Podcasts about Thank God

Thank God that's nearly over… It's been a grim old year in politics, so in the penultimate OGWN of 2025 our panel pores over the entrails of the year to seek reasons for optimism in 2026. Plus in a But Your Emails Special we answer as many of your questions as we can squeeze in. And if that's not enough, we suggest Christmas presents for major politicians that might make them better at their jobs… or at least inspire them to give up politics and get out of our hair. • Be here on Monday 22 Dec for the final edition of the year – the Oh God, What Now? Politics Awards of 2025. 

#676 Thank God, it's Christmas!

Stay In Your Lane & Trust God's Timing (RUN YOUR RACE) | Blessed Morning To Start Your Day With GodSUBSCRIBE to catch all the latest prayers uploaded to the Daily Effective Prayer Podcast!For more powerful daily prayers and to connect with the ministry visit:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org© Copyright DailyEffectivePrayer.com  SUPPORT THE MINISTRY: (We are listener-supported)https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/donate/ DO YOU NEED PRAYER? Send us a prayer request right now:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/prayer-request-online/ CONNECT WITH US:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/connectYouTube (1M+ SUBSCRIBERS)X / TwitterInstagram ThreadsInstagramFacebook Daily Effective Prayer™

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is Judges 17:10-11. "And Micah said to him, 'Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year and a suit of clothes and your living.' And the Levite went in. And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons." — Judges 17:10-11 Micah's religion has now become a business deal. He hires the Levite—ten pieces of silver a year, new clothes, free housing. It's faith on payroll. What began as borrowed faith has now turned into bought faith. Micah thinks that by hiring a holy man, he can buy holy favor. It's spiritual consumerism—the idea that God's presence can be purchased if we just find the right people, say the right words, or make the right donation. But you can't buy what only grace can give. Micah wanted divine legitimacy without surrendering to the divine. He didn't want to be changed; he wanted to feel covered. He didn't want the presence of God; he wanted the appearance of blessing. So he threw money at religion like it was a spiritual vending machine. And before we judge Micah, we should ask—do we do the same? We start thinking that giving more, serving harder, or knowing the right people will earn God's favor. We assume that being around "spiritual" people makes us spiritual too. But that's not faith—that's a transaction. We see it everywhere: churches chasing charisma over conviction, money over mission, platforms over prayer. Believers often confuse activity with intimacy, assuming that attendance or effort earns them grace points with God. But God's presence isn't for sale. His power isn't a product. His favor doesn't run on contract—it runs on covenant. Micah missed that entirely. He thought hiring a priest made him holy, but all he did was build a payroll for pride. He tried to control what could only be received. That's the trap of bought faith—it turns worship into work and relationship into ritual. It trades intimacy for image. It pays for what's already been purchased—by the blood of Jesus. The gospel flips that thinking: you can't buy God's presence, but you can surrender to it. You can't earn grace, but you can receive it. So receive it today. And stop trying to earn it. ASK THIS: Where are you trying to earn what God already offers freely? Have you ever mistaken spiritual activity for intimacy with God? What do you rely on more—God's grace or your own performance? How can you rest in the truth that grace is received, not achieved? DO THIS: Take inventory of where you've been "performing" for God instead of walking with Him. Stop treating faith like a transaction—spend time with God without an agenda today. Thank God for his grace today. PRAY THIS: Father, thank You that grace can't be bought or earned. Forgive me for trying to perform my way into Your favor. Teach me to receive Your presence as a gift, not a payment. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Grace Alone."

Welcome to the “Prison Pulpit” on the China Compass podcast! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. Follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I share, among other things, daily reminders to pray for China. Also, feel free to email any questions or comments to bfwesten at gmail dot com. And last but not least, learn more about (most of) our strategic prayer and missions projects @ PrayGiveGo.us! The Prison Pulpit As I’ve stated all year, the goal of the Prison Pulpit series is to remind people to pray for persecuted believers as Hebrews 13:3 teaches us to do: “Remember those who are in prison, as bound with them.” As I am recording this podcast, we have just passed the 7th anniversary of the attack and forced closure of Early Rain Church in Chengdu, China, and the arrest of Pastor Wang Yi, on December 9th, 2018. A couple weeks ago I read the Wang Yi family newsletter that was published just 12 days before his arrest on Dec 9, 2018. Last week I shared a few updates that were put out by unnamed Early Rain Church members in the aftermath of the attack and arrest of the pastor and most of the leadership. As one of last week's updates reminded us, there was no guarantee that the next update would ever come. Arrests were ongoing and, for lack of a better phrase, church leaders were falling like flies. However, in spite of all this, more updates did follow, and I want to share some of them with you now: Early Rain Urgent Prayer Update #10 (12/12/18) May the Lord give us love for souls. These law enforcement officers greatly need the gospel of Christ. They have greatly sinned against God. We need to pray for them, for we were once like them. May the Lord himself speak words of comfort to us, for he has given his life for us. We suffer with those brothers and sisters who suffer as though imprisoned with them. May God make peace like a river flow through our hearts… Please strengthen your resolve, brothers and sisters. Experience in the midst of every kind of tribulation and danger the filling of the Holy Spirit and the renewal of your lives. Early Rain Urgent Prayer Update (12/15/18) According to some testimonies of brothers and sisters that have emerged, they have been sharing the gospel while under guard. They have been using their suffering as a beautiful testimony for the Lord. Some police officers and workers have been very interested in the gospel, even giving their addresses and asking for Bibles. May the Lord choose for himself children from among these law enforcement officers persecuting the church. Another encouraging testimony from a church member who was just released from 10 days of detention... “It is like a monastery in there. I cultivated myself for ten days there. Thank God for his protection. I often shared the gospel in there. There was a Tibetan named Z who really wanted to hear preaching, to join a small group, and to become a Christian. There was also a master’s student who has been quite miserable since entering [the detention center]. He wanted to buy a Bible, and I told him I would give him one. He also wanted to attend a small group Bible study. There was also another person who used to belong to a traditional house church but who stumbled because of marriage problems. I am preparing to give him one of our church’s thumb drives so he can listen to preaching. Please keep praying for the nearly 20 brothers and sisters at the detention center and for Yingxu and Shuqi, about whom we still have no information. And pray for the others, as well, because we don’t know how they are doing now. It is a high-level detention center, and it is quite strict; but from another perspective, the despair of the prisoners inside is also quite high, making evangelizing more fruitful. Thank the Lord!” Lord, the greatest freedom in the world is the freedom of becoming your children. You say that we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free. May your Spirit fill us and make us to worship freely, to enter prison freely, to spread the gospel freely. Give us free and noble hearts. Turn us into liberated criminals willing to be detained by the world. For a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted you, they will persecute us. We also ask you to forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. Open their eyes to see your glory and turn them into free children! In the cross, in the cross / Be my glory ever / All our sins are washed away / Only by His blood. Follow China Compass Subscribe to China Compass wherever you get your podcasts. Follow me on X (@chinaadventures), email anytime (bfwesten at gmail dot com), and check out our website (PrayGiveGo.us). Hebrews 13:3!

Welcome to the “Prison Pulpit” on the China Compass podcast! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. Follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I share, among other things, daily reminders to pray for China. Also, feel free to email any questions or comments to bfwesten at gmail dot com. And last but not least, learn more about (most of) our strategic prayer and missions projects @ PrayGiveGo.us! The Prison Pulpit As I’ve stated all year, the goal of the Prison Pulpit series is to remind people to pray for persecuted believers as Hebrews 13:3 teaches us to do: “Remember those who are in prison, as bound with them.” As I am recording this podcast, we have just passed the 7th anniversary of the attack and forced closure of Early Rain Church in Chengdu, China, and the arrest of Pastor Wang Yi, on December 9th, 2018. A couple weeks ago I read the Wang Yi family newsletter that was published just 12 days before his arrest on Dec 9, 2018. Last week I shared a few updates that were put out by unnamed Early Rain Church members in the aftermath of the attack and arrest of the pastor and most of the leadership. As one of last week's updates reminded us, there was no guarantee that the next update would ever come. Arrests were ongoing and, for lack of a better phrase, church leaders were falling like flies. However, in spite of all this, more updates did follow, and I want to share some of them with you now: Early Rain Urgent Prayer Update #10 (12/12/18) May the Lord give us love for souls. These law enforcement officers greatly need the gospel of Christ. They have greatly sinned against God. We need to pray for them, for we were once like them. May the Lord himself speak words of comfort to us, for he has given his life for us. We suffer with those brothers and sisters who suffer as though imprisoned with them. May God make peace like a river flow through our hearts… Please strengthen your resolve, brothers and sisters. Experience in the midst of every kind of tribulation and danger the filling of the Holy Spirit and the renewal of your lives. Early Rain Urgent Prayer Update (12/15/18) According to some testimonies of brothers and sisters that have emerged, they have been sharing the gospel while under guard. They have been using their suffering as a beautiful testimony for the Lord. Some police officers and workers have been very interested in the gospel, even giving their addresses and asking for Bibles. May the Lord choose for himself children from among these law enforcement officers persecuting the church. Another encouraging testimony from a church member who was just released from 10 days of detention... “It is like a monastery in there. I cultivated myself for ten days there. Thank God for his protection. I often shared the gospel in there. There was a Tibetan named Z who really wanted to hear preaching, to join a small group, and to become a Christian. There was also a master’s student who has been quite miserable since entering [the detention center]. He wanted to buy a Bible, and I told him I would give him one. He also wanted to attend a small group Bible study. There was also another person who used to belong to a traditional house church but who stumbled because of marriage problems. I am preparing to give him one of our church’s thumb drives so he can listen to preaching. Please keep praying for the nearly 20 brothers and sisters at the detention center and for Yingxu and Shuqi, about whom we still have no information. And pray for the others, as well, because we don’t know how they are doing now. It is a high-level detention center, and it is quite strict; but from another perspective, the despair of the prisoners inside is also quite high, making evangelizing more fruitful. Thank the Lord!” Lord, the greatest freedom in the world is the freedom of becoming your children. You say that we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free. May your Spirit fill us and make us to worship freely, to enter prison freely, to spread the gospel freely. Give us free and noble hearts. Turn us into liberated criminals willing to be detained by the world. For a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted you, they will persecute us. We also ask you to forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. Open their eyes to see your glory and turn them into free children! In the cross, in the cross / Be my glory ever / All our sins are washed away / Only by His blood. Follow China Compass Subscribe to China Compass wherever you get your podcasts. Follow me on X (@chinaadventures), email anytime (bfwesten at gmail dot com), and check out our website (PrayGiveGo.us). Hebrews 13:3!

Romans 16:25–27 Paul completed his letter with the words: "all glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen" (Romans 16:27). There is no more fitting way to end Romans than with praise to God. Tune in to hear Pastor Chuck Swindoll close out this encouraging series on the book of Romans. In this message, you will encounter in a new way God and His character. Thank God for all He has done. Embrace the gift of His Son. Marvel in His glory and the gift of His Word!

Abiding In God's Presence Will Carry You Through Today | Blessed Daily Effective Prayer To Start Your DaySUBSCRIBE to catch all the latest prayers uploaded to the Daily Effective Prayer Podcast!For more powerful daily prayers and to connect with the ministry visit:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org© Copyright DailyEffectivePrayer.com  SUPPORT THE MINISTRY: (We are listener-supported)https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/donate/ DO YOU NEED PRAYER? Send us a prayer request right now:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/prayer-request-online/ CONNECT WITH US:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/connectYouTube (1M+ SUBSCRIBERS)X / TwitterInstagram ThreadsInstagramFacebook Daily Effective Prayer™

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.” (James 1:17 NLT) You’ve probably heard the saying, “All that glitters is not gold.” But it’s equally important to remember that all that’s gold doesn’t necessarily glitter. That is, not all valuable things appear to be valuable at first glance. Some of the most precious gifts tend not to attract our attention at first. We take a hurried glance and see nothing of significance. But if we go back and take another look, we begin to discover the glory and wonder of that gift. Think of Christmases past when you set aside a present that didn’t have that “wow” factor to move on to other shinier gifts with more bells and whistles, only to come back later to the less showy but more useful gift. So it was with the helpless baby in the manger in Bethlehem on the first Christmas. At first glance, He probably didn’t appear to be much of a gift. Another child born into humble circumstances. What value could He have? Why would He even merit a second look? The Bible practically bursts at the seams to answer that question. God dispatched angels to keep people from looking past His gift. That baby was the only begotten Son of God. Words cannot describe His value. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” (NLT). Even God couldn’t give a greater gift. He sent His dearly beloved Son into the world as a baby so that, ultimately, we could be saved. God gave us that which was most precious to Him so that His Son would be most precious to us. Our Lord Himself spoke of such a sacrificial act in Matthew 21:33–46 in His parable about the vineyard owner. The owner, who had unworthy servants looking after his property, sent his representatives and servants to the vineyard. One after another was maltreated and even killed. Then the owner thought, “If I send my son, they won’t do this to him. Surely, they will respect my son. There is nothing beyond this. It is the last act.” Hebrews 1:1–2 says, “Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe” (nlt). God sent many servants into the world and to the nation of Israel. He dispatched countless outstanding men and women to accomplish His work. But He surpassed them all with the gift of His Son. This is what should fill our minds and hearts with astonishment at Christmas: God has done something that even He Himself cannot exceed. He gave His only Son, His eternal Son, so that we might have eternal life. Reflection question: What impact has God’s surpassing gift had on your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul completed his letter with the words: “all glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen” (Romans 16:27). There is no more fitting way to end Romans than with praise to God.Tune in to hear Pastor Chuck Swindoll close out this encouraging series on the book of Romans. In this message, you will encounter in a new way God and His character.Thank God for all He has done. Embrace the gift of His Son. Marvel in His glory and the gift of His Word!

Romans 16:25–27 Paul completed his letter with the words: "all glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen" (Romans 16:27). There is no more fitting way to end Romans than with praise to God. Tune in to hear Pastor Chuck Swindoll close out this encouraging series on the book of Romans. In this message, you will encounter in a new way God and His character. Thank God for all He has done. Embrace the gift of His Son. Marvel in His glory and the gift of His Word!

Some real serious news. The murder of Rob Reiner and his wife. And, lots of showbiz to talk about too! We talk Taylor Swift's new docuseries. The conspiracy theories Candace Owens is spewing about Charlie Kirk. The latest with Meghan Markle and her father. Tate McRae addresses her Morgan Wallen controversy. And more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last time we spoke about the battle over Changfukeng Hill. In the frost-bit dawn by the Chaun and Tumen, two empires faced a cliff of fate: Soviet and Japanese, each convinced that Changkufeng belonged to them. Diplomats urged restraint, yet Tokyo's generals brewed a daring plan, strike at night, seize the crest, then bargain. Sato and Suetaka debated risk and restraint, weighing "dokudan senko" against disciplined action as rain hissed on the ground. Night fell like velvet. Nakano, a quiet, meticulous regimental leader, gathered the 75th Regiment's veterans, choosing five fearless captains and a rising star, Nakajima, to carry the charge. Scouts and engineers moved ahead, weaving a fragile path across the Tumen: wire-cutters in the dark, signals humming softly, and the thunder of distant Soviet tanks rolling along the shore. At 02:15, after breaches breached and silent men slid through wire, the Japanese surged up the slopes with bayonets glinting, swords ready, and nerves as taut as steel. The crest lunged with savage resistance: grenades flashed, machine guns roared, and leaders fell. By 05:15, dawn broke, and the hill, Course of blood and courage, stood in Japanese hands.   #180 A premature Japanese Victory over Changkufeng Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. On 31 July 1938, dawn seemed to indicate Changkufeng Hill was in Japanese hands. From his command post, Colonel Sato Kotoku, his regimental staff, and most of Hirahara's 3rd Battalion had been anxiously watching the progress of the 1st Battalion's operations since 12:30 on 31 July. Around 03:00, the Japanese infantry commanders issued "heroic orders to charge," audible above the withering fire. Sato expected the crest to fall in little more than an hour; when no signal shell burst over the hill, he grew apprehensive, praying for success with his heart breaking. A mile away on Hill 52, the troops could discern no voices, only gunfire and the spectacular glow of flares and tracers. As one soldier recalled "It was like fireflies," another soldier added "it was like a carnival". To Sasai, on the heights at Kucheng, it was, as he put it, "c'était un grand spectacle." By the way I think its one of the only times I've read a Japanese soldier using French, what he said translates to "it was a large spectacle", I am from Quebec so I speak baguette. The mist moved up Changkufeng Hill, and Japanese troops followed it, fighting for hours. Fearing Nakano's battalion might have been wiped out, Sato's staff prayed for fog. Sato later admitted, "By dawn we were failing to take our objectives."   At the base of Chiangchunfeng, Sato held the 6th Company in reserve, ready to attack Changkufeng from the left. He would have preferred not to commit it, given the danger of an accidental fire-fight with friendly forces. Nevertheless, as combat intensified, Sato decided to push the company into support of the 1st Battalion. After orders at 03:15, Ito moved toward the northwest side of Changkufeng. The Russians laid down heavy fire, especially from a well-placed machine-gun position on the far left. Ito's company, suffering heavy and needlessly casualties, had to hold near the middle of the slope. A runner was sent to the regimental command post requesting artillery support after dawn. By 04:30, Sato could discern the Changkufeng crest, where fierce close-quarters fighting raged between Japanese and Russians on the south edge, while the enemy continually sent reinforcements, troops followed by tanks, up the northern slope. Ito's company was visible on the western slope, bravely bearing a Japanese flag. 10-15 minutes later, grenade-discharger fire began to blast the Soviet positions. At 04:40, Ito, redeploying at dawn, observed elements of the 1st Company near the hill's summit. Contact was established with Inagaki's men. The Russians began to show signs of disarray under the grenade dischargers and the heavy weapons deployed by the reserve battalion at Chiangchunfeng. Thereupon Ito's company charged as well, capturing the northwest corner of Changkufeng roughly concurrently with the main body of the 1st Battalion under Sakata. Ito was wounded and evacuated; two sergeants were later cited in dispatches. Meanwhile, the 10th Company, led by Takeshita of the 3rd Battalion, was to conduct a separate night assault against fire points around Hill 24, about 1,000 meters north of Changkufeng. The aim was to disrupt Russian withdrawal along the slopes to the rear and to hinder reinforcements. At midnight, the company left the skirts of Chiangchunfeng in fog and darkness. Moving stealthily over the undulating terrain, they faced knee-deep bogs and tall vegetation. After evading sentries, they penetrated behind the enemy. By 02:00, five teams totaling 16 men under Sergeant Uchibori were ready to strike Hill 24. Takeshita led the charge from the right and overran the defenders by 02:20. The Russians, numbering 20 to 30 riflemen with one machine gun, fled toward Khasan, leaving four soldiers behind whom the Japanese bayoneted. Takeshita's company continued to consolidate Hill 24, awaiting counterattacks, which soon followed. At 04:00, eight tanks, with headlights on, launched an attack from the Shachaofeng sector, supported by an infantry company . Takeshita reinforced Uchibori's unit with assault teams; the Russian infantry were routed, and five tanks were knocked out. At dawn, about 100 Soviet troops were observed retreating from the direction of Changkufeng, surprised and mowed down by heavy and light machine guns at ranges of about 300 meters. At 06:30, the Soviets attacked again with an infantry battalion and a machine-gun company from north of Khasan. The Japanese allowed them to close, then concentrated the firepower of both infantry platoons plus heavy machine guns. After a 30-minute firefight with heavy casualties on the Soviet side, the Russians fell back. Again, at 07:10, the Soviets struck from the north of Khasan, this time with one company and five tanks. Russian infantry, supported by three tanks, pushed in front of the Japanese positions, but machine-gun and small-arms fire forced them to retreat eastward, the tanks being stopped 50 meters from the lines. Meanwhile, two Japanese enlisted men on patrol near the lake encountered armor; they attacked and, after taking casualties, returned with captured ammunition and equipment. One rapid-fire piece had been providing covering fire behind Takeshita's unit and opened fire on three tanks attacking north of Changkufeng, helping to stop them. As daybreak arrived, Takeshita's company cleared the battlefield, retrieved casualties, and reinforced the defenses. Then an order from the regiment transferred the main body to Changkufeng. Leaving one platoon at Hill 24, Takeshita came directly under Hirahara's command. Takeshita was later officially cited by the regiment. If Hill 52 fell, Changkufeng would be lost. The Russians understood the importance of this constricted sector as well. Their armor could swing south of Khasan, while the terrain to the north was boggier and could be made impassable by the field-artillery battery emplaced on the Korean side of the Tumen. To check hostile reinforcements into this vital region, Sato had dispatched an infantry element to Hill 52 early. Northward, he had 1st Lieutenant Hisatsune emplacement the two 75-millimeter mountain pieces belonging to his infantry gun battery, together with two of 2nd Lieutenant Saito's three 20-millimeter anti-tank guns and the two 37-millimeter infantry rapid-fire guns belonging to 2nd Lieutenant Kutsukake's battalion gun battery. At 23:00 on 30 July, in accord with Nakano's orders, Hisatsune moved these six guns to the ridgeline between Changkufeng and Hill 52. Apart from the guns to the left, defense of Hill 52 was entrusted to the experienced Master Sergeant Murakoshi Kimio, 2nd Platoon leader in Nakajima's company. After the Shachaofeng affair, Murakoshi was ordered to occupy the hill. Moving along the shore on 30 July, his unit encountered neither friendly nor hostile troops. The regimental records note that "some enemy unit came into the dip east of Hill 52 since morning on the 30th, and both sides were watching each other." Murakoshi deployed his three rifle squads, totaling 34 men. After Nakano's battalion jumped off on 31 July, the platoon observed not only the "fireworks display" but also Soviet motorized units with lights aglow, moving on high ground east of Khasan. Later, tanks could be heard clanking toward Hill 52. Around 04:00, Murakoshi organized anti-tank teams and sent them into action. Most accounts emphasize the anti-tank efforts, rather than the fire of Murakoshi's machine gunners. Three privates, carrying anti-tank mines, undertook daring assaults once the terrain obliged the Russian tanks to slow. They laid their mines, but the soil proved too soft, and the attempt failed. In the most publicized episode, Private First Class Matsuo, nicknamed a "human bullet," was badly wounded by machine-gun fire from a tank and knocked from the vehicle, but he managed to reboard with a satchel charge and, it is said, stop the tank at the cost of his life. The platoon leader and his remaining 20 men, having withdrawn 200 meters below their positions, poured torrents of fire at the infantry accompanying the tanks. Flames from the antitank mine assaults provided blazing targets. In concert with Hisatsune's six infantry guns emplaced on the Crestline southeast of Changkufeng, Murakoshi knocked out the remaining two tanks. When the tanks were immobilized, the Soviet troops did not press forward; exposed to Japanese fire, their losses mounted. By daybreak, the Russians had pulled back. Official records describe one Soviet company with four heavy machine guns, led by mounted officers. After hours of intense combat, Colonel Sato and his staff observed that all operations were succeeding by dawn. It was fortunate that Japanese units had posed a threat from the east; only then did the Russians begin to retreat. "But what an incomparably heroic first combat it had been… the scene at Changkufeng was sublime and inspiring. Private feelings were forgotten, and all bowed their heads in respect for the gallant fighting by matchless subordinates." As soon as Sato confirmed that Changkufeng had been occupied, he sent an aide to assess casualties. "When the colonel learned about the death of his capable and dependable officers," a lieutenant recalled, "he… murmured, 'Is that so?' and closed his eyes. The dew glistened on his lids." Meanwhile, in addition to the battle of annihilation at Changkufeng, Major Takenouchi of Okido's regiment was to conduct the dawn assault in the Shachaofeng area. His 1st Battalion and attached elements numbered 379 men; Kanda's company of the Kucheng Border Guard Unit added another 49. An engineer platoon was attached. At 18:00 on 30 July, Takenouchi issued his orders. According to that evening's regimental maps, north of Khasan were two battalions of Soviet infantry and 20 tanks. South of Shachaofeng, the Russians had entanglements and machine-gun nests, with additional emplacements to the rear, west of the lake, and armor moving south toward Changkufeng. Northwest of Shachaofeng lay the main body of Takenouchi's battalion. Signal lines connected his headquarters with Sato's command post. The only Soviet patrol activity noted, as of evening, was in the direction of Matsunobe. Around 02:00, machine guns chattered south of Changkufeng, signaling an increasing intensity of Sato's night assault. On Takenouchi's front, the Russians went on alert, firing illuminating shells and opening fire from the north side of Changkufeng. At 02:30, Matsunobe's unit finished breakfast and moved to the jump-off site. The terrain was difficult and there was considerable enemy tracer fire, but, thanks to effective reconnaissance, the force reached its destination without loss by 04:00. Matsunobe eliminated an outpost unit using rear-area scouts who struck from the rear and gave the enemy little opportunity to respond. Then the Japanese prepared for the main attack as they awaited daybreak. At 04:00, the supporting mountain artillery platoon took position between Matsunobe and Takenouchi. Throughout this period, the sounds of fighting grew more violent toward Changkufeng; machine guns were especially active. At 05:00, three enemy tanks could be seen moving up the northern slope of Changkufeng, but soon after news arrived that friendly forces had seized the crest. With sunrise imminent, the Japanese guns assumed their role. The longest-range support Takenouchi could expect was Narukawa's two 15-centimeter howitzers, emplaced across the Tumen north of Sozan. This battery took position at 04:20, after which the commander went to join Sato just behind the front. Several thousand meters of telephone line had been strung across the river, linking observation post and battery. Narukawa watched the fierce struggle at Changkufeng and prepared to support the dawn assault, while honoring the desperate effort of Ito's company for covering fire. Firing began at 05:10, though range data were not adequate. After little more than ten rounds, the enemy heavy machine guns on the Shachaofeng front subsided. A veteran artilleryman proudly remarked, "These were the first howitzer shells ever fired against the Soviet Army." At 05:20, Takenouchi's own heavy weapons added effective counterfire. Matsunobe and his company had crept to a line 150 meters in front of the Russian positions, taking advantage of dead angles and covered by light machine guns. Three Soviet tanks, however, had pressed forward against the main body. Two Private First Class soldiers, members of a close-quarters team, waited until the lead tank reversed course, then dashed in from the rear and blew it up. Two other soldiers attacked the third tank with mines but could not destroy it because of the tall grass. In a dramatic action that always thrilled Japanese audiences, a Private First Class jumped aboard with a portable mine, while a superior private jammed explosives into the tank's rear and allegedly blew off both treads, though the tank continued firing. While Matsunobe's company laid a smoke screen and prepared to charge, the Soviet tank was knocked out by rapid-fire guns. Master Sergeant Sudo's platoon seized the opportunity to race forward 15 meters and overrun two firing points at 05:40. When the Russians counterattacked with 60 infantrymen and three new tanks, Matsunobe ordered the grenade-discharger squad to fire while he had Sudo pull back to the foot of the hill. Close-quarter teams knocked out the tanks in succession. By this time the Russians had been shaken badly, allowing Matsunobe's main force to surge into two more positions. Five or six remaining Soviet soldiers were wiped out by a combination of Japanese pursuit fire and Soviet gunfire emanating from east of Khasan. After 06:00, the Japanese held the high ground at Shachaofeng. Kanda's unit had achieved a similar result, swinging around Matsunobe and skirting the left of the Soviet positions. Russian artillery opened from the east, but the Japanese used the terrain to advantage and suffered no casualties. Around this time, enemy forces in the Changkufeng area began to retreat, a portion by motor vehicle. Takenouchi had Matsunobe secure the site and, at 06:13, directed the main battalion to advance toward the north side of Khasan. A stubborn four-hour battle then ensued as Soviet forces delayed their retreat and the covering unit occupied the northern edge of the lake. Takenouchi estimated the enemy's strength at two infantry companies, a company of 12 heavy machine guns, and one heavy battery. Several Russian counterattacks were mounted against Matsunobe, while Takenouchi reinforced Kanda. The battalion attacked with great intensity and by 10:30 had managed to encircle the right flank of the enemy defenses at the northwest edge of Khasan. The Russians began to fall back, though one company of infantry resisted vigorously. At 10:50, the Soviet rear-guard company opened fire with machine guns while several tanks delivered heavy machine-gun and cannon fire. Soviet artillery, firing rapidly, also joined the resistance to Takenouchi's advance. Firepower pinned down the Japanese in this sector from late morning until nightfall.    For reasons of necessity as well as doctrine, the night assault on Changkufeng Hill received no artillery support. The dawn assault to clear Shachaofeng, however, required all available firepower, even if limited. Firing diagrams reflect no howitzer fire directed north of Changkufeng; this is understandable since Narukawa had only two pieces to handle numerous targets. A Soviet tank element was driven off, west of the lake, by 03:00 from the skirt of Chiangchunfeng by 3rd Battalion heavy weapons. Sasai, at the Kucheng command post, contends that Japanese artillery scored a significant success: school-tactics were followed, and the battery stood ready in case the night assault by the infantry failed. By dawn, Russian remnants clung to the crest, though the infantry had "peeled the skin" from their defenses. "In the morning, one of our howitzer shells hit near Changkufeng, whereupon the last of the enemy fled." Survivors of the night assault recalled no direct artillery support by Japanese artillery, though firing charts suggest some; Soviet sources dispute this. Regimental records note: "After firing against positions southwest of Shachaofeng, the Narukawa battery fired to cut off the enemy's retreat path from Shachaofeng and to neutralize the foe's superior artillery. Results were great." In the morning, Sato returned to Chiangchunfeng, observed the difficult anti-artillery combat by the Narukawa battery, and commended their performance. He watched howitzer fire disrupt Soviet artillery positions opposite Shachaofeng and estimated enemy strength at a battalion. Sato saw Russian horse-drawn artillery blasted from its sites and pulled back north of Khasan. Narukawa's first targets were positions and tanks south of Shachaofeng. Northeast of the lake, one battery of Russians headed north after dawn. In Narukawa's firing pattern, north of the lake, a Soviet motorized unit of more than ten vehicles withdrew in the afternoon. A new Russian artillery formation moving north of Khasan that afternoon received the heaviest fire from the howitzers. On that day Narukawa's two active pieces fired a total of 74 rounds. The only other Japanese artillery support for the infantry consisted of the half-battery of 75-millimeter mountain guns already forward. The platoon under 2nd Lieutenant Ikue moved west of Shachaofeng, starting from behind Kanda at 04:00, and bombarded Soviet positions to the northeast. Firing a lighter projectile than Narukawa's pieces, Ikue's men fired 162 shells and 37 shrapnel rounds at the Russians. Colonel Tanaka, the artillery regiment commander, reached the front during the night as battle's fury peaked from Changkufeng. Tanaka's mission was to take over Narukawa's battery and support infantry combat from dawn. Upon establishing his headquarters, Tanaka sent a liaison officer to the 75th Regiment. The 3rd Mountain Artillery Battalion completed unloading at Shikai Station in the night, and at 03:40, it entered emplacements on the north side of Nanpozan. Tanaka ordered Rokutanda to repel any enemy attacks that might be staged from Changkufeng and north of Yangkuanping. The battalion made good use of prior surveys and proved helpful in thwarting offensive attempts from the vicinity of Shachaofeng after daybreak. Rokutanda also coordinated with Narukawa to cut off the Soviet retreat route after enemy motorized and infantry forces began to fall back from Shachaofeng.   At Changkufeng, once the last Russians had been routed, two hours of quiet settled over both sides. The Japanese busied themselves with cleaning up the field, retrieving casualties, and bearing the dead to the rear. The few Japanese historians who have worked with 75th Regiment records have argued with a dramatic passage describing dawn: "From 05:15, after the top had been secured by us, the fog began to drift in. At about 05:30 rain started to drench the whole area; therefore, enemy artillery had to stop firing. God's will." Sakata counters that no Russian artillery shelled the peak after his men had cleared it. Sato agrees; only in the afternoon did at least 20 Soviet guns, emplaced north of the lake, open fire at Changkufeng. At first, Russian shells fell harmlessly into a pond nearby; Sato recalls fish splashing out. Thereafter, Soviet gunners gradually corrected their aim, but the Japanese took cover behind rocks and sustained no casualties. Soviet shellfire may have begun at dawn but appeared to be directed mainly toward Shachaofeng, where Soviet defenders were not evicted until an hour after Changkufeng fell. Tanaka, however, argues that when he arrived at the front at 05:00, Russian artillery was firing on objectives west of the Tumen, and several shells struck his men and guns. Japanese firing charts show that Soviet guns initially bombarded Takenouchi's sector at Shachaofeng from two positions north and northeast of Khasan. After these Russian positions were forced to evacuate, the new Soviet gun unit that arrived in the afternoon engaged not only Changkufeng but also the area of the Japanese regimental headquarters. A Japanese military history suggests that Chiangchunfeng, the site of the observation post for the heavy field-artillery battery, was hit early in the morning, just after Takenouchi's ground assault against Shachaofeng had begun. The only other Russian artillery fire noted is the early-morning bombardment of the region of Hill 52. This shelling emanated from a point southeast of the lake but appeared directed primarily against Hisatsune's guns, which pulled back to Changkufeng at 06:00. Takeshita's company, which had jumped off at 02:00 and struck to the rear of Changkufeng toward the heights southwest of Shachaofeng, sustained severe enemy artillery fire after dawn. The main body secured the positions it had captured, while one platoon occupied Hill 24. On Takenouchi's front, intense enemy artillery fire continued after the Shachaofeng district was cleared, but the battalion maintained its position throughout the day. At 20:00, Takenouchi pulled back to the heights northwest of Shachaofeng. Elements of Matsunobe's unit on the right flank clung to advanced positions southeast of Shachaofeng. Regarding the theological allusion to merciful rain at dawn, no interviewee recalled a torrential downpour at Changkufeng. One soldier remembered descending from the crest at 08:30, taking breakfast, and returning for battlefield cleanup an hour later, at which time it began to drizzle. The 75th Regiment's weather record for Sunday, 31 July, simply states, "Cloudy; sunrise 05:08."   At 06:40, Colonel Sato ordered Hirahara's 3rd Battalion to relieve Nakano's mauled 1st Battalion and Ito's company atop Changkufeng. The 1st Battalion was to become the regimental reserve force, assemble at Chiangchunfeng, and collect its dead and wounded. Shortly after 08:00, Hirahara arrived at the crest of Changkufeng. Sakata was still upright, blood-streaked. "It's all right now," Hirahara told him. "You can go down." Sakata limped away with the remnants of the 1st Battalion. At the command post he met Sato, who praised him, promised to replace his damaged sword with one of his own, and told him to head for the hospital. When he protested, Sato bellowed, more in pride than anger, "To the hospital with you!" Sakata went, leaving Kuriyama as acting company commander. That morning, Sato climbed Changkufeng and gave Hirahara instructions. He commended the heavy field artillery battery commander, Narukawa, for his effective support of Takenouchi's dawn attack at Shachaofeng. Before returning to his command post, Sato carefully supervised the collection of Japanese dead. He looked into the face of each man and bade him farewell, a regiment officer recalls. "His sincerity and sorrow inspired reverence in all of us." In the afternoon, Sato sent Oshima back to Haigan to report the victory to forces in the rear, to visit the families of the fallen, and to "exert a beneficial influence on the native inhabitants lest they become confused and upset by the recent fighting." After the Russians had been ousted from Changkufeng and Shachaofeng, information became available to Japanese headquarters concerning the extent of the victory and the price. The 75th Regiment put Soviet casualties at 300 men in each area and claimed a total of 17 tanks knocked out during the operations—seven at Changkufeng, three at Hill 52, seven at Shachaofeng. Assault infantrymen noted that few Soviet bodies were found in the crestline positions, other than those cut down by cold steel; many Russians were presumably wounded by grenades. Colonel Sato asserts that 30 Soviet corpses were picked up in the Changkufeng area after the night attack. Most Japanese survivors judge that Soviet casualties were at least double those incurred by their own forces. The Japanese used much of the materiel they had captured. The price had been grim in the assault units: 45 killed, 133 wounded. In both Colonel Nakano's and Colonel Takenouchi's battalions, about 25 percent of the officers and almost 10 percent of the men were killed or wounded. The main assault waves, chiefly the 1st and 2nd infantry companies and 1st Machine-Gun Company of Colonel Nakano's unit, suffered as many as one-half or two-thirds casualties, down to platoons and squads. Before the night attack, Colonel Nakano's battalion had a total of 401 men. The strength of Shimomura's battalion had diminished by only 17: Hirahara's by 10. Nakano's unit lost over 80 percent of all Japanese killed and wounded in the Changkufeng–Hill 52 sector.  Japanese accounts were lavish in their praise of Colonel Sato's conception and execution of the night-dawn assaults. "Everybody had conducted several inspections of the front, yet only two or three individuals were acquainted with the precise sector where we carried out our assault." The costly lack of comprehensive intelligence necessitated reduction of firing points in succession and made the assault on the peak, the true key, possible only at the end. "This was a rather difficult method. It would have been better to have thrown one small unit against one firing point invariably and to have used the main force to break through the depth of the foe swiftly." On the larger benefits of the night operation, Akaishizawa wrote, "We prevented the main hostile forces, numbering several thousand troops concentrated east of Khasan about 600 or 700 meters behind Changkufeng, from laying a finger on us." Sato regards the night attack as a success: "The Soviets would have taken over the entire region unless checked." But with respect to Suetaka's words of praise for Sato himself, one candid division staff officer does not share what he calls "extravagant laudation." "The night-attack plan had been devised long in advance. I do not see anything particularly brilliant about it. Only in terms of results could one call the assault well done." Sakata concurs but stresses that training paid off: "All the men in my company followed their leaders to the crest and thus displayed their teamwork and unity," despite the unexpectedly severe casualties. The Soviets seemed particularly apprehensive about the possibility of Japanese armored operations. Antitank weapons were deployed on the eastern slopes of Changkufeng, ready to fire against the axis of Hill 52, which theoretically was good tank country. Illuminating shells and flares were employed profusely in concert with heavy machine guns firing blue tracers from the time Japanese troops entered the zone of wire defenses. Tanks supplemented the fire network, as did artillery zeroed in east of Khasan. But it was the grenades, in "heaps and mounds," that troubled the attackers most: "This tactic must be one of the most important aspects of Soviet infantry training, together with snipers. Our night assault unit did not sustain too many casualties until the crest but, since we could not run up into the positions, the foe was able to hurl many milk-bottle-size grenades. Our forces must be given more training with hand grenades".  The first phone call to Seoul did not come until Changkufeng had been assaulted and cleared. Around 05:00 the division learned that victory had been achieved at Changkufeng; the first reports mentioned no Japanese casualties. "Thank God!" was the reaction. Suetaka and the major toasted Sato's victory with sake. "At 06:00, one company of the Sato unit occupied Shachaofeng and expelled the Soviet forces across the border." Not long afterward, the division, like the 75th Regiment, began to learn the extent of the casualties. Although personal sorrow displaced initial elation, there was grim satisfaction that the insolent Russians had been ousted and the dignity of the Imperial Army maintained. It was hoped and expected that the Korea Army would share this view. Seoul had learned of the Japanese assaults only after the fact and in a rather cursory fashion. Nakamura ordered the front-line units to secure the heights and to localize the affair by limiting the strength used in that area and by ensuring cautious action.  Nakamura's orders to not expand upon the victory were criticized heavily. However Tsuchiya recalled "The decision was taken too easily. Perhaps some had covert opposition, but no one spoke up. I think there was some misunderstanding of individual positions. Yet the crisis should have been analyzed carefully. It is too bad that there was no direct supervision by the Chief of Staff." For Tsuchiya, the Korea Army would have been in trouble if the incident had dragged on because of Soviet buildup and Japanese casualties and low mobilization. Although Nakamura likely wished the 19th Division to abandon unnecessary actions regardless of victory or defeat, he did not seem to care; he showed no intention of inspecting the local scene. Yet Tsuchiya felt such a keen sense of responsibility that he was prepared to commit suicide if matters went wrong. Inada argued that Nakamura did not visit the front to avoid expanding the troubles and disturbing the troops. Analyzing the Korea Army's nebulous control, Imaoka notes that Nakamura had only recently arrived in Korea and had little time before fighting began, but something seemed lacking in the army's exercise of command. Thus, Nakamura never met Suetaka until after the incident had been resolved, although the governor-general came from Seoul to visit Suetaka at the battlefront and to express appreciation in person. "It was quite proper to adhere to the policy of nonenlargement, but the Korea Army should have furnished more positive operational guidance in such a case when a subordinate division was in serious trouble." There were important lessons to be learned here, Tsuchiya recalled  "The 19th Division attacked the Russians twice in 36 hours without army orders or approval. How is it that the division commander, a lieutenant general and certainly not an reckless man, could have been allowed so much margin to act independently?" Some suggest that Suetaka tended to violate the spirit of the law, especially in force majeure. Others think that Suetaka was loyal, deliberate, and law-abiding, a worrier who could be expected to follow orders. Why risk one's career—one's life, given that self-censure loomed—when headquarters' decision was available? Military discipline and national interest dictated prior consultation and compliance. Or did Suetaka, like other notable generals, think gambles were justified by the goddess of Victory? I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. A daring Japanese night assault, led by Colonel Sato and his bold captains, threaded through fog, wire, and enemy fire. As dawn broke, the crest fell into Japanese hands, after brutal stand-ins on Hill 52 and Shachaofeng. Glinting grenades, roaring tanks, and disciplined infantry forged the victory, at a heavy price: dozens of officers and many men lost.   

In this explosive episode of Gangland Wire, host Gary Jenkins sits down with actor, entrepreneur, and mob insider Gianni “Johnny” Russo, best known for his unforgettable role as Carlo Rizzi in The Godfather. Russo pulls back the curtain on a lifetime of stories that stretch from Frank Costello and Joe Colombo to Las Vegas skimming, the Vatican Bank, Marilyn Monroe, Jimmy Hoffa, and even Pablo Escobar. Russo discusses his new book, Mafia Secrets: Untold Tales from the Hollywood Godfather, co-written with Michael Benson—an unfiltered account of power, violence, politics, and survival inside the criminal underworld and Hollywood royalty. This is not recycled mythology—this is Gianni Russo's personal version of history from the inside. Whether you believe every word or not, the stories are raw, violent, and utterly fascinating. This episode discusses: The Godfather, The Kennedy assassinations, Vegas skimming, Marilyn Monroe, Jimmy Hoffa, the Chicago Outfit, Pablo Escobar

In this episode of the Westminster Podcast, Brandon McLean Smith speaks with Jordan Bush, executive director of Thank God for Bitcoin and they explore the practical and theological implications of Bitcoin as a tool for missions and ministries in places cut off from traditional banking, how it can protect individuals and organizations from financial censorship, and the dangers posed by central bank digital currencies. Jordan ties monetary questions to a broader Reformed framework—invoking “sowing and reaping,” the kingdom's economics, and the need for Christian economists—while offering concrete steps churches can take (accepting crypto donations, educating congregations, building endowments) to steward resources responsibly in an unstable monetary age. If you enjoyed this conversation and were inspired by it to consider ways to utilize Bitcoin and other Crypto currencies to support the work of the Gospel I am glad to announce that Westminster now accepts Bitcoin, Ethereum, and most major coins and tokens. This is a great way to donate and support Westminster's mission to train specialists in the Bible to proclaim the whole counsel of God for Christ and His Global church. You avoid capital-gains tax, You receive a tax deduction for the full fair-market value and Westminster receives 100% of the value of your donation. If you want to know more about how to go about making such a donation. Please visit wts.edu/donate to get in tough with our stewardship representatives. You can also access tons of content just like this at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wm.wts.edu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks for listening!

Paul completed his letter with the words: “all glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen” (Romans 16:27). There is no more fitting way to end Romans than with praise to God.Tune in to hear Pastor Chuck Swindoll close out this encouraging series on the book of Romans. In this message, you will encounter in a new way God and His character.Thank God for all He has done. Embrace the gift of His Son. Marvel in His glory and the gift of His Word!

Big Idea: God completely cleanses and restores his sin-stained children. I. God cleanses a filthy man of his sin.Zechariah 3:1-5Then he showed me the high priest Joshua standing before the angel of the Lord, with Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! May the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Isn't this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” Now Joshua was dressed with filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. So the angel of the Lord spoke to those standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes!” Then he said to him, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with festive robes.” Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So a clean turban was placed on his head, and they clothed him in garments while the angel of the Lord was standing nearby.II. God restores an untrustworthy man to his service.Zechariah 3:6-7Then the angel of the Lord charged Joshua, “This is what the Lord of Armies says: If you walk in my ways and keep my mandates, you will both rule my house and take care of my courts; I will also grant you access among these who are standing here.III. God promises a broken world his salvation.Zechariah 3:8-10“Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your colleagues sitting before you; indeed, these men are a sign that I am about to bring my servant, the Branch. Notice the stone I have set before Joshua; on that one stone are seven eyes. I will engrave an inscription on it”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—“and I will take away the iniquity of this land in a single day. On that day, each of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree.” This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.Next Steps: Believe: Today, I surrender my soul to King Jesus.Become: I will stop listening to the accuser and start listening to the Father this week. Be Sent: I will share how Jesus forgave me with someone this week. Discussion Questions: What challenges have you faced in this broken world this year?How do you react when someone points out your faults?Do you consider your sin less filthy than someone else's?Will God trust great responsibilities to someone who isn't faithful to keep his Word? Explain your answer.Do you hold on to guilt or shame even after God has forgiven you?Give the first name of someone who needs to experience Jesus's forgiveness this week.Thank God for his gift of forgiveness today. 

Paul completed his letter with the words: "all glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen" (Romans 16:27). There is no more fitting way to end Romans than with praise to God.Tune in to hear Pastor Chuck Swindoll close out this encouraging series on the book of Romans. In this message, you will encounter in a new way God and His character.Thank God for all He has done. Embrace the gift of His Son. Marvel in His glory and the gift of His Word! To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/82/29?v=20251111

Through Any Storm, God's Joy Will Carry You | Blessed Morning Prayer To Start Your Day With GodSUBSCRIBE to catch all the latest prayers uploaded to the Daily Effective Prayer Podcast!For more powerful daily prayers and to connect with the ministry visit:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org© Copyright DailyEffectivePrayer.com  SUPPORT THE MINISTRY: (We are listener-supported)https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/donate/ DO YOU NEED PRAYER? Send us a prayer request right now:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/prayer-request-online/ CONNECT WITH US:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/connectYouTube (1M+ SUBSCRIBERS)X / TwitterInstagram ThreadsInstagramFacebook Daily Effective Prayer™

The people and the priests in Malachi's day had forgotten the might, majesty, and mercy of the Lord of Hosts. They were offering God their left-overs and their half-hearted worship. They had lost their fear of the Lord. The same thing happens in our lives today. Thank God for Jesus, who was sent to suffer and die for our sins of dishonoring God and to restore the reverence, honor and awe that God deserves, into the hearts of his people!

Welcome to Calvary Lutheran Church 619 3RD AVE SW, PERHAM, MN 56573 Thank God. Share Jesus. Help Others Prayer of the Day Stir up the wills of all who look to you, Lord God, and strengthen our faith in your coming, that, transformed by grace, we may walk in your way; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.   Support Our Livestream Ministry—and Empower Our Youth! Each week, our YouTube, Facebook Live and our podcast services are made possible by our amazing youth media team. That's right—they run the cameras, audio, and streaming software—and we're proud to pay them for their work, helping them build life skills while serving the church. Your donation supports: Livestream costs (equipment, internet, tools) Paid media roles for our youth Continued outreach through digital ministry If you've been blessed by our services, consider giving here: https://www.calvaryperham.com/gifts Thank you for helping us serve our community—and raise up the next generation! Facebook: / calvaryperham YouTube: / @calvaryperham Podcast on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7hbXujm... Podcast public site https://rss.com/podcasts/april16th2023/ Lakes 99.5 Radio Sundays at Ten Thirty AM https://player.listenlive.co/64121 TUESDAY WORSHIP 9 AM Arvig TV Channel 14 Egiving https://secure.myvanco.com/YMVS/home Website: https://calvaryperham.com/ Vanco Mobile App on Phone/Tablet: Vanco Mobile Faith Engagement has replaced the Give+ App. Search “vanco mobile faith engagement” in the app store to download on your phone or tablet, Calvary is “Calvary Lutheran Church ELCA.” Website: Click the orange E-Giving button at https://calvaryperham.com/

Ave Maria, Bishop Barron, Rush Limbaugh, conclusionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-true-conservative--2039343/support.

Jonas Knox celebrates the return of Philip Rivers as the Colts starting quarterback, how that game might go for him, something happening later tonight that nobody cares about, the Thank God for Gambling Game of the Week, Joe Burrow’s comments that sent the NFL world into a minor frenzy, what doesn’t feel quite right about the TJ Watt situation in Pittsburgh, and more! #2prosSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things that don't really matter." — Francis ChanSHOW NOTESEPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Drop the Hammer: Stop measuring your worth by your holiday performance. Practice self-compassion and apply grace to yourself before anyone else this season. Value the Value: Prioritize the reason for your activities (love, connection, celebration of Jesus) over the perfect execution of the tasks. Measurement is God's Belief: Your worth is defined by Christ's gift and the extravagant grace He has infused into you, not by your to-do list. His Faith is Your Mechanism: Jesus's faith lives on the inside of you, moving the mechanism of grace and making you equally advantaged in God's love. You Are Infused with Grace: God is head over heels in love with you, and His favor is attached to you on both your good days and your not-so-good days. Thank you for joining me today on the Interviewing Jesus Podcast. That toolkit just keeps getting fuller and fuller every time we open it up! Thank God he never tires of reminding us of the powerful tools of his love—the grace he gives so freely.

Stay Thankful Even When Life's Tough (GRATITUDE UNLOCKS MIRACLES) | Blessed Morning Prayer For TodaySUBSCRIBE to catch all the latest prayers uploaded to the Daily Effective Prayer Podcast!For more powerful daily prayers and to connect with the ministry visit:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org© Copyright DailyEffectivePrayer.com  SUPPORT THE MINISTRY: (We are listener-supported)https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/donate/ DO YOU NEED PRAYER? Send us a prayer request right now:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/prayer-request-online/ CONNECT WITH US:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/connectYouTube (1M+ SUBSCRIBERS)X / TwitterInstagram ThreadsInstagramFacebook Daily Effective Prayer™

“Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” (2 Corinthians 9:15 NLT) In all your preparations for the holiday season, make sure you don’t miss the point of celebrating Christmas. Missing the profound meaning and implications of Jesus’ coming is surprisingly easy to do. The innkeeper in Bethlehem could have been an eyewitness to God’s arrival on earth. He could have been immortalized in nativity scenes, along with the shepherds and wise men. But Luke 2:7 says, “She [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them” (NLT). The innkeeper missed Jesus because he gave priority to others. King Herod could have accompanied the wise men in their search for the One born King of the Jews. He could have offered his own crown as a gift to Jesus, as a sign of humility, obedience, and worship. But Herod missed Jesus because he couldn’t accept the idea of someone supplanting him as ruler. Matthew 2:16 tells us how far he went to keep it from happening: “Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance” (NLT). Most of the Jewish people who were alive when the Incarnation occurred missed Jesus because they ignored the truth of God’s Word. They interpreted Old Testament prophecy to fit their own agenda instead of trying to understand God’s agenda. Citizens of the Roman Empire missed Jesus because they were too busy worshipping other gods. They opted for false idols instead of God Himself. Let’s not make the same mistake. Let’s keep our priorities straight. This is the season of busyness. There are a lot of things vying for our attention—many of them important. But none is nearly as important as the gift of God’s only Son. Let’s approach the Lord with a sense of humility and obedience. The genocidal cruelty of Herod sets him apart from most people. But his refusal to hand the reins of power to anyone else is all too familiar. Giving our lives to Christ and submitting to His will can be a challenge. There are times when we want to pursue our own preferences and pleasures. But if we give in to those urges, we miss what the Lord has in store for us. Let’s prioritize God’s Word. In it, we find the secrets of wisdom, trail markers for discovering God’s will, instructions for living in a Christlike way, and glimpses into our future. The Bible is the gift that keeps giving. Let’s remove the false idols—the distractions that keep us from worshipping God wholeheartedly—from our lives. Let’s resolve not to miss Jesus this Christmas. Reflection question: What steps can you take to keep your focus on Jesus this Christmas? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How are future pastors and deaconesses formed at Concordia Theological Seminary (CTSFW)? The Rev. Dr. Jon Bruss (President of Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN) and the Rev. Matt Wietfeldt (Assistant Vice President of Admission at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN) join Andy and Sarah for our Set Apart to Serve series to talk about what they love about being at CTSFW, the church work programs CTSFW offers, what campus life looks like, some things that make formation at CTSFW unique, opportunities like Christ Academy and Symposia which serve the church at large, recruitment efforts for future church workers, and first steps for someone considering church work programs. Learn more at ctsfw.edu. Christ's church will continue until He returns, and that church will continue to need church workers. Set Apart to Serve (SAS) is an initiative of the LCMS to recruit church workers. Together, we pray for workers for the Kingdom of God and encourage children to consider church work vocations. Here are three easy ways you can participate in SAS: 1. Pray with your children for God to provide church workers. 2. Talk to your children about becoming church workers. 3. Thank God for the people who work in your congregation. To learn more about Set Apart to Serve, visit lcms.org/set-apart-to-serve. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

Surely he didn't know it then, but his work in media in China made my guest, filmmaker David Borenstein, the perfect person to direct MR NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN (2025). It's a fantastic film following a Russian teacher "secretly documenting his school becoming a war recruitment center during the Ukraine invasion."What David and especially his co-director, Pasha TAH-LOHN-KIN, did was make a film at great personal risk because it's so cutting towards the Russian authoritarian regime. And astonishingly, as David shares in the podcast, he wants to do more of these stories in repressed societies.Thank God there are people like David and Pasha. Denmark's nominee for best international film at the 2026 Oscars is an absolute gem.In this episode, David and I discuss:the simplicity of the documentary and whether the overwhelmingly positive reaction surprised him;how he got started in filmmaking and his familiarity with heavily propagandistic societies;the difference between journalism and documentary filmmaking (he has an incredible answer here);the debates with his co-director about the concept of propaganda;how cool it would be to see a documentary or podcast on the making of MR NOBODY;logistically, how did the film happen?;how his co-director became knowledgeable behind the camera;advice for anybody interested in doing a project like this, especially when you aren't in the same place as your co-director!;how he edited the project and who got the line credit for it;how we can better support filmmakers in places like China and Russia;when the film will be available for streaming and the challenges of finding distribution in the United States;the clash between US and Europe distributors for documentary films;what's next for him.David's Indie Filmmaker Highlight: Nathan FielderMemorable Quotes:"The co-director, he actually responded to a casting call in the beginning. So in the beginning, we were filming him as a character.""The very first time that I was involved with cameras of any sort was actually as a Chinese speaking host on Chinese TV.""if you are a quite fluent foreign speaker of Chinese living in China, they'll find you after a while. You are a curiosity to Chinese audiences.""[John Grierson] defined documentary in a very special way. He didn't define it as journalism per se. He actually called it the propaganda of democracy.""There were so many points where I thought about quitting or walking away 'cause it was so hard. But don't give up." "The way I work with editors is I make a rough cut myself and then I deliver it to editors to work for a little bit of time to challenge me." "I think it's really important as director to be generous.""[The film] is resonating with people in Russia and not necessarily people who are already part of the Russian opposition.""I'm still really interested in getting into the big kind of countries that we don't understand enough, Russia and China."Links:Follow David On InstagramFollow MR NOBODY AGAINST PUTINSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/first-time-go/exclusive-content

Dr. Pia Lieb returns for a second part on the podcast. In this episode, she talks about being obsessed with your craft, and why that extra 10% for patients will take you miles. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:10) I love that you, ⁓ I think this is probably what's made you really great. I don't know. I've heard a lot about you. But I think what you do is you make sure that the patients are obsessed with the results and not that Dr. Pia is obsessed. Like you're obsessed with the craftsmanship of what you've done.   You're really talented at that. But like hearing that you let people walk out and go try these on and what is it going to be like before you do it? That to me says that you are so obsessed about the outcome and the result for the patient. And then your job is to make sure you have the most excellent craftsmanship, the best product, the best techniques, the best method to get them the outcome they want. And I think hearing that, I'm just so proud of you. And I'm so grateful to hear that there are clinicians in our industry that   are obsessed about that rather than the reverse. Because I think some people are obsessed about maybe the dollar, maybe about doing these types of cases, but they're not the best at it, or this is what I think that they should look like. You really want to make sure that that patient is like a walking raving fan of you before you even do the work on them. And that I think is very special about you.   Dr Pia (01:17) Thanks, but you know, I like to say that, you know, like, the thing that people don't understand is I'm technically the Hermes of dentistry because I, it takes a long time to make a Birkin, right? It's all made by hand. So are the veneers, hence why it's so hard to get one. But look, I   Kiera Dent (01:39) Mm-hmm.   Dr Pia (01:42) 22 years old and it still looks brand new because it's the quality of the craftsmanship you know and I tell all my patients you should get anywhere between 20 and 25 years out of the mirror okay this whole nonsense of five years and ten years that's because they want to redo the case and for you to pay them again if you're doing good quality work the only reason they should be replaced is because you have recession due to old age   Kiera Dent (01:55) Wow.   Mm-hmm.   Wow. And you don't have any issues with these super, super thin ones popping off.   Dr Pia (02:17) No, because okay, let me let me explain to you. Let me explain to you physics. Okay. Okay, do you know why they pop off?   Kiera Dent (02:19) Let's talk about this. I'm so, cause a lot of people haven't popped off and it's so scary. So I'm like, let's talk about this.   You know, this is why I'm asking you. Cause I don't like, feel my guess is that they were not bonded on correctly. And that's my guess. Okay. I'm ready.   Dr Pia (02:28) Okay.   No, it's, two things. There's two things. That's   one, but that's the second one. Right. But let me explain to you. Do you remember when you were in high school and we went to, ⁓   Kiera Dent (02:37) Okay.   Dr Pia (02:43) ⁓ chemistry and we had the microscope with the two glass slabs and we were looking for amoebas and all that stuff. Okay, remember how we were all a painting that you know what and we all tried to pry those two glass slabs apart and it never worked? Well that's the same principle with veneers. The thinner they are the stronger they are.   Kiera Dent (02:51) Yep.   Yeah   Fascinating.   Dr Pia (03:06) Okay   and I'll tell you why because teeth you know because you're in the business so teeth we all have ligaments right the teeth are hard it's a hard structure the bone is a hard structure so we have the dental ligaments right they're horizontal they're transversal so those are like the shock absorbers that hold the tooth inside the bone socket. Now   Kiera Dent (03:12) Mm-hmm. Right.   Mm-hmm.   Mm-hmm.   Dr Pia (03:30) when you're speaking and when you're eating those teeth move microns not visible to the eye but your teeth have mobility just like trees have mobility in the wind right we don't see the trees move unless it's a hundred mile an hour winds but if you have a five mile an hour wind you don't see that tree moving right but it does move   Kiera Dent (03:44) Mm-hmm.   Right.   Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.   Dr Pia (03:56) So   when you're doing these 3D print and you're filing like the turkey teeth where you have the little pegs left and the ratio of tooth to porcelain is 50-50 or you're having 60-40 or 70-30 that 3D printed porcelain does not flex.   Kiera Dent (04:05) Yep.   Makes sense.   Mm-hmm.   Dr Pia (04:23) but your tooth does. So that's the number one issue why they pop off. The thicker they are, the easier they'll pop off. And the number two reason is the dentist has no idea about occlusion. Because if you have a premature contact or you have lateral excursions or a protrusive, you're going to pop those off like there's no tomorrow.   Kiera Dent (04:23) True.   Interesting.   Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yes.   Totally. Yeah.   Dr Pia (04:51) So these are   the basic principles. If you don't know occlusion, you shouldn't be doing dentistry. I'm talking about GPs or it's the holy grail of this profession. Occlusion, occlusion, occlusion.   Kiera Dent (05:03) And I will tell you as a patient who has the most obnoxious bite, ⁓ there are dentists who do no occlusion and there are dentists who don't because my bite you adjust one teeny tiny little micron and the whole bite gets thrown off and they're like, no care, it should be fine. And I'm like, I can always tell if you're just doing blue paper and you're having me bite chew all around, I know you don't understand occlusion because I'm like, you're never going to get it. I'm going to be, you're dancing all the way around. Like from the patient who has sat there,   four hours upon hours and had to find other dentists because the dentist who thought they could do it truly can't do it. And this isn't me being a jerk. This is me being the patient who has to suffer through a dentist who doesn't understand occlusion. Like what you just said as a patient, ⁓ and like there's some, know, you can have it like completely off and like, yeah, it feels great. And then you have patients like myself that teeny, teeny, teeny tiny. I can feel it. You can't even find it. And I'm like, no, it's off. My bite is not, my teeth are not coming together.   Dr Pia (05:59) You always know, the patient always knows. They're always right.   Kiera Dent (06:02) always. And please don't have me laying back.   Please don't have me lay back. Let me sit up. Let me lay back. Let me tell you on both of them, because it's always different. And they're like, no, it's good. And I'm like, it's not. You're not sitting in my mouth.   Dr Pia (06:09) Yeah!   Because   you most probably have long centric, right? So you have one occlusion when your head is back and you have a different occlusion when your head is forward. Now, if that's the case, you need to check both.   Kiera Dent (06:18) Mm-hmm.   Absolutely.   Correct. Thank you. Preach, please, for the patients like myself. These are the pieces. And I don't disagree because when I have seen dentists and they're not checking that and the patients are constantly popping off, I'm like, just maybe check to see how those teeth are hitting in all directions because they will pop.   Dr Pia (06:43) ⁓ but let   me interrupt you for one thing. The other thing that's an issue, okay, if they do it and you're anesthetized, you're not going to get a good read. You always have to call the patient back the next day and check the occlusion again in all the positions when they're not anesthetized because I will guarantee you on my career that it will be off.   Kiera Dent (06:53) ⁓ no, never.   Yep. Yep.   Always. And they're like, no, you can bite when you're numb. And I'm like, I don't even know how I'm biting. I have no clue. I know I'm biting differently. Preach. These are the things and the conversations that I've said. And having somebody like yourself who's so good at this. I mean, you guys, has a referral-based practice. Like people are flying in to see her. I can see why, because how you speak about this is so different. And I think today, one, I hope people are inspired of things to do, things to not do.   different ways to do this. I also love the risk that you took. I love the growth. I love the determination of self of I will be the best. You have the passion. You've got the grit. You've got the tenacity. I have doctors who are great surgeons that are truly incredible at this. I've got doctors that are amazing at occlusion. I've got doctors that are amazing at fillings. There's a doctor and one of his patients said like, have the smoothest fillings in all the land. And he's like, that's really weird. I had him fix a filling that chipped.   And I'm not going to lie, he has the smoothest fillings in all the land. Like I've never felt a feeling as smooth as this man did for me.   Dr Pia (08:12) That's because he polished it afterwards.   99% don't polish them. You know, I had a colleague, checked, he did a, we put a crown in and I'm like, Joe, can we polish it? He goes, no, you're good to go. I'm like, no, I'm not. He's like, but I polished it. I'm like, okay, there is a porcelain polishing kit that you've got to go red, blue, white.   Kiera Dent (08:18) I was shocked.   Hahaha   Dr Pia (08:40) and the white has to be on low rpms and you have to make sure that it's shiny and polished and he's like i don't have the patience for that go do it yourself in the office and i did   Kiera Dent (08:52) But I think like that even I feel like dentistry you It to me what I'm hearing is a lot of dentists. It sounds like go 90 % of the way But it's like that extra 10 % is what really in my opinion makes a lot of difference for patients It's doing the polishing. It's doing the small finesse like you you're working in such a small space anyway Why not make it absolutely perfect and dr. P? think you really inspired me to even look at myself in my life of where's that extra 10 % that I could really just make a dazzle Where could I really make it shine?   It's not, it doesn't take a lot of time, but it does take intentionality. So as we wrap today, this has been such a fascinating podcast and I've absolutely loved it. And I just appreciate your time. I want you to wrap with, you can do do's, don'ts or a mix of the in between. What should people who are doing cosmetic dentistry from your perspective as truly one of the most expert people I've ever met do in cosmetic dentistry or don't or you're welcome to do a mixture as just a quick wrap rattle of things that you've seen in your career.   Dr Pia (09:48) Before   we do that, want to talk to you, I think that we should do this again because I want to talk to you about DSOs and private practice.   Kiera Dent (09:56) Mm, yeah.   That is very fascinating. This is heavy on my mind of all different topics currently in the landscape, which I don't disagree with you.   Dr Pia (10:08) Yeah, that's things are things are changing and not for the better.   Kiera Dent (10:12) They are.   Yeah, absolutely. That will be it.   Dr Pia (10:17) Because I'm a dinosaur   now. I mean, there's very few of us that do handmade work anymore. So getting back to your question. Look, I   Kiera Dent (10:22) I don't disagree.   Dr Pia (10:30) cosmetic dentistry you have to be very very very passionate about it and and the key is to leave your ego at the door and try to be the best version of yourself and that means take every course if you're a young dentist or still in dental school take every course that you can take you know look on Instagram and find the people that do the handmade work like myself and you know there's a handful of   that do it and ceramist as well and find the good beautiful work and reach out to everyone like you know everybody can reach out to me you know and ask me like hi how do I do this or how you know how should I go about doing that the thing is you have to be passionate if you're do and what I've told every student of mine in 18 years you're not doing this for the money the money will come you have to do this because you love doing it   Kiera Dent (11:31) I don't disagree. think, on that note, Dr. Pia, what is the best way for people to follow you? Because I love that you said this and I tell people all the time, the world has shifted. We are in 2025. I'm going to choose a plastic surgeon, a cosmetic dentist, a surgeon based on their Instagram. I'm gonna go look at their photos. I'm gonna go look at their work. We don't live in a world where we are isolated just to our own state anymore. Like people fly across the country to go get the best work done. So.   Dr Pia (11:56) yeah, mean Instagram,   I get internationals from Instagram. I've gotten Kazakhstan, I've gotten the UK, I've gotten the French, I've gotten so many and they're all Instagram. And I'm like, okay. I'm just Dr. P, I spelled out the D-O-C-T-O-R. P-I-A, my first name.   Kiera Dent (12:06) How cool is that? So what is your Instagram handle? So people can follow and kind of see what you do.   Dr. Pia,   and I think if you want to see someone, I know you said you're a dinosaur in this, but as we've been chatting, I'm like, this is the doctor that I would fly across the country to go to. This is the one that I would go see. She knows what she's talking about. She's got the finesse, she's got the passion. She's willing to do one veneer. She's the person I'm going to trust to do work on my mouth. And it's how does she get seen? How does she get known? How does she do this? Guys, these are the legends. These are the people. These are people that have just like done what you're wanting to do.   Follow her and also, I don't know if you have heard at the beginning of the podcast, it sounds like Dr. Pia, you're passionate about helping any person who this is their dream become the best in the industry. And that to me is why she...   Dr Pia (12:51) for sure. For sure. Just DM me if you have any questions.   That's the whole like Instagram is the new portal of learning.   Kiera Dent (13:01) Mm-hmm.   Dr Pia (13:04) Just ask questions. mean, it's none of us were born knowing how to do veneers. We all had to learn it at some point. And as long as your ego is at the door and you're willing to learn and be the best version of yourself, then you're great. You're great. But if you think you know it all, I'm still learning. And I've been doing this for decades. I'm still learning. I want to be up to date and things are changing. Materials are changing. There's so many things.   Kiera Dent (13:13) Right.   Dr Pia (13:34) Styles are changing. Thank God the Hollywood smile is dying. Finally. This took about 16 years, but thank God it's dying now. It's going back to natural   Kiera Dent (13:34) Yeah.   No. Right.   which Dr. Pia, people didn't get to hear this. I heard this pre-show. You came on, we were just chatting and you said, I love my career. I love what I do. And to hear that you've been doing it this long and can still say that you love that. That's what my hope and wishes for so many doctors out there is that, and like, yes, we will get you back on the podcast to talk about DSO private practice because I think so many people are like get in, get out real quick. And I think that you are just such a great example of loving your craft, loving what you do.   committing to be the expert and look, you've had this long of a career and you're still obsessed with what you do. And I just want to honor you and say thank you and thank you for inspiring dentists today on the podcast.   Dr Pia (14:24) Well, thanks for having me. And look, the young generation, the new graduates that are out there, I think we need to tell them the do's and don'ts of DSO.   Kiera Dent (14:36) Absolutely. So that's a wrap for today with Dr. Pia. We'll have her back on talking about DSOs and new grads and the, I think the perspectives, because right now it's a world of a lot of noise and to find wisdom through that noise is paramount. So Dr. Pia, thanks for being on. Thanks for sharing your cosmetic knowledge. Yeah, I did too. And for all of you listening, I hope you commit to being the best at your craft, to getting hungry. There's a great quote. I'm a BYU football fan ⁓ and their coach says, be hungry.   Dr Pia (14:51) It was a pleasure, I loved it!   Kiera Dent (15:05) Stay hungry, stay humble. And I think that that's what Dr. Pia has done. And I hope all of you commit to that. And as always, thanks for listening and I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team podcast.  

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Trish shares with Tiff and listeners her experience with a practice that started with a whole lot of uncertainty under a new doctor, and the steps undertaken that lead to a thriving workplace within a year. Specifically, she touches on how trust, flexibility, and numbers each played a role in this success story. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript:   The Dental A Team (00:01) Hello Dental A Team listeners. I am so excited to be here today. We are, I have Trish here with me. So we are here just hanging out today and we, I'm so excited actually that we did this at 8 a.m. It's way more fun. At first I was like, ⁓ that is early to be ready. But then, know, we're like, spray our hair's great. Our makeup is fresh. Like it's actually super fun. So thank you for spending your morning with me Trish. How are you today? We are hot to try.   DAT Trish Ackerman (00:27) Thank you. We are hot to trot.   The Dental A Team (00:31) Trish, I got to love on you already twice, so go listen to the buyers and the sellers version of practice ownership, you guys, because you'll get to hear how amazing Trish is. But I want to pull a random on you, Trish. And I have not asked in a while, and I think that the Dental A Team listeners in the world out there needs to hear, how are the piggies? And yes, I said pigs, like oink oink, how are the piggies?   DAT Trish Ackerman (00:56) The piggies are great. So I do have two pigs and ⁓ they are very well known with my friends and my colleagues. I have, it's Miss Daisy and Joey and that is spelled J-O-Y-E. And well, they're doing great. However, winter's here is coming. It's winter in Arizona. we think they don't like the cold. They don't like the cold at all. So we have been having some loud piggies that like to come indoors and they do. So we have in and out pigs to go in and out with dogs.   The Dental A Team (01:07) course.   Yeah.   Ugh.   Yeah.   DAT Trish Ackerman (01:26) We have a total podcast just about that. anybody's thinking about getting a pig, please call me first.   The Dental A Team (01:30) Yeah, yeah, and that's true.   I, Trish, I think actually, like, save the pigs. I think that's a really good point because I and we can, you can take any theory and apply it to anything, right? Anything, everything looks great. ⁓ And when you're in it, you realize maybe I didn't do enough research, right? So this sounds like a great idea, but maybe I didn't do enough research. And I've known people, aside from you who have had   pigs as pets. And I know one family that just thrived loved their pig and ⁓ they live a long time. You guys, there's a lot to know about pigs. are incredibly smart. ⁓ but I do believe they're very smart to the point of like stubbornness, right? But there's like so much to learn and Trish, something that everyone should know is a passion of yours is these, the pig projects.   Right? And that stems from that right there, in my opinion, of people not understanding what they're getting into. When I was young, I wanted nothing more than a little pig. I wanted a little piggy. Right? And so many people in the early 2000s, in the 90s, they got a little piggy. And what happens to a little piggy, Trish? This little cute little oinker does what?   DAT Trish Ackerman (02:49) it gets real big real quick and then it roots everything and people are not prepared very and loud we prepare yes life's not   The Dental A Team (02:50) They're so big!   They're so big, they're so destructive.   loud. My mom was like, you're not getting a pig. Yeah. Thank God.   So, so everyone knows Trish does, she volunteers ⁓ for, there's a whole, the whole place here, the volunteer that takes piggies and cares for them and loves them. And it's just something that she's really, really passionate about that I didn't even know existed until meeting Trish. So thank you for bringing that to my life. But   I love the analogy that can be taken from that, right? Because we do that with everything. We're like, okay, that was so cute. my gosh, sparkly, do it, yes. This is an instant yes. I want it, I need it, I want a goat, right? I want a highland cow, a mini highland cow, because why? Instagram shows me pictures of them next to a fireplace. I wanna cuddle with a mini highland cow. That sounds dangerous, right? Like I also want a coyote.   DAT Trish Ackerman (03:40) Yes, yes.   Yeah, it's great.   The Dental A Team (03:57) Like there's so many things that we want in life because they're cute and they're sparkly and they feel like they're gonna feel amazing. And then we get there and we're like, ⁓ shoot, I did not do the research. I did not realize this pig was gonna get so giant, right? So I love that. Thank you for letting me take that journey with you. And so if you do have piggy questions, Trish@TheDentalATeam.com. It's her direct line. You can make sure.   DAT Trish Ackerman (04:03) ⁓   Mm-hmm.   Thank you.   I'm your girl.   The Dental A Team (04:25) And it's going to be just fantastic. It's going to be so much fun. okay, on that note, practice owners, doctors, know, teams even, we all get into that space, right, of shiny object syndrome, or it just sounds like it's going to be amazing, or it looks so pretty. And we sometimes tend to miss some of the underlying pieces that we've got to know. And I think that's where consulting is super beneficial.   for practice owners. There are so many things that you don't know until you know. And a lot of those pieces are healthy patient base, right? What is a healthy patient base? How do I keep, maintain, create a healthy patient base? What the heck is billing? How do I even do that? What is insurance? Why do they tell me what I can and cannot do? These are literally real questions that we get from doctors and, or team.   Why does my team hate me? How do I make my team like me? Well, my team likes me, but they don't respect me. Culture is massive. And all these things are things that we don't always think about when we purchase a practice and we get into this like beautiful building or the, ugly building that we're going to make beautiful or whatever it is. And just like the piggies, it was so cute and such a good idea. And then all of a sudden it's this massive.   Mass, like how much do they weigh Trish? Like a full grown pig weighs what?   DAT Trish Ackerman (05:56) I mean, I don't have the hogs, but Miss Daisy, I mean, she's close to 90 pounds and Joey, he's about 110 pounds and they start out little.   The Dental A Team (06:01) 110.   Yeah, yeah, and people think like a St. Bernard is wild. Like no, these are pigs, right? Like it was so cute. They are really cute still. I'm not saying they're not still cute. I'm just saying they come with some baggage, you guys. So when we're looking at these practices and we're helping these practice owners, these are pieces that we have to dig for. We've got to be like, hey, like that's a truffle finder. Like that pig is going to tear up your backyard.   but we can safeguard it. There are things that can be put into place to make sure that your backyard is safe, right, or as safe as possible. Same thing with your practice and your consulting. And that's what we do. We are good. Trish is great at pigs. She is great at many things. Recare, reactivation, AR, billing, team, culture, leadership. I could literally list the millions of things that Trish is really, really fantastic at.   And I think sometimes she's like an octopus that can just like all these arms are just going in different directions and she's just so fantastic at it. And Trish, we've talked about a specific client before and this client is just super cool, super amazing, super fun and a go-getter, like quietly a go-getter, which I love. I love that it's like a sneaky go-getter because he's so quiet. ⁓   So we talked about them before, but something I wanted to kind of highlight and focus on today during our podcast is yes, they've done these amazing things and with your leadership and your guidance, they have implemented some really incredible tools that we have talked about in the past, ⁓ you know, for handoffs and exams, mentorship, like all these pieces and it's worked wonderfully and the doctor is doing fantastic, but something I don't think we highlighted in the last podcast on this.   on this topic and conversation is the work that you've done with the manager and the team and like how that has flowed and how the doctor's leadership in the last less than a year has really molded the culture in the practice that that practice has now become, it's thriving. Like it's a practice that is safeguarded. It's a practice that has the systems in place that the team is really excited to be there still.   and has the like and the respect. I want to hear those tools, because those are sometimes the tools that we miss in moments of get our operations manual done and do all these checklists. And I want to hear how you helped them do that. I know he did it, they did it. And that is something that we can truthfully say. They showed up. They did the work. But what were the...   They did, and how did they do that? Take me through all of those pieces. How did you help them do that? How did they do the work? How are they showing up that's different than practices we're not working with right now?   DAT Trish Ackerman (09:00) This practice, it's so special to me because of the legacy behind it. just to reiterate this, we've got our current doctor in there now. It was his dad's practice and it was also his grandpa's practice. so he had something that we knew, he had something that we knew we had to preserve and grow and just blossom more than anything that practice had ever seen before.   And this doctor, he's kind of like your, he's just like your perfect implementer. And I never, and that doesn't happen all the time. And it did with him. And he, this is a doctor that has a stellar OM, like a real OM. And she, they are great partners. And when we, you know, we kind of walked through all the KPIs initially, like let's look at everything.   The Dental A Team (09:35) Yeah.   DAT Trish Ackerman (09:55) And then we started breaking it down, like where could we improve or where could we increase things or where can we be more efficient? And we'll start with just say the patient base, because this was a bottlenecked practice, which is it's got his pros and cons for sure. I mean, it's great because you're bottlenecked. The cons are you could possibly lose a lot of patients very quickly. But what we did is we would strategize together and I would map out the steps for him in like an ABC fashion.   The Dental A Team (10:06) Yeah.   DAT Trish Ackerman (10:25) Here's A, go do that. Here's B, go do that and C. He would do just that with the support of the OM and team. The OM and the doctor together would roll out at team meetings and even sometimes just morning huddles like this is something we're implementing today and they would do it. And that is, you know, it's like to have, if you bring us on to help you, there has to be a trust there. I mean, we're, certainly not here to make   make you do something that is not gonna work. Sometimes something doesn't work, but we pivot quickly. But for the most part, we're here to help. And this doctor walked in with nothing but trust. And I admire everybody that comes on to us, because this is a big decision to get a coach and have somebody consult for your practice. But that is really how they made these things move, They did everything, everything, and almost exactly how I would roll it out to them.   The Dental A Team (11:17) Yeah.   Yeah, I agree. I watched it. I watched it. I, as you were speaking, picked up that trust word as well. And I think the, the trust that he has for himself to make good decisions flows into all of the other pieces. And, and I don't mean that he knows every decision is a good decision. He trusts that no matter what the decision that he makes, he's going to pour into   and it's going to work or it's not. And if it doesn't work, then he moves on to something different. He trusts that no matter what, at the end of the day, it's going to be okay. So that means that he trusts the people that he surrounds himself with. If he has chosen you, he trusts you. And I think that trust flows into, I think it makes us better consultants, right? Because we feel that trust, we know, and we're going to push you. We know the extent to which we can push you. And if that trust is not there, you're not going to get as much push. And I know there's a lot of   There's a lot of times that I hear I'm not seeing movement or I need more. Well, it's both ways. We're gonna gauge it by how you're showing up. We're gonna show up too. And this is someone who shows up and that trust then, it doesn't just flow into the type of consulting that he gets. It also flows into how his team shows up. And you said that his office manager I've met, wonderful human and is just,   wants the best for the why, the purpose of the practice, the why that they're there serves it. That then allows them the trust that they have in each other, in the decisions, in the practice, in their why, in their purpose flows to the team so that they can show up and say, hey, we're doing morning huddle today. It doesn't have to be this like, hey, in a couple of weeks, like we're prepping for this, hey guys, we're prepping, because now I'm coddling and the team is like, is it good? it, like why is this?   Why can't we just do it, right? When it's not like a, hey, this is what we're gonna do. We're gonna try this out. It's gonna be amazing and let's do this. It's a like, ooh, like a gas and a break at the same time. It's like, ⁓ well, maybe though the team feels that. And they're like, I don't think I wanna do this then. I don't trust that you've put a lot of thought into this. I don't trust that this is a good idea. So I'm gonna rebel. And then, know, teams and practices and practice owners are like, why isn't this working?   I think you nailed it there with the trust. He trusts himself, he trusts you, he trusts his team, and he trusts his spouse. The trust is ever flowing. He trusted his father to gift him, maybe not gift him, but to build this legacy practice for him to take over one day. And I think that is massive. So then that trust flows into everything that he does. And I think you get to see that. And Trish, what are your...   What are some of the ways that you've seen the team really rally behind him?   DAT Trish Ackerman (14:24) They, okay, behind every number is a story and watching his numbers change. The story is that the team changed with him and they are, they're very transparent with their team. They're very, they're, very direct, but in a lead, but they, they both have very strong leadership. They're a firm and principal, flexible and procedure is what I love to use.   The Dental A Team (14:27) Yeah.   DAT Trish Ackerman (14:50) So they would be firm in principle, like this is a new implementation that we're going to roll out today. They would be flexible in procedure with certain team members because, you know, change is always kind of wild. It can be. The flexible and procedure would be, okay, if you're not ready to implement today, let me set you up with some coaching, but immediately so that we can ensure that we get this implementation rolled out by next Monday.   So it wouldn't be something that could just never get implemented, they could, if they needed to take some heavy lifts a little slower, they would, but there was always a timeline behind it. Nothing ever just sat ever. And team meetings, they're really, really good about their team meetings. They have solid agendas. They go in there with an action plan and they leave with action items. And they're just, they're marching. They continuously march together and forward and upward, always.   They did, the doctor also did kind of early on, he did a really, really good analysis, a sincere analysis on right people, right seats. And there was some discoveries made there. And knowing what those discoveries are, that gave me something to also help coach him with. you have to have, the doctors cannot do this alone. They can't. Team meetings are imperative. They have them. And again,   The numbers tell a story. And how did I know right away that this team was behind him was the numbers. But how did he do it? Consistency, implementation, follow through. He didn't just say he was going to do something. He did it. He did it.   The Dental A Team (16:34) Yeah,   yeah, and he delegated, right? He delegated to his team the pieces where they could support too. think something that I noticed right off the bat was that he trusted you, he listened to you, and something you guided him on was the pieces that only he could do versus the pieces that other people could help him do. And so mentorship, mentoring an associate dentist to take some of the load off of him, to build the schedule, to make room for the new patients, to get the block scheduling in place.   DAT Trish Ackerman (16:52) Right, yeah.   The Dental A Team (17:02) that mentorship could only come from him. But the other pieces, the implementing the block schedule, creating the block schedule, training the team on the block schedule, he didn't have to do that. And he trusted and allowed the delegation process and he trusted his team to carry it through. And I think something Trish that you did well with him and that he did well with you was allowed for the results. Everything was results driven. So if you implement this, you should see this.   DAT Trish Ackerman (17:30) Yes.   The Dental A Team (17:31) Now we see and make   sure we see that. If we don't see that, like you said, the numbers don't lie, right? The numbers tell a story. If we're not seeing the result, the expected results, we look at why are we not seeing the expected results? So he trusted that that implementation by his team was going to get the results. And if it didn't, he trusted that you would guide on why that result didn't happen. Yeah. Yeah.   DAT Trish Ackerman (17:54) Yep, and how to approach the team maybe a different way to   get the implementation active.   The Dental A Team (18:00) Yeah, yep, totally, totally. so massive kudos Trish on keying into, massive kudos to this doctor and massive kudos to you to really keying in on the areas of growth rather than just saying this is what we do, right? We're not that kind of consulting company but I watch you really mold your consulting per client to what   they need and where they're at, like you meet them where they are at and you are able to really see things that they thrive in, things that they love, things they're really good at, and then areas where it's like, you're not super great at that and you probably don't like it, so like, do you need to keep doing it? Is this something you need to keep doing or is this something that maybe we can pass off to somebody else?   DAT Trish Ackerman (18:53) think we're all really good at that here. mean, it's, think we get, we do get to know our clients quickly, really quickly, as far as just how are they going to tick with us? And, and when, know, with, with this doctor, one of the funnest things that I did discover with him is, is I found out that he was competitive and that was something else that really moved the needle. And I was like, ⁓ okay. And I ran with that. And   knowing that he was competitive and then started having them bring their presented treatment. How much dentistry did they present yesterday? And I mean, that just took off. So between him and his associate every day, they were in there and their huddle showing what did you present yesterday and what was accepted. And it just started kind of creeping up slowly but surely because the because the owner doctor, he's like he wanted to win. He wanted to have more to show. And that was that was actually a lot of fun.   The Dental A Team (19:44) Yeah.   Yeah, I do. I do love that. I remember you doing that with them and it was fun and you could see just like a spark. Like I wanted it. Like it was awesome. And I think to highlight that one of the reasons that you keyed in on that and that you made that a priority was that there was a sense of fear of diagnosing, of being an overdiagnoser. And so they knew there was stuff left on the table. There was a fear and there was a holding back and you challenged them.   to diagnose just one more, to diagnose one more thing and overcome that fear. And oftentimes we have to step into what that fear is and just do just a smidgen, like just a little bit, just a little bit and get over that fear. And that was something that you keyed in on. it wasn't, a lot of team members tend to listen to these too. And they tend to think the wrong of consulting, that we're looking to.   make things up or find things that aren't there and that was not the case with them. It was really just that fear of being an overdiagnoser, but really stepping into who they were as providers, as dentists, and their why to make people healthy again. So it's just super cool to watch. So, Josh, if you had to pick two things, two things, actionable items that the listeners today could attempt to implement themselves based on your work with this doctor, what would those two things be?   DAT Trish Ackerman (21:14) Those two things, let's see, the first one would be, what is your case acceptance and how are you presenting? And I say that because I watch and hear doctors talk patients out of treatment all day every day. So that's first thing, what's your case acceptance and how are you presenting? That's number one. And then number two, what is your, you know, I love this, what does your re-care department look like? What does your re-care schedule look like for the next two weeks?   The Dental A Team (21:26) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Agreed.   DAT Trish Ackerman (21:41) and what did it look like the last two weeks and evaluate that. And if you find that there is more than 10 % of lost time in that two weeks, you might as well plan for that to possibly happen coming up two weeks. And so what are the systems in place? What are the protocols in place? Because you really want to lock down that Recare Department to ensure that you have your patient base and that you've got your exam opportunities.   The Dental A Team (22:05) I love it. Thank you.   DAT Trish Ackerman (22:06) And   that your overhead is not crazy because it can get really wild if we don't have if we've got a hygiene provider and she does not have a 90 scheduled or to capacity. We're going to start seeing some numbers look weird.   The Dental A Team (22:19) totally agree, love that. Awesome, thank you Trish, I appreciate it. think watching you consult is super fun, watching all of you ladies consult is super fun. My job is really, really cool and I just, I love it. thought, it's kinda like when you're in the office, you're like, can't imagine anything else and then now I'm like, I can't imagine sitting in an office, you know, and I was like, I'm never gonna be off the road and then I was like, actually I really like this, I really love this space so thank you for letting me be a part of it, thank you for letting me jump in on.   on calls with you sometimes and really just get to see you thrive. Thank you, thank you. Awesome, you guys, if you are a Dental A Team client, we love you, we value, we appreciate you. If you have any questions on this specific situation, you guys, we all communicate a ton. So ask your consultant if you want some advice, you're like, Trish's Recare sounds amazing, like communicate with your consultant. If you're not a Dental A Team client yet,   DAT Trish Ackerman (22:49) love that one.   The Dental A Team (23:14) We love you, we appreciate you, we value you. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. If you have questions, we are here for you. And if you want to know more about Piggies, Trish is here for you. And we love talking our hobbies and that is a massive hobby for her. So get to know us like we get to know you. We love and adore all of you. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. Drop us a five star review. We cannot wait to hear from you. And if you guys are in a space where you just, you're not sure.   what to do. You're like, I don't know what my A, B, and C is Trish. I don't know what my next step is. I know I can see this thing that I want. I don't know how to get there. We are really good at that. We are really, really good at building those steps and the path to get to your ultimate dreams. You guys, TheDentalATeam.com sign up for a free consultation and it doesn't, it's no obligation you guys. doesn't mean anything. It just means,   Help me, I see this piece, what am I missing? We are here to provide that piece even if you're saying I'm not ready for consulting, we will still give you those tools. So please reach out, we are here for you. We want to do the most that we possibly can for the dental world and our community that we serve. So Hello@TheDentalATeam.com and we cannot wait to meet you.  

God's Fingerprints Are All Over Your Story | Blessed Morning Prayer To Start Your Day With GodSUBSCRIBE to catch all the latest prayers uploaded to the Daily Effective Prayer Podcast!For more powerful daily prayers and to connect with the ministry visit:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org© Copyright DailyEffectivePrayer.com  SUPPORT THE MINISTRY: (We are listener-supported)https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/donate/ DO YOU NEED PRAYER? Send us a prayer request right now:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/prayer-request-online/ CONNECT WITH US:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/connectYouTube (1M+ SUBSCRIBERS)X / TwitterInstagram ThreadsInstagramFacebook Daily Effective Prayer™

One thing that is certain in this life is that there will be troubles, heartache, and even trauma. It does not take anything away from our relationship with Jesus to admit that we will all go through tough times. The Bible speaks to this issue, and there's nowhere in the Bible that guarantees us a life free of pain. Some of us have certainly had a much tougher time in life, which no doubt leads to many questions especially for believers. If you have had your fair share of physical, mental or emotional pain, you may find yourself angry at God for allowing it to take place. Why would God allow us to go through such heartache?If you are blessed enough that you have not dealt with a lifelong onslaught of attacks from the enemy, you still will encounter those who have. What a blessing it can be to be able to speak life into someone's hopeless and helpless heart. Listen in today as Tiffany Jo Baker speaks with Juliet Dawn, singer, song-writer and poet, as she discusses astronomical, pain and loss in her own life, and how God brought her through.Listen in for:Why God allows hardshipsWhen you should use God's Word in the midst of your sufferingHow God can use your pain for His gloryFavorite Quotes:“God allows us to go through things to sharpen us, to give us a testimony, to give us a message, and to give us purpose and destiny.” - Juliet Dawn“We are created to be His hands and feet!” - Tiffany Jo Baker“One thing that is so key in our journeys is to hold on to the truth, to be confessing, declaring, speaking out the truth that is God's Word.” - Tiffany Jo BakerFavorite Scripture:“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind." II Timothy 1:7To learn more about Juliet Dawn and her work, please visit: https://www.julietdawn.co.uk*Want timely words, resources, and episodes delivered right to your inbox to help you fuel and fulfill your faith journey? Simply subscribe today to never miss an episode at https://www.tiffanyjobaker.com/subscribe (don't worry, you won't get spam or excessive emails)*If you're looking for perfectly polished people or podcast, this isn't for you. We're real people, with real good information, and a really great God.Don't miss the next Tiffany Jo Baker Podcast episode as we continue to help you GET FREE, LIVE FULL & THANK GOD! You can watch on YouTube and https://www.tiffanyjobaker.com/tiffany-jo-baker-podcast or listen in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player. Ratings and reviews are like high-fives and “go-girl's” on podcast Helping you refresh and refocus so you can do all the things you are called and created to do, my 31 Day Devotional “Soul-Care for Go-Getters” is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and my website shop here. ( https://www.tiffanyjobaker.com/go-getters-devo )As a 3x Surrogate, Speaker, Soul-Care and Success Coach and Spirit-led Strategist, I uplift the soul and success of women like you who are walking out your WHY, so you can birth your God-given dreams at home, online, and in the real world. Find me, @TiffanyJoBaker, on Instagram , Facebook and https://www.tiffanyjobaker.com. I would love to connect with you there!

Can we take a minute to thank God for our lives?

HOLY FAMILY MISSION RAFFLE: If you wish to support the work that Holy Family Mission do and enter the raffle, you will find details on how to do so here - https://www.holyfamilymission.ie/supportus   Visit https://www.holyfamilymission.ie/ to learn more about Holy Family Mission.   PAVING THE WAY HOME:   YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@pavingthewayhome85 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/paving-the-way-home-podcast/id1517252693 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0sywWGWjqXFSErvxOcNeEt?si=jjRM2DjsQvGUJppEQqFS_g  

JoAnne’s Christmas Curse: Part 2 A Bike Messenger Received. Based on a post by Todd 1 72, in 2 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. In the morning, JoAnne only found one skirt and jacket; with a remarkable short skirt. And the only shoes had six inch spike heels. Fortunately the long wool overcoat was back, so at least she could probably make it to the office without being ravished, although as horny as she was waking up, any ravishing was more likely to be her doing anyway. JoAnne shrugged off her coat as she walked past Lillian's desk, the super-short skirt eliciting an appreciative "ooh" from Lillian. Then, Lillian said, "Um, shit. JoAnne, the secretary offsite training is today, so I have to leave in like five minutes; we're supposed to head out to some lame team building exercise thing." JoAnne flinched. Lillian, cute as ever, stood up and stepped into the inner office with her. Lillian continued. "I, um, was really hoping to finish all that, um, dictation we started yesterday, but I just got a call saying there are no excused absences. Human Resources is adamant." JoAnne forced a smile on her face. "Not your fault. I was really hoping we could; um, go over that last part again today. Maybe you could read it back to me tomorrow though." She felt Lillian's warm hand slide up the back of her skirt and gently grab her bare ass, a fingertip just pressed against her asshole. Lillian smiled sweetly as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. "I hate to wait that long, but I'll go over my notes so I can read it back exactly right." JoAnne shivered, glanced out the door to make sure nobody was in the outer office, then whispered into Lillian's ear, "God, I was so looking forward to dragging you in here this morning. You'd better run while you still have some clothes on!" Lillian gave her a chaste peck on the cheek, then slipped out the door. Shit. Alone. Horny as hell. JoAnne settled in to get some work done. The morning dragged by, Joanne having to find every file, and never quite sure where to look. She was surprised at how much she actually had undervalued her secretaries; the Byzantine filing system used by the company for hard copy files, was certainly not designed for amateurs. By late afternoon, she found herself frustrated; sorting through file cabinets, looking for a 10-year old file. She was looking in the second lowest cabinet when she heard someone behind her, clearing his throat. JoAnne whirled. The same bike messenger as usual, stood with a package; and gilt edged green envelope in hand. From where he had been standing, he must have had a clear view of her full ass, as she bent over the files. With the super-short skirt and no panties, it didn't take a genius to figure out what he'd seen. She glanced down at his thin spandex cycling shorts surreptitiously. Yep. Hard-on. Giant hard-on. She could see each vein in the trellis texture wrapping around the wide girth of his cock. "How long have you been standing there." "About 90 seconds, I just came; in. I mean came in." "I'll bet." She snatched the big bubble-wrap envelope from his hand. Ripped it open and read the gilt and ivory card. All it said was, "He's all yours." She felt the now-familiar tingling, surge through her. The package had a very nice Christmas bath towel with ivory and gold trim. She stared at the muscular bike messenger, stepped around him; then closed, and locked the office door. "Three questions. No bullshit." He raised an eyebrow, "Yes?" "You married?" "No." "Steady girlfriend?" "No." "Straight?" "Yes." "Fine. I can see you're horny." She gestured at his monstrous hard-on. "You've eyed me every time you've come in here; and if I don't get laid in the next few minutes, I'll go insane." Her skirt and blouse hit the floor, and before he could even respond, she was on her knees and pulling the spandex shorts to his ankles. Her mouth was on his massive cock before he could even finish stepping out of his shoes and pull his shirt off. The taste was amazing, she felt like she couldn't get away; every lick made her crave him even more. She could barely get her hand around the shaft, so she began stroking his massive pole with both hands; spreading as much of her saliva on his cock as she could manage, then she began pumping his cock in and out of her mouth, getting a little deeper with each stroke. She felt his hands grip her hair, and he slowly began to take over the rhythm, and driving in a little deeper each time. She felt a flash of anger as she realized he was just fucking her mouth, just using her! The feeling of anger flashed into heat that seemed to center on her pussy. She groaned around the thrusting pole. His cock went in deeper and she sucked harder, slurping as he pulled back. Fuck, it felt great, just to act like a total slut! She moved her hands back around, to grab his muscular ass, and began pulling him in harder. She should have been gagging and choking on his cock; it was going halfway down her damn throat! But apparently Holly had also turned off her gag mechanism or something. He must think she was a total whore to be able to deep throat him like that. The more she thought about it, the more it turned her on. She grabbed his ass hard and pulled him right up to her, feeling his cock slide down her throat until her lips were all the way down. She held him that way, listening to him groan, then she very slowly slid him out of her burning mouth, looking up at him and making hard eye contact. Just as he was almost out of her mouth, she let her teeth touch the head; then sucked him all the way in again. After four times, his eyes were starting to lose focus, so she finally let him slide all the way out, his cock glistening with her saliva. "You're not getting off that easy; I said I need to get laid. I need to get fucking pounded!" JoAnne led him over to the desk then she laid down on. With ass right at the edge, she pulled her knees up until they were right at her tits. The bike courier guy didn't hesitate at all, plunging his steel rod in all the way to the hilt. Even as wet as she was, the huge pole filling her; induced a gasp. "Oh yeah! Now just fucking hammer that pussy!" He complied without a word, his balls slapping against her ass with each drive. Moaning loudly, she stretched her legs up, then rested her heels over his shoulders, and began tweaking her hard nipples. With all her frustration earlier, her orgasms didn't take long to arrive; gushing hot juice as her inner muscles contracted on the giant cock. Feeling the force of her orgasm, he started to slow. She snarled through gritted teeth, "Keep fucking, god dammit! Don't stop or I'll slap the shit out of you!" He grinned and continued ramming into her steaming hole; it took two more hard climaxes, before she could feel herself relax. He began to pick up speed, and she could see from his face; he was nearly there. Suddenly the desk slid; and his cock popped out, pointed right at her; just as a fountain of sticky white cum erupted. JoAnne felt the first rope, splattering upward from her stomach, to her tits, and finally her face. Then a second rope came even harder and longer. Since her mouth was open, she got a good taste of the hot jizz. Her mouth filled up, just as the second rope a jizz abated. She stared directly into his eyes as she swallowed it all. A third rope commenced, hitting her right between the eyes. It spread evenly in both lateral directions. Covering her eye shadow and cascading down over her eyelids, and flowing over her high cheekbones. It ran along her jaw, and dribbled into the ravine of her deep cleavage. That bitch! JoAnne was sure she could hear Holly’s haunting giggle. He staggered back. "Shit, I'm sorry, the damn desk slid; I, uh;” She waved him off, licking the cum off her lips. "Don't worry about it; furniture has a mind of its own sometimes." He dressed hurriedly while she toweled herself off. After he was gone, she checked her hair one last time for cum droplets and headed home. That night, her vibrator was buzzing pretty late. Three on a match The next morning, one of the red outfits was hanging in the closet; see through white blouse, red skirt, red jacket; and the now-normal high heel red shoes. Not a stitch of underwear, of any type, of course. The skirt seemed longer than they had been, the last few days, and the neckline was a little less obvious. With the jacket closed and fully buttoned, she could probably be seen in public without getting arrested. Another Christmas card lay on her counter, all it said was, "Be Helpful! Helping Others Can be Fulfilling." Lillian wasn't in the outer office. Just as JoAnne settled into her chair, Lillian, wearing a cute little gray skirt outfit, came in, leading a small young woman with light brown hair and huge glasses, into the room. "JoAnne, this is Mouse, from the IT office. She is going to replace the Video conference set-up this morning; a lot more than the cable, was bad." "Mouse"; gave a weak smile, which clearly showed where she had picked up her nickname. The resemblance to a friendly, cute, cartoon mouse was uncanny. She had two prominent front teeth and her ears even stuck out enough to make the image perfect. Well, as long as she was here, there was no way JoAnne was going to get Lillian alone. JoAnne moved to Lillian's desk while Lillian and Mouse struggled with the connections. Mouse, working in the secure comms closet, while Lillian kept reconnecting cables under the desk. JoAnne watched Lillian's cute round ass, wiggling around as she swapped out yet another piece of the system, while Mouse adjusted settings on the master board in the closet; occasionally closing the door to see the whole panel. Going down a couple floors, to Security; to sign for a new badge and computer token that would work with the new conference system, was a relief for JoAnne. As she walked back into her office, closing the outer door behind her, the first thing she saw was Lillian's yummy ass, still wiggling from under the desk. Looking around, she noted that everyone seemed to be still at work, just as she’d left them. So that means Mouse was still in the comms closet, with the door almost shut. Grinning evilly, JoAnne slid up behind the desk and the lovely ass of her assistant was exposed. She rolled up her desk chair and seated herself, then slid one hand up her inner thigh; slowly; whispering, "As soon as we're alone, I'm eating that sweet pussy, until you scream! Then I'm fucking your brains out with Carlos!” That was the nickname she gave her new strap-on dildo harness setup. Lillian didn't say anything, but spread her legs further. JoAnne then saw the jeweled stem of a lovely ass-plug, deeply set in Lillian’s lovely asshole. Where did Lillian get this lovely accessory from? She let her fingers cruise up the soft inner thigh. Much to her excitement, Lillian wasn't wearing any panties; and she was very, very wet. JoAnne began to finger her in earnest, massaging the rapidly swollen clit and dripping pussy rapidly. Lillian was thrusting back against her hand, so she quickly slipped two fingers into her, pumping in and out until she heard a soft moan and felt Lillian's pussy muscles contacting rhythmically on her fingers. Hearing the rattling at the comms closet door, she rapidly stood up and acted as if she was in the middle of a conversation with Lillian: "So we may have to stay later tonight until we get this sorted out." Lillian stepped out of the comms closet. Stunned Joanne looked down at the desk as Mouse slipped out from underneath it, with a huge mousey grin, flushed face and a great deal of hair out of place. Belatedly, Joanne realized Mouse was also wearing a gray skirt, just like Lillian's. "I'll stay as late as you want, Ma'am! Gosh Lily, you said she was great to work for, but I didn't know she was this great!" Lillian looked confused. Mouse's grin got even wider. "Lil, she didn't know we switched places; she thought I was you.” Turning back to the director, Mouse continued; “Miss Steadman, It was great! Mouse was euphoric and giddy. “LiI, haven't gotten laid since the last time we did the amateur-night strip club thing, you know? The time you and I had too much tequila, ended up in the oil-wrestling pit, and went home together? And Miss Steadmann was really good! Normally I'd scream if someone just slid their hand up my skirt, but it was so obvious she thought it was you! And I thought it would be funny; she promised to fuck my brains out as soon as we were alone. So I was going to say something, but her fingers felt so good; going up my thigh, and I kept putting off saying anything. And I've been so horny all week. I mean; I can masturbate, but it just isn't the same as having someone else do it to you. And she knows just how to use her fingers; I came so hard, I thought I would pass out. Gosh Lily, you need to learn to share!" Mouse said the entire thing in one breath, which made Lillian begin to giggle, then Mouse joined in and finally JoAnne broke down and began to laugh. Breathlessly, JoAnne gasped out, "I'm so sorry, I've just been so crazy horny for the last week." Mouse giggled, "You should jump the bike courier guy; makes me wet every time he walks through the office. I end up fingering myself under the desk!" "I jumped him yesterday, and screwed his brains out." "Oh my gosh! Is he as good as he looks? I'll bet he's hung like a horse!" "Huge; he's just hung like a stallion!. But I'm still horny as hell!" After they finally managed to stop laughing, Mouse looked thoughtfully at the outer office door. Her wicked mouse-grin got wider. She pulled a doorknob sign out of her bag. It said; "Tech Support. Sensitive Hardware Installation; Keep Out." She walked to the outer office door, pulled it open, hung the sign on the outer knob, then closed and locked it with an evil mousey leer. "Looks like later to me!" JoAnne felt Lily reach around her and begin unbuttoning her blouse, pausing for a moment to gently tease JoAnne's hard nipples. Mouse dropped her skirt to the floor and walked towards the cleared off desk. "So Miss Jo, you said something about; making me scream?" Jo shivered as Lily pulled her blouse down off her shoulders while tracing up the nape of her neck with the hot tip of her tongue. Lily whispered in her ear. "I'm holding you to that, too. You may have said it to her, but you thought you were promising it to me. Looks like double duty for you." It was over two hours later when JoAnne finally walked out on wobbly legs. She was even a little sore; Mouse, it turned out, had a fondness for wearing the strap-on and her compact little body had more strength than anyone would expect. JoAnne was also very glad she'd been using the vibrator on her ass so regularly; her earlier attack on Lily's ass had brought a rather delightful but slightly over the top retribution from Lily. Mouse and Lily seemed very comfortable with each other, and it was pretty clear they were a lot fonder of each other than either of them really realized. To be honest JoAnne wondered why she'd noticed. Dropping off to sleep was easier than ever. After a few minutes with her vibrator of course. The Third Package When JoAnne woke the next morning, naked as usual, she glanced in the mirror; her little holly leaf was very much edged in gold now; and the hair seemed to be turning a dark green. At least her closet was looking a little more benign this morning; the ever present red jacket, a regular white silk blouse; hardly transparent at all; her now-perpetually-excited nipples poked through, but she was getting used to that. And the skirt was actually just a little shorter than her usual choice. The heels were almost an inch higher than before, but that was a pretty easy trade-off. The shoes, at least, were comfortable. As she strolled into her kitchen, she found Holly, and another incredibly busty elf perched on the counter, looking over a couple of scrolls. Both were drinking coffee from her coffeemaker. "A black elf?" Holly and the new elf looked up at her. The black elf threw her a sharp look. "What, is she racist, too?" Holly shook her head, and held up her scroll. "Nope. Just ignorant." Holly looked over at JoAnne. "Elves aren't born, we're recruited." "From where? "Everywhere. I was recruited in Germany over 900 years ago. Koko here was recruited from Johannesburg about 80 years ago." JoAnne really wanted to know what the hell they were doing in her kitchen, but pushing Holly had proven to be a really bad idea, so she tried to be conversational. "So what's the recruitment profile? I mean you'd have to have some kind of criteria." She looked at the two of them critically for a second. "Cause If I was going to guess, I'd assume it had something to do with having tits like honeydew melons." Koko gave a lopsided grin. "That's part of the 'elf upgrade package.' The Big Guy has a thing for giant knockers, so you lose a little height and gain half dozen cups sizes. They firm up and stick out, too. Gwyneth, our head supervisor, is over 800 years old, and she still has very little sag." She reached up with her hands and jiggled her boobs. "They're really sensitive, too. Definitely worth the trade." "Doesn't that make your back hurt?" Holly laughed. "Christmas Magic, Baby." "The Big Guy is?" "Santa Claus, Pere Noel, Father Christmas. Yep, he's real." "And he likes big knockers. Do you guys, uh?" Koko shook her head, eyes wide. "Nope, He's a one-woman guy, and Lady Winter isn't somebody you'd want to piss off. She doesn't mind skin and jiggle all around him, doesn't mind looking at it, herself. But I'd hate to think what would happen if anyone was stupid enough to go after and seduce him." Holly nodded. "She actually does the upgrades, I think the giant ta-tas are her idea, anyway." She suddenly looked a little serious. "So, anyway; Koko here is from the Legal Oversight office. She's responsible for making sure all the legal criteria are met for this kind of stuff. Christmas Lesson Curses, you know." "She's a lawyer?" Koko stiffened. "Oh? So I can't be a lawyer now?" JoAnne flinched. "No, I mean, I guess, I just never thought of Elves as needing lawyers." Koko relaxed a bit. "We have divisions to do everything: management, logistics, manufacturing, recruiting, and, of course; the elves who go out and spread Christmas cheer, the 'Jingle Girls,' that's by far our biggest division." Holly caught Jo's eye. "She has to make sure that I'm not misusing power, make sure you deserved the curse. All that kind of stuff." There was an almost pleading look in her eye. Koko nodded, sipping her coffee and picking up a scroll from the counter. "Somebody, who I won't name, but who's initials are 'Holly Mistletoe' is kind of sloppy with paperwork and has gotten her ass in trouble before; for overreacting. In fact, she's on probation. One more misuse and she's back in the toy factory, putting eyes in those creepy little dolls." Holly shuddered. Jo shrugged. "So what do you need to know?" "Okay. Let's see. Were you knowingly and deliberately rude to her, contrary to the Spirit of Christmas?" "Yeah, I kinda was. More than 'kinda.' I knocked her on her ass." "On purpose?" "I don't know. More, not giving a shit." Koko's eyes slid sideways accusingly towards Holly, who looked a little stricken. Jo suddenly felt a little sorry for Holly, even though she'd started this whole thing. "Oh yeah, I did tell her to 'Fuck off.' Twice. And definitely I meant that. I tried to get her thrown out of the restaurant." She saw relief cross Holly's face. Koko looked placated. "Okay. So let's see if the response was appropriate;” Koko scanned the scroll. "Maybe a little over the top, but not too much. No permanent damage or anything. Not like that sheep incident in Scotland." Holly suppressed a snicker and Koko glared at her. "It wasn't funny, you know. A whole country gets a bad reputation because some drunk highlander pinched your ass without your permission." She looked over at JoAnne. "Have you learned your lesson?" "Yes. I think I have. I'll sure as hell remember this, for the rest of my life." "Okay then, we can go ahead and turn it off." JoAnne thought fleetingly of Mouse and Lillian. "Wait, doesn't it end at midnight tonight anyway? Until Midnight of Christmas Eve and all that?" Koko looked a little confused. "Well, yes, but it isn't necessary to continue; you're clearly contrite;” "No, it's okay, I don't want to put you guys through any trouble or anything. I've made it so far, I'll make it through the day." Koko shrugged, but JoAnne thought Holly looked a bit smug as the two of them disappeared with that bizarre reverse popping sound. Alone. Unfortunately for JoAnne, Lily had called to say she would be out; her car had broken down. Just as bad, when JoAnne made up an excuse to call down to Tech Support to "ask Mouse a question about this video upgrade," she'd been told that Mouse had called out to go help someone whose car had broken down. Obviously Lily. JoAnne reflected that the two of them seemed to be a little more than just a couple friends who slept together once in a while. In a way, she wished Lily had called her for help instead of Mouse. She lasted only half the day in the nearly deserted office. Everyone had taken Christmas Eve off, and she could have sprinted through the building, naked; and not run into anyone. By noon, only she and the old man at the security desk, were left. Grumbling, she walked out of the building, and started home. Nobody to care for, nobody to visit. As she walked past a still-open jewelry store, she noticed charm necklaces proudly displayed. Not very expensive things; just little gold charms. But one design was a little cartoon mouse; and one of the others was a lily. After a flash of inspiration, she walked down the street to a metro delivery service, filled out the forms, and paid a ridiculous fee to have the necklaces delivered by tonight. With a self-satisfied smile, she sent the mouse necklace to Lily and the lily necklace to Mouse, along with a note that she hoped they had a wonderful Christmas. At 6pm, tired of waiting for the ‘shoe to drop’, and more than a little disappointed, JoAnne took a relaxing shower. Afterward she dried and wore her very expensive white plush bathrobe. She pulled a bottle of chilled white wine out of her walk-in wine cellar, and put it on the counter. Her earlier joy at finding the right gifts for Lily and Mouse, was fast-fading, and in the back of her mind, she was seriously considering drinking enough wine to pass out, for the first time since college. That is, until she heard a knock on her Penthouse apartment door. That in itself should have been impossible; nobody entered the building without being rung up in the first place. She walked over and looked out the peephole. The bike messenger. She smiled to herself, feeling a surge of lust. "Holly, you clever, sneaky little bitch." She untied and tossed her robe over on the easy chair, and threw the door open with a smile. "Just what I was waiting for! Come on in." Three faces stared at her in shock. Well, two were in shock; the third was starting a knowing grin. She looked from face to face to face, stunned. The Bike Messenger. An identical Bike Messenger. And yet another twin Bike Messenger. "Triplets? Identical Triplets." The grinning one stepped in, pulling the other two with him. "I'm Derrick, this is Devlin and that is Darwin. We operate Triple D Messenger Service." The one he'd called Devlin, stared at her for a second, then blinked and shook his head. "You dropped off a couple packages to be delivered and the addresses got smeared." He held up the packages for Lily and Mouse. "Since we had deliveries in this building we figured we'd drop by and get;” his voice trailed off as Joann reached over and grabbed his shirtfront and Darwin's arm, and began dragging them towards the living room. "I really hope you three don't have anywhere to be for the next couple of hours." She felt Derrick's hands slide up her bare body, to cup her tits, and Darwin started kissing her deeply. An hour later, moaning her way through yet another shivering orgasm, she noticed movement in the doorway. Lily and Mouse, both in long winter coats watched; open-mouthed from the doorway. Each one was clutching a wine box with a bow on it. She pulled her mouth off the head of the cock she'd been happily sucking on. Darwin, or was it Derrick; looked over at them, then back down at JoAnne. "You need to get that lock looked at." "Come in and close the door." Mouse looked at her wide-eyed, then at the men stroking in and out of JoAnne. "Miss Jo, you look a little; busy, maybe we should go." "Well; I think maybe 'Miss I-Get-Wet-and-Finger-Myself-Whenever-the-Bike-Messenger-Comes-Through'; and 'Miss I-Want-to-Take-a-Bite-of-His-Ass'; should lose their clothes and give me a hand before I suffocate. This whole 'airtight' thing is fun at first, but a girl needs to be able to breathe." Lily and Mouse exchanged looks and giggled as they dropped their coats. The only thing either one was wearing was their shoes. As the men slowly let her loose, JoAnne said. "Mouse, Lily, this is Derrick, Devlin and Darwin of Triple D Messenger Service." Lily reached out and grabbed the nearest cock. "Dibs on Devlin." "Um, actually, I'm Darwin;” "Yeah, whatever. Just get that rock hard ass and phallus over here." The one nearest Mouse smiled at her. "I'm;” Mouse solemnly cut him off, grabbing his hard shaft and leading him over towards an easy chair. "Don't care. You name wasn't the important part of my recurring fantasy." JoAnne looked at the remaining brother. Whatever his name was. "Thank God! Now I can move how I want to." It was another hour before they paused. While the guys recovered, JoAnne gave the charm necklaces to Mouse and Lily and watched their smiles light up. Especially when they realized who got which necklace. Mouse reached over and pulled Jo and Lily into a hug. "You guys are the best!" Lily grabbed the wine boxes, handing one to Mouse. "We got you gifts too." Mouse opened the box with a crazy mousey leer, pulling out an enormous strap-on, while Lily did the same. Her grin wasn't as mousey, but the leer was just as crazy. They began strapping them on, and over their shoulders, JoAnne could see the guys' hard-ons returning already. "Holly Mistletoe. Holly Mistletoe. Holly Mistletoe!" Everything froze with a snap. Holly, her elf cap askew, was standing in the middle of the room. She looked around at the three buff bike messengers, who'd just been starting to get up, then at Lily and Mouse, frozen with their giant strap-ons at the ready and lust-filled eyes. "Wow. I'm impressed. Helluva party." "It's getting a little wild." "Okay, you definitely need help. Do you want me to make them go to sleep, send some home, send all of them home?" "Oh, no. Don't do that." Holly looked around. "Then what?" "I wasn't really calling for help. I just figured, that if you weren't busy you might want to; you know." "Join in?" Holly looked at her disbelievingly. JoAnne shrugged. "Sorry, I just thought you might want a little fun. But I guess being an Elf on Christmas Eve, you're probably busy." Holly looked over at the three guys and grinned. "Fuck it, the team up north can get by without me." "How are you going to get them to not freak out when you just show up, I doubt all of them believe in Christmas Magic?" "The magic of Pizza. Everybody believes in pizza." A sudden snap with that strange reverse-popping sound and everyone was in motion again. Just as they had her encircled, there was a loud knock and the door popped open. Holly, in a ridiculously tight, red and white, cleavage-baring parody of a pizza delivery costume was standing at the door, holding a two huge pizza boxes. "Pizza delivery! For Miss Jo Steadmann. Looks like a 'Crowd Pleaser Combo', One 'Double Sweet and Spicy' and one extra-large, extra-hot Triple Sausage. Lily shook her head. "You really need to get that lock looked at." Holly looked around, as if seeing everything for the first time, and her eyes widened. "Oh, triplets!" Trio Times. Jo relaxed dreamily, eyes closed, laying on her side on her bed as Mouse and Lily thrust slowly, gently, in and out of her in perfect rhythm. Their legs were tangled together. Lily, behind her, and Mouse, in front, used their hands to hold JoAnne’s upper leg up at the knee, while they both kissed and nibbled her neck. She listened to far more intense noises from the next room. Somewhere around midnight, Holly had finally dragged the three bike messengers off with a lascivious grin. JoAnne didn't have to make any effort, just enjoyed the sensations, the slow build until a last, slow wave of orgasm slid through her. As she opened her eyes, she realized that Lily and Mouse were gently kissing each other, the golden charms on their necklaces tapping together, making tiny bell-like sounds, while the two of them looked into each other's eyes as if they were in a world all their own. Walking Funny. The next morning, JoAnne slipped quietly off the bed; Lillian and Mouse were nestled together on the other side. Mouse was snoring quietly, little, squeaky contented sounds. It was clear, just from the way they were holding each other; that they had crossed from occasional Friends with Benefits, to something much more serious, and that made JoAnne smile a little. Holly was sitting lazily, in one of the easy chairs, dressed in one of JoAnne's robes. She raised a mug up. "The boys had to leave, remembered they had a Christmas family thing. That's good, 'cause I'm gonna walk funny for a few days. Damn, they had some serious stamina. Must be all that bike riding. Hey, I've got some hot chocolate for you on the counter." JoAnne raised the steaming mug off the counter. "I thought you'd be busy today." "No, Christmas Day is a pretty quiet day for me, just a couple things to do." She waved at the penthouse apartment. "Is this worth it? Your job, I mean, it obviously makes a shit-ton of money, but it seems pretty stressful." "I thought so, but honestly, over the last few days, I've had more fun than I can remember." She paused. "I could work my ass off for the rest of my life and it would never get me what Lily and Mouse have." "I saw that too, they just didn't realize it until last night. They just figured out that they're a forever couple, I could see it in their eyes last night. You saw it before they did, didn't you?" They both love men, a lot. But they’ll have to be men who don’t mind the Sapphic dimensions in the two women’s lives. JoAnne nodded. "I even kind of gave a hint to them." She told Holly about the necklaces, realizing that the whole thought that she wasn't going to get something; she'd never even thought of wanting, was depressing. JoAnne decided to change the subject. "So, do you like your job?" "It's amazing. I get to travel all over the world, all the time. And I really am the best at it." "I can tell, last night was insane, you outdid yourself." “But I want more from life than career affirmation. I want a meaningful and fun relationship with someone who appreciates who I am. This corporation will never be able to give me those things.” “Did you know that Triple D is conducting a search for a logistics administrator? Derrick is conduction interviews, starting tomorrow. They’ve been offered metro area contracts from a global overnight delivery leader, and they’ll need a very competent administrator. It sounds custom-made for one JoAnne Steadmann?” “Derrick and I had fantastic chemistry, a couple days ago, and again last night. But will Derrick and I be compatible, I mean, after the curse wears off?” Holly shook her head. "The curse ended at Midnight. Since we operate all over the world, all our stuff is set to work on Greenwich mean time, so that'd be about 6PM yesterday, here." "So what was last night?" "That was all you; and, let me tell you, you are one crazy, horny, bitch. You just needed to be unleashed." "Oh. My. God. I thought that was part of your 'spreading Christmas cheer' job." Holly leaned back grinning. "That's a blast, one of the best jobs out there; but I'm not a Jingle Girl, that's not what I do. I just did a courtesy check, on my own time. Gawd, woman! You sure know how to host a shagging party!" "Well, what do you do?" Holly put the mug down on the small table next to her and pulled a scroll out of the thin air and unrolled it, then held a quill pen out to JoAnne, arching an eyebrow. "I'm in Recruiting. If you weren’t interested in settling down with a local guy, I’d be earnestly pitching a career option with lots of travel and opportunities unbounded.” Based on a post by Todd 1 72, in 2 parts.

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Sunday Morning Service - 12/7/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Don't Rush What God Is Growing (TRUST THE PROCESS) | Blessed Daily Effective Prayer For The MorningSUBSCRIBE to catch all the latest prayers uploaded to the Daily Effective Prayer Podcast!For more powerful daily prayers and to connect with the ministry visit:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org© Copyright DailyEffectivePrayer.com  SUPPORT THE MINISTRY: (We are listener-supported)https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/donate/ DO YOU NEED PRAYER? Send us a prayer request right now:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/prayer-request-online/ CONNECT WITH US:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/connectYouTube (1M+ SUBSCRIBERS)X / TwitterInstagram ThreadsInstagramFacebook Daily Effective Prayer™

Thanks for listening!Visit us online at ⁠www.salvationnow.ca⁠Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & Twitter @tjmalcangiSubscribe to our YouTube channel “TJ Malcangi”God bless you!

How are church work students formed at Concordia University, St. Paul (CSP)? The Rev. Dr. Brian Friedrich (President of Concordia University, St. Paul) and Breana Winnes (Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions for Concordia University, St. Paul) join Andy and Sarah for our Set Apart to Serve series to talk about what they love about what they get to do, an overview of the church work programs at CSP, why these programs are important to CSP, what makes these programs unique among the Concordias, what campus life is like at CSP, and how prospective students can learn more and visit campus. Learn more about Concordia St. Paul at csp.edu. Christ's church will continue until He returns, and that church will continue to need church workers. Set Apart to Serve (SAS) is an initiative of the LCMS to recruit church workers. Together, we pray for workers for the Kingdom of God and encourage children to consider church work vocations. Here are three easy ways you can participate in SAS: 1. Pray with your children for God to provide church workers. 2. Talk to your children about becoming church workers. 3. Thank God for the people who work in your congregation. To learn more about Set Apart to Serve, visit lcms.org/set-apart-to-serve. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

Stay Humble, Stay Blessed—Always Lean On God | Blessed Morning Prayer To Start Your Day With GodSUBSCRIBE to catch all the latest prayers uploaded to the Daily Effective Prayer Podcast!For more powerful daily prayers and to connect with the ministry visit:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org© Copyright DailyEffectivePrayer.com  SUPPORT THE MINISTRY: (We are listener-supported)https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/donate/ DO YOU NEED PRAYER? Send us a prayer request right now:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/prayer-request-online/ CONNECT WITH US:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/connectYouTube (1M+ SUBSCRIBERS)X / TwitterInstagram ThreadsInstagramFacebook Daily Effective Prayer™

THE LAST JEDI divided the fanbase entirely, and that's exactly what Rian Johnson wanted to do. He succeeded and we all lost. Even those who enjoyed TLJ, we'll never see Luke Skywalker, Han and Leia together. No one here really wins. Now it's official that Rian Johnson's Star Wars trilogy is done. I wish him the best, and I know he's doing well, but as for Star Wars, I hope he stays far, far away from it. Our Black Friday sale is insane right now - check it out - THEORY SABERS - https://theorysabers.com/ Ani III - The Chosen One - https://www.theorysabers.com/product/hilt-ani3 Prodigal Son V1 (Affordable Version) - https://www.theorysabers.com/product/hilt-lukev1 HATS and MERCH - https://www.theorysabers.com/products-3?category=Accessories&subcategory=Merch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grim and James are joined by Jerry Cthulhu, ThatGuy, Nickie the Dude, RSHarmful, Pirateshipping, Anubis, Endless, and Mellohorus! Enjoy the Chat! Email me for the Guilded chatroom link! Check out our anime review show Shonen Dump www.shonendump.com James Cruz Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/cruz_controllin Grimsteak Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/grimcrt Grimsteak Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@grimsteak Send us hatemail or love mail at grimsteak@gmail.com Live Show Every Tuesday at 9pm est on CwS Radio https://s3.radio.co/s230f698de/listen Check out Jerry's show "Nox Mente' at https://noxmente.simplecast.com/

➡️ This episode was recorded in 2021.The Westboro Baptist Church was founded by Fred Phelps in Topeka, Kansas in 1955 and believes that God punishes the United States for its tolerance of homosexuality, particularly in America's military.Actually, they believe that God punishes everybody, everywhere.The church became known for protesting military funerals with signs reading messages like "God Hates Fags," "Thank God for Dead Soldiers," and "America is Doomed."

As a young man, journalist Sebastian Junger traveled the US and wrote about it. One day in the 1980s, he entered a restroom in the Florida Keys and found hateful graffiti scrawled on the walls. Most of it targeted Cuban immigrants. But one message, apparently from a Cuban, stood out. It read, “Thank God the rest of the people in this country are warm and caring and welcomed me in ’62.” Junger observed, “The very worst things about America were on that men’s-room wall, and the very best.” How are we to respond to the poisonous messages we so often encounter? The book of Proverbs offers sound counsel. Solomon, who compiled most of the book, brackets chapter 15 with similar imagery: “the mouth of the fool gushes folly” (v. 2), and “the mouth of the wicked gushes evil” (v. 28). The chapter begins, however, with the antidote to such venom: “A gentle answer turns away wrath” (v. 1). Solomon also noted, “The soothing tongue is a tree of life” (v. 4). Always, a patient response is key: “The heart of the righteous weighs its answers” (v. 28). How might God use our words when we ask Him to help us weigh them before our mouths, our pens, or our keyboards spew venom and vitriol at our fellow humans? As the proverb says, “How good is a timely word!” (v. 23).

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