Brad Crowell 24:38  And then movement. How soon after you've eaten should you be moving, and what kind of movement, and then also how often should you be eating?Lesley Logan 24:46  Yes, and all of that depends on your health.Brad Crowell 24:48  Yeah.Lesley Logan 24:48  Right. And your health is any different. The conversation is not about this weight is the healthy weight. It's not that at all, but that weight is one metric in the biometrics, and so we go into if you have this measurement off, what could also be affecting in the other biometrics, and then how do we address that? Because it's all part of the same wheel, right? When we ended the conversation, it's a very difficult conversation because I don't want anyone to be like, "This is for me," or "This is not for me," or "I don't. I can be healthy in sights, of course, and we have to go off of your blood tests and then your weight and your blood tests, and so it's this really interesting thing, and I really appreciate it because there is information. If you don't have any of these problems, you get to do your thing and have fun until hopefully forever. But if you are struggling with certain biometrics in your blood work and your weight is off, then it's not about losing weight, like every doctor tells you. It's about doing these things that she talks about to help you get your metrics to be where they need to be, and then the weight may or may not change, but the metrics will be better. Anyways, it's so good. I'm so excited about it. It's really great. So stay tuned. But until then, make sure that you send this to a woman in your life who needs to hear it because there's some epic medical information that no one has told me shocked the hell out of me. And then you can also reach out to Dr. Amy Loden if you would like to talk with her. If you live in the United States, so share with her what your takeaways were. All right. Until next time, Be It Till You See It.Brad Crowell 26:14  Bye for now.Lesley Logan 26:15  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod. Brad Crowell 26:58  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 27:03  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 27:07  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 27:14  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 27:18  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    unSeminary Podcast
    From Imitation to Innovation: Finding Your Church’s Own DNA with Sam Hamstra

    unSeminary Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 34:30


    Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're joined by Sam Hamstra, Lead Pastor of Anthem Church, a fast-growing, multi-ethnic and multi-generational church serving Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland. Anthem became an independent church in March 2020—the same week the world shut down—and has since grown to multiple locations and thousands of people. In this conversation, Sam shares how clarity around mission, values, discipleship, and vision has helped Anthem develop a distinct ministry culture and sustain healthy growth. Does your church know exactly who it is and how it does ministry? Are your leaders aligned around a shared playbook—or are you borrowing someone else's model without adapting it to your context? Sam offers practical lessons on creating organizational clarity that shapes everything from calendars to leadership development. Move from imitation to innovation. // Sam is quick to acknowledge how much Anthem learned from churches and networks that came before them. But even before Anthem launched, he began recognizing that another church's model could not simply be copied and pasted into Northwest Indiana. The local culture, demographics, ministry environment, and people were different. Healthy leaders learn from others while also doing the harder work of discerning what God is uniquely calling their church to become. Clarity takes courage. // Copying an established model feels safe because leaders can see evidence that it works somewhere else. Developing your own approach requires greater faith because the outcome is less predictable. Sam believes churches must have the courage to move into that uncertainty. Rather than endlessly chasing the next successful strategy, leaders should prayerfully identify the unique blueprint God has given their church and commit to it. Define your “way.” // Inspired by Patrick Lencioni's The Advantage, Sam and his leadership team spent roughly nine months working through five foundational questions: Why do we exist? How do we behave? What do we do? How do we live? Where are we going? Their answers eventually became what they call “The Anthem Way”—a framework that brings clarity to mission, values, discipleship, spiritual formation, and long-term vision. Mission and vision are not the same thing. // Anthem's mission is to lead people to know Christ and make Him known. That mission remains constant because it flows from the Great Commission. Vision answers a different question: where is God taking this particular church? Separating those ideas has helped Anthem distinguish between the timeless calling of the church and the specific future they believe God is leading them toward. Let your discipleship pathway drive the calendar. // One of the biggest benefits of clarity has been simplifying Anthem's yearly ministry calendar. Instead of allowing every ministry to bring new ideas and events to the table, leaders evaluate opportunities through their defined discipleship pathway. The result is greater focus and consistency. Sam says their annual rhythm has remained largely the same for years, helping both staff and attenders understand what comes next. Boring can be a strength. // Churches often feel pressure to constantly create something new, but Sam has learned that repetition can be one of the greatest drivers of health. Anthem maintains a weekly prayer gathering, predictable discipleship rhythms, and recurring ministry events rather than continually reinventing the calendar. The goal is not novelty. It is consistency around the few things the church believes matter most. Create intentional invite moments. // Anthem builds four major invite opportunities into its annual rhythm: Easter, a Summer Kickoff, Homecoming, and Christmas. These predictable moments give the congregation specific opportunities to invite friends and family. Sam has seen the church grow following these events because people know when the church is intentionally creating space for them to bring someone who may not normally attend. Values have to become behaviors. // Anthem's core values include “We Love People,” “We Choose Joy,” and “We Bleed Passion.” But Sam emphasizes that values only matter when people can see them lived out. Loving people means creating a culture where people can belong before they behave. Choosing joy means approaching ministry with gratitude rather than obligation. Bleeding passion means refusing to settle for the status quo and remaining willing to change as God leads. Use clarity to protect multisite culture. // As Anthem expands to additional locations, the Anthem Way provides clear boundaries for what must remain consistent. Sam is not claiming Anthem's approach is the only way to do church, but he does believe it is important for every one of their locations to understand and embody Anthem's distinct way of doing ministry. That documented clarity gives leaders freedom while protecting the culture across campuses. Check out Anthem Church’s About page to see how their story, mission, values, and discipleship pathway fit together. You can also follow @SamHamstra and @ThisIsAnthemChurch on Instagram. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. Really looking forward to today’s conversation. This is a funny one because literally yesterday I was talking to a church in a coaching call. We were talking about this exact issue that we’re going to unpack today. They’re wrestling with these things. I know that this is going to help you. So you’ve tuned in for a great conversation today with Sam Hamstra. Super excited to have him. He and his wife, Taylor, they founded Anthem Church in March 2020 with a vision and heart to lead people to know Christ and make them know known. Rich Birch — Over the past few years they have seen this mission become a reality, continues to grow. It’s a multi-ethnic, multi-generational family made up of thousands of people from all walks of life in Northwestern Indiana, Chicagoland, and beyond. It’s one of the fastest growing churches in the country. So honored that you’re with us today, Sam. Welcome.Sam Hamstra — Rich, so honored to be with you. This is a full circle moment for me. I’ve been following you for quite some time. So super honored to be on your on your show.Rich Birch — Oh, come on. That’s I’m glad you’re here. We, we’ve got a lot to learn from you today. So March, 2020, it’s one of those dates that sticks in all of our brains. Cause like, we all know, what were you doing? March 15th, 2020. We all can say exactly what we’re, where we were. That’s a wild month to, to launch.Rich Birch — It’s funny because I keep bumping into people who are telling a similar story. They’re like, we started during the pandemic, right at the beginning, right after that sort of thing. Give us a picture today and kind of from that moment all the way on to today, kind of bring the story, bring us, tell us a little bit about Anthem. Give us a flavor of the church.Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so we currently today we’re headquartered in Hammond, Indiana, which when we say Indiana, different people have different thoughts. But we’re we’re actually butting up to Chicago.Rich Birch — Yep.Sam Hamstra — Joking around right now, we’re going to be the future home of the Chicago Bears soon.Rich Birch — Nice.Sam Hamstra — Yeah. But um yeah, so we’re headquartered in Hammond. Our second location is in Merrillville, Indiana, about 30 minutes from here. So currently um our family’s grown to about 2,500 people in English. And we also have a Spanish service as well. And God’s done a phenomenal work over a six-year time frame.Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so we did launch in March of 2020. Our first Sunday was the same Sunday the world shut down.Rich Birch — Wow.Sam Hamstra — And so the third week of March was our first service on the internet.Rich Birch — Dude, that’s amazing.Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — That’s incredible.Sam Hamstra — Yes. So in God’s divine plan, kind of underneath our origin story, we we were actually a part of a church in Tinley Park, Illinois. We were a location of that church called Christian Life Center.Sam Hamstra — And our senior pastor and I, Pastor Jerry McQuay, we had been having an ongoing conversation about him making us independent, which is a whole long story. And he decided to really lean into what he believed God was doing in our lives and in this region and made us independent in God’s divine plan. That started in March of 2020. Rich Birch — Wow.Sam Hamstra — And so we transitioned from being a multi part of a multi site church a location up to being independent in March. And yeah, we started with nothing. We didn’t have any cameras, didn’t have anything. I called our media guy and said, do you have anything at your house? And he brought it. Yeah.Rich Birch — What gear you got in your basement? Yeah, that’s amazing.Sam Hamstra — Yeah and he he brought a camera from his house. And yeah, that’s how we started. One continuous shot streaming online. And that was the start of Anthem Church in March of 2020.Rich Birch — Wow. Yeah, that’s amazing.Sam Hamstra — So God’s done a great work.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s amazing. That’s incredible. That’s cool to hear and fun to see where it’s come, you know, since then. When you look back on that experience, you know, a lot of what you’re trying to define in those early days of a church, you’re trying to bring clarity to like, what is our approach? And part of what we do is you know, we there’s ah there’s, I think, some good copying and pasting. You’re like, hey, here’s the way they do it over here. Maybe we could try a little bit that. But then eventually you start kind of coming up with your own way. You kind of birth your own a approach, playbook, you might call it. Rich Birch — When did you start to feel… ah the kind of transition from, hey, I just want to do it like in this case, either CLC or another church over there. And you started to realize, hey, there’s something unique here at Anthem. And we got to try to define some of that. Talk us through maybe from um a timeline point of view or from a revelation point of view, like, oh, this is kind of things I started to see. Talk us through what that looked like.Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so about two years before we launched Anthem, God started to really kind of do a work in our heart just on unique DNA. And we were coming out of like heavily influenced by ARC, Church of the Highlands, and learned so much from there.Sam Hamstra — And we’re seeing just how like clarity really was so important on where we’re going.Sam Hamstra — And so we were coming in there and I just was really praying and seeking the Lord on, okay, this is great. But in our context here, there’s some some differences, there’s some nuances.Sam Hamstra — This is, um we’re over here. what What does this look like here? And so really took the foundation of that and started looking at what does this look like? So when we started Anthem, it was with the thought of, we really want to lean into this unique blueprint of how God designed us and what God has called us to here. Sam Hamstra — So it really started from the jump from from day one. And so but it was a couple years ahead of time to say, OK, this is great. Let’s let’s use this. Let’s we’ve been imitating. Let’s imitate now move to a little bit of innovation and what the Lord would have for us.Rich Birch — Yeah, and there’s obviously there’s like an art and science to that, right? There’s like the, the yeah, insert whatever church, Church of the Highlands is fantastic. They’re doing a great thing, but you’re not Birmingham, Alabama. And you know and so there’s cultural differences, there’s community differences, there’s different resources and all that. That’s like the kind of science-y part of it. Rich Birch — But then there’s the art part of it, which is a little bit more… like intuitives, it’s like vibes, that kind of thing. How did you discern, okay, what are those things that we should be thinking about that are different that you start, or maybe things you started to see, evidence you started to see like, oh, maybe this isn’t working, just importing. Was there evidence of that that you saw?Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so like, and it was like small things, you know, just on approach to Sunday service. Rich Birch — Right.Sam Hamstra — You know, like, hey, this is open door, we don’t do this on Sunday. And we had just been starting to see like pretty early on, we’re we’re reaching lost people through like a hard approach to the gospel.Sam Hamstra — And it was just like, it wasn’t really seeker sensitive. Rich Birch — Sure.Sam Hamstra — It wasn’t, not saying they are, but just, it was just a little bit different in in our context where people were coming from. On the multi-ethnic side, it was just some approaches being super intentional with sounds, sights, all of that in in our context. And so, and even on the discipleship model, you know, groups, what kind of groups are we doing? How are we setting these up?Sam Hamstra — And so it was definitely like these nuances in the different categories, I would say, of discipleship that we started to pay attention to. That that was really the start, I think, of innovating what we have now.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s cool. Why do you think so many of us just reach for someone else’s model rather than doing the longer, harder, deeper, like it’s more annoying work to try to define you know our own thing and and then ultimately to document it which we’re going to get to here. what What did you actually do to kind of try to codify that? But why do you think we avoid that as leaders?Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so I think on one end, what’s established, you can see that the model works. And so um there’s great success you’re seeing. I mean, it’s working everywhere. And so I think it’s safe. And so deep down, it’s like this is established. I see it work. And so I can kind of press play on this. And and I know to a level that this this works. Sam Hamstra — And so it takes courage to do something that you haven’t seen before. Rich Birch — Right.Sam Hamstra — And deep, deep down, i think in our hearts, to me, that’s probably foundational thing. It’s like, man, I haven’t really seen this so his is going to require some courage, require some faith to press into the unknown.Rich Birch — Right. Right. Sam Hamstra — And so I do think that unknown word leads to some different decisions sometimes.Rich Birch — Well, and your church is an interesting um example just because it’s grown so quickly. I, you know, even in the… the lead up to it, I was thinking about, you know, the word, the term church plant.Rich Birch — Like, I don’t know when that term, you know, I was talking with a church that had been around for 30 years and they’re a big church. They’re like 20,000 people. And they, the lead pastor was like, well, we still think of ourselves as a church plant. And I’m like, yeah, I don’t at some point you stop being a church plant and just be, you start being a church. Rich Birch — And I think actually this is one of those, one of those differentiations is when you start saying, okay, like we’re going to, we believe that kind of God’s called us to this unique thing. There’s something in there. You built something that I think you call the Anthem Way. Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Rich Birch — Walk us through what that is. How does it function? What is the Anthem Way? Help us understand that.Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so this was actually birthed in an odd place. I was reading “The Advantage” by Patrick Lencioni,…Rich Birch — Yeah. Sam Hamstra — …and he was talking about organizational health, and one of the keys is clarity. Rich Birch — Yes.Sam Hamstra — And I had I have kind of, I’m somewhat of a mutt in church in my upbringing. Rich Birch — Love it.Sam Hamstra — So I’ve been in a lot of different environments and seen to a lot of different things. And so it was really just kind of like looking like, how can we just be crystal clear on who we are, where we’re going and different things. And so I read that book and in that book, he actually laid out these questions that he was like kind of pointing to every successful organization needs to answer.Sam Hamstra — And Iwas kind of seeing that with some of the stuff I’ve been hearing. And I’m like, and there’s a couple of missing pieces for me that he pointed to that I thought was so important in church world that I would actually point to that have been some of the biggest things I think that have been what I would call probably the secret sauce of what we’ve seen as far as clarity. Sam Hamstra — Just the separation of something simple, but the difference between mission and vision, you know, why we exist compared to where we’re going. And so, yeah, I read that book and in there he laid out questions that you need to answer. I took that to our leadership team and we wrestled with these probably for about nine months. Sam Hamstra — I’m just going back and forth on wording, how we say things. question by question in five different questions. We answered those and we gave it a name called the Anthem Way. And so that was the foundation, but I want to give credit where credit is due. It came through the book, The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni. Yeah.Rich Birch — Yeah, no, that’s great. That’s fantastic. And I, you know, one of the things I love that you’ve hit on here is I’ve talked in other contexts that our vision, well, this is the problem with with vision, mission stuff is it’s like, first you have to have a conversation. How do you define vision? How do you define mission?Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — But the big thing that we’re called to, the big idea, it comes from Jesus, right? We’re supposed to reach people and grow them up in in in relationship with him. All churches should have that as their core. That is at the core of what we do. Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Rich Birch — But getting clear on how we do that, you know, these other questions I’m assuming has helped give you a bit of a more of an edge, something that’s a little bit different. Do you want to rattle through the five questions… Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Rich Birch — …and maybe some high level, I know we can’t get into all the detail, but kind of high level how you’ve answered it. And then the follow-up I’m going ask you is, which are those couple that have given you what you think are the biggest distinctives around Anthem… Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Okay. Rich Birch — …that kind of that that kind of, um you know, that provide that edge that’s a little different, you think.Sam Hamstra — Yeah. So five questions and I’ll rattle them off quick. But so first one is why do we exist? Mission – the mission question, um which you just said it, I 100% agree, you know, every church really is called to the same thing. Let’s make disciples who make disciples, the Great Commission is still our first priority.Sam Hamstra — And so the way we say that is to lead people to know Christ and make them known. That was something we just prayed into language. We want to share language that people could really rally around. Sam Hamstra — Next question is how do we behave? The values question. We wanted to boil down in our culture those not aspirational values like truly who we are. So we boil those down to three things and wrestle with the language a lot. We wanted them actionable, but we choose joy. We love people and we believe passion. Sam Hamstra — And those all have disclaimers and really feed into our culture of what we call multi-everything. We love people from all walks of life, belong before you behave, and all that falls in there.Sam Hamstra — What do we do? Patrick Lencioni was talking about how that’s really your your business definition, so to speak, not for external use, but internal. We answered that with, we provide defined discipleship pathway.Sam Hamstra — It’s what we do day in and day out. It’s why we wake up in the morning. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. We’re not a country club. We’re not here to make money, we’re a church and and this is this is how we do, like what we do to ah to reach our why.Sam Hamstra — How we live is the spiritual question for us. We wanna make disciples. So we wanted to be able to weigh spiritually what a disciple is. And so we looked at Acts 2:42, which we felt like was a really good, definition of these handles on a disciple. And so we have five kind of disclaimers on what we want to see in our people at our church. And we offer resources on those, but from daily devotion to prayer to we share our Jesus story. How do you testify? How do we share? How do we make Christ known?Sam Hamstra — And then the last one is where are we going, which is the vision question. And we’ve we’re wrestling with the timing right now. We currently have a 10 year vision statement, which is just kind of pointers on like, this is where we believe God is taking us as a people.Sam Hamstra — And so those five questions are give us the framework for what we call the Anthem Way. What I’ve seen, as basic as it sounds and in our context. And I don’t know if this resonates with anybody. One of the most frustrating meetings I had in church context was the yearly calendar meeting.Rich Birch — Yeah, so true.Sam Hamstra — And I just felt like everybody was coming every year with their own ideas. Some of them had to do with our mission, some didn’t. And these are just in past experiences. And so it just felt like everybody was trying to, and some, you know, just different reasons, good, bad, indifferent.Sam Hamstra — And what what gave me great clarity was to look at our defined discipleship pathway and say, this is how we create our calendar. And um that’s been one thing that has simplified everything for us.Sam Hamstra — So every year in the last six years, our our yearly calendar flow has been the same. And our people are starting to understand it. The next steps fall within it when we even, you know, baptisms, we’re doing it this time. And So that’s been one thing is basically that sounds like what do we do?Rich Birch — No, no, that’s good. I like it.Sam Hamstra — I found a lot of confusion on that in the past, on like, how do we do groups? How do we have services? To define everything within that in the discipleship pathway, to me has been life-giving, not only for us as a team, but as as our church as well.Rich Birch — Yeah. Pull that apart a little bit more. I think, because I think this is where we fall down on this type of work is, you know, and, and I know it’s none of the people that are listening in, but there are churches that like, they do a retreat and we’re like, we’re going away. We’re going we’re reading Lencioni. We’re going to define the five questions. We even make a snappy poster and we put it up on the wall. And then we go back to business as usual. It’s the same thing we’ve always done. But you’ve been able to make the connection there, particularly with the calendar.Rich Birch — Maybe talk us through, give us some examples of how this work is shaping, how you’re actually defining, you know, how you operate as a church.Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so one example I would say is prayer. I had somebody call me and I like to think our prayer culture is strong. And they said, how did you get your prayer culture strong? And I said, well, this is really mind blowing. We have a weekly prayer meeting.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Sam Hamstra — And so because of that, and and still as the lead pastor still today, I take responsibility for leading that because I believe it’s it’s a high value for the church. Rich Birch — Right.Sam Hamstra — So it’s on the calendar. We you know And we’re not adding to it. It’s just 6 p.m. to 7 every Thursday. And we support it, which I think is the secondary layer behind that because it’s important. Now we have staff support. We have worship team support. We’re, we’re like staying very focused, on a few things rather than getting broad and going to a retreat and saying, this is a silver bullet. I don’t think there, I think the whole thing is a silver bullet, the whole pathway.Rich Birch — Right. Sure.Sam Hamstra — And so we always say, you know, I took this from somebody, but, you know, we want to be Ruth’s Chris, not Ponderosa. We want a one page menu and we really want to just do that.Rich Birch — Yep.Sam Hamstra — And it might even get boring. And we we’re trying to learn that boring is good.Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah. Boring stuff grows churches. I love it.Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — One of those five is sharing Jesus. Every disciple has one mission, to make Christ known. We don’t keep the gospel to ourselves. We share it through our words, our actions, our lives, wherever we go. We carry the hope of Jesus to a world that needs him.Rich Birch — Unpack some ways that that value drives behavior at the church, that actually drives calendaring and and you know what you’re talking about, that sort of thing.Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so deep, you know, we always want to empower everybody to be inviters and not just share. I think the key word in that is share your Jesus story. You know, we have to be people who understand how to share a testimony outside the four walls with it, you know, with a pretty quick invite to be like, hey, come be part of this community if you don’t have a community.Rich Birch — Right.Sam Hamstra — And so that is really through calendaring. We that’s really probably intrinsically baked into what we’re doing. So anytime I bring a guest to church, I’m saying it from the pulpit. And this is my friend. They’re here. I invited celebrating those through baptisms.Sam Hamstra — We let people testify of so you’re hearing stories of that. And then really resourcing people to make Christ known by sharing their story, teaching them how to do that.Sam Hamstra — So In the context of the calendar, um you know I took this from your playbook, sir, so thank you. We wanted to create four big events in our flywheel… Rich Birch — Yep. Love it. Sam Hamstra — …that are big invite events, that these are the moments where you need to bring 10 people. Rich Birch — Right. Sam Hamstra — We have found in our calendar since day one that we are seeing people respond to that and our church grows after every single time we do a big event. Rich Birch — That’s great.Sam Hamstra — And so we’re we’re doing four quarterly things.Rich Birch — Are those are those four the same every year? Are they, are they, yeah.Sam Hamstra — Yeah, yes.Rich Birch — So what are they? What are those four? If you don’t want me asking.Sam Hamstra — So, you know, Easter, of course… Rich Birch — Yep. Sam Hamstra — …summer kickoff was something we just created… Rich Birch — Yeah, great. Sam Hamstra — …to start the first Sunday of June. We rented a football field and we just say, bring everybody. We don’t… Rich Birch — That’s great. Sam Hamstra — …in our culture here, this is one thing, like, we’re like, we don’t shrink in the summer. This is a great time to grow.Rich Birch — Keep going forward. Yep. Love it.Sam Hamstra — Yeah. And then we created something years ago called Homecoming, just, you know, it was really show up Sunday, invite day. Rich Birch — Yeah. Yep. Sam Hamstra — And then Christmas. Rich Birch — Love it.Sam Hamstra — So those are our four homecomings in November on the calendar. It just kind of flows quarterly for us that way.Rich Birch — That’s great. I love it. Well, I love what we’ve seen in fastest growing church in the country, friends that are listening in, is, you know, lots of churches will get, they have two big days, Christmas and Easter. But what we see is the behavior that you’re doing, which is you kind of end up having to make up a couple other days where you’re kind of injecting energy. We’re recording this in the summertime. You know, lots of churches have pulled a page out of Life Church’s book around At the Movies. And they, at the movies is one of their biggest attended days of the year on the the front end of that.Rich Birch — It’s just made up. There’s no reason for you to come the first week of August… Sam Hamstra — Yeah, absolutely. Rich Birch — …but they’ve decided, hey, we’re going to do that. That’s great. So we’re going to link to your about page where a lot of this is on that that page.Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — On the how our core values, how we behave: We love people. We bleed passion. We choose joy. There’s some unique stuff in there. So talk me through. We love people, I think could be universally true of lots of churches… Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Rich Birch — …but I’m not sure that every church would say we bleed passion. We choose joy. Talk me through those as how those are kind of a unique thing that is helping you define what it means to be Anthem.Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so you know on the love people thing, is you do hear that a lot. And I found there’s a difference between hearing it than living it out. And in religious environments sometimes, you know, I think we all pray we wanna reach the lost until you reach the lost. Rich Birch — True.Sam Hamstra — And our first service, our first Easter Sunday here, we only had one door into our auditorium. And I still remember we had the whole back of the auditorium smelled like weed.Rich Birch — Oh, wow. Okay. Love it.Sam Hamstra — And it was like this tense moment, you know, like of like, okay, this is what we pray for.Rich Birch — Yes.Sam Hamstra — And kind of diving deep into that. So we really own that language within that of we belong before we behave. And so we’re, you know, you can come from all walks of life and we believe Jesus died for all people. So we love all people.Sam Hamstra — And then the we choose joy…Rich Birch — I love that. Before we move on, the thing I love about that… Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Rich Birch — …that you’re calling out, that I do think is a nuance that we miss in too many churches, which is oftentimes we say we want to reach people. But what that comes with is messy pastoral care, hard conversations, stuff that doesn’t make sense, and long nights. Like, it’s just hard. Rich Birch — And, um you know, if you’re, it’s easy to reach Christians from the other church across town. It’s hard to reach people who don’t normally journey in this stuff.Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Yeah.Rich Birch — And I love I love that story, even of your opening weekend with the the smell of weed in the back of the room.Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — I love it.Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Definitely messy.Rich Birch — That’s great. Yes, yes, love it.Sam Hamstra — Yeah. You know, the “We choose joy” has just been, um i think one of the greatest testimonies we had was from somebody that just, it was their first time guest. So like, man, everybody feels like they’re the same here. Everybody’s so happy. And we just wanted to build in just this, we believe that, you know, joy should be a badge that every believer wears. It’s just been, you know, you go into the different environments and some people just, it seems like a chore to be alive.Sam Hamstra — And so we just wanted to drive in. This is a privilege to be part of what God is doing in the earth in this hour, even if it doesn’t look perfect. Rich Birch — That’s great. Sam Hamstra — And then with “We bleed passion”, um that’s really our way to say here, you know, if you’re looking for a place that’s content with status quo, you’re probably not going to like it here. We’re always going to be changing. We’re always going to be moving. We’re always going to be shifting. We always want to go with where the Lord is leading. And so we’re a sending church. Don’t get comfortable. There’s always going to be more services. There’s always going to be new churches. Sam Hamstra — So we tried to to really get that in the DNA from the front side.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. I love it.Rich Birch — I love that “we choose joy”. When I was at Liquid Church, are one of our three in this in this coupling was “Church is fun”. And you know the way we would talk about that is we would say, you know we we we say good news or we say gospel. We’re like, we should be gospel people or we should be good news people. Rich Birch — But what that actually means, how that actually should work itself out in our culture is when people interact with us, those people are a lot of fun to be around. Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Rich Birch — Because they’re redeemed people who have figured out, man, we’re following a God who loves us dearly. So what that should actually like, I love the way you’ve said it, we choose joy. Joy should be the natural outcome of our churches… Sam Hamstra — Yes. Rich Birch — …which is, again, that should not be rocket science, but it’s amazing how much that is a cultural difference or can be a huge cultural difference in many churches.Sam Hamstra — Yes. 100%. Yep.Rich Birch — That’s cool. So um you’ve been using this really throughout your how you develop leaders, how you onboard people, how you, you know, how do you come back to this time and time again? What are you using? How are you using these tools in your leadership development, in your raising up of volunteers, that sort of thing?Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so foundationally, I got to give credit where credit is due once again on this. I heard University of Kentucky’s baseball coach say this about culture, and it was like the best thing I’ve ever heard. He totally transformed his program, and he said it was culture at at the root of it. He said culture is every day. Culture is what you accept, and culture is what you reinforce.Rich Birch — It’s good.Sam Hamstra — And so we try to keep that in front of us as much as we can. It’s you know not something we just say we want to lead the way every day. So within these three, we actually just came out with 10 leadership values that all fit within those three…Rich Birch — Oh, that’s cool.Sam Hamstra — …that give a little more language to our leadership, like, you know, we love people, so we park in back. And so really speaking to the culture of, you know, we put other people first, we serve. Rich Birch — Oh, that’s good.Sam Hamstra — And so, you know, we try to outdo each other. You know, I park about a half mile away from church on Sundays. We don’t we don’t do pastor parking, you know, or anything like that. umAnd so just, it’s every day.Rich Birch — Yes.Sam Hamstra — We do a value at every single one of our pre-service huddles on Sunday. So we’re taking those three values every Sunday, one, here’s what we’re doing.Sam Hamstra — And then Leadership Pipeline, we implemented this two years ago and we’re teaching our Anthem way across the board to a new set of leaders three times a year. And so we really zone in on culture a lot. We’ve just realized people coming from a lot of different places and what makes our culture, our culture are these distinctives. And so we’re teaching those and then really trying to walk them out. And the best testimony we’ve been hearing is people say, yeah, we see that in the leadership of the church. So that’s been really cool to hear.Rich Birch — That’s really cool. I love it. And friends, this just reminds me of the like such a foundational thing we’ve all got to get right and work on and then repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat.Rich Birch — We’ve got to keep on top of this language and and just come back to it time and time again. So you’re multi-site, you’re you’re going to launch more campuses down the road. Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — How does this tie into that conversation around, you know, there can be in you know, some multi-site churches, there’s like this tension of uniformity, you know, versus autonomy. And like, how how does that how does how does your thinking work out with the Anthem Way in multiple locations?Sam Hamstra — Yeah. So I want to preface this with I’m new, so I am figuring this out in real time. Rich Birch — Sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah.Sam Hamstra — I’m coming from from being a campus pastor to now being in the position I’m in. We’re two years into our first ah plant location campus. So and we’ve seen it be successful.Sam Hamstra — But what we’ve agreed on is we are going to be uniform in the Anthem Way. So we’re choosing uniformity and everything that falls within that box of the Anthem Way. Um, and so that has been like the running lanes for us to define what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, the way we talk, the way we move, our style of church, um, and all of that. So that’s been, you know, we’ve been really struggling with, with, with what you just said, that uniformity versus unity versus, you know, autonomy. Sam Hamstra — And so, the Anthem Way is to become our framework on how we’re starting locations. And we feel like as long as everybody’s in sync with all, and it and it entails a lot, right? I mean, how we do church, our approach to a lot of things.Sam Hamstra — And so that’s been that’s been our overarching theme is we want to be uniform in this. Rich Birch — yeah that’s good. Sam Hamstra — And so that’s what we’ve been trying to make sure it’s documented, ready to go.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Yeah, that’s an interesting, that’s like a, we could have a whole other half an hour just on on on that issue.Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — But one of the things we have seen over the long arc of the multi-site movement is churches that are choosing clarity and um and more, yeah, an understanding of, in your case, what is Anthem and how do we do what we do, those churches are the churches that, from my perspective, and not just statistically, are actually benefiting more from the multi-site movement. Rich Birch — The churches where they’re like, hey, let’s spend a lot of time. It can actually be the worst model because it’s like, we have a lot of people thinking about all the different ways you could potentially do church. As opposed to saying, no, no, like this is the way we’re not, we’re not saying this is the best way. We’re just saying it’s our way. We’re not saying that this is the only way to do it.Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — We’re just saying this is the way we do it. And, um and we’re okay with that. We’re settled on on that as an issue.Sam Hamstra — Yeah. That’s good. That’s good.Rich Birch — That’s interesting. Is there anything that changed or that has changed as you, I realize you’ve influenced ben to this from the beginning, but like, has there been anything that has kind of changed as you got clearer on the Anthem Way over the over the years? You know, something you cut or improved or, you know, is there anything that jumps to mind on that front?Sam Hamstra — Yeah, we’re would I might use the word refined rather than changed. Rich Birch — Sure. Yep, that’s good. Sam Hamstra — I was just talking to our discipleship director this morning just on, you know, is there is there a small group model? So like our three kind of handles in our discipleship pathway are know Christ, grow in Christ, and and make Christ known.Sam Hamstra — And, you know, our small group model isn’t working. We added what we call the Mosaic School of Ministry, which is is another thing in Grow. And we’ve actually seen way more interest and success in that. And so, you know, we have a way higher percentage right now going through what we call a School of Ministry, which is classes and and discipleship then we’re getting in small groups. Sam Hamstra — And so we’ve been just kind of wrestling with that a little bit. Like, is that culture, is it good, is it bad? And so I think those those refining moments have have really changed. We started off, though, I feel soft saying this, but it worked in our context. But we would start every year with 21 days of prayer and fasting in the beginning. And do 21 days again in the fall.Rich Birch — Love it.Sam Hamstra — We’ve actually gone down to seven days to start the year. There’s seven days in the fall. We just feel like we’re seeing actually better results with more people getting involved just with those minor tweaks, just to say this…Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Sam Hamstra — …his is we’re we’re seeing bigger impact there. Rich Birch — Sure. Sam Hamstra — But so I think those refining things have been really good.Rich Birch — Has there been any of that refining that has come not from you, but from a member of your team? Like, has anyone called you out or called the church out on like, hey, like on prayer or on any of these where, you know, like when that’s happened in my life, I kind of like that. Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — I’m like, oh, well, that’s a pleasant thing that just happened there, even though it feels weird to be the person being called out.Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — Have you had any experiences like that?Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Yes. I’m laughing because, yeah, I’ve had quite a few. I could point to the one with prayer fasting. Rich Birch — Yes. So somebody on our team was like, hey, pastor, you know that there’s really no a place in the Bible where there’s a three week corporate fast. Rich Birch — Sure. Sam Hamstra — Yeah like where the whole church is coming together for three weeks and I’m like well I got a challenge, I’m gonna look. And I’m like sure enough you know, I’m maybe somebody could find it, but it was like these times and seasons where people come together for specific things of like, oh man you’re right. Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah, love it. Sam Hamstra — So and so that was like one of those um yeah it’s it’s definitely happened quite quite a bit and so which I love that too and so it’s been such a blessing of solid team that feels free to speak when when they need to.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s great. Well, this has been a good conversation, just as we’re kind of coming to land. If you think about a church out there that feels like okay they’ve listened to this and they’re like okay, we maybe they’ve opened up your website. And they’re like, hey, we’re not as clear on this that as we could be, we need to get much clearer on that.Rich Birch — What’s kind of one first step that you would encourage people to take? What would be kind of the best first step towards getting clarity on this front?Sam Hamstra — Write the vision, make it plain so that he that reads it may run.Rich Birch — Dude, I love it. And with that, we end the episode. That’s fantastic. No, that’s great. Unpack that a little bit.Sam Hamstra — Um, you know, I for so much of my life, I was always looking to be so unique and so different. Rich Birch — Right.Sam Hamstra — And I felt like I just needed the next best thing. And it was wasn’t until I just locked into this is what the Lord has for us. And it might sound like somebody else it might look and that’s OK, but this going to be very unique to us. And this is what we’re doing. And just to be very clear on that and then just this is for me, but I get bored so easily. And to just, just not get bored and just keep doing the same thing in the same direction day after day.Rich Birch — Right.Sam Hamstra — And in that that flywheel, to use your words, it does work. And just to see that go and to to get very clear and and simple and and let people know where you’re going and just keep saying the same thing over and over is so life-giving.Rich Birch — That’s so good. So good.Rich Birch — Well, I really appreciate you being here today. If we want to send people anywhere online to track with you or to track with the church, where do we want to send them?Sam Hamstra — So first name, last name would be all my personal stuff. So @samhamstra, last name H-A-M-S-T-R-A.Sam Hamstra — And all church stuff is weareanthemchurch.com. And then weareanthemchurch on social as well.Rich Birch — Love it. So good. Appreciate that, Sam. Thanks so much for being here. Honored that you take some time to be with us today.Sam Hamstra — Yeah, thanks so much, Rich, my honor.

    Insight for Living Canada - LifeTrac Podcast

    This is Your Chance admin Thu, 09/03/2026 - 12:00am Parents, your children need to know they're loved unconditionally and that you won't condemn them when they mess up. Talk straight, get close, and let grace overflow in your home.

    Breathe Love & Magic
    The Clouds Parted. The Sunshine Beamed. Did I Really Do That?

    Breathe Love & Magic

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 22:21


    I asked the clouds to disperse and about twenty minutes later to my amazement, they did. Manifesting sunshine actually worked! This story might make you wonder what’s actually possible when you stop complaining about your circumstances and start asking for what you do want. There’s a much bigger application for what I learned that can help you live the life you want. My Beach Day Started With a Dilemma My friend wanted to go to a specific beach that required a town sticker. I didn’t have one. Getting that sticker meant a trip to the town office, and I wasn’t in the mood for a line or bureaucratic energy. I didn’t want the hassle, but I decided to make it work. The morning started with a clear blue sky. By the time my friend arrived, clouds had rolled in. We drove to the tax assessor’s office anyway, and I braced myself for a wait. I opened the office door and to my surprise, there was a window available. Five minutes later I was back in my car with the sticker on my bumper. If you’ve ever stood in a town office line, you know five minutes is a small miracle. Disappointing Weather We arrived at the beach, plunked down our chairs and sat down under the clouds and strong wind. My friend immediately reached for a sweatshirt. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the perfect August beach day we’d hoped for. We could have packed up and spent time complaining about the weather. But we didn’t. Instead, we chatted for a while, catching up. Then I commented on the wind and my friend made a suggestion that was so interesting. She said, “Let’s talk to the wind and see if it has a message for us.” We settled in, closed our eyes, and tuned in. The message I received was about clearing. The wind was loosening what didn’t serve me, and the sand and water were there to ground me and clear old, stuck energy. My friend received something similar. Speaking to the Wind and Clouds From there, more ideas came about talking to the wind. We asked the wind to calm down. Then the sun popped through a small hole in the clouds – it was like a sun doughnut hole. A thought thought came to me – ask the clouds to create more holes for the sunshine. And the sun did break through several more times. We didn’t leave didn’t fixate on these requests. Just asked and went back to chatting. We kept our feet in the sand and enjoyed what was. Eventually, I decided to just go for it and asked the clouds to dissipate. I asked, “Don’t you want to disperse and clear so we can see blue sky and sunshine? Come on, I know you want to do that.” I said this in a fun and teasing, playful way. Then my friend and I became reabsorbed in conversation and forgot all about it. What Happened 20-Minutes Later About twenty minutes later, I looked up and realized the wind had calmed to a breeze. When did that happen? And suddenly, the sky above us was blue. Previously, the clouds that had been parked overhead and totally motionless for hours. But now they were at the far edges of the visual sky. Now, could there be a meteorological explanation? Maybe. But the experience itself was undeniable. For about 45 minutes, we sat in the warm, bright sunshine of a day late in August, on a day that had started out gray and blustery. I like to think I had something to do with that and take the credit. Then next thought was, why hadn’t I been more specific and asked for two hours of sun? Maybe that would have been possible. By this time, it was 4pm and the clouds had drifted back as the wind had picked back up. We felt done, so we packed up and headed home. The Lesson Was Bigger than the Weather Today, thinking back over these events, it hit me. How often do I do spend time complaining, rather than enjoying what is? And how often do I just ask for what I want rather than spending time resisting what is? The minute something goes wrong, I start talking about what’s wrong with it. I say how unfair it is, how frustrating it is, what isn’t working for me. I feel dissatisfied and resistant to what is happening. That’s okay. Sometimes you need to get something off your chest. But what comes after the venting matters just as much. Do you stop there? Or, do you start to focus on what you do want? This is a question about where you are putting your energy. Complaining, resisting, feeling frustrated, these are all energy drains if they continue for too long. When you share your complaints with everyone, you are pumping that energy out into  the Universe. “I don’t want this job” is a very different comment than “here’s what I do want.” The first keeps you circling the problem, while the second moves you to invest energy and time into what you do want. We could have spent that whole beach day complaining about the wind and the clouds. Instead, we engaged with what was in front of us, asked for something different, without a lot of expectations. We noticed what was happening, thought about what we could do to possibly change our circumstances and did that. And it worked! Put Your Energy Into What You Do Want I can’t prove these conversations and requests with the elements changed the weather. What I do know for certain is that our requests changed our experience of the weather. That shift, from resistance to engagement, from complaint to request, is available to you anytime, with everything. A ritual isn’t needed or a complicated spiritual practice. You don’t need to know exactly how something works. Simply notice when you’re spending your energy on what you don’t want, and redirect yourself toward what you do want. Picture it. Talk about it. Imagine it. Ask for it. Then leave space for something to magical to happen. When you imagine what you want, something shifts inside you. Your attention and energy changes. You begin looking for possibilities instead of problems. You become more open to synchronicities. You notice little openings that you might have missed before. We can’t control the weather, other people, or most circumstances. But we can control where we put our attention and how we use our energy. That might be a much bigger kind of power than controlling the weather ever was. You are far more powerful than you actually think. Remember that and go for what you want! FAQs – Manifesting Sunshine & Everyday Magic What does it mean to manifest sunshine? Manifesting sunshine means shifting your attention and energy toward the outcome you want, in this case sunshine and a calm breeze, rather than dwelling on the conditions you don’t like. It centers on changing your relationship to what’s happening while staying open to positive shifts. Can you really influence the weather with your thoughts? There’s no scientific evidence that personal intention changes weather patterns. What shifts is your experience. Focused attention and playful engagement can change your mood, your openness to noticing happy moments, and your willingness to stay present instead of leaving or shutting down. How do I start asking for what I want instead of complaining? Let yourself vent first because that’s normal and useful. Then pause and ask yourself, “What do I want instead?” Get specific, picture it, and speak it out loud or write it down. That single question shifts your energy from resistance into a more creative, positive force. What is a synchronicity, and how is this story an example of one? A synchronicity is a meaningful coincidence that feels connected, even without a clear cause-and-effect link. Getting a beach sticker in five minutes with no line, followed by clouds parting shortly after a playful request, are both small events that felt too well-timed to be random. Why didn’t the sunshine last longer? The sun and calm wind returned to their original pattern after about 45 minutes,. Maybe this was because the request wasn’t specific about duration. Clarity matters! Naming what you want, including how much and for how long, can shape the outcome more precisely. Key Takeaways Complaining about a circumstance and asking for something different are two separate steps. Do both, just don’t stop at the first one. You don’t need proof that your request “worked” to benefit from having made it. The shift in your own energy and attention is real either way. Getting specific matters. A vague request may bring a vague or short-lived result. Staying present and engaged, even when you don’t get an instant response, keeps you open to noticing the shift when it comes. You can’t control the weather, other people, or most circumstances, but you can always choose where you put your attention and energy next. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What does it mean to manifest sunshine?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Manifesting sunshine means shifting your attention and energy toward the outcome you want, in this case literal sun and calm weather, rather than dwelling on the conditions you don't like. It centers on changing your relationship to what's happening while staying open to unexpected shifts." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can you really influence the weather with your thoughts?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "There's no scientific evidence that personal intention changes weather patterns. What shifts is your experience: focused attention and playful engagement can change your mood, your openness to noticing good moments, and your willingness to stay present instead of leaving or shutting down." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How do I start asking for what I want instead of complaining?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Let yourself vent first; that's normal and useful. Then pause and ask directly: 'What do I want instead?' Get specific, picture it, and speak it out loud or write it down. That single question moves your energy from resistance into a more creative, forward-looking place." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is a synchronicity, and how is this story an example of one?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A synchronicity is a meaningful coincidence that feels connected, even without a clear cause-and-effect link. Getting a beach sticker in five minutes with no line, followed by clouds parting shortly after a playful request, are both small events that felt too well-timed to be random." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Why didn't the sunshine last longer?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The sun and calm wind returned to their original pattern after about 45 minutes, likely because the request wasn't specific about duration. Clarity matters: naming what you want, including how much and for how long, can shape the outcome more precisely." } } ] } The post The Clouds Parted. The Sunshine Beamed. Did I Really Do That? appeared first on Intuitive Edge.

    Soul Driven Podcast
    334. Stop Believing Everything

    Soul Driven Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 43:44


    ***ONLY my podcast is hosted on Substack. Join my newsletter community and receive weekly Akashic Nourishment messages, resources, and spiritual guidance! Join HERE We have access to more information than ever before. AI. Google. Podcasts. Therapists. Coaches. Spiritual teachers. Social media. Friends and family. Everyone has an opinion, an explanation, or an answer.But more information doesn't necessarily mean more TRUTH.And the more voices we have access to, the more important it becomes to develop one of the greatest spiritual skills we can have: discernment.I've developed this throughout my entire life, but working within the Akashic Records has deepened my discernment in ways I never expected. Because the Akasha doesn't simply give me answers—it continually asks me to listen, question, interpret, feel, and ultimately decide what is true and aligned for ME.And I believe we ALL need more of that right now.You can listen to brilliant teachers. Ask God for guidance. Work with your intuition. Receive a reading. Use AI. Talk to your therapist. Seek advice from people you trust.But at the end of the day, YOU are still responsible for deciding what you believe and what you choose.And learning how to do that? That's freedom.I pray it serves you :))SEPTEMBER Events & Offerings:~ REGISTRATION OPENS 9/14 ~ Access Your Akashic Soul starts 10/5: My 10-Week Deep Dive into reading and conducting energy healing with the Akashic Records. https://ahnahendrix.com/access-your-akashic-soul/~ Receive 20% OFF Akashic Soul Readings until 9/14 using code CONNECT!! Let's get to the root of what's happening in your life, relationships, or purpose—so you can move forward with certainty and direction. Book here: https://ahnahendrix.com/akashic-records/Don't forget, When you invest in yourself, the world benefits!Many Blessings, AhnaCONNECT ONLINEJoin my Beautiful Email Community https://bit.ly/4xXsIpyYouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5fsN8oqu8Ib8IcvpYZA4jQ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit souldrivencollective.substack.com

    Dr. Brendan McCarthy
    Does Progesterone Cause Breast Cancer? The Truth About Natural vs. Synthetic Progesterone

    Dr. Brendan McCarthy

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 21:12


    Does progesterone cause breast cancer—or could it actually play a protective role in the body? The answer isn't as simple as the headlines make it seem. In this episode, Dr. Brendan McCarthy breaks down one of the most confusing conversations in hormone health: the difference between bioidentical progesterone and synthetic progestins. Not all medications called “progesterone” are the same. They may protect the uterine lining in similar ways, but they can behave very differently throughout the body.  

    Run The Numbers
    Andy Ellis: How to Lead Without Becoming the Hero, the Villain, or the Bottleneck

    Run The Numbers

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 60:09


    In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ sits down with leadership coach and former Akamai executive Andy Ellis. They break down why being indispensable can actually hurt your career, why managers shouldn't automatically replace someone who leaves, how hero-villain thinking leads to bad decisions, and what great delegation and leadership actually look like.—SPONSORS:Rillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to replace NetSuite and close faster. With revenue recognition, close management, multi-entity support, and native Stripe and Salesforce integrations, Rillet helps scaling companies run their finance stack in one place. Hundreds of teams, including Windsurf and Mercor, use Rillet to make the zero-day close real. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjMaximor is an autonomous finance platform that runs order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, the close, cash management, and reporting on self-learning agents instead of a dozen disconnected tools. One PE-backed customer posts 98% of transactions directly to its ERP, with the remaining 2% routed to a human for review. You pay for outcomes, not seats. See it at https://www.maximor.ai/Brex is an intelligent finance platform with AI-powered workflows that enforce expense policies at the point of sale, match receipts automatically, and reduce month-end close from weeks to hours. Thousands of companies, including Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash, already run on Brex. Stop asking A-level finance talent to do B-level admin work. Learn more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAnrok is the sales tax platform that watches your exposure everywhere, automates compliance, and flags risk before it turns into a surprise back-tax letter from a state you've never set foot in. Companies like Anthropic, Notion, and Vanta already trust Anrok to stay ahead of rules that move faster than any spreadsheet can. Talk to a sales tax expert for a personalized exposure estimate at https://www.anrok.com/rtnRightRev is a revenue recognition platform built for the AI economy, helping finance support usage-based pricing, credits, hybrid contracts, seats plus consumption, and whatever commercial model comes next. It gives product teams the freedom to keep innovating without outdated revenue systems slowing them down. Learn how RightRev can help at https://rightrev.com/cjPulley is an equity management platform that lets you issue options, model dilution, and complete 409As without your cap table turning into a spreadsheet disaster. Founders raising, hiring, and scaling use Pulley to keep equity clean and stay focused on building. Learn more or request a demo at https://pulley.com/mostlymetricsEY has been part of Silicon Valley since it was just a valley, helping the most successful names in tech go from startup to exit to megacap. With teams across strategy, tax, audit, and transactions, EY helps you get your financials right early, long before your investors start asking for it. You build the next big thing, and EY will help you build it right. Learn more at https://www.ey.com/techstartups—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNGuest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/csoandy/Company: https://www.csoandy.com/CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Jero and Villain Stories1:43 Welcome to Run the Numbers2:53 Andy's Book: 1% Leadership7:44 Rule 1: Don't Replace People Immediately14:04 Rule 2: Don't Become Indispensable16:02 How Andy Learned to Speak Finance22:35 Rule 3: Don't Tell Yourself Hero/Villain Stories26:59 The 5K Race Mindset Shift31:01 Rule 4: Don't Overspecify Delegation35:59 Rule 5: Don't Obsess Over Your Strengths38:23 The Six Leadership Disciplines43:45 The Vendor Rebuff Email47:45 Why Leaders Avoid Saying No50:28 Story: The Guinness Bartender Promotion53:52 When Metrics Get Gamed54:11 Asking Better Questions Segment59:07 Where to Get the Book

    Romeo & Friends
    Romeo In The Morning 9-3-26

    Romeo & Friends

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 78:28 Transcription Available


    If You Missed Romeo In The Morning We Talked About: Kids don't wash car, relationship advice and short term relationship.

    Talk'n the Beat
    Orange Justice with Scott Baker

    Talk'n the Beat

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 55:31


    On this edition of Talk'n the Beat, Officers Larry Reynolds and Jillian Booker conduct the show's first phone interview as they welcome former NYPD officer, comedian, writer, producer and actor Scott Baker.Baker shares the experiences that helped shape his life, including tragedy in his family's past, his years in law enforcement and a lifelong connection to comedy. He discusses learning that “you can't laugh and cry at the same time” and how humor can help officers process some of the difficult things they encounter on the job. He also explores how listening, communicating and connecting with people can lead to better outcomes in policing.The conversation also explores the connection between Baker's experiences in policing and comedy, including his unscripted cop comedy series Midtown and his new film, Orange Justice, which he co-wrote, produced and stars in alongside longtime comedy partner Tom Malloy.For more from Scott Baker, visit LaughFast.comSend Your Questions to Officer Reynolds and Officer Booker!Email us at ttb@sterlingheights.gov and your question may be used in an upcoming podcast episode.

    HAPPY AFRICAN MARRIAGE - Reconnect with Spouse, Christian Podcast, Strong Marriage Partnership, Married with Kids, Stronger M
    EP 224 \\ Tired of a Good Spouse? 3 Reasons You Feel Disconnected in Your Marriage (Part 2)

    HAPPY AFRICAN MARRIAGE - Reconnect with Spouse, Christian Podcast, Strong Marriage Partnership, Married with Kids, Stronger M

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 26:40


    Hi friend, Have you ever looked at your marriage and thought, “We're doing okay, so why don't I feel as connected to my spouse as I used to?” Maybe there's no major conflict. No betrayal. No obvious crisis. You have a good spouse, you love each other, and yet something feels different. What if neither you nor your spouse is the problem—but your marriage has quietly lost connection? In Part 2 of this two-part conversation, we explore why you may feel tired of a genuinely good spouse and how a marriage can gradually become more functional than connected. Discover how couples can become excellent partners but distant friends—and learn three practical ways to rebuild curiosity, appreciation, and meaningful connection. ............................................................................................

    The Beer Engine
    Free Hot Gardner

    The Beer Engine

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 113:37


    We're running out of time until I have to prepare myself and my mind for Tony to be here in the USA. I hope he has all of his paperwork - they've been kind of tight with that lately. Introducing the fam to Underberg - a harrowing experience. Hot gardners for free? What do people even want these days? Gone in 60,000 PBRs and BrewDog is freaking BACK baby. Time to levy some punishment on these freaks, let's go! ★ Support this podcast ★

    Reel Radio with Kevin Brannon
    S10:E19 | 09.02.23026 | Community Kevin talks with Bob Semerau | rar

    Reel Radio with Kevin Brannon

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 60:52


    Community Kevin Brannon is back and talks with Bob Semerau, veteran outdoor journalist who has spotlighted California's fishing scene for over 20 years. They discuss the Sespe Fly Fishers upcoming film festival, the art of fishing and more.

    The Dave Ramsey Show
    Different Outcomes Require Different Choices

    The Dave Ramsey Show

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 129:04


    talk explore choices debt irs medicare outcomes shopify ramsey require dave ramsey baby steps everydollar boost mobile jade warshaw christian brothers automotive christian healthcare ministries churchill mortgage
    Skip and Shannon: Undisputed
    Acho, Shady & Carebear React To Tony Romo's Statement, Browns Drama, Hurts Speaks Out & MORE!

    Skip and Shannon: Undisputed

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 132:18


    Sunday-Thursday at 11:15 PM ET. Hosted by Emmanuel Acho with LeSean “Shady” McCoy, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and "Carebear" Kieran Hickey-Semple, the show brings hot takes, cold truths, and culturally forward conversations that connect sports and culture in real time. ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ Facebook Discord PrizePicks x Speakeasy Pick MORE or LESS. Win cash. Talk your talk. Play $5, get $150 in lineups →  ⁠⁠PrizePicks | America's #1 Fantasy Sports App⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The World of Phil Hendrie
    Episode #3915 The New Phil Hendrie Show

    The World of Phil Hendrie

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 21:03 Transcription Available


    The Phil Skit Show. Major Elvis Newton’s wife Balloonia has been disrespected. Also Bobbie Dooley has an announcement.Sign up for a Backstage Pass and enjoy Hours of exclusive content, Phil's new podcast, Classic podcasts, Bobbie Dooley's podcasts, special live streaming events and shows, and oh so very much more…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The World of Phil Hendrie
    Episode #3915 The New Phil Hendrie Show Radio Archive May 2001

    The World of Phil Hendrie

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 30:29 Transcription Available


    Bob Green is a gas station owner who talks about why the cost of gasoline is so high. Among those reasons are special blue towels that they have keeping the graffiti off of the bathrooms. People are really filthy and Bob Green’s gotta go in there and scrub everything clean.Sign up for a Backstage Pass and enjoy Hours of exclusive content, Phil's new podcast, Classic podcasts, Bobbie Dooley's podcasts, special live streaming events and shows, and oh so very much more…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The World of Phil Hendrie
    Episode #3915 The New Phil Hendrie Show Radio Archive September 2001

    The World of Phil Hendrie

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 25:15 Transcription Available


    Phil is joined by Dr. Jim Sadler, who has brought an entire hour of advertising on the show to talk about creating the illusion of being a virgin.Sign up for a Backstage Pass and enjoy Hours of exclusive content, Phil's new podcast, Classic podcasts, Bobbie Dooley's podcasts, special live streaming events and shows, and oh so very much more…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The World of Phil Hendrie
    Episode #3915 The New Phil Hendrie Show Radio Archive Hour

    The World of Phil Hendrie

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 35:14 Transcription Available


    Featuring Steve Bosell from November 2002. He’s a construction contractor and is on to tell us that he came home and told a friend of his wife that she had a “nice camel toe.” Now he’s suing everyone in sight for their understandably negative reaction. And we have a Paul “Tubby” Lane flashback!Sign up for a Backstage Pass and enjoy Hours of exclusive content, Phil's new podcast, Classic podcasts, Bobbie Dooley's podcasts, special live streaming events and shows, and oh so very much more…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Tennis Podcast
    US Open Day 3 - Top seed Zverev survives, barely

    The Tennis Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 66:58


    Catherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts convene to discuss a rain-affected day at the US Open which ended with top seed Alexander Zverev coming within two points of defeat before eventually winning at 1:55am.Part one - Men. We react to Zverev's win over Lorenzo Sonego, including the dazzling tennis played at times by the Italian, the lateness of it all, and whether Zverev has played himself into form or not. Elsewhere, we cover Flavio Cobolli's first ever comeback from two sets down and a win for the incomparable Gael Monfils on his 40th birthday. Part two (28:51) - We discuss Coco Gauff's first round victory over Zeynep Sonmez and how it revealed the tough viewing experience for tennis fans inside the Arthur Ashe stadium at night. Plus, a nervy opening win for Madison Keys, a better-than-expected performance from Elena Rybakina, a strong start for Alexandra Eala, and a big win for Yulia Putintseva over Belinda Bencic in a match where Bencic was fortunate not to be defaulted. Part three (53:54) - A look ahead to Wednesday's order of play which still has some first round matches left to finish, as well as Jessica Pegula and Ben Shelton with potentially tricky matches on Ashe.Thank you to Steve Furgal's International Tennis Tours Tours4Tennis.com/Podcast, the Premium Hospitality and Experience provider for supporting our US Open coverage.They can organise your dream tennis-watching experience at the biggest tournaments in the world, inducing the WTA Finals held this year at Indian Wells, 8th-15th November.Just go to Tours4Tennis.com/Podcast and use the code DEUCE5 at checkout for 5% off.5% off select WTA Finals packages with code DEUCE5 at tours4tennis.com/podcast. Valid 8/24/26 through 9/30/26. New bookings only; applies to base package price; subject to availability. Cannot be combined with other offers. Subject to On Location's Purchase Policy and Terms of Use.For ad-free listening and bonus content, Become a Friend. Check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠new merch shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Cut The Faff t-shirts coming soon!Talk tennis with Friends on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Barge! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to receive our free ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (daily at Slams and weekly the rest of the year, featuring Matt's Stat, mascot photos, Fantasy League updates, and more)Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (@thetennispodcast) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Talking Simpsons Official Free Feed
    Talk To The Audience?!? - August 2026

    Talking Simpsons Official Free Feed

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 95:03


    We've reached the end of the month, which means it's time for another episode of our community podcast! This time around, listen in as we report on the big, bad, boatload of Simpsons news brought to us by Comic-Con and D23. And, as always, we read and respond to your questions and comments from the last round of podcasts. It's all happening on Talk to the Audience, where we're very proud to make you a member of our very select group.

    IrishIllustrated.com Insider
    Irish Illustrated Interviews: Tim Murray, CFB Sports Betting Analyst, Notre Dame Fan

    IrishIllustrated.com Insider

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 48:40


    Sign up now to access the daily Notre Dame news and recruiting scoop on the Four Horsemen Lounge and all of the premium Notre Dame stories on IrishIllustrated.com!Get your first month for only $1.00 -- sign up today. What's on your mind?Talk about it at the Four Horseman Lounge Sign up for our FREE Notre Dame Newsletter Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    MoneyWise on Oneplace.com
    Medicare Made Simple with Eddie Holland

    MoneyWise on Oneplace.com

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 24:57


    Medicare may be one of the most important—and confusing—financial decisions you make in retirement. Between enrollment deadlines, late penalties, Medicare Advantage, Medigap, prescription coverage, and income-based premiums, there are plenty of decisions to navigate. And because some choices can have long-term financial consequences, understanding the basics before you enroll is an important part of wise stewardship. Eddie Holland, Senior Private Wealth Advisor and Partner at Blue Trust, as well as a CFP®, CPA, and Certified Kingdom Advisor®, recently joined Faith & Finance to help simplify Medicare and explain some of the most important planning considerations. Understanding Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D A good place to begin is with Medicare's different parts. Medicare Part A primarily covers hospital-related care, including inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing care, and hospice. For people who have accumulated the required work credits through either their own employment or their spouse's, Part A generally does not require a monthly premium. Medicare Part B covers many medical services outside the hospital, including doctor visits, lab work, and outpatient procedures. Unlike Part A, Part B generally carries a monthly premium, and higher-income retirees may pay more. Medicare Part D covers prescription drugs. Those enrolled in Original Medicare—Parts A and B—can generally purchase a separate Part D prescription drug plan. Medicare Part C, better known as Medicare Advantage, is offered through private insurance companies. These plans combine Parts A and B and often include Part D prescription coverage as well. Some plans may also offer additional benefits such as dental or vision coverage. Another option for those using Original Medicare is a Medicare supplement plan, commonly called Medigap. These private plans are designed to help cover some of the deductibles, copayments, and other expenses that Original Medicare does not pay. Pay Close Attention to Enrollment Timing Timing matters when enrolling in Medicare. Your Initial Enrollment Period generally lasts seven months: the three months before the month you turn 65, your birthday month, and the three months afterward. But turning 65 does not always mean you have to immediately leave employer-sponsored health coverage. If you or your spouse are still working and you have qualifying employer coverage, you may have access to a Special Enrollment Period, allowing you to delay certain portions of Medicare without facing a late enrollment penalty. Holland notes that employer size and the nature of the coverage can affect how Medicare coordinates with the employer plan. That makes it important to speak with your employer's benefits or human resources department before making assumptions about which coverage should come first. Employer Size Can Make a Difference If your employer has 20 or more employees, the employer health plan may generally remain the primary payer while you continue working, potentially allowing you to postpone Part B and its monthly premium. With an employer of fewer than 20 employees, Medicare may become the primary payer once you are eligible. In that situation, failing to enroll in Parts A and B could potentially leave gaps in coverage. You should also verify whether your employer's prescription drug coverage is considered creditable coverage for Medicare purposes. That can be especially important if you plan to delay Part D beyond age 65. The larger lesson is simple: Medicare decisions should rarely be made in isolation. Your employer coverage, retirement date, spouse's coverage, prescription needs, and other factors all need to be considered together. What Is IRMAA? For higher-income retirees, another important acronym to know is IRMAA, or the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount. IRMAA is an additional charge added to Medicare Part B and Part D premiums when modified adjusted gross income exceeds certain thresholds. For 2026, Holland notes that IRMAA begins above $109,000 in modified adjusted gross income for single filers and $218,000 for married couples filing jointly. Medicare generally bases the surcharge on the most recent tax information available, which often means looking back two years. So, for example, 2026 Medicare premiums may be based on income reported on a 2024 tax return. That two-year lookback can surprise people whose financial situation has recently changed. If your income has fallen because of certain qualifying life-changing events, such as retirement, marriage, or widowhood, you may be able to request a reconsideration of the surcharge using Social Security Form SSA-44. Roth Conversions Can Affect Medicare Premiums IRMAA can also become an important consideration when planning Roth conversions. Suppose you retire before age 65 and decide to convert a significant amount of traditional IRA money to a Roth IRA. The conversion increases your taxable income for that year. Because Medicare looks back at previous tax returns when determining IRMAA, a large Roth conversion in the years immediately preceding Medicare enrollment could lead to higher Part B and Part D premiums later. That doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't complete the conversion. It simply means you should include the potential Medicare impact in the calculation. Tax planning, retirement planning, and Medicare planning are often interconnected. A decision that makes sense in one area can create consequences in another. Be Careful With HSA Contributions Health Savings Accounts require special attention as you approach Medicare eligibility. Once you are enrolled in Medicare, you can no longer contribute to an HSA. If you enroll around age 65, you need to coordinate the end of your HSA contributions with the beginning of your Medicare coverage. The issue becomes even more important for those who enroll after age 65 because Medicare Part A coverage can sometimes be applied retroactively, potentially affecting HSA eligibility for previous months. Holland recommends understanding the retroactive period before enrolling so you don't inadvertently make excess HSA contributions. Social Security can complicate matters further. If you begin receiving Social Security benefits, you may automatically be enrolled in Medicare Part A. Anyone who is still contributing to an HSA should account for that before applying for Social Security. The good news is that money already accumulated in an HSA remains tax-advantaged and can still be used for many qualified medical expenses in retirement, including certain Medicare premiums. Holland notes, however, that HSA funds cannot be used tax-free to pay Medigap premiums. What If One Spouse Reaches Medicare Age First? Married couples can face another challenge when one spouse becomes eligible for Medicare while the other is still several years away. If the older spouse continues working, the employer plan may continue covering both spouses. Some companies also provide retiree benefits that extend coverage to a younger spouse after the older spouse retires. If employer coverage isn't available, COBRA may provide temporary coverage, although it can be expensive. Another possibility is purchasing insurance through the federal or state health insurance marketplace, where the younger spouse may qualify for premium subsidies depending on household circumstances. Whatever option you choose, don't overlook the cost. If one spouse retires several years before the other reaches Medicare eligibility, higher healthcare premiums may need to become a deliberate part of the retirement budget. Make Medicare Part of Your Larger Retirement Plan Medicare isn't simply a healthcare decision. It can affect your taxes, retirement income, Social Security strategy, HSA contributions, and monthly spending. That's why careful planning before age 65 can be so valuable. Understand what each part of Medicare covers. Know your enrollment windows. Talk with your employer before leaving workplace coverage. Consider the impact of your income on Medicare premiums. And coordinate decisions involving HSAs, Roth conversions, Social Security, and your spouse's health coverage. Medicare may be complicated, but you don't have to approach it blindly. Taking the time to understand your options can help you avoid costly mistakes, choose coverage that fits your circumstances, and steward the resources God has entrusted to you with greater wisdom and confidence. On Today's Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions: I have a mortgage and a car loan and am considering consolidating them into one payment. Is that a good idea, and what type of loan would make sense? I received a letter saying my student loans were placed in permanent disability status, but I never applied for that. How can I verify whether it's legitimate and correct the situation if needed? Resources Mentioned: Faithful Steward: FaithFi's Quarterly Magazine (Become a FaithFi Partner) Blue Trust Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM) | Healthcare.gov AnnualCreditReport.com FaithFi Field Guide: How Much Money is Enough? Our Ultimate Treasure: A 21-Day Journey to Faithful Stewardship by Rob West Wisdom Over Wealth: 12 Lessons from Ecclesiastes on Money Look At The Sparrows: A 21-Day Devotional on Financial Fear and Anxiety Rich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich Fool Find a Certified Kingdom Advisor® (CKA) FaithFi App Remember, you can call in to ask your questions every weekday at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. You can also visit FaithFi.com to connect with our online community and partner with us as we help more people live as faithful stewards of God's resources. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Leadership Purpose with Dr. Robin
    When Taking a Step Back Moves Your Career Forward | Ep 295 with Lindsey Busfield

    Leadership Purpose with Dr. Robin

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 29:46


    "Don't be afraid to start over. Don't be afraid to take a step back and reflect even if that is in terms of professional title, if it's in terms of pay, if you can afford to do that. But don't be afraid to take one step back if it means that you're going to take two steps forward in five years." This week's "At her Career Crossroads" insight comes from Lindsey Busfield. Here are 3 reasons why you should listen to this episode: You're successful, but you know where you are isn't where you want to stay. Lindsey shares what it was like to leave a successful position, start over as a temp, and build a new skill set that eventually led her to work that was a much better fit. You're trying to figure out what your next career move could actually be. You'll hear a practical way to look at what you've loved—and haven't loved—about your work over the past 10–15 years and use those clues to consider what could come next. Taking a step backward in title or salary feels difficult when you've worked hard to get where you are. This conversation offers another way to think about starting over and why a temporary step back could help you move toward work that feels more meaningful and fulfilling. Lindsey Busfield is a leading expert in legal SEO and content marketing and the Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Partner at Optimize My Firm. Her career has taken her from studying philosophy and teaching English to managing agricultural compliance with Amish farmers before eventually finding her place in legal SEO. Connect with Lindsey at: Website: https://optimizemyfirm.com/ Email: lindsay@optimizemyfirm.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-busfield/ Podcast: Personal Injury Marketing Minute https://optimizemyfirm.com/podcasts/ Find Lindsey's book on Amazon here: How Personal Injury Lawyers Get Leads: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why   Would you prefer to watch or listen to the podcast on YouTube?Head on over to https://www.youtube.com/@leadershippurposepodcast Want to connect? Connect with Dr. Robin on  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinlowensphd/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robinlowensphd Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/robinlowensphd/ Email: Robin@LeadershipPurposePodcast.com Thank you for listening! Rate, review, & follow on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast player. Talk to you soon! This episode was produced by Lynda, Podcast Manager for Business Owners at https://www.ljscreativeservices.co.nz

    Y.I.E.L.D. Today With Dallin Candland
    Do NOT Miss the First Rescue Boat!! - #740

    Y.I.E.L.D. Today With Dallin Candland

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 25:01


    It's VITAL to remember that the Lord is ACTIVELY INVOLVED in helping us elevate to new levels in our lives. One way I have seen this clearly has been through my fights against temptation - and learning to give it ALL to the Lord.Today I wanted to dive more into that."God is Trying to Talk to Me" - https://a.co/d/0bOU1ENd"Patience in These Pages" - https://a.co/d/0hzJomvPSupport the show

    Romeo & Friends
    Romeo In The Morning 9-2-26

    Romeo & Friends

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 72:50 Transcription Available


    If You Missed Romeo In The Morning We Talked About: we talked about tipping.

    Around the House with Eric G
    Save Big This Fall: 3 Weekend Fixes You Can't Miss!

    Around the House with Eric G

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 9:34 Transcription Available


    With the crisp autumn air beckoning and winter lurking around the corner, it's time to prepare our homes for the chilly months ahead! Eric G. is here to spill the beans on how we can save some serious cash and keep our homes cozy without breaking the bank. Forget about splurging on a brand-new furnace; all you need is a Saturday and a bit of elbow grease! We dive into the world of duct sealing—yes, that's a thing—and how it can drastically cut down your heating bill by as much as 30%. Imagine saving that extra cash just by sealing up those sneaky ducts hiding in your attic or basement! Eric shares practical tips on what materials to use and how to spot those trouble spots, ensuring your home stays toasty while your wallet stays happy. But that's not all! We also chat about the wonders of thermal imaging cameras—specifically, the nifty little device that clips right onto your phone. It's like a superpower for your home; you can see where that sneaky heat is escaping or where moisture might be creeping in. Talk about a game changer! Eric walks us through how to use this handy gadget to its full potential, making sure we're not just saving money but also keeping our homes in tip-top shape. Finally, we wrap up with a gentle reminder to check those air filters. You'd be surprised how many folks neglect this simple task, potentially wasting money and energy. Eric emphasizes the importance of getting the right filter in place and even scheduling that fall HVAC check-up. So, grab your tools and let's tackle these fixes together this weekend!Takeaways:You can save big bucks this winter just by sealing those pesky ducts around your house.A thermal imaging camera is your new best friend for spotting insulation issues without breaking a sweat.Checking and replacing your HVAC filters is a simple Saturday task that makes a huge difference in efficiency.Weather stripping around doors and windows can make your home feel cozier while saving you a ton on energy bills.A little DIY maintenance can lead to savings of hundreds of dollars on heating bills each year, so get your toolbox ready!Don't forget to schedule a fall HVAC check-up to ensure everything's running smoothly before the cold hits.Links referenced in this episode:rision.comaroundthehousehq.comCompanies mentioned in this episode:RisonThanks for listening to Around the house if you want to hear more please subscribe so you get notified of the latest episode as it posts at https://around-the-house-with-e.captivate.fm/listenIf you want to join the Around the House Insider for access to the back catalog, Exclusive Content and a direct email to Eric G and access to the show early https://around-the-house-with-e.captivate.fm/support We love comments and we would love reviews on how this information has helped you on your house! Thanks for listening! For more information about the show head to https://aroundthehouseonline.com/Information given on the Around the House Show should not be considered construction or design advice for your specific project, nor is it intended to replace consulting at your home or jobsite by a building professional. The views and opinions expressed by those interviewed on the podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Around the House Show.

    Peoples Church | Fresno, CA
    Let's Talk! | Rekindling Your Hunger for God | EP. 4

    Peoples Church | Fresno, CA

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 43:01


    What do you do when your spiritual hunger starts to fade?In Episode 4 of Let's Talk!, Billy sits down with Dawson and Olivia to continue the conversation from Matthew 5:6:“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”Together, they explore what Jesus means by righteousness, how spiritual hunger differs from simple unhappiness, and why genuine hunger for God should move us toward action.They also talk honestly about the things that slowly shape our desires, including screen time, work, comfort, social media, busyness, and the people we surround ourselves with.Olivia shares about seasons where grief, parenting, and life circumstances can make spiritual hunger feel distant, while Dawson challenges us not to let a lack of desire become an excuse for disobedience.Sometimes discipline has to carry us until desire catches back up.The episode closes with a practical challenge: ask God where He wants you to stop looking away, where He wants you to step in, and what He may be trying to reignite in your heart.Scripture: Matthew 5:6Series: Blessed?

    Mike's Daily Podcast
    Episode 3366: Felines!

    Mike's Daily Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 29:45


    Mike Matthews investigates the fascinating news from the middle of the week and Mike answers what is happening in the odd world of parenting. Join Mike as he podcasts live from Café Anyway in podCastro Valley with Madame Rootabega, Valentino, and Bison Bentley. Next show Mike Talks to Chely Shoehart, Floyd the Floorman, and John Deer the Engineer.

    The Dave Ramsey Show
    The Price of Freedom Is Discomfort

    The Dave Ramsey Show

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2026 129:06


    freedom talk explore price debt medicare shopify discomfort ramsey dave ramsey baby steps everydollar boost mobile jade warshaw christian brothers automotive christian healthcare ministries churchill mortgage
    Skip and Shannon: Undisputed
    Acho, Shady & Carebear React To Orlovsky On Stafford, 49ers Latest, Browns Ruining Shedeur? & MORE!

    Skip and Shannon: Undisputed

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2026 147:53


    Sunday-Thursday at 11:15 PM ET. Hosted by Emmanuel Acho with LeSean “Shady” McCoy, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and "Carebear" Kieran Hickey-Semple, the show brings hot takes, cold truths, and culturally forward conversations that connect sports and culture in real time. ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ Facebook Discord PrizePicks x Speakeasy Pick MORE or LESS. Win cash. Talk your talk. Play $5, get $150 in lineups →  ⁠⁠PrizePicks | America's #1 Fantasy Sports App⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The World of Phil Hendrie
    Episode #3914 The New Phil Hendrie Show Radio Archive October 2010

    The World of Phil Hendrie

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2026 32:05 Transcription Available


    Reverend Dave Castorina‘s youth ministry had $20,000 stolen from its accounts by a young church assistant. The Reverend sculpted the Virgin Mary in some compromising poses… he feels he had to to try raising money. The Reverend says he’s sorry, he’ll never do it again. He’s still getting some decent walk up business. Sign up for a Backstage Pass and enjoy Hours of exclusive content, Phil's new podcast, Classic podcasts, Bobbie Dooley's podcasts, special live streaming events and shows, and oh so very much more…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The World of Phil Hendrie
    Episode #3914 The New Phil Hendrie Show Radio Archive February 2001

    The World of Phil Hendrie

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2026 29:51 Transcription Available


    Ted Bell discusses his recent marital problems. He answered his cell phone while his wife was giving him oral sex. She got pissed off but he feels he’s been clear. He’s Ted Bell and the cell phone stays on for business.Sign up for a Backstage Pass and enjoy Hours of exclusive content, Phil's new podcast, Classic podcasts, Bobbie Dooley's podcasts, special live streaming events and shows, and oh so very much more…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The World of Phil Hendrie
    Episode #3914 The New Phil Hendrie Show

    The World of Phil Hendrie

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2026 27:11 Transcription Available


    The Phil Skit Show explores the issues Larry Grover, General Shaw and Dr Jim Sadler have with. “Return of the Mack.” Sign up for a Backstage Pass and enjoy Hours of exclusive content, Phil's new podcast, Classic podcasts, Bobbie Dooley's podcasts, special live streaming events and shows, and oh so very much more…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The World of Phil Hendrie
    Episode #3914 The New Phil Hendrie Show Radio Archive Hour

    The World of Phil Hendrie

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2026 38:08 Transcription Available


    Dave Oliva is with an immigrant rights group that's noticed a change in signage warning drivers of people running across freeways. Dave thinks it’s now open season on those people and he's not having that sh*t.Sign up for a Backstage Pass and enjoy Hours of exclusive content, Phil's new podcast, Classic podcasts, Bobbie Dooley's podcasts, special live streaming events and shows, and oh so very much more…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.